[Ji Zhaozhao’s Visit]

The cold winter days were gradually passing. Although the early spring was still a bit chilly, it was already much warmer than before.

The recording for I Will Accompany You to the End was completely finished, and Gu Qichi’s tasks had come to a temporary end, leaving him feeling very relaxed. Bo Yu, on the other hand, had accumulated too many tasks that he hadn’t done and was currently so busy his feet barely touched the ground. For a few days, he couldn’t even come home, pulling all-nighters at the company to finalize project proposals.

When they finally made it to the weekend, most of the company’s affairs were largely resolved. Bo Yu breathed a sigh of relief and slept like a log at home, planning to take Gu Qichi out for a spring outing once he woke up.

Perhaps he was too exhausted, but Bo Yu didn’t sleep very peacefully this time; he kept feeling like something heavy was pressing down on him.

The sensation was very real. Bo Yu furrowed his brows, and when he noticed the weight on his body getting heavier and heavier, he impatiently opened his eyes, only to be met with a small, bun-like face carefully holding its breath.

He had no idea when Ji Zhaozhao, this little munchkin, had come over. She was holding the house’s fat cat in one arm, and carefully holding the Silver Shaded cat’s food bowl in her other hand, just about to place it squarely on Bo Yu’s chest.

Seeing Bo Yu wake up, Ji Zhaozhao’s bright eyes dimmed for a moment. She pouted her lips in dissatisfaction and muttered, “What do we do, A-Ci? I lost. Uncle woke up.”

The Silver Shaded cat couldn’t understand what she was saying. Trapped in her arms by its belly, it drooped its head, looking completely dead inside.

Only then did Bo Yu realize that an assortment of things had been piled onto his chest: the cat’s food, toys, Ji Zhaozhao’s milk bottle, the stuffed bear she slept with… a massive pile of stuff he couldn’t even count. The moment he moved slightly, these items clattered and wobbled, sliding off his body.

The veins on Bo Yu’s temples throbbed twice. He tugged at Ji Zhaozhao’s collar, his voice hoarse from just waking up: “Zhaozhao, why did you come over?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the bedroom door opened from the outside. Gu Qichi walked in, holding a plate of freshly washed fruit.

Seeing Bo Yu awake, he was a bit surprised, but then he noticed the various items piled on Bo Yu’s body and felt somewhat helpless. “Did Zhaozhao wake you up?”

Bo Yu let out a hoarse “Mhm.” Having just woken up after days of consecutive exhaustion, his brain hadn’t quite recovered its momentum yet. He asked Gu Qichi groggily, “When did Zhaozhao get here?”

Gu Qichi set down the fruit, cleaned up the messy pile of things on Bo Yu, and poured him a glass of water while answering, “Sister Bo Song said she and Zhaozhao’s dad need to go to Country A for a trip. There’s no one to take care of Zhaozhao, so she asked us to help out.”

“So for the next few days, Zhaozhao will be staying at our house.”

Bo Yu snapped his eyes wide open, feeling a headache coming on. “How many days do we have to watch her?”

Before Gu Qichi could answer, Zhaozhao hugged A-Ci and scooted over. She reached out both of her chubby little hands, gesturing to Bo Yu, “Uncle, Zhaozhao is going to stay with Chichi for many, many days!”

Gu Qichi smiled and rubbed her head, his tone gentle: “What does Zhaozhao want to eat tonight? I’ll have the auntie (housekeeper) make it for you.”

The little munchkin happily squeezed A-Ci tighter and rubbed against him, her tone indescribably excited. “I want to eat Mc… McDonald’s.”

Her mom absolutely forbade Zhaozhao from eating fried chicken and hamburgers. Every time, it was only when her mom wasn’t around that her dad would secretly take her out to eat it.

Unfortunately, right now, mom wasn’t here, and neither was dad. But Chichi had been her dad on TV before, so Chichi would definitely agree!

Playing dumb to get what she wanted—Zhaozhao was the absolute best at it.

The little kiddo put down the Silver Shaded cat. Both of her hands were clutching handfuls of silver-gray cat fur, and quite a bit was stuck to her face too, making her look slightly comical. She blinked her eyes, scooted closer to Gu Qichi, and used a pitiful tone: “Zhaozhao has only seen hamburgers on TV and has never eaten one. Can Chichi take me to go get one?”

Gu Qichi, who had just been considering that young children shouldn’t eat fried food because it might be bad for their health and had originally planned not to take her to McDonald’s: “…”

It seemed like eating it just once wouldn’t be a big deal, right? After all, Zhaozhao had never had one before, which was a little pitiful…

Seeing that she had a chance, the little munchkin rolled her eyes, grabbed her prop—A-Ci—again, lowered her eyelashes, and said perfectly pitifully, “If we can’t, then we can just eat the food Chichi likes. Zhaozhao has just never seen it and was a little curious, that’s all.”

Gu Qichi’s psychological defenses were instantly shattered. He began rapidly calculating where the nearest McDonald’s was or if they should just order delivery to the house.

Either way, he absolutely had to fulfill Zhaozhao’s wish to eat McDonald’s today.

As for A-Ci, she scrunched up her cat face, enduring the hateful human cub doing whatever it pleased to her without being able to move an inch.

Whenever she showed even a tiny hint of wanting to leave Zhaozhao’s side, the domineering human cub would drag the entire cat back into her arms, groping her all over while stroking her head and saying very seriously: “Mimi, you can’t run around, you’ll get caught by bad guys. Zhaozhao will protect you!”

On the other side of the room, by the floor-to-ceiling windows, Bo Yu was on the phone with Bo Song.

In the video call, Bo Song was clinging to her husband’s arm across the ocean, smiling radiantly.

“You dropped Zhaozhao off without even giving me a heads-up beforehand.”
The window was open, and the wind blowing in carried the unique chill of early spring.

Bo Song waved her hand dismissively, her tone nonchalant: “I did give a heads-up. I asked Xiao Qi, and he agreed immediately. After all, Zhaozhao has been wanting to see him, and he really likes Zhaozhao too.”

Just as she finished speaking, seemingly remembering something, Bo Song blinked mischievously. “I get it. You don’t want Zhaozhao there because you’re afraid she’ll interrupt you and Qichi’s private couple time. Oh please, you two have been enjoying your couple time for so long already. Isn’t it nice to let Zhaozhao help you experience the joy of a family of three?”

“There’s a classic line from TV that I think perfectly applies here: Zhaozhao isn’t there to break up your family, she’s there to join it.”

“Oh right, remember to make her formula milk, twice a day is enough. I told Qichi all the things to watch out for. Make sure to guard against Zhaozhao, don’t let her trick you into taking her to eat junk food…”

Over there, Bo Song happily hung up the phone, having successfully pawned Ji Zhaozhao off onto Bo Yu to enjoy her own couple time. Over here, Gu Qichi walked over holding Ji Zhaozhao’s hand. The large and small duo stood in front of Bo Yu, with Gu Qichi leading the charge: “Let’s not have the auntie cook today. Let’s go out to eat.”

Bo Yu pocketed his phone, glanced at Ji Zhaozhao who was clinging onto the cat for dear life, and used an indiscernible tone: “Why do you suddenly want to go out to eat? Have you decided on what to get?”

Gu Qichi checked the GPS on his phone: “Let’s go to the nearby XX mall. We can take Zhaozhao to McDonald’s; kids all like that kind of food.”

Ji Zhaozhao hugged the cat and nodded vigorously. “Zhaozhao likes it.”

She blinked her eyes frantically, her gaze making her intentions exceptionally clear—
Uncle, hurry up and take Zhaozhao!

Bo Yu pinched the bridge of his nose. Recalling Bo Song’s words just now, he strictly rejected Ji Zhaozhao: “Zhaozhao, your mom said we can’t take you to eat fried food. It’s bad for your health.”

Ji Zhaozhao: “…”
QAQ How did I fail to block my mom’s interference…

Struck down so abruptly, Ji Zhaozhao entirely wilted. Her head drooped, her hands unconsciously wringing together; she looked incredibly pitiful.

Looking down and seeing her like this, Gu Qichi’s heart softened for a moment. He crouched down, rubbed the little munchkin’s head, and coaxed her gently, “If Uncle doesn’t want to eat it, then I’ll take you. I like eating hamburgers too, and Zhaozhao likes them too. Just the two of us will go together, we won’t bring him along.”

Ji Zhaozhao lifted her head, put A-Ci on the floor, and hugged Gu Qichi’s calf, rubbing against him and plastering cat fur all over his leg.
“Chichi is the best! Zhaozhao likes Chichi the most.”

Bo Yu, who had originally planned to take Gu Qichi out on a date tonight: “…”
Whether the little brat was filial to her parents was unknown, but she sure as hell wasn’t filial to her uncle.

Perhaps because it was a Monday, the foot traffic on the streets was a bit less than on the weekends, but it was still crowded.

Gu Qichi was bundled up tightly in a mask and hat, and Bo Yu was also fully armed. The two of them, leading Ji Zhaozhao in her little puffy dress, managed to find a McDonald’s that wasn’t too packed.

There were a few girls sitting in pairs or trios around the store. Gu Qichi carried Ji Zhaozhao to a corner table before finally taking off his mask.

Because the little munchkin was so excited, she momentarily forgot her persona of “never having eaten McDonald’s before.” She skillfully snatched Bo Yu’s phone, opened the mobile ordering page via the QR code, and prepared to pick her meal.

Bo Yu sat across from Gu Qichi, took off his hat and mask, and cast his eyes down at Ji Zhaozhao. Watching her practiced movements, he couldn’t help but laugh out of pure exasperation.

Saying she had never eaten a hamburger and acting so pitiful—it was all an act put on for Gu Qichi to see. Bo Yu figured Ji Zhaozhao had been brought out to eat fast food by her dad quite often; after all, that man wasn’t just completely whipped for his wife, he was also entirely whipped for his daughter.

Ji Zhaozhao was even leaning her head against Gu Qichi, excitedly pointing out which ones she wanted to eat.

Ji Zhaozhao: “Chichi, this one is yummy! These fwies are yummy too!”
Ji Zhaozhao: “The chicken wingths are too thpicy, they hurt Zhaozhao’s tongue, Zhaozhao won’t eat them.”
Ji Zhaozhao: “What about Chichi? What does Chichi like to eat?”

Gu Qichi looked at her with amusement, slowly realizing something was off. The little kid had obviously eaten here many times; she was exceptionally familiar with the menu items and could even describe the taste of the newest releases. So her whole speech back at the house was clearly tricking him.

Yet, he hadn’t noticed it at all and had completely fallen for it.

The speed and efficiency of a fast-food restaurant were much faster than Western or Chinese dining. Not long after Gu Qichi placed the order, their number was called at the counter.

When Bo Yu went to pick up the food, Ji Zhaozhao kept her big eyes glued to him, blinking rapidly as if she were terrified Bo Yu might run away with the burgers and fries.

When the tray was set on the table, a whole spread of chicken nuggets, burgers, and fries shone with a golden hue under the lights, smelling absolutely mouthwatering.

Ji Zhaozhao leaned in like a little puppy, her nose twitching. She grabbed a bright yellow chicken nugget and placed it in front of Gu Qichi first.

Ji Zhaozhao: “One piece for Chichi, one piece for Uncle, one piece for Zhaozhao.”

Just as she started her second round of distribution, she suddenly paused, slammed her hand on the table, and said excitedly, “Oh no, I forgot Mimi at home! Let’s save one piece for Mimi too.”

Only after splitting everything evenly did Ji Zhaozhao sit properly, pick up her hamburger with both hands, and take a giant bite with an “Ah-woo.”

Ah! Hamburgers are so yummy!
The little munchkin narrowed her eyes in pure bliss, struggling to bite into a burger that was as big as her face.

Perhaps because Ji Zhaozhao looked so incredibly happy while eating, Gu Qichi’s original thought of controlling his calorie intake wavered. He picked up the Grilled Chicken Burger next to him and took a small bite.

The rich sauce poured over tender chicken, paired with the fluffy wheat bun, released bursts of tantalizing aroma. The rich texture unique to fast food exploded on his tongue. For an actor like Gu Qichi who constantly needed to watch his diet, it was an absolute delicacy.

Ji Zhaozhao was small, but probably thanks to the experience of eating it many times, after eating about a third of her burger, she turned her attention to picking out her favorite fries and chicken nuggets. Eating them bite by bite, paired with an ice-cold cola, was wonderfully refreshing.

Bo Yu originally didn’t like eating this kind of fried food. He shared Bo Song’s mindset—these things provided no benefits to the body and eating too much could cause health problems, so he usually never chose fast food.

But seeing the look on Ji Zhaozhao’s face, Bo Yu picked up a piece of popcorn chicken, casually thinking: Letting the kid eat it once in a while is fine. After all, her being happy is what’s most important.

…

Bo Yu might have been considerate then, but when they returned home at night, Ji Zhaozhao wasn’t quite as considerate.

After helping her wash up, Bo Yu carried her to the living room, handed her a cat teaser wand, and told her to play with A-Ci for a while. Meanwhile, he slipped back into the bathroom to find Gu Qichi.

Gu Qichi had just washed his face and hadn’t even had time to dry it before the door was suddenly pushed open. He followed the sound, only to have Bo Yu press the back of his neck and pull him forward.

“It’s been so long since we kissed. Wife, let me kiss you.”

Bo Yu leaned in, placed a clean towel on the bathroom counter, and directly hoisted Gu Qichi onto it. He forcefully pressed himself between his legs, his lips rubbing against Gu Qichi’s face, stirring up a scorching heat.

Gu Qichi’s eyelashes were still wet, his lips crimson. He glanced worriedly at the door.
“Zhaozhao is still outside.”

Bo Yu bit the soft flesh of his cheek, his voice a bit hoarse. “She can’t get in. I told her to go play with A-Ci.”

Gu Qichi let out a soft “Oh,” obediently wrapped his arms around Bo Yu’s neck, and docilely closed his eyes.

Probably because it had been too long since they kissed, Bo Yu’s kissing was a bit fierce this time, using a lot of force. Gu Qichi’s lips were being sucked and bitten by him, throbbing with a numbing pain. Looking incredibly indifferent, the words that came out of [Bo Yu’s] mouth were highly deceptive: “Chichi is playing hide-and-seek with Zhaozhao. Right now he hid and you found him; now it’s your turn to go hide, and he’ll go look for you.”

Children mostly have zero resistance to hide-and-seek. Hearing Bo Yu say this, Ji Zhaozhao’s sleepiness dissipated quite a bit. She hugged A-Ci, rubbing against her happily. “Mimi, hide with me, and wait for Chichi to come find us.”

The little munchkin moved quickly. In just a few seconds, her little short legs carried her off as she peeked around, looking everywhere for a place to hide.

When she approached the curtains by the floor-to-ceiling windows, she noticed a small gap between them and the bedside table that perfectly covered her shoes and feet. She immediately hugged the Silver Shaded cat and squeezed inside with a huff.

Alrighty, now Chichi and Uncle won’t be able to find Zhaozhao.
However…

Recalling the scene she had just witnessed, Ji Zhaozhao lowered her head and whispered to A-Ci, “Mimi, why was Uncle biting Chichi?”

A-Ci lifted her head, her cat face drooping, and let out an unwilling meow.

In the bathroom, Gu Qichi adjusted his clothes and splashed a handful of cold water on his face, trying to make the blush look a bit lighter.

But it had very little effect. The flush at the corners of his eyes and brows was still very obvious, and even his lips were red and swollen. Any adult with a sex life who walked in could tell at a glance what he had just been doing.

Bo Yu had his arm around his waist and wanted to say something else, but Gu Qichi shot him a fierce glare.

But when a great beauty glares at someone, it isn’t fierce at all; instead, their eyes ripple with an inherent, spring-like charm.

Gu Qichi: “Tonight, you are going to sleep properly. Don’t even think about anything else.”

Bo Yu was left speechless. He wanted to try discussing taking Gu Qichi to sleep in the guest room instead, but Gu Qichi moved too fast. He had already tidied his clothes and walked out to find the hiding Ji Zhaozhao.

Pushing open the bathroom door, the entire master bedroom was in plain view. The quilt on the bed was spread out flat and smooth—obviously, no one was hiding there.

Ji Zhaozhao was indeed smart. Because she was short, hiding in the gap between the bedside table and the curtains really didn’t draw attention. But she had overlooked one thing: she was holding a cat that wasn’t very well-behaved.

Beneath the curtains, the little munchkin’s shadow couldn’t be seen, but unfortunately, the Silver Shaded cat’s tail was swishing, poking a very obvious shape into the curtain fabric. You could even see the curtain shaking gently; it was obvious something was hiding inside.

Gu Qichi cast a glance and roughly confirmed Ji Zhaozhao was hiding in there, but he still cooperatively opened the closet and lifted the blankets, pretending he hadn’t found her.

Gu Qichi: “Where did Zhaozhao hide? Hmm, not in here, and not in the closet either…”
Gu Qichi: “Then where did she hide? Could she be in another room?”

Listening to his words, Ji Zhaozhao hid behind the curtains and couldn’t help but feel nervous.
What if Chichi can’t find me?
Should I give Chichi a little hint? Otherwise, if Chichi can’t find me but I found him earlier, Chichi will be sad…

Ji Zhaozhao was still frowning in deep thought when, the very next second, the curtains were pulled open. Dazzling light poured in, and Gu Qichi’s face appeared in front of her, bearing a look of unconcealed surprise.

His voice also sounded full of pleasant surprise and astonishment: “I found Zhaozhao! Zhaozhao chose such a great hiding spot, I almost couldn’t find you.”

Ji Zhaozhao was securely picked up by him and placed onto the bed. She kicked off her shoes, patted the cat fur off her clothes, and lifted her head very proudly. “Hehe, Zhaozhao is so amazing, and Chichi is amazing too.”

“Chichi, I want to play hide-and-seek again tomorrow,” the little munchkin eagerly expressed her wish.

Gu Qichi rubbed her head and readily agreed. “Tomorrow after you come back from kindergarten, we’ll play hide-and-seek.”

Ji Zhaozhao smiled happily along with Gu Qichi.

When it was officially time to sleep, on the large, soft bed, Gu Qichi slept on the right, Bo Yu slept on the left, and Ji Zhaozhao, wearing her little bunny pajamas, obediently slept right in the middle.

A-Ci had been placed right above her head, looking like a mascot.

Originally, A-Ci was supposed to be hugged in her arms, but Gu Qichi told her she might accidentally squash A-Ci when turning over at night, so Ji Zhaozhao had to give up the idea.

The moment the lights were turned off, Ji Zhaozhao pulled up her little bunny blanket and kicked her feet. “I really like Chichi. From now on, I want to sleep with Chichi and Mimi every single day!”

Gu Qichi nodded in agreement, while Bo Yu had a dark expression on his face, internally calculating how he could get Bo Song to hurry back and take Ji Zhaozhao away.