Zhou Dongdong's New Dad

After dinner, Liu Chang'an massaged Qin Peng's legs and stretched his muscles. Then, Qin Peng and Qin Yanan accompanied Liu Chang'an for a walk in the garden.

Qin Peng sat in a wheelchair, pushed by Qin Yanan, following behind Liu Chang'an.

Qin Peng and Qin Yanan both watched his back. The moonlight in Jinling was just like many nights a hundred years ago. His shadow was very long. Beside him was a little boy who was trying to imitate his walking posture and appear steady, and a little girl who was hopping and skipping while holding his finger.

It feels like yesterday.

The little boy had already experienced a century of historical upheavals, and the little girl had also experienced a past that seemed like a myth to ordinary people.

For him, it was just a fleeting moment.

Liu Chang'an took a blanket and covered Qin Peng with it, then poured him a cup of hot water. It was a bit chilly at night. They strolled around the garden, where many memories had been made, before returning to the side room to talk around the fire. It wasn't until around 10 p. m. that Qin Peng finally went back to rest, after his secretary, Lao Zhou, came over several times to remind him.

"Sir, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Qin Peng glanced at Lao Zhou, "Then let's not talk about it."

Old Zhou nodded, his back bent. In truth, this matter was a real thorn in his side. A servant reported to Old Zhou that the young man, whose identity the old man never revealed, seemed to have spat a little water into the water when he poured it for the old man.

This was so absurd that even the servants weren't sure if they had seen it wrong. It was only because the servants were related to Old Zhou that they dared to tell him.

Qin Yanan and Liu Chang'an didn't plan to go to bed so early. They stayed by the stove, and Qin Peng also liked this atmosphere. In the cold winter, it was damp and chilly outside, but there was a fire burning inside. Whether they were talking or not, it felt very comfortable.

This is a feeling that you can't get by turning on the heater and warming up the whole room.

There's only one warm spot in the house where everyone gathers together; that's what makes a home feel warm, just like the electric heater in Liu Chang'an's living room, which brings together the silly mother, the silly child, and the silly little old lady from upstairs and downstairs.

"Grandpa is in great health, he'll be fine this winter." Qin Yanan rubbed her hands together, a relieved smile on her face. Winter is the hardest time for the elderly, as more elderly people pass away during this season than at other times.

"Of course, no problem." Liu Chang'an nodded.

"When we were little, did we often sit together and chat like this?" Qin Yanan asked sweetly. This was a feeling that was unique to her and her brother, because neither Su Mei in the past nor An Nuan now had been by his side when he was still a child.

"More often than not, I'll teach you to read and memorize. Ziqing is honest and simple; even if I'm dozing off, he'll still memorize the text word for word, and then read the articles I assign him several times." Liu Chang'an laughed. "But you're a bit opportunistic. As long as I'm not watching you, you try to slack off. When reading long articles, you only read the beginning and end, omitting the middle."

"Is Zhou Dongdong like this too?" Qin Yanan asked somewhat coquettishly, dragging Zhou Dongdong, who clearly didn't like studying, along with her. This made Qin Yanan feel that her past laziness was also cute.

"Zhou Dongdong isn't like that. She doesn't know many words either. I have to read to her, and she falls asleep after I start reading." Liu Chang'an laughed. "You, on the other hand, are quite clever. When I read to you, I'm quite attentive and often think more than Ziqing. I ask a lot of questions, while Ziqing just memorizes everything and then tries to understand it carefully."

As the two were talking, Liu Chang'an's phone rang. It was Shangguan Dandan who had called him on video.

Liu Chang'an hung up.

"Why did you hang up?" Qin Yanan asked curiously.

Shangguan Dandan called again.

Just as Liu Chang'an was about to hang up, Qin Yanan quickly grabbed the phone and answered it.

Qin Yanan then saw Shangguan Dandan's face, which had been very close, step back slightly, glance at Qin Yanan, and then lean closer to the camera, loudly saying to Qin Yanan, "Yaya, is that you? Where is my little emperor?"

Qin Yanan knew that the "little emperor "Shangguan Dandan was referring to was Liu Chang'an, but seeing Shangguan Dandan's expression, she couldn't help but laugh, "He... he's right next to me. He accidentally hung up the phone."

Shangguan Dandan had put on makeup. Qin Yanan could see that her cheeks were covered in blush, her lips were bright red, and her eyebrows, which were originally slightly raised and gave her a very imposing and noble appearance when she was quiet, were now painted into the shape of broad beans.

"I told you not to answer the phone. If you see her like this, what will you do if you dream about her tonight?" Liu Chang'an shook his head, confirming that he couldn't be home at a certain time. His electric radiator table became Zhou Shuling and Shangguan Dandan's happy place, where they learned and exchanged their clumsy makeup skills... while Liu Chang'an couldn't interfere or comment.

Zhou Shuling is rather conservative and shy, with self-respect, and knows how to be reserved and ashamed. However, Shangguan Dandan lacks self-awareness. After putting on makeup, she always takes a selfie and posts it on her WeChat Moments. She also has no psychological barriers to having a video call with Liu Chang'an.

On one occasion, she was so confident that she would keep her makeup on when she went to Gao Cunyi's martial arts school opening banquet with Liu Chang'an and Zhou Dongdong.

"Let him speak to me," Shangguan Dandan instructed.

Qin Yanan turned her phone to the side, pointing the front camera at Liu Chang'an, but she still held the phone in her hand to prevent Liu Chang'an from hanging up again and upsetting Shangguan Dandan, who would then blame Qin Yanan for not handling things properly.

"What is it?" Liu Chang'an controlled his facial muscles well, looking calmly at Shangguan Dandan.

Zhou Dongdong was next to her, her face close to Shangguan Dandan, pushing her out of the screen. Then Shangguan Dandan pushed Zhou Dongdong away.

"I saw a good poem today, let me read it to you," Shangguan Dandan said, while pushing away Zhou Dongdong, who had circled around and was now trying to get into the frame from the other side.

"What poem?" This was a rare serious matter, and Liu Chang'an also wanted to know which poem Shangguan Dandan had praised.

Shangguan Dandan often read poetry, and Liu Chang'an still remembers her lines like, "Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were very powerful," and "Suddenly turning around, I found that person rolling around in a snow pit."

"Please listen to Fan Xian's 'Ascending the Heights'." Shangguan Dandan began with a strong voice. "The wind is fierce, the sky is high, the monkeys howl mournfully; the islet is clear, the sand is white, the birds fly back. Boundless fallen leaves rustle down; the endless Yangtze River rolls on. I am a traveler in autumn, often saddened; I am old and sick, climbing the platform alone. Hardships and sorrows have frosted my temples; in my decline, I have stopped drinking wine."

"Not bad." Liu Chang'an nodded. This poem was indeed a good one. No wonder Shangguan Dandan wanted to share it. Also, Zhou Dongdong seemed to have something to tell him. She kept trying to squeeze her round face into the screen from the left, right, bottom, and top, but Shangguan Dandan pushed her away.

"Zhou Dongdong has something to say to you." Only then did Shangguan Dandan point her phone at Zhou Dongdong, who had been trying to steal the spotlight.

"Brother Chang'an, I heard Grandma say today that she's going to find me a new dad. I don't want a new dad. Brother Chang'an, when are you coming back?" Zhou Dongdong said in one breath. She was very unhappy when she heard this.

"I'll be back the day after tomorrow," Liu Chang'an said.

"I can handle this matter," Shangguan Dandan said from the side, her tone tinged with anger. Zhou Shuling was her daughter-in-law, and she had even given Zhou Shuling the Empress's Seal. Actually, reading the poem was just a side thing; the real point was to talk to Liu Chang'an about this matter.

"If you handle it, I'll deduct your monthly allowance." Liu Chang'an said to Shangguan Dandan in a calm tone. His tone was genuinely calm because Shangguan Dandan actually knew to consult with him instead of arbitrarily handling what she considered "harem affairs."

Shangguan Dandan hesitated for a moment, touched her pocket, took out her two red envelopes and looked at them. Feeling that she didn't have much confidence to resist Liu Chang'an's trick of withholding her pocket money, she nodded obediently.

"Zhou Dongdong, did your mom say she's going to find you a new dad?" Liu Chang'an asked.

"No, Mom said no one would like such a silly mother and child as much as Brother Chang'an, so I don't want anyone else to be my new dad." Because that's what Mom said back then, and Mom admitted she was a silly mother, then Zhou Dongdong might as well admit he was a silly child too.

"Okay." Liu Chang'an smiled, reaching out to touch the screen as if he were touching Zhou Dongdong's head through the screen. "Go to sleep. If you don't want them, no one can be your new dad."

Hearing what Brother Chang'an said, Zhou Dongdong breathed a sigh of relief. She could finally go to sleep, because Brother Chang'an was the kind of person who would remember to do what he said, even if it meant taking Zhou Dongdong flying to the sky.

Brother Chang'an is the best in the world; in Zhou Dongdong's heart, he's even more powerful than Sun Wukong.