At six in the morning, the alarm Gu Wancheng had set went off right on time.
A fair, delicate arm emerged from beneath the covers, feeling around for his phone and tapping it lightly. Once the noisy ringtone stopped, Gu Wancheng sat up, still drowsy, his slightly tousled hair clinging to the sides of his face. His slightly open collar revealed exquisite collarbones that looked very suited to having something left on them.
He stretched to chase away his sleepiness, then moved his body around, setting off a series of cracks and pops. After carrying several coconuts yesterday, both shoulders were sore and weak today. That was what he got for not exercising in so long.
He glanced at Chaochao, who was sleeping soundly, and left him undisturbed, planning to wake him after washing up.
Seeing Gu Wancheng freshly awake for the first time, the viewers gazed at his beauty, which even that head of messy hair could not hide, and let tears of envy dribble from their mouths.
[The early bird gets the worm. Words of wisdom. Proud.]
[Give me a chance. I want to swim in Chengcheng's collarbones. Covering my face and laughing.jpg]
[Chengcheng, Mommy loves you!]
[Shocking! Chengcheng actually has mom fans!]
[I really want to know what skincare products Chengcheng uses. His skin is way too good. Crying.]
[The price must be just as beautiful and stunning as Chengcheng. As if we could afford it even if we knew.]
[We may be poor, but we still have ambition. Smile.jpg]
"Time to get up, little lazy pig."
After washing up and becoming fully awake, he looked at Chaochao on the bed and reached out a wicked hand.
"Hmm? What is it?" His soft, sweet voice held a trace of hoarseness. Chaochao wriggled on the bed, then went still again.
The corner of Gu Wancheng's mouth twitched. He leaned close to his ear. "We're going to forage on the beach and catch little snails. If you don't get up, we're not going."
"I wanna go." Fighting his sleepiness, Chaochao sat up, his curls a tangled mess, and rubbed his eyes.
"Then hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face. Your friends are waiting for you," Gu Wancheng said casually.
What? They were all waiting for him? Didn't that make him the last one?
Chaochao instantly snapped to attention and scrambled up. He did not want to be last.
After hurriedly washing up, Chaochao could hardly wait to pull Gu Wancheng out the door.
"Don't rush. Come here and put on some nice-smelling cream." Gu Wancheng pulled Chaochao in front of him, reining in his restless eagerness, with a small, unlabeled tub in his hand.
"You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."
"I don't want tofu. I want little snails."
"All right, all right, no tofu. Come get your nice-smelling cream."
[Why not eat tofu? Tofu is the tastiest, especially Chengcheng's tofu. Hehehe.]
[No lewd stuff allowed.]
[If Chaochao won't have any, I will. Chengcheng, let me have some.]
[In your dreams, commenter above. Only I get to eat Chengcheng's tofu.]
[Chengcheng's tofu must be so pale and tender. Hehe. Drooling.jpg]
They had never expected that night owls not only stayed up late, but that some even got up early. The people Li Xiao had entrusted with this important task were scared out of their wits by these comments.
They hurriedly started working on their computers. They had already blocked the keyword "wife," only to find that the viewers had no intention of calling him their wife and had started making dirty remarks instead.
Then, when the viewers clicked send on the dirty remarks they had typed, they were "pleasantly surprised" to find that they would not go through. Looking bewildered, they figured they must be lagging and tried clicking again. A message popped up on the screen.
The content you entered violates the rules. Please edit it and try again.
Huh?
The viewers spotted the issue and began typing question marks into the chat. Just like that, an army of question marks occupied the livestream.
"Then you gotta be quick."
Chaochao tipped his head up and closed his eyes, letting him do as he pleased. Gu Wancheng scooped out a little baby cream, dotted it onto his face, then gently smoothed it out.
After applying the baby cream, he gave his cheek a pinch while he was at it.
"Done. That was quick, wasn't it?"
Chaochao did not notice his little gesture at all. Hearing that he was done, he immediately opened his eyes and stared at him without blinking, his eyes sparkling.
Gu Wancheng chuckled. "All right, I'll take you out right now."
"Yay!"
Gu Wancheng held out his hand. Chaochao paused, then put his hand in it, and the two went out hand in hand.
When they stepped outside, Chu Yi'an and Tongtong had already lit a fire and were sitting beside it.
"Tongtong!"
"Chaochao!"
The two children greeted each other with tremendous excitement when they spotted one another.
Gu Wancheng walked over with a smile. "I thought I was early enough. I didn't expect you to be even earlier."
Chu Yi'an showed little expression and simply said, "I'm used to it. I don't like making people wait."
Gu Wancheng glanced sideways and lowered his eyes. "Young people really are healthy. You can stay up late and still get up this early."
"Uncle Gu, my brother and I didn't stay up late." Hearing his words, Tongtong ran over and told him earnestly.
[Brother Chu and Tongtong really didn't stay up late. Who would've thought they always went to bed early and got up early? Their routine is so normal it's abnormal. Awkward.jpg]
[If Brother Chu weren't only nineteen, his lifestyle would make him seem just like my grandpa.]
[Not like an esports player at all.]
"Tongtong," Chu Yi'an called, and Tongtong immediately ran off to play with Chaochao again.
"Sorry, Brother Gu."
"It's fine. Aren't you an esports kid? You actually don't stay up late? Does that even make sense?"
Chu Yi'an smiled. "My grandpa was the one who got me into the habit. Early to bed, early to rise keeps you healthy."
"True." One look at Chu Yi'an told him that he was healthy. Even his energy and overall bearing were extraordinary. He was far too healthy.
Gu Wancheng wholeheartedly agreed with that saying, but not staying up late was something most people could not manage. Every time they said they would go to bed early, it was all nonsense.
While playing with Tongtong, Chaochao noticed something was wrong. Why was Tongtong the only one here? He ran over to Gu Wancheng and tugged at the hem of his clothes. "Daddy, didn't you say my friends were waiting for me?"
Gu Wancheng froze. He seemed to have said that, but it had only been an offhand remark. "Yes. Isn't Tongtong your friend?"
Chaochao hurriedly said, "Of course Tongtong is! What about my other friends? You said they were waiting for me."
"Did I? You must be remembering wrong."
Chaochao pouted and looked at him unhappily. "I'm not. You said it. Are you lying to me?"
[That's right. Chengcheng is lying to you.]
Gu Wancheng naturally refused to admit it. A sudden inspiration struck, and he bluffed, "I only said you had friends waiting for you. I didn't say how many, did I?"
Chaochao racked his brains trying to remember and found that it seemed to be true. He had wrongly blamed Daddy. Daddy had not lied to him. He needed to apologize to Daddy. Good children should correct their mistakes when they knew they were wrong.
"Sorry. I wrongly blamed you."
[Getting hoodwinked first thing this morning. A second of sympathy for you.]
[Chaochao, please wise up a little. Sigh.jpg]
"It's fine. I forgive you. They'll be here in a bit. Go play with Tongtong for now."
"Okay."
Chaochao ran over and whispered with Tongtong, occasionally glancing toward Gu Wancheng, afraid they would come over to eavesdrop.
Whatever they said, Tongtong wiped her mouth hard and nodded repeatedly.