Chi Wen fell into a state of introspection.
He had already decided to ignore her, but in the end, he was always drawn into playing with her. Was he this childish and ridiculous when he was young?
When he was little, watching other children chase and play with their parents outside, he had scoffed and looked down on them.
Ever since he could remember, he had fought with older children just to snatch a bite of food. To stand out, he had crawled and struggled. In the entertainment industry, he had walked on eggshells, constantly fearing missteps.
Even when he became famous, he still had to plan every move carefully.
...So, did he once have such a simple, carefree time?
He couldn't remember at all...
Fu Yun Ruo, unaware of her son's inner turmoil, was too eager to share his progress after he turned over for the first time.
Early the next morning, she carried him to Aunt Mei's house. Before she even stepped inside, she announced excitedly, "Aunt Mei, the baby can turn over!"
Aunt Mei, hanging laundry in the courtyard, smiled warmly. "Oh my, the baby can turn over? That's wonderful!"
Uncle Mei came out of the house, fanning himself. "Wen Wen can turn over?"
"Yes, Uncle Mei," Fu Yun Ruo said with a bright smile. "He turned over three times last night!"
Fu Yun Ruo pondered for a moment. Since they had already decided on the baby's name, there was no need to keep using a generic nickname. She resolved to call him Wen Wen from now on.
"That's amazing!" Uncle Mei grinned.
Aunt Mei laid out a bamboo mat on the living room floor, placing a thin blanket over it.
Fu Yun Ruo gently set the baby down on the mat, encouraging him, "Wen Wen, show Grandpa and Grandma how you turn over."
Uncle Mei and Aunt Mei eagerly gathered around, watching with anticipation.
Chi Wen lay there silently, sucking on his chubby fingers. He had no intention of performing.
Fu Yun Ruo pulled his little hand out of his mouth and wiped the saliva away, laughing softly. "Wen Wen, you can't eat your hands!"
She coaxed him gently, but he remained unresponsive, lying quietly.
Aunt Mei, although a little disappointed, smiled and said, "He's still so young. He'll turn over when he's ready."
"That's right," Uncle Mei agreed. "Babies grow so fast. Before we know it, he'll be crawling and walking. We'll have so much to see!"
Fu Yun Ruo, beaming with pride, said, "Wen Wen is such a good baby. He hardly gives me any trouble at all."
Chi Wen glanced between Fu Yun Ruo and the Mei couple. Then, with a sigh, he finally shifted and rolled over with a bit of effort.
After flipping over a few times the previous night, he had already mastered this simple skill. He could now turn over quickly and effortlessly.
As soon as he did, praises filled his ears, as though he had accomplished something remarkable.
He couldn't quite understand these adults. It was just a simple flip, and yet they acted as if it were a grand achievement. Every time he moved, they burst into excited exclamations.
What a fuss over nothing.
He flipped over again and found three beaming faces staring down at him.
Well, he'd indulge them this once since Grandpa and Grandma Mei had been kind to him.
He consoled himself—it was just a bit of entertainment.
Satisfied with his display, Fu Yun Ruo took the baby home.
From that day on, she became obsessed with this little game. Every day, she coaxed the baby to flip over for her, eager to capture every moment of his growth. But the baby was stubborn. Each time, she had to demonstrate herself before he reluctantly complied.
Sometimes, Fu Yun Ruo wondered if the baby saw her as nothing more than a toy.
As the weather grew hotter, the old house with its courtyard and trees provided some relief. With a breeze and a fan, it wasn't too bad.
Children, tender and sensitive, couldn't be exposed to the strong sun. So, Fu Yun Ruo stayed home most of the time, caring for her son.
During the day, the village was quiet, but in the evenings, it came alive.
Neighbors gathered outside, fanning themselves and chatting, while older children ran around with younger ones, laughing and playing.
Fu Yun Ruo often took the baby out for a walk to get some fresh air. Even she, a self-proclaimed homebody, felt the need for a change of scenery.
In the village, most of the adults had left to work elsewhere, leaving behind the elderly and children. Fu Yun Ruo and her beautiful baby were a striking pair among them.
She had lived in the village for over a year and built good relationships with most of the neighbors. The children, especially, adored her. Whenever the older ones saw her, they surrounded her like bees to honey.
Four-year-old Little Shitou, the sturdiest of the bunch, always claimed the spot closest to Fu Yun Ruo, calling her "Big Sister" and demanding to see his "little brother."
Little Shitou was a lively, robust boy.
Fu Yun Ruo would lift the gauze covering the baby's stroller, and a cluster of little heads would peer in.
Leaning in, Little Shitou asked in a childish voice, "Big Sister Ruoruo, when can my little brother play with me?"
In the children's eyes, a beautiful sister was always a "big sister," and a baby boy was automatically their "little brother."
"Soon," Fu Yun Ruo replied gently.
"Big Sister Ruoruo, I brought a new toy for my little brother!"
"Thank you, Junjun, but my little brother is still too young to play with toys. But you can play with him when he's older…"
"I'll take care of him! He'll play with me for sure!"
"I want to play hide-and-seek with my little brother..."
"Okay…"
"I want to play hopscotch with him…"
"I want to pick fruits with him…"
"Alright, alright, I'll make sure you all get to play," Fu Yun Ruo laughed, agreeing on the baby's behalf.
Chi Wen, meanwhile, was in silent disbelief. He didn't want to play these childish games!
The children, satisfied with their promises, soon ran off to play elsewhere.
A group of aunties then gathered around, cooing over the baby.
"He's such a beautiful baby! Even prettier than a little girl."
"Oh, those big, dark eyes! So full of life!"
"He's so well-behaved. If my child was half as good as him, I'd wake up laughing in my dreams…"
Chi Wen, it seemed, was a hit with everyone in the village. His fair skin and chubby cheeks, along with his large, sparkling eyes inherited from Fu Yun Ruo, made him irresistibly cute.
He rarely fussed, sitting quietly with an innocent expression that melted hearts.
Fu Yun Ruo often thought that her smooth life in the village was largely thanks to her son's charm.
She couldn't help but feel proud of him.
Chi Wen, surrounded and fussed over like a prized panda, remained calm. He had been through this countless times.
Amid the chorus of voices, Fu Yun Ruo's gentle tone stood out. But suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted.
"Ruoruo, raising a child as a single woman is hard! You need to give him a complete family. I know someone—a relative's son. He's older than you by seven or eight years, but he's never been married. He has a house and a shop in town. What do you think?"
Fu Yun Ruo's smile froze, and she was about to refuse when Aunt Mei stepped in, hands on her hips. "Wang Cuiju, what nonsense are you spouting? Everyone knows your relatives. He's already in his thirties, lazy, and too picky. Why would Ruoruo want someone like him?"
"That's right," another neighbor chimed in. "Ruoruo is young and kind. She deserves someone much better."
The women rallied against Wang Cuiju.
Undeterred, Wang Cuiju protested, "I was only trying to help! He may be a bit lazy, but he has a shop. Ruoruo wouldn't have to work so hard if she married him."
"No matter how good Ruoruo is, she still has a child!"
"Then why don't you marry your daughter to him?"
Wang Cuiju's face turned red with anger, and she quickly left, muttering that her good intentions were wasted.
"Don't mind her, Ruoruo," Aunt Mei said. "She doesn't think before she speaks."
Fu Yun Ruo shook her head with a smile, assuring them she wasn't offended.
Some of the women then advised her to think about finding a reliable man to settle down with. Raising a child alone, they said, was tough, and she needed a companion.
Fu Yun Ruo understood that they meant well. Having grown up in a rural village, they hadn't experienced the broader, more progressive mindset of the big city. They held traditional values.
But the thought of them matchmaking for her was terrifying. She quickly explained that for the next few years, her focus would be on raising her child, not on finding a partner. Then, with her baby in tow, she made a hasty retreat.
Once home, she sighed with relief. She decided to avoid walks for a few days until the pressure to get married died down.
She glanced down at her baby, who was lying in his stroller, staring off into space.
She saw that it was about time. She picked up the baby and coaxed, "The baby wants to sleep."
Chi Wen lay on the bed and listened to the woman's light snort. He felt the breath beside him, but he did not feel sleepy at all.
He unconsciously clenched his small fists. There were many messy thoughts in his mind.
From the time he was born until now, there had never been another relative in his family other than a woman, let alone a blood-related other half.
Chi Wen could also see that the woman was incompatible with everyone in the countryside. Obviously, they were not from the same world.
The truth was actually very easy to deduce.
He thought that this woman was so stupid. She must have been deceived by scum. Her family was very disappointed in her and did not care about her. She had nowhere to go, so she wandered around and wandered to the countryside.
This woman was almost out of money and could not afford to support him. Perhaps not long after, she would not be able to persevere and find someone to marry.
Perhaps the family she found later did not want a burden like him, so she hardened her heart and threw him to the orphanage.
Realizing this result, his heart suddenly turned cold. He could not help but sneer. This heartless woman.
Negative emotions surged from the bottom of his heart. He could not help but let out a few cries.
Fu Yunrou, who was coaxing the baby to sleep and almost fell asleep herself, was suddenly startled by the high-decibel sound of the baby's cries. She was instantly awakened.
She focused her eyes and saw that the baby who was supposed to sleep did not show any signs of sleeping. Instead, he looked very energetic. He was babbling in a language that no one could understand and was even dancing with great energy.
"Wen Wen, be good. You have to sleep. You have to sleep more to grow up."
"Ahhh!"
"Baby, be good …"
"Wah! Wah! Ahhh! "