Qiao Hailou felt like his head was about to explode.
On one side was Shen Yuan, throwing his backpack and radiating sharp anger; on the other was the baby wailing his heart out. Both demanded immediate attention, and Hailou didn’t know which to attend to first. Honestly, he had never felt so conflicted, even when negotiating nine- or ten-digit contracts.
The baby’s cries disrupted the rhythm of the three adults, simultaneously breaking the tension and making the atmosphere even more awkward. Little Peanut’s crying was entirely different from Shen Yuan’s; he never held back, wailing loudly until an adult noticed.
Ignoring Rui Xia entirely, Hailou stepped toward Shen Yuan, trying to explain: “You dummy…”
Shen Yuan approached with the sharp intensity of a drawn sword, his aura piercing. Rui Xia, slightly intimidated, saw a wild, untamed child—undisciplined, uncaring, almost frightening. She paused behind Hailou, like a caught intruder in a scandal.
Hailou, frustrated beyond words, yanked his arm free from Rui Xia’s grip: “What do you think you’re doing? Hands off!”
Shen Yuan stepped between them, firm and cold: “Step aside.”
Hailou froze for a moment.
Shen Yuan repeated, expression hard: “Step aside.”
Hailou let him pass. Shen Yuan walked straight up the stairs without a glance back. Soon, the baby’s cries stopped.
Even though the baby had quieted, Hailou didn’t feel relieved; instead, his chest tightened. He kept replaying Shen Yuan’s expression from moments ago, feeling both anxious and conflicted.
He was about to follow upstairs when someone grabbed him: “Xiao Hai…”
Hailou, now genuinely annoyed with Rui Xia, shrugged off her hand. He kept his voice low so as not to startle the baby, forcing himself to stay calm: “We don’t even know each other. Don’t call me that.”
He was furious. His life at home with the baby had been peaceful, and now this troublemaker had barged in, disturbing the calm. What had he done wrong? Just because he’d liked someone foolishly in his youth? “You come here to badmouth my husband? What do you want? I’m giving you a chance to leave before I make you.”
Rui Xia looked like someone pleading with a hexed person: “You don’t understand… he’s really not a good man. In the rich kid circles, he’s the type to sacrifice dignity for connections… I’m just worried as your old friend. I can’t watch you be deceived. I know I hurt you deeply back then, but you can’t throw yourself into the wrong arms. He only married you for your wealth and power.”
Hailou couldn’t help laughing at how absurdly the person being criticized had just spoken for himself.
Shen Yuan approached with the baby, feeding him a bottle, voice calm: “Yes, I married Qiao Hailou for his wealth and power.”
Rui Xia froze. She hadn’t expected Shen Yuan to shamelessly admit it. “Xiao Hai, you heard that…”
“I’m thirty-seven this year! And you still call me ‘Xiao Hai’? Wake up!” Hailou snapped, exasperated. “Do you think I don’t know the man I married? I’m not you—I can’t hide my orientation and marry a woman secretly!”
“Are you leaving or not? If you don’t, I’ll have someone remove you.”
Rui Xia didn’t move.
Hailou summoned security; he didn’t want to touch her himself and risk being entangled. He was perfectly aware that Rui Xia wanted to rekindle something, but he had zero interest. How many times had he made it clear? Why couldn’t she understand?
Pale-faced, Rui Xia was dragged away by the burly security. She asked in disbelief: “You know what he’s like—why do you persist with him? You clearly don’t like him that way!”
Shen Yuan stopped the guards for a moment, mocking her: “He likes me, not you. Do you think I like someone like you? You’re twenty years in the past, know your place.”
“You called me immoral. Are you any better? You abandoned Qiao back then. He didn’t seek revenge. You expect a second chance?”
“You left him, married a woman—that’s betrayal.”
“Either you shouldn’t have run away with him in the first place, or if you did, why change your mind midway? Now divorced, with a child, feeling free, and thinking you can come back to him?”
“You wronged whom? You ran from your parents to elope with Qiao—wronging your father; you abandoned him midway—wronging Qiao Hailou; you hid your orientation to deceive in marriage—wronging your wife and child.”
“Yes, my character isn’t great. I never claimed it was. But it’s not your place to lecture me, is it?”
“I didn’t want to be rude last time I saw you, so I ignored you. Out of respect for your age, I restrained myself. But you insist on being shameless, so don’t be surprised when I speak harshly.”
Rui Xia, much older than him, had no response. He looked helplessly at Hailou, only to meet disgusted eyes.
Hailou, impatient, said: “He is exactly who I like. I’m happy with him, my husband and child are here, I’m satisfied. I’ve never been stuck in the past. You didn’t hurt me that deeply. I’ve moved on.”
Hailou added a final piece of advice: “I hope you can move on too.”
The instigator was gone, but their problems weren’t resolved.
Shen Yuan carried the baby back inside.
“Leaving your backpack?” Hailou asked.
Shen Yuan paused, looking back at him, eyes red.
Hailou picked up the backpack, brushed off the dust, smiling to ease the tense moment: “Weren’t you going out with classmates? Why back so soon?”
“I had half a drink and came back. I didn’t want to go. Why didn’t you just stop me then? I would’ve come straight home if you said so.”
Hailou was confused: “But didn’t you want to go? That’s why I said yes, so you’d have social interaction…”
Shen Yuan sat down on the sofa with the baby, tears streaming.
Hailou panicked, frantically grabbing tissues: “Why are you crying? Didn’t I just chase off those troublemakers? What suddenly happened? Don’t cry, my little treasure.”
Shen Yuan sobbed: “I feel… I can’t balance…”
“Balance what?” Hailou asked.
“Study and life,” Shen Yuan choked out.
Hailou paused.
Tears flowing, Shen Yuan continued: “I have no right to say anything… even with you and the baby here, I can’t find time to bond. I hardly take care of the child. Am I… inherently selfish?”
“I insisted on having this child, but now I can’t manage… all my lessons seem wasted. I’m not ready to be a parent.”
“I… I even feel jealous… jealous of my own baby. You’re always around him, not paying as much attention to me. I know it’s wrong, I shouldn’t be petty, but I can’t help it.”
“You’ve treated me so well, and I’m still not satisfied… I’m taking too much, being unfair.”
Shen Yuan hesitated: “Qiao… maybe I should take a leave from school, stay home and help with the baby, then return to study later.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Hailou grabbed his hand, wiping his tears: “You’re getting more delicate—blame me for spoiling you.”
“It’s my fault… I just wanted to ease your burden, let you study properly, but I only made things worse.”
Shen Yuan looked confused: “But it’s not your fault… it’s me being petty…”
Hailou shook his head: “No, it’s my fault.”
“You’re only twenty, still so young. Normally you’d be studying, playing, living your life. Not tied down so early.”
“I did wrong to bind you to family life this soon. I feel guilty. After we married, there was no wedding, no honeymoon, just paperwork. I wanted to compensate, to take on childcare, so you could live and learn like other twenty-year-olds.”
“That… was a grave mistake.”
“You’re a father now. Regardless of age or reason, I shouldn’t have stopped you from being a dad.”
Shen Yuan felt even worse—he hadn’t been at fault, yet Hailou took responsibility. “I slacked off. With you caring for the baby, I couldn’t resist.”
He didn’t know when he stopped crying. Hailou smiled: “Crying like a little kitten. You slack off, I spoil you—my fault too.”
“It’s my fault…” Shen Yuan insisted, blaming himself: “I get envious seeing them go out. I feel immature.”
Hailou glanced at the baby. Milk drunk, wide-eyed, he watched the two fathers squabble.
Hailou covered the baby’s eyes, kissed Shen Yuan on the lips. Shen Yuan blushed.
“Are your arms tired? I’ll hold him.” Hailou asked.
Shen Yuan handed over the baby: “So tired.”
Hailou teased: “You little ungrateful thing, now you know how exhausting childcare is? Don’t you care for me a bit more?”
Shen Yuan hugged Hailou’s broad shoulders: “Let me take the baby sometimes.”
Hailou laughed: “Okay, then you’ll see how tiring it is.”
They arranged a childcare schedule, giving Shen Yuan slightly fewer days due to school, but it wasn’t all on Hailou anymore.
The next day, Shen Yuan prepared to take the baby to school, which allowed children on campus.
He packed everything, pushed the stroller out. Hailou didn’t go, worried: “Call me if anything happens, okay?”
Shen Yuan nodded nervously: “Okay.”
Little Peanut, unaware, smiled at his dad, thinking it was playtime.
Hailou, fretting, watched his eldest head out with the little one, heart pounding. Shen Yuan was young and inexperienced; Hailou feared he might lose the baby.
Unable to calm himself, Hailou borrowed clothes from security, put on black-rimmed glasses, and sneaked into Shen Yuan’s school to watch how he managed childcare alone.