We Should Have Done This Long Ago

The Xiao Family's main residence was an enormous estate.

After driving through the gates, it still took another five minutes to reach the main building.

Today, Zayne wore an understated linen-colored suit.

After parking, he got out first.

He went around to open Xiao Yan's door, holding one hand against the top of the doorframe so she would not bump her head.

Although Xiao Yan nodded and said, "Thank you," she was not in particularly high spirits.

Seeing her about to head into the mansion, Zayne pressed his lips together and gently stopped her. "Wife."

Xiao Yan held herself back for a moment before turning to look at Zayne. "What is it?"

Zayne lowered his eyes in self-reproach, still holding the little white stick of his finished lollipop between his teeth, with nowhere to throw it away.

Oh, he was too adorable. Xiao Yan could hardly take it.

"I'm not angry with you. Stop dwelling on it." She reached up and removed the stick from his mouth. "But you're not allowed to wonder whether I'll welcome you home again. Of course I look forward to seeing you every moment of the day."

Zayne froze.

"I don't want my family to worry, so we still need to act a little more natural." Xiao Yan smiled. "Just like when you took selfies of us and posted them on Moments. Can we do that?"

Zayne had been thinking the same thing. He did not want to come over for a meal only to lose points with her family, or even end up with a negative score.

"All right." He nodded immediately. "Let's... be a little closer."

"This isn't lying. You understand that, right?" Xiao Yan knew Zayne's moral standards all too well.

Zayne nodded again. "It's well-intentioned. Besides, perhaps, before long, the way we act today could become reality."

That's a huge step forward, Zayne!

Xiao Yan was inwardly stunned. This man would never casually say anything resembling a promise or an expression of hope.

If he said that, he must have been hoping for it himself!

Although she desperately wanted to ask more, Xiao Yan restrained herself.

She still needed to give him time to work out what he really thought.

She could not push too hard, or it would only have the opposite effect.

"Could we... try hugging first?" The tips of Zayne's ears reddened. "Otherwise, if we touch later, we might have an unexpected physiological reaction."

Xiao Yan bit her lip, then spread her arms and jumped onto Zayne.

Zayne instinctively caught her in his arms.

She was so small that he lifted her off the ground with ease.

"You're dressed too lightly." Zayne began to take issue with Xiao Yan's continued fondness for T-shirts and little skirts even after autumn had arrived. "No matter how much you like an outfit, you still need to adjust it for the season, or you'll get sick."

"Mm." Xiao Yan obediently buried her face in the crook of Zayne's neck. "My mom used to nag me. Now no one does."

Back at home, Uncle Sang let out an enormous sneeze.

Rubbing his nose, he was still wondering why the young lady had insisted on wearing a little summer dress when he had reminded her to dress warmly today.

If the family head saw her, his old bones would get another scolding.

He felt utterly miserable.

Xiao Yan asked, "Does this feel all right?"

Zayne lowered his head too, resting his chin on Xiao Yan's shoulder. "Much better than I imagined. There aren't any unexpected sensations. Instead, it feels very familiar. As if we should have done this long ago."

Xiao Yan's eyes instantly filled with tears. Of course they should have done this long ago.

Because you were my male lead to begin with.

After gently setting Xiao Yan back on the ground.

Xiao Yan finally smiled, even reaching her little hands toward Zayne's clothes and beginning to undo his suit buttons.

"What are you..." Zayne's gaze flickered in bewilderment.

Xiao Yan pouted. "I'm not wearing enough, so shouldn't you give me your jacket?"

That single sentence left Zayne speechless.

Once all the buttons were undone, he took it off himself.

He draped the jacket over Xiao Yan and carefully drew it around her. "That was thoughtless of me. I'm very sorry."

It wasn't thoughtlessness. He just didn't care enough yet.

Although Xiao Yan felt disappointed, she still happily linked her arm through Zayne's. "Then let's go~ They've been watching us from the doorway for ages~"

Zayne glanced over, and sure enough.

A row of people stood at the mansion's entrance.

A tall man had his arm around Xiao Jue, and the couple watched Xiao Yan and Zayne with eyes full of affection.

Beside them were four other men, each with a tender gaze, utterly won over by the romantic scene they had just witnessed.

Zayne's cheeks turned scarlet.

As he walked Xiao Yan toward the entrance, he lowered his head and coughed. "You saw them and didn't warn me sooner."

"Are you embarrassed?" Xiao Yan poked his waist. "So what if they saw? Isn't that exactly what we wanted?"

Zayne shuddered all over. "You... behave yourself."

Once they met.

Zayne put on a polite smile.

Xiao Yan ran over and gave her parents a huge hug.

Xiao Jue smiled and stroked Xiao Yan's face. "Dressed so lightly on purpose to make Little Li fuss over you, are you?"

That's Mom for you. Saw right through me!

"Oh, come on," Xiao Yan protested. "Don't say it out loud. He hadn't noticed, but now that he's heard you, he'll definitely think I'm playing games with him."

Zayne shook his head helplessly. "Why would I? You're very cute like this."

Xiao Yan was terribly embarrassed, and just then, her father, Cheng Yuyun, wanted to hug her.

She dove into her father's arms, and he affectionately ruffled her hair a couple of times.

Xiao Yan wheedled, "Dad, look at him. He keeps teasing me."

Cheng Yuyun could not have been happier. Seeing his son-in-law indulge and dote on his precious daughter so much put his heart completely at ease.

There was no question that Cheng Yuyun was handsome and dashing. Even for a family dinner, he had taken great care with his appearance.

His features bore a thirty- to forty-percent resemblance to Xiao Yan's.

He did not reveal any beastman traits in front of Zayne.

Still, after marrying Xiao Jue, a human, he had managed to have a daughter on the first try, and that daughter was a noble human, despite there being only a fifty-percent chance.

No wonder he had become this family's principal husband. He also exuded the poise and composure of an elder brother among husbands.

Zayne, however, did not think that much into it.

He observed unobtrusively, merely gauging these men's reactions to him.

His preliminary assessment was that Cheng Yuyun approved of him.

Then he looked at the four younger dads.

Chen Qian looked exceptionally young. Zayne even thought they might be the same age, leaving him momentarily taken aback.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly how you should spoil our Yanyan~" After their eyes met, Chen Qian came forward enthusiastically.

He took Zayne's hand of his own accord. "Our Yanyan has never suffered the slightest grievance growing up. Little Li, promise me right now that you'll absolutely treat our Yanyan well, that you'll absolutely..."

"That's enough." Another younger dad, Yu Xiang, came over and shouldered Chen Qian aside. "Little Li, ignore him. I can see you and Yanyan have a wonderful relationship. There's no need for us to worry at all, right?"

He too took Zayne's hand and shook it, covertly applying pressure with his grip.