PCMWF Chapter 132

Su Siwen’s voice had a magical, reassuring quality. The little guy became excited: “Really?”

“Of course. When Dad is better, he’ll take you to the botanical garden to see the plants. We can go to the amusement park and ride the bumper cars.”

The little guy’s mind was already imagining the scenes of his Little Dad playing with him. He looked forward to those days with great anticipation. Seeing that his emotions had stabilized, Su Siwen took the opportunity to explain his current condition.

“Dad is getting better slowly. Just like Ultraman Tiga that you watched before, you have to work hard and bravely face setbacks to succeed, right?”

The little guy nodded in confusion. “Right.”

Whatever Dad said was right. Su Youli had been separated from them for too long. His two dads never revealed the difficulties of their treatment over the phone. They always showed their best side to Su Youli on the other end of the line. In the little guy’s memory, his dads were handsome and perfect. So seeing Su Siwen’s dramatic weight loss was frightening and hard to accept at first. Su Youli lay in his father’s arms as Su Siwen’s gentle voice filled the room.

He was not only soothing Su Youli’s emotions but also making Youyou understand that he would never leave him. Shen Minyan and Qin Kun left the space to them alone and went downstairs to prepare dinner. The food had been prepared by Qin Kun before he left to pick them up. It was kept warm on a heated plate, and the soup was simmering on the stove, ready to be served. They hadn’t been in the kitchen long when Su Siwen and Su Youli came downstairs.

The little guy’s face, which had been a mess of tears, was now washed clean. He held his Little Dad’s hand and walked steadily, occasionally turning to remind him: “Dad, be careful not to trip.”

Youyou hadn’t eaten much on the plane, and after all that crying, he was starving. His little tummy was rumbling nonstop. The aroma of food wafted out of the kitchen. The little guy led Su Siwen to the sofa and then dashed into the kitchen. Qin Kun turned around and saw the little foodie clinging to the doorframe, his big eyes fixed on the food in the pot, swallowing his saliva. Qin Kun laughed and quickly served a small bowl of beef noodles, topping it with a spoonful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

The bowl was tiny, only the size of the little guy’s fist, just enough to tide him over. Su Siwen, leaning on his cane, had come over at some point. He pulled out a small stool from the corner and had Su Youli sit on it to eat. The little guy held up his bowl and took turns feeding his three dads. Shen Minyan had already eaten on the plane. The other two dads had also eaten and weren’t very hungry.

In the not-very-spacious kitchen, a smiling young man stood by the door, his eyes curved as he watched the little one sitting in the kitchen, leisurely eating his beef noodles. The other two men in the kitchen were tall and strong, with broad shoulders and straight backs. They worked together to carry the abundant dishes out to the table. The soup had been simmered for a long time, rich and flavorful. The beef was fragrant but not greasy, with a rich amber color and a thin layer of oil floating on top. The beef was tender and well-braised. The noodles were made by Qin Kun himself. On top of the noodles was a spoonful of Su Youli’s favorite scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

The little guy ate with great enjoyment, quickly finishing the small bowl of noodles. “Dad, it’s so delicious.”

Qin Kun watched his son eat, his lips shiny with oil, and felt a surge of emotion. He couldn’t count how long it had been since he’d last cooked for Youyou. In raising their child, he and Siwen had a tacit division of labor. Siwen was in charge of education, nurturing Youyou’s patience and focus. He was in charge of cooking and taking Youyou out to play and exercise.

They had shared so many meals together. Every time, Siwen and Youyou would be incredibly supportive, finishing all the food and exclaiming, as if they’d never tasted anything better, that this was the best meal they’d ever had. Then Youyou was taken to Beicheng by the Shen family, and meals went from three people to two.

One day, it started raining. Siwen rushed down from the second floor, limping, his face anxious as he said, “Quick, call Youyou home. It’s raining outside.”

Qin Kun met his eyes. The air froze for a long moment. Su Siwen’s arms dropped to his sides. He had forgotten. Youyou had already gone to Beicheng. The small courtyard was battered by wind and rain. Su Siwen had never felt the courtyard so lonely. Su Yuanzi lay under the eaves, but whenever there was any noise at the gate, he would jump up and run to bark furiously at the door.

After Youyou stopped living with them, Su Siwen and Qin Kun spent a long time adjusting. Even now, they still hadn’t fully adapted. When Qin Kun went shopping at the Chinese supermarket, he would instinctively buy ingredients Youyou liked, like chicken wings. When Su Siwen saw a child holding a candied hawthorn at the hospital, he would remember taking Youyou to the market for Chinese New Year last year. The little guy couldn’t move when he saw the bright red candied hawthorns. The vendor thought he was too adorable and gave him one for free.

Even now, whenever he closed his eyes, the image of Youyou’s delighted reaction to getting the candied hawthorn was still vivid in his mind. Qin Kun’s reverie was broken. The little guy, sitting on his small stool, had finished his noodles and was holding up his small bowl to him.

“Dad, Youyou wants more.”

Youyou wasn’t full. Youyou was about to starve. All the dishes were on the table. Tang Dou and Zhang Shun, who had been tidying the rooms upstairs, came down as well. Everyone gathered around the dining table, filling the usually empty seats. The chandelier above the table cast a soft glow, making the whole dining room feel warm and cozy. Every dish was steaming hot. Teriyaki chicken thighs were a favorite of both Su Siwen and Su Youli. The braised pork had a rich, glossy sauce. The steamed sea bass was exceptionally tender.

The child’s high chair had been bought by Zhang Shun that very morning, specially chosen in Youyou’s favorite Stitch design. The little guy was lifted into the chair by Qin Kun. His utensils were also child-friendly and playful. At the bottom of his bowl was a fluffy white puppy. The little guy happily held up his bowl to show everyone. His bowl was so pretty.

After the meal, the little guy clung to Su Siwen and Qin Kun, refusing to let them out of his sight. So the task of washing the dishes was left to Zhang Shun and Tang Dou. The night grew deeper. It was time for bed. The little guy was carried sideways in Qin Kun’s arms, his chubby little hand constantly rubbing his eyes. He tilted his face up and yawned.

“Brother Shen, you can sleep in the room next to ours. I tidied it up this morning. Xiao Tang, is the second room on the right down the hall okay for you?”

Shen Minyan and Tang Dou had no objections. They both looked at the drowsy little one.

“Youyou can sleep with Siwen and me.”

Qin Kun specifically nodded toward Shen Minyan. Shen Minyan gave a slight nod in return and patted his shoulder.

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