Chapter 18: Bath Time
The moonlight cast a soft, silver glow, providing a faint brightness to the dark night.
The breeze was gentle, and in the quiet of the night, everything was peaceful and beautiful.
After returning home from the mall, Nuonuo, still in his little dinosaur costume, toddled into the living room and eagerly spun around in front of Auntie Wu.
“Yiyi, taiw, ya—”
Nuonuo really liked this outfit with a tail, feeling that he became super powerful when he wore it!
Auntie Wu smiled and praised Nuonuo’s cute new clothes, unable to resist ruffling the little dinosaur’s fluffy head. “So pretty. Nuonuo, are you tired after playing all afternoon? What do you want to eat? I’ll go tell the chef in the kitchen.”
Nuonuo hadn’t eaten many delicious things in his life, but he still propped up his little chin and thought for a long time, as if he were facing a very difficult decision.
“Eat wound ones, ya!”
He was talking about the little sweet rice balls the chef had made yesterday. They were sweet and soft, with fragrant black sesame filling that oozed out. Nuonuo had fallen in love with them at first bite. For the past two days, whenever it was time to eat, Nuonuo would tilt up his little face, grab the corner of the chef’s or Auntie Wu’s clothes, and say he wanted to eat the “round ones.”
Auntie Wu knew he would say that. She smiled and nodded, then went to the kitchen to discuss dinner with the chef after asking Fei Luo and Fei Jing for their requests.
Seeing Auntie Wu go to the kitchen, Nuonuo, unable to wait, pulled Fei Luo’s hand and followed her in like a little tail.
The kitchen in the villa was huge. The inner room was a whole walk-in freezer with all kinds of seafood and fish. The outer cooking area was also very spacious, able to accommodate more than a dozen chefs cooking at the same time. Although the kitchen was so big that it took the chef a minute just to get an ingredient, since the Fei family was small and Fei Zhiyan wasn’t a big eater, one chef was enough.
The chef, wearing his hat, stood in front of the stove, cheerfully preparing to cook the sweet rice balls. The chubby white rice balls were dropped into the pot, and in no time, they floated to the surface one by one.
Nuonuo ran into the kitchen, pressed against the counter, and stood on his tiptoes, trying to see where his sweet rice balls were. Unfortunately, even on tiptoes, he was still too short to see over the countertop.
The chef laughed, pinched Nuonuo’s cheek, and picked him up so he could see the rice balls cooking in the pot. “Look, your little sweet rice balls are cooking. They’ll be ready in a little while.”
Nuonuo saw the steaming, bubbling rice balls and pointed his little finger. “Eat, ya—”
The chef shook his head. “That won’t do. They’re not cooked yet. You go play with your brother first. I’ll bring them out for you when they’re ready.”
Nuonuo’s stomach was already growling with hunger. He decided to just laze in the chef’s arms, letting his mind go blank as he stared longingly at the little sweet rice balls.
The chef looked at the dazed Nuonuo with his little mouth open and suddenly let out a “hey,” turning to Fei Luo. “Little Luo, look at your little brother. Doesn’t he look like a sweet rice ball?”
Both are white and chubby, soft and sticky.
Hearing this, Fei Luo looked at the pot very seriously, then looked up at his little brother, and couldn’t help but nod.
“Like a sweet rice ball? The ones with the black filling?” Fei Jing, who had just walked in, heard this, ran a hand through his blond hair, and leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow as he sized up Nuonuo.
Fei Jing was a shrewd and emotionally intelligent person, with a knack for reading people. The first moment he saw Nuonuo, he knew this child was a solid white dumpling with no ulterior motives. Nuonuo’s eyes were clean and clear, without a trace of haze or dust, allowing one to clearly see everything in his heart when looking at him.
Such a pure person either easily inspires affection or a desire to destroy. Fei Jing was definitely the latter.
Unfortunately, Nuonuo had met Fei Zhiyan first and, for some unknown reason, had been kept by him, becoming his younger brother.
At this thought, Fei Jing smiled. “If you ask me, he should be a sticky rice ball.”
White from the inside out.
Nuonuo tilted his head with a confused “ah,” his short little legs dangling in the air, as bewildered as his owner.
The chef, on the other hand, smiled and agreed with Fei Jing. “That’s true. Sticky rice balls are also sticky, just like our little sticky bun, Nuonuo, haha!”
Everyone in the villa knew how clingy Nuonuo was to his papa and brothers. If he couldn’t find them, he would be on the verge of tears for a long time, and no one could console him.
Being called a “little sticky bun,” Nuonuo was a little angry. He pouted and didn’t want the chef uncle to hold him. He struggled to get down, took Fei Luo’s hand, and toddled out again.
The chef’s arms were now empty. Without the soft feeling, he felt a little regretful. Aiya, I should have taken the opportunity to hold him a little longer just now!
Fei Jing watched Nuonuo’s pouting little figure run out, lowered his eyes, and turned to the chef. “Make a portion of sticky rice balls too. I suddenly feel like eating them.”
The chef agreed and turned to get busy.
Dinner was very sumptuous. Besides the sweet rice balls, the chef also prepared some easily digestible side dishes and buns, as well as the sticky rice balls Fei Jing had specifically requested.
It was Nuonuo’s first time seeing sticky rice balls, which were similar to the sweet rice balls. The chef’s sticky rice balls were sweet. After being boiled, they were coated with a layer of matcha powder and drizzled with sweet honey, looking fragrant, soft, and extremely tempting.
Watching his second brother eat them one by one, Nuonuo suddenly felt that the little sweet rice balls in his bowl weren’t so fragrant anymore. He opened his little mouth, staring unblinkingly at the sticky rice balls in Fei Jing’s bowl, his mouth almost watering.
“Brother, eat, eat, ya—”
Seeing Nuonuo’s eager little eyes, the mischievous streak in Fei Jing’s cells began to act up. He deliberately pretended not to understand. “I’m eating. They’re very delicious.”
Nuonuo let out an “ah.” Seeing him eat another one, he stretched his little neck, looking longingly at his second brother’s bowl. “No, ya, Nuonuo eat!”
Fei Jing said, “Oh? You eat then. Don’t you have sweet rice balls in your bowl?”
Nuonuo was instantly sidetracked. He looked down at his own bowl and nodded. “Have, ya—”
Hearing Nuonuo’s words, Fei Jing suddenly burst out laughing, almost to the point of tears. So this is how fun it is to tease a little brother! Fei Jing thought. Especially when your little brother is so silly he doesn’t even know he’s fallen into a trap.
Nuonuo also broke into a soft smile, his eyes crinkling in confusion.
After a long while, he finally remembered that he had wanted to eat his brother’s sticky rice balls. But by then, Fei Jing’s bowl was already empty, the last one long gone into his mouth.
Having missed out, Nuonuo pouted, still looking hopefully at his brother’s bowl.
“Stop looking, they’re all gone.”
Fei Jing used his index finger to stop Nuonuo’s little forehead, pushing up the little head that was about to fall into his bowl.
Nuonuo’s tone was tinged with tears. “No… no more—”
Seeing that the brightness in Nuonuo’s eyes had faded, replaced by a sad grayness, Fei Jing’s own mood inexplicably lost its earlier cheerfulness.
“Alright, I saved some for you,” Fei Jing said, his tone slightly annoyed.
Fei Jing had asked the chef to set aside a portion earlier. Because eating this at night was too sticky, he had only saved two for Nuonuo. Although he was still a bit childish in nature, Fei Jing wouldn’t deliberately snatch his little brother’s food.
Seeing the small bowl Fei Jing brought over, Nuonuo let out a “wow,” his little eyes instantly lighting up. “Brother is good, ya!”
Being praised, Fei Jing just let out a “tsk,” crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. But the corners of his eyes were slightly lifted, revealing his rather pleasant mood.
Nuonuo took the small bowl, happily shared one of the two sticky rice balls with Fei Luo, and then took a spoon and started eating his own.
Fei Luo smiled shyly, said, “Thank you, little brother,” and then took a bite of the sweet little rice ball.
Nuonuo, having finally gotten to eat the sweet sticky rice ball, closed his eyes in bliss. Even after he finished, he was still smacking his little lips, savoring the taste.
Seeing his happy little face, Fei Jing, for some reason, suddenly felt a little envious. Indeed, for silly people, even happiness is so simple.
After dinner, Nuonuo held his ball and wanted to play with his brothers, but he was stopped by Auntie Wu, who wanted to take him upstairs for a bath.
Although Nuonuo was small, he already had a sense of shyness. He hid behind his third brother, not letting Auntie Wu take off his clothes.
Auntie Wu looked at Nuonuo with a troubled expression. Unable to persuade him, she could only sigh in frustration. In the past few days, Nuonuo had always slept with his papa, so Auntie Wu hadn’t bathed him much. The one time she had, it was while Nuonuo was asleep, and she had just given him a quick rinse.
Now, Mr. Fei wasn’t back yet, and Nuonuo refused to let her bathe him. Auntie Wu really didn’t know what to do.
“Nuonuo, you’ve been playing all day and you’re all dirty. How about Auntie gives you a quick wash?”
Nuonuo shook his head, his little face flushed red. He chewed on his finger for a while before lifting his little head and saying, “Brother wash!”
Fei Luo also nodded his little head. “I’ll help little brother wash.”
Although he had enough trouble bathing himself, Fei Luo still felt he could help his little brother.
Auntie Wu looked at Fei Luo and rubbed her head, a slight headache coming on. But then she thought of something, let out a little “ai,” and turned to look at Fei Jing, who had just returned today.
Auntie Wu had seen Fei Jing in TV commercials before. At that time, she had no idea that this Fei Jing was also Mr. Fei’s son; she had just thought this young man was very handsome. But since Mr. Fei was such an outstanding person, it wasn’t surprising that he had a big star for a son.
With this thought, Auntie Wu stood up, wiped her hands, and hesitantly walked over to Fei Jing. “Young Master Jing, if you have time, could you help Nuonuo with his bath?”
Speaking to such a handsome star, Auntie Wu was still a little nervous.
Fei Jing was flipping through a script. He glanced at Nuonuo, who had toddled over to him and was looking at him with sparkling eyes. The refusal that was on the tip of his tongue inexplicably turned into an “okay.”
Nuonuo, on the other hand, happily raised his little hands and, dragging his dinosaur tail, spun around Fei Jing.
“Okay, ya—Brother wash!”
Fei Luo lowered his head, a little unhappy. He felt he could have helped his little brother bathe too.
Auntie Wu saw Fei Luo’s disappointment and smiled, patting his head. “When Little Luo grows up, you’ll be strong enough to help your little brother.”
Only then did Fei Luo nod, a flicker of hope for his own future appearing for the first time. He wished that when he opened his eyes tomorrow, he would be taller than his second brother!
Fei Jing rubbed his forehead, cursing himself inwardly. Why did I have to be so quick to speak!
But since he had already agreed, it wasn’t good to go back on his word. Fei Jing had no choice but to pick Nuonuo up by his dinosaur hood and carry him to the bathroom.
Placing the little one on the floor, Fei Jing filled the bathtub with hot water, taking off Nuonuo’s little dinosaur costume at the same time.
“Aren’t you hot wearing this?”
Although it wasn’t officially summer yet, the temperature at noon was already starting to rise. Even wearing a thin jacket would feel hot, let alone Nuonuo’s little dinosaur costume, which was not thin at all, being a spring and autumn style.
Nuonuo wiggled his little body, cooperating with his second brother by lifting his arms and stretching his little legs so his clothes could come off smoothly. “Not hot, ya!”
And the little dinosaur has a tail too. Nuonuo’s own tail was gone, so he especially liked this outfit with a tail.
Although he said it wasn’t hot, when Nuonuo’s clothes were taken off, there was still a thin layer of sweat on his body.
Looking at the naked Nuonuo, who looked like a boiled egg, Fei Jing glanced at the steamy bathtub and was reminded of the scene of cooking sweet rice balls in the kitchen earlier.
With a soft laugh, Fei Jing beckoned to Fei Luo, who was peeking in from the bathroom doorway. “Fei Luo, what do you think about boiling little brother in the bathtub?”
Although Fei Luo was often teased by his third brother, he was still young and couldn’t quite distinguish a joke. Hearing this, he was genuinely stunned. “No, you can’t boil little brother!”
Fei Luo shook his head and quickly stood in front of Nuonuo.
Nuonuo also clearly remembered the scene of the boiling sweet rice balls he had seen in the kitchen. Tears instantly filled his eyes in fright. “No, ya, don’t boiw Nuonuo! I no yummy!”
The two little ones hugged each other and huddled together. Fei Luo even narrowed his eyes and glared at his second brother, as if he were about to have his doll come over and poke a hole in him.
Fei Jing was not so easily threatened. Using his height and long legs, he lifted Nuonuo from Fei Luo’s grasp and, with a plop, put him in the bathtub.
Nuonuo stood in the tub full of water, his lips puckered, and finally cried out in fear. “Wuuu—I’m being boiwed!”
Fei Luo also quickly stood on his tiptoes, trying to rescue his little brother from the water.
Fei Jing saw Nuonuo’s tears falling like pearls from a broken string, and his usually cold heart actually felt a little bit of guilt. Maybe… that was a bit too much.
Fei Jing opened his mouth and, after a long while, finally said, “Stop crying. I was teasing you. This is bath water for you.”
Nuonuo sobbed softly. Hearing this, he finally lifted his tear-filled eyes to look at Fei Jing. “Brother no… no boiw, ya?”
Struck by this pitiful little expression, Fei Jing’s heart inexplicably softened. He ran a hand through his hair and finally nodded. “I’m not boiling you. I’m just playing with you.”
Nuonuo then felt that the water underneath him was warm, not hot at all, and his little body slowly relaxed.
Fei Jing didn’t know where this sudden burst of kindness came from, but he even bent down, found a toy duck that floated on the water, and coaxed Nuonuo to play with it.
Nuonuo was also big-hearted. In a flash, he forgot about being boiled and started splashing around, wanting to chase the duck with his brothers.
Just then, Auntie Wu heard the commotion upstairs and rushed over. Seeing Fei Luo all wet, she was startled. “It’s still a bit cool at night. You can’t be playing around in wet clothes.”
Auntie Wu thought Fei Luo had gotten wet from playing with Nuonuo and quickly came over to take him to change.
As he reached the doorway, Fei Luo turned back to look at Fei Jing, his pupils as dark as a black hole, as if they were about to swallow him up.
Fei Jing, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and let out a soft scoff. “Little brat.”
Their gazes met and then moved away, a silent understanding passing between them.
After the bath, Fei Jing wrapped Nuonuo in a small blanket and placed him on the bed. He went out to make formula for Nuonuo. As soon as he was in the hallway, he was not at all surprised to see Fei Luo, who had already changed his clothes and was holding his doll, quietly waiting for him.
Nuonuo was wrapped in a blanket, his fluffy little head peeking out. He was still holding the little yellow duck that would quack. Every time he poked it, the duck would let out a “quack,” making Nuonuo cover his mouth and giggle.
Just as Nuonuo was peeking out to see when his second brother would return, the System came online and happily called out his name. “Nuonuo, I don’t know what happened, but I suddenly have so much energy!”
After briefly coming online at the mall, the System’s energy reserves had inexplicably gained a surge of power. But because this energy was too mixed and impure, the System had to shut down first to absorb it.
At this thought, the System wanted to play a cheerful dance tune to express its joy. This surge of energy was like a pie falling from the sky, finally allowing the energy-depleted 006 to avoid being forced into hibernation due to lack of power.
“Liuliu is amazing!”
Nuonuo didn’t even know what energy was, but he clapped his little hands and praised it.
006 was quite embarrassed; it was still a little dazed itself. But to maintain its image in front of the cub, it let out a little “heh” and said, “It’s nothing, just a little bit of energy. Hmph, now, even if your second brother were here, I could still beat him to a pulp!”
Nuonuo happily kicked his little feet. “Yay, give Second Brother a pulp of fwowers!”
The System was about to boast a little more when its gaze shifted and it spotted Fei Jing coming in through the doorway.
Blood was gushing from Fei Jing’s arm, flowing down his elbow and over the thorny flower tattoo on his arm. The red was so vivid that, at first glance, the tattooed flower seemed as if it were about to come to life.
Fei Jing’s eyes were filled with a cold chill, his delicate face so dark it could drip water. It seemed as if he could erupt in the next second and strangle the person opposite him.
006’s main processor stopped for a moment, and then it silently shut down its language system.
Fei Jing’s chest heaved a couple of times before he calmed down and walked over, handing the bottle in his left hand to Nuonuo. “Drink up. It’s freshly made.”
Nuonuo’s little hand touched it and then quickly pulled back. He lifted his bright, dark eyes and said, “Hot, hot—”
Fei Jing, his eyes still cold, took it back and shook it in his hand a couple of times to cool it down.
006 watched Fei Jing, with his cold face, shaking the bottle for Nuonuo, and felt a little dazed. The world suddenly seemed a bit surreal.
This little villain ancestor… actually knows how to make formula?
