POTINS Extra 4

When Wen Zhongyi received Ji Ying’s wedding invitation, he was in the middle of reading a story to Liuyi.

At five years old, Liuyi already recognized many basic Chinese characters. He was curled up in Wen Zhongyi’s arms, holding a teddy bear, gazing at the illustrations in the book while listening intently. Every so often, he’d interrupt and point to a character, saying, “Daddy, I know this one—this is ‘sky’.”

Wen Zhongyi ruffled his hair and praised him without hesitation. “Liuyi is amazing.”

“I know these ones too,” Liuyi pointed out several more characters he recognized, looking proud as he accepted Wen Zhongyi’s compliments.

Wen Zhongyi never spoiled his excitement and always praised him generously.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Liuyi’s eyes lit up and he asked, “Is Daddy back?”

Wen Zhongyi glanced at the time—it was only four in the afternoon. Meng Chuan wouldn’t be off work this early.

He went to open the door and found a courier, who handed him a package.

Liuyi trailed behind holding the teddy bear’s leg, peeking up with a little adult’s tone, “Oh, it’s just something Daddy ordered.”

Wen Zhongyi brought the package inside. Liuyi wanted to see what was in it, so Wen Zhongyi squatted by the entrance to open it up.

Inside was a beautifully wrapped box filled with small toys and candies, along with an ornate wedding invitation.

Liuyi lit up when he saw the toys, assuming they were from Wen Zhongyi. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. “Thank you, Daddy!”

Wen Zhongyi nearly toppled over from the tackle, laughing. “Daddy didn’t buy it. It’s from Auntie Ji Ying. She’s getting married and wants to invite Liuyi to be the flower boy. Do you want to do it?”

“What’s a flower boy?” Liuyi asked innocently.

Wen Zhongyi gave him a simple explanation, and Liuyi immediately nodded like a pecking chick. “I do! I do!”

The wedding was scheduled for the weekend, to be held at the most luxurious hotel in the area.

The hotel had closed its doors to the public a week in advance just to prepare for this grand, extravagant event.

Ji Ying had met her true love on a trip. Most of her time had always been devoted to work, rarely leaving room for relaxation.

One day, on a sudden whim, she decided to climb a snow mountain. Wen Zhongyi had seen her post about it on social media and even liked it, asking who she was going with. Ji Ying replied: by herself.

True to her word, she was already on the plane by the time Wen Zhongyi saw the reply after waking up.

As for what happened during the trip, Ji Ying never went into detail. All they knew was that she left alone and came back as part of a pair.

Wen Zhongyi had met the man a few times. He was tall and good-looking, with a presence that matched Ji Ying’s.

Apparently, he came from a business family as well, and both sides of the family approved wholeheartedly.

Ji Shu and Meng Chuan, however, weren’t too pleased. In their eyes, no one could be worthy of their sister. But they didn’t dare bring it up in front of Ji Ying, so they could only grumble behind her back.

Over time, as it became obvious Ji Ying was genuinely happy, the two gradually let go of their grudges.

On the day of the wedding, Wen Zhongyi’s family arrived in full formal dress.

He and Meng Chuan wore perfectly matching suits. Wen Zhongyi’s long hair was loosely tied at the nape of his neck, revealing his smooth forehead and delicate features.

Liuyi walked between them. At first, both his hands were tightly held, but once they reached the steps, he was only holding Wen Zhongyi’s hand. As soon as they got inside and he saw the pretty balloons, he let go of Wen Zhongyi’s hand as well.

The balloons had been prepared especially for children. Wen Zhongyi grabbed two and retrieved Liuyi, then brought him into the elevator.

The hotel’s top floor was a massive banquet hall, decorated in the flower-filled theme Ji Ying loved. Under dazzling lights and amidst a sea of fresh blooms, the scene looked like something out of a dream.

Many prominent business figures had been invited, several of whom were old acquaintances of Meng Chuan.

His relationship with Wen Zhongyi wasn’t a secret in the circle. Meng Chuan held Wen Zhongyi’s hand confidently as he exchanged greetings with others.

But Wen Zhongyi didn’t particularly enjoy these social occasions. Once a guest walked away, he gently scratched Meng Chuan’s palm with his fingertips. Meng Chuan immediately leaned in and asked softly, “What is it?”

Wen Zhongyi whispered near his ear, “I want to go find Liuyi.”

“Go ahead,” Meng Chuan said. He looked around, spotted Zhou Lu playing with Liuyi not far off, and pointed. “Over there.”

Wen Zhongyi let go of his hand, wove around tables and guests, and walked in that direction.

Along the way, he ran into many familiar faces. One of them was Ji Fan, who had just returned from overseas earlier that year. He was now as tall as Ji Shu, and the two brothers were standing at the entrance greeting guests. When they saw Wen Zhongyi, they smiled and waved hello.

Ji Shu was also dating someone—it had been over a year now. The girl wasn’t ready to discuss marriage yet, so Ji Shu simply let her be.

Also present was the doctor who had performed acupuncture on Wen Zhongyi before. He was Ji Ying’s friend’s younger brother, and a guest of honor at the wedding. He stood beside that same teacher from before—the two of them looked very close.

Yang Jiaran didn’t come. After finishing his master’s degree, he joined a prestigious law firm and had a hectic schedule. He happened to be on a business trip, so he could only entrust Wen Zhongyi to deliver his red envelope.

Over the years, everyone had been doing well, each living their own life and finding their own path.

But their relationships remained just as they were—unchanged and close as ever.

Joyful music played in the hall while children ran around with balloons and flowers.

From a distance, Wen Zhongyi saw Liuyi trip over a chair and fall. Before Zhou Lu could help him, he had already quickly gotten back on his feet. Still smiling, he ran forward a few steps and handed the flowers in his hand to a little girl in a princess dress.

Wen Zhongyi couldn’t help but smile and quickened his pace. He patted Zhou Lu on the shoulder and said, “Mom, take a break. I’ll watch him.”

Liuyi turned his head and called out cheerfully, “Daddy!”

Wen Zhongyi responded and tipped his chin toward him. “Go play, but be careful not to fall again.”

“Daddy, this is for you.” Liuyi ran over and handed him the last flower in his hand, then blew him a kiss just like Meng Chuan always did.

Wen Zhongyi’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

Liuyi, with his handsome features and confident demeanor, was well-liked among the children.

The girl in the princess dress returned the favor by giving him a few pieces of candy. Liuyi happily skipped back and gave two to Wen Zhongyi.

Before coming, Wen Zhongyi had reminded him not to run around. This time, Liuyi had been obedient, playing within the area between two round tables. When he got tired, he squatted down and joined a few kids in conversation.

Suddenly, Wen Zhongyi’s phone buzzed in his pocket—it was a message from the emcee, saying the bride and groom had arrived at the hotel and asking him to bring out the flower boy.

Wen Zhongyi replied “okay” and stood up to head over to Liuyi. Just then, the music changed tracks, and for a few seconds, the room fell quiet. He happened to hear the children talking.

A little girl asked Liuyi, “Where’s your mom?”

Liuyi was busy playing with his balloon, but at her question, he answered, “I don’t have a mom, but I have two dads.”

He said it matter-of-factly, as if this question had never confused him.

The girl looked puzzled. “Why do you have two dads?”

“Because my Daddy and my papa love each other very much. After they got married, they had me. Just like your mommy and daddy,” Liuyi replied without hesitation.

“But only girls can have babies,” another slightly older boy said.

Hearing this, Wen Zhongyi was about to step forward and call Liuyi over. He knew the kids didn’t mean harm—they were just curious—but he didn’t want Liuyi to face questions that were difficult to answer.

“But my daddy can,” Liuyi lifted his head slightly like a proud little knight. His speech was slow, but his words made Wen Zhongyi’s heart ache with warmth. “Because my daddy is very brave and loves me very much, that’s why he could give birth to me. He’s the most amazing daddy in the world.”

Wen Zhongyi’s nose tingled, and his eyes turned slightly red.

A child’s world is both simple and complex. Maybe Liuyi had long realized he was different—but he never asked.

Wen Zhongyi had always thought he’d wait until Liuyi brought it up to explain things. But he hadn’t expected that Liuyi didn’t need an explanation at all—he already had an answer in his heart.

Wen Zhongyi took two deep breaths to ease the sting in his nose, then stood a short distance behind them and softly called Liuyi’s name.

Liuyi turned around, pushed himself up off the ground, and ran toward him with joy as he called out, “Daddy!”

Wen Zhongyi opened his arms and caught him, holding the small, warm body tightly against his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment and whispered into his ear, “Daddy loves you so much.”

Liuyi seemed to sense his emotion. He lowered his head, covered his mouth with his tiny hand, and whispered back, “Liuyi loves you too.”

That night, Wen Zhongyi told Meng Chuan what Liuyi had said. Meng Chuan was deeply moved. He wrapped his arm around Wen Zhongyi’s waist and said, “Didn’t expect that kid to have such awareness.”

Wen Zhongyi had been in his pajamas, but Meng Chuan pulled them open. He didn’t resist and simply leaned against Meng Chuan’s chest, feeling a bit melancholic. “I don’t want Liuyi to grow up so fast. I want him to stay with us forever.”

Meng Chuan’s hands began roaming his body quietly. “He’s only five. Still a long way to go. When he hits his rebellious phase, you might wish he’d disappear.”

“That won’t happen.” Wen Zhongyi caught his mischievous hand and said softly, “Stop messing around. You overdid it yesterday—I haven’t recovered yet.”

“Then I’ll be gentle tonight.” Meng Chuan kissed his lips and coaxed in a low voice, “You’re in your heat. Show some understanding.”

Wen Zhongyi couldn’t move him, so he lifted his chin helplessly. “Did you lock the door?”

“Locked,” Meng Chuan replied, still a little shaken. “Wouldn’t dare not to.”

After Liuyi’s fifth birthday, he moved into the room next door and started sleeping separately from them.

At first, he couldn’t be apart from Wen Zhongyi at all. He cried and made a fuss wanting to sleep with Daddy. Wen Zhongyi had no choice but to go over and coax him to sleep.

After about a week of this back-and-forth, the little guy finally accepted reality, hugging his teddy bear with a pout and trying to comfort himself to sleep.

Actually, Wen Zhongyi hadn’t planned to have him sleep alone so early. But once, while Liuyi was napping in the small bed, the two of them thought he was sound asleep and decided to get a little intimate. Just as Meng Chuan undid Wen Zhongyi’s shirt, the little guy suddenly sat up in bed, sucking his finger and staring at them curiously like a ghost, asking, “What are you doing?”

They both broke into a cold sweat. Meng Chuan reacted quickly, yanking the blanket over Wen Zhongyi, then stared at Liuyi, flustered. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

Liuyi giggled. “I can’t sleep.”

Then he added, “Daddy’s bare butt. Shame-shame.”

“……”

Wen Zhongyi’s face flushed crimson. He wanted nothing more than to smother himself with the blanket.

After that night, Liuyi was heartlessly kicked into the room next door and was no longer allowed to come over no matter what.

But within two weeks, another incident happened.

That night, it suddenly started raining—not storming, just a light drizzle. Normally, Liuyi slept deeply, so Wen Zhongyi didn’t expect the rain to wake him.

In fact, it wasn’t the rain. Liuyi had a nightmare. When he woke and heard the rain, he got scared and instinctively went out to find his daddy.

At the time, Wen Zhongyi had his arms around Meng Chuan’s neck, head tilted back, legs trembling and wrapped tightly around Meng Chuan’s waist, breathing softly.

Suddenly, Meng Chuan froze. Before Wen Zhongyi could react, Meng Chuan had already scrambled off him in a panic. There was no time to dress, so he quickly pulled the blanket over their bodies.

Thank goodness Meng Chuan’s ears were sharp—because the next second, Liuyi pushed the door open.

He was barefoot, hugging his teddy bear, and didn’t see anything he shouldn’t have. He just stood there pitifully and said, “Daddy, I’m a little scared. I want to sleep with you.”

Wen Zhongyi cleared his throat. His breathing hadn’t steadied yet, but he managed to lift his head and say, “Close the door first, Liuyi. Come here and Daddy will hold you.”

While Liuyi turned to close the door, Wen Zhongyi and Meng Chuan hastily threw on their robes.

Meng Chuan went to the bathroom while Liuyi dragged his bear, climbed onto the bed slowly from the foot, and snuggled into Wen Zhongyi’s arms, whispering, “Daddy, you’re so warm.”

“……”

Wen Zhongyi’s sweat instantly turned cold. His heart was still pounding. He forced a smile. “Go to sleep.”

After that, the bedroom door was locked at night. Liuyi was never again allowed to sneak in to sleep with them.

Liuyi stayed innocent and clingy until about eight years old. When he started second grade, he stopped relying so much on Wen Zhongyi’s embrace.

He’d inherited Meng Chuan’s height, towering among his peers. His features grew increasingly handsome, and he became more independent.

Once, when Wen Zhongyi picked him up from school and offered to carry his backpack, Liuyi waved him off. “I can carry it myself, Daddy.”

He was attending a private elementary school and was well-liked by both teachers and classmates.

But sometimes, he was disobedient. He got into a few fights. Wen Zhongyi had to go in and handle one incident, asking him to apologize to the other student. Liuyi refused, insisting he wasn’t in the wrong.

For once, Wen Zhongyi put on a stern face and said firmly, “Wen Jinyu, you hit someone first. Apologize.”

Liuyi looked up at him. His eyes turned red instantly.

On the way home, he sulked and didn’t say a word, clearly upset and trying not to cry.

But when Wen Zhongyi gently coaxed him, he broke down and sobbed.

“He said something mean first,” Liuyi cried.

Wen Zhongyi handed him a tissue and sighed. “What did he say?”

Back in the office, neither of the boys had been willing to speak, but Wen Zhongyi really wanted to know what could have upset Liuyi so much.

Liuyi didn’t want to repeat the hurtful words. But feeling so wronged, he choked out, “He… he said I wasn’t really Daddy’s child. Said I was adopted.”

What the boy had actually said was, “How could your daddy give birth to you? You were obviously picked up somewhere. They’re lying to you.”

Wen Zhongyi froze and furrowed his brows.

Liuyi’s nose was red from crying, but he insisted stubbornly, “I wasn’t picked up. He was.”

“Why didn’t you say that in front of the teacher?”

Wen Zhongyi pulled him into his arms, wiped his tears with his fingers, and apologized, “Daddy didn’t know the reason. I shouldn’t have scolded you. I’m sorry.”

Liuyi buried his face in Wen Zhongyi’s chest and mumbled, “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

After that, Meng Chuan handled most of the scuffles. Wen Zhongyi was close to finishing his PhD and had too much on his plate to run to school.

Liuyi wasn’t a bad kid and never picked fights—most of the time, he was in the right.

But when he hit, he hit hard. Every time, he’d leave the other kid bruised and battered while coming out unscathed.

Wen Zhongyi didn’t approve of fighting and gave him symbolic scoldings each time.

Soon, Liuyi had basically taken over the elementary school. By third grade, no one dared mess with him.

He’d also come to understand a truth: some things were fine as long as he himself knew the answer—there was no need to force others to believe. But if someone used it to provoke him, fists would solve the problem.

When Liuyi turned nine, Wen Zhongyi finished his PhD and joined an architectural design institute.

The next year, when Liuyi was ten, he came down with a sudden fever after a summer rainstorm.

Wen Zhongyi and Meng Chuan rushed him back to Sanka and checked him into the hospital. The test results came back: Liuyi had differentiated as a beta.

No glands, couldn’t smell pheromones, couldn’t get pregnant—he could live an ordinary, peaceful life.

Wen Zhongyi finally relaxed. His long-held worry was finally laid to rest.

It was summer break anyway, so they left Liuyi in Sanka. Father and Dad were overjoyed, telling them to go do whatever they wanted and not come back for the child anytime soon.

Wen Zhongyi and Meng Chuan happily accepted the freedom, planning a few days’ trip to enjoy their time together.

There were still so many things they wanted to do—those dreams they hadn’t had time to realize, they now intended to fulfill.

With the child away, they could go anywhere, do anything.

Even after so many years of marriage, with time flowing quietly by, their love had never faded. Without realizing it, they had already walked through half a lifetime together.

—The End—