Chapter 26: Call Me Daddy (Please Bookmark, Please Vote)

Jiang Wanyi pulled Chen Yuan away. As far as she was concerned, she had to stay calm; she could not let Chen Yuan get into a fight with that person.

"Listen to your sister and come back with me."

Chen Yuan did not want to waste any more time or energy on such a person, so he returned home with Jiang Wanyi. Inside the elevator, Chen Yuan held the baby and made funny faces at her, his mood having returned to normal.

Jiang Wanyi’s mind was filled with the image of Chen Yuan stepping up for her earlier. Putting aside the unreasonable middle-aged woman, she knew she wouldn't have been able to handle her on her own. As a woman, no matter how strong she appeared, she would inevitably be bullied. Even if she had called the police, it would have only left her feeling frustrated and stifled.

But with Chen Yuan there, it was different. Thinking back to the scene, he really was quite manly. A clean-cut, handsome younger brother who turned out to be so reliable at a critical moment—it was truly impressive. Having discovered this contrasting side of Chen Yuan, Jiang Wanyi felt as if she had discovered a new world; the image of him standing up to protect her lingered in her mind. As she thought about it, she sighed to herself. When it comes to living a life at home, you really can’t do without a man.

Upon reaching the 19th floor, the two went inside.

"Calm down. There are plenty of people like that; it's not worth it."

In a harmonious family, different roles must be played. One person plays the "good cop," and the other plays the "bad cop." Since Chen Yuan was the one who was angry, Jiang Wanyi naturally had to soothe his emotions, or the conflict would only escalate. As a traditional woman, Jiang Wanyi believed that harmony brought wealth.

"I'm much better now," Chen Yuan said as he set little Mili down. "I'm just wondering if that woman is the same one who was bragging about her 'golden grandson' earlier."

Jiang Wanyi was amused. "Given that unreasonable attitude of hers, it's quite possible."

"Don't stop me, I really have to go change the Wi-Fi name."

"Alright, stop messing around," Jiang Wanyi said with a smile. "Don't take them to heart."

"I'm just worried that the baby won't sleep well tonight and will cry."

"Is that really a concern?" Jiang Wanyi felt a bit of lingering fear herself.

"It's very likely," Chen Yuan explained. "If a baby is frightened during the day or experiences major emotional fluctuations, they often have trouble sleeping at night."

"We'll see how it goes tonight," Jiang Wanyi said worriedly.

"Yeah."

Jiang Wanyi went to soothe the baby while Chen Yuan prepared cruciferous fish soup and boiled a pot of seven-treasure tea to nourish energy and blood.

[Task completed: Reward 1,200 yuan in cash, professional-level childcare knowledge.]

The reward was credited. The childcare knowledge involved was highly professional, whereas everything he had mastered before was merely experiential and lacked a professional foundation. With this reward, even if the baby fell ill, as long as it wasn't serious, he could handle it on his own.

Chen Yuan continued making the fish soup and prepared some rice cereal as a supplement for the baby. "Come on, both you and the baby need to eat."

Seeing Chen Yuan bring the food to the dining table, Jiang Wanyi walked over holding the baby. The meal on the table gave her the illusion of being a family of three. Chen Yuan placed the baby in the stroller and fed little Mili her rice cereal. Jiang Wanyi sat to the side, watching Chen Yuan; the focused look on this handsome younger brother was quite attractive. Whoever married him in the future would be a lucky woman.

"Tell your sister the truth—did you get into many fights when you were in school?"

"I did, but not in high school. Mostly in middle school. That’s probably pretty normal, right?" After feeding the baby, Chen Yuan ate some fruit and chatted idly with Jiang Wanyi.

"What was the worst one like?"

"Hmm... my arm was fractured."

"You were that ruthless?" Jiang Wanyi was a bit surprised.

"I was immature back then. My dad told me at home that if anyone bullied me, I should fight them with everything I had, even if it meant selling everything we owned to pay for the damages. I actually believed him." Chen Yuan ate a piece of fruit and added, "Thinking about it now, it was actually quite impulsive."

"Why do you say that?" Jiang Wanyi asked with interest.

"If I had really sold everything, our family wouldn't have been able to go on. Besides, look at what kind of society this is; fighting doesn't solve problems."

"That's true, but you scared me earlier. I was genuinely afraid you two would start fighting."

"I really was planning to throw a punch, but he was a coward."

"Didn't you just say that fighting doesn't solve problems?"

"The atmosphere was already pushed to that point, and besides..." Chen Yuan spat a grape seed onto a napkin. "There are always some things more important than being ruined."

Jiang Wanyi became very interested. She tilted her head, a mature woman's smile playing on her lips. "For example?"

"For example..." Chen Yuan thought for a moment and said, "If someone is bullying your wife and children, you have to take them down—take them down hard. Calling the police is just too cowardly."

Jiang Wanyi’s heart began to race as she subconsciously projected herself into that scenario. Although he was a bit young, he truly gave people a great sense of security, especially in that moment when he had shielded her...

At around eight o'clock in the evening, the two took the baby for a bath. After washing, Chen Yuan carried the baby back, and Jiang Wanyi went to wash his clothes. When she finished, she took over from Chen Yuan to watch the baby.

"Little brother..."

"What is it?"

Chen Yuan was in the living room eating fruit. Hearing Jiang Wanyi's call, he returned to the master bedroom.

"Look at the corners of her mouth—there are all these little bumps, and they're all red." Jiang Wanyi looked at Chen Yuan with concern, her brow furrowed with anxiety. "She's been scratching at them; is it a rash?"

Chen Yuan, still eating a strawberry, leaned in to take a look. "It looks like eczema."

Seeing Chen Yuan's calm demeanor, Jiang Wanyi immediately stopped worrying. In her subconscious, Chen Yuan was a very reliable person; if he wasn't worried, then it couldn't be a major problem.

"Didn't we buy calamine lotion earlier? Apply some to her, and it should be fine."

"What caused this?"

"The baby is small and keeps rubbing her mouth. Over time, it gets like this. You need to wipe her mouth more often."

Jiang Wanyi finally relaxed completely. She found the calamine lotion and dabbed a circle around the corners of the baby's mouth. Chen Yuan sat by the bed, watching the child.

"More than one person has said it—do you think she looks like me?"

Jiang Wanyi examined the baby carefully. "Her eyes do look a bit like yours, actually. Are you hoping she'll call you 'Daddy'?"

Chen Yuan chuckled and looked at little Mili. "Call me Daddy, let's hear it."

"Ba~~~"

"Huh?"

Jiang Wanyi hadn't taken Chen Yuan's joke seriously, but she never expected the baby to actually make a sound. Although it wasn't clear, it was definitely distinguishable.

"Mili is so smart..."

Chen Yuan made a gesture for silence, signaling Jiang Wanyi not to speak. He looked at little Mili and said, "Daddy..."

"Ba~~~"

"Daddy..."

"Ba~~~"

After repeating it several times, little Mili was able to make similar sounds, though they weren't very clear.

"You taught her to talk!"

Chen Yuan couldn't quite grasp the depth of this joy, but the delight on Jiang Wanyi's face was beyond words.

"I didn't teach her; she's just at that stage. From now on, you need to guide her. Moving from unconscious sounds to conscious ones shouldn't just be about simple encouragement; that doesn't have much meaning."

"With the experience you have, anyone would believe you'd raised a few kids already."

Chen Yuan’s mind began to wander, and his focus shifted away from the child. Jiang Wanyi was lying on her side on the bed, looking at the baby; her neckline dipped, revealing a glimpse of the scenery beneath. She was wearing loose, pure cotton loungewear pants, which hugged her rounded hips and outlined the edges of her undergarments.

"It's just that I have a bit of a knack for it."

"You're so vain."

Jiang Wanyi's attention returned to the child. "Baby, call Mommy..."

"Ba~~~"

"Mommy..."

"Ba~~~"

"Mommy..."

"Ba~~~"

Jiang Wanyi pulled a pretty, stern face. "Now that you've taught her, she won't call me Mommy."

For a mother, having the child say "Mommy" first is a very important milestone.

"Then just let her call me that; I don't mind."

"You brat, trying