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In response to Rong Yuheng’s frank words, Wen Zhecheng kindly chose to be understanding.

When the two of them arrived home, it was just about mealtime. Holding a small bag, Rong Yuheng peeked behind Wen Zhecheng. As soon as they entered the entrance, Big White Goose in the living room heard them and leaped toward them.

“Er Zhe brought the child back?” Big White Goose asked.

Rong Yuheng joyfully replied, “Uncle, I’m here!”

Wen Zhecheng changed his shoes, then took the bag from Rong Yuheng’s arms and walked toward the room. “Dad, Rong Rong brought you a bottle of good wine.”

The entrance suddenly seemed more spacious without the tall figure of an adult man. Wen Zhongyun approached Rong Yuheng affectionately, rubbing his head. “You’re here, and you even brought a gift!”

Rong Yuheng’s head feathers stood up again as he chuckled, “Mom asked me to bring it.”

In Wen Zhongyun’s mind, he instantly saw the blurry figure rising to the heavens in the old photos. He paused for a moment in his feather-rubbing motion, then said, “Thank you both very much.”

…

Wen Zhecheng put down his things, changed into different clothes, and entered the kitchen. Rong Yuheng wanted to follow and help but was discouraged.

Wen Zhecheng took ingredients from the refrigerator, unpacked them, cleaned them, and prepared them effortlessly.

Watching this, Rong Yuheng remained silent for a moment, then gently spoke, “I feel like I’m in a fairy tale.”

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Wen Zhecheng was in the middle of arranging the beef when he suddenly had a melody pop into his head:

“I wish to become, in the fairy tale, the angel you love…”

His back trembled slightly, and even his movements in arranging the ingredients slowed down. “What fairy tale?”

Rong Yuheng replied, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” He felt that Wen Zhecheng was like a deity, and he was still wandering in a dream.

The divine Wen Zhecheng replied, “…” Sure, why not.

After confirming his own uselessness, Rong Yuheng returned to the living room. Wen Zhongyun was sitting on the sofa, holding a laptop and watching a drama. When he saw Rong Yuheng approaching, he immediately waved. “Come here, come here!”

Rong Yuheng trotted over. “What’s up, Uncle?”

Wen Zhongyun turned the laptop screen toward him, revealing that they were watching “Plain Robes.”

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Rong Yuheng was caught off guard: Hiss…!

“Plain Robes” was broadcast every weekend at 8 p.m., and they had already reached the fifth episode. The first ten or so episodes mostly featured Rong Yuheng’s character in the gang, and Wen Zhecheng had very few scenes. Therefore, he didn’t expect Wen Zhongyun to be a fan of the show.

“Uncle, why are you watching this? Wen Teacher’s character won’t have more screen time until after the fourteenth episode.”

Wen Zhongyun chuckled, “Hehe, what’s so good about him? I just wanted to see the scenes you acted in.”

Rong Yuheng immediately held his chest in surprise, “I didn’t act well!”

Wen Zhongyun gave an objective evaluation, “It’s fine. It doesn’t really test your acting skills since you’re playing yourself.”

Rong Yuheng: …It seems like he’s been exposed to too much culture!

The two of them remained silent for a while, but eventually, Wen Zhongyun broke the silence. “Oh, by the way, Goose, I haven’t thanked you for the incident with the Weibo account.”

Rong Yuheng: …

Suddenly, he realized he had forgotten about this topic!

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Wen Zhongyun continued talking, “But who could have hacked my account? When I logged in, I saw an extra Weibo post asking everyone to respect authors… Why does it feel like it was done by a do-gooder goose?”

Rong Yuheng’s heart raced, fearing he might blurt out something like “Cooking God.”

At this moment, “Cooking God” Wen Zhecheng was still preparing food in the kitchen for the house’s hamsters and Big White Goose. The two animals sat side by side, watching “The Traveler in Plain Clothes” on the TV screen. Seeing his own face on the screen was a strange feeling, especially since this “self” was in a different role.

Rong Yuheng, lying on his lap, peered up at Wen Zhongyun. It felt like Wen Zhongyun could read his mind. “Do you find it fascinating? Like watching a stranger who looks just like you.”

Rong Yuheng said, “A bit. Although others say that I’m very similar to the character, I still see it as quite different.”

Wen Zhongyun sighed, “I used to watch Zhecheng’s dramas, and I had this feeling too. He’s played so many roles that sometimes I’d watch and think, is this my son Zhecheng? But when I see the characters suffering, I feel heartbroken. So, even if it’s a character in a drama, as long as Zhecheng is playing it, I find it hard to completely separate the two.”

Rong Yuheng hadn’t experienced this feeling before and now looked bewildered.

Seeing this, Wen Zhongyun affectionately rubbed Rong Yuheng’s head. “You’ll also play various roles in the future. You have a good foundation and progress quickly, so your range will expand.”

He paused for a moment and added, “If one day, because of a character you’ve played, Zhecheng carries some emotions, Uncle hopes you can understand him.”

Only now did Rong Yuheng understand Wen Zhongyun’s intention: he was afraid of conflicts between himself and Wen Zhecheng.

Rong Yuheng felt quite touched. Wen Zhongyun was truly considerate.

He was moved to the point where tears were about to well up in his eyes… when suddenly he jolted. Wait, why was Wen Zhongyun telling him all this? Did he realize that Wen Zhecheng liked him?

Rong Yuheng was taken aback. He couldn’t help but give Wen Zhongyun a wary look, but the latter was simply affectionately rubbing his feathers and showed no signs of probing.

The atmosphere between the two, warm and harmonious with a hint of excitement, came to an end when Wen Zhecheng set the plates on the table. He even put on an apron, which gave him a bit of a fiery look.

Rong Yuheng’s heart thumped rapidly. Damn, the feeder surrounded by the fragrance of meat was incredibly attractive!

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Once the three of them were seated, Wen Zhecheng brought out tall glasses and filled them with the wine that Wen Qin had brought. In the soft lighting, the wine was clear, bright, and enticing. As the wine was poured into the glasses, it created a beautiful arc.

Wen Zhongyun was the first to raise his glass. “Welcome, Xiao Rong, and thanks for the delicious meal prepared by Er Zhe. Happy New Year, everyone!”

Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng raised their glasses in response. When their glasses clinked, they made a crisp, clear sound. The wine, with its rich color, spilled a few droplets into the air before settling back into the glasses.

“Happy New Year!”

Rong Yuheng put down his glass after taking a sip. The wine was rich, smooth, and nearly velvety as it slid down his throat, leaving a hint of sweetness upon the palate.

Wen Zhongyun also took a couple of sips and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Perfect balance, this is indeed good wine!”

Wen Zhecheng placed his glass down and turned to Rong Yuheng. “How do you like it? Can you handle it?”

Rong Yuheng licked his lips and found the sweet aroma of the wine lingering. He moistened his lips, making them glisten. “It’s quite good.”

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shifted his attention to the beef on his plate. He sliced the juicy, tender steak with his knife, creating a subtle sound on the porcelain plate.

“That’s good then. Just don’t drink too quickly.”

Rong Yuheng raised his chin. “I know.”

Wen Zhecheng was indeed skilled in cooking. He remembered that Rong Yuheng didn’t like raw or cold dishes, so the steak wasn’t served rare, but it wasn’t overcooked either.

Rong Yuheng couldn’t stop himself after taking a bite. He munched on the steak while casually reaching for the wine on the side. After finishing one glass, he pushed the empty glass toward Wen Zhecheng, signaling him to refill it.

Wen Zhecheng, who was taken aback, wondered if his hamsters were capable of drinking this much.

“Don’t drink too fast. This wine has a delayed effect.”

Rong Yuheng pouted and playfully kicked Wen Zhecheng under the table. “You underestimate me!”

Wen Zhecheng hurriedly poured him another glass. “Of course not…”

Wen Zhongyun, who was watching, said, “…”

It seemed like this kid was getting more unruly, although he didn’t mind. But there also seemed to be something slightly unusual?

Wen Zhongyun wanted to remind Wen Zhecheng to pay attention. He patted Wen Zhecheng’s arm. “Hey, Zhecheng…”

Wen Zhecheng helplessly glanced at him and immediately lifted the wine bottle to fill both their glasses. “You too, drink less.”

Wen Zhongyun said, “…” No, he wasn’t planning to drink much in the first place.

—

Alcohol always had the tendency to make things escalate.

As they continued eating, with most of the creamy pasta soup still untouched, the situation at the table began to get out of control.

Wen Zhecheng didn’t know how it had escalated to this point—

On his left, Rong Yuheng had already jumped onto the chair, raising his wine glass and singing at the top of his lungs. The crystal-clear glass sparkled brilliantly under the bright lights!

On his right, Wen Zhongyun had half of his body slumped over the dining table, his legs on the chair, and his entire upper body bent forward. He mumbled something incoherent.

And the bottle of wine on the table was nearly empty.

… Wen Zhecheng’s temples were pounding.

He stood up, wanting to hold the swaying Rong Yuheng to prevent him from falling. However, Rong Yuheng was not cooperating at all. He even launched a sonic attack at him, “Pukokekekekeke…!!!”

Before Wen Zhecheng could retaliate with force, the other end, Wen Zhongyun, suddenly got into the act as well. Wen Zhongyun, lying flat on the table, abruptly sprung up his upper body vertically. His hands were raised high in the air, frozen for two seconds, and then he started shaking violently, making a bizarre sound, “Gehehehehehe…!!!”

Wen Zhecheng: Hehehe.

Rong Yuheng heard a string of goose calls, as if a switch had been flipped, and his entire body seemed to be electrified. He took a deep breath, made a thud sound as he put his wine glass on the table, and then stood upright, commanding the attention of everyone present.

“Next, the Prince of Melodious Songs, Rong Yuheng, will bring you a soul-cleansing film and television song!”

Upon hearing the words “film and television song,” Wen Zhecheng suddenly had a long-forgotten sense of foreboding. Before he could stop the former’s outburst, he heard the familiar song flowing from above:

“Interpreting a millennium-old mystery, an unsolvable injustice,

Endless grievances, unwilling hearts, crying… wu wu wu… to the heavens…”

Wen Zhecheng got choked up—indeed, it was “The Legend of Lady Dou”!

On the other side, Wen Zhongyun’s eyes lit up, as if he had received some kind of inspiration. He began to sing the traditional Chinese opera “The Legend of Lady Dou” while swaying his arms to the rhythm, like seaweed gently swaying in the wind.

“Is it not because of a natural disaster, people separated from their loved ones,

Is it not because of an unexpected calamity, shortened lives…”

Wen Zhecheng felt that he was almost having a shortened life right there and then.

The nightmare that had flashed through his mind suddenly became a reality on this seemingly peaceful night!

An old man and a young boy passionately and unexpectedly harmoniously sang two entirely different songs and then switched to dance mode.

Wen Zhongyun opened his arms and danced merrily around the table as if he were doing a bonfire dance. “Little Rong, Uncle loves your square dance!”

Rong Yuheng descended from his chair and landed on the floor, one knee on the ground, and his arms on both sides. He raised his head proudly. “Uncle, let me show you!”

Once they reached a consensus, they began to dance around the dining table in a clockwise direction, performing the bonfire square dance.

Flailing arms, cheerful rhythms, mixed with the lingering aroma of the beef!

Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhongyun clapped their hands and danced two circles around the table but then felt something was off. After a pause of two seconds, they simultaneously turned their gaze to Wen Zhecheng—

Wen Zhecheng had unknowingly retreated to the corner of the dining room, trying to hide in the shadows.

But now, he had failed.

Rong Yuheng excitedly pointed at Wen Zhecheng and turned to Wen Zhongyun, saying, “Oh, my old buddy, there’s another little guy over there!”

Wen Zhongyun was equally surprised. He pulled the disheartened Wen Zhecheng into their joyful family, saying, “Indeed! Look at his little face, he seems to be angry.”

Rong Yuheng was poked right at his funny bone and burst into a frenzy of laughter. “He’s angry! Kekekekeke!”

Wen Zhongyun laughed so hard that he could barely stand straight and almost slipped to the ground. “So funny! kakakakakhakakaha!”

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze at both of them was practically deadly…

Perhaps he had been too indulgent with these two.

Finally, when Wen Zhongyun was exhausted from all the excitement, Wen Zhecheng dragged him back to his bedroom. Wen Zhongyun fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow, snoring loudly.

…

Closing his bedroom door, Wen Zhecheng returned to the dining room with a deep and heavy expression. There was still a hamster swimming on the dining table.

With a loud whoosh, he opened the dining room door, only to see Rong Yuheng lying on the dining table, his head almost buried in the unfinished dishes.

What was even more astonishing was that Rong Yuheng seemed to realize that he couldn’t bury his head in the dishes. He continued swimming while avoiding the dishes to take a breath…

Wen Zhecheng almost burst out laughing.

He stepped forward a few paces, grabbed Rong Yuheng’s collar, and pulled him away from the dishes, “Didn’t you say you’ve never been drunk?”

Rong Yuheng didn’t respond at all. Instead, he followed the direction he was pulled in, rolling over to lie on the table. His back rubbed against the table, and his clothes were pulled to one side, exposing his fair stomach, with a cute little navel.

Wen Zhecheng took one look and lost his temper again.

He helplessly rubbed Rong Yuheng’s little belly. “Behave yourself, stop messing around, go take a bath and sleep.”

Rong Yuheng lay on the table, floating on his back. “I won’t go, I’m still swimming in the sea of joy right now.”

Wen Zhecheng sighed, realizing why he was swimming.

Going wild after getting drunk did have some logic to it.

Wen Zhecheng couldn’t help but pinch and pull his small face, feeling a mixture of love and annoyance.

“I’m starting to suspect that you’re intentionally messing with me. Tell me, do you have any issues with me?”

It was unclear which nerve this statement touched in Rong Yuheng, but he suddenly sat up straight from the table, and shouted loudly at Wen Zhecheng,

“You… your butt isn’t perky enough!”

Author’s note: Wen Zhecheng: It’s New Year’s Day today, a day for family reunions, but I was forced to listen to a duet version of the Lady Dou opera and even dragged into dancing in circles.

Rong Yuheng: Hey… rhyming, rhyming! *hiccup*

Wen Zhecheng: …