Finally, after the two little “light bulbs” were full from their milk, they wiggled their hands and feet a few times, contentedly blowing bubbles. Before long, they closed their eyes and quietly fell asleep.
Two chubby little bundles, full of milky warmth.
When they weren’t crying or fussing, they truly were the epitome of cuteness.
To avoid them disturbing their private time, Liang Zhiyi asked the nanny to carry the babies to the nursery.
After closing the bedroom door, Liang Zhiyi turned around only to be enveloped in Pei Chen’s embrace. The scent of his masculine pheromones washed over her as she took a step back, finding herself pressed against the door by him.
Pei Chen raised his hand and locked the door.
Then he wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning down to meet her gaze with dark eyes.
“Finally, no one else to disturb us.”
The girl playfully tapped his chest with her fingertips, curling her lips as she accused him, “Does someone have to be so bad, sending both of our sons away? Can you really bear to do that?”
He lifted her chin, planting soft kisses like scattered stars.
He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, “Those two little light bulbs just had to cause trouble tonight. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for tonight?”
His words mirrored her own desires. Liang Zhiyi’s heart raced as if carbonated bubbles were bursting inside. Her cheeks flushed with heat as she teased him lightly:
“Is someone out of practice?”
“Are you provoking me on purpose?”
She suppressed a smile, seeing her reflection in his dark, close-set eyes, and whispered, “Then tonight, Zhizhi will put you to the test.”
The girl stood on tiptoe, hooked her arms around his neck, and offered her red lips. The man’s eyes darkened, and he cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss, then lifted her and carried her inside with determination.
The night merged with the water.
It was exceptionally long.
—
The next day, Liang Zhiyi slept until the sun was high in the sky.
When she woke up, she drowsily opened her eyes, tried to move, and then turned over, collapsing face-down on the pillow. She was so exhausted that she could barely move, cursing Pei Chen bitterly in her heart.
Ugh, that awful man!
Why is it that after all this time, he’s still as vigorous as ever? QAQ.
She often wondered how someone who looked so refined and ascetic, sometimes wearing thin-rimmed glasses while sitting by the window reading a book, his thin lips slightly pressed together, with a scholarly air and a boyish charm, could transform so completely in certain situations.
It just goes to show, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
She lay there, feeling utterly lazy and listless. After a while, Pei Chen came in, only to be met with the sight of the girl blushing with embarrassment, giving him a quick glare before turning over to face away from him.
The man chuckled softly and walked over.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke with a smile, “What’s this? Waking up and pretending you don’t know me?”
She huffed softly, still embarrassed:
“I hate you.”
“Hmm?” he teased, “What did I do?”
He had the nerve to ask?
“It’s all your fault for being so wild last night…”
Pei Chen recalled the reckless events of the previous night and, realizing he may have gone too far, felt a slight blush creep up his ears. He pressed his lips together and spoke in a low, husky voice, “Zhizhi, don’t be mad. I know I was wrong.”
She pouted and fussed at him for a while, but eventually, she melted into his affectionate embrace. They snuggled close, just like they had during the early days of their passionate romance.
Even after all these years, Liang Zhiyi often felt that the love Pei Chen gave her still made her feel like she was back in those youthful, tender days when they had just started dating.
It was as if they were still classmates, and she could still clearly picture him sitting at his desk, reading with a calm, distant look, like a mountain in the distance.
She smiled and teased him, “Pei Chen, have you ever regretted rejecting me twice back in our second year of high school? Look at us now—aren’t we married?”
Pei Chen gazed at her, his tone full of deep affection and tenderness:
“If I had known back then that I’d be lucky enough to marry you and that we’d have a happy family of four, I would have pursued you the moment I met you.”
Because of him, they had missed out on so much time they could have spent together in love.
It was something he often thought about and deeply regretted.
The girl laughed, “If you had pursued me the moment you met me, it would have been because you thought I was too pretty. You must be a sucker for looks.”
“Yes, how else could I have fallen for you?”
She couldn’t help but laugh.
This man was clearly full and satisfied, with words as sweet as honey…
After a while, she got up to wash and get ready. Finally, she and Pei Chen left the room and went to the nursery, where they saw that the two little ones were already awake. The nanny was just finishing changing their diapers.
Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi each picked up one of the babies, showering them with kisses and cuddles. Little Doubao and Little Niangao were especially happy, giggling joyfully.
“Honey, how about we take a family photo of the four of us?” Liang Zhiyi suggested with a smile.
“Sure.”
The two of them sat on the foam mat by the floor-to-ceiling window. Pei Chen raised his arm to embrace the girl, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
As the photo was taken, Liang Zhiyi’s red lips curved into a smile as she looked at the camera. Pei Chen’s eyes held a gentle and soft smile. They each held one of the little ones in their arms, with the bright and warm sunlight pouring in through the window, enveloping them in a serene and peaceful glow.
Showing him the photo on her phone, Liang Zhiyi giggled, “It turned out so beautiful.”
Pei Chen looked at the photo, his eyes filled with tenderness.
He thought that all the happiness and perfection he wanted to protect in this life were captured in this one photo.
°°°
As seasons changed and time passed, the two little ones slowly grew up, toddling as they learned to walk.
Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi discovered something particularly fascinating: besides a small birthmark on the back of Pei Su’s wrist that helped distinguish them, Pei Su resembled Pei Chen with a dimple on his left cheek when he smiled, while Pei Che resembled Liang Zhiyi with a dimple on his right cheek. They were perfectly matched.
Although this pair of brothers could be mischievous at times, they never fought. On the contrary, they were often inseparable and shared a deep bond.
Sometimes, the two babies would sit facing each other, Little Doubao clapping his tiny hands and babbling as if trying to amuse his younger brother.
The moment Little Niangao met his brother’s gaze, his eyes would curve into joyful smiles, and he would clap along in sync. They would babble to each other in baby talk only they could understand, entertaining themselves for entire afternoons.
In the evenings, they would play with toys together, cuddling close and giving each other kisses on the head or feet, before finally lying in bed with their own milk bottles.
Both babies had sweet temperaments and didn’t fuss or cry much. Friends and relatives adored them, wishing they could take them home as their own.
Because Liang Zhiyi was proficient in many musical instruments, it seemed that both sons had inherited her musical talent. They had a great sense of rhythm and particularly loved listening to their mother play instruments or sing.
Often, when the family of four gathered together, Liang Zhiyi would take out a guitar and sing nursery rhymes for them:
“Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast…”
As she sang, Little Niangao would dance happily, his tiny body swaying to the rhythm, while Little Doubao would stare intently at Liang Zhiyi with his bright, grape-like eyes, seemingly entranced by the music.
After finishing the song, Liang Zhiyi would adorably mimic a little tiger, sticking out her tongue playfully. Little Doubao would also stick out his tiny tongue and laugh happily, shaking his head with delight.
Watching the two children from the side, Pei Chen couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
At bedtime, he held her close and asked with a soft, smiling voice, “How did you manage to give birth to two such adorable little ones?”
At this stage, the children were becoming more fun each day. Besides their busy work schedules, the happiest moments for the couple were spending time with their sons. Immersed in the pure and innocent world of their children, their own relationship continued to deepen and grow warmer.
Liang Zhiyi’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she giggled, “Probably because I’m pretty adorable myself.”
Indeed, Liang Zhiyi was adorable. Sometimes, her every move still carried a girlish charm, not at all like a mother. Pei Chen realized that it was as if there were three children in the house, all needing his love and care.
As the two babies grew older, they went from babbling to calling out “Daddy” and “Mommy,” and soon began saying all sorts of funny and surprising things that often had Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen doubling over with laughter.
Not only did they inherit their parents’ good looks, becoming even more fair and soft, but they also inherited their high intelligence, showing remarkable cleverness.
Time flew by, and the twins were now three years old.
This was also the most mischievous and spirited stage.
On New Year’s Eve morning, the two lively little ones helped the family put up window decorations and Spring Festival couplets.
“Mommy, I finished putting up the window flowers…”
Pei Su, dressed in his cow-patterned pajamas, ran over to Liang Zhiyi. His small frame, with chubby cheeks, proudly pointed to his work, his voice sweet and childish.
“Oh, our little Doubao is so good.” Liang Zhiyi smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
Just then, Pei Che, dressed in his bear-patterned pajamas, came toddling over as well. Leaning against Liang Zhiyi’s leg, he tilted his little head up, his fair face glowing with a smile in his squinty eyes. “Mommy, I also helped Auntie Zhang put up the curtains…”
Liang Zhiyi laughed, “Not curtains, Spring Festival couplets.”
Pei Che nodded, trying to say it clearly but stumbling, “C-cuplets…”
The young mother chuckled and kissed him too. “Yes, our little Niangao is also amazing.”
She patted their heads. “Now, you two go play with your blocks together. Mommy’s going to keep putting up the couplets.”
The two of them clasped their soft little hands together and happily ran back to their room.
That morning, after Liang Zhiyi finished decorating the villa, Pei Chen returned with fireworks. The couple each called their parents. In previous years, both families would have New Year’s Eve dinner at a restaurant, but this year, she and Pei Chen invited them to celebrate the New Year together at home. However, her brother, Liang Tongzhou, was spending the holiday with Ji Fei’er’s family and would come over after dinner.
In the afternoon, Liang Zhiyi went to the kitchen to help the nanny prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. Normally, she wouldn’t lift a finger in the kitchen, but since both sets of parents were visiting, she felt the need to show her sincerity and be a bit more domestic for once.
When Pei Chen found out, he chuckled, “Zhizhi, our parents are getting on in years. You should take it easy.”
Liang Zhiyi puffed up in indignation. “Is my cooking really that bad?”
Pei Chen calmly reminded her, “Remember in our sophomore year of college, when you made me spaghetti? I ended up in the bathroom for a day. And then in our junior year, you made dumplings, but what came out was cabbage and pork dumpling skin soup. And right after we got married, you said you’d make breakfast for me, but it was really just eggshells scrambled with eggs, along with a cup of burnt milk.”
Liang Zhiyi: “…”
This man had no qualms about exposing her culinary disasters!
She refused to back down, saying, “That was before. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes… Don’t worry, this time I’ll have Auntie Zhang supervising me the whole time. There’s no way I’ll mess it up. Just wait—tonight, when you cry because of how delicious my cooking is, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Yes, you might cry for sure.”
Annoyed and embarrassed, she raised her hand to hit him, but Pei Chen just laughed and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. “I’m just kidding, honey. I believe in you.”
“Hmph, now get out of here. I need to focus and give it my all…”
Finally, Pei Chen went back to his study to take care of some work. After a while, the study door creaked open, and a little bear-like head peeked in. The door slowly pushed open, and a pair of big, shiny grape-like eyes looked inside until they met Pei Chen’s gaze.
“Daddy…”
Pei Che struggled to carry a big bag of twisted dough snacks as he waddled over to the desk.
Pei Chen looked at him, a small smile playing on his lips. “What’s the matter?”
Pei Che shook his head and said in a soft voice:
“Daddy, Niangao wants to eat some mahua.”
“Didn’t Mommy say it’s too heaty and you shouldn’t eat it?”
“Just a little bit…”
The little guy didn’t dare to sneak it on his own, so he obediently brought the whole bag to his father, tilting his head up and looking at Pei Chen with bright, hopeful eyes.
Pei Chen couldn’t resist, so he took the bag, placed it on the desk, and opened one for him. “Alright, go ahead.”
Pei Che happily took it, and after finishing one, he looked longingly at Pei Chen again. But this time, Pei Chen said, “You can only have one each. If your brother wants one, he’ll have to come in and get it himself.”
“Oh…”
The little one reluctantly walked out, turning back every few steps.
Pei Chen watched him leave, hiding a smile in his eyes.
Between the two kids, the younger one, Pei Che, had a particular fondness for snacks. His little mouth was constantly craving something tasty.
After leaving the room, Pei Che’s little mind began to turn, and soon he ran off to find Auntie Zhang. “Auntie Zhang, I want to wear the cow pajamas…”
A while later, the study door opened again, and in walked Pei Che, now dressed in cow-patterned pajamas.
He walked up to Pei Chen, hands clasped behind his back, and said in a sweet, milky voice:
“Daddy, I’m Doubao. I want to eat some mahua.”
Pei Chen looked at him, then held his forehead and burst out laughing.
To get his hands on the Mahua, Pei Che even went as far as changing clothes to pretend to be his older brother.
Such cleverness must have been inherited from Liang Zhiyi.
The little guy was so serious in his role-playing, genuinely thinking his dad wouldn’t notice, with a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. Pei Chen suppressed his laughter and calmly asked, “You’re Doubao?”
“Mm-hmm…”
“Well then, I’ve noticed that Doubao has been especially naughty today. Looks like I’ll have to give him a couple of spanks.”
With that, Pei Chen scooped the little one up. Pei Che was so shocked that he panicked, waving his hands frantically, “Daddy, I’m not Doubao…”
“You’re not?”
“I was tricking you,” Pei Che mumbled softly, “It’s Niangao pretending to be his brother.”
Pei Chen smirked, “Will you dare to trick me again?”
“No, I won’t…”
At that moment, Pei Su ran into the room as well, and Pei Che giggled, “Big Brother’s here to eat Mahua too.”
Pei Su tugged at Pei Chen’s leg. “Daddy, Mahua…”
Pei Chen picked him up too, opened a package of pepper-flavored Mahua, and handed one to Pei Su. The little boy took it with his chubby white hands, bowing his head as he carefully tasted it. Pei Chen gave him a quick kiss and asked:
“Is it good?”
Pei Su frowned slightly and said, “It’s spicy. Daddy, can I have a different one?”
Meanwhile, Pei Che, who wasn’t bothered by the spice, eagerly stretched out his hand:
“I’m not afraid of spice. Let me have it.”
Laughing, Pei Chen handed the spicy Mahua to Pei Che and gave his older brother a sweet-flavored one. Pei Su happily munched on it, but after a while, he noticed Pei Chen watching him. He offered the snack back to his father with a sweet smile, “Daddy, you have some.”
Pei Su, being the quieter one, was often especially thoughtful, like a little warm jacket for his dad.
Touched by his cuteness, Pei Chen smiled and patted his head, “No need, Doubao, you eat it.”
The two little ones stayed in the study for a while longer before running off to play together. By evening, Liang Tianming, Zhong Xinrou, Pei Yongxia, and Gong Qinxin had all arrived at the house.
The four grandparents naturally doted on Little Doubao and Little Niangao the most. In the living room, Pei Chen sat on the sofa and asked the two of them, “Remember what I told you to say earlier today?”
With that, the two little ones clasped their hands together, bowed politely, and said in unison, “Happy New Year, Grandpa and Grandma! Happy New Year, Granddad and Grandma!”
“Oh, how sweet…”
The two children filled the room with laughter as they played with the adults.
“Come here, Doubao and Niangao, Grandpa and Grandma have red envelopes for you.”
“Here, from Grandpa and Grandma too…”
As Liang Zhiyi walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit, she sat down next to Pei Chen and smiled at the four grandparents. “Mom, Dad, don’t give these two too much, or they’ll end up losing it somewhere.”
“It’s fine, let them have it to play with…”
The grandparents continued to dote on Pei Su and Pei Che. Zhong Xinrou smiled and asked, “Doubao, Niangao, who does Mommy love more?” She wasn’t trying to make the children compare but just wanted to tease them a little.
The two kids turned to look at Liang Zhiyi and responded in their sweet voices, “Mommy says she loves both Doubao and Niangao.”
Everyone laughed, and Liang Zhiyi smiled warmly, “That’s right.”
She had always been careful not to show any favoritism, loving both of her little ones equally. They were both her treasures.
Gong Qinxin then chimed in with a laugh, “And who does Daddy love more?”
Little Niangao thought for a moment, tilting his head slightly before answering softly, “Daddy says he loves his nao po1Nao po (脑婆) is a playful, childlike mispronunciation or a cute way of saying lao po (老婆), which means “wife” in Chinese. the most.”
This had everyone around them bursting into laughter. Pei Chen felt his ears heat up, a smile of helplessness spreading across his face. Gong Qinxin pressed further, “And who is Daddy’s nao po?”
Little Doubao giggled and pointed, “It’s Mommy.”
“Does Daddy really like Mommy that much?”
Little Niangao nodded seriously, “I often see Daddy hugging Mommy and kissing her in bed. Daddy says he loves his nao po the most.”
Little Doubao eagerly added, “I saw it too!”
“…”
Liang Zhiyi’s face turned bright red, and she wanted to cover her face and disappear.
What were these two little ones saying!