Teasing the Icy President - Chapter 27 - Your Child?

Ye Ziqian’s headache was acting up again. He hadn’t slept well last night, and as dawn approached, he reluctantly took a sleeping pill and drifted into a deep sleep. It was shortly after he fell asleep that Mu Qingtian returned with little Junze. He was sleeping so soundly that he didn’t notice.

In his dreams, one infuriating incident followed another, and the primary source of his anger was a chubby figure whose face he couldn’t quite make out. Everything was blurry, except for the very real frustration that made him want to jump out of his skin.

“Damn fatty, stupid fatty!”

He cursed in his dream, wishing he could strangle that chubby figure. Meanwhile, the Ye Family house was peaceful. Downstairs, Mu Qingtian was in the shower, humming a cheerful tune, while Lu Zizhong had already returned to his room to rest after placing the sleeping child in Mu Qingtian’s room.

He knew President Ye had taken a sleeping pill not long ago, so he wouldn’t wake up soon.

As for how this child came to be here, Lu Zizhong wasn’t particularly curious at the moment. Although his curiosity was indeed piqued, age had made him prone to sleepiness, especially during deep sleep phases. Soon enough, he was asleep again.

Mu Qingtian, having finished her shower, found herself with nothing to do, so she turned on the TV downstairs and started watching, munching on some chips. She kept the volume low, as she was known for her love of TV. The late-night drama airing was one of her favorites, so she sat there hugging a cute pillow, tissues in hand, crying her eyes out, completely losing her composure.

She was so absorbed that she forgot about little Junze. His sleep was lighter than usual, and he was quite active, so he soon woke up. Little Junze opened his eyes, rubbed them, and took in the luxurious room, which was different from his own home. He was still half-asleep but wanted to find the bathroom.

Little Junze wandered out of the room, unaware of anything amiss, and without much sensitivity to the unfamiliar surroundings. He followed the layout of his own home and ended up in front of a bedroom door. Still drowsy, he casually opened it.

Peeking inside, he saw it was a bedroom. Curiosity piqued, he noticed a man sleeping on the bed. Quietly, he walked in, forgetting about the bathroom, and climbed onto the bed, crouching there to examine the man’s face.

He seemed quite serious about it. Little Junze’s mischievous side kicked in, and he began to touch Ye Ziqian’s face, occasionally pinching it. Ye Ziqian, in the midst of various nightmares, felt like he was drowning in the ocean, tangled in seaweed, unable to breathe. Panic surged through him as he struggled but couldn’t move.

Then he saw that chubby face again, the one that made him want to punch it. He stared, wanting to scream for help but unable to utter a word.

“Ah…” His body jerked, and he opened his eyes to find a face hovering in front of him. He stared at those eyes, which were staring right back at him. Having just emerged from countless nightmares, Ye Ziqian was understandably startled by the strange eyes. Once he focused, he realized it was a little kid perched on his chest.

Wait, why was there a child here? He didn’t speak, just stared at the kid. Whose child was this, sneaking onto his bed in the middle of the night?

Little Junze grinned and called out, “Daddy…” which startled Ye Ziqian.

“What… what did you call me?” Ye Ziqian pointed at little Junze.

Little Junze scratched his head, sucking on a finger, and repeated, “Daddy…”

“Stop!” Ye Ziqian halted him, then asked, “I don’t know you. Whose child are you?” Thinking he was dreaming, Ye Ziqian pinched his own face hard. It hurt-a lot. This was real!

Suddenly realizing something, he shouted, “Mu-Qing-tian!”

“Yes.”

In a flurry of footsteps, the door swung open, and a breathless Mu Qingtian appeared before Ye Ziqian, her mouth agape at the scene.

Regaining her composure, Mu Qingtian rushed forward to pull little Junze away, whispering, “Who let you in here? Weren’t you sleeping? How did you end up here?” She cautiously glanced at Ye Ziqian, whose face was dark and displeased, as he sat there bare-chested, staring at her.

“Um, boss, maybe you should put on some clothes? You might scare the kid, you know, not suitable for children,” she said softly. Little Junze hid behind her, but not without peeking at Ye Ziqian on the bed.

“Is he your child?” Ye Ziqian asked after a few seconds, nearly choking Mu Qingtian with his words. “Pfft…” Mu Qingtian almost gagged. “Uncle, what are you talking about? How could he be my child?”

Mu Qingtian’s face turned red. She hadn’t even married yet; she was still a maiden. How could he say such things? It made her shy.

Nervously wringing her hands, Mu Qingtian dared not look at Ye Ziqian’s face. Meanwhile, little Junze nonchalantly said, “Daddy, Mommy, good morning!”

Mu Qingtian was so shocked she nearly lost her soul. Oh my, could you not stir up trouble? Are you trying to get me kicked out by the boss? My little ancestor, have mercy, I really can’t handle this.

Looking at Ye Ziqian, his face seemed even darker than before. She braced herself and called out, “Uncle-” only to hear Ye Ziqian shout back, “Mu-Qing-tian!”

In the next moment, Mu Qingtian was standing facing the wall… Little Junze and Ye Ziqian sat at the table, while Mu Qingtian stood with her back to them, a picture of tragedy. “Um… Uncle, is this really necessary?”

“Why so much nonsense?” Ye Ziqian grumbled, glaring at her back, then glanced at little Junze. By now, little Junze was calmly sipping milk, looking as if nothing had happened, utterly carefree. He reminded Ye Ziqian of someone, but he couldn’t quite place who.

“No, Uncle, you see, you’re eating, and I’m facing away from you… doesn’t that make it hard to eat?” She kindly considered their situation.

Unexpectedly, Ye Ziqian tossed a coaster at her. “Ouch!” She rubbed her head. What was that for? I was just trying to be considerate, why hit me on the head? You idiot, you pig!

Why was she the only one suffering? Clearly, little Junze was the troublemaker, so why was she the one being punished? Mu Qingtian looked at the wall in front of her, where a famous portrait was hanging, glaring back at her.

She shouted in her heart, “What are you staring at? Only officials can set fires, but commoners can’t light lamps? I’m not standing here facing the wall; I’m giving you face, appreciating you, got it?” She rubbed her head and continued to silently stare at the portrait, mentally torturing Ye Ziqian countless times.

“Ye Ziqian, you turtle, go die, go die, making me stand here blowing in the wind.” Ugh, my stomach is so hungry. I should’ve finished that box of chips before coming upstairs. As she thought this, she couldn’t help but sneak glances at the coffee table in the living room, where her leftover snacks were… tears welled up, OHMYGOD! My chips…

Her stomach growled, but she heard the other two deliberately eating loudly behind her. Mu Qingtian was so frustrated she could die. Everyone knew chubby Mu Qingtian loved to eat, yet they cruelly used food to punish her. Ye Ziqian, you win. Mu Qingtian clenched her little fists, silently facing him, full of righteous indignation: “I’m on a diet, I don’t care about eating… food.” Why does my heart feel so… cold…

“The north wind blows… my stomach growls…” Mu Qingtian mourned against the wall for a minute. Then she turned around, grinning cheekily, “Uncle… can I have some food?”

Ye Ziqian remained unmoved, eating a slice of roast meat in front of her, then coldly glanced at her: “Was the stuff in the living room chewed by mice? Catch mice for me this morning.”

Mu Qingtian nearly bit off her tongue in regret: So stupid, why talk about food? Now it’s over, where am I supposed to catch mice? Her face turned into a wilted flower, a frostbitten wilted flower.

Before leaving, Ye Ziqian left one last sentence: “If you can’t catch mice, you’ll be facing the wall today. Eating? Hmph!” With a bang, he slammed the door shut.

“Boss… I’m still in here!” Lu Zizhong muffledly called out, holding his nose.

“Uncle Zhong…” Mu Qingtian called out mournfully. Lu Zizhong turned back, “Oh dear… little girl, take care of yourself. I won’t make you pay for my medical bills.” His voice gradually faded away.

“Mommy…” Little Junze jumped down from the chair, holding a milk bottle, looking at Mu Qingtian.

“You shut up!” Mu Qingtian held out a hand, blocking him like she was warding off a wolf, “Didn’t we agree you’d call me Auntie? Who’s your mommy, why are you here to torment me?” Mu Qingtian was on the verge of kneeling. This kid wasn’t simple, seemed like he had her figured out.