Knowing that his wife, Shen Nanchu, was returning from her business trip today, Pei Zhengnian specifically squeezed some time out of his busy military schedule to return to their courtyard house under the glow of the evening sunset.

Just as he reached the entrance, before he even pushed open the slightly ajar vermilion doors, he heard bursts of laughter coming from inside. There was his son's milky, childish voice, his wife's gentle, smiling responses, and the faint sound of his mother humming in the kitchen.

These familiar and heartwarming sounds instantly washed away his travel weariness and exhaustion. The corners of his lips curled up involuntarily.

He pushed open the courtyard door. The first thing that caught his eye was Shen Nanchu sitting on a stone bench under the pomegranate tree. She was looking down with gentle eyes at the son in her arms, the golden glow of the setting sun outlining her soft profile.

And his precocious son, Pei Anchen, was sitting comfortably on his mother's lap. His small hands were tightly wrapped around her neck, and his little head rested in the crook of her shoulder, displaying a completely possessive, this-is-all-mine posture.

Squatting to the side was Pei Yunzhou, who had been unsuccessfully trying to tease his little nephew with a piece of foxtail grass and now looked rather bored. As soon as he looked up, he caught sight of his second older brother.

Instantly, as if finding his savior, Pei Yunzhou's eyes lit up. He sprang to his feet, dashed over to Pei Zhengnian in a few strides, and complained in a lowered voice with exaggerated grievance:

Second Brother! You're finally back!

Your son! Your precious son is bullying me!

Pei Zhengnian raised an eyebrow. He withdrew his gaze from his wife and son, looked at his younger brother, and said with a teasing tone,

Oh? How did he bully you? Did he snatch your candy? Or break your models?

He truly couldn't imagine how a two-year-old toddler could possibly bully a grown young man.

Pei Yunzhou immediately gave a vivid, embellished account of how he had just been accurately put in his place by his little nephew, heavily emphasizing how his intelligence had been despised.

...Second Brother, tell me, how old is he? This observation, this logic, this glib tongue! I was left completely speechless by him! If that isn't bullying, what is?

After hearing this, instead of sympathizing with his brother, Pei Zhengnian let out a low chuckle.

He patted Pei Yunzhou's shoulder, his tone carrying undisguised disdain.

You're an uncle, yet you can't even outsmart a two-year-old child, and you still have the nerve to complain? How pathetic!

With that said, he ignored the frustrated Pei Yunzhou, stretched his long legs, and walked straight toward the mother and son under the tree.

Little Pei Anchen had actually noticed Pei Zhengnian the moment he entered the courtyard.

His small head shifted slightly, and a brief flash of tiny excitement and joy darted through his eyes.

But this bit of excitement was immediately replaced by a strong sense of crisis when he saw Pei Zhengnian striding purposefully toward Shen Nanchu.

Oh no!

Daddy was coming to steal Mommy from him.

Pei Anchen immediately hugged Shen Nanchu's neck, his little arms tightening instantly. He shrank his small body deeper into his mother's embrace, his big eyes warily watching Pei Zhengnian as he drew closer.

His soft, chubby little face clearly said:

Daddy is a bad guy who will steal Mommy.

No way, Mommy is his!

Shen Nanchu had already guessed her son's little scheme, and the smile in her eyes grew even brighter.

Pei Zhengnian walked up to them, first giving Shen Nanchu a gentle smile.

You're back? It must have been a tiring trip.

It was alright, I just kind of missed the food you cook.

Shen Nanchu was telling the truth.

It had been a while since she ate Pei Zhengnian's cooking, and she missed it quite a bit.

I'll cook for you tomorrow.

Pei Zhengnian's face was full of doting tenderness.

Okay.

Shen Nanchu was very satisfied.

After greeting his wife, Pei Zhengnian finally looked at his son. He reached out a hand, wanting to pat his little head. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Anchen, did you miss Daddy?

Missed.

Pei Anchen offered his little head to Pei Zhengnian's hand for exactly three seconds.

Then, he immediately buried his little face into the crook of Shen Nanchu's neck, leaving Pei Zhengnian with nothing but the back of his head and his chubby little hands clinging tightly to Shen Nanchu.

Pei Anchen used his actions to declare that he was done missing him, and Daddy could leave now.

Surprise flashed in Pei Zhengnian's eyes.

This little brat, trying to fight him for his wife?

Pei Zhengnian wasn't annoyed; instead, he found his son's food-guarding-like behavior incredibly amusing.

He deliberately sat down on the stone bench next to Shen Nanchu, naturally wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her slightly toward him.

Are you tired sitting here? Want to go rest inside the house for a bit?

Feeling the warmth and strength coming from her shoulder, Shen Nanchu shot her husband a reproachful glance. But before she could speak, Pei Anchen in her arms protested.

Sensing his mother being pulled, the little guy immediately lifted his head and glared at his dad in dissatisfaction.

Just as he thought, his stinky daddy was trying to steal his mommy.

Then, using all the strength he could muster, Pei Anchen used his tiny body to desperately pull his mother in the opposite direction. He let out a protesting mmm sound, his little face turning red from the effort.

Caught in a tug-of-war between her husband's solid arm on one side and her son's full-body effort on the other, Shen Nanchu was caught in the middle, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Watching his son act as if facing a formidable enemy, fighting tooth and nail to defend his territory, the smile in Pei Zhengnian's eyes deepened, and he deliberately tightened his arm a bit more.

Seeing that he couldn't pull her away, Pei Anchen let go of her neck with one hand and instead used both of his chubby little hands to push against Pei Zhengnian's sinful arm with all his might. His little brows knit into a frown as he mumbled indistinctly,

Go away... Daddy go away... Mommy is Anchen's!

The little brat actually had quite a bit of strength.

All that baby fat wasn't for nothing.

In the end, afraid that his son might hurt himself from exerting too much force, Pei Zhengnian took the initiative to let go.

Pei Anchen immediately acted like a victorious little general, firmly reclaiming his mother's embrace, and even smugly lifted his small chin at his dad.

Pei Zhengnian shook his head helplessly yet dotingly, reaching out to gently pinch his son's puffed-up little cheek.

...

That night, after washing up, it was time for bedtime stories.

This was the cozy moment Pei Anchen looked forward to the most every day, when he got to have Shen Nanchu all to himself.

He had climbed into his parents' large bed early on, burrowing into the inner side against the wall. He patted the space beside him, looking eagerly at Shen Nanchu.

Mommy, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍tell story.

Shen Nanchu walked over holding a storybook. Just as she sat down on the edge of the bed, Pei Zhengnian, having finished washing up and wearing his pajamas, walked in.

He naturally walked to the other side of the bed, intending to get in.

Upon seeing this, Pei Anchen immediately grew tense. He sat up straight, pointed his little finger at his dad, and said seriously,

Daddy, your bed is over there!

He was pointing at a sofa in the room.

In the past, afraid of waking Shen Nanchu when returning in the middle of the night, Pei Zhengnian would make do with sleeping on that sofa.

Pei Zhengnian pretended not to hear. With one knee already on the edge of the bed, he deliberately teased Pei Anchen,

Daddy wants to hear Mommy tell a story too, what should we do?

...