The family dinner extended until nine o’clock in the evening, and it was considering that Su Yan and Zhenzhen needed to catch an early flight the next day, that the event wrapped up. Although Su Yan didn’t have his own place, Su Yuecheng and Su Nian both took good care of him. Su Yuecheng had initially offered for Su Yan to stay at his place, but Su Nian mentioned that the two children would be leaving together tomorrow, so there was no need to separate them for the night. She thus brought Su Yan back to her own home instead. With plenty of rooms available, especially since Su Bao had gone to find Haohao, they simply made Su Bao’s room available for her. Xiaoxiao was staying in the room that Su Zhen used to occupy; whenever she used to come back, the two sisters would sleep together. This time, after finishing her bath, Zhenzhen murmured to Xiaoxiao, "Mom, where did my little sister go?" "Your little sister has caught a cold; she’s sleeping with mom. If she passes the cold to you, and there’s no one to take care of you over there, you’re big enough now, can you sleep on your own?" "Hmph! Don’t underestimate me, I sleep by myself over there!" Su Nian pinched her little nose, "Not clinging onto little uncle, huh?" Su Zhen lifted her chin proudly, "Of course, I’m brave enough to be on my own!" Su Nian put her onto the bed, then sat by the bed, preparing to have a serious talk, "Zhenzhen, little uncle has grown up as well; you can’t cling to him all the time, you know?" "Why? If he’s grown up, does that mean he’s not my little uncle anymore?" Su Nian felt that Su Zhen wasn’t a little child anymore, and that she should be aware of self-protection, "Of course he is, but you’re a girl and he’s a boy..." Before Su Nian could finish, Su Zhen interrupted, "Oh! I know! Girls and boys should interact appropriately, our teacher said so!" Passing by the door, Su Yan’s gaze fell lightly. Hearing this, Su Nian felt reassured that the girl was not completely ignorant, then cheekily asked, "Are there any boys who like you?" Su Zhen pursed her lips, "Little uncle said, I’m still young, and I shouldn’t have a romantic relationship yet!" Su Nian couldn’t help but be amused at her response, "Do you know what a romantic relationship is?" "Don’t look down on me, I know a lot. Two classmates in our school were in a relationship, and the teacher discovered it; they were even suspended." Outside the door, Su Yan, listening to her ups and downs in narration, was touched that she remembered all his words. Feeling a little desolate but then smiling, he stepped into Su Bao’s room. After hearing this, Su Nian was stunned. Su Zhen’s classmates were only eight or nine years old. To have boyfriends at that age... could it be... It suddenly reminded her of her own early affection towards Shen Hanxiu, and she thought she had no right to judge others; the minds of children are always strange and whimsical... After bidding Zhenzhen goodnight, she went to Su Yan’s room, "Carey, have you gone to sleep?" Su Yan sat up from the bed and called out, "Sister Xiao Nian." Su Nian walked over and sat by his bed, "Carey, you’ve really taken care of Zhenzhen over there." "It’s nothing, she’s very obedient." Restlessness set in, as he worried if they were going to take Su Zhen away from him... If so, how would he get used to living alone again? Su Nian, touching his head, smiled, "When your mom left, she told us to take good care of you, but it turned out you’ve been taking on the little burden instead." Su Yan thought of that little burden and shook his head with a small smile, "An’an is very sensible." "No matter how sensible, having an extra person around still means extra concerns. What I really wanted to tell you today is..." Su Nian suddenly looked quite serious, "You’re already sixteen. In many countries, you could get married. I worry about Zhenzhen being with you when you start dating." Su Yan was stunned, not expecting Su Nian to bring up such a sensitive topic. He blushed slightly, then smiled, "It’s still early for that. Right now, studies and work are the priorities. Besides, the company probably won’t let me start dating so early." "Oh, that’s true. Imagine how many female fans would be heartbroken if you got married. But if there’s anything inconvenient for you, feel free to tell us; we will find a solution. If you encounter any trouble, talk to us. Your brother-in-law has some abilities, after all." Su Yan laughed lightly and nodded; just seeing him inspired a feeling of stability. "Don’t worry, Sister Xiao Nian, the company will take care of us." "Alright," Su Nian stood up, "you rest now." Su Nian closed the door behind her as she left, while Su Yan sat on the bed in silence. Finding a partner? He already had someone in mind, but there were too many obstacles and too many considerations... Even without giving heed to the outside gossip, just because of Su Zhen, he couldn’t take that step forward. Even though Su Zhen liked to be with him, he knew her feelings for him were not romantic. Or, more accurately, she didn’t yet understand what romantic feelings were. He simply wanted to dote on Su Zhen for the time being, to make her so attached to him that in the end, things would naturally fall into place... Su Nian returned to her own room where Xiaoxiao was sitting in her dad’s lap, playing a game with him. "Where were you?" Shen Hanxiu looked up from his phone to ask Su Nian as she entered the room. Su Nian, thoughtful, walked over, "Eh, honey, what do you think is an appropriate age for kids to start dating these days?" "Go this way, don’t step on that red thing," Shen Hanxiu instructed Xiaoxiao who was playing the game, and then looked up at Su Nian, "Did something happen to you?" Su Nian sat on the bed, "Zhenzhen just told me two of her classmates are in a relationship. They’re just how old?" Shen Hanxiu curled his lips meaningfully, looking at her. Su Nian immediately retorted, "Don’t start teasing!" He’s going to mention how she had a crush on him at the age of five and will bask in vanity again. "It’s not your daughter who’s in an early romance, why the undue concern?" "Ah! Daddy, I died again!" Xiaoxiao twisted her body and showed her phone to Shen Hanxiu, frustration on her face. Su Nian snatched the phone away, "Always playing games! Go to sleep!" Xiaoxiao and Shen Hanxiu exchanged a glance, pouted, and then flopped over to lie down somewhat dejectedly. Su Nian put down her phone and reached over to feel Xiaoxiao’s forehead. No fever, and judging by her lively spirit, it seemed she was feeling a lot better. "Have you taken your medicine?" Xiaoxiao only poked half her head out from under the covers, looking at her without speaking. Su Nian then turned to look at Shen Hanxiu, who raised his eyebrows and said, "She has." Hearing this, Su Nian took her bathrobe and turned to go take a shower. Xiaoxiao climbed out from the covers, hugged Shen Hanxiu’s thigh with her little hands, and said in a soft voice, "Daddy, I still want to play." Shen Hanxiu turned to glance at the mobile phone on the nightstand and reached out to hand it to Xiaoxiao, "Hide it when Mom comes out, got it?" Xiaoxiao sat up, nodding happily: "Mhm!" With Su Nian out of sight, Shen Hanxiu then asked, "Did you really take your medicine?" Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ɴovelfire.net While swiping on the phone, Xiaoxiao muttered, "I’m all better, no need for medicine." "How about the medicine in the box?" Xiaoxiao looked up at Shen Hanxiu and said softly, "...I just threw it in the toilet." Never mind, his daughter’s reasoning wasn’t entirely wrong. Once you’re better, you stop taking the medicine; it’s not like it’s anything good. Shen Hanxiu sat on the bed with a magazine, leaning against the headboard, while Xiaoxiao hid beside him playing games on the phone. When Shen Hanxiu heard the sound of the water in the bathroom stop, he said to Xiaoxiao, "Hurry up, your mom is coming out soon." Xiaoxiao glanced at the bathroom door, then slid down into the covers to hide and asked, "Daddy, how do I get through here?" Shen Hanxiu turned to look, "Go underneath." "When the hedgehog comes by, hide in that hole over there, and then come out after it’s gone." Su Nian emerged from the bathroom and looked at the father-daughter pair with a speechless expression. A business elite playing such childish games with his daughter at home, who would believe that if it was said out loud? Shen Hanxiu turned around, giving her a "what’s the matter" look. Xiaoxiao immediately dropped the phone and laid there properly. Su Nian picked it up and walked around to place it on her own bedside, then climbed into bed herself. Seeing her stern face, Xiaoxiao immediately turned and sweetly hugged her, calling out obediently, "Mom." Su Nian glared at her, and Xiaoxiao grinned back, making it impossible for her to stay angry. It was Jin Qiu who had named her, and it suited her quite well. Shen Hanxiu continued to read the magazine, Xiaoxiao propped on Su Nian’s arm as she embraced her. Su Nian lay there scrolling through Weibo. The room quieted down for a while and Su Nian thought Xiaoxiao had fallen asleep when suddenly Xiaoxiao stirred and asked, "Mom, why doesn’t Daddy have breasts?" Su Nian: "..." She turned to give Shen Hanxiu a look and tossed the question over to him: "Your daughter is asking you." Xiaoxiao then turned to look at Shen Hanxiu, who spoke seriously and nonsensically: "Daddy does have them, you were fed by Daddy’s breasts when you were little." Xiaoxiao looked at him half believing and half doubting, staring straight at his flat chest and then at Su Nian’s protruding chest, as if trying to uncover the truth, she crawled out from the covers, sat on Shen Hanxiu’s lap, and lifted his T-shirt up. Seeing two small red dots on his chest, she said: "So there really are..." Shen Hanxiu smiled lightly, and continued the charade: "You’ve forgotten you used to eat from Daddy’s breasts when you were little?" "But why are Daddy’s flat and Mom’s soft?" Shen Hanxiu coughed awkwardly, "Mom’s... are also quite flat." Su Nian immediately glared at him, and Shen Hanxiu laughed then said: "Because Mom is a woman, and Dad is a man." Xiaoxiao immediately asked another question: "Then why am I flat too?" Su Nian immediately pulled the curious baby down and stuffed her under the covers: "Go to sleep yourself, no talking." Shen Hanxiu looked at Su Nian and smiled, to which Su Nian immediately glared at him again, "What are you laughing at? You too, go to sleep!" Seeing that even her Dad got scolded, Xiaoxiao turned to ingratiate herself with her Dad, saying, "Mom can play with her phone herself, but she won’t let me and Dad play." Shen Hanxiu pulled Xiaoxiao into his arms and purposefully said, "Shh! We have to listen to Mom, can’t speak badly of her, she’ll be upset." Xiaoxiao immediately mimicked, "Mom is the best! The most beautiful woman in the world!" Su Nian’s face remained unsmiling despite the flattery from her daughter. She reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, a faint smile finally appearing on her face, then she lay down beside her. The night was quiet and beautiful.