Chapter 360 Everything is getting better

"This! I want to play that!"

Chenchen suddenly pointed to the giant motorcycle simulator in the corner.

Lu Yiran raised his eyebrows:

"Are you sure? That might fall..."

Before Lu Yiran could finish his words, the corner of his clothes was grabbed.

Chenchen raised his face, his eyes bright with astonishing brightness:

"You'll protect me, right?"

This sentence was like a bullet wrapped in honey, hitting the bull's eye.

Lu Yiran's Adam's apple moved, and he suddenly knelt on one knee to look him in the eye. He reached out and wiped the sweat off the tip of the little guy's nose.

"Not just today, but in the future as well."

Chenchen was stunned when he heard this. The rough calluses on the man's palm rubbed against his skin, bringing a reassuring warmth.

He suddenly rushed over and hugged Lu Yiran's neck, holding the teddy bear between them.

The hug was strong, but it only lasted two seconds before it loosened.

"I, I'm afraid you'll regret it!"

Chenchen emphasized with red ears, but couldn't hide the upturned corners of his mouth.

He turned and ran towards the game console, with the little bear bouncing in his arms.

Lu Yiran stared blankly at the small figure walking away. The slender figure froze in place, his arms still in the same position as when Chenchen hugged him.

The remaining warmth on his fingertips made him feel warm in his heart, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.

From that moment on, joy surged like a tide, washing over his heart.

Chenchen actually took the initiative to hug him! This realization made his heart beat fast and couldn't calm down for a long time, and he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.

The remaining temperature in his palm was like a small flame, burning his heart and making it tremble.

This was the first time in such a long time that Chenchen opened his arms to him.

The feeling of the child's soft little hands around his neck is still clearly etched on his skin.

Lu Yiran gently stroked his fingers, as if this could preserve the warmth of that moment.

"Is he...willing to accept me?"

This thought swirled in his mind, causing an indescribable feeling of happiness to surge in his chest.

It was not until he heard Chenchen's call that he woke up from his dream.

In the next few hours, Lu Yiran accompanied the little guy to play all over the video game arcade.

He supported his waist when shooting, deliberately let him win in racing, and even twisted his body awkwardly on the dance machine. If his rivals in the business world saw the decisive Mr. Lu at this moment, they would probably be shocked.

It was not until eleven o'clock in the evening that Lu Yiran said goodbye to An Jiajun and the others.

On the way back, he felt happier than ever before, and even while waiting at a red light, his fingertips were tapping the steering wheel lightly.

Lu Yiran looked through the rearview mirror at Chenchen sitting in the back seat. He was sleeping soundly with his head tilted to one side, his eyelashes casting light shadows under his eyes, and he was holding the camouflage bear tightly in his arms.

Lu Yiran turned up the air-conditioning vents by two degrees and changed the car music to soothing piano music.

After returning to Yuehu Yundi, Lu Yiran carefully carried Chenchen into the house. The little guy rubbed his shoulder unconsciously in his sleep. This little gesture of dependence made his heart soften.

Looking at the sleeping Chenchen with his hair wet with sweat, Lu Yiran carefully picked him up.

In the bathroom, he moved gently as if he was holding a fragile treasure, afraid that any force would wake the child.

In the warm water, he carefully wiped Chenchen's little hands and feet, even leaving out the gaps between the fingers.

Chenchen, who had changed into clean pajamas, turned over in bed and murmured with satisfaction.

Lu Yiran tucked in the quilt for him and breathed a sigh of relief, tired but happy.

Giving a child a bath is more energy-consuming than he imagined. He has to carefully consider every movement for fear of hurting the delicate skin.

When the hot water washed away his fatigue, Lu Yiran realized that his arms were a little sore.

But when I thought of Chenchen’s hug, all the tiredness turned into sweetness.

After wiping his still dripping hair casually, he tiptoed to lie down beside Chenchen.

When sleepiness came over him, he took one last look at the child's peaceful sleeping face, and fell into sleep with a satisfied smile on his lips.

————

The early morning sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, casting tiny spots of light on the floor.

Chenchen opened his eyes drowsily and rubbed his sleepy eyes with his little hands. For a moment he didn't realize where he was.

He turned over and suddenly found someone lying next to him. It was Lu Yiran.

Chenchen was stunned for a moment, his face wrinkled slightly, and he seemed a little confused.

He remembered that he had a lot of fun last night. It was Lu Yiran who brought him back and seemed to have given him a bath... However, he had never slept with Lu Yiran before.

He carefully propped up his little body, moved closer, and looked at the sleeping Lu Yiran curiously.

Lu Yiran has long eyelashes, a high nose bridge, and his breathing is even and steady. He looks like he is sleeping soundly.

Chenchen stretched out her little hand, hesitated for a moment, gently touched Lu Yiran's cheek, and then quickly retracted her fingers as if afraid of being discovered.

Lu Yiran seemed to notice something and his brows moved slightly. Chenchen immediately held his breath, afraid of waking him up.

But Lu Yiran just turned over unconsciously, stretched out his arms, and gently placed them on Chenchen's small body, as if he subconsciously wanted to hug him.

Chenchen froze, his heart beating faster and faster.

He had never been hugged like this by Lu Yiran before, and the warm touch made him a little overwhelmed, but... he didn't seem to dislike it.

He blinked his eyes, slowly relaxed, and rested his little head lightly in Lu Yiran's arms.

Dad’s embrace was warm, different from Mom’s, but it also made him feel safe.

Chenchen pursed her lips and smiled secretly.

Maybe... he's not that annoying after all?

Chenchen had already woken up, but he didn't dare to move in Lu Yiran's arms. He fell asleep again...

Lu Yiran was awakened by a slight noise.

He has always been a light sleeper, and no matter how tired he is, his body will wake up naturally at a fixed time.

But today was a little different. His arms felt slightly numb, and there seemed to be something warm in his arms.

He slowly opened his eyes, the morning light gently filled his field of vision, and the next second, his breathing stopped slightly.

Chenchen was curled up in his arms, her small body pressed against his chest, her soft hair rubbing against his chin, rising and falling gently with her breathing.

The child was sleeping soundly, with a faint blush on his cheeks and his eyelashes casting fine shadows in the morning light. He looked well-behaved and defenseless.

Lu Yiran was completely frozen.

He clearly remembered that he fell asleep lying flat last night, but now, his arms were around Chenchen's back, and his palms were even unconsciously touching the child's pajamas, as if he instinctively wanted to protect him.

He hugged Chenchen.

Or rather, Chenchen allowed him to hug her.

This realization made his heart skip a beat, and an indescribable warmth spread through his chest.

He didn't dare to move, for fear of disturbing the child's sleep, but his eyes fell greedily on Chenchen's little face, as if he wanted to engrave this moment deeply into his memory.

How long has it been?

Ever since Chenchen was born, there has always been an invisible barrier between father and son.

He missed his child's first steps, first words, and even missed the years when he needed his father the most during his growth.

Chenchen was unfamiliar and resistant to him, and he was too clumsy to know how to get close to her.

But last night... Chenchen took the initiative to hug him. And now, he was sleeping defenselessly in her arms.

Lu Yiran's Adam's apple moved slightly, and his fingertips curled lightly. Finally, he just gently and carefully closed his arms and brought Chenchen into his arms.

Chenchen mumbled vaguely in his sleep, and his little head unconsciously rubbed against his neck, as if he had found a more comfortable position.

Lu Yiran smiled silently, with a soft light in his eyes.

Maybe... everything is slowly getting better.

Lu Yiran looked at Chenchen quietly for a while, and after confirming that the child was sleeping soundly, he slowly pulled his arm out from under Chenchen.

His movements were cautious, as if he was afraid of disturbing a fragile dream.

Chenchen wrinkled his nose in his sleep, as if he sensed the warmth was leaving. His little hands scratched unconsciously, but he soon fell into deep sleep again.

Lu Yiran couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his forehead hair, then he stood up, tiptoed out of the bedroom, and left the door ajar.

In the corridor, he let out a long sigh and looked down at his arm, which seemed to still have Chenchen's warmth.

He smiled silently and went to the bathroom next door.

Only when the cold water splashed on his face did Lu Yiran finally wake up completely.

The man in the mirror had a hint of fatigue in his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

As he lowered his head to squeeze the toothpaste, he suddenly remembered how Chenchen looked when he was taking a bath last night, and the soft touch when he took the initiative to hug him.

So this is what it feels like to be a father.

As soon as he finished washing and changing his clothes, the villa's housekeeper rang the doorbell and brought him breakfast.

The exquisite lunch box contained hot porridge, steamed dumplings, Chenchen's favorite custard buns, and a few refreshing side dishes.

Lu Yiran took them and placed them one by one on the dining table, and deliberately placed Chenchen's portion closer to his seat.

After everything was ready, he went back to the bedroom.

Standing at the door, he knocked gently and whispered:

"Chenchen, get up."

No response.

He pushed open the door, and the morning light had already filled the entire room. Chenchen was still curled up in the quilt, with only half of his little face exposed, sleeping soundly.

Lu Yiran walked over, sat down beside the bed, and reached out to gently rub his little shoulders.

"Chenchen, it's time for breakfast."

His voice was much softer than usual.

Chenchen groaned in a daze, turned over, and without opening his eyes, his little face wrinkled, obviously he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Looking at him like this, Lu Yiran couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to pinch his cheek:

"If you don't get up now, you'll be late for school."

Chenchen's eyelashes trembled, and he finally opened his eyes slowly, his eyes confused and dazed.

He stared at Lu Yiran for two seconds before he seemed to realize who was in front of him. He opened his mouth slightly but didn't say anything.

Lu Yiran looked at him and said softly:

"Did you sleep well?"

Chenchen blinked and nodded slowly, then as if remembering something, he looked down at the empty space next to him, where there was still a small dent.

Lu Yiran followed his gaze and his heart tightened slightly.

Chenchen...did you find out that he slept with her arms around him?

He was hesitating whether to explain, but he saw Chenchen raised his head and asked in a low voice:

"Do you have custard buns for breakfast?"

Lu Yiran was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Yes, get up and wash up, then we'll eat together."

He reached out and ruffled Chenchen's hair. Chenchen nodded, climbed down from the bed obediently, stepped on the floor with his bare feet, and staggered towards the bathroom.

…

The morning sun shone through the car window. Lu Yiran watched Chenchen walk into the school gate with his small schoolbag on his back. He didn't look away until the small figure disappeared from his sight. He tapped the steering wheel twice with his fingertips, then started the car and drove away.

Instead of going home, he drove directly to Dingyao Group.

It's not that he loves his job, it's just that Song Rui has been bombarding his phone with messages since yesterday afternoon.

[Mr. Lu, this document requires your signature.]

[Mr. Lu, the person in charge of the overseas project requested a video conference.]

[Mr. Lu, when will you return to the company? ]

…

The last post even included a sad-face emoticon.

Lu Yiran sneered, tapped the screen with his fingertips, and replied:

[Special Assistant Song, you're really bold now. You even dare to urge the boss?]

As soon as the message was sent, Song Rui called. His tone was cautious, yet also revealed a sense of tragedy and resignation:

"Mr. Lu, I'm getting engaged the day after tomorrow!"

Lu Yiran raised his eyebrows, then he remembered that Song Rui's wedding date was indeed set for the end of this month.

Ever since Lu Yiran brought him back to the capital, Song Rui's engagement has been on the agenda. He was busy handling company affairs while preparing for the engagement, and he was very busy.

Everything was going smoothly. After all, Lu Yiran became a workaholic after returning, and Song Rui's workload was reduced a lot. The wedding date was set naturally.

But who could have thought that Mr. Lu would suddenly quit and run away again?

Song Rui was so sad that he could not even cry.

As a man who is about to get engaged, he should be accompanying his fiancée to prepare the details of the wedding, but now he spends every day working like a slave in the company.

It was not until yesterday that he finally mustered up the courage and timidly asked Lu Yiran for leave.

If he doesn't ask for leave, his fiancée Qin Yulan will probably kick him out of the house.

On the other end of the phone, Song Rui's voice was pleading:

"Mr. Lu, the Qin family has already had some issues with me. They think I'm not paying enough attention to the engagement, and that Yu Lan is the only one handling everything..."

As Lu Yiran listened, Song Rui's miserable face appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.

He was in a good mood, so he didn't make things difficult for him. He readily approved the leave and gave him a big red envelope.

Thinking of this, Lu Yiran pushed open the door of the office, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and overlooked the morning view of the city.

He suddenly realized that everyone around him seemed to have entered a new stage of life - Song Rui was getting engaged, and Shi Mubai was about to get married too.

But what about him?

When will he and Nan Yan... be able to be together?

Lu Yiran lowered his eyes and looked at his watch. It was nine o'clock in the morning.

The flight time from Haicheng to Country M is about twenty hours.

Judging from the time, Nan Yan should have arrived, right?