Chapter 84 – The New Year’s Uninvited Guests
On New Year’s Eve, Xiao Fang gave both nannies the day off. A family’s New Year’s Eve should be spent with family. On this day, Xiao Fang finally regained control of the kitchen after his postpartum confinement.
Although President Fei looked very handsome in the kitchen, he was, at best, a pretty face. Apart from cutting fruit and preparing formula, he was useless. Thus, Fei Xiangnan was honorably kicked out of the kitchen.
“Go hold Lang Lang. How can we let our son spend New Year’s with a cradle? Also, Nuomici has been getting a bit fat lately. You should get him to exercise a bit,” Xiao Fang said disdainfully, shooing President Fei out of the kitchen. He glanced at the unevenly chopped potatoes on the cutting board with even more contempt.
“I feel like you’re looking down on me,” President Fei said bluntly from outside the kitchen, a look of confusion on his face. Shouldn’t it be more fun for a couple to cook together?
“Am I?” Xiao Fang asked with a fake smile, lying through his teeth. “Not at all. Don’t let Lang Lang get too bored. Go on, go.”
Under Fei Xiangnan’s mournful gaze, Xiao Fang continued to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Fei Xiangnan sighed helplessly. Having been reduced to the role of a doting father, he turned to pick up his son.
“Aww?” Da Bao, who had been happily playing with his cat brother Nuomici, looked at his father with confusion. Fei Xiangnan raised an eyebrow, a good idea suddenly popping into his head.
Meanwhile, Xiao Fang had just finished making a dish of stir-fried prawns and was about to take a picture when he heard a rhythmic reading voice from the living room. Listening closely, it was actually—!
“Financial statements are accounting reports that reflect the capital and profit status of an enterprise or budgetary unit over a certain period. The types, formats, and reporting requirements of our country’s financial statements are all stipulated by a unified accounting system…”
Damn it! On New Year’s Eve, he was actually lecturing his less-than-two-month-old son about financial statements!
Xiao Fang turned off the stove and rushed into the study, grabbed a color-illustrated edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and walked up to Fei Xiangnan. President Fei wasn’t even holding a book; he was naturally reciting the key points from memory, holding the bewildered Da Bao in one arm and dangling a cat teaser for the happily playing Nuomici with the other.
The culprit himself looked at Xiao Fang with a clueless expression. “Fangfang, are you done cooking?”
Xiao Fang turned his back in anger and furiously shoved the Grimm’s Fairy Tales at him. “Read this!”
Fei Xiangnan glanced at it with considerable disdain. “What’s so great about a story where a half-fish, half-human turns into sea foam?” He was being incredibly self-righteous.
Xiao Fang gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew he couldn’t use force against Fei Xiangnan, or he would be the one to suffer. This was a lesson Xiao Fang had learned from multiple experiences.
“You read to Lang Lang, and I’ll read to you!” How about that trick?
As expected, upon hearing this, Fei Xiangnan’s expression changed. He asked seriously, “Anywhere is fine?” His serious demeanor made it seem like he was negotiating a very important business deal with a client.
Could reading a story really be that complicated? Xiao Fang was confident he could handle anything, completely ignoring the cunning glint in Fei Xiangnan’s eyes.
“Anywhere is fine!”
“Give me the book!” Fei Xiangnan put the cat teaser aside and reached out his hand. Nuomici, who had suddenly lost his interactive toy, was left confused.
Xiao Fang, suspecting nothing, cheerfully handed over the book and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking, satisfied.
“Once upon a time, there was a prince, he…”
Da Bao finally heard the story his daddy often told him, but for some reason, the daddy telling the story had a rather strange smile.
After finishing four dishes, Xiao Fang took pictures to wish everyone a Happy New Year, as per his agent’s instructions. He now had about five or six million followers on his Weibo. This morning, he had seen many fans wishing him a Happy New Year on his most recent post. It was now around three or four in the afternoon, just about time for New Year’s Eve dinner, so Xiao Fang took the opportunity to post on Weibo.
He posted several pictures of the dishes, lightly filtered and taken from various angles. There was also a shot of the Fu character his grandfather had written for them before he left, the powerful calligraphy showcasing the artist’s skill. Since he couldn’t post a picture of his son, Xiao Fang posted a picture of his eldest son, Nuomici, playing a game with him.
The caption was a simple “Happy New Year,” straightforward and unpretentious, so as not to give anyone anything to talk about.
Within five minutes of Xiao Fang posting on Weibo, the number of likes exceeded three hundred thousand. Everyone flooded the comments section with New Year’s wishes. Some discussed the Fu character, with a few professionals engaging in a heated debate. Other girls praised Xiao Fang’s cooking skills and his cat. In short, the comments section was buzzing with activity.
OMG, my baby knows how to cook now? This old mother is smiling with relief. A virtual New Year’s Eve dinner.
Fangfang looks so professional. These main dishes look like they require some skill.
Seeing my baby eat so well, Mama is relieved. Baby, promise Mama you won’t go on a diet! You’re perfect just the way you are!
By the way, am I the only one who saw the Fu character on top? The calligraphy is so good! As a calligraphy major, I can say this is on the same level as my university professor, and it even has its own unique style. Could my baby be a hidden artist?
No way, our baby graduated from the acting department of an art academy. Where would he find the time to practice such calligraphy?
Sisters, I asked my grandpa. He’s been practicing calligraphy his whole life, and he said you can’t write like this without decades of practice. This probably wasn’t written by Fangfang. It was probably a gift from some master.
Hmph, just showing off. Is it a stolen picture? There’s no way Xiao Fang has that kind of skill.
To the person above, my Fangfang never said he wrote it. You’re just trying to frame him!
Fortunately, Xiao Fang had been cautious. After finishing the sixth dish, he checked Weibo. The situation hadn’t escalated to the point of needing a public relations team yet. Xiao Fang chose a highly-liked comment from a knowledgeable user and replied:
It’s true, I didn’t write it. My maternal grandfather wrote it for me when he visited. He loves calligraphy and painting. So, this is an official clarification. I hope everyone can view the picture rationally!
Xiao Fang didn’t drag it out or try to stir up hype before issuing a clarification like other marketing accounts. He addressed the issue as soon as it arose.
Just as Xiao Fang replied, a knowledgeable user recognized the handwriting and immediately posted a long comment:
After careful comparison, this should be the handwriting of Old Mister Zhuo. Old Mister Zhuo has been in seclusion for over a decade and hasn’t officially published any new works. It seems he wrote this for his grandson for the New Year. Sigh, some people… even a simple Fu character is written by their famous artist grandfather. Don’t say anything, I’m so jealous!
Same, another salty person here.
Holy crap, is Fangfang that amazing? His grandfather is the renowned Old Mister Zhuo. So jealous.
Oh my god, I’ve never heard Fangfang mention this. The baby was probably trying to protect his grandfather. There are so few actors these days who don’t use hype for publicity. I have to give him a thumbs-up!
Hahaha, the person who said it was a stolen picture just got slapped in the face!
Here to watch the face-slapping.
You’ll never know how hard a master’s heavy punch can hit, hahaha!
***
Xiao Fang’s fans were relatively rational. The matter was discussed and then dropped, as they understood Xiao Fang’s desire to protect his grandfather and didn’t hype it up any further. They then shifted their focus to Xiao Fang’s cat. In this day and age, ruled by feline overlords, most tough guys would surrender to these delicate and soft little masters. They all went online to demand more pictures of Nuomici, endlessly praising how cute he was.
As a good actor who doted on his fans, Xiao Fang temporarily pinned the New Year’s post and then posted more daily photos of Nuomici, including pictures of him as a tiny kitten. His soft and delicate appearance captured the hearts of most of his fans.
Giao giao giao! Sisters, guess what I’m shipping? #ImageAttached# Just as Fangfang posted on Weibo, President Fei also posted a few minutes later. And doesn’t the back of President Fei’s cat look so much like Nuomici? Am I mistaken? I don’t care, I’m shipping this couple!
Fei Xiangnan’s Weibo post had only two pictures. One was of the succulents on the roof that Xiao Fang took care of in the morning; the little succulents looked very cute. The other was of Nuomici sleeping on the rooftop sofa, with only his back visible, but it was enough to spark everyone’s imagination.
The caption read: Happy New Year.
Xiao Fang saw it too. Old Rogue Fei always managed to push the boundaries of what he considered acceptable, all in the name of getting everyone used to the idea of them being together. What a cunning plan.
Xiao Fang played the ostrich here, refusing to admit anything! Let them ship whatever they wanted! As long as he didn’t admit it, there was no solid proof. Hehe.
Holy crap, this is too sweet! Don’t tell me the truth, I could ship this couple for a lifetime!
As long as you ship this couple, we’re family. [smirk]
Ah, my vivid imagination has already pictured them living together. The succulents are Fangfang’s, and President Fei, while saying they look nice on the surface, secretly loves them. A classic stoic top who’s passionate on the inside.
No, I think he genuinely finds them beautiful on the surface too.
Fei Xiangnan used his alternate account to browse the comments under Xiao Fang’s post. If the shipping was going in the wrong direction, he would gently nudge it back on track, determined to guide this generation of shipping fans well.
Xiao Fang knew who was manipulating things just by looking at certain comments and couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. Your maneuvering is just guiding the public towards the truth. You really don’t let yourself lose out, do you? Hmph, men!
Putting his phone down and letting them fantasize, Xiao Fang continued to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
He was about to call for Fei Xiangnan to get the door, but then remembered he was holding Lang Lang, so Xiao Fang turned off the stove and went to open it himself. The moment the door opened, he was met with a big surprise.
“Brother Xiao!” Xiao Ma, wearing a large padded jacket, hugged Xiao Fang with a tear-streaked face. Behind him stood Que Jiang, carrying a lunch box.
Xiao Fang was caught off guard as he caught him. “What’s wrong with you?”
Xiao Ma had a mournful look on his face, as if he was about to collapse. “My mom, and my dad, they won a free tour for seniors this afternoon. There were eight spots in total, and with my dad and his old square-dancing buddies, it was exactly eight people. So they told me not to come back, that they were going to Hainan for a week. I… I was about to get on the high-speed train! I was sent back, and I haven’t even prepared any food for New Year’s Eve. I only have this box of dumplings. Will you take me in?” Xiao Ma’s eyes were filled with hot tears.
How could Xiao Fang say no? The kid was in such a miserable situation. He couldn’t help but laugh as he welcomed them both inside.
“I happened to make a lot of food. I was just thinking we definitely wouldn’t be able to finish it all, but you have to have a sense of ceremony for the New Year. It’s great that you’re here.”
In Xiao Ma’s eyes, Xiao Fang was practically an angel. But, of course, everything has two sides. Where there’s an angel, there’s a devil. The moment he stepped into the living room, a chill ran down his spine, scaring Xiao Ma so much that he took a few steps back.
“Here for New Year’s Eve dinner?” the devil slowly spoke.
Xiao Ma wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on this winter day and nodded sycophantically.
“Staying over?” the devil continued to ask.
“No, no, no, we wouldn’t want to impose. We’ll leave right after the New Year’s countdown, haha,” Xiao Ma replied very tactfully.
Fei Xiangnan snorted coldly, his aura completely at odds with the fact that he was holding a baby. His eyes met his subordinate’s, and a silent conversation took place between them.
Bringing your date to my house to freeload?
Sorry, boss. There was a slight deviation in the plan.
Can it be corrected?
…Yes. We won’t stay a second longer than necessary after the countdown.
Hmph! President Fei snorted heavily again, his eyes filled with endless dissatisfaction.