Chapter 378 As Long as You Like It

Just as Chenchen was lost in thought, Lu Yiran had already raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Dongdongdong——”

Shortly after the knock on the door, there was a slight "click" sound from the door lock.

The door opened inward, and the figure that Chenchen had missed for countless days and nights appeared behind the door with a gentle smile.

It’s mommy!

Chenchen's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened into a small "O" shape, and he froze in place. The huge surprise made him forget to react for a moment.

Mu Nanyan squatted down, opened her arms towards him, and smiled:

"Chenchen, do you miss mommy?"

"Mommy!"

The next second, huge cheers broke through the silent corridor. Chenchen, like a happy little bird, suddenly threw himself into Mu Nanyan's arms, hugged her neck tightly, and buried his little face in the crook of her neck and rubbed it hard.

"I want to think about it! I want to think about it so much! Mommy, why are you here?!"

Chenchen thought he would have to wait until night to see Mu Nanyan, but he didn't expect to see her as soon as he woke up in the morning. He is so happy!

Mu Nanyan hugged the "little surprise" that she had lost and found again tightly in her arms, feeling her son's wholehearted dependence on her, and her heart softened.

She kissed the top of his head, her voice so gentle that it could drip water:

"Because Mommy misses my baby Chenchen too."

The mother and son hugged each other affectionately for a long time at the door, sharing the joy of reunion.

Lu Yiran stood aside, watching this scene, with a gentle smile in his eyes.

After a while, Mu Nanyan let go of Chenchen and gently scratched his nose:

"Okay, Mommy's surprise was delivered successfully! Now, is our little warrior hungry?"

Chenchen nodded vigorously.

Mu Nanyan stood up, took his hand naturally, and looked at Lu Yiran again:

"Let's go downstairs for breakfast. There's a really good restaurant right next to the hotel. My colleagues and I go there almost every day."

As she spoke, she looked at Chenchen with a hint of apology in her tone:

"But after breakfast, Mommy has to go to work. Chenchen can play with Uncle Lu, okay?"

Chenchen immediately remembered Lu Yiran's previous instructions, that he should be a good boy and not disturb Mommy's work.

Although he was a little reluctant, he nodded very sensibly and answered in a loud voice:

"Okay! I'll be good! Mommy works hard!"

Mu Nanyan smiled with relief and kissed his cheek again:

“That’s awesome!”

So, Lu Yiran and Mu Nanyan held Chenchen's hands, one on each side, like the most ordinary and warmest family of three, took the elevator downstairs, and walked towards the breakfast shop where the aroma of food was wafting in the air.

The bright and clean shop was filled with the warm aroma of coffee, toast and fried eggs. They found a seat by the window and sat down. The sunlight sprinkled on the table, outlining a peaceful and beautiful morning picture.

Mu Nanyan was carefully cutting a small piece of bacon into a size more suitable for Chenchen to eat, while Lu Yiran was holding a coffee cup, his eyes gently cast on the mother and son who were whispering and laughing opposite.

The early morning sun shines through the glass windows, making the dining table warm. The air is filled with the tempting aroma of food and the warmth of whispered conversations.

At this moment, Chenchen, who was originally sipping milk, suddenly stopped. His eyes were attracted by some floating scene outside the window, and his big eyes suddenly lit up.

He pointed out the window with his little hand, his voice filled with incredible surprise:

"Dad! Mommy! Look! It's snowing outside!"

Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran were both startled when they heard this, and subconsciously looked in the direction Chenchen pointed.

Outside the window, the sky, which was originally gray, was actually snowflakes falling!

At first it was just fine snow foam, like icing sugar sprinkled by an angel. Gradually, the snowflakes grew larger and larger, like light feathers, quietly and melodiously swirling down from the sky, gently covering the streets, treetops and roofs of distant buildings.

The first snow of winter in Country M came unexpectedly.

“It’s really snowing…”

Mu Nanyan murmured, a surprised smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

Mu Nanyan has always loved winter since she was a child, and she always has a natural yearning for snow.

Lu Yiran looked at the sudden snow scene outside the window, then turned to look at the two most important people around him.

Chenchen excitedly leaned over to the glass window, his little nose almost touching the cold glass, his eyes wide open, following the trajectory of each snowflake, and he kept exclaiming "Wow".

Mu Nanyan also leaned sideways, with a smile on her lips, and her eyes gently followed the snowflakes. Her eyes were sparkling, as if she had turned back into a little girl who saw something new.

An indescribable sense of satisfaction and happiness slowly spread in Lu Yiran's chest.

He reached out and gently held Mu Nanyan's hand on her leg under the dining table.

Mu Nanyan shuddered slightly and turned around to look at him.

Lu Yiran didn't say anything, but just tightened his fingers, interlocked them with hers, looked gently at the world outside the window that was gradually becoming covered in snow, and whispered:

"It seems that even God is celebrating for us."

Celebrate their reunion, celebrate their finally clear answers, celebrate this lost and regained perfection.

Mu Nanyan understood the meaning of his words, and her ears felt slightly hot, but she did not pull her hand back. Instead, she gently shook his hand back.

She turned her head to look out the window again, looking at Chenchen's excited profile, feeling the warmth from her palms, and felt that this winter morning in a foreign country became perfect because of an unexpected snow and the most important person beside her.

Chenchen's little face was almost pressed against the cold glass window, and he looked at the snowflakes outside that were getting denser and denser, his eyes full of longing.

He turned around, grabbed Mu Nanyan's sleeve with his little hand, and pleaded in a soft voice:

"Mommy, can we go out and see some snow? Just for a moment! I want to have a snowball fight!"

Mu Nanyan was moved by the light in her son's eyes, but she still gently touched his head and patiently explained:

"Look, honey, the snow just fell. The ground is still wet. We can't even make a snowman. It will be fun when the snow gets heavier and thicker."

She said, looking at her watch apologetically.

"Mommy has a really important meeting this morning and can't be late again. How about this? Let Uncle Lu take you to play in the snow later?"

She subconsciously used the name she was used to, which was a bit distant - "Uncle Lu".

When Chenchen heard that Mommy couldn't go, her little mouth pouted slightly, but after hearing the second half of the sentence, she immediately turned to Lu Yiran next to her, her eyes full of anticipation, and blurted out:

"Dad, can you play in the snow with me later?"

"sure."

Lu Yiran agreed with a smile almost without hesitation, and reached out to ruffle Chenchen's hair, his tone full of love and indulgence.

"When the snow gets thick, Dad will take you to build the biggest snowman."

The father and son smiled at each other, the scene was warm and loving, so natural as if it had always been like this.

However, this extremely harmonious scene made Mu Nanyan, who was sitting opposite, suddenly stunned.

An extremely strange feeling suddenly came over me.

Why did she...feel that this scene was a little strange?

It was at this moment that the detail that had been obscured by the surprise of reunion, the panic of the morning, and the warm atmosphere of breakfast suddenly emerged clearly in her mind as if the ice had broken.

What Chenchen just called was... "Dad"?

Mu Nanyan's eyes glanced back and forth between the two of them in doubt, finally settling on Lu Yiran's smiling face. Her voice was filled with incredible surprise, and she even forgot to control the volume:

"Wait... Chenchen, what did you just... call him?"

She looked at her son, then suddenly turned to Lu Yiran.

She clearly remembered that when she left Haicheng, although Chenchen was no longer as repulsive to Lu Yiran as he was at the beginning, their relationship was definitely not close, and he always addressed him as the polite but distant "Uncle Lu".

How long had it been since then? How had Chenchen already started calling him "Dad" so naturally?

Although this was the result she had hoped to see, this progress...wasn't it too fast and too smooth? It was so smooth that she was momentarily unable to react, and even felt it was unreal.

Mu Nanyan's question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly freezing the warm atmosphere at the dinner table.

Chenchen was a little confused by his mother's sudden serious tone. He blinked his big eyes and repeated subconsciously:

"Dad..."

He looked at Lu Yiran, seemingly not understanding what was wrong.

Lu Yiran met Mu Nanyan's doubtful gaze, the indulgent smile on his lips did not fade away, but instead showed a bit of understanding and subtle...satisfaction?

He didn't answer immediately, but leisurely picked up the coffee cup and took a sip, as if appreciating her rare look of surprise.

Mu Nanyan looked at the "father and son" in front of her, each one more calm and composed than the other, which made her making a fuss seem a bit abrupt.

She suppressed the waves in her heart, tried to make her voice sound calmer, and asked:

"Chenchen, when did you start... calling him that?"

She remembered clearly that before leaving, although the little guy no longer resisted Lu Yiran, he was never so intimate and natural.

Chenchen tilted his head, thought carefully, and then answered in a childish but logical voice:

"It's this time! I was sick a few days ago, and it was Dad who took care of me the whole time..."

As he spoke, he took the initiative to stretch out his little hand and hold Lu Yiran's fingers, and added the most crucial sentence:

"Besides, Dad is Dad."

Children's logic is simple and direct, yet carries an irrefutable power.

He knows very well who treats him well and who truly loves him.

Mu Nanyan was choked by her son's words and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

She turned her gaze to Lu Yiran again, with a questioning look and a hint of subtle scrutiny in her eyes.

Lu Yiran knew he couldn't remain silent any longer.

He put down his coffee cup, leaned forward slightly, looked back at her with gentle and frank eyes, and said in a low and gentle voice:

"I took Chenchen back to the capital a few days ago. The temperature difference between the two places is huge, so Chenchen caught a cold, but he's fine now."

Lu Yiran paused and continued:

"Chenchen is more sensitive than we thought and needs complete and reliable love. I just told him that I will always be his dad. I was, am, and will be in the future. He can call me whenever he wants."

He paused, a sly look flashed across his eyes, but his tone was more sincere:

"Perhaps, Chenchen was moved by my actions these days? Or maybe it's because of you..."

He drew out his words meaningfully, but didn't finish. However, the tenderness in his eyes and the close intimacy between them from last night till now said it all.

Mu Nanyan listened to his words, looked at her son snuggling up to Lu Yiran with complete trust, and then thought back to the countless patience and companionship Lu Yiran must have given after she left, as well as the "answer" she gave last night... The sudden surprise and discomfort in her heart were finally slowly replaced by a huge, belated relief and touching feeling.

Yes, isn't this what she has always hoped for? Is there anything better than a child accepting his biological father from the bottom of his heart?

She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice had returned to its softness, even with a hint of relief in her voice. She shook her head, her tone full of self-mockery:

"Okay...it was just too sudden, I was a little...unable to react."

As she spoke, she reached out and gently pinched Chenchen's little face.

"As long as you like it."

Then, she raised her eyes and glared at Lu Yiran in reproach, but her eyes were filled with intimacy that only they could understand, as if to say, "I'll settle the score with you for this sudden attack later."

Lu Yiran received her gaze, and the curve of his lips deepened. He knew that he had completely passed this level.

Outside the window, the snow was still falling quietly, but the warmth in the restaurant was even greater than before. A true, barrier-free home atmosphere quietly spread.

Just as the atmosphere at the dinner table became increasingly warm and harmonious because of this unexpected "recognition of relatives", the screen of Mu Nanyan's mobile phone on her side suddenly lit up, accompanied by a crisp prompt tone.

She picked it up and saw that it was a message from Zhou Ruxuan:

[Nan Yan, the meeting materials are ready. Everyone else has arrived. When will you arrive?]

Mu Nanyan's heart skipped a beat and she immediately checked the time, realizing that she had been chatting for so long without realizing it.

A professional sense of urgency instantly appeared on her face. She stood up hurriedly and said to the two people in front of her with an apologetic look:

"Oh no! My assistant is calling me. I'm almost late for the meeting. I have to leave right away."

She picked up the coat and handbag on the back of the chair and quickly arranged:

"Take your time to eat. After breakfast, you can take Chenchen for a walk around the neighborhood and see the snow. Be careful and dress him warmly."

Lu Yiran also stood up and nodded in understanding:

"Don't worry, the work is important, leave Chenchen to me."

He naturally took the coat from her arms and helped her put it on considerately.

Although Chenchen was a little reluctant to see his mommy leave so soon, he still remembered his promise to be a good boy, so he slid down from the chair, tilted his little face up and said obediently:

"Mommy works hard! Daddy and I will be good!"

This extremely natural "Dad" gently touched Mu Nanyan's heart again, but this time, what came over her was mainly warmth.

She bent down and kissed her son's forehead:

"So good."