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    Chapter 73

    Another set of footsteps reached An’an’s ears. He struggled to open his eyes, trying to see who it was, and in the next second, someone picked him up.

    The man called Biao-ge reached out to touch the child’s face. Seeing his pitiful appearance, he carried him into the house and said in a slightly disgusted tone, “Wailing like that without shedding a single tear.”

    Another man reached over and touched the child—sure enough, there wasn’t even one tear.

    Considering how heavily it was snowing outside, the temperature had probably already dropped below freezing. Any tears would’ve frozen on his face the moment they appeared.

    Judging from that alone, this little guy was actually pretty smart.

    Ji Chenbiao held the softly crying child and, with a trace of disdain, tossed him to the side before rubbing his hands near the stove. “Whoever picked him up can take responsibility for raising him.”

    On the other side, Xiao Li, who had been forced to hold the child, couldn’t help but smile bitterly. If he dared bring this kid home, his wife would definitely not let him in the door.

    “Biao-ge… you know how things are right now. How could I possibly take a child home?”

    If he brought the child back, someone would immediately start whispering to his wife, saying this might be a child he fathered outside and was now trying to dump on her.

    “Then why’d you pick him up?”

    Ji Chenbiao rubbed his already-warmed hands again and glanced over at the child. The boy seemed to be mimicking him, gently rubbing his own hands together, probably frozen.

    “I heard him crying outside and… I just couldn’t pretend I didn’t hear anything, Biao-ge.”

    It was so cold out there that even an adult might freeze to death overnight, let alone a tiny child like this one.

    Ji Chenbiao brought the child to sit by the stove and held his hands closer to the fire. The child seemed to understand that this was for his own good, happily spreading his fingers to warm them up faster.

    “Yah~”

    Xiao Li came over and sat down too, helping the child take off his soaked socks.

    “Gotta admit, the kid is pretty good-looking.”

    Even in such a frozen state, his handsome features were still visible.

    “Tomorrow, let’s go ask the village chief if we can send him to the orphanage.”

    Xiao Li wasn’t planning to raise him, and Ji Chenbiao—still unmarried—was even less likely to take him in. He didn’t even know how to care for a child. The only reason he looked somewhat experienced holding the boy was because he’d raised a fat orange cat.

    “Sounds good.”

    Ji Chenbiao offered a solution, and Xiao Li, understanding the situation, didn’t try to push the responsibility onto him.

    In the warmth, the frozen body gradually began to recover. An’an opened his eyes and started staring at the man holding him.

    Ji Chenbiao and Xiao Li were guarding the forest station, relying solely on the fire to get through the nights. At night, the only sounds were crackling wood and the wind and snow outside—their breathing was barely noticeable.

    In that quiet, the sound of the child’s stomach growling became especially obvious.

    Following the sound, Ji Chenbiao looked over and saw the child had pressed his little hands against his belly. The child seemed to realize this wasn’t very proper and shyly tried to cover it up.

    “Yah.”

    “Hungry?”

    “Ah~”

    Hearing that, Xiao Li instinctively reached into his clean pockets and felt around, but of course, there was nothing. During this time, every household was struggling—there was no extra food.

    Even now, while guarding the forest station, his wife had only managed to let him eat a good dinner before he came.

    Judging by the child’s size, he was only six or seven months old. There weren’t many things he could eat, and they definitely didn’t have any of them on hand.

    Ji Chenbiao handed the child to Xiao Li, stood up, and took out a tin can from a locked cupboard. After opening it, he placed it near the fire to warm up.

    The child seemed to know there was food inside, staring longingly at it. The firelight reflected in his large eyes, making them look especially beautiful.

    “Wait—Biao-ge, when did you stash away a fruit can?”

    He’d been on forest watch with Biao-ge for a long time now, and this was the first time he realized this rundown cabin even had something like that.

    Ji Chenbiao didn’t answer. He simply rotated the can to heat it evenly, then after a long silence, finally replied:

    “I was saving it… for Xiao Mei.”

    The moment he spoke that name, the smile on Xiao Li’s face faded. He poked at the firewood in the stove with a stick and didn’t say another word.

    Xiao Mei was Biao-ge’s biological younger sister. Their parents died when she was six, and Biao-ge had raised her on his own, acting as both father and mother.

    But a few months ago, Xiao Mei, who had been sent to the city for college, died under suspicious circumstances. Biao-ge spent everything he had to retrieve a single box of ashes.

    Rumors said she had been having an affair with a married man and was killed by his wife. Every time Biao-ge heard someone say that, he’d grab a stick and fight them on the spot.

    Eventually, even if people in the village still believed it, no one dared speak it aloud. At most, they whispered in private.

    As the fruit can warmed up, its aroma filled the room. Ji Chenbiao noticed the child sniffing and his eyes darting around.

    The kid kept swallowing his saliva but tried to hide it. The little gestures improved Ji Chenbiao’s mood.

    “Hungry?”

    “Ah~”

    “Even if you’re hungry, I’m not giving you any.”

    The little one who’d been smiling a moment ago seemed to understand those words. His smile disappeared, his lips pouted, and his eyes began to brim with tears.

    “I’m kidding. You can have some.”

    Ji Chenbiao picked up the fire tongs, stirred the fire a few times, and placed the can over it. When steam started to rise, he set it aside.

    Xiao Li had already found a pair of chopsticks. Ji Chenbiao carefully broke the fruit into small, safe pieces before feeding them to the child.

    These canned fruits were a local specialty—soft and glutinous, they melted in the mouth without needing to be chewed. Xiao Mei used to love them.

    Adults smacking their lips while eating could be annoying, but this kid had no teeth and was doing his best to smack his lips—it was actually kind of cute.

    After feeding him two pieces, Ji Chenbiao didn’t give any more. But the way the kid looked—so eager and unsatisfied—made it obvious he wanted more.

    “No more.”

    “Yah.”

    Xiao Li twisted the lid back on and returned the can to the cupboard, then stared at the heavy snowfall outside.

    They were guarding the forest mainly to prevent poachers. It was dangerous but well-paid. Xiao Li and his wife were planning to have a child this year, so he took the job to save money for the baby.

    As for Ji Chenbiao, even if he didn’t say it out loud, everyone understood—he just wanted to save enough to go back to the city once more.

    The night was long. They couldn’t sleep, so they kept chatting to stay awake.

    Xiao Li, getting drowsy, tried to find a topic.

    “You think this kid’s parents abandoned him on purpose? And in such a remote spot too—almost like they were hoping a wolf would get him.”

    Ever since he and his wife started planning for a baby, seeing something like this happen right in front of him really didn’t sit well.

    Ji Chenbiao let out a quiet “mm” and added a few more pieces of firewood to the flames.

    “Even if there are no wolves, we’d freeze to death out here overnight.”

    As he said this, he looked down at the child—sleeping soundly, sweetly, with eyes shut tight.

    “Biao-ge, it’s almost New Year. How about staying with my family this year instead of going elsewhere? Don’t worry, my wife’s not the kind of person you think—she’d never say anything nasty about Xiaomei.”

    Xiao Li knew that over the past two years, Biao-ge had cut ties with countless people over what they’d said about his sister.

    He and Biao-ge had grown up together, practically sharing a pair of pants. He’d watched Xiaomei grow up too. No matter what others said, he firmly believed she’d never do something like that.

    And even if she really had done such a thing, it wouldn’t be up to someone’s so-called “official wife” to deal with it—Biao-ge would’ve slapped her himself long ago.

    “No. I want to make another trip to Haicheng.”

    Ji Chenbiao adjusted the firewood. He was guarding this forest in the bitter cold to save up enough money for that very purpose—a return to Haicheng.

    “Biao-ge, if you still think of me as your brother, then listen to me—Haicheng isn’t a place we can afford to mess with.”

    Xiao Li knew Biao-ge had been upset ever since what happened with his sister, but he hadn’t realized the man was still fixated on it to this day.

    To put it bluntly, no matter how deep his bond with Xiaomei was, she was gone now. The dead couldn’t be more important than the living. Biao-ge couldn’t possibly stay stuck in this for the rest of his life.

    “If I treat you as a brother, then you should treat me as one too. And if we’re still brothers, don’t say things like this again.”

    After Ji Chenbiao said that, he shut his eyes. Xiao Li understood—he didn’t want to continue this conversation. With a sigh, Xiao Li didn’t push any further.

    If a few words could change anything, Biao-ge wouldn’t have spent these last two winters up here in the forest.

    He said he was saving money for his wife’s delivery expenses, but in truth, he just didn’t feel at ease leaving Biao-ge up here alone.

    They had to stay up all night to guard against poachers, so even though Ji Chenbiao had closed his eyes, Xiao Li knew he wasn’t asleep.

    The child nestled in Biao-ge’s arms was sleeping soundly. Since they were pressed so close together, he could even hear the boy’s faint snores.

    The wind and snow outside grew fiercer, and Xiao Li braced himself once more.

    In his sleep, An’an once again saw the same system from before. It transmitted the plot and memories of this world into his mind.

    The system wanted to check how well An’an had received the transmission, but in the next second, An’an had fallen deeply asleep again.

    After all, the child had been lying in the snow for so long. Even an adult wouldn’t have endured it, let alone someone his age. In the second half of the night, Ji Chenbiao noticed something was off—his body temperature didn’t feel right.

    When Ji Chenbiao started to get up, Xiao Li instantly opened his eyes.

    “What’s wrong, Biao-ge?”

    “Does this kid have a fever?”

    Ji Chenbiao wasn’t sure if it was just because of his own body heat, so he passed the child over to Xiao Li.

    Xiao Li reached out to check and immediately furrowed his brows. His expression grew grave as he nodded.

    “Yeah, he’s got a bit of a fever. But we don’t have any medicine on hand, and we can’t get down the mountain until tomorrow. Lately, the poachers have been most active—this place can’t go unattended.”

    There were more things Xiao Li didn’t say aloud. This job might be dangerous, but the pay was good too. Even if they didn’t do it, someone else would take their place in a heartbeat.

    If they made a mistake like this, they’d be kicked out of this place for sure.

    The child’s face scrunched up in discomfort, his small hands clinging tightly to Ji Chenbiao’s coat as if he instinctively knew this was the only one who could save him.

    The grip wasn’t strong, but it firmly caught Ji Chenbiao’s attention.

    “Will it be too late if we wait until morning?”

    When he asked this, Ji Chenbiao already knew the answer. Even if he wasn’t literate, he knew fevers couldn’t drag on. Someone in their village had once become mentally disabled from a prolonged fever.

    “Biao-ge, we still need to go out on patrol later tonight. This kid… if he really doesn’t make it, then that’s just his fate.”

    Xiao Li was being more pragmatic. He felt sorry for a child abandoned at such a young age, but people could only help others when they were sure they wouldn’t be hurt in the process.

    Who sacrifices themselves to help someone else? That’s just foolish. He couldn’t be that noble, plain and simple.

    “Biao-ge, don’t be reckless—things are most dangerous around the New Year.”

    Everyone wanted to earn a little money and go home for the holidays, and the poachers were no different.

    Ji Chenbiao stared at the tiny hand clutching his coat for a long time. The boy’s fever was burning hotter and hotter; even through thick clothing, it felt like he was holding a furnace.

    “Biao-ge, to put it harshly, the moment this child was thrown out there, he was never meant to live long. We’ll head down early tomorrow morning and find a doctor. Whether he survives or not… that’s his fate.”

    As he spoke, Xiao Li kept a close eye on Ji Chenbiao, afraid he wouldn’t listen.

    “I’ll go down. Lao Wu can cover me tonight. If the village chief kicks me out for this, I’ll accept it.”

    The child’s fever was getting worse—Ji Chenbiao couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

    He took off his military coat and wrapped it around the child, then handed over all their anti-poaching gear to Xiao Li.

    “If you can do it, then do it properly. If you can’t, don’t force it—your own safety matters most. Wait for Lao Wu before heading out on patrol.”

    Lao Wu was one of their own. Years ago, he’d nearly died at the hands of poachers, and it was Ji Chenbiao who’d saved him. They’d been close ever since.

    Most importantly, Lao Wu wasn’t married and had no kids. He lived halfway up the mountain and could get here quickly.

    With just a few words, Ji Chenbiao made his decision. By the time Xiao Li rushed out, all he could see was his silhouette fading into the snowy wind. Frustrated, he kicked the door hard.

    It was already freezing in the area, and now it was night, deep in the mountains. Ji Chenbiao had even taken off his only warm outer layer.

    Frozen to the core, he forced himself downhill on willpower alone.

    Fortunately, he’d walked this road countless times. Even with only moonlight to guide him—he could find his way with his eyes closed.

    When he reached the halfway point, Ji Chenbiao knocked gently on Lao Wu’s door with hands nearly frozen stiff.

    Lao Wu, who usually went to bed early, threw on a thick coat and came out. When he saw Ji Chenbiao at the door, he hurriedly motioned for him to come inside.

    In this kind of weather, it was cold enough to kill a person!

    “No, I’m not going in. Xiao Li is the only one on the mountain right now. Can I trouble you to cover for me tonight?”

    “Hm? Sure, what’s going on? Why aren’t you wearing your coat?”

    Ji Chenbiao wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries and simply tugged his coat open a bit. The child he was holding already had a flushed face from the fever.

    “We found a crying child on the mountain. No idea which heartless parents abandoned him there. Originally, we planned to deal with it tomorrow, but he came down with a fever at night. I was afraid it might affect his brain.”

    Upon hearing this, Old Wu had almost the exact same reaction as Xiao Li. If word got out to the village chief that they’d secretly swapped people, they’d definitely get an earful!

    He couldn’t say a word of protest, because truth be told, it was thanks to Ji Chenbiao sticking his nose in back then that he was even alive today.

    “Alright, I’ll head up the mountain now. You wear my coat—don’t catch a cold.”

    “Oh, and don’t go to the village doctor. Go directly to my nephew. He’s apprenticing under the doctor and has studied—he’s no worse. If we can keep the village chief from knowing, it’s best that he doesn’t find out.”

    “Got it.”

    Ji Chenbiao knew Old Wu was thinking of him, so he didn’t refuse the kindness. He threw on the coat over his own and carried the child down the mountain.

    The road was slippery at night. He had to be extra careful, but no matter how cautious, he still slipped and fell multiple times.

    Every time he fell, Ji Chenbiao made sure to shield the child in his arms.

    Old Wu’s nephew lived at the entrance of the village, so there was no need to go in. He knocked on the door and woke someone up. After some cursing inside, someone finally came to open the door.

    “Brother Biao? It’s you?”

    “Check this kid out. Found him in the mountains—he’s got a fever.”

    “Alright.”

    Old Wu’s nephew didn’t ask much and opened the door to let him in.

    Ji Chenbiao was nearly frozen stiff, though the child’s hands were still warm—probably from the fever.

    “He’s frozen. Abandoned, huh? A girl?”

    Old Wu’s nephew started checking the child for visible injuries. He knew Ji Chenbiao didn’t even dare turn on a light up in the mountains, so they could only do this clumsily, bit by bit.

    They’d encountered situations like this before. The government didn’t allow second children, and many families were too poor to raise more. So they threw their kids into the mountains.

    When questioned, they’d claim the child ran off or blame it on another clueless kid at home. Either way, it was never their fault.

    Some kids froze to death. Some got eaten by wild animals. It was truly tragic.

    Ji Chenbiao rubbed his hands together and shook his head at that.

    “No, it’s a boy.”

    “Then why abandon him?”

    “No idea. Found him near that hut.”

    “Probably got dragged over by some small animal. Kid’s likely not in good health.”

    While talking, Old Wu’s nephew started preparing things to bring the fever down. He’d learned a few things from the village doctor and kept some basic medicine at home.

    If someone truly wanted to get rid of their child, they’d want them dead. No way they’d dump them near a known residence.

    More likely, in Old Wu’s nephew’s eyes, the kid was thrown randomly and then dragged off by some animal—just happened to end up near the hut.

    Lucky kid, really.

    “Is he going to be okay?”

    Ji Chenbiao couldn’t just stand by and watch the kid burn up into brain damage. He understood what Old Li had told him before, but understanding didn’t mean he could be indifferent.

    “He’ll be fine. Just needs some medicine.”

    “Alright.”

    That calmed Ji Chenbiao. Old Wu’s nephew even found some of his own son’s clothes and changed the fever-soaked ones on the child.

    “This fabric’s not bad. Clearly from a decently-off family. Why abandon him?”

    “Oh right—Brother Biao, since you found this kid, what are you planning to do?”

    Though his sister’s reputation was bad, Brother Biao himself was capable. Quite a few families in the village still wanted their daughters to marry him.

    But now, with such a big child in tow, that hope might be gone.

    “Plan is to wait till his fever’s gone and send him to the orphanage for abandoned kids in the county.”

    “That’s a decent plan.”

    An’an was so feverish that he couldn’t sleep and let out a soft whimper. His throat was hoarse from the fever, and the strange sound made Ji Chenbiao tense up.

    “What’s wrong with his voice?”

    “Don’t worry, Brother Biao. That’s normal for a fever. He’ll be fine in a couple of days. It’s still dark out and no one’s up yet—better head back to the mountain.”

    Old Wu’s nephew quickly packed some things and wrapped some medicine in paper, handing it to Ji Chenbiao.

    “Alright.”

    Ji Chenbiao shoved the medicine into his coat pocket and started the uphill climb, holding the child.

    Going downhill required constant focus. Going uphill was pure hard work. Even someone like Ji Chenbiao, who was used to it, found his legs shaking halfway up.

    “Picking you up was really my bad luck.”

    He was completely exhausted and just muttered the complaint to vent.

    He thought the kid had fallen asleep after the medicine, but right after that line, he heard a faint baby sound from inside the coat.

    As if it were a protest against what he’d just said.

    “Oh? Not happy I said that, huh? If it weren’t for me, you’d be frozen stiff somewhere, you know that?”

    Ji Chenbiao was bone-tired. He hadn’t slept all night. On top of that, yesterday he and Xiao Li had chased a poacher across a long stretch of land.

    His stomach growled, his legs were jelly, and venting a few words gave him a tiny bit of strength.

    The child in his arms still let out a few unwilling gurgles after that—but they were noticeably quieter now, like he felt guilty.

    “As long as you know I saved your life, that’s enough. Don’t worry, I didn’t save you on purpose—just couldn’t stand watching someone die in front of me.”

    This time, the kid went completely quiet. Ji Chenbiao assumed he’d finally fallen asleep. He never imagined a baby so small could be that aware.

    He had no idea how long he walked. Only when the sky started to lighten did he finally see the familiar hut appear ahead.

    Xiao Li had stayed up all night. He was boiling water now, getting ready to head home.

    “Biao, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come back soon, I would’ve worried myself to death.”

    Ji Chenbiao had just sat down when footsteps sounded outside again—it was the village chief and another record keeper.

    Though their area was pretty remote, there were still quite a few protected animals around. Because of that, poachers were rampant, and they basically had to come record things every day.

    “What’s going on? When we went up the mountain earlier, we saw a bunch of fresh footprints. Did someone come by?”

    The village chief hadn’t even stepped inside yet and was already asking questions. Xiao Li glanced nervously at Biao.

    Things like this were usually best handled by Lao Wu. He opened the door and walked out to face the village chief.

    “Village Chief, it was me. I couldn’t sleep last night, and since New Year’s is just around the corner, I was worried the two of them couldn’t handle everything up the mountain, so I thought I’d come early to see if I could help.”

    Lao Wu’s explanation didn’t arouse suspicion—the village chief knew he was one of the forest guards.

    “You guys are scheduled to be on the mountain soon anyway. No matter how worried you are, take care of your health.”

    The village chief gave a casual reminder, then caught sight of the child in Ji Chenbiao’s arms.

    “Where’d you get that kid?”

    “Village Chief, we found him last night. No idea which heartless person would abandon a child this far out in this cold.”

    No matter who Xiao Li talked to, he couldn’t help but complain about it. The village chief’s expression grew serious. He exchanged a glance with the record keeper, then said:

    “You guys don’t know, do you? The county orphanage isn’t taking in any more kids.”

    That news had just been announced last week. The orphanage had long been over capacity—not a single spot left.

    “So what do we do?”

    Xiao Li glanced at the child. No way he was taking the kid home—if he even tried, with the way things were in his house, his wife would probably break his legs.

    “What do you mean, what do we do? You’re the ones who brought the kid back, and now you’re asking me?”

    The village chief was frustrated. If someone without kids had found the child, they could’ve just raised him. But it was them who found him.

    He knew Xiao Li’s wife was trying to get pregnant. The village chief was aware of that—and since their families were distantly related, he couldn’t bring himself to dump the child on them.

    Ji Chenbiao was still single. Who knew how many days the kid could survive in his care?

    “What were you thinking, wandering around at night and picking up kids?”

    Xiao Li was starting to regret being nosy last night. But now that they had the child, they couldn’t just abandon him again. He was a living human being.

    Ji Chenbiao opened up his jacket and looked down at the child.

    Maybe because he was hungry, the child was no longer obedient like before—he kept squirming around.

    As Ji Chenbiao adjusted his clothes, the little one grabbed onto his finger and gently shook it like it was something really fun. Before long, he even started laughing happily.

    The child’s laughter caught the village chief’s attention. When he got a good look at the kid, his first thought was that the child was really beautiful.

    “Such a good-looking kid—someone actually had the heart to abandon him?”

    The more the child played, the more he seemed to enjoy himself. Eventually, both little hands were holding tightly to Ji Chenbiao’s finger. And Biao didn’t pull away.

    The child still had a high fever—his hand was burning hot. Holding onto his stiff, frozen fingers, the returning warmth brought an indescribable feeling.

    The record keeper kept working, leaving the village chief to worry alone.

    They’d already picked up the child. They couldn’t just ignore him now. Figuring out what to do was a big problem.

    When he next went to the county, he’d talk to the orphanage director. Worst-case scenario, he’d fork over more money. One way or another, this child had to be settled.

    “Village Chief.”

    “Hmm?”

    Still fretting over the situation, the village chief didn’t have a kind face for Ji Chenbiao.

    “If there’s really no other option… why don’t you let me raise the child?”

    “You? Raise a child?”

    The village chief didn’t believe he’d manage. Ji Chenbiao lived a rough bachelor life—he’d probably starve the kid to death.

    The child, seemingly starving, began gnawing on Biao’s finger. He didn’t have all his teeth yet, so it didn’t hurt—just felt soft and tingly.

    “Yes. Let me raise him. No one wants to marry me the way things are now anyway. I’m still determined to get to the bottom of what happened to my sister. Might as well raise a kid while I’m at it.”

    When he said the first part, the village chief wanted to tell him not to be so pessimistic.

    Sure, he was a bit older now, but he was capable, and working at the forest station meant he had money. There were still girls in the village who’d marry him—he just had to look.

    But after hearing the second part, the chief swallowed his words. If Ji Chenbiao couldn’t let go of what happened to his sister, it really might not work out.

    That whole thing had been a huge mess. The chief still remembered the people who came looking for trouble—each of them drove sleek cars.

    Those kinds of bigshots weren’t people their tiny mountain village could afford to offend.

    “Fine. If you’re still hung up on your sister, then maybe keeping the child with you isn’t such a bad idea.”

    The village chief nodded and compromised. Without having to worry about finding a wife for Biao, the whole thing actually made sense. At least the child was taken care of.

    “Alright.”

    “After the New Year, I’ll help you sort out all the paperwork.”

    There were lots of kids abandoned in the mountains or by the roadside. Some families really were willing to adopt.

    The system couldn’t possibly manage every case, so they kept the adoption procedures pretty loose.

    As long as the village chief was willing to help, the paperwork could be done in no time.

    “In a couple of days, once you come down the mountain, stop by my house. I’ll give you a few things. The kid looks to be around seven or eight months old—no telling if there’s anything wrong with him.”

    A perfectly healthy baby boy wouldn’t be abandoned. The village chief had seen this too many times—usually, it was because the parents didn’t want to spend money.

    “Okay.”

    Ji Chenbiao felt the baby gnawing on his finger, his brow furrowing slightly. Then he took out the can of food he hadn’t finished last night, warmed it up by the fire, and fed it to the child.

    The village chief had only brought supplies for two people—he hadn’t thought to bring food for a baby.

    “I’ll have my son bring some over this afternoon.”

    “Thank you, Village Chief.”

    “This is just a small matter. If you keep thanking me, you’re being too polite.”

    The village chief waved his hand. After the record keeper confirmed there were no issues, they headed down the mountain together. Old Wu tagged along, planning to go home and catch up on some sleep.

    After they were gone, Xiao Li leaned in and asked Ji Chenbiao:

    “Biao-ge, are you really planning to raise this kid?”

    “What else can I do if I don’t? The orphanage won’t take him. I can’t just throw him away for real, can I?”

    Ji Chenbiao noticed the child’s greedy little expression while eating and gently poked his chubby cheek. His hands, calloused from years of hard labor, were a bit rough on the baby’s delicate skin, making the little one frown and lean away, even using his hand to push Ji Chenbiao’s away.

    “He’s kinda fun,” he said.

    Xiao Li came over too, wanting to play, but Ji Chenbiao shifted sideways, shielding the child protectively in his arms.

    “Come on, Biao-ge, why are you so stingy? Once my kid is born, I’ll let you play with them too!”

    Ji Chenbiao just waved him off and picked the child up, walking away.

    “Who wants to play with your kid? Go away, don’t touch my son.”

    “Biao-ge, since you’re planning to adopt this child, have you picked a name yet?”

    “Let me think… how about Ji Dadan? Sounds like a bold boy, definitely my son!”

    —————

    The nickname “Dadan” (大膽) literally translates to “Big Bold” or “Bold” in English. The character 大 means “big,” and 膽 means “courage” or “boldness.” So, it can be interpreted as someone who is courageous, daring, or bold.


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