Shen Yuan was more than relieved to see these little cubs. He felt like he had just dodged a bullet there, so his smile was simply the best and the kindest arch he had ever made in the thousands of years of his life.
"Oh, did your batteries run out of juices now? Grab some cakes to replenish your energy, boys. But don’t eat too much because the barbeque is coming," Shen Yuan enthusiastically stood up and went to wipe his son’s sweat with a clean face towel.
One would think he was just a caring and thoughtful father, but the adults knew better.
The other parents eyed Shen Yuan with a timid but smug smile. They all know that Shen Yuan was avoiding the topic they are discussing about Bai Tingfeng.
"How cute," Song Yongnian commented, to which Shen Yuan responded with a playful eye roll.
"Hahaha!" The boys’ dad and mom laughed amusedly at Shen Yuan’s reaction. They didn’t know that the new S-Class awakener everyone is raving about was actually this adorable.
Like Shen Yuan, they all went to their respective children and personally took care of their sweaty sons. And since the boys needed some refreshments, the parents also served glasses of fresh orange juice and some light snacks for the boys to munch on.
Peaceful and full of love. That image is vividly painted in the garden of the Bai-Shen couple. The celestial fox spirit was satisfied with what he was seeing. The smiles of innocent children were simply the best sight he could ever see. It’s next to his favorite scenes of cherry blossoms in full bloom and Bai Tingfeng’s naked body.
Shen Yuan was busy assisting Yanyan in getting some osmanthus cake that the boy liked when suddenly, Yanyan pulled his pants and signaled with his tiny hand that he needed to whisper something.
"What is it?" Shen Yuan asked, slightly crouching to lend his ears.
"Daddy, when will we cook the barbeque come?" Yanyan whispered. The five-year-old boy’s voice was as soft as the feather down that tickled Shen Yuan’s ears.
"Why do you rather want to meat now instant of cake?"
The boy shook his head, "No, Daddy. But can we help you cook the barbeque?"
Shen Yuan was silently wondering what his son was up to, so he shot a look that asked Yanyan for an explanation.
Yanyan need not to be told.
"Daddy, it’s like this..." And Shen Yuan listened to the whisperings of his son. In the end, Shen Yuan was pleasantly surprised by what Yanyan told him.
"The intention is good, but you guys are too young to work around the grill. Nor can you tolerate holding freshly cooked skewers with your two hands."
"But..." Yanyan tried to reason out with his daddy. His friends are relying on this to please their parents to let them visit their parent’s work. "That is the only way I know that adults will like. I saw Papa’s eyes light up whenever you prepared breakfast for us, and he always agreed to you whenever he looked at you like that."
"Huh?"
Bai Tingfeng is like that?!
To say that Shen Yuan was shocked that Yanyan could see through something he even missed on a good day was a massive understatement. This was the first time he realized how frightening Yanyan’s observation skill was!
The celestial fox spirit’s mouth is left ajar for half a minute.
If Yanyan managed to read his father’s moves and emotion, then how about him? Did Yanyan notice anything from him? He wanted to know, but there was something in him that was pulling him away because that was his Pandora’s box.
"Daddy?" Yanyan innocently tilted his head. Why is Daddy suddenly acting like this?
"I’m..." Shen Yuan uttered, finally breaking his petrification. He subconsciously gulped a mouthful of saliva. Why is he suddenly thirsty?
In the end, Shen Yuan temporarily lets it go. He leaned for a kiss on Yanyan’s forehead and decided to just go on his own path toward self-discovery. That’s the beauty of love and romance, anyway.
"Fine, but tell your friends that you’re not going to be a cook today. You guys are waiters. That is safer compared to handling fire."
"Okay, Daddy! Thanks! I’ll tell them to be your waiter once the barbeque starts," Yanyan beamed brightly, and with his jiggling baby ass, he ran towards his friends, whispering to them the good news.
Shen Yuan could hear the cheers of the cute, innocent kids, and Shen Yuan couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
At around three in the afternoon, Shen Yuan’s helpers paraded with the grill and the massive food containers where the thick meat cuts and vegetables are stored.
He stayed in Japan in his previous world for hundreds of years, and the thing that he missed most was, obviously, the Yakiniku.
"Barbeque!" The children almost danced upon casting a glance at the marbled meat of the boneless rib part of the wagyu beef. The cooking hasn’t started yet, but some hairy boys are drooling at the meat.
Of course, the parents are inevitably infected with their sons’ enthusiasm.
Like the other three guardians of the kids, Song Yongnian couldn’t hide his excitement, "Wow! A5 Wagyu Beef! Shen Yuan, where’s the chef who will grill this for us? Come on, let’s call him!"
Shen Yuan laughed a little as he stood up, "Well, you’re looking at your today’s chef."
Hearing this, everyone except the boys is surprised. They looked as if Shen Yuan stood before them, naked.
"You’re kidding us!" Qin Rong uttered with his hands on the center of his chest.
Shen Yuan looked at the disbelieving looks of the humans before him. What? Is that such a surprising thing? Or are they messing with him?
"No, Uncle Qin Rong! Daddy really knows how to cook! He is the one preparing us breakfast every day and he also cooked Papa his favorite sweet and sour pork!" Yanyan comes in to his Daddy’s rescue. The kid was passionate as when he speaks, he’s tapping his chest to convey his truthfulness.
Only with Yanyan’s testimony did the other showed signs of believing him.
"Wow!" Qin Rong exclaimed in awe. His face clearly shows that he was pleasantly surprised that Shen Yuan knows how to cook.
"This isn’t an insult, Shen Yuan, but I can’t really see you as someone who knows how to cook! I mean, look at you. You’re Shen Yuan, one of the top models in the world! I work in a fashion magazine, so I know best how hectic the schedule of models of your caliber is. You know, photoshoots, runway shows, fittings, and promotional events. Plus, traveling around the world."
Was that really hard to be a model? The celestial fox spirit wondered.
"Well, someone needs to do something out of their element to keep their sanity in that kind of schedule," Shen Yuan reasoned.
"Then, let us help you out," Yin Mingzhu stood up from his seat, but Shen Yuan immediately stopped her.
"No, just stay seated. You are my guests, so let me serve you," Shen Yuan flashed his charming dimples at the vulnerable humans before him. "No, that’s wrong. Let us serve you. Boys..."