Chapter 22

Uncle Xu hurried off to find a dessert box, genuinely afraid they might accidentally eat them all.

Bo Yiming took the opportunity to stuff one into his mouth, his words coming out muffled.

"My little dad makes really yummy ones. Soft little seashells."

There were only sixteen in total, and Uncle Xu ended up packing twelve into the dessert box.

After some thought, he left three for the young master.

Just as Uncle Xu finished packing the box, the housekeepers came into the kitchen to clean up, and he stepped away to give them a few instructions.

Bo Yiming, who was on the phone in a corner, said softly, "Little brother Xingxing, wait a second."

He crept over, swiftly put the madeleines on a plate, and placed it in the cabinet beneath the island before casually putting something else inside.

When Uncle Xu returned and picked up the tray holding the dessert box, he noticed nothing amiss.

"Young master, why don't you take your call in your room?"

"Okay~" Bo Yiming hurried over, continuing to chatter away to Xingxing. They both grew excited as they talked about going on the show the day after.

Uncle Xu thought, It's wonderful that the young master has made such a good new friend and can talk to him on the phone every day.

They both reached the second floor, and he knocked before entering the eldest young master's room.

Bo Yiming pushed open the door to his little dad's room instead.

Seeing his little dad leaning back on the sofa in a daze, he hurried over and draped himself over its edge, looking up as he asked, "Little Dad? You're awake? Were you okay earlier?"

Wen Cishu pinched his little cheek. "Thank you for worrying, sweetheart. Daddy's perfectly fine."

-It's your big dad who isn't fine. He might have been sent by France's Seventh Bureau. His lips are sealed tight.

Bo Yiming pricked up one ear to listen for sounds next door, but heard nothing.

"Little Dad, I'm going to the bathroom."

He pushed himself up against the sofa and quickly stood, then crept toward the screen.

"What's wrong?" Wen Cishu hurried after him.

His son caught his arm, and he stood outside the screen, leaning sideways to listen along with him without knowing what was going on.

In Bo Tingyuan's room.

After Uncle Xu set down the dessert box, he opened it quite naturally as the eldest young master approached.

Then both men, four eyes between them, simultaneously saw the pieces of lemon in the box.

A sour tang immediately filled the air.

Chapter 22

That evening, once Bo Yiming went to take a bath.

Wen Cishu called Uncle Xu over and learned the whole story. Only then did he realize it had been the little rascal's prank.

Puzzled, he asked, "Weren't they getting along fine the day we came home from the show?"

Bo Tingyuan had invited Master Chen over to make roast goose, and the little rascal had even taken the initiative to thank him.

Even at his grandfather's birthday party the next day, the little rascal had pulled both his dads into a dance. He had only been left behind when they went home...

But surely that wasn't enough for them to be at loggerheads?

Wen Cishu lowered his eyes in thought, but couldn't work out the reason.

Uncle Xu worried that thinking too much would be bad for his health.

"Sir, the eldest young master wouldn't truly get angry over this. He asked me to dispose of the lemons and went to his study to work without saying anything else."

Wen Cishu knew. Bo Tingyuan had said the same thing after carrying him back to his room earlier.

Uncle Xu said, "You and the young master are going back on the show the day after tomorrow. The eldest young master will certainly accompany you, so he won't be able to go to the office. That's why he's particularly busy these two days."

"Oh, right." Wen Cishu saw the point.

His eyelids lowered slightly as he rubbed the bamboo-joint bracelet on his wrist, unsure how to persuade Bo Tingyuan not to stay up late.

One look at the man's face was enough to tell he wouldn't be easily persuaded.

Bouncing footsteps came from outside the door. One listen was enough to tell that the little monkey had finished his bath and bounced back.

Wen Cishu sighed helplessly. "He's like a wound-up toy every day."

Uncle Xu couldn't help chuckling.

That really was a precise description of the young master.

The bedroom door was pushed open a crack.

Bo Yiming poked his flushed little face inside, his large amber eyes darting left and right.

Clearly, he was scanning for any danger signals.

Once he confirmed that every part of the room was a safe zone, Bo Yiming relaxed and pushed the door farther open.

Just then, a deep voice sounded behind him.

"Looking for me?"

"Waaah-aaaah-"

With a burst of incoherent yelling, Bo Yiming stiffened, jumped, and shot across the sitting area.

He flung himself onto the bed and scrambled over to his little dad on all fours, hiding himself like an ostrich and tucking in his feet.

"Little Dad, cover me, quick! Waaah!"

Wen Cishu rested a hand on his back and rubbed it. "There, there. Little Dad's here."

He glanced across at the man bending down to pick up a little slipper.

-Strange. Why had he suddenly gone around to the bedroom door instead of coming through the screen inside?

Could he have been waiting for the little monkey on purpose?

Just to scare him?

That guess was so utterly at odds with Bo Tingyuan's demeanor.

The thought merely flashed through Wen Cishu's mind, and he didn't dwell on it.

At the sight, Uncle Xu quickly said, "Then I'll go check the things you'll be taking to the production team, sir."

Wen Cishu nodded and looked at the man slowly approaching the bed.

Bo Tingyuan was still wearing the shirt and waistcoat he had come home in, but unlike earlier, his sleeves were now rolled up, revealing long, strong forearms. With a slipper dangling from one hand and the other tucked into his trouser pocket, he approached with an unhurried ease.

Wen Cishu keenly detected a rare relaxation in his gait and expression, as though his nerves, taut every day, had eased a little after teasing his son. He asked softly, "Finished working?"

"Yes. I'm going to wash up." Bo Tingyuan reached the bedside and put down the slipper, lifted his son aside, then pressed his shoulders back against the headboard.

Bo Yiming swiftly lifted his own blanket and burrowed underneath, wriggling his arms and legs to pin down both sides until he became a straight little silkworm cocoon. He squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to sleep.

Watching all this, Wen Cishu couldn't help beaming.

When he looked up, he found Bo Tingyuan watching him, as though he had something to say.

He tempered his smile slightly and gave him a questioning look.

But Bo Tingyuan said nothing beyond, "Go to sleep." He reached out to ruffle his son's hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest. "Behave."

"Okay." Bo Yiming opened one eye. Only after watching his big dad go behind the screen and disappear did he swiftly turn and throw himself into his little dad's arms, mumbling and wheedling affectionately, "Mommy~ Big Dad scared me!"

Perhaps worried that his big dad might double back, he turned his head to look around warily before burying himself against the blanket over his little dad's chest again. "Mommy~ Mommy~"

Naturally, Wen Cishu was helpless against him. He hugged him through the blanket, waited until he had wriggled to his heart's content, then pinched his little cheek. "Daddy has something to ask you."

"Hmm?" Bo Yiming raised his face and blinked.

He had inherited both his dads' good looks, and with his mixed heritage, his eyelashes were thick and curled, fluttering like little fans.

Wen Cishu thought he had been as adorable as a little angel when he was younger. Now that he was older-a windup monkey.

He drew his son down onto the pillow and slipped an arm around him in a loose embrace.

"Tell Daddy honestly. Why have you suddenly started butting heads with Big Dad? Is it because we forgot to ask you to get in the car with us on your grandfather's birthday?"

"No."

Bo Yiming wriggled around until he found the most comfortable position, resting his legs against his little dad's long ones through the blanket and secretly comparing their lengths.

He turned back and asked softly, "Little Dad, could you pat me like you did when I was little?"

Wen Cishu patted him gently, now and then. "Then be good and tell Daddy."

"It's just..."

Nestled happily in his little dad's arms, Bo Yiming chattered about his grievances.

"Last year, when Big Dad went riding with me, we made a deal. We'd find time to race this year, and he wasn't allowed to go easy on me. I brought it up recently, but Big Dad keeps making excuses to put it off. Hmph!"

Picking out the word he had emphasized, Wen Cishu asked, "Excuses?"

Bo Yiming looked up and earnestly counted them off on his fingers.

"The first time, he said he was too busy and didn't have time just then. So I waited. The second time, he said to wait until after the show. But the day before yesterday, I found out he never intended to race me at all. Hmph! Big Dad's a big liar."

Wen Cishu pressed the little fellow, who was growing more worked up as he spoke, back down.

"Yiming, why do you insist on racing Big Dad? Your big dad only goes to the riding grounds a few times a year."

"But Big Dad's still really good. The instructors there talk about him all the time. And-"

Bo Yiming lifted his head again like a little rooster spoiling for a fight.

"Big Dad was already riding with a world champion when he was nine. I'm nine now too."

Hearing how firmly convinced he was, Wen Cishu could only soothe him gently. "If you want to ride with a world champion too, tell Big Dad. He'll definitely help invite one for you. But if it's a proper race, you're still little, and it isn't safe. Your big dad is worried you'll get hurt."

Bo Yiming pouted, puffed out his cheeks, and buried his face against his little dad's side.

"But... but Big Dad never used his real ability when he rode with me before. He wasn't respecting me!"

Finally understanding the whole situation, Wen Cishu said unhurriedly, "You said it yourself. You're the Bo family's future heir. If you fell at the riding grounds, wouldn't your big dad be worried sick? Little Dad would certainly faint from fright, wouldn't he?"

At his little dad's words, Bo Yiming uncovered one eye to look at him, as though checking how likely he was to faint from fright.

Wen Cishu waited for him to work out what those words meant.

Only after a long while did Bo Yiming say quietly, "Little Dad, then I won't get hurt. Don't faint, okay?"

Smiling, Wen Cishu tweaked his nose. "All right~ Little Dad will work hard at tai chi every day and get nice and healthy."

Bo Yiming's eyes lit up. He immediately stretched out his arms to hug his little dad and said considerately, "Then starting tomorrow, I'll practice tai chi with you every day, Little Dad."