She was truly uneasy leaving Nannan alone. The father’s tone was so volatile; she had every reason to suspect he might resort to domestic violence.
After listening, Nannan happily hugged Peng Fei’s neck again before leaving with them.
The nanny saw that her job was secure. Serving young people, and someone whose temper was far better than the male owner’s, put her mind at ease.
“Alright then. I’ll tell them the truth when your husband gets back. The job was lost because of you, Miss, so don’t go back on your word.”
The nanny found a set of clothes. Upon returning home, Zhan Jingchun took Nannan to bathe and dry her hair. Peng Fei stayed with her on the sofa, playing, while Zhan Jingchun went to wash.
It was getting late. Peng Fei told her a story, and as he spoke, she fell asleep.
Peng Fei carefully picked her up, covered her with a blanket, and looked at her adorable little face, a wave of tenderness rising in his heart.
He even uncontrollably thought again of the child she and Zhan Jingchun had once had.
If it had been born, it would be over a year old now, and should be able to call them Mama and Papa.
Even if he starved or worked himself to death, he would never yell at his daughter like that.
Zhan Jingchun came out after drying her hair, tiptoeing over to Peng Fei.
“Asleep?”
Peng Fei nodded.
Like thieves, they gently carried her and stood up, heading towards the room.
Zhan Jingchun slipped into the covers and lifted them. Peng Fei gently put the child down.
Thinking they could finally sleep, Nannan’s eyes opened the moment she touched the bed.
Feeling Peng Fei’s arm loosen, she burst into tears.
“Wuwu… Papa, don’t go. Nannan is scared alone. Wuwu, Papa…”
The little girl, likely groggy from sleep, mistook Peng Fei for her father.
It wasn’t the time to reason with her, so Peng Fei went along with it, holding her tighter and patting her gently.
“Shush, shush, shush, Nannan, don’t cry. I’m not leaving, not leaving.”
“Papa, don’t leave me, don’t scold me. Nannan is good, Nannan won’t look for Mama anymore, wuwu, Papa…”
Peng Fei’s heart ached even more.
What had such a cute and well-behaved child gone through to not even be able to sleep soundly?
He held her tightly, gently patting her back. Nannan finally calmed down again.
Thus, one lying down and the other half-propped up, Peng Fei persisted for more than ten minutes, his arm starting to go numb.
Zhan Jingchun, watching from the side, couldn’t bear it any longer. “Are you tired? Want to try letting go?”
Peng Fei attempted to loosen his arm, but as soon as he released it slightly, Nannan immediately started to tremble, scaring him into holding her tighter again.
After another ten minutes, even an iron man’s back would give out.
Peng Fei said uncomfortably, “No, my back hurts a bit. Can I lie down?”
Unable to bear seeing the child cry, but also unable to let him stay the night, Zhan Jingchun immediately said.
“No, your clothes are dirty, you can’t come up. Let her go, I’ll hold her.”
“What if she cries again?”
“I’ll coax her.”
Zhan Jingchun leaned over gently. Peng Fei tried to release her, and they exchanged places.
As a result, Nannan woke up again. She opened her eyes, looked at Peng Fei, then at Zhan Jingchun, and burst into tears again.
“Papa, don’t go, Papa, don’t leave me! I don’t want to be with the auntie, don’t leave me, Papa!”
Who did she mistake Zhan Jingchun for?
She had been so close to her during the day, yet in her sleep, she could mistake her for someone wicked?
Nannan clung to Peng Fei tightly, refusing to let go. Both of them were afraid of scaring her, so Peng Fei could only hold her tighter.
“Nannan, be good, don’t cry. Papa isn’t leaving, not leaving. Sleep, sleep.”
It took the little girl quite some time to calm down again. Peng Fei was exhausted.
“Then come help me take off these dirty pants. I’ll lie down, I can’t hold on anymore, my back really hurts.”
Zhan Jingchun looked at the time; it had been nearly an hour. Peng Fei was human, after all.
She went over and grabbed the waistband of his pants.
Although they had been intimate more than once or twice, Peng Fei had always been the initiator, and it had been a long time since they had been close. It felt strange to handle his clothes like this.
Zhan Jingchun intended to pull them down all at once, but there was a floor lamp in the room, and she couldn’t quite imagine the scene.
“Forget it, maybe you should just sleep in them.”
Peng Fei: “Didn’t you say my clothes were dirty?”
Zhan Jingchun couldn’t say it directly, “I do find them dirty, but I find it more troublesome. Forget it, forget it, just sleep like this.”
Peng Fei knew she had a germaphobia. Back in the village, if she didn’t change into clean clothes after working, she wouldn’t let him sleep. It was a habit. He didn’t dare to just get on the bed like this.
“If you find it troublesome, just tear them off casually to my legs, and I’ll do the rest myself.”
“Hurry, Chun Chun, my back hurts like it’s going to break.”
Whether Peng Fei was being deliberate or his thoughts were truly that pure, he sounded so innocent.
Zhan Jingchun had no choice. Gritting her teeth, she turned her head away and quickly pulled them off.
However, it wasn’t right for a grown man to hold a little girl like this.
Looking at him like this, Zhan Jingchun felt very awkward.
“What does it look like with you two sleeping like this? You need to avoid suspicion. I’ll find something to cover you.”
Peng Fei also felt it wasn’t appropriate. Although they were both open-minded adults, the child wasn’t biologically theirs, making it a bit strange.
Zhan Jingchun had no men’s clothes at home. After searching everywhere, she found a pair of her own sleep pants.
They were very stretchy, and Peng Fei wasn’t fat. Even though they were pink, it was late at night, and she was covered by a blanket. Who would see him?
They would just have to make do.
Peng Fei’s back was truly aching. He asked Zhan Jingchun to help him put them on.
The two of them awkwardly fumbled, and Zhan Jingchun put on the pink pants for him.
Finally able to lie down, Peng Fei, still holding the child, let out a deep sigh of relief.
The light was not turned off for easier observation of the little girl’s movements. Zhan Jingchun could see the two faces, one big and one small, beside her with a turn of her head.
You must admit, with them looking so loving, it did create a father-daughter feeling.
Crucially, they looked alike, making it perfectly natural.
And seeing herself lying beside them, with a man and a child, it inexplicably felt like a family of three…
It wasn’t just her thinking this; Peng Fei felt the same.
From Peng Fei’s perspective, Zhan Jingchun and the little girl’s features were very similar.
Side by side, they were both fair and delicate, a pleasant sight.
To be able to have these two by his side for a lifetime would truly be the greatest winner in life.
But it was just a thought; Peng Fei dared not voice it.
Zhan Jingchun had never thought highly of him and didn’t want to have children with him. It would never happen in this lifetime.
As he thought about Zhan Jingchun eventually marrying someone else and having children with them, he couldn’t help but feel sad and sighed.
Zhan Jingchun was also lost in thought. Hearing his sigh, she turned her head to look.
“What’s wrong? Does your back still hurt? Or is your arm numb?”
Peng Fei lay on his side, clearly seeing her features.
It was good enough to see her like this again. He dared not speak his true thoughts.
“It doesn’t hurt, it’s fine. You should sleep too.”