222 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

**Chapter 222** Chen Wan awoke to find it was already past eight in the morning. In her arms lay Jiang Yanxin, who had been awake for a while. Chen Wan's embrace was so tight that Jiang Yanxin couldn't get up easily. Seeing Jiang Yanxin awake, Chen Wan leaned in to plant a soft kiss on the corner of Jiang Yanxin's lips. "Morning, darling." "Morning? It's already past eight. Yang Yang is probably already up," Jiang Yanxin playfully pinched Chen Wan's cheek and teased, "Your alcohol tolerance is so low. Even when given the chance, you can't take it." "I drank too much last night, darling. How about giving me another chance? We're not planning to go out today, so getting up late isn’t a big deal," Chen Wan cajoled, nestling Jiang Yanxin closer, and kissing her neck, trying to coax her. "No way. Yang Yang must be coming over soon. It’s your fault for sleeping so soundly last night—you missed your chance," Jiang Yanxin said, gently pushing Chen Wan’s face away while stifling laughter. "It's okay if Yang Yang comes back, darling. I'll just lock the door." Eager to please, Chen Wan quickly got up, hurriedly locked the bedroom door, and returned to Jiang Yanxin with hopeful eyes, "Just for a little bit, okay?" Chen Wan continued to nuzzle Jiang Yanxin’s ear while pleading, leaving Jiang Yanxin with no choice but to softly nod in agreement. Seeing Jiang Yanxin agree, Chen Wan’s eyes lit up. Jiang Yanxin tapped Chen Wan’s nose, admonishing, "But not for too long, otherwise Yang Yang might get worried if he can't find us." "Alright, I’ll listen to you," Chen Wan replied obediently, diving in for a kiss. Jiang Yanxin’s lips were soft and Chen Wan found it hard to pull away once she started. By around nine in the morning, Zi Zai had returned to apartment 301 with Ye Lan and Jiang Zhaoyuan. The little rascal wandered around the living room and kitchen but found no sign of his moms. Instantly anxious, he ran to Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin’s room, knocking on the door with his little hands, "Mama, Mommy, open up! I’m back~" After a few seconds, Chen Wan's voice came from inside the room, "Sweetie, Mommy and Mama are a bit busy right now. Can you play by yourself for a bit? Or maybe go play with Auntie Qin Ke and them, okay?" "Hmph." The little one pouted angrily, giving two more frustrated knocks on their room door with his tiny fists. When he realized his moms weren’t going to open the door, he trundled over to another room and knocked. "Auntie, I’m back. I missed you~" Qin Ke and her friends had been up for a while. Hearing the little one knocking, they immediately opened the door and gathered Zi Zai up into their arms, showering him with kisses. "You’re up so early, Yang Yang. Why is your little mouth so sweet even first thing in the morning?" “Auntie, play with me. Mama and Mommy are being mean,” Zi Zai snuggled up to Qin Ke, whining about his moms’ misdeeds. Qin Ke chuckled and comforted the little one, "They’re both so naughty, aren’t they? Don’t worry, our Yang Yang won’t be upset. Aunties will keep you company, okay?" "Okay, Auntie, I want to watch cartoons," Zi Zai asked sweetly with his little voice. "Sure, I’ll get you the tablet. We can watch in our room. How about that?" Qin Ke suggested, ruffling Zi Zai’s little head. Zi Zai nodded enthusiastically, "Okay~" Ye Lan and Jiang Zhaoyuan chuckled as the little one went around knocking on all the doors like a tiny custodian. "Yang Yang’s like a little housekeeper, needing to inspect every room upon getting home." "Isn’t he just? Luckily Qin Ke and the others got up early to keep him company. Otherwise, he’d surely throw a little tantrum," Jiang Zhaoyuan joked. Qin Ke promptly fetched the tablet and found the show that Zi Zai liked, "Little Pink Pig." She and Shen Mingyan joined the little one to watch. Comfortably nestled in Shen Mingyan's arms, the little guy gleefully watched, snuggling up closer whenever he felt particularly pleased by a scene. Qin Ke played with Zi Zai's chubby hands while watching cartoons. Though she and Mingyan couldn’t have children of their own, having their good friend's child around wasn’t too different. And when Wei Siyu and her partner eventually have a baby, they would have another little one to dote on. Around ten o'clock, Chen Wan finally got out of bed, though not before Jiang Yanxin gave her a playful nip on the lip. Chen Wan looked at Jiang Yanxin, slightly disgruntled, "Ouch, why'd you bite me?" "Do you have the nerve to ask? Yang Yang was knocking earlier, and you didn't stop when I told you to," Jiang Yanxin’s irritation resurfaced, and she pinched Chen Wan’s cheek. Chen Wan put on an innocent face as if she hadn’t done anything naughty, sidling closer to plant a gentle kiss on Jiang Yanxin, murmuring, "I couldn’t help it earlier! Besides, you probably didn’t want me to stop either." "How can you be so full of excuses? We almost got caught by the baby! Aren’t you ashamed?" Jiang Yanxin poked Chen Wan’s cheek, voicing her displeasure. "But Yang Yang doesn’t understand, and it’s with my wife. What’s shameful about that?" Chen Wan sneaked another quick kiss before jumping out of bed and heading to the bathroom. Jiang Yanxin’s cheeks turned a faint red. She blamed herself for her morning softness, falling prey to Chen Wan's charms and letting her have her way. Chen Wan, feeling rejuvenated that morning, wanted to embrace Jiang Yanxin after her shower. Jiang Yanxin tossed last night’s pajamas onto Chen Wan’s face with a glare and retreated to the bathroom herself. Holding Jiang Yanxin's pajamas, Chen Wan leaned against the bathroom door and teased, "Even your pajamas smell wonderful. How about we let Zi Zai sleep over at his grandparents’ tonight and have the night to ourselves?" "In your dreams," came Jiang Yanxin's voice from inside. Chen Wan laughed but didn’t dare to push her luck. Instead, she tidied the disheveled bed and gathered up last night’s clothes, planning to wash them later. Heading out to check on the little one, Chen Wan found him cozily nestled in Shen Mingyan's lap, engrossed in cartoons in Qin Ke’s room. Feeling a twinge of guilt for neglecting Zi Zai earlier and not opening the door for him, Chen Wan aimed to appease the little guy and thus joined them in Qin Ke's room. Yet as soon as the little one spotted her, he pouted, "Mean Mama. I don’t want you~" "Sweetie, how is Mommy mean?" Chen Wan chuckled and asked. The little one turned away from the cartoons, burying his head into Shen Mingyan’s embrace with only his back showing to Chen Wan. Despite this, his little mouth kept moving, denouncing his moms, "Mama and Mommy are mean! They didn’t play with me. I don’t want them! I’m angry!" Chen Wan held back her laughter and quickly smothered it with a cough, approaching to coddle Zi Zai, patting his little bottom, "Sweetie, don’t be mad. Mommy’s here now, isn’t she? I really was busy earlier. But now I’m done and I’m here to spend time with you!" "Hmph, still mean," Zi Zai grumbled, hugging Shen Mingyan and ignoring Chen Wan. "You little rascal getting all moody and even learning to hold grudges now. Sweetie, I was wrong. Don’t be mad. How about I get you some milk to drink?" Chen Wan continued to coax him. "Okay, but I’m still mad," Zi Zai insisted in his babyish voice, not forgetting to secure the milk offer. When Jiang Yanxin emerged from her shower, she found Chen Wan cajoling Zi Zai in Qin Ke's room and laughed at the sight of the little one sulking in Shen Mingyan’s lap. She joined in the placating, "Sweetie, are you really mad? Mommy and I promise not to do it again, okay? Next time, we'll open the door right away, alright? Don’t be upset. How about I make you some fresh watermelon juice and a little cake with your grandma? Would you like that?" The little one, swayed by the allure of treats, finally lifted his head, "Mommy, I want the cake." Jiang Yanxin clapped her hands, encouraging him to come over. The little one couldn’t resist and leaped into Jiang Yanxin’s arms. Playfully, Jiang Yanxin kissed the little gourmand, laughing gently, "You! Mommy and I should just keep feeding you delicious treats every day. We wouldn’t want you to follow some girl just because she offered you food, right?" Zi Zai nodded seriously, "Right!" The adults were nearly brought to tears with laughter by the little one's antics; he would compromise for a morsel of food. Zi Zai gazed at the adults with a puzzled expression, not understanding why his Moms and Aunties found it funny. Good food was obviously very important! "Mommy, where's my cake?" Zi Zai tugged on Jiang Yanxin’s clothes, impatiently asking. "I haven’t made it yet, you little foodie," Jiang Yanxin laughed, coaxing him. "Why don’t you let Mommy hold you while I go make it?" "Okay," Zi Zai instantly agreed, forgetting his earlier grudge as he sought a hug from Chen Wan. His little tantrum dissipated as quickly as it came, soon leaving him once again tangled in playful pursuits with Chen Wan. Qin Ke watched from the side, chuckling softly, "Once Si Yu and her partner have a little one, it'll get so much livelier around here, maybe you and Yanxin could think about having another baby?" "I'm barely managing with this little mischief-maker; I wouldn’t dare to have another one," Chen Wan said, lifting Zi Zai up and down playfully. "It's no problem at all. Mingyan, Wan Ning, Yi Yi, and the rest of us can help you look after the baby. The more kids, the merrier," Qin Ke said with a smile. "When the little rascal couldn’t get into our room this morning, he must have run to you and Mingyan, right? This little troublemaker knows how to use his cuteness to cause trouble everywhere," Chen Wan remarked with a fond smile, giving Zi Zai a gentle pat on his little bottom. "I don't mind if our Yang Yang causes trouble, do I, Yang Yang? Auntie loves you a lot," Qin Ke said, pulling Zi Zai over to play some more. After a while, Jiang Wan Ning and the others arrived, having missed the little one despite the short time apart. They took turns holding Zi Zai, playing with him. The little one was genuinely comfortable, lounging among them, his little legs dangling and swaying lazily. Soon, Jiang Wan Ning brought him a big cup of freshly squeezed watermelon juice, making the little guy even happier. Seeing the little one, Chen Wan felt that maybe one wasn't enough to keep everyone entertained. It might be time to prod Si Yu and her partner along a bit!