"Daddy, I'm so full, what should I do? The teacher said we can't waste food, we have to eat it all."
Gu Chen spoke in a low voice, while Xia Ran looked at the steamed buns on the table with some hesitation.
"It's okay, just eat a little bit, Daddy will take care of the rest."
He completely ignored Gu Zheng, who was standing next to him.
However, Gu Zheng overheard their conversation.
"Ranran, I haven't had breakfast yet. I can eat these. You and the child can have some soy milk."
Upon hearing this, Xia Ran subconsciously glanced at Gu Zheng, and what she saw was Gu Zheng's expectant eyes looking at her.
Xia Ran was stunned for a moment. These days, every time he saw Gu Zheng, Gu Zheng would have the same expression.
Xia Ran withdrew her gaze, ignoring Gu Zheng, and silently picked up two cups of soy milk, giving one to Gu Chen and drinking the other herself. Her demeanor clearly indicated her agreement with what Gu Zheng had just said.
Gu Zheng curled the corner of his mouth and understood Xia Ran's meaning. He then picked up the steamed bun and started eating.
Xia Ran glanced at the steamed buns Gu Zheng had eaten and immediately spotted the shredded carrots that had been there for years. He paused again.
Gu Zheng used to dislike carrots, but now he eats them without any reaction.
Their family quickly attracted the teachers' attention, and one of the teachers who was hosting couldn't help but ask,
"Gu Chen's dad, do you and Gu Chen not like the breakfast at our kindergarten? Or is there something about our kindergarten's breakfast that needs improvement? If so, please let us know and we will make changes."
She knew that Gu Chen's family was exceptionally wealthy. A few days ago, when they learned that the kindergarten was going to hold a parent-child activity, they donated a sum of money to their kindergarten, although they only made one request: to allow as many interactive activities as possible for the children's parents.
Xia Ran was caught off guard by the teacher's sudden call on her, and was momentarily at a loss for words.
"No, this breakfast is very good, it's just..."
"My wife and Xiaochen have already eaten at home. It was made by the elders in my family, and they had no choice but to eat it, which is why they can't eat now. Teacher, please don't worry too much. There's nothing wrong with the breakfast at the kindergarten. I didn't eat breakfast at home, so I will finish this."
Gu Zheng blurted everything out at once, and Xia Ran felt a little uncomfortable with the word "wife," but with so many people watching, he could only smile and explain.
"Yes, my child and I ate a little something at home, so we had to eat slowly. Teacher, don't worry too much, the breakfast at your kindergarten is very good."
"Oh, I see." The teacher said with a sudden realization. "It's good that there are no problems. Parents, if there's anything lacking in the breakfast, please feel free to point it out, and we will correct it one by one."
“But Mr. Gu Chen, I'm afraid Mr. Gu Chen can’t finish all this breakfast by himself, otherwise…”
"It's okay, I'll help him eat a little. Let him eat his fill first before we eat."
Xia Ran interrupted the teacher before the teacher could finish speaking. The teacher paused for a moment, then smiled and replied.
"good."
She originally meant to say that if they couldn't finish it, they should take some away.
Xia Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he had answered the teacher's question earlier. The teacher must have asked him to help eat some. If he had said so beforehand, it wouldn't have been so awkward.
Gu Zheng, who was listening nearby, quickly handed Xia Ran the half-eaten bun, saying gently,
"Honey, you can have half of this. Take your time."
Xia Ran's face stiffened for a moment, wanting to get angry, but with the teacher watching, he could only grit his teeth and accept the bun, replying through gritted teeth.
"good."
Gu Zheng picked up a new steamed bun with satisfaction.
"Wow, Xiao Chen's two dads are really loving. No wonder Xiao Chen is usually very friendly to other children and never fights with them for toys."
Chapter 371 Vigilance
These words made Xia Ran pause for a moment, then she smiled but didn't say anything. She couldn't respond to that, or she would make enemies right here in the kindergarten.
Upon hearing this, Gu Chen silently took a steamed bun and started eating.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fight with the other kids for toys; he just thought those toys weren't fun at all, since they were very childish.
Gu Zheng wasn't a talkative person; he just kept glancing at Xia Ran while eating, watching how she ate the buns he had already eaten.
Fortunately, the teacher quickly changed the subject to something else, keeping the atmosphere light so that everyone's attention wouldn't be drawn to Xia Ran and the others.
However, Xia Ran was somewhat troubled and distressed by the steamed bun in her hand.
He really didn't want to eat it, but in front of the teacher and so many parents, he could only grit his teeth and take it.
"Ranran, eat it. Just eat half of it. It's okay if you don't want the rest. I'll eat it."
Gu Zheng's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it was loud enough for the teacher and other parents nearby to hear.
Xia Ran looked up and saw the teachers' gazes. She could only smile at them before lowering her head and taking a bite.
They had been married for so long, and he and Gu Zheng had done all sorts of intimate things, but it seemed like he had never eaten anything that Gu Zheng had eaten before.
Xia Ran couldn't remember anymore. It seemed that he was gradually forgetting all the things that happened after the marriage. The only thing he hadn't forgotten was the time when he knocked over the picture frame in the study, was pushed to the ground by Gu Zheng, and later fell asleep with the child at the door.
And... he treated Gu En with all his heart, thinking that Gu En was really Gu Zheng's younger brother, only to be told by Gu En that he was just a substitute.
A sharp, oppressive pain shot through his chest, but the fresh scent of carrots in his mouth brought him back to his senses.
Forget it, I'll just treat it as eating a bun that a dog has gnawed on!
Sitting not far behind them, He Hao couldn't help but rub against Feng Ming next to him.
All the parents sat on the sides and the children in the middle, but they were special. The chubby boy sat on one side, and the two of them sat side by side.
"Ah Ming, don't you think there's something a little off about Gu Zheng and Xia Ran? Why does their relationship seem a bit complicated?"
The teacher can't see them from their position, so they don't have to worry about speaking softly.
"Indeed, they must have had a fight. When I first saw them, they were both in a bad mood, so their relationship has changed."
"Forget it, let's talk about this after it's over. Right now, we need to get this parent-child activity sorted out."
He Hao sat up straight again. As someone who had been through it all, he felt he had a lot to say about these relationship issues.
After breakfast, it was time for the formal parent-child activities. The first activity was to play a three-legged race with the children.
Actually, this game is very difficult to play, since the pace of two adults and one child is very different.
However, this is originally a parent-child activity. Although it is difficult, it is also enjoyable and can help strengthen the bond between parents and children.
The teacher distributed leg binding tools to the parents of each group.
Xia Ran instinctively wanted to take it, but Gu Zheng was faster. He took it and squatted down to tie Xia Ran and Gu Chen up first, and then tied him and Gu Chen up.
Xia Ran watched with his head down as Gu Zheng helped him and the child tie their legs, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.
But when Gu Zheng's hand touched Xia Ran's leg, Xia Ran reflexively moved her leg back, but Gu Zheng grabbed it with one hand.
"Don't move around, it'll be over soon, otherwise we'll fall far behind the others." Gu Zheng looked up at Xia Ran and said.
Xia Ran pursed her lips and looked away, which was taken as tacit agreement with Gu Zheng's words.
Actually, he didn't mean to stop Gu Zheng from touching him; it was just his body's subconscious reaction that made him do that.
Gu Zheng curled the corner of his mouth slightly, then continued to tie Xia Ran and the child's feet together, and then tied himself and Gu Chen together.
Gu Zheng shifted his foot, glanced at Gu Chen and Xia Ran again, and said,
"Move around and see if it's comfortable. Is it too tight? If it's too tight, I'll loosen it for you. If it's too tight or too loose, it will affect the game later."
"It's not tight." Gu Chen moved his leg, and Xia Ran, though she didn't say anything, also moved slightly.
Although Xia Ran didn't speak, Gu Zheng could tell from her expression that she was alright.
"Little Daddy, Big Daddy, we'll win, right?"
Gu Chen looked at Xia Ran with bright eyes, then glanced at Gu Zheng, his anticipation for the competition evident.
Although the first-place prize was only three small silver bells, two large and one small, symbolizing a family of three.
It wasn't worth much money to them, but Xia Ran could tell the child really wanted it.
"Yes, that's right, I definitely will," Xia Ran said firmly.
"Yes, I will." Gu Zheng's tone was calm, but it was enough to reassure Gu Chen.
"Mmm!" Gu Chen's eyes crinkled into a smile.
Seeing the child's expectant look, Xia Ran couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He was afraid that something might go wrong and prevent them from getting first place, which would definitely make the child sad.
Xia Ran had been a child herself and knew how competitive children were at this age. Moreover, this was the first parent-child activity since the child started kindergarten, or even in all these years. How could she not be excited?
Xia Ran paused for a moment before looking at Gu Zheng beside him, only to find that Gu Zheng was also looking at him.
This time, Xia Ran didn't look away, but instead spoke.
"Pay close attention to the child's steps later. Don't rush or panic, so as to reduce the chance of accidents."
After he finished speaking, he looked away. If Gu Zheng hadn't actually heard it, he would have thought he was hallucinating.
"Big Daddy!" Gu Chen called out to Gu Zheng in surprise. Gu Zheng looked down at the child and, seeing the surprise and excitement in the child's eyes, knew he hadn't misheard.
Gu Zheng couldn't describe his feelings at that moment; he was just extremely excited, so excited that he couldn't even speak.
His gaze fell on Xia Ran's profile, and he used a lot of strength to stop himself from rushing up to hug Xia Ran and ask her if she was no longer angry and if she wanted to forgive him.
However, Gu Zheng held back, because he knew that if he really asked, Xia Ran would definitely be angry.
Although Xia Ran didn't see the reactions of Gu Zheng and his son Gu Chen, she could roughly guess Gu Zheng's expression.
But so what? He was just afraid that his child would be sad if he lost.
The competition rules are very simple: there is a track, and the team that reaches the finish line first in the shortest time wins.
If an accident occurs during the challenge, such as falling or tripping, then the challenge is considered a failure.
Everyone was queuing up properly. Feng Nianhao and his family were behind them. The chubby boy really liked Gu Chen and kept talking to him, all of his words of encouragement.
Xia Ran watched from the side and found it somewhat amusing. He was actually quite surprised that such a young child had such a large vocabulary.
He Hao looked at Xia Ran, then reached out and patted her on the shoulder. Xia Ran looked over in confusion.
"Xia Ran, let's add each other as friends after the event, shall we?" He Hao said with a smile, his baby face full of a friendly grin.
Xia Ran felt embarrassed and had no reason to refuse, so she could only nod in agreement.
"Okay, I'll add it after the event, but please remind me, as I have a bad memory and I'm afraid I'll forget."
"Okay, no problem, I definitely remember, don't worry."