Chenchen emerged from her room, falling into step beside him on his right. Towering at 188cm, he dwarfed her, accentuating her petite frame. Walking this close, she caught his scent – cedar, spice, and something uniquely sharp. It was the same scent from five years ago, when their paths had fatefully tangled.
Why this absurd nostalgia? Chenchen wondered, frustrated with herself. Once, she'd burned with hatred for the man who'd gotten her pregnant, concocting countless fantasies of revenge. Yet now… he seemed far less odious than she'd imagined.
Silence stretched between them as they entered the nursery. Dabai sat cross-legged on the rug, fiercely concentrating on the scattered pieces of an airplane model – a gift from Leng Fei, now thoroughly disassembled. He didn't glance up as the adults entered.
Bai Yeqing lowered himself silently beside the boy. When Dabai hesitated, frowning over a stubborn piece, the President wordlessly extended the correct component, his long finger tapping the connection point once. Dabai's eyes widened in understanding.
"You know how?" Dabai asked, turning.
"A little," Bai Yeqing conceded. His childhood training had covered far more than models. "Model assembly is basic. Someday, I can teach you weaponry. Firearms, perhaps. Or more intricate systems. Interested?"
"Absolutely not!" Chenchen interjected immediately, alarm flaring. "Far too dangerous!"
"I love it!" Dabai's dark eyes sparked with intense fascination, all traces of his earlier tantrum vanishing. "When can we start, Dad?"
"Once you master these," Bai Yeqing replied, effortlessly lifting the boy onto his lap. "Then, whenever you like."
"These are easy! Tomorrow?" Dabai bounced with anticipation.
"No," Chenchen insisted firmly. "Not tomorrow. Not ever."
"Tomorrow it is," Bai Yeqing countered smoothly, ruffling his son's hair.
"Dad's the BEST!" Dabai crowed, planting a loud, smacking kiss on his father's cheek.
A rare, almost imperceptible warmth softened Bai Yeqing's usually stern features.
"..." Chenchen sat forgotten on the edge of the rug, watching the effortless bond forming before her eyes. So now I'm invisible? The thought was a sting. If it's like this now... what happens when Song Weiyi becomes his wife? The image of the three of them – President, First Lady, Heir – forming a perfect unit, while she stood forever outside, sent a wave of bleak loneliness crashing over her. Quietly, she rose to slip away.
"Mom!"
Dabai's voice halted her. She turned.
"Dad promised to sleep here with me tonight!" His face glowed with pure joy.
"That's… wonderful," Chenchen managed, glancing at Bai Yeqing. Father-son bonding was crucial.
"Now you have to promise too!" Dabai declared, pointing at her. "Sleep here with me tonight!"
Chenchen blinked. "Dabai, that's impossible. Your bed only fits one." There wasn't even a couch.
Dabai's face crumpled. "All the other kids get Mommy and Daddy sleeping with them," he whispered, his voice thick. "Only poor Dabai never gets both. And…" He sniffled with a pitiful wobble, tears welling. "When Dad marries someone else… you'll never both be here with me… Ever again."
His small, trembling plea tore at Chenchen's heart. Years of absence, the weight of what Dabai had missed… it was a shared guilt. But agreeing? Sharing a bed with him? Impossible! She shot a desperate, pleading look at Bai Yeqing, certain he would refuse the absurd request.
He met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Agree to it," he stated calmly.
"What?" Chenchen choked, certain she'd misheard.
He set Dabai down and stood. "Get settled," he instructed, his tone matter-of-fact. "I'll return after a shower."
"..." Chenchen felt dizzy. As he strode past her towards the door, she scurried after him, voice dropping to a frantic whisper. "Sir! How can you possibly—"
"We've slept together before," he stated flatly, turning just enough to pin her with a look of utter calm. "Be reasonable."
He disappeared. Chenchen stood frozen, his words echoing – We've slept together before – delivered with such infuriating, pragmatic nonchalance. Reasonable? How?!
As Dabai tugged her towards the small bed, she clung to the desperate hope that his "later" meant "never." Otherwise, sleep was a lost cause.
"Mom, your face is all red!" Dabai observed, his warm little body squirming onto the bed beside her, a small finger poking her flushed cheek.
"Is it?" Chenchen stammered, touching her skin defensively. "Just… warm."
"And you and Dad already slept together?" Dabai's eyes were wide with innocent curiosity. "Why didn't you take me?"
"..." Chenchen nearly groaned. Oh, you were definitely included, little bean. "It's… complicated for kids," she mumbled.
"Mom?" Dabai snuggled closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, eyes shining with a sudden, hopeful idea. "If you sleep together again tonight… will you make another baby?"
Chenchen's jaw slackened. Another baby?!
"Maybe?" Dabai pressed, oblivious to the atomic blush detonating on his mother's face. "If you make a new baby, Dad won't marry that other lady!"
Make a baby... as a scheme? Chenchen fought the urge to sink through the floor. "Babies aren't made just... just by sleeping together, Dabai," she managed weakly.
"Then how?" Dabai's eyes were enormous pools of genuine curiosity. His nursery teacher had been very clear: sleeping with girls made babies! "What else do you have to—?"
"Are these topics a regular bedtime discussion?"
The cool, dry voice sliced through the air. Bai Yeqing stood silhouetted in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He wore a simple black robe, its belt loosely tied. His gaze traveled from Dabai's earnest face to Chenchen's mortified one, one eyebrow arched in faint, unmistakable amusement.
Chenchen's cheeks flamed so hot she felt lightheaded. How much did he hear? Oh God, does he think I—?
"Dad!" Dabai bounced up, beaming. "Hurry! Get in! You sleep on the right, Mom sleeps in the middle, I'll sleep on the left!" With surprising agility for a little boy, he wiggled over Chenchen like a determined puppy, claiming the far left side of the cramped bed.
"Hey!" Chenchen protested weakly, too stunned to react properly. The middle?!
"Mom's the lady," Dabai explained seriously, settling in. "We men gotta protect her. Right, Dad?" He fixed the President with an expectant look.
He'll say no, Chenchen pleaded internally. He has to!
Bai Yeqing's gaze held hers for a heartbeat, a flicker of something unreadable – perhaps challenge, perhaps fleeting amusement – in their depths. Then he pushed off the doorframe and approached the bed with deliberate calm.
"None whatsoever," Bai Yeqing replied, his voice a low rumble. He pulled back the covers on the right side with unnerving pragmatism.