Chapter 40 Part 1

Ji Nuo could be negotiated with on other things, but when it came to taking medicine, not even spoiling the child could override it.

Lu Aotian shuffled his little bottom, trying to escape. But no matter how agile he was, he couldn’t break free from Ji Nuo’s strong hands, let alone with Han Cheng blocking him from the front, medicine bowl in hand.

Ji Nuo firmly held the child under his armpits, letting a pair of little short legs kick futilely against the blanket. “Aotian is Uncle’s good, obedient baby, right? Drinking the medicine is the only way to get better quickly, see? This medicine smells sweet. Won’t you try it?”

Lu Aotian shook his head like a rattle drum. Such a disgusting pet name, such disgusting medicine. Dame dame!

Han Cheng lacked life experience in some areas, but when it came to taking medicine, he had some tricks: “This is doctor-prescribed medicine. We’re definitely going to make you drink it. Struggling is useless.”

The exertion in Ji Nuo’s arms had made Lu Aotian’s little face flush red. Hearing this made him even angrier, but he truly couldn’t break free from Ji Nuo’s hold.

Lu Aotian: (▼皿▼#)

Ji Nuo was still trying to convince the child the medicine wasn’t bitter. But Lu Aotian wasn’t so easily fooled. He’d never taken any good-tasting medicine in his life. From a young age, he’d had a strong aversion to it. He’d rather get injections every day.

Han Cheng shook his head at Ji Nuo, then swirled the spoon to help the liquid cool faster. “Since you definitely have to drink it, you might as well go for it. Your Uncle Ji Nuo will help you pinch your nose. If you can’t smell it, you can’t taste the bitterness.”

Saying this, he brought over the warm water and a milk candy from the tray: “Right after drinking the medicine, rinse your mouth and spit it out immediately. Then drink water to wash away the taste in your mouth, and eat the milk candy to cover the flavor, okay?”

Lu Aotian still wore a puffed-up pufferfish face. But as a gold-tier member of the ‘Hate Taking Medicine for a Hundred Years’ Alliance, this was indeed the best protocol for downing medicine.

Actually, the pediatric cold granules Lu Aotian was taking were formulated with children’s palates in mind, making them much sweeter than standard adult cold granules. But sweet as it was, it was still medicine with a bitter taste. Not to mention the brownish liquid looked utterly disgusting to anyone.

Finally, using Han Cheng’s method, Lu Aotian reluctantly swallowed the medicine. He rinsed his mouth, quickly chugged a cup of warm water, and immediately stuffed the milk candy into his mouth. His left cheek bulged roundly before his expression finally eased slightly.

Ji Nuo exhaled in relief, unable to help the slight sparkle in his eyes as he looked toward Han Cheng’s retreating back as he carried the medicine bowl away.

Was there anything Han Cheng didn’t know?

He even had a way to handle a kid refusing medicine… Ji Nuo felt that, aside from his harmless-to-others but tragic aesthetic taste, Han Cheng was the perfect idol.

Lu Aotian, as if struck by a heavy blow after the bitter medicine, went all soft and limp, leaning into Ji Nuo’s arms seeking comfort. Only to be met with the sight of Ji Nuo staring after Han Cheng with that look.

Lu Aotian’s little face fell. He was the one who drank the medicine, so why was his stinky little brother making that kind of expression at that little broken celebrity?!

Lu Aotian used his left hand, still bearing the needle mark, to lightly stroke his chest. Seeing Ji Nuo completely unresponsive, he had to cough. Ji Nuo finally snapped back to look at the little sick cub in his arms.

“What’s wrong? Throat still uncomfortable? Does Uncle need to go buy you a bottle of cough syrup?”

Lu Aotian’s little face went green. “…That won’t be necessary. It’s just my throat feels a bit uncomfortable from drinking the Chinese medicine.”

He nuzzled his head suggestively deeper into Ji Nuo’s embrace. “Head… still a tiny bit dizzy. Rub, rub…”

Ji Nuo smiled and pressed his fingertips to the spot again. “I can rub it for you, but you can’t sleep anymore. Sleeping too much during the day will affect your sleep at night. Messing up your routine isn’t good for recovery either.”

Lu Aotian hummed softly, comfortably letting Ji Nuo rub his completely non-aching head.

Because there were no mandatory tasks that morning, the other three groups also got up relatively late. By the time they finished their brunch around ten, they officially entered recording mode.

The original plan for the typhoon day was to stay indoors the entire time. The four guest families would use available ingredients, each making a signature dish for a potluck, then put on performances and play some games. This episode would have wrapped up thrilling yet joyful.

But the small typhoon had come early and left early, washing many marine creatures from the nearby sea onto the shore.

Bai Yong, of course, didn’t want to miss this delightful “nature’s bounty.” He immediately arranged for a medium-sized yacht to go back to the small island and “beachcomb” for ingredients.

Lu Aotian said he wouldn’t sleep, but perhaps due to the cold medicine’s sedative effect, he couldn’t help but nestle into Ji Nuo’s arms and catch another nap.

Ji Nuo woke the cub early, carrying him to the washroom to freshen up and shake off the drowsiness, preventing him from going out half-asleep, catching a draft, and getting chilled again.

The villa didn’t have a little stool at just the right height, so Ji Nuo simply held the cub in one arm.

Lifted groggily to the height of the washbasin, Lu Aotian looked up and saw in the mirror his horrifically ugly hairstyle, blooming like an exploded broom. His dazed eyes suddenly widened: “My head?!”

“How come my head look like dis?” Lu Aotian looked at Ji Nuo in disbelief. “Didn’t you shay it would get better after a night’s shleep??!”

He no longer cared about his little milky voice, but Ji Nuo had to give him an explanation for this broomstick-turned-sprite hairstyle!

Though Lu Aotian’s hairstyle was constantly evolving—the torch shape before sleep, the half-torch half-takeoff during the hospital trip—it now looked like a flower candle in full bloom.

It was extremely unique, but Ji Nuo was somewhat used to seeing it. When the cub questioned him in an angry little voice, Ji Nuo paused for a moment before realizing what the cub was angry about.

He was just about to smooth the child’s fur when the cub began another round of exploding: “No time to wash! How can I meet people like dis, wah!”

Seeing the cub was genuinely angry, Ji Nuo wisely swallowed the truth, deciding not to tell him that his hair had already been recorded in full, from every angle, by the follow cameraman.

Ji Nuo helped him smooth it down with some water: “How about this, we just wear a little hat, okay? That new little white cap Uncle Xiaoshan bought? It’ll look super handsome with the black tracksuit.”

Though Lu Aotian didn’t see what could be handsome about a black tracksuit, a baseball cap was indeed his only remaining option.

Fifteen minutes later, both adults and the child had changed into long-sleeved athletic wear, predominantly black.

Little Lu Ao’ao wore a white baseball cap on his head. Under the baseball cap was a puffed-up little face. Every look he directed at Han Cheng was like shooting flying daggers from a distance.

[Ahhh, are Cheng-Nuo-Ao wearing matching family outfits today? So handsome, so handsome, so handsome ahhh!]

[Hahahaha, did the cub’s hair just not go back down, so he’s wearing a hat to flatten it?]

[Good heavens, what top-tier visual family is this? I’d take every single one of them!]

[Person above, stop that thought! Ao’ao is still a child, ah!]

[Can your family squeeze in one more, QAQ? I’m a university student who remembers to eat when hungry, knows to go home when it rains, and has extremely strong self-care ability.]

[Nuonuo and Teacher Han, the proportions of these two pairs of long legs are insane. Seriously longer than my lifespan! /crazy tongue-out.jpg]

Maybe due to the weakness from his illness, after changing, Lu Aotian stretched out his short little arms toward Ji Nuo again.

Seeing this, Han Cheng reached out to block him. Lu Aotian had initially felt a bit embarrassed, but facing the little broken celebrity who stole his character model, he flared up instantly. His confidence, though lacking reason, was immense: “I’m shick!”

He’d already drunk such bitter medicine; of course, he should enjoy the full benefits. Want uppies! Want uppies!

Han Cheng pulled Ji Nuo to his side, speaking as he bent down to pick up the cub: “Mhm. Your Uncle Ji Nuo has a back injury. It’s a bit far to the dock. How about I carry you there?”

Although the two were often at odds, the cub’s little face was pale right now, and Han Cheng’s voice was also uncharacteristically gentle.

Unexpectedly, Lu Aotian swiftly retracted his little arms, bypassed Han Cheng, and walked over to Ji Nuo. In one second, he went from “I’m shick!” to “I’m all better now!” He raised his little face obediently: “Let’s hold hands, okay?”

Ji Nuo naturally wouldn’t refuse. He held the little dumpling’s soft, chubby hand. “You really don’t want Uncle Han Cheng to carry you?”

Lu Aotian puffed out his little chest, looking for all the world like a perfectly healthy little boss, and nodded very decisively. “Appropriate exercise, helps get better faster.”

Ji Nuo looked at the helplessness on Han Cheng’s face and couldn’t suppress a smile as he answered, “Okay. Aotian, you have to tell us if you get tired, alright?”

Lu Aotian swung their joined hands and nodded happily.

No way was he letting Han Cheng carry him. Past grudges aside for now, wasn’t this blooming bird’s nest hairstyle all the doing of this little broken celebrity? He had every reason to suspect the other was jealous of his handsomeness!

However, Han Cheng didn’t plan to let the cub have his way so easily this time. He also walked to the cub’s side, gesturing as if to take his other hand.

Lu Aotian quickly hid his left hand behind his back. “What?”

Han Cheng pointed across to the Weng Kai family. Tiantian was walking in the middle, holding Mommy’s hand on one side and Daddy’s on the other.

“The other families all walk while holding hands like this. If you don’t want to hold my hand, then I’ll go to the other side and hold your Uncle Ji Nuo’s hand…”

Lu Aotian narrowed his eyes: You’re threatening me?

Han Cheng curved his lips in a gentle smile, crouched down, and stretched out his large palm toward the little tyke.

A minute later, Lu Aotian still made his choice reluctantly. But he definitely wasn’t going to let Han Cheng off easy.

They saw the little tyke wind up his left arm with all his might and smack his little hand into Han Cheng’s palm, producing a loud “SPLAT.”

Ji Nuo had long since gotten used to the tit-for-tat between the big and little ones, but he hadn’t expected Lu Aotian to choose this method of hurting the enemy a thousand points while losing a thousand points himself: “Doesn’t that hurt?”

Though the forces were reciprocal, as long as one’s mouth was tough enough, it didn’t hurt.

Lu Aotian tilted his head up with a slight smile. “It doesn’t hurt me.”

Ji Nuo: “…”

When they gathered in the small courtyard, the other families were also mostly dressed in matching color schemes or family outfits, intensely radiating a family atmosphere.

Hearing they were heading to the beach to gather free seafood, everyone was eager, rubbing their hands in anticipation, much more enthusiastic than when they’d been pitching tents and cracking coconuts before.

The villa they were in was about five hundred meters from the nearest port. Since the rain had stopped, the production team didn’t bother arranging a car.

Xu Xiaolin had shut himself in his room. Kang Feier left her assistant at the villa to watch him and brought Zhenzhen out on her own.

Although every other family had two adults holding the child’s hands in the middle, Zhenzhen, holding only her mother’s hand, had a smile that never left her face the whole way.

Too often, adults think children are too young to understand, or even mistakenly believe a “complete” family is the most important thing.

In fact, even a three-year-old little dumpling can keenly sense problems between adults. Clearly, the little dumpling’s state was at its best when it was just mother and daughter alone.

On Zhenzhen’s family’s danmaku, viewers sighed with emotion:

[Zhenzhen baby is so happy today. It feels like she’s happiest when it’s just her and Mommy~]

[Sis Kang, raise your child on your own beautifully, leave the Xu Family, please! I really want to see a gorgeous woman focused on her career! I absolutely loved your portrayal of Princess Yuelan!!]

[+1+1+1 A child is a mirror reflecting emotions. Look how constrained the child was when Xu Chengyi was around. Plus with Xu Xiaolin, that bratty kid, Zhenzhen precious must be suffering at home all the time.]

[I don’t get why a highly educated, great-family-background beauty like this married Xu Chengyi? The Xu Family has money, but Feifei isn’t short of money either…]

After being cooped up inside for so long, the little dumplings were especially excited, particularly when passing by the shallow puddles one after another.

Tiantian wore her favorite princess dress today. She looked at the puddles with shining eyes but resisted the urge for the sake of her skirt.

Ruirui glanced for a bit, then actively turned his head away, letting the Chu couple lead him around the small puddles.

Zhenzhen blinked her big grape-like eyes, her long lashes fluttering. “Mama, can Zhenzhen?”

Seeing her daughter so eager, Kang Feier naturally wouldn’t dampen the child’s enthusiasm. Besides, wouldn’t they get all dirty later during beachcombing anyway?