Liking and loving... This question was a bit too profound and complex for a little milk dragon like Fifteen.
He counted on his fingers, "Like has four letters, love has four letters too. No matter how you count it, mama loves me more! Stop trying to fool me!"
Pei Chiyao: "..." What a clever little one.
He looked at Fifteen, speechless, "If you had even a kindergarten diploma, you wouldn't be this silly."
His expression as he gazed at Fifteen was full of pity, the kind of look one gives to a fool!
Although Fifteen didn't understand the philosophical question of liking versus loving, he did understand that his father's current expression was up to no good!
It infuriated him!
"You! If you weren't prepared to give mama to me, why did you let me be born?!"
Absurd!
Pei Chiyao was utterly speechless, "Who told you that letting you be born means giving your mama to you? Your mama is my wife. Without me, there wouldn't be you."
He regretted it more and more now. He hadn't even had a chance to enjoy a few days of life alone with Zhi Yao before this kid came along.
Initially, he wanted a child to tie Zhi Yao down, to make her marry him. He never imagined that after having a child, his life would involve competing for affection.
Hearing this, the little one realized he might have gone too far.
He hung his head, looking dejected, "You don't like me at all, do you?"
Pei Chiyao looked at his son's eyes, almost identical to Zhi Yao's, and his heart softened involuntarily.
He bent down and scooped up the little one, saying, "That's not true. It's just that I love mama more, do you understand?"
Loving mama more...
Speaking of this, Fifteen could relate, "I understand! It's like how I love mama more too, right?"
"Right."
Pei Chiyao sighed, "Alright, Fifteen, to avoid making your mama feel torn between us, shall we call a temporary truce?"
A temporary truce...
"How about this: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, mama sleeps with me. On Tuesdays, mama sleeps alone with you. On Thursdays and Saturdays, you sleep between us. How does that sound?"
This was already the biggest compromise Pei Chiyao could make!
Fifteen counted on his fingers and, realizing Pei Chiyao was trying to trick him, immediately protested, "No way! Why do I only get to have mama to myself for one day?!"
Just as he was about to throw a tantrum, Pei Chiyao pulled out his trump card, "Fifteen, would you like to have a little sister? A sister as beautiful and cute as mama, who would call you big brother."
A sister?! A mini version of mama?!
Fifteen's eyes widened suddenly, "Is... is that possible?!"
"It is, but you need to know that a sister can only be born if daddy and mama are together. If you're there, the sister won't want to come."
Hearing this, Fifteen's face instantly scrunched up like a dumpling.
At this moment, his heart was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
Should he choose mama or a sister?
No, no, no, he wanted both. It's just that before getting a sister, he needed to make a small sacrifice...
"Alright!"
Just as Pei Chiyao thought Fifteen was about to agree, he changed his tune, "Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, mama is yours. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, mama is mine. That's fair."
Besides, he didn't want to sleep with daddy!
Every time he slept with daddy, he would wake up in his own room the next day!
Hmph! This despicable man had been sneaking around, thinking he wouldn't notice!
Pei Chiyao's lips twitched slightly. This little brat was so hard to fool.
To be honest, he had no intention of having a daughter. Childbirth was too terrifying; he wouldn't let Zhi Yao go through that pain a second time.
Although he would love to have a soft, sweet little girl just like Zhi Yao, the price Zhi Yao would have to pay was too high. He couldn't bear it.
Zhi Yao was his favorite little girl.
However...
Pei Chiyao narrowed his eyes and continued to coax Fifteen, "Four days isn't enough, baby. For your sister to come, daddy and mama need to be alone together for at least six days a week."
Is that so...
Fifteen became even more conflicted, "Would five days work?"
"No."
One day was already Pei Chiyao's biggest concession.
"Then... then... okay..."
Fifteen painfully uttered these words. His heart felt like it was being carved with a knife. Thinking about how he would only get to sleep with his soft, fragrant mama one day a week, he immediately burst into tears.
His wailing was so loud that Zhi Yao, who was watching a drama downstairs, heard it.
Zhi Yao hurriedly came upstairs, asking as she walked, "What's wrong? What happened to Fifteen?"
Pei Chiyao calmly held Fifteen and said, "He had an accident. I'll take care of it."
Fifteen: "!!!"
Fifteen was so shocked he couldn't even speak.
No way!! He was a dragon, how could he possibly do something so stupid like human babies?! He was about to explain when he caught Pei Chiyao's eye.
Damn it! He'd forgotten that he was still maintaining his soft, cute, and silly persona in front of Zhi Yao!
Sure enough, Zhi Yao was slightly taken aback, then stepped aside and said to Pei Chiyao, "Thank you, honey. I appreciate it."
Fifteen had been able to take care of himself since birth and had never had such an incident. But Zhi Yao didn't know that.
Because Pei Chiyao had been handling all of this.
She was only responsible for giving birth to Fifteen; after that, all the tedious matters were handled by Pei Chiyao personally.
So when Pei Chiyao said Fifteen had an accident, Zhi Yao believed it without question.
She looked at Pei Chiyao with eyes full of gratitude.
Little did she know, Fifteen's world view had completely collapsed.
His image in mama's eyes had been utterly destroyed by this demon, Pei Chiyao!!!!
Ah!!!
Fifteen wanted to scream! But Pei Chiyao covered his mouth.
In this round of battle, Fifteen was defeated.
One had to admit, the father knew his son well.
As soon as Fifteen thought about playing pitiful in front of Zhi Yao, Pei Chiyao had already discovered it and made a preemptive strike, cutting off Fifteen's attempt to garner sympathy in one move.
Brilliant! Truly brilliant!
The road to competing for affection was still long indeed.
...
Much time passed, and Fifteen grew bigger. By the time he was one year old, Fifteen had already shown his astonishing intelligence and talent.
He could now run and jump with ease, speaking clearly. However, in front of Zhi Yao, he still maintained that innocent, harmless demeanor, occasionally reaching out to cuddle and sometimes even pretending to want milk.
However...
Ever since Fifteen was born, he had been drinking formula, which Pei Chiyao personally prepared.
"Mama," Fifteen gazed at Zhi Yao's belly with anticipation. "Mama, it's been so long. Hasn't little sister arrived yet?"
Little sister...
Zhi Yao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Does Fifteen want a little sister that badly?"
Fifteen nodded vigorously. "A little sister as cute as Mama!"
It had been such a long time since he had slept with Mama. He had made such a big sacrifice, and still no little sister?
Just then, Zhi Yao, who had been eating fried chicken, suddenly felt a wave of nausea...
