The Things We Don’t Say at Night

“……I’m not.”

Ning Shixue’s cheeks flushed red to the point of bleeding.
No one had ever called him that before.

Xie Zhaozhou’s voice was deep and cool, but his tone carried a lazy, teasing charm, as if he were deliberately messing with him.
He drew out the two words, and Ning Shixue was almost embarrassed into anger.

Xie Yaoyao hadn’t expected Big Daddy to agree so readily.
He hugged Ning Shixue’s leg, his chubby face rubbing against it, circling around him.
“Baby, baby.”

Hehe, baby.

Ning Shixue’s naturally moist peach blossom eyes were now misty with embarrassment.
It was too late to cover Xie Yaoyao’s mouth.
His toes curled with mortification, head bowed, unable to face anyone.

Well, a lifetime passes quickly anyway.

“Let’s go.”
Xie Zhaozhou stared at the tips of his fair, flushed ears, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

Xie Yaoyao raised his little arms, plump like lotus roots, fluttering around like a little butterfly.

Only Ning Shixue was hurt in this scenario.
He went back to sleep for a while, refusing to get up no matter how the chubby kid pushed him.
It wasn’t until He Lin came to pick up Miaomiao that Ning Shixue finally rolled out of bed, put on his clothes, and went with them to breakfast.

The program team was leaving the village today.
That morning, the village head had prepared various farm-style dishes for them, including steamed flower buns made at home.
Xie Yaoyao kicked his little feet, clutching a flower bun with his chubby little hand, and asked Ning Shixue,
“This, what is it?”

“A bun.”
Ning Shixue said.

Xie Yaoyao’s little face was blank.
“What is, bun?”

“It’s a kind of steamed bread.”
Ning Shixue explained again.

Xie Yaoyao still couldn’t understand.
The steamed bread he usually ate was round and white.

Why was this one all colorful?

Ji Xiao was sitting opposite him, also gnawing on half a flower bun.
Xie Yaoyao perked up like a puppy and suddenly noticed him.
He blinked and stared at Ji Xiao.

Ji Xiao was timid by nature.
Under Xie Yaoyao’s gaze, he clutched his bun and didn’t dare take another bite.

“Xie Xingxing,”
Ning Shixue called, noticing Ji Xiao’s pale little face from the corner of his eye.
“Don’t stare at other kids.”

But Xie Yaoyao pattered over to Ji Xiao instead.
He sat down next to him and asked in his milky voice,
“Little Mantou, you eat steamed bread, you no hurt?”

It was the first time he’d seen a little mantou eating mantou.

“…”
Ji Xiao hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered the courage to clarify.
He said quietly,
“I called Little Tangyuan.”

Xie Yaoyao was even more confused.
When had Little Mantou changed his name?
He hadn’t known at all.

And he still thought Little Mantou sounded tastier.

The bullet comments were dying of laughter.

[Little Tangyuan: Do you have any manners?]

[Baby, you’re two little geniuses. If you’re called Little Tangyuan, eating mantou won’t hurt?]

[Now I’m curious if Xiaoxiao eats tangyuan. Director, arrange it sometime. doge]

Xie Yaoyao only dwelled on it for a moment.
Ning Shixue suddenly started eating some meat, and he crowded over, tilting his soft face up, waiting to be fed.

Ning Shixue gave him a small rib.
Xie Yaoyao hugged it and gnawed a few times, then said worriedly,
“Big Daddy, no eat.”

Only then did Ning Shixue remember.
Xie Zhaozhou had driven them to the village, and he hadn’t even asked him to stay for a meal.

“Big Daddy probably eats at the company,”
Ning Shixue said.

“It’s fine,”
He Lin smiled, avoiding the cameras as he spoke to them.
“Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t like eating with people. That’s why he left when there were too many people here.”

The bullet comments were full of questions.

[??? Did President Xie come last night?]

[Dammit, why didn’t the program team livestream it?]

[Sniff, I missed my wife’s husband. How are you going to compensate me?! @programteam]

Ji Qing was also startled.

What was going on? He hadn’t seen anyone at all.

Last night, Xie Zhaozhou had gone directly to the guest passage, and then left before dawn.
Many program staff hadn’t seen him, let alone Ji Qing.

Ji Qing could only suppress his shock and suspicion.

After breakfast, Ning Shixue took Xie Yaoyao to the tailor shop to pick up the little hat.

The old man didn’t have a phone.
Before Ning Shixue got his IV last night, he had asked someone to tell the village head to inform the old man not to wait for them, as they might not make it back in time.

But the old man had still waited for them for hours and opened the shop very early today.

Jiang Yu went with them too.

“Look here, isn’t this exactly the same?”
The old man handed it to Xie Yaoyao with a beaming smile.

Xie Yaoyao’s big, dark eyes blinked, his fair cheeks flushed.
He lay in Ning Shixue’s arms, clutching the little hat and feeling it.
There was no trace it had ever been damaged.

After Ning Shixue paid, his poverty worsened.

Jiang Yu’s face was tanned from the sea.
He mustered his courage and apologized to Ning Shixue and Xie Yaoyao.
“Sorry. If I hadn’t fought with Erhu, it wouldn’t have gotten broken.”

“It’s not your fault,”
Ning Shixue’s eyelashes curved.
“Thank you, actually.”

Jiang Yu scratched his head, a little overwhelmed.
He was thin, a seven- or eight-year-old boy with slender wrists.
He pulled a large conch from his pocket and handed it to Xie Yaoyao.
“This is for you!”

“This, what is it?”
Xie Yaoyao’s eyes were blank as he took it with his little hand.

Jiang Yu puffed out his chest, missing a front tooth, his speech a bit lispy.
“This is the sea conch! If anyone bullies you, just blow into it and call me, and I’ll come right away with my brothers!”

“…”

Xie Yaoyao propped his chubby face in his hands and sighed.

Why was this gege so dumb?

He had already said he was the Sea King.
And Jiang Yu wasn’t even the Sea God.

Didn’t the Sea God listen to the Sea King?

If even the Sea King, Xie Yaoyao, got bullied, why would he need to call Jiang Yu?

But Xie Yaoyao didn’t discourage him.
The kindergarten teacher said little kids need encouragement.
He raised his soft little hand and patted Jiang Yu’s shoulder, his milky voice mature.
“Okay.”

[Sniff, I’m suddenly a little sad. I wanted to see Big Brother take care of the kids more.]

[Where is the program team going for the next episode?]

[I heard it’s a snowy mountain?]

Xie Yaoyao raised his children’s smartwatch and left his number for Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu also told him his mother’s phone number.

The guests were leaving the village in the afternoon.
The kids all gathered to play together.
Ning Shixue, wrapped in a blanket, played games for a while.
Feeling a bit stuffy, he decided to take a walk in the village.

He didn’t let the cameraman follow.

Walking down an alley, something suddenly bumped into his calf.
He turned around.
Erhu was holding a slingshot aimed at him, this time at his head.

But meeting Ning Shixue’s icy gaze, Erhu trembled all over and lost his nerve.
He turned to run.

He was the little tyrant of the village.
Many kids had been beaten up by him.
He could fight and run fast.
Ning Shixue was just a sickly weakling.
He thought Ning Shixue definitely couldn’t catch him.
But as soon as he lifted his leg, someone grabbed him by the collar.

He didn’t even know how Ning Shixue had caught up.

Many people in this village grew flowers.
Wang Guilan’s family grew roses, which they transported down the mountain to sell early each morning.

Erhu had stolen a few branches to play with.
Then he suddenly spotted Ning Shixue.
Still nursing a grudge about his ruined sandcastle, he had snuck over to hit him.
Now even the flowers had fallen to the ground.

Ning Shixue bent down and picked them up for him.

Then placed them in his hands.

His skin was pale, his dark hair falling at his neck.
He looked cold all over.
But those beautiful peach blossom eyes curved, his voice very gentle as he said,
“If I catch you bullying anyone again, I’ll stuff these flowers into your mouth, one by one.”

He looked like a demon, not a living person.

…

The village head was still at Wang Guilan’s house, trying to persuade her to apologize to the program team.
Wang Guilan was actually scared too, but she also felt her son had been wronged.
She held out, refusing to go.

Then Erhu suddenly ran back, looking like he’d seen a ghost.
His eyes were swollen; he’d clearly been crying.
He tugged desperately at Wang Guilan’s hand, trying to make her go apologize with him.

“You little brat!”
Wang Guilan scolded him.
“What do you want?!”

But she went anyway.
However, Ning Shixue wouldn’t see them.
Xie Yaoyao was still playing and ignored them too.
So they could only go find the director and apologize.

The director was exasperated.
“Forget it, forget it.”

This village had invited the program team to film the parenting show to help raise funds for building an elementary school.
Now they didn’t have enough money and needed to attract investment.
Luckily, the incident hadn’t blown up too much, or it could have affected things.

Afternoon arrived.
It was time to part ways.
The next episode would start filming in three days.

Adults didn’t think much of it.
But for the little kids, it felt like being separated for three years.

The children all held hands in a circle, just like during the first episode’s recording.
Finally, they added each other as friends on their smartwatches.
Only then did they part, reluctant to leave.

“Huh?”
He Miao asked, puzzled.
“Little Tangyuan, what happened to your forehead?”

Xie Yaoyao guiltily scratched his chubby cheek.

There was a red dot painted on Ji Xiao’s forehead, like on the flower buns.
There were also two on his cheeks.

He thought the reason flower buns had red dots was because they were pretty.
He wanted to make Little Mantou pretty too.

Ji Xiao actually hadn’t objected, because he also thought it was pretty.
But if he painted Xie Yaoyao instead, it would probably be even prettier.

The two kids had reached an agreement on aesthetics.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Ning Shixue gave Ji Xiao a pack of wet wipes.
When it was time to wipe it off, he could wipe his own face.

Ji Xiao didn’t have a watch.
He gave everyone the little fish he had caught yesterday.
Then, clutching his little black pig plushie, he got into the company’s car with Ji Qing and left.

Ning Shixue and Xie Yaoyao arrived home in the evening.
The old butler came out to greet them, smile lines appearing at the corners of his eyes.
“Young Master Ning and Little Young Master are back. Go eat dinner first.”

“Mm,”
Ning Shixue responded.

Xie Yaoyao put his little hat and star plushie on his little bed before coming down to eat.

After dinner, the old butler handed Ning Shixue a card, his face full of smiles.
“Young Master Ning, Master asked me to give this to you. He hopes you’ll take the Little Young Master to buy some clothes tomorrow.

“The remaining money on the card is yours to use freely.”

The old butler was also following the parenting show.
This Young Master Ning was indeed different from before.
He no longer felt nervous around Ning Shixue, and there was some comfort in his heart.

He used to be the butler for Old Master Xie at the old residence.
Xie Zhaozhou had been raised by him since childhood.

To him, Xie Zhaozhou was like his own child.

He had no standing to oppose this arranged marriage.
But now that Ning Shixue had changed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ning Shixue took the card, puzzled.

Shengxing Entertainment was under the Xie Group.
As an entertainment company, it had partnerships with many fashion brands.

Xie Yaoyao’s wardrobe was packed with clothes, all sent by brands each quarter.
He didn’t need to buy any at all.

But Ning Shixue didn’t think much of it.

Anyway, if Xie Zhaozhou told him to go, he would go.

Besides, he was already worried.
The next episode’s filming location was up north, where it snowed all year round.
But the original host’s winter clothes were all at the Ning residence.
If he went dressed as he was now, he’d freeze to death.

Otherwise, he’d have to go back to the Ning residence.

Just thinking about it was a hassle.

Xie Zhaozhou probably wouldn’t mind him buying a pair of pants, right?

That night, Ning Shixue was hiding under the covers playing games when the bedroom door was pushed open by a chubby little hand.
He looked up and saw Xie Yaoyao standing hesitantly at the door.

“What’s wrong?”
Ning Shixue raised an eyebrow.

“Baba,”
Xie Yaoyao ran over, resting his soft chin on the edge of the bed, his face flushed, his little mouth puckered into a trumpet shape.
“I want sleep with you.”

Ning Shixue hadn’t even heard Xie Yaoyao call him ‘baba’ on the show.
Last night, when Xie Yaoyao grabbed his pants, he thought he was calling for Xie Zhaozhou.
Now he was momentarily stunned.

“What did you call me?”
Ning Shixue lay on his pillow, eyes curving mischievously as he asked him.

Xie Yaoyao pouted, but he needed something now, so he obediently said,
“Baba.”

Ning Shixue actually would have preferred him to call him ‘gege.’
He was only twenty-one, didn’t even have a boyfriend.
He couldn’t quite accept suddenly becoming a dad.
But ‘baba’ was fine.

Xie Yaoyao finally climbed onto the bed.
He burrowed under Ning Shixue’s covers, his eyes sparkling.

His little short legs couldn’t help kicking.

He didn’t remember what it was like sleeping with his mom.
Big Daddy wouldn’t sleep with him.
The butler grandpa snored.
At home, this was the first time someone was sleeping with him.

Xie Yaoyao burrowed around under the covers.
Ning Shixue continued playing the game he had downloaded that evening.

He hadn’t even been playing for half an hour.

Xie Yaoyao suddenly raised his little hand and pressed it against the screen.
His milky voice was serious.
“It’s already half past ten. Baby should sleep now, or won’t, grow tall.”

“I’m already an adult. I need a nightlife,”
Ning Shixue hugged his game console, arguing his case.

Xie Yaoyao looked blank.
“What is, nightlife?”

“…”
Ning Shixue could only lie on his pillow and tell him,
“It’s something you can’t have yet.”

“Does Big Daddy have a nightlife?”
Xie Yaoyao imitated him, lying on his pillow, his fair cheeks squished up.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Good question.

The original novel hadn’t mentioned it.
Actually, Ning Shixue was a little curious too.
Did Xie Zhaozhou have lovers outside?

He didn’t care, just a little curious.

Ning Shixue hesitated.
“Probably.”

Xie Yaoyao looked at him pleadingly.
“When baby grows up, can he also, have nightlife?”

Ning Shixue: “…”

Should he have it or not?

He didn’t dare make promises lightly.
Harassed by the questions, he had no choice but to put down his game and sleep.

Ning Shixue slept restlessly.
In the middle of the night, Xie Yaoyao ended up in his arms.
He had a dream.
He dreamed he was still a very little baby, and his mom was holding him while he slept.

His little belly was hungry, so his mom fed him.

Ning Shixue woke up groggily.
He finally opened his eyes and felt something was wrong.
His chest hurt.
He looked down and was startled, the tips of his fair ears instantly reddening.

“…”

Help.
Someone save him.

Ning Shixue pinched Xie Yaoyao’s little cheek to make him let go, then got up to change his clothes.

Xie Yaoyao had no idea what had happened.
He woke up, rubbed his eyes.
His mom was gone, and so was the food.
The baby just couldn’t bear this injustice.

When Xie Yaoyao got up, Ning Shixue took him to the mall.

Xie Yaoyao had probably been here before with the old butler.
He knew the way better than Ning Shixue.
They went to the children’s clothing section.
Ning Shixue didn’t know what to buy, so he let Xie Yaoyao choose for himself.

He played on his phone outside, waiting.
After a while, the sales assistant pulled back the curtain with a bright smile.

Xie Yaoyao ran out wearing a brightly colored dress.

Ning Shixue’s vision darkened: “…”

Xie Yaoyao fluttered around him like a little butterfly.
Then he raised his chubby little arms and confidently asked Ning Shixue,
“Pretty or not pretty?”

Ning Shixue said tactfully,
“Very pretty, but maybe change into another one.”

Could he have some of that confidence?

Finally, after Xie Yaoyao finished choosing, Ning Shixue went downstairs to buy himself a pair of jeans and a down jacket.
Then he took Xie Yaoyao home.

He sent Xie Zhaozhou a message.

– [snow: Bought them, Teacher Xie. Sea otter rubbing cheeks.jpg]

* * * *

Xie Zhaozhou had attended a summit that day.
It ended at noon.
He only saw Ning Shixue’s message when he reached the parking lot.
Half-lowering his eyes, he lit a cigarette and asked Song Li,
“What did he buy?”

The red tip of the cigarette glowed briefly in his fingers before fading.

Song Li stepped forward.

Xie Yaoyao had picked out clothes, and Ning Shixue had bought them all.
They cost tens of thousands.
Then he bought himself a pair of jeans for a little over a hundred, and a down jacket on sale for a little over five hundred.

“Besides that,”
Song Li hesitated, unsure if he should mention it.
“And some in-game purchases.”

Xie Zhaozhou’s brow immediately furrowed.

He knew Ning Shixue was out of money.
That’s why he’d given him money to buy clothes.
But he also wanted to test, one last time, if Ning Shixue had really changed.
Ning Shixue hadn’t played games before.
When he spent money on games before, it was always for Xie Hanzhou.

Was he relapsing?

Xie Zhaozhou’s expression turned cold, an inexplicable irritation rising in his heart.
“Go on. What game?”

“…”
Song Li’s expression was somewhat strange, but he had to steel himself and, suppressing his embarrassment, said,
“Baby Sea Otter Beta’s Total Transformation, six-yuan new player pack.”

Xie Zhaozhou: “…”

A crack appeared in Xie Zhaozhou’s dark expression.
He repeated, incredulously,
“What?”

“It’s a dress-up game. The main character is a little sea otter named Beta,”
Song Li was also baffled.
“The pack…”

“Enough,”
Xie Zhaozhou interrupted him, his head aching.
Then he pressed his lips together and said,
“You go over there later.”

* * * *

Ning Shixue and Xie Yaoyao went to see the Forest Bunny Police movie that afternoon.
When they got home in the evening, several bags were piled on the sofa.

The old butler told him,
“Assistant Song brought these over just now. They’re for you.”

Ning Shixue bent down to open them, and his eyes widened in surprise.

It was a long white down jacket, and several sweaters.
The price tags were still on them, shockingly expensive.

At the very bottom were also a pair of jeans.

Song Li wouldn’t suddenly bring him clothes without being told.
It must have been Xie Zhaozhou’s instruction.

Ning Shixue bit his lip.
He tried on the down jacket.
The tip of his pale chin was buried in it.
The size was perfect.
And he had to admit, it was much warmer than the one he’d bought.

The old butler sighed heavily at the opportune moment.

“…”
Ning Shixue asked,
“Uncle Chen, what’s wrong?”

The old butler’s expression was heavy.
“Madam, Master hasn’t been home for three days.”

Ning Shixue: “… If you have something to say, just say it directly.”

The old butler wanted him to take dinner to Xie Zhaozhou that night.
The food was already packed in containers.
Ning Shixue didn’t mind.
He also needed to return the card to Xie Zhaozhou.

As soon as Xie Yaoyao heard they could go see Big Daddy, he got excited, bouncing up and down.

He had never been to see Big Daddy before.

The driver took them there.

The sky gradually darkened.
Yan City’s lights were brilliant.
The Xie Group’s skyscraper stood tall against the night sky.

When Ning Shixue arrived, Xie Zhaozhou was still in a meeting.
He and Xie Yaoyao waited in Xie Zhaozhou’s office.

Last night, he had downloaded a dress-up game.
Now he was a bit addicted to it.
Xie Yaoyao was wearing his little overalls again today.
He dressed the little sea otter in overalls and a little hat too.

The little sea otter had soft cheeks and a round belly.
It looked cute in anything.

Xie Yaoyao lay beside him, his eyes wide.
“This little doggy, wearing same as me.”

“This is a sea otter,”
Ning Shixue said.

“Otter otter, can turn into baby?”
Xie Yaoyao had never seen such a magical sea otter.

Ning Shixue changed it into a simple T-shirt and jeans, just like what he was wearing now.

Xie Yaoyao’s chubby face was full of shock.

What was happening? The baby was a sea otter monster!

Ning Shixue continued changing outfits.
He didn’t know what to pair together, so he searched for Xie Zhaozhou’s movie posters and copied the looks one by one.
Finally, he chose a little black suit and paired it with a dark blue tie.

Just like what Xie Zhaozhou had worn last night.

“!!!”

Big Daddy was also a sea otter monster!

Where Ning Shixue couldn’t see, Xie Yaoyao’s eyes reddened like a little rabbit’s.
Tears were about to fall.

Was he not the Sea King?
Was he not Sirius?

Was he actually a sea otter monster too?

This was way too scary.
The baby just couldn’t accept it.

Ning Shixue was absorbed in the game.
He didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching from behind.
Until he instinctively tensed up, turned around, and met Xie Zhaozhou’s dark, unreadable eyes.

Ning Shixue: “…”

“…What are you doing?”
Xie Zhaozhou looked down, caught a glimpse of the sea otter in the suit, and felt personally offended.

Xie Zhaozhou bought him clothes, and he was here, playing around with Xie Zhaozhou’s image.

Ning Shixue glanced at the screen, then looked up at Xie Zhaozhou pleadingly.
He swallowed and said very quietly,
“Probably… biting the hand that feeds me.”

Xie Zhaozhou: “…”