Chapter 38: Titles

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the bedroom’s double-paned windows, casting warm patches on the herringbone-patterned Yew Wood Floor.

With the Central Air Conditioning and Radiant Floor Heating, the entire apartment maintained a comfortable, constant temperature of 26°C.

I knelt half-on the bed, tidying up the mess Yan Dong had made everywhere.

As my fingers brushed over a fluffy throw pillow, I suddenly heard a rustling sound behind me.

Turning around, I saw that Duo Duo, who had been sleeping soundly, had somehow grabbed the corner of the Coral Fleece Blanket and rolled herself up like an adorable glutinous rice ball.

Worried about waking her, I simply straightened up a bit and sat by the bed to keep her company.

The reason this little baby was at Yan Dong’s house was because his Cousin had something urgent today and couldn’t make it, so she left the child here for him to look after for a day.

I didn’t get it.

Logically, if his Cousin was busy with work and couldn’t care for her child, she should have hired a live-in Auntie Nanny.

And no matter what, she shouldn’t have left her daughter with someone as unreliable as Yan Dong, right?

The sunlight shifted at a five-degree angle.

Suddenly, the baby on the bed let out a kitten-like whimper.

Almost reflexively, I reached out to gently pat her swaddling.

I saw those lashes, still glistening with teardrops, trembling like butterfly wings.

A wave of warmth suddenly welled up in my chest.

By the time I realized it, my right hand was already poking her plump Apple Cheek against my will.

“Duo Duo darling, you’re awake?” The end of my sentence unconsciously carried a cheerful lilt.

I stared at her snowball-like little face in a daze, until her sudden outburst of crying pierced the peace of the room.

“There, there, let’s have a cuddle, come here.”

I quickly bent down and picked her up, letting her rest on my shoulder.

Then, while pacing gently back and forth in the room, I rhythmically patted her back and softly hummed that well-worn Nursery Song, “Pulling Radish, pulling radish, heave-ho, heave-ho, pulling radish~”

Maybe she found the environment comfortable.

With her little head resting on my shoulder, the baby soon stopped crying and quietly began sucking on her fingers.

“Come on, Duo Duo darling, let’s go play in the Living Room. There are some toys your mom left for you in her bag.”

My fingers brushed over the Olive-shaped Purse on the coffee table.

A faint scent drifted out as I unzipped it—that was the gentle fragrance of Lavender Scent, which, for some reason, matched perfectly with the Snow Pine Scent wafting from Yan Dong.

This subtle feeling made me instinctively straighten my back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I checked that he was still sprawled on the Lounge Sofa playing games.

Only then did I start laying out the items from the bag one by one: Teething Gel Toy, Teething Stick, Drool Bib, the Chick Toy, Yellow Duck Toy, and other little toys.

There was also a Note of Instructions with all sorts of reminders and a message saying she’d be back before 6 p.m.

I still didn’t understand why she would entrust her six-month-old daughter to a Cousin who couldn’t even take care of a cat.

Questions bubbled up and burst in my mind.

Until the baby’s kicking legs brought me back to reality—she was grabbing my loose hair with her chubby, lotus root fingers, her lashes still wet with tears from her earlier crying.

“Alright, Duo Duo baby, let’s play on the floor.”

I lifted her up, letting the afternoon light outline the soft fuzz behind her ear.

After finding a Teething Gel Toy from the purse, I sat down on the Cashmere Carpet with her in my arms.

Thanks to the Radiant Floor Heating and the carpet, everything was perfectly soft and warm.

After settling the little one down, I handed her the Teething Gel Toy, which she happily started gnawing on.

I kept my head slightly lowered, my gaze fixed on her chubby little cheeks.

She played with the Teething Gel Toy for a while, then got bored and started squirming, pawing at my thigh as if she wanted to chew on it.

Getting drool on my clothes was no big deal, but the pants I wore outside, no matter how clean they looked, always felt a bit dirty in my mind.

So I simply grabbed her under the armpits and lifted her up to face me.

“Duo Duo darling, meow~ meow~”

This little Duo Duo was a cheerful girl.

Just lifting her by her armpits and holding her in front of me made her giggle and kick her chubby legs, drool dripping in silvery strands from her toothless gums.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Yan Dong squatting at the edge of the carpet two meters away, his phone camera pointed straight at us.

“Young Master.” I turned to shield Duo Duo’s flailing hands. “Secretly filming gets you up to three years in prison.”

He rolled his eyes, turned off his phone, and tossed it onto the sofa. “Get lost. I was just looking up Baby Sudden Death Syndrome. But you, gloomy girl, did you just smile?”

His words made me realize my lips were still curved upward.

I quickly pressed them together and switched my expression back to my usual work mode. “Young Master, is it a problem if I smile?”

“Not really, I’m just surprised. I thought your poker face only had one expression.”

If I overreacted to Yan Dong’s teasing, I’d just be falling for his tricks.

So I only glanced at him coolly, my expression barely shifting. “Oh, I thought you liked it that way, Young Master.”

“I’m not crazy, why would I like that? I mean, you look good now, so why not smile at me a bit more?”

“I have to say, Young Master, your hobby of wanting guys to smile at you is pretty weird. And didn’t I smile at you when you got your tooth pulled?”

“Is mocking the same as admiring, huh?”

“I don’t know what’s worth admiring about you, Young Master, but I’ll try. Before that, though, please stop calling me such weird names.”

Suddenly, my arms felt light—Yan Dong had come over and picked Duo Duo up with one arm, cradling her like a basketball.

The little one grabbed his hoodie drawstring and tried to stuff it in her mouth, totally unaware she was being swung around by a six-foot-tall guy like a leaf in the wind.

But after just a few minutes, the baby’s face turned red and she let out a muffled fart, then started squirming uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong with this little rascal now?”

“Young Master, I think she… pooped.”

When Yan Dong finished cleaning her up and set her on the sofa, his face showed obvious relief and disgust.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat dinner tonight.”

Ignoring his complaints, I quietly pulled out a Diaper to change her.

That’s when he asked, a bit puzzled, “How do you put a Diaper on a baby?”

“Well, first you have to support her waist like I’m doing. See? A baby’s spine isn’t fully developed, so you have to protect it…”

For once, he put away his usual nonchalant attitude and squatted beside me, hands hovering awkwardly in the air.

When the baby’s chubby leg suddenly kicked his wrist, our eyes met for a brief, flustered moment.

I looked away, unfolded a new Diaper, and skillfully supported the baby with one hand while sliding the Diaper under her back with the other. “Young Master, you’d better focus on your studies.”

“Yeah, right, as if you’re such a pro.” Yan Dong ruffled his messy hair and stood up, accidentally knocking over a half-finished Coke on the coffee table.

The light brown liquid spread over the beige Cashmere Carpet, and I could clearly hear my molars grinding in frustration.

This was the third time this month.

Just a few days ago, the Latte stain he spilled was still stuck between the sofa cushions, impossible to clean out.

As I held the freshly changed Duo Duo and prepared to head to the Study, I caught a glimpse of Yan Dong squatting on the floor, furiously scrubbing the carpet with Wet Wipes.

The back of his neck was tinged red, his hoodie askew, covering half his face—he looked just like Mao Mao, the family’s tabby cat pretending to be calm after making a mess.

“What are you staring at!” Yan Dong snapped his head around as he caught my gaze, his expression so funny I almost laughed.

“If it weren’t for Cousin insisting I look after this little ancestor, who’d want to do this crap job!”

“Young Master, remember to blot it dry with paper after you’re done, or else—”

“Shut up, get out!”