He Drew Me as His Moon

Ning Shixue: “…” What a load of crap.

Xie Zhaozhou’s arm was still braced against the car door.
The tips of Ning Shixue’s ears were red enough to bleed.
His lips moved slightly, but he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he’d start cursing.
In the end, nothing came out.

“Why aren’t you talking?”
Xie Zhaozhou hadn’t let him go.
There seemed to be a hint of amusement hidden in his deep, dark eyes as he asked blandly,
“Weren’t you just now quite talkative?”

Xie Zhaozhou hadn’t expected Xie Junrong and the others to be so provoked that they’d throw decorum aside and openly turn on Ning Shixue.

At tonight’s family dinner, Xie’s father had invited people to discuss business, so there were also a few members of the Xie collateral branches present.
Otherwise, as soon as Ning Shixue arrived, Liao Yanwan would have surely brought up the variety show matter.

Out of concern for appearances, she had planned to wait until after the dinner to keep Ning Shixue behind.

Instead, she was angered into throwing a knife.

But it also gave Xie Zhaozhou an opportunity.

If Liao Yanwan stayed at the Xie residence, she would constantly try to fight for Xie Yaoyao’s custody.
It was indeed troublesome.
He had considered before finding a place for her to recuperate.

But doing it too conspicuously would be hard to explain to the Liao family.
He also had to carefully consider how this ‘treatment’ should be conducted and for how long.

Under Ning Shixue’s dark, disheveled hair, the tips of his cool, pale ears were bright red.
He held back for a long time, then stubbornly said,
“I talked just now because I’m naturally talkative.”

“Then why aren’t you talking now?”
Xie Zhaozhou, carrying that cold, sharp rose perfume scent, leaned in with interest and asked.

Ning Shixue pushed against his shoulder, annoyed.
“Can’t my personality change now?!”

Xie Zhaozhou: “…”

Ning Shixue got angry, and those beautiful eyes uncontrollably welled up with a watery sheen.
He pressed his lips together, staring at Xie Zhaozhou.
Then he saw Xie Zhaozhou lower his head and suddenly let out a muffled laugh.

Xie Yaoyao stood between Xie Zhaozhou and Ning Shixue.
He hugged both the baby’s and Big Daddy’s legs, tilted his little head up, and blinked his eyes rapidly a few times.

He stuffed his little head between Big Daddy’s and the baby’s legs, so his cheek could rub against both Big Daddy and the baby.

Xie Yaoyao felt there couldn’t possibly be a smarter kid than him.
He was just a little clever ghost.

Xie Zhaozhou suddenly laughed.
Even though it was only for a brief moment, and his voice was very low, Xie Yaoyao got excited too.
He bounced up and down.
What was Big Daddy talking about with the baby?

Why wasn’t he being told?

Actually, Xie Yaoyao was also very happy.
He finally didn’t have to sleep with Grandma.
Sleeping with Grandma always meant being held very tightly in the middle of the night.

He wanted to be with the baby.

Children are very sensitive, especially those from the Xie family.
Xie Yaoyao often complained to Big Daddy, but he knew some things were useless even if he complained.

Xie Zhaozhou needed him to do certain things.

Big Daddy had things Big Daddy had to do.
He also had things he had to do.
What he had to do was find a way to keep Grandma from getting angry.
Anyway, he only saw her once or twice at most.

But no one disliked this feeling of being protected.

Ning Shixue’s face burned under the laughter.
Only then did Xie Zhaozhou finally pick up Xie Yaoyao and place him in Ning Shixue’s arms.
Then he said softly,
“There are still things at the company tonight. You two go on back.”

His voice was deep.
When softened, it almost sounded gentle.

Xie Yaoyao was a solid little lead weight of a child.
His weight made Ning Shixue’s arms sink.
Ning Shixue looked up, meeting Xie Zhaozhou’s dark eyes.
He couldn’t help wanting to tell him to sleep early.
What if he ended up with mental problems like Liao Yanwan?

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he had no idea what Xie Zhaozhou might say next.

Finally, he just said dryly,
“Goodnight, Second Brother.”

“Goodnight.”
Xie Zhaozhou closed the car door for him.

Ning Shixue and Xie Yaoyao spent another two days at home, and then the variety show filming resumed.

This time, their filming location was in the northern city, a place with year-round snow, known as the Ice and Snow City.
Famous for its tourism, many variety show teams went there to film.

Besides the guests, there were also many program staff.
The director simply chartered a plane.
Everyone gathered at the airport and boarded together.

He Miao’s grandmother was Russian, so she often flew abroad.
But the other kids were flying for the first time.
Xie Yaoyao had never even left Yan City before.

Tang Haohao was full of excitement.
Even Tang He’an had to hold him down to fasten his seatbelt.

“What are you yelling about?”
Tang He’an couldn’t help scowling.

Tang Haohao clenched his chunky little fist.
“Daddy, when we fly up, can we find Tiga?”

Ultraman always descended from the sky.

He Miao was very experienced.
She could even fasten her own seatbelt and turned to teach Ji Xiao.
“Press this round button.”

Ji Xiao pressed his lips together, his little face tense.
He was a bit scared, but he still earnestly followed He Miao’s instructions.

Only Xie Yaoyao was busy sharing with Jiang Yu.
His profile was fair and soft as he said in his milky voice,
“We riding spaceship, going to find aliens!”

Xie Yaoyao couldn’t wait.
His little mind started wandering again.
When they flew up, he would see little monsters, and aliens that looked like little monsters.

Their flying saucer would fly over their little village.
Then Xie Yaoyao the Great Demon King would stand on the plane, holding a little monster in his left hand and an alien in his right.

Hehe, he was so awesome.

Ning Shixue: “…”

The alien is right beside you.

Finally, they took off.
An unfamiliar, uncomfortable sensation washed over them.
The kids quieted down considerably.
Xie Yaoyao also clutched a few of Ning Shixue’s fingers, his tears threatening to fall.

But he remembered that Ning Shixue didn’t really comfort him, so he could only hold back and squeeze his eyes shut.

Once the plane leveled out, Xie Yaoyao wasn’t scared anymore.
He turned to chat with He Miao and the others.
Ning Shixue put on his sleep mask, wrapped himself in a blanket, and planned to sleep on the plane.

Xie Yaoyao was originally wiggling his little bottom, talking to He Miao and the others about last night’s episode of Forest Bunny Police.
But when Ning Shixue fell asleep, his little head started to droop too.

He fell asleep halfway through.

He also had a dream.
He dreamed they were riding a spaceship and arrived in alien territory.

The aliens said to him,
“Brave Xie Yaoyao the Great Demon King, this is the gift we prepared for you.”

Xie Yaoyao pattered over and discovered it was a delicious-smelling big chicken drumstick.
Fried golden and crispy in breadcrumbs, sprinkled with cumin.
Even Little Mantou next to him was drooling with envy.

“But I’m still filming the variety show,”
Xie Yaoyao swallowed.
“Can this big chicken drumstick be taken away?”

A warm-hearted alien told him, of course it could.
As soon as you get off the spaceship, you’ll see the big chicken drumstick.

A few hours later, they arrived at the northern city airport.
Through the window, they could see the undulating snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Everything was a vast expanse of white.

Ning Shixue shook Xie Yaoyao’s little arm to wake him up and get him dressed.
Otherwise, the temperature would plummet as soon as they left the cabin.
He really didn’t know how to take care of a child.

If Xie Yaoyao got sick, it would be a headache.

He put on his sweater and the long white down jacket Xie Zhaozhou had given him.
He zipped it up, and the tip of his pale chin could be buried inside.
Only his coldly beautiful, slightly reddened eyes were visible.

He also wore a scarf and knitted gloves.
Fully armed.
You’d think he was going to the North Pole.

Xie Yaoyao woke up groggily.
He lifted his little hand to rub his eyes and, with Ning Shixue’s help, started putting on layers and layers of clothes.

Ning Shixue bundled him into a little white ball.

“Congratulations, guests, on arriving in the Northern City!”
the director announced with his loudspeaker.
“Time for the babies to set off!”

Xie Yaoyao’s eyes lit up.

Set off, set off.

Go find the big chicken drumstick!

The points ranking for the first three episodes was already out.
This time, the houses would be chosen in order of ranking.
The guests with higher rankings could choose first.
But the program team had also rented a small villa.
The guests would go back to their own places to sleep at night, but they could eat together at the villa during the day.

It snowed often in the northern city.
Their filming schedule could easily be disrupted.
If they really couldn’t go out, they could still film inside the villa.

The airport was still some distance from the villa.
Leaving the airport, they boarded the program team’s bus again.

“Teachers,”
the director brought out a few photos.
“Let’s choose our houses.”

The luxury hotel was too big; walking would be tiring.

Ning Shixue was committed to slacking off.

Second place was He Lin and He Miao.
They chose the luxury hotel.
Then Ji Qing and Ji Xiao went to the featured homestay.
Tang He’an took Tang Hao to the farm courtyard.

It wasn’t cold on the bus, but it wasn’t very warm either.
Ning Shixue’s fingertips were already icy cold when they left the airport.

His skin was naturally pale.
Now it held a hint of chill, like ice and snow.
He raised his hand and pressed his palm over his eyes, holding that pose.

He Miao had been chattering with Xie Yaoyao and the others.
She turned her head and couldn’t help asking curiously,
“Little Ning Gege, what are you doing?”

Ning Shixue moved his hand away and blinked at He Miao, talking nonsense.
“Keeping warm.”

[Baby, you look like a little sea otter.]

[Wifey’s hands are cold. Put them in my arms, I’ll warm them for you. Mangy dog holding a rose.jpg]

[President Xie: Already called the police, thank you.]

Sea otters have fur all over, but no fur on their paws.
When they feel cold, they cover their eyes or rub their furry faces to warm up.

The warming effect for humans obviously wasn’t as good.

But He Miao still raised her hand and covered her eyes like Little Ning Gege.
When she suddenly covered her eyes, Tang Haohao was completely confused.
But thinking it was fun, he covered his too.

For a moment, the bus was full of little sea otters.

[This is too cute. Can you blame me? I need to eat one little baby right now!!!]

Xie Yaoyao also raised his little hands to cover his eyes.
He secretly spread his two short, pale fingers apart and peeked at the baby through the gap.
He didn’t expect the baby to be peeking at him too.

“I caught you!”
Xie Yaoyao’s eyes sparkled as he pounced on Ning Shixue.

“Says who?”
Ning Shixue said lazily.
“Why isn’t it me catching you?”

Xie Yaoyao was a bit confused by the question.
Ning Shixue suddenly reversed their positions, grabbing his little arm.
His peach blossom eyes curved.
“Caught you.”

Xie Yaoyao felt like sighing again.
The baby was so childish.
But he was his own baby.
Even if he was childish, there was nothing he could do.

He’d just have to play along.

Ji Xiao hadn’t originally copied them.
But since Xie Yaoyao and the others were all doing it, he couldn’t help raising his little hands and covering his eyes too.

After he covered them, he pursed his lips to himself, and his eyes curved slightly.

[Let me see which baby is secretly smiling.]

[Oh no, how many are there?]

Ning Shixue started getting sleepy again.
He couldn’t help rubbing his face.
The kids rubbed their faces too.
Ning Shixue inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed.
As he turned his head away, his ears reddened.

Ji Xiao also rubbed his, until he met Ji Qing’s eyes.
Then he put his little hands down.

[Slurp, wifey, slurp, baby.]

It was already 11:30 AM.
Tang Haohao clutched his stomach, his two legs kicking restlessly.
“I’m hungry! Why can’t we eat yet?!”

Before the director could speak, Xie Yaoyao turned his head and said,
“When we get to the house, there’s big chicken drumsticks.”

He had already forgotten about little monsters and aliens.
He only remembered the big chicken drumstick.

Director: ???

Was there such a thing? He didn’t know about it.

Xie Yaoyao raised his little hands and gestured.
His chubby face was serious as he tried to tell the other kids just how delicious the big chicken drumstick was.
It was the biggest drumstick he’d ever seen.

The director hadn’t taken it seriously at first.
But the more Xie Yaoyao talked, the more convincing it sounded.
The other kids were practically drooling.
He finally had to interrupt.
“Little friends, although the villa has lunch prepared, there are no big chicken drumsticks.”

Xie Yaoyao didn’t believe him.
Why was this uncle lying?
His milky voice was firm.
“There are.”

“There really aren’t,”
the director said, exasperated.

They argued for a while.
Xie Yaoyao refused to back down.
Cold sweat beaded on the director’s forehead.
Finally, Ning Shixue hit the nail on the head.
He asked Xie Yaoyao,
“You were dreaming on the plane, weren’t you?”

Xie Yaoyao’s eyes were blank.

What was, dreaming?

He wouldn’t dream of such a strange thing.

“Anyway,”
Xie Yaoyao pouted, his old bratty temper flaring up again.
He planted his chubby hands on his waist.
“No big chicken drumstick, I’m not eating!”

The bus still had half an hour to go before reaching the villa.
Ning Shixue didn’t have much hot water left.
He used the rest to make Xie Yaoyao a bottle of formula, to tide him over.

Xie Yaoyao held the bottle, but didn’t drink.

Ning Shixue ignored him.
He pulled several hand warmers from his suitcase, unzipped his down jacket, and stuck them on himself.
On his waist, on his legs, he put several.

Xie Yaoyao huffily held his bottle.

He was strapped into his child seat and couldn’t lie on the floor and roll around.
He could only swing his little feet to show his displeasure.

“No one promised you chicken drumsticks,”
Ning Shixue said as he stuck on his hand warmers.

He had brought a lot.
Nearly half of this little suitcase was hand warmers.
He shared them with the others.
He Lin took two or three.
Tang He’an waved his hand, indicating he didn’t need any.

He was already 1.9 meters tall and muscular.
Now, wearing his down jacket, he sat there like a small mountain.

He really didn’t look like he needed hand warmers.

Xie Yaoyao was still holding his bottle.
The formula he’d made was almost cold.
Ning Shixue asked him,
“You not drink?”

“Not drink!”
Xie Yaoyao was full of pride.

Ning Shixue raised an eyebrow and asked one last time,
“Really not eating or drinking anything?”

His patience with Xie Yaoyao was much better now.
In the past, he would have asked once at most.
Maybe not even once.

But that was the limit.
There was no way he was ever going to indulge a bratty kid.

Xie Yaoyao nodded firmly.

Someone had clearly promised the baby a big chicken drumstick.
Now they weren’t admitting it.
Xie Yaoyao the Great Demon King simply couldn’t bear this injustice.
Without a big chicken drumstick, how was he supposed to eat?

“Fine,”
Ning Shixue said.

He had already stuck on all his hand warmers.
Now his frozen, stiff muscles were relaxed.
His cheeks finally had a bit of color, though still extremely pale.

Ning Shixue reached out.
Gently, he took Xie Yaoyao’s bottle and unscrewed it in a few twists.

Xie Yaoyao wondered what he was doing.
Who would have thought Ning Shixue would just tilt his head back and down the whole bottle of milk in one go.

[Another classic moment of fatherly love and filial piety.]

[Dying of laughter. Yaoyao’s shock.]

Xie Yaoyao’s chubby face was full of shock.
What was happening?
His little milk had been chugged by the baby in one gulp.

The bullet comments, after a long time, started to show some dissatisfaction again.

[But honestly, taking a kid’s milk is a bit much? Is he really that desperate for a sip?]

[It would have gone cold anyway. Can’t let the kid drink cold formula. There’s nowhere on this bus to heat it up.]

[Xie Yaoyao didn’t even say not to drink it. Why are you getting so worked up?]

[Ning Shixue is such an adult, why does he have to argue with a little kid?]

[Exactly, the kid is still young. Definitely don’t let him off the hook. doge]

Ning Shixue really just didn’t want to waste it.

Once you’ve experienced extreme hunger, it’s hard to waste any food.

Otherwise, kid’s formula wasn’t really that good-tasting to him.
He preferred things sweeter.

The program team’s bus finally stopped outside the villa.
Xie Yaoyao was wearing a little white down jacket, thick, warm little boots on his feet, and a knitted hat.
He didn’t even stop to look at the snowmen by the roadside.
He ran anxiously into the villa.

Then, disappointed, he discovered there really were no big chicken drumsticks.
Why was it like this?

So he really had been dreaming.

If Xie Yaoyao had a tail and long ears, they’d definitely be drooping now.
His tail would be pitifully hanging behind him.

Ning Shixue took his little hand.
The program team had also made roasted lamb chops.
Xie Yaoyao gnawed on a lamb chop and forgot all about the big chicken drumstick.
He propped his chubby face in his hands and sighed.
Oh well, the big chicken drumstick, just leave it for the aliens.

It was the guests’ first day here.
The main thing was to get familiar with the environment.
The director wasn’t in a hurry to assign too many tasks.

He only gave the kids one.

“Little friends, today your task is to draw a picture,”
the director bent down and said in a high-pitched voice.
“You need to draw you and your family, and give it to Director Uncle tonight.”

This was also a traditional feature of the program.

In the earlier episodes, they had the kids draw a picture.
Then, right before the show ended, they would draw another one.
This对比 made for great footage, and the audience loved watching it.

Ning Shixue was very satisfied with this task.
He could slack off again.
This was what a parenting show should be like.

The kids struggled, he slacked off.

Everyone had a bright future.

After lunch, he took Xie Yaoyao to their hot spring hotel to drop off their luggage.
The hot spring hotel was also high-end.
There were several hot spring pools in the backyard, ready to use at any time.

[I just want to know, can we livestream while soaking in the hot springs? Pervert.jpg]

[Help, why did the director give this house to the salted fish guy? Isn’t this salted fish heaven?]

“I can also, soak hot spring?”
Xie Yaoyao asked expectantly.

Ning Shixue didn’t know.
He thought Xie Yaoyao was too young.
He searched online and found that three-year-olds weren’t really suitable for hot springs.
In the end, he didn’t take Xie Yaoyao.
In this snowy weather, he simply wrapped himself in a blanket and slept the whole afternoon.

Luckily, Xie Yaoyao wasn’t fixated on the hot spring.
He even hated taking baths.

Xie Yaoyao also slept for over an hour, then got up to play with his little tractor.

He played multiple roles by himself and could entertain himself for a long time.

Ning Shixue finally got up in the evening.

Xie Yaoyao was lying on the carpet drawing.
When he heard Ning Shixue get up, he flopped his whole soft little body onto the paper, pouting.
“You not allowed peek!”

Ning Shixue: “…”

Thanks. He was just passing by to use the bathroom.

Dinner was also provided by the program team.
With no tasks, this was practically the life of an immortal.
Ning Shixue took Xie Yaoyao to eat.
Xie Yaoyao sighed,
“Baby, like little piggy.”

Eating and sleeping, eating and sleeping.

Xie Yaoyao the Great Demon King looked up.
He suddenly remembered his arch-nemesis, the little black pig.
His big, dark eyes widened even more.
Could it be that the baby was infected by the little black pig?

Can’t be like this!

He had to tell Big Daddy!

After dinner, it was time for the kids to submit their tasks.
The drawings were for the daddies to see.
The kids had to give them to their daddies themselves.
The director followed alongside, ready to interview.

“Daddy, here.”
He Miao walked over to He Lin.

He Lin lifted her onto his lap.
“Let Daddy see. What did you draw?”

He Miao had drawn a family of three: daddy, mommy, and her.
They were playing by the seaside.
Daddy was holding her.
Mommy had picked up little shells for her.
He Miao lifted the paper and pressed it against her cheek.

These were her daddy and mommy.

“Drawn really well.”
This time, He Lin finally didn’t have to shed bitter tears.
He kissed her cheek.

Ji Xiao had also finished drawing.
He gave it to Ji Qing.

[Let me see. What did Xiaoxiao draw?]

[Hmm? Little bunnies?]

Ji Xiao’s drawing skills were truly abstract.

It seemed his talents didn’t lie in this area.
With effort, you could tell he had drawn a forest, and two creatures with long ears, probably rabbits.

In the forest, there were two black rabbits, one big and one small, holding hands.

“Uncle, for you.”
Ji Xiao handed the paper to Ji Qing.

“…”
Ji Qing felt this drawing made him uncomfortable somehow, but couldn’t articulate why.
He smiled gently.
“Thank you, Xiaoxiao. The drawing is very beautiful.”

Ji Xiao put his little hands behind his back, his face reddening slightly.

“Tang Haohao?”
Tang He’an sat on the sofa waiting for a long time.
Everyone else’s kids had come.
Where was his?

Tang Haohao heard him call and ran over with an ‘ow ow,’ the drawing paper crumpled in his hand, and handed it to Tang He’an.

It looked like he was handing over a crumpled ball of trash.

Tang He’an opened it full of anticipation.
He really wanted to know what image he had in this little rascal’s eyes.

But as soon as he unfolded it, his smile slowly froze on his face.

[As expected of you, Tang Tiga.]

[Dying of laughter. Haohao never disappoints me.]

[Filial son +1]

Tang Haohao had drawn Tiga fighting a little monster.
On the paper, the little monster had already been defeated, and Tiga was riding on top of it.

Although his drawing skills weren’t great either, his love was deep.
The crooked strokes were full of soul.

Tang He’an’s face darkened.
“Tell me, what is this you’ve drawn? Didn’t Director Uncle ask you to draw your family?”

He didn’t remember anyone in their family being named Tiga.

Tang Haohao scratched his head, as if he’d just remembered that.
“I forgot.”

Tang He’an: “…”

Fine, fine. He wasn’t angry at all!

It was indeed very cold in the northern city.
It wasn’t snowing tonight.
The deep blue night sky was filled with dense stars.
The moon hung high on the horizon.

Ning Shixue looked outside.
The snowy mountain was brightly lit, as if there was a ski resort.

He slumped on another sofa playing Tetris.
Anyway, he could probably guess what Xie Yaoyao would draw.
Probably something that would ‘filially kill’ him again.

Ultraman fighting little monsters, he would be the little monster.
Bunny officer fighting Black Soil Wolf, he would be the wolf.

Until Xie Yaoyao ran over to him.

Xie Yaoyao’s soft little hands gripped the sofa armrest as he handed Ning Shixue the drawing paper.

[Let me see what contestant number four drew?]

[Suddenly remembering the abstract artist, the salted fish person.]

[Ningning: You’re all so rude.]

Ning Shixue looked down.
Unlike He Miao and the others, the lines in Xie Yaoyao’s drawing were very simple.
Recognizable at a glance.

It was a moon, and a little star.
They were close together, snuggling.

Ning Shixue’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

Xie Yaoyao hugged Ning Shixue’s leg and snuggled with him too.
His face was flushed, seeming a bit shy.
But he still said in his milky voice:

“You are the moon, I am your little star.”