The two little ones finished speaking, causing the four elders to burst into laughter. Pei Chen, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly felt socially mortified. He cleared his throat a few times, a helpless smile flickering in his eyes, and a warm flush appearing on his handsome, cool face.
“……”
These two little rascals really know how to tease their dad.
Liang Zhiyi, who was standing to the side, had no idea when these two became so mischievous. Her cheeks turned red as well. She quickly changed the subject by pulling out a jar of fruit gummies from the drawer of the coffee table. “Do you two want some candy?”
“Yes!”
Little Doubao and little Niangao eagerly reached out their hands, excited to grab some.
The two of them loved candy, especially fruit gummies. However, to prevent cavities, Liang Zhiyi was very strict about controlling how often they could have sweets.
“Come on, you two sit properly first.”
The two little ones obediently crawled onto the sofa and sat side by side. The four elders watched them with smiles on their faces.
Liang Zhiyi unwrapped the candy and asked Pei Su with a smile, “Which flavor does little doubao want?”
Little Doubao blinked his bright eyes and softly said in his babyish voice:
“Grape flavor.”
“Alright, here’s a grape one for Doubao.”
Pei Su happily stretched out his hand to take it. “Thank you, Mommy.”
“No need to thank me,” Liang Zhiyi turned her head to the side where little Niangao was eagerly leaning in, his face full of anticipation. She smiled warmly, “What flavor does little Niangao want?”
Little Niangao swallowed his saliva and softly said:
“I want them all…”
Everyone laughed, but Liang Zhiyi quickly dashed his hopes, “Nope, you can only have one.”
“I want strawberry flavor.”
After both of the little ones had their candy, Liang Zhiyi suddenly stopped them just as they were about to eat it. “Not yet! Remember what you said yesterday? What are you supposed to recite today for grandpa, grandma, and your grandparents?”
In unison, they said, “The Three Character Classic!”
“That’s right. You two have to recite the Three Character Classic first, and only after that can you eat your candy.”
She turned to Liang Tianming and the others with a smile, “They just started learning the Three Character Classic recently. I told them to perform it for you today.”
Everyone enthusiastically encouraged them, “Wow, you two are so impressive…”
“Quick, recite it for us to hear.”
With a little prompt from Liang Zhiyi, Pei Su and Pei Che began reciting in unison, “At the beginning, people are inherently good in nature. Their natures are similar, but their habits make them different. Without proper teaching, their nature will deteriorate. The way to teach…”
The two little ones, dressed in cow-patterned pajamas, sat on the sofa, reciting word by word in their soft voices while gently swinging their little feet. They looked like two adorable, milk-scented bundles.
“Jade must be carved to become a useful vessel. People must study to understand righteousness…”
Pei Su was earnestly reciting, but after a while, Pei Che, sitting next to him, couldn’t resist lowering his head, fixating on the irresistibly tempting strawberry gummy in his hand.
After a moment, he suddenly stuck out his little tongue and quickly gave the candy a lick.
The others burst into laughter when they saw this, and Liang Zhiyi playfully tugged at him, “Hey, have you finished reciting? Why did you sneak a lick?”
Little Niangao pursed his lips, lowering his head in embarrassment, and softly said in his babyish voice:
“If I didn’t lick it, my drool would have started dripping…”
Everyone laughed heartily; they really couldn’t do anything about this little foodie.
Finally, after the two little ones finished reciting the Three Character Classic, they were allowed to eat their candy. Liang Zhiyi handed an extra piece to Pei Su and smiled, “Just now, little doubao didn’t sneak any candy, so he gets an extra one as a reward.”
Little Doubao accepted it, and seeing the longing look in his brother’s eyes, he offered his candy to him with a bright smile, his eyes crinkling in joy, “This is for little Niangao.”
“Wow, little doubao is so kind.”
Little Niangao happily accepted the candy, and when Liang Zhiyi asked if he should thank his brother, he hugged him and gave him a kiss.
In the end, Liang Zhiyi gave another piece of candy to little doubao. The two brothers happily finished their candy and then ran off to play elsewhere. Liang Tianming, smiling, sighed, “These two brothers really have a great relationship, especially little doubao. He’s been so well-behaved since he was young.”
Pei Yongxia chuckled, “Yes, it’s mainly because their parents taught them well.”
Liang Zhiyi turned to glance at Pei Chen with a mischievous smile, “Maybe it’s because of good genes.”
Pei Chen smiled indulgently, “Yes, they inherited it from Zhiyi.”
The family continued to chat and drink tea in the living room. As night fell, and the city lights began to glow, it was New Year’s Eve, and the streets were illuminated with vibrant lights and festive fireworks.
Once the nanny and chef had finished preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner, Liang Zhiyi gave each of them a large red envelope and sent them off to celebrate the holiday with their families.
The dining room had a large round table, and both families sat around it together. Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi raised their glasses with the two little ones, saying, “Let’s toast with grandpa, grandma, and our parents. Happy New Year, everyone!”
“Happy New Year, grandpa, grandma, and our parents…”
“Happy New Year, mom and dad…”
“Happy New Year to you too, little dumpling and Niangao!”
Everyone happily clinked their glasses together.
The New Year’s Eve dinner was especially sumptuous that night. Liang Zhiyi pointed to a plate of lamb ribs and proudly said to everyone, “These are hand-pulled lamb ribs that I made. Try them and tell me how they taste. It took me a long time to make them.”
“Oh, it’s rare for you to cook.” Zhong Xinrou teased her. She knew that while her daughter was skilled in many things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, cooking wasn’t exactly her forte.
“It’s New Year’s Eve today, so I had to show off a bit.”
Liang Zhiyi placed a piece of lamb rib on each of the little ones’ plates, and everyone else eagerly picked up a piece to try as well.
As Pei Chen ate, Liang Zhiyi looked at him with sparkling eyes and asked excitedly, “Well, well? How does it taste?”
Pei Chen took a sip of juice, suppressing a smile, and calmly asked in return, “How long did you bake this?”
“What’s wrong? Is it a bit tough?”
“The flavor is great, but it’s a bit hard on the teeth.”
“……”
Liang Tianming, while eating the lamb ribs, commented, “Zhiyi, there’s still a lot of room for improvement in your cooking skills.”
“……”
She took a bite herself and quickly realized it was indeed a bit tough. “I was just worried it wouldn’t be cooked in the middle, so I baked it for an extra half hour…”
Frustrated, she lamented, “Oh no, I messed up again, QAQ.”
Pei Yongxia and Gong Qinxin laughed and reassured her that it tasted pretty good. Then, Liang Zhiyi turned to Pei Su and Pei Che, asking, “Do you like the lamb ribs?”
She was about to suggest they stop eating if it was too tough, but to her surprise, the two little ones were enthusiastically nodding their heads like little pecking chickens, “It’s delicious!”
They were munching away, their little heads bobbing with delight, exclaiming, “Mommy, it’s so good!”
Liang Zhiyi was deeply moved.
My dear sons, you never fail to make Mommy proud!
Doubao and Niangao were clutching their lamb ribs with both hands, slowly gnawing on them like little kittens. After finishing a piece, they looked up and said:
“Mommy, I want another piece…”
“Mommy, me too…”
“Alright, I’ll get you some more.”
Liang Zhiyi smugly turned to Pei Chen and said, “See that? At least someone appreciates my cooking!”
Pei Chen chuckled, “Of course, they’re your children.”
After dinner that evening, Ji Fei’er and Liang Tongzhou arrived with their children. The kids gathered to play games while the adults sat together, watching the Spring Festival Gala and chatting, enjoying the warm and joyful atmosphere.
As the night grew late, everyone began to head home. Ji Fei’er and Liang Tongzhou left with Liang Zhiyi’s parents, while Pei Yongxia, who had some difficulty walking, was taken home by Pei Chen and Gong Qinxin. Liang Zhiyi stayed behind to bathe the two little ones.
Half an hour later, Pei Chen returned home. The four of them then went to the rooftop garden to set off fireworks together, a family tradition they had maintained for years. The two little ones particularly loved setting off fireworks.
As midnight approached, Liang Zhiyi turned to the two little ones and said:
“Kids, it’s time to make our New Year’s wishes.”
Doubao and Niangao clasped their hands together, and Liang Zhiyi closed her eyes to make a wish as well.
She hoped that in the coming year, the four of them would continue to be safe, happy, and together, sharing a sweet life.
When she opened her eyes, midnight had passed. Brilliant fireworks shot into the sky, blossoming in dazzling colors, while the two little ones waved their sparklers joyfully.
Pei Chen put his arm around Liang Zhiyi’s shoulders. She turned to look at him, her almond-shaped eyes curving into a smile. “Honey, do you remember the New Year’s wish you made in our second year of high school?”
Pei Chen smiled, “I remember.”
His wish had been to be with her.
At that time, it seemed like an unattainable dream.
In their second year of high school, they were on the brink of parting ways. Pei Chen had wished to be with Liang Zhiyi, while her wish had been for him to live a safe and healthy life, even if she couldn’t stay by his side.
Liang Zhiyi sighed, “Back then, I thought we would never be together. But who would have thought that now we have two little babies?”
Time flies.
The world changes, but some things are destined, unchanging, like the fact that they would spend their lives together.
She looked up at Pei Chen, her eyes shimmering with tears, reflecting the brilliance of the fireworks. “Pei Chen, we’ve known each other for twelve years now, but I still feel like I haven’t loved you enough.”
He gazed down at her:
“There’s no rush, we have a lifetime.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, leaned in, and placed a tender, lingering kiss on her lips, sealing her sweet breath, drawing them into an embrace of intimacy.
Time and space seemed to dissolve into honey.
As the kiss ended, Pei Chen looked at her, his dark, clear eyes reflecting only her. His deep voice was filled with boundless love:
“We can keep falling in love, slowly.”
On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Liang family was invited to attend a relative’s wedding banquet. The entire family of four was invited.
They planned to visit Liang Zhiyi’s family first and then head to the hotel for the wedding banquet around noon.
After breakfast, once everyone was ready, Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen took their two sons to the entrance to change their shoes.
Today, the little ones were dressed in identical light yellow padded jackets, making them look adorably puffy. The jackets even had little bear ears on the hoods, and their cheeks were soft and rosy.
While Liang Zhiyi was on the phone with Zhong Xinrou, discussing some matters, Pei Chen wrapped scarves around the two little ones. He asked Doubao, “Are you still cold now?”
Doubao looked down and touched his fluffy scarf:
“Not cold anymore.”
Pei Chen then wrapped the scarf around Niangao. Once he was done, Doubao stretched out his arms toward him, pouting slightly, “Daddy, carry me.”
Every time they went out, Pei Chen would always carry the two little ones for a bit.
Pei Chen picked up Doubao, giving him a quick kiss, which made the little one giggle. After setting him down, the nanny brought over the neatly packed items for the children.
After picking up the bags, Pei Chen looked down at Niangao, who was gazing at him with hopeful eyes. Smiling to himself, Pei Chen leaned down to pick up Doubao again:
“Come on, Daddy will carry Niangao too.”
Pei Su: ?
Pei Che: ??
Pei Su froze, pointing at Pei Che:
“That’s my brother…”
Pei Che, standing nearby, watched as Pei Chen picked up his brother. He was confused for a few seconds, but then he raised his arms and looked up at him, softly saying:
“Daddy, I’m Niangao. You picked up the wrong person.”
Pei Chen looked at his son’s adorable, bewildered expression and laughed softly. Pretending to be surprised, he set down Doubao and picked up Pei Che: “Oh, so I got it wrong. This is the real Niangao.”
Pei Che’s big eyes sparkled as he tilted his head and said in his sweet voice:
“Daddy, you haven’t kissed me yet.”
“Alright, let’s give our Niangao a kiss too…”
When Liang Zhiyi finished her call and returned, the two little ones each gave her a kiss. She patted their heads and said, “Let’s go. We’re going to see Grandpa and Grandma first.”
The family left and headed to the Liang family’s villa. The house was bustling with activity today, as several relatives had already arrived. They were all planning to attend the wedding banquet together and had gathered at the house to catch up.
Pei Su and Pei Che obediently greeted everyone, wishing them a happy New Year. Their sweet and polite manners made the relatives laugh heartily, and they showered the boys with red envelopes.
The adults were chatting in the living room while Pei Su and Pei Che played racing games with a little boy who was two years older than them, a relative’s child.
After a while, the little boy got tired of playing and walked over to a crib where a baby was lying. He started playing with a toy, making the baby giggle and coo.
Doubao followed him, curiously asking, “Brother Tiantian, who is this?”
The little boy replied, “This is my little sister.”
“A little sister?”
“My little sister is only one year old. Isn’t she cute?”
Doubao and Niangao looked at the baby in the crib, with her delicate, doll-like features. They gently poked her cheek, finding it soft, like tofu.
Niangao blinked and softly asked, “I don’t have a little sister. Where did you get yours?”
The little boy, still playing with his race car, said, “My mom told me that my little sister was picked up from the trash heap.”
Doubao and Niangao stared at the baby for a while before walking over to where Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi were sitting on the sofa, chatting. Doubao said:
“Mommy, Daddy, Brother Tiantian has a little sister.”
“Hmm?”
Doubao, in his babyish voice, added, “Brother Tiantian said his little sister was picked up from the trash can.”
Niangao, standing beside him, nodded in agreement and looked at Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi with wide, innocent eyes:
“Mommy, Daddy, can we ask Brother Tiantian which trash can he got her from? Let’s go and pick one up too.”