Chapter 653 - Go Home
Fu Huai’an carried Tuan Tuan and stood with Lin Nuan at the entrance of the villa as they sent Liang Mulan off.
As they watched Liang Mulan’s car leave, Tuan Tuan was already falling asleep on Fu Huai’an’s shoulder. Fu Huai’an reached out and pulled Lin Nuan into his arms. “Let’s go home…”
Having heard the two words “go home,” Tuan Tuan, who was slumped on Fu Huai’an’s shoulder, suddenly straightened his little body and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. He then twisted his body towards Lin Nuan, spread out his small chubby arms, and asked for a hug, “Mama!”
Lin Nuan took Tuan Tuan from Fu Huai’an’s arms. The little one wrapped his arms and legs around Lin Nuan’s body, so Lin Nuan could only use her arm to support Tuan Tuan’s little bottom. She kissed Tuan Tuan on his fair and tender little face and smiled. “Tuan Tuan is sleepy! Mama will take you upstairs to shower and tuck you into bed.”
“Mama, present!” Tuan Tuan was a little anxious, and his little claws rested on Lin Nuan’s chest.
Although Liang Mulan had brought him many presents and toys, Tuan Tuan still yearned for the present his mama promised him.
Lin Nuan carried him and walked into the house. “The present is here. Mama didn’t forget!”
She sat Tuan Tuan on the carpet in the living room. The little one was nestled in Lin Nuan’s arms and refused to let go of Lin Nuan’s neck. Like a little tree raccoon, he eagerly watched Lin Nuan bring out a brocade box. Inside were two pendant necklaces. The sizes of the pendants were identical, but the lengths of the chains differed—one was long, and the other was short.
The short one was for Tuan Tuan, whereas the long one was for Lin Nuan.
Only upon seeing the present did Tuan Tuan let go of Lin Nuan. The soft little one sat in Lin Nuan’s arms as he retrieved the shorter necklace from Lin Nuan’s hands.
Lin Nuan opened hers, revealing a portrait of their family of three. Tuan Tuan opened his as well…
“Same!” Tuan Tuan happily raised his locket for Lin Nuan to see.
“Right, this was a gift from an auntie for Mama and Tuan Tuan! This is Mama’s! And this is Tuan Tuan’s!” Lin Nuan reached out to stroke Tuan Tuan on his hairy little head. “Mama will carry this locket, and whenever I miss Tuan Tuan, I can open it up and take a look! Tuan Tuan can carry this with you, and it will be like… Papa and Mama are accompanying you to kindergarten every day!”
Tuan Tuan nodded his head vigorously. Watching Fu Huai’an, who previously stood before the sofa, walk towards the kitchen, Tuan Tuan propped himself up with both hands and ran after him. As if presenting a treasure to Fu Huai’an, he said, “Papa… Papa… Papa, Mama, Tuan Tuan are here… inside! Papa doesn’t have one!”
Tuan Tuan spoke clumsily.
Fu Huai’an was rendered speechless.
The way he put it pricked his heart a little…
Fu Huai’an didn’t stop in his steps. He turned his head around towards his own son, only stopping in his tracks when he saw the little one catch up to him.
Tuan Tuan looked up at Fu Huai’an and stood on his tiptoes, raising his hands high as he presented the locket necklace to Fu Huai’an. “For Papa!”
Tuan Tuan’s eyes were bright and shiny, as if looking to be complimented.
Although his intentions were very filial, the four words “Papa doesn’t have one” pricked his heart too much!
Fu Huai’an cleared his throat and asked Tuan Tuan, “This is a present from Mama, can you bear to part with it?”
Tuan Tuan nodded his head hard.
“Then what will you do when you miss Mama?” Fu Huai’an asked again.
Tuan Tuan gave the question serious thought…
“Papa is a big man and won’t wear pendants like this. Tuan Tuan, wear it yourself!”
Fu Huai’an squatted down and took the pendant necklace, placing it around Tuan Tuan’s neck. Tuan Tuan stood there obediently and watched as Papa put it on for him.
“Mama is right. When you wear this, it’s like Papa and Mama are accompanying you to kindergarten…”
Fu Huai’an looked in Lin Nuan’s direction and added, “It’s also like Papa and Mama are accompanying you to bed every night! So you must be brave!”
Tuan Tuan lowered his head and looked at the pendant resting on his chest. He made a “success baby” gesture with his chubby little arms and looked up as he spoke with perfect articulation, “Brave!”
“You must sleep bravely by yourself tonight and not ask Mama to coax you to sleep, alright?” Fu Huai’an grabbed hold of the opportunity and added this line.
Tuan Tuan’s eyes reddened as he nodded his head again.
Lin Nuan, who was standing by the side, could no longer keep still as she watched Fu Huai’an bully the kid. She motioned for Tuan Tuan to come over to her and said, “Tuan Tuan, Mama will bathe you and coax you to sleep.”
Tuan Tuan twisted his neck to look at Mama, then turned back to look at Papa. After struggling with the enormous internal conflict, he decided to forget about what Papa just said about being brave. He bounced towards Lin Nuan, nodding with reddened ears. “Mama, coax!”
Fu Huai’an was rendered speechless.
In the bathroom, Tuan Tuan sat in the bathtub, unwilling to remove the pendant. The little one’s head and body were covered in soap bubbles, and he sat there obediently as Lin Nuan helped him shampoo his head, his entire body moving from left to right with the rubbing. The entire time, his eyes were fixated on the pendant as he grinned in a silly manner at the portrait.
Before falling asleep, he even said drowsily to Lin Nuan that he must carry it at all times…
After seeing the little one fall soundly asleep, Lin Nuan gently pecked him on his fair and tender little face, then left quietly.
…
Early the next morning, Auntie Li was down with the flu and feeling unwell. Lin Nuan asked Auntie Li to rest well, and she prepared breakfast personally. However, when it was time to leave for kindergarten Tuan Tuan wasn’t up yet.
Lin Nuan set Tuan Tuan’s breakfast on the dining room table, then removed her apron and placed it on the tabletop. She said to Fu Huai’an, who was toasting his bread, “I’ll go upstairs and wake Tuan Tuan up…”
Lin Nuan knocked on the door, but she didn’t hear Tuan Tuan answer her.
She pushed the door open and entered the room. Pulling apart the curtains, she let sunshine shone in through the windows. Lin Nuan then saw the little one with rosy cheeks, who was sound asleep inside the comfort of his blankets.
“Tuan Tuan… time to get up! If you still don’t wake up, you’ll be late for kindergarten!” Lin Nuan called Tuan Tuan in a gentle voice, her fingertips lightly grazing his little head. She felt a warmth from his head.
Lin Nuan got anxious. She placed her entire palm on Tuan Tuan’s forehead, then touched her own forehead.
He was running a fever!
“Tuan Tuan?” Lin Nuan gently patted Tuan Tuan on his little face.
In a daze, Tuan Tuan felt that Lin Nuan’s chilly fingertips were very comfortable, so he rubbed his little face against Lin Nuan’s fingers, his soft and cute voice sounding a little raspy as he said, “Mama… hot.”
Lin Nuan’s heart raised to her throat. A child running a fever could be a serious matter.
Lin Nuan didn’t dare to leave Tuan Tuan alone while she went downstairs, so she picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed Fu Huai’an’s number…
After two minutes, Fu Huai’an brought a thermometer, fever relief patch, and a cup of warm water in Tuan Tuan’s little mug.
This was the first time Lin Nuan had seen Tuan Tuan fall sick, so she felt a little flustered. On the other hand, Fu Huai’an had been through this and was much calmer than Lin Nuan.
His body temperature was 102.2 °F. After sticking on the fever relief patch and giving him some water, Fu Huai’an helped Tuan Tuan change his clothes and carried him. Little Lu had already driven the car over and was waiting for them downstairs.
On the way, Lin Nuan carried the drowsy Tuan Tuan, and Fu Huai’an called the kindergarten teacher and applied for a leave of absence for him.
Tuan Tuan didn’t sleep well. His scalding little hand was holding onto Lin Nuan’s arm through her clothes. She wasn’t sure whether it was because he felt uncomfortable, but Lin Nuan heard Tuan Tuan vaguely sobbing as he called out Mama. Lin Nuan didn’t know how to comfort him, so she looked up at Fu Huai’an…