Chapter 48

Gu Chen watched as An An puffed up his cheeks in anger, the amusement in his eyes deepening. Now he finally understood why people called children “little angels.”

For a father, a well-behaved and adorable child like his baby truly had the power to heal hearts.

“Baby, I’m here, inside the phone.”

Hearing this, An An leaned in and carefully examined the screen. Though Gu Chen couldn’t see his baby, he could hear his voice clearly and could guess that An An was staring intently at the screen.

“Baby, can you see Daddy?”

“I can see you!”

“That’s good. Daddy is on the way to an audition right now. Once I’m done with work, I’ll come home and play with you.”

“Wow~”

Though Gu Chen couldn’t see An An’s face, he could tell from his excited tone just how happy the little guy was.

“I’m going to work now. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Okay~”

Gu Chen ended the call because Brother Li gestured to him, indicating that there was something they needed to discuss.

The only matter before them now was related to Su Ling. Gu Chen didn’t want An An to overhear.

No matter what others said about Su Ling, she was undoubtedly a good mother. Gu Chen didn’t want external influences to cause An An to harbor resentment toward his mother at such a young age.

“My suggestion is to follow Miss Su’s approach—play the sympathy card with An An. But doing so will definitely damage Miss Su’s reputation. What do you think?”

Brother Li respected Gu Chen’s opinion, so he asked first.

“Mm.”

Gu Chen nodded slightly. Even if Brother Li hadn’t brought it up, he had already planned to do so. They were adults—self-righteous sacrifices were childish and had no place in their lives.

If he refused to follow the path Su Ling had paved for him, that would be the real betrayal of her painstaking efforts.

After getting Gu Chen’s approval, Brother Li began drafting a statement for the studio’s Weibo account, carefully wording it to make Gu Chen’s tone appear sincere. He apologized to the fans for suddenly revealing he had a child.

He also emphasized that, although he understood the child’s existence could affect his career, the child was innocent and unaware of such matters. As a father, he would take responsibility and raise him properly.

The higher the livestream’s popularity, the more people sympathized with Gu Chen, who had been a naïve university student at the time. Along with him, the baby—born as a tool in someone else’s scheme—became the epitome of a pitiful child.

Brother Li observed the shift in public opinion, leaned back against the car seat, and let out a long breath before handing his phone to Gu Chen.

“This issue should be resolved now.”

【It’s okay, don’t let this make you afraid of falling in love!】

【That poor child looks so pitiful—he’s so small and skinny, you can even see his bones.】

【His complexion looks terrible. He’s not just malnourished; he’s probably sick too. So sad, come to Auntie, let me give you a hug.】

【My daughter is probably a little older than him, but she looks much healthier.】

【I’ve never seen someone as shameless as that woman! How can she justify hurting others and still act so smug about it?】

【I feel bad for the baby, having a mother like that. Now that he’s with his father, things will get better.】

【How could his mother not love such an adorable little baby?】

“I’ll do another livestream later and make a proper apology. The more attention I get, the better my chances of securing the scripts I want.”

Having been in the industry for years, Gu Chen knew exactly what was worth leveraging—and he was skilled at using these opportunities.

He and Brother Li had no secrets between them. After speaking, he forwarded the messages Su Ling had sent him.

Someone was trying to ruin Gu Chen’s career and reputation?

In the entertainment industry, few people bore such a deep grudge against Gu Chen. Brother Li struggled to think of anyone off the top of his head.

Gu Chen had never intentionally offended anyone, let alone to such a degree. At most, he had competitors, but that was entirely normal in this industry.

Whoever was behind this wasn’t just trying to tarnish Gu Chen’s reputation—they wanted to completely destroy his future in showbiz.

“Have you offended anyone recently?”

Brother Li realized his question was redundant the moment he asked it. Officially, he was Gu Chen’s manager, but in practice, he did more assistant work, rarely leaving Gu Chen alone.

If Gu Chen had truly provoked someone, Brother Li would have known.

Gu Chen only ever clashed with others when forced to due to competition. Otherwise, he rarely acted inappropriately.

That made Brother Li even more uneasy. An enemy lurking in the shadows was far more terrifying than one they could identify.

“Brother Li, I have nothing to hide. Other than this incident, there’s no dirt on me.”

Gu Chen was calm. Aside from a past relationship before he entered the industry, he couldn’t think of anything that could be used against him.

He had never broken the law or acted immorally. He didn’t smoke, drank only when necessary for social occasions, focused entirely on his acting career, and was determined to win awards and earn money. He was highly career-driven and extremely protective of his image.

Even his anti-fans could only criticize his acting skills or call him a pretty boy. After all these years, they had never managed to dig up any real scandals.

“That’s true. Still, it’s better to be cautious. Are you still going to the audition today?”

Brother Li was concerned about Gu Chen’s current state. If he performed poorly, and the news spread, it could damage his reputation.

“Of course I’m going. Maybe the person behind this chose to release the scandal today specifically to stop me from attending the audition.”

Gu Chen’s eyes darkened as he suppressed his cold fury.

The more someone tried to prevent him from succeeding, the more determined he was to prove them wrong.

“Alright.”

They soon arrived at the audition venue. Sitting in the car, Gu Chen adjusted his clothes in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable before stepping out.

As the car door opened, he pulled down the brim of his cap slightly, covering half of his face.

After Director Wang announced the audition, quite a few entertainment reporters caught wind of the location and were waiting outside the building.

Although Gu Chen’s disguise was decent, it wasn’t enough to fool the sharp-eyed paparazzi. Cameras immediately started clicking, capturing footage that was swiftly sent back to their colleagues to capitalize on the trending topic.

“Gu Chen’s first public appearance after hiding a child—what for…?”

This eye-catching headline appeared at a critical moment, drawing significant attention. Many people grew curious about what was happening, and the article’s view count skyrocketed.

Seeing Gu Chen nonchalantly showing up for an audition after such a huge scandal made people marvel at his psychological resilience.

His fans seized the opportunity to promote his work. No matter how much his critics mocked his acting skills, they couldn’t deny that, apart from those naturally gifted in acting, Gu Chen was among the best in his age group.

More importantly, his progress was visible. Anyone who followed his work could see how much he had improved since his early days.

Watching him grow steadily, from an inexperienced newcomer to a polished actor, gave fans a sense of accomplishment.

Fans enthusiastically marketed their idol, and aside from today’s incident, Gu Chen had no scandals to his name.

Even though this situation might somewhat affect his popularity, since the revealed truth showed he wasn’t in the wrong, his reputation remained intact.

Most fans, upon learning about his past, felt more sympathy than disappointment.

Moreover, his company’s PR team acted swiftly, leveraging the situation to generate even more buzz.

Rather than harming Gu Chen’s career, the unexpected controversy ended up boosting his popularity.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen proceeded to the audition venue. The other actors, though they might be too nervous to check their phones, had assistants who were constantly refreshing the news.

Word had spread that Gu Chen’s ex-girlfriend had exposed his child, yet here he was, attending an audition as if nothing had happened.

Everyone in the room was a competitor, but even they couldn’t help but admire Gu Chen’s composure.

He looked completely unaffected, and some even felt that he was in peak condition today, likely to deliver an impressive performance.

Most of the other candidates had secured their audition spots through company connections. Gu Chen, however, had been personally invited by Director Wang through Brother Li.

Gu Chen wasn’t dazzled by the prestige of the project. He understood his current position well—there was still a lot for him to learn, and landing the lead role in a big-budget film was unrealistic.

Rather than insisting on auditioning for the protagonist, only to risk failing to live up to expectations and being ridiculed later, it was smarter to choose a supporting role that suited him.

A well-crafted supporting role, as long as it didn’t overshadow the protagonist, could help him hone his acting skills. If things went well, it might even bring unexpected opportunities.

Yu Honghui, who had been sitting and reviewing his script, immediately stiffened when Gu Chen entered. He quickly composed himself, afraid that others would notice his reaction, and turned his head away. His grip on the script tightened, crumpling the pages.

In his previous life, Gu Chen had landed the lead role in this very film despite being underestimated by everyone. With his solid fan base, the box office soared, even breaking records on Valentine’s Day.

That role later won him numerous awards and cemented his status as a respected actor.

Yu Honghui had cashed in a rare favor to secure this audition because he had his eyes on the same role.

He had watched Gu Chen’s performance countless times in his past life and firmly believed he was just as capable.

He didn’t need to analyze the character’s inner emotions or consider different acting approaches—he had already memorized every detail of Gu Chen’s portrayal and could simply replicate it. That gave him confidence.

But now, seeing Gu Chen walk in, he couldn’t deny his anxiety. He feared he wouldn’t measure up, and his palms began to sweat from nervousness.

Someone trying to erase all evidence of another’s existence—when confronted with the real person, it was like a rat from the shadows suddenly being exposed to the sun. There was no way he wasn’t feeling guilty.

Gu Chen had prepared well in advance. He handed the script to Brother Li, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and adjusted his breathing, making sure he was in top form for what was to come.

Just then, his housekeeper sent several messages.

It was a video of An An sitting on a small stool at the dining table, holding a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, eating porridge.

Below the video was a message from the housekeeper: “An An insisted that I record this and send it to Daddy, or he wouldn’t eat.”

In the video, the little one seemed to have carefully planned every movement, keeping his eyes fixed on the camera the entire time. After finishing, he proudly held up the empty bowl to show his dad.

His little head bobbed slightly, and his pouty, proud expression was unbearably adorable.

There was still some time before Gu Chen’s audition, so he sent a voice message in reply.

“You’re such a good boy. Are you full?”

“Yes, I’m full~ Daddy, are you done with work?”

“Not yet, I just arrived.”

“Daddy, good luck!”

The soft, earnest cheer from his child warmed Gu Chen’s heart.

“Hmm, if it works out, I’ll take you to buy a skateboard after I’m done with work, okay?”

Gu Chen used to find it cringeworthy when one of his friends sent voice messages to his daughter in an overly affectionate tone. But now that it was his turn, the moment he spoke to his own son, he couldn’t help but soften his voice instinctively.

“Okay~ Daddy’s the best~”

“Love you, Daddy! Give me a kiss~ Mua~”

Just as Gu Chen finished listening to An An’s last voice message, it was his turn for the audition. He greeted Director Wang upon entering, received his script excerpt, and began preparing his emotions after reading through it.

This was a suspense film, and Director Wang was known as the strongest director in the genre. Many of his previous suspense films had won awards.

The script had been written over three years by his preferred screenwriter, with multiple revisions. This time, Director Wang was aiming for another award, so he was particularly strict in casting.

The protagonist was a rookie cop who had just joined the police force, and the main storyline revolved around him solving seemingly unsolvable cases to bring justice back into the light.

The film had a broad scope, showing the protagonist’s gradual growth—from an inexperienced university graduate entering the force to becoming a seasoned officer, realizing that darkness often hides in plain sight.

Initially, Gu Chen liked the protagonist’s character—righteous and full of integrity. But after reading the full script, he doubted he could do the role justice.

Portraying such a righteous character was challenging. He couldn’t convincingly capture the youthful energy of a fresh graduate, especially since he wasn’t that young anymore.

If he couldn’t deliver a perfect performance, even as the lead, he’d be overshadowed by the supporting roles. Worse, audiences who loved the story might resent him for ruining such a great script.

Instead, Gu Chen had his eyes on a different role—technically the third male lead, but in the script, he was the culprit in one of the cases.

The screenwriter naturally favored the protagonist, but as a reader, Director Wang was more drawn to this supporting character. The plot twists surrounding him were so brilliantly executed that even a seasoned director like Wang couldn’t help but be amazed.

It was clear that once the movie premiered, this character would leave a deep impression on the audience.

The audition setup was thorough. When Gu Chen saw the outfit prepared for the role, he took off his jacket, handed it to Brother Li, and changed into a white lab coat.

Standing at the operating table, he pulled on rubber gloves, appearing as if he was organizing surgical tools.

“Hmm? Has the investigation report for that case come in yet? The situation is a bit complicated—the autopsy report might take another day.”

The harsh surgical lights illuminated him from above, and his cold, expressionless face made him seem unapproachable.

“Alright, Dr. Yu, take your time. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

The supporting actor playing the scene with him finished his line, stood up, and mimed opening the door to leave.

Gu Chen kept his gaze fixed on the empty space where the door should be. Ten seconds after the “door” had supposedly closed, a sinister smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

Director Wang had been watching closely. None of the auditioning actors today had met his expectations—each one fell just short.

If he had to pick the best of the lot, Gu Chen barely made the cut.

Having worked with Gu Chen before, he knew the actor had a good temperament and was receptive to direction, always striving to refine his performance based on feedback.

The actors auditioning after Gu Chen weren’t even worth watching—Director Wang could already predict their performances. After consulting with the screenwriter, he finalized the decision.

Once the role was set, the crew informed the remaining candidates that casting was complete and asked them to leave.

Yu Honghui couldn’t hide his frustration upon hearing that Gu Chen had landed the role. But a second later, he learned from the staff that Gu Chen hadn’t auditioned for the lead role.

That should have been good news for him—except Yu Honghui couldn’t feel happy at all.

In his past life, Gu Chen had played the protagonist! That performance had won him the Best Actor award! Yu Honghui had rewatched those scenes countless times—there was no way he remembered it wrong!

He had always trusted his memories of his past life, but now, with events taking a different turn, doubt began creeping in.

As he watched Gu Chen leave, he couldn’t help but wonder—would reality still follow the trajectory of his previous life?

Had the flap of a butterfly’s wings already set off a chain reaction? This unsettling thought lingered in his mind until his assistant nudged him with an elbow, reminding him it was his turn to audition.

Yu Honghui knew how important this audition was for him. He adjusted his state of mind and stepped forward, determined to replicate the classic scenes he had memorized from his past life.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Gu Chen sat in his car, sharing the good news with Brother Li.

The audition had wrapped up earlier than expected. Coincidentally, his acting coach had canceled class for the day due to a last-minute issue.

A bold idea popped into Gu Chen’s head.

“Brother Li, since there’s nothing urgent here, once I finish filming the promo video, can I take a break?”

Brother Li had been thinking about how to fill Gu Chen’s now-empty schedule with work. But when he heard that question, his fingers froze over the keyboard.

“What are you up to?”

“I want to go home and spend time with my son. He says he misses me.”

Gu Chen pulled out his phone and played a voice message from An An, sent half an hour ago.

“Daddy, when are you coming back~? I miss you~”

Brother Li listened, then looked at Gu Chen’s serious expression. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stay calm and mustered a strained smile.

“Fine. Once you finish the promo shoot, you can go home.”

“Alright, Daddy misses you too, baby. I’ll be back soon. Just finishing up a bit of work, and then I’ll come home. I nailed the audition, so I’ll take you to buy that skateboard you like.”

Brother Li promptly scrapped the work he had just arranged and replaced it with a new schedule. Looking on the bright side, at least the artist he managed wasn’t breaking any laws or engaging in unethical behavior—he just wasn’t as career-driven as before, with his mind constantly preoccupied with going home to spend time with his son.

Compared to managers who spent their days cleaning up their artists’ messes, Brother Li felt like an absolute saint.

After that bit of self-reassurance, Brother Li felt much better and took the opportunity to educate Gu Chen on which skateboards were most suitable for kids.

“Brother Li, when I start filming, can An An come visit me on set from time to time?”

“He can’t stay with the crew, but if it’s not during your shoot, he can definitely visit. Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

“I think An An might be curious about my work environment.”

The emotions Brother Li had just suppressed surged back up. He took a deep breath and patted his chest, trying to calm himself.

Gu Chen was just being a good dad—at least he wasn’t hopelessly lovestruck! Loving his son was still better than falling for someone who might cause drama.

Their not-so-pleasant conversation continued until they arrived at the worksite. After wrapping up the promo shoot, Gu Chen immediately hopped into the car like his pants were on fire.

As soon as the car door closed, he urged Brother Li to hurry up and told the driver to head straight home—preferably at top speed. He didn’t want to keep his son waiting too long.

On the way back, they passed a cake shop. The scent of fresh cakes filled the air, and Gu Chen was about to get out to buy one when Brother Li’s temple twitched. He quickly pressed down on Gu Chen’s hand to stop him.

“Stay in the car. I’ll go buy it.”

“Alright, thanks, Brother Li.”

When Brother Li came out with the cake, he saw Gu Chen still looking down at his phone. Even without looking, he could guess that the nanny had just sent another photo.

Gu Chen glanced at the cake Brother Li had chosen. It wasn’t particularly pretty, but it would do.

“Brother Li, don’t you think my son is adorable?”

Brother Li, who had just been fuming at him, couldn’t resist his curiosity and leaned in for a look.

On the screen, An An sat on a small stool, his elbows resting on his knees, hands propping up his chin as he stared longingly at the door, waiting for Gu Chen to come home.

Brother Li’s own kid wasn’t nearly as clingy as An An. He missed his child often enough, but this little one could melt anyone’s heart.

“Loving your son is fine, but don’t let it interfere too much with your work.”

“I know, Brother Li.”

Gu Chen wasn’t the talkative type in public because he understood that the more he spoke, the more mistakes he could make. If a polite smile could solve a problem, he wouldn’t say a word.

But in private, especially around Brother Li, he was an entirely different person. Maybe it was because he repressed himself too much—he talked way too much.

“Brother Li, I never thought much about these things before, but now that I have An An… he’s about to start kindergarten. I should probably get a house in a good school district, right?”

“Of course! It’s tough to even get into kindergarten these days. Without a house in a good school district, you might not even get a spot! Everyone wants their kid to start ahead.”

When it came to kids, Brother Li had plenty of experience. Getting his own child into school had been an exhausting ordeal.

“After kindergarten, there’s elementary school, then middle school, high school, university… and after graduating, if he wants to get married, he’ll need a house, right?”

“Yeah, these days, young couples can’t even think about marriage without a place to live. Waking up every day with a mortgage hanging over their heads is miserable! Buying a house outright is ideal, but the pressure is insane.”

“If my son wants to get married, I’ll need to prepare a dowry too. I can’t have the girl’s parents worrying about handing their daughter over.”

Brother Li suddenly realized something was off. He quickly interrupted, “What the hell are you thinking? Your kid’s still a baby, and you’re already planning his wedding?”

Gu Chen, now aware that he might have gotten ahead of himself, cleared his throat to cover up his embarrassment and clumsily defended himself.

“I’m just calculating how much money I’ll need. It motivates me to work harder.”

The phrase “four-legged money pit” was no exaggeration. Raising a child from birth to adulthood cost a fortune. Even with his current successful career, Gu Chen still felt the pressure.

“If that’s how you see it, then forget I said anything.”

Just then, Brother Li’s phone buzzed. It was a message from a director he had previously worked with, inviting Gu Chen to join a variety show.

Frowning at the message, Brother Li’s brows furrowed even deeper. If he remembered correctly, this director’s show was a parenting reality show!

Given the current situation, he wished he could make Gu Chen’s son’s existence as low-profile as possible. And yet, this guy wanted to put him on a family show?

“This director is hilarious. He says that since you’re so popular right now, you should bring your son on his show.”

Before rejecting the offer, Brother Li couldn’t help but vent to Gu Chen. It was true that Gu Chen and his son were trending at the moment, but why should they take a risk just to boost this show?

“Hmm? A parenting show? What’s that?”

Gu Chen, who had planned to stay single until at least forty, had never paid attention to such programs. He pulled out his phone, searched it up, and quickly understood the concept.

After reading through the general format, Gu Chen suddenly felt a little tempted. Getting paid to spend time with his son? That was an incredibly attractive offer.

He remembered Su Ling mentioning before that An An was very sensitive and insecure. She had hoped he could spend more time with him.

But his busy schedule made that difficult.

“Brother Li, be honest with me. Can we take this gig?”

“You’re not afraid?”

Variety shows are very effective at boosting popularity, but they also come with high risks.

“I just want to spend more time with the baby.”

They had just brought the baby home not long ago, and it was the precious early days. If not for his rationality holding him back, Gu Chen would have loved to stay at home all day taking care of the child—work was nowhere near as fun as spending time with his son.

“If you really want to take this variety show, it’s not impossible. I’ll have someone reach out and negotiate with them.”

“Thanks, Brother Li.”

Brother Li had never expected Gu Chen to agree, which was why he had been planning to reject the offer outright. But now that Gu Chen had expressed interest, there was no reason not to consider it.

Brother Li had met little An An before—a very lovable child.

Plus, with Su Ling crafting a tragic narrative around him, a single photo had already won over countless “internet moms.”

As long as Gu Chen didn’t make any major mistakes on the show, he might even be able to use this variety program to regain some of his lost popularity.

Brother Li understood the mindset of “girlfriend fans” very well. They were often curious about what their idols were like in private—if he could cook, be gentle, and have patience with children, that would be an absolute game-changer.

“Go and spend time with your son.”

“Alright.”

When they arrived, Brother Li didn’t even bother getting out of the car—his mind was completely occupied with the parenting variety show. In recent years, father-child programs had been incredibly popular, and audiences loved watching fathers struggle awkwardly while taking care of their kids.

Occasionally inserting some heartwarming moments of family affection, combined with an adorable child and a handsome dad, would easily max out audience expectations.

Gu Chen, however, quickly forgot about the matter after bringing it up. Carrying a small cake, he stepped into the elevator, walked to his apartment door, and knocked gently.

The nanny opened the door. The little one, who had been sitting in the chair in the photo, was still sitting there. The moment Gu Chen entered his field of vision, his eyes lit up brighter than the stars in the sky.

“Daddy!”

A sweet, childish voice rang out, and the next second, An An dashed over like a little cannonball, hugging Gu Chen’s leg.

Gu Chen was nearly 1.9 meters tall, while An An—perhaps due to previously living with his grandmother and not getting enough nutrition—was a bit smaller than his peers, looking tiny in comparison.

From Gu Chen’s angle, all he could see was a fluffy little head.

Bending down, he picked him up, kissed him on the cheek, and then dangled the small cake in front of him, watching as An An’s eyes followed the cake’s movements. Gu Chen couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I got this just for you. Do you like it?”

“Like it!”

An An was so eager that he didn’t even manage to keep his drool in. He gulped unconsciously, clutched Gu Chen’s shirt tightly, and gave it a small shake. His clear, bright eyes held only one thought: I want to eat it.

“Give Daddy a kiss, and I’ll open it for you right away.”

An An wrapped his little arms around Gu Chen’s neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek. Then, he wriggled impatiently.

“Hurry, Daddy, hurry!”

“Alright, alright.”

Gu Chen carried An An to the sofa and sat down. Since he had dressed formally for an audition earlier, he was still wearing a suit. He casually took off his jacket, leaving only his shirt on.

As he unwrapped the cake, An An sniffed him like a little puppy.

“What is it?”

“Daddy smells so nice!”

Gu Chen had heard this more than once. He hummed lightly in response, carefully unwrapping the plastic around the fork without getting any cream on his fingers, then placed the fork into An An’s small palm.

“Try it.”

An An gripped the fork tightly, his eyes locking onto the cake’s cartoon animal decoration. Without hesitation, he scooped up the animal’s head and held it up to Gu Chen’s mouth.

“Daddy eats first.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Gu Chen lowered his head and accepted his son’s offering. Watching his father chew, An An felt incredibly happy. He couldn’t help but think of how his grandmother used to say she didn’t like sweets.

Rather than keeping all the good food to himself, An An much preferred sharing like this.

Gu Chen grabbed another fork and swapped it with the one in An An’s hand.

“Sharing is a good habit, but remember, kids and adults shouldn’t use the same fork, okay?”

An An nodded, half-understanding. He wriggled out of Gu Chen’s arms and crouched beside the coffee table, focusing intently on eating his cake.

At first, he tried to maintain a neat and proper posture, but as he realized how delicious it was—and given that he was hungry—his bites grew bigger, until he started shoving entire spoonfuls into his mouth at once.

Gu Chen watched as a ring of cream formed around his lips. Then, he suddenly remembered something Su Ling had mentioned—how An An was a particularly clean little boy who never got messy.

“Slow down while eating. No one’s going to steal it from you. Look at yourself now—you’re a little messy kitty.”

It was only after An An finished off the palm-sized cake that Gu Chen pointed it out. Carrying him over to the mirror, he let An An see his reflection.

Gu Chen had spoken in a slightly serious tone, and while An An wasn’t the type to throw tantrums, the sudden shift in his usually gentle father’s attitude left him feeling a little aggrieved.

“So messy,” Gu Chen sighed softly.

An An’s round eyes darted around, as if hatching a little scheme. He thought he was hiding it well, but Gu Chen could tell right away that this little rascal was up to something.

“Daddy, kiss~”

An An turned his head and offered the clean side of his face.

Gu Chen had heard that physical affection could provide kids with a sense of security, so he didn’t hesitate to lean in and give him a kiss.

Just as he was about to kiss the other side to satisfy this little neat freak, he suddenly saw An An’s tiny pink lips coming toward him—along with the ring of cream still lingering around his mouth.