Chapter 22: Nian Nian Can't Sleep

Probably because today is Friday, the atmosphere at the dinner table was relaxed.

After getting home from work, Shi Lihan and Chen Yi enjoyed a leisurely dinner, no longer as hurried as they had been in the past few days. Shi Jianfeng was also very calm, especially when he saw Nian Nian holding the bottle and sucking milk, even the most stern person became gentle.

As for Yuanyuan, the newest member of the Shi family, his bowl, half-filled with goat milk powder, sat next to Nian Nian's baby chair. He wore a bib, lowered his head, and drank from the food with his tongue. The sound of his mouth opening and closing, mixed with the sound of water, was not annoying at all.

The two little guys sat side by side, both slurping their milk, causing everyone at the table to look at them from time to time.

Shi Nanqi deliberately switched seats with Shi Guilin to eat. She sipped her soup, occasionally looking up at Nian Nian beside her.

There is no need to speak, just watch silently, and the overflowing sense of security will turn into an invisible hand, pushing away those nights when your hair falls out and your mind is exhausted.

She gradually calmed the uneasy emotions deep in her heart, and her complexion and facial lines became softer, far from the pale and cold look she had when she opened the door in the morning.

The whole dinner ended with Nian Nian curling up with her feet up, drinking a bottle of milk and eating a bowl of meat porridge.

"Niannian, let's go upstairs to take a shower." Shi Guilin picked up Niannian from the baby chair and prepared to go upstairs.

Nian Nian turned around with some difficulty and looked at the little golden retriever on the ground. She raised her hand that was hanging on Shi Guilin's shoulder and said, "Yuan Yuan..."

"Hmm?" Shi Guilin followed his gaze and looked at the little golden retriever on the ground. "Yuanyuan is different from Nian Nian. It doesn't need a bath."

Nian Nian's face was so close that Shi Guilin could see every detail of her eyelashes. Each lash was distinct, long, thick, and curved upwards, like an exquisite doll displayed in a transparent window.

Humans are always full of infinite patience and tolerance for beautiful things. For example, right now, before Nian Nian asked for anything, Shi Guilin took the initiative to say:

"Does Nian Nian still want to play with Yuan Yuan? Then let's put Yuan Yuan's crib next to our bed and let Yuan Yuan and Nian Nian sleep together, okay?"

"Yeah!" Nian Nian looked at Shi Guilin as if he were looking at an omnipotent superman, with admiration and love, "Love papa."

Shi Guilin suddenly smiled: "Daddy loves Nian Nian too." As he said that, he picked up the tiny Yuan Yuan with his other hand.

His hands were full and heavy, and he couldn't take any more things, so before going upstairs he casually called a servant and asked her to help put Yuanyuan's crib into his room.

After going upstairs, Yuanyuan was left in the bedroom by Shi Guilin, and he and Nian Nian went into the bathroom to wash up.

Shi Guilin has now transformed himself into a mature dad, as evidenced by his increasing ease in bathing Nian Nian.

The first few times he gave Nian Nian a bath, he was so stupid that he didn't even rinse the foam off her head. He was always worried that the foam would get into Nian Nian's big, bright eyes.

As a result, his timidity only hindered his ability to move freely. He felt like no matter how he washed, the foam would get in his eyes. He even considered grabbing Nian Nian's legs and letting the little one stand upside down and wash his head.

But because it was too absurd, the idea was rejected as soon as it came into my mind.

Later, his aunt bought him a water-blocking cap and told him how to use it. Only then did he end the self-punishment mode of washing Nian Nian's hair with difficulty and stumbled into the happy mode of washing hair.

As Shi Guilin washed the foam off Nian Nian's head, he secretly marveled at the genius of the inventor of the water-repellent cap. Look, how convenient it is for his Nian Nian to play happily with the ducklings with her eyes wide open.

After the two of them washed up, Shi Guilin put Nian Nian, who had blown her hair dry, on the bed, and calmly poured a glass of water and drank the medicine.

When Yuanyuan saw the two men coming back, he immediately squatted down obediently, loosened his canine teeth, pretended that the dog standing at the corner of the bed and biting the hanging sheets was not himself, and then pretended to be calm and crawled back to the doghouse beside the bed.

Looks like he has schizophrenia.

Nian Nian looked at Yuanyuan under the bed on the left, and looked at her father who was standing and drinking water on the right. Her little hands unconsciously grabbed the hem of his clothes, and her eyes curved into round, blunt crescents.

Shi Guilin kept an eye on Nian Nian out of the corner of his eye, not missing the little girl's happy expression.

He swallowed the water and pills in his mouth, placed the almost empty cup of water on the bedside, then leaned over the bed and tapped Nian Nian's soft belly through her blue pajamas.

"You slept so happily today, Nian Nian."

"Yeah." Nian Nian pursed her lips and nodded, then patted the left side of the bed with her small hands: "Yuanyuan."

Then he placed his hands on his stomach: "Nian Nian."

Then he took Shi Guilin's hand with his right hand: "Papa."

Final conclusion: "Sleep."

After listening to his words, Shi Guilin once again felt that his Nian Nian was an angel from a fairy tale. Such a good child, fortunately, he, Shi Guilin, was his son.

With his thoughts drifting and unable to find a solid basis, Shi Guilin smiled and happily slid into bed. After turning off the bedside lamp, he wrapped his arms around Nian Nian and fell asleep.

He patted Nian Nian's back gently and evenly, intending to coax the child to sleep first and then go to sleep himself.

He patted like this for three to five minutes. Nian Nian's breathing on his neck became more and more steady, so Shi Guilin gradually slowed down until he stopped patting.

He should be asleep.

After sensing the pat on her back disappear, Nian Nian raised her chin: "Papa?"

“!”

In the darkness, Shi Guilin's eyebrows suddenly raised high, his eyelids drooped, and he looked down to find that Nian Nian's eyes were wide open and full of energy.

“…”

Shi Guilin swallowed his saliva: "Nian Nian is not asleep."

"Yeah." The little one replied, "Nian Nian, I miss Yuan Yuan."

Nian Nian originally wanted to sleep, but he kept worrying about whether Yuanyuan was asleep or not, so he couldn't fall asleep.

Shi Guilin: "..."

He was silent for a while, and finally moved to the bedside, glancing at the doghouse beside the bed.

In the pitch darkness, a pair of green eyes emitted a faint glow.

Shi Guilin stared at the little golden retriever Yuanyuan for a few seconds, then resigned himself to his fate and lay back down. He sighed and said to Nian Nian, "Yuanyuan isn't asleep yet."

"But," Shi Guilin changed the subject, "children need to go to bed early, it's good for their health. Nian Nian and Yuan Yuan are both good kids, right? So, close your eyes now and see who can fall asleep faster, okay?"

"Sleep." Nian Nian was very positive, closing her eyelids quickly and muttering, "Be good, Nian Nian."

"Okay, be good and go to sleep. Daddy will hold you." Shi Guilin started again and tried his best to pat the baby to sleep.

To be on the safe side, Shi Guilin extended the time to be safe and filmed for more than ten minutes before stopping.

He must have fallen asleep this time.

Shi Guilin was confident. He licked his lips and his voice slid into the air like a thin wisp of smoke, as if it would dissipate with a breeze: "Is Nian Nian asleep?"

One second, two seconds...

Very good, no one answered——

"Hmm." The little baby voice that sounded at this moment was like a morning alarm clock, demanding life, "Nian Nian is asleep."

Shi Guilin closed his eyes: "..."

Is Nian Nian so excited playing with Yuan Yuan today?

"Nian Nian, are you having trouble sleeping?" Shi Guilin rubbed the head under his hand and asked softly. Without waiting for Nian Nian's answer, he suddenly turned his head to the side of the bed and called out tentatively:

"Yuanyuan?"

"Woof." There was a rustling sound beside the bed, as if the golden retriever's paws were scratching the foot of the bed.

Nian Nian raised her head and complained to Shi Guilin in a tone of sympathy: "Papa. Yuanyuan, I won't sleep."

Shi Guilin fell silent.

He imagined the posture of the Thinker statue, rested his chin on his hand and thought, and asked himself: Is he also responsible for the dog's sleep quality?