That evening, after confirming the number of parents attending in the parents' group chat, the teacher reminded everyone to look after their children during the activities.
Lu Yu had been looking forward to Monday for days. Never before had he wanted to go to school so badly, and at last, the Monday he had been waiting for arrived.
Since they would be holding parent-child activities that day, the Kindergarten had informed everyone that the children could arrive with their parents, as long as they got there by nine.
Unable to contain his excitement, Lu Yu got up early and bounced around his room, packing the things he wanted to bring.
After breakfast, the family of three set off for the Kindergarten. Even in the car, Lu Yu was still brimming with excitement.
"That happy, huh?" Shen Zeyu asked.
"Mm-hmm!" Lu Yu nodded emphatically.
Shen Zeyu stroked his head and lifted him into his arms. "All right, we'll be at school soon. Don't get too worked up."
"Okay, Papa."
The car quieted down after that. They drove to the Kindergarten, parked nearby, and got out together.
As soon as they reached the Kindergarten entrance, the children crowded around Lu Yu, chattering away. "Xiao Yu, are both of them your dads?"
Lu Yu nodded.
"They're both so handsome," one child said, and the others nodded in agreement.
"So tall, too," another child added.
They had seen Lu Yu's dads before, but never had it struck them so clearly that his dads were taller than their own parents.
Hearing his friends praise both his dad and his papa, Lu Yu felt excited and proud. "My dad and papa are the best," he declared, his voice full of swagger.
After receiving a chorus of compliments from the children, the two men finally made it into the Kindergarten.
Since these were parent-child activities, and the parents were much bigger than the children, all the activities that day would take place on the lawn outside.
"All right, could all the parents please line up with their children? Our first activity is about to begin," one of the teachers said gently.
At the teacher's instruction, the parents quickly led their children to their assigned spots. Once everyone was in position, the teacher promptly announced the first game.
"Listen up, everyone. Our first game is called Balloon Stomp. Each family will need one child and one parent to take part. The teachers will give each family a balloon and a piece of string. Parents, please blow up the balloon and tie it to your ankle, then carry your child on your back. You can only start when I say go."
Once the teacher finished speaking, the other teachers came forward to hand out balloons and string.
"Families who have received their supplies can start getting ready."
The moment they received their balloon and string, Lu Yu asked excitedly, "Dad, Papa, which one of you is going to play?"
Shen Zeyu glanced at Lu Cizhou. "You're the best choice for a game that takes strength."
Lu Cizhou nodded. Given how little Shen Zeyu liked exerting himself, it was obvious that a game like this would fall to him.
As soon as Lu Cizhou agreed, Shen Zeyu blew up the balloon, knotted it, and attached the string. Only then did he hand it to Lu Cizhou, urging him, "Hurry up and tie it on."
Lu Cizhou crouched down as he asked, "What are you in such a hurry for?"
Shen Zeyu bent slightly so Lu Cizhou could hear him better and said with a smile, "My heart's in this with you two."
After tying on the balloon, Lu Cizhou lifted his head without noticing that Shen Zeyu had bent down, hitting him squarely in the nose.
"Ow," Shen Zeyu let out a small cry.
"I didn't notice you'd bent down," Lu Cizhou said at once. But seeing Shen Zeyu clutch his nose, looking as though he wanted to cry but was too embarrassed to, he couldn't help wanting to laugh.
When he saw Lu Cizhou smile, Shen Zeyu felt even worse. "You're still laughing. This is all your fault," he said in a muffled voice.
Lu Cizhou stepped in front of him and said gently, "It's all my fault. Let me see. Is it bad?"
Hearing the concern in Lu Cizhou's voice, Shen Zeyu grew embarrassed again, his tone softening. "It's fine, it's fine."
Lu Cizhou was about to say something else when the teacher blew the whistle, signaling that the game was about to begin.
Shen Zeyu immediately gave Lu Cizhou a push. "Go on, hurry. The game's starting."
Lu Yu looked at him worriedly, too. "Papa, are you really okay?" His papa looked as though he was about to cry.
"I'm fine. Go on." To prove that he really was fine, Shen Zeyu lowered his hand. Only when Lu Yu saw that his nose wasn't bleeding did he believe him.
Lu Cizhou picked Lu Yu up and moved to a less crowded spot to wait for the game to begin.
Once the teacher saw that every family was ready, she shouted, "Go!" and hurried away from the battlefield.
At the teacher's signal, all the parents sprang into action. Whoever happened to be beside them, the moment they spotted a balloon, they did everything they could to stomp on it.
As Lu Cizhou popped one balloon after another, Lu Yu cheered happily from his back, telling him how amazing he was.
As the competition heated up, some of the parents watching began cheering for their families. Gradually swept up in the atmosphere, Shen Zeyu shouted, "Lu Cizhou, you can do it!"
When Lu Cizhou eliminated a few more players, Shen Zeyu grew excited, too. "That was great! You're amazing!"
Seeing someone nearly step on Lu Cizhou's balloon, Shen Zeyu cried out anxiously, "Ah! Dodge! Dodge!"
At the sound of Shen Zeyu's voice, Lu Cizhou's lips curved upward. He really is like a little kid. Still, he began taking the game even more seriously.
Finally, only Lu Cizhou and one other parent remained. Afraid of distracting Lu Cizhou, Shen Zeyu stayed silent, but his expression grew increasingly tense as he followed their movements.
Lu Yu, clinging to Lu Cizhou's back, was just as nervous. He tightened his arms around Lu Cizhou's neck and whispered, "Dad, you can do it!"
At last, as the two maneuvered around each other, his opponent slipped up and left his balloon exposed. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Cizhou stomped on it and burst it.
Before the teacher could announce the result, Lu Yu cried out joyfully, "We won! We won! Dad, you're amazing!"
Smiling broadly, Lu Cizhou set Lu Yu down. The teacher then approached them. "I hereby announce that the winner of our Balloon Stomp game is Lu Yu's family!"
Shen Zeyu held himself back until the teacher finished the announcement, then ran over to them. Overjoyed, he threw his arms around Lu Cizhou.
Feeling the warmth in his arms, Lu Cizhou froze. This was the first time he and Shen Zeyu had truly embraced, just like any other close, loving couple.
Before he could wrap his arms around Shen Zeyu, Lu Yu squeezed between them. "Papa, what about me? I played, too. Why are you only hugging Dad?"
Only then did Shen Zeyu realize that he had actually hugged Lu Cizhou. To hide his embarrassment, he slowly withdrew his hands from Lu Cizhou's waist and picked up Lu Yu instead. "Yes, yes, our Xiao Yu was amazing, too." He finished by giving Lu Yu a kiss.
Lu Cizhou, who had just raised his hands to return the hug, casually lowered them again as though nothing had happened.
He glanced around. Everyone was busy talking to their children, and no one had noticed his movements. Otherwise, it really would have been a little embarrassing.
Having missed his chance to hug him back, Lu Cizhou thought, If only I'd been a little faster.
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