Chapter 49: Jiang Fan’s Parenting Philosophy

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Jiang Fan’s Parenting Philosophy

Lu Youyou’s face flushed red at her grandfather’s suggestive words.

"You old rascal! What are you even talking about?"

"Hahaha."

But Elder Lu simply let out a hearty laugh.

...

By the time the two of them returned home, it was nearly 10 PM. They had assumed Mengmeng would be asleep by now.

Instead, they found Nanny Chen pacing back and forth in the living room, holding Mengmeng and trying to coax her to sleep.

"Miss, Sir, you’re finally back."

"Mengmeng just refuses to sleep. Even when she’s so exhausted she dozes off, she jolts awake again a moment later. She keeps asking for you, Sir."

A look of delight spread across Nanny Chen’s face as she hurried over. Just then, Mengmeng, still in her arms, opened her drowsy eyes.

"Daddy, Mommy, you’re back."

"Where did you go? Why didn’t you take Mengmeng?"

"Daddy, hold me."

Mengmeng stretched her arms out toward Jiang Fan.

"Oh, my little darling."

"Why are you still awake so late?"

Jiang Fan quickly took Mengmeng from Nanny Chen’s arms and booped her little nose.

"Mengmeng missed Daddy, so Mengmeng couldn’t sleep."

"Daddy, can you tell me a story to help me sleep, please?"

"I want to hear the story about the little bunny."

Mengmeng buried her head in Jiang Fan’s chest, wiggling her little bottom and doing everything she could to wheedle him.

"Okay, okay, okay. Daddy will help Mengmeng get to sleep."

"You go take a shower first. I’ll stay with her, and you can take over for me in a bit."

Jiang Fan said, turning his head to Yin Ruxue.

"Mm, okay."

"Mengmeng, be a good girl and get to sleep, okay? You have school tomorrow."

"Okay. Come back soon, Mommy."

Jiang Fan carried Mengmeng back to his room and placed her in the middle of the bed. He took off his jacket and tucked her in.

He turned off the main light, leaving only a small table lamp on.

"Little girls aren’t supposed to stay up this late, you know. Now close your eyes. Daddy’s going to start the story."

Jiang Fan gently patted Mengmeng’s head and began slowly, "Once upon a time, there was a family of rabbits, and they lived in a big forest..."

Jiang Fan’s voice was incredibly gentle. Even though it was just a simple children’s story, he controlled its rhythm perfectly, his tone soft and soothing.

Before long, the sound of Mengmeng’s soft snores filled the air.

"Is she asleep?"

Yin Ruxue asked from the doorway, drying her hair after her shower.

"She just fell asleep. Stay with her for a bit while I go take a shower."

"I’ll take her upstairs to sleep. You go get your shower."

She didn’t even notice the hint of gentleness in her own voice.

Jiang Fan gave her a surprised look, scratching his head but saying nothing.

He turned and walked out. ’There must be something wrong with this woman,’ he thought, increasingly perplexed.

’Sometimes she’s as cold as a block of ice, but other times she shows this human warmth. It’s so contradictory and complicated.’

"Mommy, why are you picking me up?"

Yin Ruxue’s movements must have been a little too rough, as they startled Mengmeng from her deep sleep.

"Sweetheart, Mommy’s taking you upstairs to sleep."

Yin Ruxue said softly.

"No, no! I want to sleep with Daddy!"

"I don’t want to go upstairs! All the other kids get to sleep with their mommy and daddy, so why can’t I?"

"Well..."

Yin Ruxue was at a loss for words.

"Mommy, you can sleep here too."

"When Daddy comes back, I want both of you to hold me while I sleep."

"That would make me the happiest Mengmeng in the whole world."

"But..."

Hearing she was expected to sleep here, a blush flashed across Yin Ruxue’s normally cold cheeks.

Before she could refuse, Mengmeng’s lips began to tremble in a pout, a clear sign that tears were imminent.

And with children, tears could come at any moment.

Yin Ruxue’s heart ached, and she could only nod in agreement.

"Okay, okay, okay. Mommy will stay and sleep here with you."

"Daddy went to take a shower, so you be a good girl and go to sleep first. He’ll be back in a little while."

’As soon as Mengmeng falls asleep,’ she resolved, ’I’m kicking Jiang Fan out to the living room sofa.’

But to her surprise, by the time Jiang Fan finished his shower and returned, Mengmeng was still fighting to stay awake. She stretched her arms out toward him.

"Sigh, how are you awake again?"

Jiang Fan was astonished.

"Come here, Daddy. You sleep on this side of Mengmeng."

"And Mommy sleeps here."

Jiang Fan’s eyes went wide.

"This..."

He swallowed hard and looked toward Yin Ruxue.

’Her scorching figure was barely contained by that nightgown, and the two of us are supposed to sleep in the same bed...’

"Just get over here and lie down. It’s late, and Mengmeng can’t stay up any longer. She has school tomorrow,"

Yin Ruxue said, taking a deep breath and ignoring the blush that covered her face.

"But this is... COUGH COUGH COUGH."

Jiang Fan forced himself to look away, trying not to stare at Yin Ruxue’s body.

"Stop dawdling like a child. You’re a grown man."

Since she had put it that way, Jiang Fan decided to be direct. He took off his shoes and slipped under the covers.

Jiang Fan could clearly feel Yin Ruxue’s entire body tense up the moment he got under the covers.

Her body went ramrod straight.

Her breathing grew slightly ragged. It seemed she wasn’t as nonchalant as her words suggested.

"Daddy, Mommy, let’s go to sleep now."

Mengmeng happily wiggled under the covers, snuggling first into Jiang Fan’s arms, then into Yin Ruxue’s.

She looked utterly delighted.

Watching the lively and adorable Mengmeng, a gentle smile graced Jiang Fan’s lips.

"Be good, sweetheart, and get to sleep."

"You have school tomorrow. You can go play with the other kids then, okay?"

"Okay~"

Mengmeng replied in a sweet, drawn-out voice and snuggled into Jiang Fan’s arms.

She drifted off to dreamland in no time. Immediately after, another, louder snore joined hers.

Turning her head, she saw that Jiang Fan was also fast asleep.

’He worked all day, went to that banquet, and had to deal with so much crap... he must be exhausted,’ she thought.

Yin Ruxue realized she didn’t find the chorus of snores annoying at all. Instead, it felt a little... heartwarming.

A long-forgotten feeling of ordinary life seemed to be quietly prying open the doors to her heart.

But she couldn’t fall asleep. This was the first time in her life she had ever shared a bed with a man.

Even with Mengmeng sleeping between them.

She didn’t know how long it took, but eventually, Yin Ruxue succumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she found that Mengmeng had vanished from between them.

She was nestled in Jiang Fan’s arms, and his hand was resting right on her ample chest. To make matters worse, she had even thrown one of her legs over his waist.

Their faces were less than an inch apart; they could feel each other’s breath.

And at that very moment, as if by telepathy or some stroke of fate, Jiang Fan’s eyes snapped open.

Their eyes met!!!