Shen Zhiling was in bliss. The early morning light was just beginning to filter through the curtains, casting a soft, golden glow over the room. But what made this morning truly perfect was the warmth of Lu Ningfei in his arms, nestled comfortably against his chest. The steady rise and fall of Ningfei's breathing, the softness of his hair against Zhiling's chin—it was all so serene, so peaceful.
Shen Zhiling tightened his hold on Ningfei just a little, savoring the moment. He could stay like this forever, just the two of them, in their own little world. But as fate would have it, the peace didn't last.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the apartment, shattering the calm. It sounded like a pot or pan had crashed to the floor in the kitchen, followed by the clatter of utensils and muffled voices. Shen Zhiling's eyes snapped open, his senses immediately alert. But before he could even react, he felt Ningfei stir in his arms.
Lu Ningfei's face, which had been so calm and content just a moment ago, now wore an expression of pure annoyance. His eyes remained closed, but the dark aura of frustration surrounding him was palpable.
Shen Zhiling, ever the attentive lover, gently patted Ningfei's back in an attempt to soothe him. "Go back to sleep, baby. I'll take care of it," he whispered, his voice low and comforting.
But Ningfei wasn't having any of it. "No," he muttered, his voice thick with irritation. "I want to know which idiot is disturbing my sleep now."
Shen Zhiling chuckled softly at the grumpy tone in Ningfei's voice. He could tell that Ningfei was on the verge of getting up, and if that happened, there was no way he'd be able to coax him back to bed without addressing the issue first. With a sigh of resignation, Zhiling slipped out from under the covers, still holding Ningfei securely in his arms.
"Alright then," Shen Zhiling murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice as he adjusted his grip. "Let's go see what's going on."
Without missing a beat, he lifted Ningfei into a princess carry, cradling him against his chest as he made his way out of the bedroom. Ningfei grumbled softly but didn't protest, too tired to put up much of a fight. Instead, he buried his face in Zhiling's shoulder, his arms loosely wrapped around his neck.
When they reached the kitchen, the source of the noise became immediately apparent. Standing amidst a chaotic mess of pots, pans, and ingredients were their three children—young heroes who Ningfei had summoned to this world, and who affectionately called him "Mother"—along with Si Qin, who seemed to be the ringleader of whatever culinary disaster was unfolding.
"Happy birthday!" one of the kids—let's call him Xiao Jun—exclaimed, beaming up at Ningfei as soon as he saw them. He was holding a spatula, though it was unclear what exactly he was planning to do with it. Beside him, the other two kids, Xiao Ming and Xiao Rui, were similarly armed with cooking utensils, all of them looking up at Ningfei with wide, expectant eyes.
Si Qin, standing near the stove, looked equally enthusiastic, though there was a smudge of flour on his cheek, and he was holding a bowl that appeared to contain the makings of a cake batter—if the batter had somehow exploded and spread itself over half the kitchen.
"We were trying to make you breakfast!" Si Qin added, his voice brimming with pride. "But we, uh, ran into a few problems…"
Shen Zhiling couldn't help but smile at the scene. The kids were trying so hard, and Si Qin, who was usually so aloof, seemed genuinely invested in making Ningfei's birthday special. It was sweet—chaotic, but sweet.
However, Ningfei's patience had already been tested by the rude awakening, and the sight of the disaster zone that was once his pristine kitchen pushed him over the edge. He lifted his head from Zhiling's shoulder, giving the four of them a withering glare.
"You woke me up for this?" Ningfei asked, his voice dripping with irritation.
Xiao Ming, the most timid of the kids, shrank back a little, but Si Qin—ever the bold one—stood his ground, though his confident smile wavered slightly under Ningfei's intense gaze.
"Well, we thought it would be a nice surprise…" Si Qin began, but he trailed off when he saw that Ningfei wasn't softening.
Shen Zhiling, sensing that this could go badly if not handled delicately, tried to step in. "They meant well, Ningfei. It's your birthday, after all."
Ningfei let out a long, suffering sigh, his eyes closing as if he were trying to summon the patience of a saint. "I don't care what day it is," he said, his tone still sharp but with a hint of tired resignation. "I just want to sleep."
There was a beat of silence as the kids and Si Qin processed that. Then, with a final huff, Ningfei added, "All of you, out."
"Out?" Xiao Rui repeated, looking confused.
"Out of my house," Ningfei clarified, waving a hand toward the door. "You've done enough damage for one morning."
The kids exchanged uncertain looks, but Si Qin quickly gathered them up, sensing that this wasn't a battle they were going to win. "You heard him," Si Qin said, ushering the kids toward the door. "We'll, uh, try this again later. Maybe with a little more preparation."
As the kids reluctantly filed out of the apartment, Xiao Jun called back over his shoulder, "Happy birthday, Mother! We'll do better next time!"
Once they were gone, the apartment fell blessedly silent again. Shen Zhiling turned his attention back to Ningfei, who was still cradled in his arms, his expression now one of weary relief.
"Better?" Shen Zhiling asked, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
"Much better," Ningfei replied, his eyes half-closed. He leaned up slightly, pressing a quick, soft kiss to Shen Zhiling's lips. "Now take me back to bed. I'm tired."
"Anything for you," Shen Zhiling said, his smile widening. He adjusted his grip on Ningfei, carrying him back toward the bedroom with an exaggerated gentleness that earned him a small, amused smile from Ningfei.
As they reached the bedroom, Ningfei sighed contentedly, his earlier irritation melting away as he settled back under the covers. Shen Zhiling carefully tucked him in, making sure he was comfortable before slipping into bed beside him.
"You really need your sleep, huh?" Shen Zhiling asked softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Ningfei's face.
"Mmm," Ningfei murmured, already halfway back to sleep. "I can't function without it."
Shen Zhiling chuckled, pressing a kiss to Ningfei's forehead. "Alright, then. No more disturbances. I'll make sure of it."
And with that, he wrapped his arms around Ningfei once more, pulling him close as they both drifted back into a peaceful sleep, the chaos of the morning forgotten.