Pei Rong frowned, "Why aren't you talking?"
Is it a no?
Lu Qin hesitated, realizing how foolish he was. Really, he had only known that the little guy liked riding motorcycles but hadn’t anticipated that this might be an inherited trait from the stunning beauty before him.
If he'd known just two days earlier, he would have done anything—kept back three points from Dundun’s deduction score just for Pei Rong.
There’s always a way, he gritted his teeth, “Alright, just wait for me.”
To set an example for Dundun and create an image of a law-abiding, upright father who doesn't rely on money to fix everything, Lu Qin had, after his first points deduction, clearly told Dundun that motorcycles were off-limits for commuting routes. However, as long as fines were paid and speed was controlled without endangering others, he could let Dundun experience a few rides. Once the points ran out and his license was suspended, though, this Dad wouldn’t be able to ride a motorcycle anymore.
Since he’d said it, Lu Qin couldn’t just break his own rule in front of the little child by taking shortcuts—and thus couldn't take Pei Rong on a joyride.
***
Pei Dundun and Orange dashed out together, hopped into the car at lightning speed, and settled in—both kid and cat waiting for Lu Qin to start the engine.
Lu Qin’s injury on his left hand had healed, allowing him to drive, but without a license, he could only have a bodyguard drive. Sitting in the back, he held Orange in his lap and chatted with Dundun.
Just then, Jiang Yan called. He had two days off and had spent the morning visiting Aunt Zhao at the sanatorium.
Since Lu Qin planned to come by in the evening, Jiang Yan wanted to give them family time and willingly volunteered to take the night shift watching over Aunt Zhao.
"Pei Ge."
"Uncle Jiang!" Pei Dundun, clutching his little feet, called out sweetly.
Lu Qin noticed something different in Dundun’s tone. Normally, when he introduced a friend, Dundun called them "Uncle" quickly, without drawing it out like he was doing now, as though he were being a little playful.
Jiang Yan answered, "Hey!" and gave a quick rundown: "Uncle Jiang has night duty with Grandma Zhao, so I’m going to get some rest now. I’ll probably be at your house sleeping when you arrive, so I won’t be able to pick you up."
Dundun nodded understandingly, then said mysteriously, “When Uncle Jiang wakes up, he’ll find a present from Dundun by his bed!”
Lu Qin reached out and gave Orange's fluffy tail a tug, feeling like he’d just swallowed a slice of lemon. This Jiang guy sounded about five years younger than Jiang Haotian.
After a long time apart, Dundun was thoughtful enough to prepare a gift for him. Clearly, their bond was close.
Once the call ended, Lu Qin couldn’t help asking, “So, who do you like more, Dad or Uncle Jiang?”
Pei Dundun didn’t hesitate, answering perfectly, “I like my dad the most.”
The "Dad" here refers to Pei Rong. Lu Qin thought for a moment, then decided not to pursue this childish question any further—it would only humiliate himself.
Judging by the circumstances, this man surnamed Jiang had been there since Dundun was born, carrying him, comforting him, changing his diapers. His place in Dundun's life was not easily shaken.
Fortunately, Lu Qin had two years, four years, ten years… time enough to build up his own relationship with Dundun, surpassing that of Jiang Yan.
Pei Dundun leaned back against the chair and blinked. His dad had told him he could share memories of his past with Daddy Lu, so he began, “Dad said that Uncle Jiang was the first one to hold me.”
As he spoke, Dundun patted his cheek with his little hand, his bright black eyes puzzled, trying to recall. When was the first time? He couldn't quite remember.
Lu Qin’s jaw clenched.
Pei Dundun added, “Uncle Jiang was also the first to feed me milk.”
Uncle Jiang must be a good person, which was why Dundun only trusted Uncle Jiang when he wanted to shop online for a new electric scooter.
Every word from this little guy hit Lu Qin straight in the heart. His involvement in Dundun’s growth didn’t compare to a stranger’s. Pei Rong had deprived him of even the semblance of parental rights.
At times, Lu Qin felt angry and helpless, but whenever he saw Pei Rong, he was reminded that during those early, chaotic days of raising Dundun, he hadn’t even known the child existed. He didn’t even have the right to be angry.
He especially realized now that Dundun was not an easy child to raise.
Every second Dundun was out of sight, Lu Qin would worry if he’d hurt himself or if other kids might have bullied him while playing. Should he teach Dundun to be extra polite and calm, or should he tell him to stand up for himself and that Dad has his back?
Being a parent means having to think through so many things.
Madame Jiang, who had dreamed of holding her grandchild every day for the past three years, could only take Dundun every other day after he arrived.
Of course, this was partly because Madame Jiang was too careful and doting, always insisting on following Dundun everywhere, afraid to let go even for a minute. Dundun loved to emphasize that he was "one and a half years old," and she was the only one in the family who fell for it.
Every time Lu Qin thought of this, he felt a bit more grateful to Aunt Zhao.
And begrudgingly grateful to the Jiang guy too.
Pei Dundun added, “I hope Uncle Jiang can be with someone he likes soon.”
Because now he had an extra Dad, a grandma, and a grandpa. He couldn’t spend as much time with Uncle Jiang as he used to.
"......"
Having endured enough jealousy, Lu Qin thought back to Dundun’s “two firsts,” and an idea struck him. “Is Uncle Jiang an obstetrician?”
Pei Dundun shook his head, “He’s a surgeon. I have another uncle who’s an obstetrician. Dad says he’s super amazing.”
Lu Qin: "..."
How many "good uncles" do you actually have?
However, he was able to deduce the setup for the operation from this.
Two hours later, Lu Qin and Dundun arrived at the villa. As soon as the car door opened, Orange leaped out, rushed to the front door, and jumped up six times in a row to enter the villa’s access code.
Pei Dundun entered enthusiastically, calling, "I'm here to find Uncle Jiang."
Orange beat him to it again, nimbly using his front paw to pull down the door handle of the guest room on the first floor.
Lu Qin: "..."
It’s pretty clear that Orange, Dundun, and Dr. Jiang are all natives here.
This was infuriating—he wasn’t even as skilled at entering the code as a cat.
Pei Rong, how are you going to repay what you owe me?
Pei Dundun went inside, climbed onto the bed, opened his little backpack, and took out a rare, limited-edition model battleship.
Jiang Yan had a whole collection of a specific military series, and Dundun had played with it while in the US, so he knew that Uncle Jiang was missing just one battleship to complete his collection.
When Madame Jiang took Dundun on a property tour, Dundun had spotted the same battleship model inside a glass cabinet at Lu Qin's high school district house.
He had pressed his forehead against the glass for a closer look and asked his grandmother, "Can I buy this?"
He wondered if his New Year’s money would cover it, and if not, he planned to ask his dad to advance some of next year’s allowance.
