"Then why do you call me that?" Su Huaiming continued to press.
Fu Xiaoxiao twisted her fingers, muttering incoherently, unable to utter a complete sentence, only looking at Su Huaiming with her watery eyes.
Su Huaiming softened, but did not compromise; he wanted to correct Fu Xiaoxiao's bad habit.
The two, one big and one small, remained locked in a stalemate, neither speaking for a long time.
Fu Jingfan finally remembered his seat and said, "It's getting late, we still need to take the goat home; its owner must be very anxious."
Fu Xiaoxiao knew that Fu Jingfan was trying to change the subject for him, and nodded repeatedly.
Su Huaiming looked helplessly at Fu Xiaoxiao and Fu Jingfan, and sighed inwardly.
The father and son don't seem to care about this issue, so why should he keep dwelling on it?
Su Huaiming glanced at Fu Jingfan before nodding.
Seeing that Su Huaiming was finally happy, Fu Xiaoxiao immediately reverted to her true nature, skipping over to take Su Huaiming's hand and wanting to help him take the goats home.
After taking only two steps, Fu Xiaoxiao suddenly seemed to remember something and asked the question she had wanted to ask before, "Dad, your lips are so red, did you get bitten?"
Su Huaiming paused, his fingertip unconsciously touching his lips, then suddenly remembered something, and his face visibly turned red.
Su Huaiming's lips were usually light in color, but now they looked as if he had applied rouge, making him incomparably beautiful. His lips were soft and had a unique luster, and they even looked a little swollen.
Hearing the word "bite," his thoughts were pulled back, and the sensation of the touch was magnified infinitely, making every move of Fu Jingfan exceptionally clear.
I was definitely bitten... Could Xiao Xiao have seen it?!
Su Huaiming felt a ringing in his ears and was so embarrassed that he wanted to disappear into the ground.
Su Huaiming wanted to explain, but his tongue was tied in knots and his mind was a complete blank, so he couldn't utter a single complete sentence.
Seeing Su Huaiming's strange reaction, Fu Xiaoxiao tilted her head and continued to look up at Su Huaiming's lips.
He suddenly opened his mouth wide, let out a shout, and took two steps back warily, his round eyes reflecting the figures of Su Huaiming and Fu Jingfan.
Su Huaiming suddenly had a bad feeling. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for being exposed on the spot by the child's innocent words, but then he heard Fu Xiaoxiao continue, "You guys stay away from the tree, okay? There are some really fierce bugs on the tree. Uncle Butler told me that if you get bitten, the place will swell up, like Daddy's mouth!"
Fu Xiaoxiao's words came out too quickly, and Su Huaiming was caught off guard and dumbfounded.
Standing to the side, Fu Jingfan, his survival instincts kicking in, chimed in for Su Huaiming, "Yes, Xiao Xiao needs to be more careful in the future, and definitely shouldn't get bitten by the bugs on the trees."
Fu Xiaoxiao seemed to have already imagined that scene. Her chubby body trembled, and she quickly took a few steps back, looking at the big tree with lingering fear.
Su Huaiming finally came to his senses, gave a dry laugh, finding it too embarrassing to speak, and simply took Fu Xiaoxiao's hand and walked back.
Fu Xiaoxiao wanted to get far away from the tree, so she cooperated with Su Huaiming and even complained that Su Huaiming was walking too slowly.
As Fu Jingfan watched the two figures, one large and one small, gradually disappear into the distance, he realized he had been forgotten and helplessly led the goat in pursuit.
Considering the atmosphere, Fu Jingfan didn't dare to do anything else, and simply walked to Su Huaiming's side.
As soon as he leaned closer, he received a glare from Su Huaiming.
Fu Jingfan then realized that Su Huaiming had once again pinned the blame on him.
The longer it dragged on, the less Su Huaiming could coax him. But with Fu Xiaoxiao, a little third wheel, present, Fu Jingfan knew that if he said even one more word, Su Huaiming would explode on the spot, so he could only miss this best opportunity.
After leading the sheep down the mountain, they arrived at the farmhouses.
Fu Xiaoxiao wasn't shy at all. She took the initiative to lead the goat to the door and peered around, looking for the goat's owner.
Su Huaiming is a public figure, and many people know him. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, he did not step forward but instead asked Fu Jingfan to help Fu Xiaoxiao.
Fu Jingfan quickly found the goat's owner.
The goat's owner was also a bit careless; he only realized his lamb was missing at that moment and was extremely grateful to Fu Jingfan and Fu Xiaoxiao, even giving them freshly squeezed goat milk on the spot.
When Fu Jingfan and Fu Xiaoxiao returned, they went back to the hotel together.
Upon hearing the commotion, Song Hanyu immediately came over, wanting to curry favor with Fu Jingfan.
But after noticing the atmosphere between the two, he paused for a few seconds, then wisely shut his mouth.
Su Huaiming completely ignored Fu Jingfan's presence, taking Fu Xiaoxiao to wash her hands and eat. Fu Jingfan didn't even dare to follow.
Seeing that the two had left, Song Hanyu leaned over and asked, "What did you do? Why did you make Su Huaiming so angry?"
He just happened to walk right into the line of fire. Fu Jingfan didn't say anything, he just gave him a cold look.
Song Hanyu suddenly had a bad feeling and worried about her future work. She quickly protested, "I created an opportunity for you to be alone. I meant well! You just messed it up by accident, so don't blame me!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Jingfan withdrew his gaze, his expression calm, but Song Hanyu knew he was putting on a brave face.
Song Hanyu, who had previously been punished by Fu Jingfan, now felt extremely pleased to finally see Fu Jingfan suffer. Despite the danger, she continued gossiping, "What exactly happened? Tell me, maybe I can help you?"
Fu Jingfan initially didn't want to pay him any attention, but remembering Song Hanyu's experience, he said sparingly, "How can we help Xiao Xiao become more independent?"
"Ah???!"
Song Hanyu considered many possibilities, but this was the only one that came to mind.
Fu Jingfan didn't explain himself clearly, but Song Hanyu's eyes darted around and she immediately understood.
He pursed his lips into a thin line, tensing the muscles in his face, before managing to suppress the urge to laugh out loud.
Haha, the dignified President Fu not only gets jealous of his son, but also competes with him for his son's affection.
Thinking about it this way, Fu Jingfan quite pitiful too.
They'd only just started dating when this incredibly bright little third wheel appeared, drastically reducing their time alone together. And they couldn't get rid of this little third wheel. No wonder Fu Jingfan was sexually frustrated.
But this is his own son, so who can he blame?
Song Hanyu had completely forgotten what he had said, and her expression was not well concealed, allowing Fu Jingfan to discern her feelings.
When Song Hanyu noticed Fu Jingfan's gaze, alarm bells went off in her mind, and she felt a chill run down her neck.
Fu Jingfan gave him no chance to salvage the situation, turning around and walking away with steady, unhurried steps.
Song Hanyu watched in terror, feeling as if her life was hanging by a thread at Fu Jingfan's feet, in danger at any moment.
His lips twitched slightly. For the sake of a better life ahead, he had to make amends before going back.
After thinking for a moment, Song Hanyu sighed deeply.
Su Huaiming, I'm sorry.
Everyone looks out for themselves; to appease this old beast, I have no choice but to sacrifice you.
*****
We only have two days left for this hot spring trip.
Seeing that Su Huaiming was still holding a grudge, Fu Jingfan wisely refrained from provoking him further and behaved very well these past two days.
Su Huaiming and Fu Jingfan had been together for a long time, and Su Huaiming had long been used to Fu Jingfan's presence. In addition, Fu Jingfan had deliberately slowed down the pace these past two days, so Su Huaiming was no longer in a state of constant stress like he had at the beginning.
For someone like Su Huaiming, a complete novice in love who's just starting to understand romance, it will take a long transition period, a gradual approach, before he can fully accept Fu Jingfan and find his most relaxed state.
Fu Jingfan, however, was the exact opposite of him.
On the surface, Fu Jingfan appears respectable and aloof, but he is actually wicked and harbors dark thoughts deep inside. Now that he has finally tasted meat, he can smell the aroma but cannot taste it, which is a great test for him.
Even with Fu Jingfan's powerful control, he was extremely vulnerable in the face of instinct.
Two days was already the limit for him.
Fu Jingfan's gaze toward Su Huaiming grew increasingly gloomy, a dark undercurrent churning within his eyes, almost materializing and tightly binding Su Huaiming.
As the only one who understood, Song Hanyu couldn't help but shudder every time she saw Fu Jingfan's unsatisfied expression.
That old beast is inhuman, it's terrifying!
He had angered Fu Jingfan before, and for the sake of his own life, he dared not say a word more, and could only light a candle for Su Huaiming in his heart.
Unfortunately, Su Huaiming himself was unaware of the danger.
After finishing dinner, Su Huaiming felt a little reluctant to leave, thinking about going back tomorrow.
He enjoys soaking in hot springs; the Yangyang inside his body washes away all his fatigue. Afterward, he drinks a cup of warm milk and has a good night's sleep—it's very comfortable and good for his health.
Fu Xiaoxiao always liked to stick close to Su Huaiming, since no one else wanted to play in the water with him except Su Huaiming.
Hearing that Su Huaiming was going to a hot spring, Fu Xiaoxiao wanted to go with him, but Song Hanyu suddenly came up to her and wanted to play games with Fu Xiaoxiao.
Fu Xiaoxiao wanted to be with Su Huaiming, but under Song Hanyu's persistent pleas, Fu Xiaoxiao felt he couldn't hurt the adults, so he sighed helplessly and chose to give in to Song Hanyu.
Song Hanyu tugged at the corners of her mouth, her smile a little awkward.
Su Huaiming realized that Fu Xiaoxiao, this little drama queen, actually wanted to play with Song Hanyu and was putting on an act to avoid hurting his feelings.
He appreciated Fu Xiaoxiao's kindness and cooperated for a while before going to soak in the hot spring alone.
Without Fu Xiaoxiao disturbing him, Su Huaiming thoroughly enjoyed being alone. He took a deep breath of the moist night air, rested his arm on the bluestone, closed his eyes, and felt the surging water.
Su Huaiming wasn't sleepy, but he was so comfortable that his consciousness gradually blurred. Just then, he heard the sound of the door being pushed open.
Su Huaiming remained in the same position, raised his head, and stared blankly at Fu Jingfan who walked in.
Fu Jingfan's gaze followed Su Huaiming's eyebrows and eyes, gradually moving to his long neck and bare shoulders and back.
Su Huaiming didn't realize the danger in time. By the time he came to his senses, Fu Jingfan had already entered the hot spring and sat down next to him.
Su Huaiming looked at Fu Jingfan with confusion and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Fu Jingfan casually made up a lie, "We have several guests today, and the hot springs are fully booked."
The first part of the statement was true, Su Huaiming didn't think much of it. He moved aside to make room for Fu Jingfan.
The atmosphere was pleasant. Fu Jingfan didn't make any unnecessary moves, even behaving very gentlemanly, casually chatting with Su Huaiming: "When do you want to go back tomorrow?"
Su Huaiming lay relaxed by the hot spring, turning to look at Fu Jingfan, his eyes sparkling. "This afternoon, perhaps. I was thinking of going for a walk up the mountain this morning."
Fu Jingfan nodded, her long, slender fingers glistening with moisture as she gently brushed the stray hairs from Su Huaiming's forehead, careful not to poke them into his eyes. "Okay, I'll go with you."
Su Huaiming appreciated Fu Jingfan's good intentions and did not resist.
The two sat side by side, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
Time flew by, Su Huaiming didn't even realize it was the fifteenth of the lunar calendar, and the moon in the sky was exceptionally round.
The bright moonlight shone down, enveloping the two like a veil. This small space seemed isolated from the world, with no other sounds except for the gentle murmur of water.
Their presence in each other's lives is being amplified infinitely.
This was the first time Su Huaiming had ever looked at the moon so intently.