Chapter 319 Teasing

The cake was sweet and fluffy, and the cream melted in your mouth. Xiaoman ate it with cream all over her face, looking like a little kitten, which made everyone laugh.

Li Xiaoxuan laughed and used a handkerchief to wipe the cream off his nose and chin. "Oh dear, our little birthday boy, did you eat cake all over your face? Let Auntie see, does our little birthday boy look like a white-bearded old man?"

Xiaoman was a little shy, but she still cooperated by tilting her little face up and letting her wash her. "Thank you, Auntie. I'm not an old man, I'm a little person."

After finishing the cake, everyone moved to the living room to drink tea and chat.

Zhou Anping held Lele, who was starting to whimper. Nan Zhiyi understood and led her into the guest room, bringing in a basin of warm water and a clean towel, which she placed on a stool next to her so that Zhou Anping could wipe herself after feeding her.

The room fell silent, save for the faint sound of Lele swallowing urgently.

Zhou Anping looked down at his son, who was suckling in his arms, his eyes soft yet tinged with sorrow.

She sighed softly and couldn't help but blurt out everything on her mind.

"I'm about to go back to work, and I've been thinking about weaning him as soon as possible. But my mother-in-law says the baby is still too young and it's not good to wean him too early... Sigh, I know she's doing it for the baby, but..."

She looked at her son in her arms, feeling a bittersweet feeling in her heart.

"Looking at this little guy, with his eyes closed, leaning on you wholeheartedly, I really can't bear to part with him. But back at the troupe... I'm thinking about work, and I can't bear to leave him. Sometimes I feel like I'm being greedy, wanting everything, but I'm also afraid of not doing anything well."

Nan Zhiyi wrung out a hot towel and handed it to her, letting her wipe the other side, comforting her, "Don't think like that. Which mother isn't like that? Trying to balance work and childcare. Lele's getting older, weaning is a natural process. Sister Zhao is meticulous, and Qingshan is considerate; they'll take good care of him. Just adjust your mindset..."

Zhou Anping gave a muffled "hmm".

Soon after, Lele, having eaten and drunk her fill, fell into a deep sleep in her mother's arms.

Nan Zhiyi asked softly, "Should I put him on the bed to sleep?"

Zhou Anping shook his head, adjusted his position to make his son more comfortable, and said, "I'll hold him; he's not heavy. Let's go outside and chat with them; it's rare to see such a lively scene."

"Okay." Nan Zhiyi nodded with a smile and returned to the living room with her.

Her gaze fell on Gu Xiao.

He was sitting on a sofa with Qin Fen and Meng Qingshan on one side, seemingly discussing something important. Qin Fen looked slightly excited, while Meng Qingshan listened attentively, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Xiaoman nestled quietly on the carpet beside his father's legs, intently playing with his new toy set. Occasionally, when he encountered a part he couldn't put together, he would tug at Gu Xiao's trouser leg, and Gu Xiao would temporarily stop talking, bend down to help him, and pat the little guy's head with his big hand. Then Xiaoman would continue his work contentedly.

When Meng Qingshan saw Zhou Anping carrying his son out, he immediately stood up and walked over, stretching out his hands, "Here, let me hold him, you sit down and rest for a while."

Seeing this, Li Xiaoxuan laughed and joked, "Comrade Qingshan is so considerate, he knows how to care for people."

Qin Fen, who was sitting next to her, immediately chimed in, "Hey, what's the big deal? I treat you like royalty, you know. If you say east, I wouldn't dare go west, would I?"

Li Xiaoxuan playfully slapped him, but couldn't stop smiling.

The two couples sat and drank tea for a while, chatting for a bit, and then, seeing that the night outside the window was getting darker, they got up to say goodbye.

Nan Zhiyi and Gu Xiao escorted the guests to the courtyard gate.

Meng Qingshan offered, "Minister Qin, Comrade Xiaoxuan, let me drive you back. It's on my way, just a short drive away. Please don't refuse."

Qin Fen was a straightforward man, and he patted Meng Qingshan on the shoulder with a smile: "That's great, then I won't stand on ceremony with you, thank you, Brother Qingshan!"

Li Xiaoxuan turned around, smiled, and said goodbye to Nan Zhiyi. She then made an appointment with her to go shopping together next time.

Watching the two families get into Meng Qingshan's car amicably, he waved goodbye until the car's taillights disappeared at the intersection.

Nan Zhiyi and Gu Xiaocai led Xiaoman back into the house.

The little guy was too excited today. After his bath, he wore a vest and shorts and bounced around on his bed for a while, showing no signs of sleepiness.

After Nan Zhiyi finished showering, Gu Xiao picked up a dry towel, had her sit on the edge of the bed, and helped her dry her wet hair.

He glanced at his son rolling around in the crib: "Xiaoman is three years old today, he's a big boy now. In a couple of days, we'll clean up the guest room next door and turn it into a children's room for him, so he can sleep by himself from now on."

Nan Zhiyi instinctively retorted, "He's still young, how can he sleep alone? What if he kicks off the covers at night? What if he gets scared?"

Gu Xiao continued working, but insisted, "He can't sleep with his parents forever. He'll be a little man going to kindergarten soon, so he needs to get used to independence early."

He noticed his wife's furrowed brows and softened his tone, "Alright, honey, let's take it one step at a time and let him get used to his own room first."

After drying most of his hair, Gu Xiao put down the towel and went to wash up.

Nan Zhiyi turned off the main light, leaving only a desk lamp on her desk, making the room dimly lit.

She carried Xiaoman to the big bed, laid him down beside her, gently patted his little bottom with one hand, and hummed a soft lullaby.

Xiaoman has always had good sleep quality and a regular schedule, so she fell into a deep sleep in no time.

When Gu Xiao came out of the shower, he saw his son sprawled out in the middle of the big bed, taking up the spot that originally belonged to him.

He paused in drying his hair, leaned closer to his wife, and said with a hint of resentment, "This spot is mine."

Nan Zhiyi glanced at him, suppressing a laugh: "You're still arguing with your son about this? I'm just thinking that I'll really miss him when he has to sleep alone in the future."

She reached out and brushed away the soft strands of hair that were stuck to Xiaoman's forehead.

Gu Xiao draped a towel over the back of the chair, bent down to pick up the sleeping Xiao Man, put her back in her crib, and carefully covered her with the blanket.

After doing all this, he lay down next to Nan Zhiyi, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, "It's not like we'll never see each other again. We're here day and night. If you're really worried, you can put her to sleep first and then carry her over."

"That guest room is empty right now, with only a bed and a wardrobe, nothing else. We need to prepare it properly in advance..."

Nan Zhiyi leaned on his shoulder, already starting to make plans.

“Hmm,” Gu Xiao responded, twirling a strand of her hair with his fingers, “What are your thoughts on Xiaoman’s new room?”

"Leave this to me. I need to decorate a comfortable and beautiful bedroom for my son."

Nan Zhiyi began to describe her ideas in detail, "...we need to build him a small desk for reading and drawing, a soft rug next to his bed so he can sit on the floor and play with his toys...and a small bookshelf for his picture books..."

She kept talking, but her voice gradually lowered.

Gu Xiao looked down at his wife, who was already half asleep in his arms, placed a light kiss on her forehead, and closed his eyes.