Chapter 41. Fang Gong, you have the makings of a perfect stay-at-home dad...
Zhang Ni and Gu Shujie's daughter is two years old this year.
On the day of the birthday party, Gao Wen specially set aside half a day to buy a gift for the little guy.
This matter has put her in a difficult position.
Gao Wen had never been in contact with such young children before, and didn't know what they liked or what they wanted to play.
She and Fang Han strolled around the mall together, but their hands were still empty.
"Don't you have any birthday parties for your younger relatives?" Gao Wen asked Fang Han.
Fang Han shook his head: "My parents are both only children, and we have very few relatives."
Gao Wen: "In my family, we don't have many relatives because we don't keep in touch with them."
Since her birth, the Gao family has not favored her because she is a girl. Her father, Gao, is a very responsible father and loves her very much. Gradually, he cut off contact with the family.
Gao Wen walked down to the first floor and saw the soft, bright lights of the jewelry store. She went inside.
"Hello, what would you like to order?" the sales assistant asked as she approached.
Gao Wen had never been to a jewelry store before. She looked around, trying to find jewelry that a child could wear.
I don't know if it's available here.
Seeing that Gao Wen didn't speak, the sales assistant smiled and looked at Fang Han: "Are you two looking to buy the three gold pieces for your wedding? Our store just received a lot of new styles today, you can take a look, and try them on if you like."
Seeing that the two were so good-looking and dressed without any gold jewelry, she figured they were most likely there to buy the three gold pieces for their wedding.
Upon hearing this, Fang Han's heart tightened, and Gao Wen quickly denied it: "No, no, no, that's not it."
"Are you buying jewelry for your girlfriend?" The sales assistant looked at Fang Han again and walked to the counter next to him. "These are all the latest jewelry designs, made with new techniques."
"I mean, are there any for young children? Around two years old?" Gao Wen's face flushed slightly as she gave a brief description.
Fang Han added, "Longevity locks or something else."
"Yes, it's inside. Please follow me, both of you." The sales assistant smiled and led them inside.
Gao Wen and Fang Han followed the sales assistant.
The passageway was narrow, and as the two walked forward, their arms bumped lightly, and they stopped at the same time.
"You go first," Fang Han said, letting Gao Wen go first.
Gao Wen nodded somewhat awkwardly, took small steps, and quickly moved forward, following the sales assistant.
Fang Han followed slowly behind her, his heart pounding faster than ever.
The sales assistant took out a tray and picked out several gold locks and small bracelets: "These are some of the more popular styles, and they have auspicious meanings."
Gao Wen picked up a small, finely crafted gold lock, looked at Fang Han, and asked with a smile, "How about this? It's quite unique."
"Okay." Fang Han nodded.
"This one is not bad either." Gao Wen picked up another small gold lock.
"This one looks good too."
"Is this also a small bracelet for children?" Gao Wen looked at the gold bracelet in the cabinet.
"Yes, these are all for children," the sales assistant replied.
"Bring those out so I can see them," Gao Wen said, pointing to a few of them.
After the sales assistant brought them out, Gao Wen picked them up one by one to look at them, occasionally asking Fang Han's opinion. He always said, "They're all nice, they all look good, this one is good too..."
This left Gao Wen in a real dilemma, unsure of which option to choose.
She was carefully selecting from several options.
Seeing this, the sales assistant smiled enviously and said, "I can tell that your boyfriend thinks everything you choose is good. He'll buy whichever one you like."
Upon hearing this, Gao Wen's fair face flushed red instantly. She was so embarrassed that her mind went blank, and she didn't immediately offer an explanation.
"You've misunderstood, we're friends," Fang Han said stiffly as he spoke.
The word "boyfriend" left him somewhat bewildered, unsure of where to look.
The purchasing agent apologized repeatedly: "I'm so sorry, I'm really so sorry."
"Buy two, a gold lock and a pair of bracelets, they're both very beautiful." Fang Han looked at the two bracelets Gao Wen was holding, gently took them from her hand, handed them to the sales assistant, and walked towards the counter. "Could you please wrap them up for me?"
"Okay, just a moment."
Gao Wen went over to pay the bill, but Fang Hanqian smiled and said, "You're a junior who hasn't graduated yet. It would be amazing if Senior Gu knew. Besides, I got a gift too."
He showed his payment code, which the sales assistant quickly scanned.
"The invoice is inside. Please take care and welcome to visit again." The sales assistant handed the bag to Fang Han with both hands.
"Let's go." Fang Han looked at Gao Wen.
"Um."
The two walked out side by side. The mall was bustling. They passed an arcade with loud music playing.
The awkwardness and embarrassment from the jewelry store hadn't subsided, and neither of them spoke, nor even made eye contact.
Gao Wen glanced around and looked at the children's toy store in front of her: "Shall we go take a look there?"
"good."
Before entering the door, Gao Wen turned to him and said seriously, "I'll pay the bill this time, don't try to take it from me!"
“.....Okay.” Fang Han nodded again, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Gao Wen's mind was filled with the words the sales assistant had just said.
He would agree with whatever she said.
Gao Wen's mind was still racing with wild thoughts, which was an abnormal reaction for her.
She quickened her pace and looked at the exquisite sets of children's toys, which finally distracted her.
The two bought two more sets of children's toys and took them to Gu Shujie's house.
Zhang Ni said she doesn't like things to be too formal; she just wants to have a meal with friends she knows and have some fun.
Zhang Ni's home is near Yuhe Yoga Studio, not far from their rented place.
It's a large single-level apartment with a big balcony where a buffet is set up, and a barbecue grill is next to it.
The interior and balcony were decorated with great care, with balloons and cute photos of the little one pasted everywhere.
When Gao Wen and Fang Han arrived, Zhang Ni walked over carrying her daughter, smiling and saying, "Wanwan, call her sister—uncle—" She subconsciously said this when she looked at Fang Han, then suppressed a laugh and corrected herself, "It's sister and brother, call him brother!"
Fang Han is only a few years younger than Gu Shujie, and Gao Wen is only a senior in college this year, so she is indeed still young.
Besides, Fang Han likes Gao Wen, so he can't call her old.
Little Wanwan, dressed in a princess dress, smiled sweetly at Gao Wen, her pronunciation still not quite standard: "Sister."
As she spoke, Xiao Wanwan showed no fear of strangers. She leaned forward and reached out to Gao Wen for a hug, looking quite eager.
"Ouch—" Lin Ni could barely hold her, and turned around to say, "Gu Shujie, look at your daughter, she makes this face whenever she sees a pretty girl!"
"#￥%@￥——" When Xiao Wanwan saw that her mother wouldn't let go, she kept pulling towards Gao Wen's side and even pretended to cry several times. She was very anxious.
Gao Wen had never been in contact with a child before. Seeing her like this, she stiffly reached out her hand, and Xiao Wanwan immediately crawled over. After being hugged by her, she immediately stopped making a sound and smiled at her.
Looking at the sweet-smelling baby in her arms, Gao Wen's heart softened, and she looked at Xiao Wanwan with curiosity.
Gao Wen had planned her life and career, and had strict and clear requirements for choosing a partner, but having children was an area she had never thought about.
How could someone as selfish as her possibly waste her time having children?
In her view, having children requires a lot of effort, time, and money; it is a selfless and great undertaking, and she really can't imagine that she would be willing to do it.
“She really likes you,” Zhang Ni said with a smile. “You’re so popular with kids.”
Hearing these words, Gao Wen felt strange and surprised. She carefully held Xiao Wanwan, her movements clumsy and uneasy. She quickly walked to the side and sat down, afraid of dropping the child.
"You've come all this way, don't be so formal," Zhang Ni said, taking the gifts from Fang Han's hands. Seeing the gold jewelry, she felt it was even more precious. She walked over to Gao Wen, took out a bracelet and a gold lock from the gift box, and put them on her daughter. "Your brother and sister bought you gold, it's so pretty!"
Little Wanwan stayed obediently in Gao Wen's arms, looking at the gold in her hands, then looking down at the gold lock around her neck. She raised her chubby hands and smiled as she tried to show them to Gao Wen.
"So pretty." Gao Wen's eyes softened as she looked at Xiao Wanwan and bent down to tease her.
The child wasn't as boisterous as she had imagined; he was quite well-behaved.
Fang Han stood to the side, a smile playing on his lips, watching this scene.
Zhang Ni poured Gao Wen a glass of juice. As she passed Fang Han, she glanced at him and said, "Engineer Fang, tone it down a bit. Your gaze is too intense."
"..." Fang Han cleared his throat and walked towards Gu Shujie.
Gu Shujie was busy arranging the small cakes when he saw Fang Han arrive. He said, "I heard you really like Gao Wen?"
Fang Han stumbled, his scalp tingling. He quickly looked at Gao Wen, his expression changing in a fascinating way.
Seeing his reaction, Gu Shujie couldn't stop laughing: "Alright, I got it." He shook his head as he spoke, "With your lukewarm personality, I thought you were indifferent to worldly desires. Turns out you just haven't met the right person yet."
"Love is a dangerous thing. Once you fall in love with her, you'll be completely under her thumb, working like a slave, just like I was."
As Gu Shujie spoke, he freed one hand to pat Fang Han's shoulder, speaking earnestly.
Fang Han looked at Gu Shujie and said lightly, "Is that so? Senior brother, I see you're enjoying yourself."
Gu Shujie's smile faded: "Really?"
"Mm." Fang Han nodded.
Every time Zhang Ni and her daughter are mentioned, Gu Shujie's lips can't help but curl into a smile, showing no sign of reluctance whatsoever.
Gu Shujie continued arranging the cake, and after a while he said in a deep voice, "Life is hard, and the pressure is so great. It's not easy to meet someone you love. If you like them, just go for it. Otherwise, you'll regret it for the rest of your life if they're snatched away." As he spoke, he looked up and said, "You have a lot of competitors. I heard that even the older women are trying to steal them from you."
Fang Han didn't reply, and looked at Gao Wen's direction again.
Little Wanwan was very naughty. She didn't want to sit, so she stood on Gao Wen's lap and grinned at her.
Gao Wen frantically tried to hold her, but Xiao Wanwan kept jumping around. Gao Wen frowned, feeling she couldn't handle it.
Gao Wen was on the verge of tears, but Zhang Ni noticed her distress and reached out to hug her daughter: "Mommy, hug me."
"Waaah—" Little Wanwan immediately wrapped her arms around Gao Wen's neck, buried her head in her neck, and writhed her chubby body, desperately shaking her head and whining, "No, no—"
“My sister is tired of carrying me,” Zhang Ni said again.
"Xiangxiang—" Xiaowan looked up at Gao Wen, her smile even more adorable and innocent. She buried her head in Gao Wen's arms to hug her, laughing heartily. "Xiangxiang."
Pretty lady, you smell so good.
Zhang Ni sighed and rubbed her forehead: "That's just how she is. When she sees a good-looking person, she hugs him and won't let go. She's so young, yet she's already such a lecher. How can we let this go?"
As she was speaking, Xiao Wanwan looked up, continuing to smile at Gao Wen, her chubby little hands playing with her hair, and she wanted Gao Wen to carry her to the balcony.
Gao Wen picked her up.
As guests gradually arrived, Zhang Ni was extremely busy and could only attend to them first, leaving Gu Shujie to keep an eye on things.
Gu Shujie received a phone call and then went off to do his work.
Gao Wen held the restless little Wanwan in her arms. The child had so much energy, and she was really not good at holding her. Wanwan was like a fish wriggling in her arms. She was trembling with fear, afraid of dropping her. She felt a little confused and wanted to cry.
Seeing Fang Han looking over, Gao Wen quickly pleaded for help with her eyes.
Please save her.
She doesn't know how to take care of children.
Fang Han walked in that direction, not knowing how to carry her, so he could only imitate the adults and reach out to Xiao Wanwan, saying, "Brother, hug me—"
He also doesn't acknowledge that he is his uncle.
Little Wanwan turned her head back sharply, pouted, and hugged Gao Wen tightly.
Gao Wen: "......"
I want to cry and laugh at the same time.
Little Wanwan was nagging Gao Wen to go play on the slide again, her chubby body twisting and turning—
Gao Wen panicked and pleaded in a low voice, "I... I don't know how! I can't hold on anymore, senior—"
Fang Han looked around and quickly took Xiao Wanwan out of Gao Wen's arms.
The movement was so fast that Gao Wen didn't even have time to react.
Little Wanwan was completely bewildered when she was suddenly picked up by someone else.
She looked up, saw that it wasn't a pretty young lady, and opened her mouth wide, about to cry.
Fang Han lifted her high into the air, and Xiao Wanwan turned her crying into laughter: "Giggle giggle—"
Seeing that she liked it, Fang Han patiently lifted her up again and again, letting Xiao Wanwan sit on his shoulders.
Gao Wen was worried that Fang Han might lose her balance, so she stood behind her and reached out to support her.
Little Wanwan was overjoyed to see the pretty girls there, and asked them to take her to play on the slide.
Fang Han carried her up, and Gao Wen caught her below.
Over and over again.
Gao Wen now understood perfectly well that she didn't have the patience to take care of a child. After getting tired, she sat down under the slide. Fang Han walked back and forth, but he didn't show any impatience on his face. He even took a tissue and clumsily wiped the child's sweat and helped her tidy her clothes.
When Zhang Ni came over and saw this, she couldn't help but say, "Engineer Fang, you have a lot of potential to be a stay-at-home dad."
Upon hearing this, Gao Wen, who was replying to member messages, looked up at Fang Han.
Fang Han was holding Xiao Wanwan and gently fixing the clips in her hair. His movements were clumsy and stiff, but he was very patient.
Gao Wen somewhat agreed with what Zhang Ni said.
That seems to be the case.
*
Most of the people Gu Shujie invited were his colleagues, and a few were his college roommates.
"Has the third brother not arrived yet?"
During dinner, one of my roommates asked.
"They say they're busy, so they might not be able to come." Gu Shujie poured red wine for everyone.
Gao Wen and Fang Han sat next to each other. They didn't drink alcohol, and Gu Shujie knew that, so he poured them juice.
Little Wanwan got tired of playing and was picked up by Gu's mother.
When Gao Wen first met Gu's mother, whom Zhang Ni had mentioned, she was an elderly woman from a mountainous area with little education. It was said that she had never left the mountains in her life, but she was very sensible and kind. She didn't talk much and came to help them take care of their children, which is why Zhang Ni had time to go out to work.
Little Wanwan's favorite person is her grandma; it was Gu's mother who just took Little Wanwan away from Gao Wen's arms.
The group chatted and laughed, but neither Fang Han nor Gao Wen were the type to liven things up, and they were both quiet.
After drinking, Gu Shujie and his friends started singing into the microphone, becoming unusually wild.
Gao Wen had other things to do and had to go back first.
She stood up to say goodbye to Zhang Ni.
"You should go back now, you have class tomorrow morning." Zhang Ni said, then looked at Fang Han behind Gao Wen, "Engineer Fang, why don't you take Wenwen home? It's on your way anyway."
"Mm." Fang Han nodded.
Zhang Ni saw them off all the way, and Gao Wen told her to go back and get busy, as there were still many people around.
"I'll drop you off at the elevator; it's not far," Zhang Ni said as she opened the door.
As the group approached the elevator, the doors opened. Gao Wen was about to say goodbye to Zhang Ni when she saw the person stepping out of the elevator and was suddenly stunned.
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Author's note: I had a bit of writer's block today.
So I had to update a bit late, sorry.
I'll be giving away 200 red envelopes for this update!
The second update at 6 PM is delayed, so I'll update it later to reorganize the outline. I'll tentatively schedule it for 8 PM.
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