Chapter 296: Chapter 293: He Yanzi’s Little Stubbornness
This is so strange!
Do they have some kind of secret coded communication between father and son?
Liu Rulan was also stunned.
"It seems the little guy is still more afraid of his dad. As soon as dad speaks, he obediently drinks. Truly, one thing restrains another."
Ye Manman deeply agreed.
But the little Naonao, who was supposed to fear his dad, had just been kissed on the cheek by his dad when his small hand pat He Chen’s face.
This action seemed quite disdainful.
Just like how he had just disdained Naonao earlier.
Ye Manman felt something was amiss, but it also seemed like everything was alright, so she didn’t think much more about it.
After all, no one would really care what a baby’s reactions truly signified.
With this experience, and considering the changing seasons, Ye Manman paid special attention to adjusting Naonao’s clothing appropriately. Although there were occasional mild fevers, there was never another instance of a rapid, overwhelming cold.
The year passed smoothly through spring and summer, and a new year welcomed the refreshing autumn.
Naonao was ten months old and could walk on his own.
Though he couldn’t climb stairs yet, his steps were relatively stable.
He was smart and steady, not quite like other mischievous kids, never throwing tantrums or randomly destroying things in the house.
When he first learned to walk, he didn’t rush toward people. No matter when it was, he walked slowly, holding onto things as he moved.
Sometimes he would hold onto walls, other times onto chairs or tables, with his little gaze steadily fixed beyond his age.
However, sometimes he would throw a tantrum.
Especially at bedtime, he would insist on sleeping between Ye Manman and He Chen every night, always turning his back to He Chen, just like when he was born. He had to look at his mom to sleep.
He needed to see his mom before closing his eyes, and she had to be the first thing he saw when he woke up, or else he would be very unhappy and climb out of bed to search for her everywhere.
Say what you will, nobody would believe it, but this is how Naonao learned to walk day by day.
At first, he could only crawl on the floor, but one day he held onto the wall and found his way to the washroom.
Ye Manman was just freshening up and snuggling with He Chen in the washroom when she looked down and saw a little bean standing at the door, holding onto it and staring at them.
To be honest, this scene was quite scary. They had no idea how the child managed to walk over, and in an instant, the romantic atmosphere evaporated.
During the past six months, He Chen’s attitude towards Naonao had also significantly changed.
He was even more dismissive of Naonao than at the beginning.
Naonao’s real name was He Yanzi. For the first few months, He Chen still called him Naonao but later became so fed up with him that he simply started using his name. The two of them, big and small, couldn’t stand the sight of each other every day. Nobody knew where things went wrong.
Clearly, when Naonao was just born, he liked his dad quite a bit, and He Chen also frequently told him stories to help him sleep.
Regardless of how they couldn’t get along, they still had to sleep next to each other at night for Ye Manman’s sake, and they held each other tightly.
He Yanzi hugged Ye Manman, and He Chen held both of them, sometimes making Ye Manman worry that the little guy might suffocate one day.
However, not only did he not suffocate, but he slept particularly soundly next to his mom, curling his little butt towards He Chen as if he wanted to push him further away.
He Chen often found his moments alone with Ye Manman disrupted countless times by him and felt so infuriated that he wanted to kick this troublesome son out.
But He Yanzi relied on his cuteness and obedient nature to constantly squeeze into Ye Manman’s arms, pouting as if he were about to cry whenever He Chen picked him up.
Each time this happened, Ye Manman would soften, not only bringing He Yanzi back into her arms but also scolding He Chen a bit.
Days passed like this, leaving He Chen utterly vexed.
His wife and child wouldn’t even let him come close; how could he live like this?
He could only occasionally go to the office to handle some matters and then come home to play chess with Liu Gaoyuan in silence.
Yes, since his wife was occupied by their son, he was so bored he even learned how to play chess.
Liu Gaoyuan actually wanted to hold his grandson too; who would want to chat and play chess all day with a grand old fellow? But not only did He Yanzi not want He Chen, he didn’t want him either!
He Yanzi only had eyes for Ye Manman every day, showing no interest in anyone else.
Even when Ye Manman read or studied, he preferred to sit nearby playing with his toys rather than play with others.
It was normal for a son to cling to his mother, but the degree to which He Yanzi did so was a bit excessive, and as his walking became steadier and his mind sharper, this behavior became increasingly pronounced.
The first word he ever spoke was "mama," and he was unwilling to learn to say anything else, not even "dad" or "granny."
He even learned words like milk, food, and Ye Manman’s name, but never learned how to call anyone else.
Ye Manman would hold him and teach him, identifying people one by one, but it was useless.
Holding him and teaching, identifying who this person is, showing him how to call them, he would just look at Ye Manman’s face, ignoring everyone else.
Ye Manman couldn’t force him to look at others, nor could she forcibly tilt his head to make him look; the matter was shelved gradually.
But Ye Manman didn’t like her son being this way.
She felt that no matter how much one liked something, there should always be a limit.
Even if you love your mother, you shouldn’t forsake everyone else who cares about you, unwilling to even spare a glance at them.
When He Yanzi turned one, and they held a lively birthday party at home, her feelings about this became even stronger.
Finally, Ye Manman decided to leave him at home and go to school.
No matter how reliant young birds are on their mothers, they must eventually leave their parents to survive independently. She didn’t want to raise her son to be a momma’s boy.
The first day Ye Manman packed her books and prepared to go to school, He Yanzi hadn’t woken up yet, so she took the opportunity to quickly leave the house.
When He Yanzi woke up, as usual, he climbed out of bed to find his mom, but neither in the washroom nor in the living room was there any sign of her.
"Mama!"
He held his little pillow, helplessly standing in the hallway, calling for his mom everywhere.
But no matter how he called, there was no response.
He Yanzi panicked.
He tried to make his way downstairs by himself.
He Chen was standing not far behind him, but it was as if he didn’t even see his dad. He didn’t ask for his dad’s help, choosing instead to painstakingly hold onto the wall as he made his way down each step.
Several times he nearly fell, and He Chen held back his hands wanting to lift him up, because the little guy was so stubborn. Each time he was about to fall, he managed to steady himself.
This unexplainably reminded He Chen of himself when he was young.
Because there was no one trustworthy, he preferred to strive on his own rather than ask anyone for help.
But he’s this little guy’s dad!
Why didn’t he trust him?
He Chen couldn’t figure it out but had to ensure the little guy’s safety.
He Yanzi finally made it downstairs, but after a round on the first floor, there was still no sign of his mom anywhere.
He was utterly puzzled.
Because everyone at home seemed totally unsurprised, as if they all knew where his mother had gone, only he didn’t know.
But precisely because of this, he became even more stubborn, determined to rush outside to find his mom.
That’s when He Chen finally couldn’t stand by idly. He picked the little guy up and plopped him on the sofa.
He Yanzi wasn’t upset, he just quietly looked at He Chen.
The two, big and small, men silently confronted each other, as if competing to see who could hold out longer without speaking.
But the little guy was still too young, his mind couldn’t handle that much.
After holding out for a while, he couldn’t help it anymore and, pouting, sought He Chen’s help.
"Dad, where is mom?"
