Click—

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Whoa there, Dian Dian! Slow down or you’ll trip—"

I caught the human cannonball mid-charge. Sharp ears, this one. Heard my key turn from clear across the apartment.

"Where’s Mommy?"

"Cooking!"

"Then let’s find her..."

She’d barreled over so fast I hadn’t even kicked off my shoes properly. The entryway was a mess of scattered footwear.

No guests today. Let it stay messy. You Lin would tidy up later—I didn’t need to worry.

"Perfect timing. Breakfast yet?"

"No. Too busy on the flight..."

No tearful reunion. No lingering hugs. We both burned hot inside, but kept it cool on the surface. Calm. Unhurried. I settled Dian Dian into her chair, then headed to the kitchen to help You Lin carry dishes out.

Everyone says marriage buries love. But to me? It reshapes you. Before we wed, You Lin could barely boil rice—her cooking skills were worse than Xiaoxi’s. But after Dian Dian came, with me always working late... caring for her naturally fell to You Lin.

She shadowed my dad for three months to ditch the nanny for good. By the time Dian Dian weaned, You Lin had mastered it all—graceful in the hall, skilled in the kitchen.

"Sit tight. I’ll make you a plate—"

"Skip it. Haven’t slept in forty-eight hours. Gotta crash first. Wake me later."

I waved her off. My eyelids felt like lead weights. I’d had chances to nap on the plane, but work never waits.

My legs wobbled when I stepped off the flight. My mind frayed at the edges. Only the pre-booked driver got me home. Now? Rest was non-negotiable.

...

...

I’d barely closed my eyes when the door creaked open. Soft footsteps tiptoed in. I figured it was You Lin fetching something—ignored it. Until three seconds later, tiny fingers poked my cheek. That small, soft pressure? Definitely not You Lin. Or our quiet cat, Dingdang.

"Daaadddyyy... waaake uuuup... time for foooood..."

That deliberately hushed, syrupy voice melted every ounce of exhaustion. I forced my eyes open, stretched a smile, and pinched her rosy cheek.

"Dian Dian, Daddy’s skipping meals today. Go eat with Mommy..."

This kid. I’d just held her at the door. Couldn’t she let me rest? How’d You Lin even let her in here?

"No!"

When I didn’t budge, Dian Dian deployed her signature move: full-blown, You Lin-certified wheedling. Bare feet planted on my chest, she jiggled my head and squirmed across my stomach.

"Mommy says no food means sickness! Then Mommy and Dian Dian’s hearts will break! Pleeease get uuuup~"

Swear to god—if this were a son pulling this stunt for my own good, I’d toss him out. But a daughter? My little sweetheart from a past life? My resolve crumbled.

You Lin first used that "broken hearts" line when Dian Dian refused meals. We couldn’t scold her, so we guilt-tripped her into eating. Never thought it’d be weaponized against me today.

"Alright, alright! Up! Eating! No broken hearts—happy?"

I hoisted her up, shaking the fog from my brain. She’d gained weight since I last saw her. Felt heavier perched on me.

Twenty minutes for breakfast. Ye Xi’s weathered boardroom wars and midnight deadlines. Surely I could survive twenty minutes of toddler negotiations.

Click—

"Dian Dian! Weren’t you using the bathroom? Why bother Daddy?"

The door swung open again. You Lin stood there, exasperated. Dian Dian’s "bathroom break" had clearly run too long. Before I could react, You Lin snatched her up, wagging a finger under her nose.

"I—"

"It’s fine! Dian Dian just worried Daddy’s tummy might rumble~ Let’s eat!"

I intercepted Dian Dian from You Lin’s arms—this soft-hearted dad always caved faster than her strict mom. Dian Dian beamed the second she landed against my chest. Then I hooked an arm around You Lin’s shoulders, fingers squeezing playfully.

Nothing beat this feeling. This safety. This was why I worked—to protect moments like these. Sleep could wait. After days apart, breakfast with my girls came first.

...

...

"Mommy, I don’t wanna eat bell peppers~"

Dian Dian whined the moment she sat down. You Lin ignored her, turning back to fetch freshly cooked oatmeal.

"Mommy, I don’t wanna eat carrots~"

When You Lin returned with the tray, the complaints continued. Still silent, she slid Dian Dian’s steak onto her own plate and diced it into bite-sized pieces.

"Dian Dian, these are delicious. Don’t make Mommy beg."

You Lin had pulled out all the stops to fix Dian Dian’s picky eating. This fruit salad looked simple, but my chef’s eye spotted the effort: lettuce base layered with apple, pear, orange, banana, pineapple, kiwi, cherries. Tossed in salad oil, cream, and lemon juice. Only two troublemakers lurked beneath—the decorative bell peppers and carrots. Tasteless veggies drowned in sweet fruit. If Dian Dian closed her eyes, she’d never notice them.

"Mommy! Best Mommy! Prettiest Mommy in the whole wide world!"

Dian Dian ignored me completely, laying on the charm. She knew exactly who held the power here. She scowled at the salad like it held demons.

"Just... take out the peppers? Reduce the portion?"

Bell peppers were the true villain. I loved their bite, but Dian Dian claimed they were bitter enough to bring tears.

She’d begged so pitifully—if we didn’t compromise, breakfast would turn into a battlefield.

"No! This picky-eating habit ends today! Keep gorging on meat and you’ll be a chubby dumpling. You’re too soft on her, Ye Xi..."

"She’s little. Chubby’s cute."

Besides, Dian Dian wasn’t actually overweight. She burned calories like wildfire—never still for a second. And when she grew older? She’d care about looks herself. No need to rush.

"Nope! Today, you finish every bite. Not one scrap left!"

"Okaaay..."

Seeing You Lin’s ironclad stance, Dian Dian’s shoulders slumped. She nibbled obediently—but after devouring every steak strip, sausage, and fry, after polishing off most fruit... the peppers and carrots remained untouched at the bowl’s bottom.

Barely a mouthful. I’d choke it down without blinking. But Dian Dian’s fork hovered, trembling. Her lips pressed tight.

"Ye Xi, watch her. I need to take a call!"

The table fell silent. Near the end of her meal, You Lin froze—face paling like she’d remembered a disaster. She bolted upstairs after ordering me to supervise, fingers flashing a silent "two" behind her back.

The upstairs door clicked shut.

Dian Dian moved instantly. But she hesitated, sliding the salad bowl toward me with a pout. Pathetic eyes wide.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"Can’t. Mommy’ll scold me..."

I knew this routine. Knew her plan the second she opened her mouth. My answer never changed. The result never changed.

We all knew it. Especially this little schemer.

"Mommy’s on the phone. She won’t see."

"Hmm... Let me think... Should I help you?"

You Lin gave me two minutes. No rush. I propped my chin on my palm, watching her squirm.

Dian Dian’s panic grew with every second. She kept glancing at the stairs like You Lin might materialize any moment.

"Daddy hurry! Hurry! Mommy’s coming—"

"Deal. One kiss, and I’ll save you."

I leaned in—then remembered the grease on her mouth too late. Her slippery cheek pressed against mine.

"Ugh. Forgot you didn’t wipe your face..."

I muttered under my breath, shoveling the leftover salad into my mouth. Grabbed a wet wipe to scrub my cheek.

"Daddy’s the best!"

Relief flooded Dian Dian’s face. She snatched the bowl back, positioning it carefully in front of her like evidence.

This kid would grow up a master scam artist. You Lin’s battle against her cunning had only just begun.

"Dian Dian? All done? Need me to spoon-feed you?"

Two minutes vanished in a blink. Guilt made us both jump at You Lin’s voice. Dian Dian snapped upright, blushing from neck to earlobes.

"All gone! All gone!"

She always flushed like this when lying. You Lin and I saw right through her. She just didn’t know it.

"That clean? Did Daddy help you?"

"No! All me! Daddy saw!"

Cornered, Dian Dian jabbed a finger at me, desperate to sell the lie.

"Really?"

"That’s not bad. But if I catch you lying, things won’t end well…"

You Lin fondly ruffled Dian Dian’s hair. Then she slowly walked back to her seat. As she turned, I clearly saw the trace of helplessness on her face.

Dian Dian’s picky eating habit was a problem neither I nor You Lin could fix. We couldn’t force her to eat. For now, we just had to play along with the act.

"No lying!"

"Good. Then I’ll make you more at lunch. You’ll eat it right in front of me."

The moment You Lin finished speaking, Dian Dian froze. Her face suddenly turned grim. She bit her lip and shot me another pleading look.

"What’s wrong? Unwilling?"

"I… I’m full! Going to watch cartoons… Ding Ding! Dang Dang!"

Dian Dian didn’t answer. At her age, she couldn’t think that fast. She nimbly jumped off her chair, desperate to escape this mess.

Hearing their little master’s call, Ding Ding and Dang Dang darted over from the living room. They flanked her like two guardians, following her straight back to the living room. Guai Guai and Mo Mo were waiting there—plenty of chaos to keep them busy!

"What do we do? When will this picky eating stop?"

"Don’t stress. She’ll grow out of it. Worrying now won’t help—she won’t understand anyway."

I casually cut a piece of meat and held it to You Lin’s lips. This probably happened often when I was away. But Dian Dian was only three—what could she grasp?

"You were strict with Xiaoxi’s picky eating back then. Why not with Dian Dian now?"

"Aren’t you the same? Tired of this act yet? Don’t blame me…"

Xiaoxi was my younger sister—I never held back with her. But Dian Dian was so little. I barely spent time with her at home. How could I force things she hated?

You Lin was different. She only played along after Dian Dian finished eating. When I wasn’t home, she never faked it.

"What choice do I have? You’re always busy, Dad. If I lose authority as Mom, how will I manage her later?"

"Oh? My wife has authority?"

Dian Dian was gone now. My left hand restlessly pulled You Lin close. My right hand instinctively roamed her waist. After all these years together, I’d never seen her truly angry. Her "strictness" with Dian Dian was just an act—where was this authority?

"You tell me. Aren’t you scared of me? *Suck—*"

You Lin bit my neck, sucking hard. Luckily, I wore formal suits—no marks would show. But my hands wandered more boldly over her body. A tiny spark had already ignited into a wildfire.

"How many days this time? Is the trouble solved?"

"Half a month. Then I’ll wrap up work. We can take you and Dian Dian on a trip for summer break. Happy?"

"Mmm… kinda happy. Depends on your performance tonight. I want to give Dian Dian a little brother or sister. It’s lonely being alone…"