Chapter 89

"I guess he'll recognize his son, and from then on, the Xia family will have one more young master, and I'll have one more older brother." Xia Chuan twirled the walnuts in his hand, his tone indifferent and aloof.

Qin Yuan raised his voice and scolded, "Bah! What brother? You're the eldest young master of the Xia family! Get your bearings right, do you understand?"

“Mom, why are you so nervous? Even if Dad finds out, what can he do? His desire to acknowledge him back is just wishful thinking on his part.” Xia Chuan thought Qin Yuan was worrying unnecessarily. “You understand the difference in prestige between the eldest son of the He family and the eldest son of the Xia family without me having to explain it.”

Qin Yuan: "What's wrong with our Xia family? Even a small mosquito is still meat! I allow you to belittle yourself like this. Just listen to me and do what I say. Mom won't harm you."

"Okay, Mom." Xia Chuan stared at the trending topics on his phone, his eyes playful. "I know what to do, you don't need to worry about it."

After saying that, he hung up the phone decisively, making Qin Yuan's heart ache with anger. It took him a while to calm down.

*

As dawn broke and all the office workers and students were still asleep, the Qin family uncle and nephew had already climbed out of bed and were quietly washing up at the sink.

Lanlan stood on a small stool, brushing her teeth and washing her face in front of the mirror, her meticulous little expression suggesting she was about to do something important.

"Uncle, am I fair-skinned?"

Qin Yu, who was brushing his teeth, lifted one eyelid and saw his little nephew looking at him expectantly with a smug expression in the mirror.

Her fair and delicate face was glistening with water droplets, looking as fresh and tender as a newly pulled cabbage from the ground, making one's hands itch to touch it.

Qin Yu smiled and reached out to pinch that soft little face.

"White, white, white." Then she looked on with envy, "The cubs have such good skin, no need for injections, it saves money."

Lanlan was shocked at first, then asked in confusion, "Uncle, are you sick? I haven't seen you get a shot."

Qin Yu touched the tip of his nose: "My uncle gets a shot every six months, and sometimes it's not because he's sick."

Why do I need a shot if I'm not sick?

Well...

Is it inappropriate to explain rejuvenation needles or 'youthful needles' to a young child?

Qin Yu thought he might as well brush it off, so he said his classic line: "You'll understand when you grow up."

The more Qin Yu tried to hide it, the more doubts the cub harbored.

Lanlan silently kept in mind her uncle's hobby of getting injections.

The uncle and nephew had just finished washing up when the doorbell rang slowly. Outside stood the hourly cleaning lady they had arranged to meet yesterday.

Today is Lanlan's birthday. It's the first time so many children have come to visit our home. Qin Yu, the notoriously stingy man, has gone to great lengths to hire a cleaning lady for a thorough cleaning.

As for lunch, Qin Yu was well aware of his own limitations. He usually cooked something barely edible, which was fine, at worst it would make him and his nephew sick.

But if a bunch of people come tomorrow and they all poison him, the trending topics will definitely explode, and he'll be cursed out of the world by fans from all sides.

So yesterday I negotiated with the production team and quickly ordered the cake and lunch.

The three groups of guests arrived at the Qin family home at almost the same time.

Five cubs and four adults filled the Qin family's once empty living room sofa.

Apart from Xu Yirou, the other three cubs were seeing Xia Xiaoshan for the first time. His exotic mixed-race appearance immediately caught their eyes upon meeting him.

Bubble: "What's your name?"

"Xia Xiaoshan".

Lanlan: "Who is that older brother who brought you here?"

"He is my brother."

Bubble & Blue: "Ah, you don't look like your brother at all."

The two kids were taken aback, and Bubble said with displeasure, "Why are you mimicking me?"

Lanlan said, feeling wronged, "I didn't... I even said you copied me."

"Oh dear," Bubble raised her eyebrows, "You're the one who copied me, aren't you? You're turning the tables on me."

Xu Yirou stepped in between them: "You two shouldn't fight. Today is Lanlan's birthday, we should be happy."

Bubble pouted and said, "Okay, the birthday girl is the boss, I won't argue with you today."

Getting back to the main topic, Bubble's attention returned to Xia Xiaoshan. She tilted her head and looked at him thoughtfully: "Why is your brother Chinese, but you're a little foreign devil?"

Xia Chuan would constantly talk about the foreign devil, and thanks to him, Xia Xiaoshan's sensitive skin had been smoothed out.

The blushing, embarrassment, and shame I used to feel when I first heard those three words are long gone.

Xia Xiaoshan calmly explained, "My mother is American and my father is Chinese, so I am of mixed race."

“Oh, no wonder you sound a little strange.” Bubble nodded in sudden realization, and the eldest sister patted him on the shoulder. “You can learn Chinese from us. We speak Chinese very well.”

Xia Xiaoshan paused, then asked with a puzzled look in her eyes, "Are you also mixed-race?"

But... it doesn't look like it at all.

The four cubs shook their heads in unison, and Xu Yirou's voice was loud and clear: "We are genuine Chinese!"

Bubble followed closely behind, raising her eyes haughtily: "You still have a lot to learn from us."

At first glance, this statement seemed correct, but Xia Xiaoshan vaguely felt that something was wrong. What was wrong?

His bewildered expression was so adorable, it was incredibly endearing.

Xu Yirou: Hehehe.

Bubble: Hehehe.

The grandmother and granddaughter wore identical smiles, a delightful sight to behold.

Seeing this, Lanlan slowly puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish, coldly put her hands in her pockets, and pretended not to care, raising her head high and letting out a soft hum from her nose.

Little Moon chuckled to herself.

Wow, this scene with the human baby is hilarious!

[Another day where I long to go back to my childhood QAQ]

In previous years, Lanlan's parents would be with her on her birthday, and the decorations at home would be done by the three of them working together. This year, however, her parents were not around, and Qin Yu, as the only family member present, did his best.

A life-size cardboard cutout of my nephew stands in the living room, while ribbons, balloons, and decorative flowers create a warm and romantic ambiance.

A group of tiny children, barely taller than the table, gathered around a small coffee table, excitedly and happily unwrapping their gifts.

"Wow, a tank-like intelligent robot! That's so cool! Thank you, little foreign devil... thank you, Xiaoshan!"

Seeing the genuine happiness on Lanlan's face, Xia Xiaoshan knew he had made the right choice; no boy dislikes something cool.

Lanlan excitedly unwrapped a gift.

"Huh, what's this? A water gun?"

"A sound and light bubble gun," Bubble introduced with a smile, her little hands behind her back. "This is so much fun! Just touch the button and big, colorful bubbles will fly out."

"Oh~" Lanlan tried her best to look surprised. "Thank you for the gift, Bubble."

"You're welcome."

It was time to open Xu Yirou's gift. Lanlan's hands moved quickly and lightly. The moment she lifted the lid, she saw a uniquely shaped microphone covered in candy colors lying in the high-end gift box.

What adults find flashy and fussy is breathtakingly beautiful to young children.

The cubs' eyes widened in surprise: "What a beautiful microphone!"

Bubble, who had anticipated their reaction, laughed mischievously: "Of course it's beautiful. My little grandma picked it out herself, how could it not be beautiful?"

Xu Yirou: "Lanlan, I remember you like to sing, so I'm giving you this gift. Do you like it?"

If it weren't for the lack of time, she could have had a microphone custom-made.

Lanlan was very touched to receive this unique gift, and her face flushed as she said, "I love it! Rourou, you...you're so kind."

Xu Yirou's dimples sparkled sweetly: "That's because Lanlan is also very good."

Lanlan suddenly became shy and incoherent, fumbling with her fingers (jpg).

Xia Xiaoshan stared blankly at the two children, feeling a little envious, thinking, "So Rou Rou smiles so sweetly at everyone."

Feeling lost, he silently walked to the side and grieved alone.

After unwrapping the gifts, Lanlan carefully kept each one. Just then, the ordered cake and sumptuous lunch arrived.

Qin Yu set out the bowls and chopsticks, and said rather apologetically:

"The food at this restaurant is great, it has a lot of positive reviews, and I guarantee it's not pre-made. Everyone should try it, don't be shy."

Li Ranran, who also struggles with cooking, was shocked: "What? You can order takeout? Didn't the show stipulate that you have to take care of your own meals?"

Qin Yu: "Ahem, the production team is sometimes quite humane when it comes to the health of the guests."

If you say a few good words for the production team at a crucial moment, you might get to order takeout again later.

Having played mahjong together before, He Nianzhu felt comfortable around them.

After sitting down, he joked, "Not bad, the production team did something decent. I don't want to eat my uncle's plain noodles and heart-shaped fried eggs."

Qin Yu: ……

Li Ranran: "Hahahaha."

The comments section was filled with laughter: "[Everyone burst out laughing! He actually watched Qin Yu's cooking mishap video, so sweet!]"

Qin Yu: That really hurts, boss.

This is why I never question my brother's internet speed, haha.

Each of the five cubs has its own way of eating, but the biggest thing they have in common is that they don't require adults to chase after them and feed them bite by bite, which is very convenient.

Lanlan ate slowly and deliberately, while Xiaoyueliang, like a little lady, chewed slowly and carefully.

Xu Yirou and Paopao ate in unison, slurping their food quickly and heartily like little pigs.

Xia Xiaoshan, a foreigner, is used to using a fork on his left and a knife on his right because he has lived abroad for many years. He doesn't know how to use chopsticks. Qin Yu wanted to take out a set of knives and forks, but Xia Chuan raised his hand to stop him.

"Xiaoshan, you've been back in China for half a month, you should learn to eat with chopsticks."

Xia Chuan wasn't exactly patient or gentle with his younger brother, but he usually didn't nag him about anything. Today was the first time he had ever done so.

“Pick up your chopsticks and see how others use them.”

What's wrong with Natsukawa? Why was he so mean to Koyama?

I admit that Xia Chuan is somewhat handsome, and I can occasionally be captivated by his good looks, but his bossy attitude really ruins my impression of him; he exudes a strong fatherly vibe.

Xia Xiaoshan obediently picked up the chopsticks, clumsily holding the slender chopsticks between his fingers, trembling and carefully trying to pick up a small mouthful of rice.

Clang.

The chopsticks slipped from the chopsticks.

After repeated defeats, Xia Xiaoshan was at a loss and in a predicament. Lanlan, who was sitting next to him, stared at him with curiosity.

Xia Xiaoshan, already nervous, became even more flustered, her slender white fingertips turning slightly white, and her movements gradually becoming more hurried.

The kind-hearted Lanlan poked her head in: "Do you need any help?"

Xia Xiaoshan: "Thank you, but no need."

He'll do it well, it just needs a little time.

He Nianzhu sat between Xu Yirou and Bubble, sometimes picking fish meat for the baby mother, sometimes peeling shrimp for her little niece.

He pampered the two cubs so they were comfortable that he buried his head in his food.

When Xu Yirou finally managed to distract herself from the food, she was surprised to find that Xia Xiaoshan's rice was completely untouched.

Xia Xiaoshan had her head down, so her expression couldn't be seen.

Xu Yirou exclaimed in surprise, finding it strange, and asked in a childish voice from three seats away, "Xiaoshan, why aren't you eating?"

Xia Xiaoshan was so embarrassed that she didn't know how to answer.

Xu Yirou pondered for two seconds, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said in a knowing tone, "Oh, I know, you're a picky eater, aren't you?"

Xia Xiaoshan hurriedly raised her face, her light brown eyes, moistened by the mist, were bright and clear: "No, I'm not picky about food."

Xu Yirou stared blankly: "...You cried."

The food wasn't bad today... right?