Chapter 41 I Really Can't Have Children

Chi Luoxi looked at Su Mu with admiration in her eyes: "Brother Su, you are so amazing. You really deserve to be a top student. I hope I can be like you someday. Alas, you don't know how tricky the city is. I was scammed as soon as I entered the city. I came to the city to learn a trade, but I didn't learn anything. You still need to be educated."

Su Mu said embarrassedly, "It's nothing. You're so smart, I think you'll definitely be more capable than me."

After He Angxiao finished smoking outside, Jiang Ran came out to keep him company, and he handed her one.

Jiang Ran looked on as if facing a formidable enemy, keeping a great distance from him: "Hurry up and smoke, stay away from me, I can't stand the smell of smoke right now."

Their son is still so young, they can't afford to inhale even a little bit of secondhand smoke. Every time Jiang Ran and Su Mu come home, they take a shower first and then hold Xiao He, which is quite devout.

He Angxiao: "...Are you out of your mind?"

The cool night breeze dispelled the vexation in his heart, and He Angxiao walked back to the restaurant. He figured that Su Mu could soothe his sulking little darling a little, at least the atmosphere would ease.

To everyone's surprise, the scene that Chi Luoxi was expected to be sullen upon entering did not actually occur.

At this moment, Chi Luoxi was sitting opposite Su Mu, slightly turned to the side, looking up at Su Mu with a sparkling, adoring gaze.

His eyes were clear yet burning with passion, like a lost lamb that had finally found a reliable shepherd.

Su Mu, with a gentle yet slightly embarrassed smile, was whispering something to Chi Luoxi; the atmosphere was almost too harmonious.

He Angxiao walked back to his seat without making a sound and sat down next to Chi Luoxi. Jiang Ran also returned and sat down next to Su Mu.

As soon as Chi Luoxi saw He Angxiao return, she immediately turned around, her face still flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling. Her tone carried an unprecedented solemnity and joy, as if she were announcing major news: "He Angxiao, Brother Xiao Su invited me to be the lead in his documentary."

He straightened his back: "I have a salary now, earned through work!"

Upon hearing this, He Angxiao was stunned for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief.

God knows how frustrated he felt watching Chi Luoxi become depressed because she didn't want to spend his money and wanted to support herself, and even because she was hurt and estranged from him because of his thoughtless, joking attacks.

He wanted to treat her well and give her the best, but Chi Luoxi was very stubborn and wouldn't accept charity. This left the usually composed and capable young master He helpless and extremely frustrated.

It's finally all better now.

He glanced at Su Mu, who was giving him a faint smile that concealed a sense of accomplishment and recognition.

Why didn't he think of this method?

He Angxiao felt a mix of emotions: gratitude, relief, and a subtle sense of displeasure at being outdone. He reached out and ruffled Chi Luoxi's soft hair. This time, she didn't flinch, and her tone softened: "That's great."

Chi Luoxi shrank back as he rubbed her neck, but the smile on her face didn't disappear; instead, it became even brighter, and she gave a loud "Mmm."

Jiang Ran, who was standing nearby, also understood: "Mu Mu, so you wanted to make a documentary?"

Su Mu nodded, but looked at He Angxiao: "President He will support me, right? After all, this is a new attempt for our company's content incubation department?"

He Angxiao: "…………"

So that's where the trap was waiting for him.

He glanced at Chi Luoxi's expectant eyes beside him.

Can he say he doesn't support it?

Does he dare say he doesn't support it?

If He Angxiao dared to shake his head, the little darling next to him would probably immediately wipe out all the goodwill he had painstakingly built up and that had just begun to improve.

"……certainly."

support.

It must be supported.

We should not only support them, but support them well.

The dinner ended perfectly in an atmosphere where everyone got what they wanted and everyone was happy.

On the way home, the outside world was ablaze with colorful lights. Su Mu leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the halos of streetlights flashing by ahead, but his tone was light and resolute as he said to Jiang Ran, who was driving, "I've made up my mind."

Jiang Ran turned her head to look at him: "Hmm?"

“Pick up my old live streaming account,” Su Mu turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light of the car. “But I won’t be live streaming this time. I want to use it to make a documentary and share some of the stories and thoughts behind it.”

"Of course, we need He Angxiao to invest. Doesn't his company have a content incubation business? And..."

Su Mu recalled Chi Luoxi's innocent yet slightly aggrieved face, feeling both sympathy and indignation: "You have no idea, little Chi is really so pitiful. She came out of the mountains all alone, wanting to learn a skill to make a living, but she was scammed as soon as she arrived in the big city. She didn't learn anything, and she lost all her money. She finally met He Angxiao, but that guy..."

“He Angxiao is always manipulating him, saying he can’t do this or that, undermining his confidence. No wonder Xiao Chi has always been sullen, wanting to be independent but lacking confidence.”

Jiang Ran listened while keeping an eye on the road, her brows furrowing as she said, "Is it really that bad?"

Su Mu nodded: "They take advantage of their money and power to bully others who don't know anything."

Jiang Ran was silent for two seconds, then said severing ties, "Then I won't play with him anymore."

Su Mu reached out and patted Jiang Ran's arm reassuringly: "It's okay, it's okay. We'll just take advantage of him for now."

"Use his money to make a documentary and help Xiao Chi fulfill his dream. Consider it a way for Xiao Chi to get revenge on him, how about that?"

Jiang Ran's lips curled up upon hearing this: "Wife, you're so wicked right now, but... I like it."

When I got home, the heating was on full blast, and the house was filled with a faint milky aroma.

Xiao He had just finished his bath and was being held in Jiang Ran's arms, wrapped in a soft bath towel printed with little yellow ducks. Only his little face, flushed from the steam, was showing as his aunt was blow-drying his hair.

Su Mu took out his camera, checked the battery level (thankfully it was fine), turned on the video recording mode, adjusted the settings, and then walked towards the living room with the camera in hand.

In the video, Jiang Ran is holding Xiao He and sitting on the sofa. He has taken off his coat and is only wearing a light gray sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms.

He held Xiao He in his arms with a very skilled and safe posture. The little guy had just had a bath, and his whole body was warm and soft. He was so comfortable that he squinted his eyes, not crying or fussing, and was unusually well-behaved. Occasionally, he would make some meaningless "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds, and his little fists would wave unconsciously.

The indoor temperature was very comfortable, so there was no need to wear a hat. Xiao He's not-so-thick baby hair had formed a cute, fluffy shape that looked a bit like a little sea urchin. The hair color was not very dark yet, with the softness and sparseness that are unique to newborns.

Jiang Ran lowered his head, his gaze so tender it could melt hearts. He gently tapped Xiao He's nose with his finger, his voice low and soft: "Xiao He, come here, call me Daddy."

Xiao He was poked on the nose, and frowned uncomfortably. Then, she opened her toothless little mouth and made a few indistinct syllables at Jiang Ran, almost drooling.

Jiang Ran looked up triumphantly, wanting to show off to Su Mu.

Su Mu suppressed a laugh: "Young Master Jiang, he's only two months old. Isn't it a bit too much to ask him to call me 'Dad' already?"

Jiang Ran: "How can we force someone to do something they don't want to do? Last time we took him for a check-up, the doctor said that our Xiao He is developing very well! He's beyond the standard for his age. Maybe he's smarter than other babies and will be able to say 'daddy' earlier."

As he spoke, he lowered his head again and continued teaching persistently: "Isn't that right, Little Crane? Call me Daddy."

Annoyed by him, Little Crane twisted its little body, yawned slightly, and refused to communicate.

The next day, Su Mu stepped into He Angxiao's office, where the other man was looking through a simple outline of the documentary project that Su Mu had casually mentioned the day before.

Seeing him come in, He Angxiao put down the papers in his hand, leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands in front of him, and put his usual expression of being a bit cynical but also unpredictable. He raised an eyebrow and spoke, his tone quite affirmative: "Good idea, interesting."

He had already weighed the pros and cons and made a decision driven by non-commercial factors: "Okay, I'll invest in this project. If you need any resources or manpower, just tell the team leader and they will cooperate with you."

Su Mu: "Thank you for your support, Mr. He."

Then, Su Mu remembered something and asked, "By the way, has Xiao Chi started studying yet? I mentioned to him yesterday that he should take notes while studying."

When Chi Luoxi was mentioned, He Angxiao's expression subtly shifted, as if he had thought of something that made him feel both helpless and amused. His lips twitched slightly: "...Yes, it's starting."

His tone was somewhat mixed: "He's really putting in a lot of effort. I've arranged some basic online courses for him, as well as offline tutors. Actually, I had already done that before, and now he's always glued to his tablet and studying his textbooks."

"He kept asking when filming would officially begin."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu was also happy for Chi Luoxi.

“I really want to film Xiao Chi.” Su Mu’s tone became serious as she looked at He Angxiao. “Don’t you think his experience, his journey from the mountains, his desire to learn and change but his repeated setbacks, and his current attitude of seizing every opportunity and giving it his all, is very real and inspiring.”

He Angxiao knew, of course, that Chi Luoxi was inspiring, but he had always used jokes to mask his concern, which only made things worse. Now that Su Mu had pointed it out so bluntly, he felt a little uncomfortable, yet he couldn't refute it.

"……Um."

With He Angxiao's approval and financial support, things progressed quickly. He Angxiao did indeed begin to assemble a dedicated team for Su Mu. Although small in scale, the team was fully equipped, and Su Mu himself quickly got into the swing of things.

Instead of immediately starting large-scale filming, Su Mu posted a new update on his social media account, which had been quiet for a while. It wasn't announcing his return, but rather launching a call for submissions for the "Ordinary People's Growth Record Project".

He wrote down simple requirements for submissions: no age limit, no background limit, as long as you have a real story and determination to change, learn, and break through the status quo, you can apply.

They will select suitable candidates from among them and conduct long-term filming and documentation.

The post, while not generating the explosive response of trending topics, still sparked curiosity and discussion among some longtime fans and new followers.

One person commented, "The forklift guy is so creative!" Another said, "Can I sign up? I really hope someone will supervise me and let me truly give it my all this time."

A young girl named Xiao Ai, who recently joined the team, got to know Su Mu through this post and successfully applied for the job.

When she first met Su Mu, her eyes lit up with the excitement of a fan meeting their idol: "Teacher Su! I came across your old account! I was really anxious when I was looking for a job after graduation, and watching your live stream was so therapeutic! I never imagined you'd be making a documentary now, this idea is amazing! So impressive!"

Su Mu was a little embarrassed by her praise and quickly waved his hand: "No, no, it's just a little idea. I'm still exploring it. Let's work together in the future."

This is a long-term task that requires a great deal of patience.

Selecting suitable protagonists, building trust, following them for a long time, and recording real changes and struggles—all of this cannot be rushed, nor should it be rushed.

Therefore, before officially starting the large-scale screening and filming of other main characters, Su Mu decided to focus on Chi Luoxi as the first subject to be filmed.

He brought with him a professional photographer, whom He Angxiao had spared no expense to equip. The photographer was well-equipped, skillful, and even had the feel of filming a reality show. They arrived at a relatively quiet apartment that He Angxiao had arranged for Chi Luoxi, a place convenient for studying.

Before filming began, Su Mu and Chi Luoxi chatted for a while longer.

Chi Luoxi told him somewhat embarrassedly that he had only completed junior high school in the mountains and barely finished one semester of high school before the school closed down due to insufficient funding and a lack of students. As a result, his academic foundation, especially in English, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, was very weak, and he almost had to start from scratch.

He also mentioned that he was raised by his grandfather.

My grandfather passed away the year before last. He lost all support in the mountains, so he thought of coming out to try his luck, learn a skill, and support himself in the future.

Although Chi Luoxi's apartment was not large, it was kept clean and tidy. Several flower pots of different sizes were placed on the windowsill, filled with some green plants whose names he did not know.

He pulled Su Mu a little shyly and pointed to one of the most ordinary-looking terracotta flowerpots, which even had some chipped edges: "Brother Su, look, this is my favorite thing."

Su Mu looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw that the flowerpot was empty.

Chi Luoxi: "When I have nothing to do, I like to bury... no, I mean, hold the flowerpots and look at them."

Su Mu felt that the child's hobby was quite special and simple, probably because he grew up in the mountains and had a natural affinity for soil and plants.

Chi Luoxi chattered on and on about her recent learning experiences to Su Mu, her tone tinged with excitement: "The English teacher He Angxiao found for me is amazing, and he's quite handsome too."

Su Mu chuckled at his words and patted him on the shoulder: "That's good. Study hard, and make sure you're worthy of your salary, okay?"

Chi Luoxi nodded vigorously, her eyes resolute: "Yes, I will definitely try my best!"

As filming and daily interactions increased, Chi Luoxi and Su Mu gradually became acquainted. Su Mu discovered that this seemingly shy and introverted boy was actually thoughtful and knew how to be grateful.

Chi Luoxi's cooking is also delicious, with a homely, rustic charm.

Later, Chi Luoxi even called Su Mu, somewhat nervously but sincerely inviting her and Jiang Ran to have dinner at his place when they had time, saying that she wanted to thank Su Mu for giving her this opportunity.

Su Mu and Jiang Ran discussed it and decided that it was only right to reciprocate, so they should also invite Chi Luoxi and He Angxiao to their home.

This is a good opportunity to formally introduce their family member, Xiao He, to He Angxiao.

Jiang Ran had some reservations about this: "That guy will definitely make a big fuss again, asking all sorts of questions."

But he did indeed want to show off his beloved son.

So, we made plans for the weekend.

On the day Chi Luoxi came to visit, he specially went to the flower shop to buy a bouquet of fresh lilies with dew on them. The bouquet was carefully packaged. He nervously rang the doorbell, while He Angxiao followed lazily behind him, empty-handed.

The door opened, and Jiang Ran, dressed in her home clothes, glanced at the bouquet in Chi Luoxi's hand, nodded, and then turned to He Angxiao. Looking at his empty hands, she raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of familiar disdain, "Young Master He, is this all you do when you come to someone else's house as a guest?"

He Angxiao wasn't embarrassed at all; instead, he said matter-of-factly, "What's wrong with you? Didn't I give you a bottle of wine last time? You haven't drunk it yet?"

Jiang Ran: "We don't do that in our family anymore."

He Angxiao shrugged, stepped in, his nose twitched unconsciously, his brows furrowed slightly, and he muttered, "Why does your house smell so much like milk?"

The air was filled with a faint, gentle scent of baby products, along with a subtle hint of milk.

As Jiang Ran spoke, she took out a individually packaged pack of disinfectant wipes, opened it, handed one to Chi Luoxi first, and then took another and gave it to Jiang Ran, saying, "Come on, wipe them all down, be careful about hygiene."

Chi Luoxi obediently took the wet wipe, carefully wiped her fingers, and whispered to He Angxiao, "The Jiang family is so hygienic."

He Angxiao threw the used wet wipes into the trash can by the door. Hearing this, he twitched the corner of his mouth and glanced meaningfully at Jiang Ran: "Hmm, really particular."

Jiang Ran pretended not to hear his sarcasm and was about to say something when the door to the inner room was pushed open.

Su Mu carried the little crane and came out.

The little guy had probably just woken up. He was wrapped in a soft, pale yellow blanket, with only his fair, chubby face showing. He curiously opened his big, dark eyes and looked at the two strangers who had appeared in the living room. His little mouth was slightly open, and he made some soft "ee-ya" sounds.

He Angxiao looked at the obviously infant-like little guy in Su Mu's arms, then at Jiang Ran and Su Mu, whose expressions were calm and even a little boastful, and his brows furrowed. He leaned closer, staring at Xiao He's exquisitely beautiful face, which clearly inherited the good genes of its parents. After several seconds of silence, he asked hesitantly, in a tone that was a mixture of shock, absurdity, and disbelief, "...Whose child is this?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran immediately reached out, put her arm around Su Mu's shoulder, and pulled him closer to her. She raised her chin slightly and announced in a matter-of-fact, even slightly smug tone, "It's for both of us."

He Angxiao: "…………"

His expression went blank for a moment, then, as if he had heard something unbelievable, his gaze swept back and forth between Jiang Ran and Su Mu, and he smirked, asking in a tone that seemed to say, "Are you two kidding me?", "Whose child did you two steal?"

Jiang Ran was amused by his reaction: "He Angxiao, are you deaf? Our child is our own, our biological child, named Jiang Hexuan."

Su Mu nodded in agreement, watching He Angxiao's worldview seem to be shaken.

Jiang Ran seemed to suddenly remember something, and his eyes lit up. He let go of Su Mu, reached out, and carefully took Xiao He from Su Mu's arms. Then, in an almost forceful manner, he handed Xiao He to He Angxiao, who was still in a daze: "Come on, Young Master He, hug your godson."

He Angxiao almost instinctively took half a step back, looking at the soft, fluffy little thing that seemed like it would break at the slightest touch. His arm hung stiffly in mid-air, unsure whether to catch it or not.

Jiang Ran ignored him and gently shoved Xiao He into his arms, muttering, "Alright, from today onwards, He Angxiao is Xiao He's godfather. Let's give him some New Year's money first; a small gift is a must."

He Angxiao was forced to hold that warm, soft, and milky little thing in his arms, his body stiff as a stone, afraid that he would drop or break this little darling if he moved.

He looked down at the little crane in his arms. The little guy was also staring at him, this unfamiliar "godfather," with his big, dark eyes wide open. His little mouth even smacked twice unconsciously.

“I…” He Angxiao said, “You’re joking.”

He tried to return the hot potato, but Jiang Ran had already stepped back, arms crossed, watching him with a leisurely air.

At this moment, Chi Luoxi also came over. Looking at the little crane in He Angxiao's arms, he showed undisguised love and envy, and whispered, "Wow, what an adorable baby! Such fair skin, such big eyes. Little Su, it looks just like you..."

He listened to Chi Luoxi's soft voice, looked at the incredibly beautiful baby in his arms, and then at the couple opposite him who looked exactly like that. He couldn't believe it.

After Jiang Ran and Su Mu explained back and forth, He Angxiao finally reluctantly accepted the premise that "the child was born to Su Mu".

He Angxiao took out his phone and tapped the screen rapidly with his fingers.

A few seconds later, Jiang Ran's phone chimed, indicating that she had received a transfer notification.

Jiang Ran picked it up and saw that it was a six-digit number, and it even started with "8".

"Young Master He, you're too kind," Jiang Ran said.

He Angxiao rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to him, and carefully handed the little crane back to Su Mu, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Chi Luoxi has always liked Xiaohe very much, and her eyes always follow the little guy.

Su Mu held Xiao He, preparing to put him back in the crib for a nap. As she turned to walk towards the bedroom, she vaguely heard He Angxiao behind her, his voice low as he complained to Chi Luoxi: "...You're not a radish...why can't you..."

The tone was full of childish and unreasonable questioning, asking why others can do it but you can't.

Immediately following, Chi Luoxi, with a hint of grievance and helplessness, explained softly, "He Angxiao! Although I'm a radish... I really can't have children..."

-

A note from the author:

Little Radish: ...Even if I'm a fairy, I can't give birth!

Young Master Jiang: MVP results screen. [Sunglasses]

There are a few more chapters about Xiao Mutou's career and his daily life raising the child back in the village, and then it'll be almost over. This story is a sweet and heartwarming slice-of-life story, completely non-angsty. There's a slightly longer "what if" scenario at the end where Xiao Mutou gets pregnant in college, hahaha. I wouldn't recommend it in real life, but I really want to read the novel [doge emoji] it's so cute!