The formidable Qiao Hailou had suddenly vanished from the public eye after getting married, leaving many people stunned. Honestly, no one could understand why he would hand over the company just because he tied the knot. Before this, it had been impossible to tell that Qiao Hailou was the type who loved people more than power or prestige.
And that marriage was only the beginning—what followed was even stranger.
Months—or maybe a year—later, no one could recall exactly, Qiao Hailou suddenly shared a photo of his baby. The little one was smiling, utterly adorable, with flawless, rosy skin, large dark eyes, and soft black hair. Dressed in a green dinosaur onesie, he could have easily been mistaken for a model in a baby product advertisement.
Caption: “My son, Little Peanut.”
The comments section immediately exploded:
- “Old Qiao, you’ve been gone half a year and already have a son???”
- “Such a beautiful little gentleman, looks smart too.”
- “Congratulations, boss!!!”
- “Why call him Little Peanut?”
- “Old Qiao, are you really going to stay home and raise him?”
- “How old is he? I’m waiting for the full-month celebration!”
Qiao Hailou replied: “Yes, I’ve retired and plan to stay home with the baby [smile].”
But no one actually believed him. What kind of joke was this? Qiao Hailou was wealthy, influential, and only thirty-seven—far too young to retire.
Though he announced the birth of his son, he didn’t make a big show of it. He had wanted to hold a celebration, but Shen Yuan’s side made it complicated, and the baby was delicate; he didn’t want outsiders around. Perhaps the first birthday would be celebrated together later. While the full-month party didn’t happen, Hailou still gave the entire company 4.2 million yuan, giving each employee a red envelope.
So yes, the child was real—but no one believed he had truly retired to stay home. Those who knew Qiao Hailou suspected he was plotting something, maybe hiding a bigger plan.
In truth, Qiao Hailou really had settled into domestic life. Every day, he took care of the child himself, without hiring a nanny.
He bought a quiet new home near Shen Yuan’s school—just a five-minute drive—so Shen Yuan could come home easily after class.
Cooking, cleaning, gardening, and driving were all handled by staff. Hailou spent his days with the baby. When Shen Yuan returned from school, Hailou continued caring for the child. Shen Yuan was busy with homework, after all.
Ever since enrolling, Shen Yuan’s schedule had been packed: classes, assignments, school visits, art exhibitions, social activities. Foreign schools looked easy on the surface, but the workload was intense. Even Shen Yuan, who had occasionally felt tired in his earlier school days, now managed everything with energy, likely because Hailou had taken care of all the mundane tasks. Shen Yuan could focus entirely on pursuing his career.
When he returned from school, Hailou would bring the baby over, letting Shen Yuan interact with him, share stories from the day.
Shen Yuan never took Hailou’s efforts for granted. Though he couldn’t fully express gratitude—if he did, Hailou would have a smug smile stretching to the sky—he became noticeably gentler toward him. Reflecting on the pregnancy and past events, he shivered at how reckless he had been, like possessed.
Shen Yuan even sincerely apologized once: “Thank you for putting up with me. I was really difficult before.”
Hailou smiled. “What’s there to apologize for? You’ve always been a bit dramatic.”
Shen Yuan insisted, “I’m not that dramatic! Don’t say that. At my new school, I’m known as a gentleman… If I’m being difficult, it’s all because of Little Peanut. He influenced me.”
Little Peanut didn’t understand what his father was saying, but he perked up at the mention of his name, grinning and giggling like a little fool.
When he was born, Little Peanut had red, wrinkly skin. Hailou had worried he wouldn’t be cute, but as the baby grew, his skin brightened, he gained weight, and finally looked adorable.
The child was unmistakably theirs. His large eyes mirrored Shen Yuan’s. With Shen Yuan’s innocent, gentle expression passed down, Little Peanut radiated pure, soft charm.
Because the baby resembled Shen Yuan, Hailou loved him even more, caring for him willingly and patiently.
Hailou teased: “You’re just taking advantage of Little Peanut’s innocence, shifting blame to your own son. Shameless, huh?”
Shen Yuan blushed, deflecting: “Today I submitted the illustrations I drew for Little Peanut as homework, explained them to the teacher, and even got praised.”
Hailou, holding the baby, also reached out to pat Shen Yuan’s head: “Well done, huh?”
Shen Yuan, a little proud, said: “I’m an honor student, after all.”
He added his former crew’s WeChat, saw that the drama’s airing date had been announced, with photos of the cast wearing the jewelry he had designed. Shen Yuan felt a strong sense of accomplishment.
The drama’s release had been hard-won: four months of filming, six months of post-production, multiple delays for approval, finally securing a slot. Promotion would follow, though he wasn’t directly involved. Shen Yuan hoped that if the show succeeded, it might bring more design commissions, helping him build his portfolio, fame, and connections.
While thinking this, he received an invitation to a variety show, arranged by the drama crew. The show had two themes: promoting the drama and featuring industry elites. They thought Shen Yuan could be included for additional exposure.
Shen Yuan hesitated and asked Hailou for advice.
Without hesitation, Hailou said: “Go. Why not?”
Shen Yuan modestly replied: “You can’t just think I’m an industry elite because I talk myself up, right? I work behind the scenes. Should I really stand under the spotlight?”
Hailou laughed: “I think you can. Even if not yet, you’re a future industry elite. Isn’t that great? Dumb one, you’re younger than me, but why act so conservative? These days, front stage or backstage doesn’t matter—exposure is money.”
“Once you establish your name, launching your brand later will save an unimaginable amount on promotion, marketing, and publicity. It’s a very worthwhile investment.”
“So, why not take the opportunity?”