That's when Yan Shuyu turned toward him and quickly gave him a smile. "Yes, Yuanbao wants me to read to him every night when he goes to bed. But don't worry, he falls asleep quite quickly."
"No rush," said Zhou Qinhe gently. He has long legs and arms. All he needed to do was to lean over a little and he'd be able to put the book into Yan Shuyu's hand. But perhaps he felt that leaning over didn't look very good. He got up, walked over to Yan Shuyu, and placed the book in her hand.
Yan Shuyu was surprised by his action and quickly stood up and took the book from him. "Please have a seat. This won't take long."
Zhou Qinhe did not return to where he was. He stood behind her and smiled at the little kiddo in bed. "Goodnight, Yuanbao."
"Goodnight, Uncle Zhou." Probably because Yan Shuyu had stressed a few times that it won't take long for her to put him to bed, the mature Zhang Yuanjia took a look at Uncle Zhou and said to her, "Mom, I am pretty tired today. I won't need you to read to me."
"Really?" Yan Shuyu had her doubts. "Last time I came home a little late and you stayed up to wait for me."
Zhang Yuanjia took another look at Uncle Zhou, blushed, and reassured her, "But I really am very tired today. I had too much fun over at Tongtong's place."
The little kiddo even yawned with his hand over his little mouth as he said that. This time he wasn't even acting. Yan Shuyu could see the tiredness in his eyes.
Thinking over it, her instant son went over to Manager Yang's place after school. They had invited many kids over for the birthday party. Her son wasn't shy at all and immediately blended in with all the other kids. They played straight from 5 PM to 8 PM. It made sense that he was tired and didn't need her to read to him to put him to sleep.
Yan Shuyu happily accepted her son's suggestion. After all, the boss was already inside her apartment. It wasn't like there was somewhere she could go. Given the current circumstances, stalling wouldn't do her much good. She might as well talk it through with the boss. That way she would be able to come back earlier and go to bed.
"Alright." Yan Shuyu nodded, pulled the little kiddo's blanket up a little, and gave him a smack on his cheek. "Be good and go to bed. Mommy will be back soon."
Zhang Yuanjia did not go to bed obediently but look at Uncle Zhou, who was standing behind his mother. With his limpid eyes, he asked softly, "Mommy, can Uncle Zhou give me a kiss too?"
Yan Shuyu was shocked by the request coming from her normally very mature son. She blurted out, "Why?"
With the purest of all looks, the little kiddo replied, "Yuanbao would like a kiss from Uncle Zhou."
"Sure." Before Yan Shuyu could say anything else, Zhou Qinhe had already taken a few steps up, bent down, smacked him where Yan Shuyu just did, and said to him softly, "Goodnight. Sleep tight."
Zhang Yuanbao closed his eyes satisfyingly and announced, "Yuanbao is going to bed now."
Witnessing that, Yan Shuyu only had one thought in her mind; no wonder the male lead, as his real son, would lose to the non-blood-related stepson in the novel. She wasn't even Mrs. Zhou yet and Zhou Qinhe, at most, was just someone a tad closer than an acquaintance. And the little kiddo was already able to glue to him like that. And, looking at the way the two interacted, they truly looked like real father and son.
Once they became father and son on paper, he'd for sure stick around Zhou Qinhe all day long and would want him to hug him, kiss him, and lift him high up in the air.
Yan Shuyu figured that with the boss's personality, he would not decline any request that wasn't asking for too much. Even if it was a little much, he still wouldn't say anything about it, which would give the little kiddo the opportunity to push his luck. Looking at how serious the little male lead was, he was definitely no match over her son who was not above crying or flattering to get what he wanted.
Before she was even done with all her crazy thoughts, Yan Shuyu saw that the boss was already done wooing her son and turned to remind her, "Do you need the curtains drawn?"
Yan Shuyu quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, I do."
As soon as she said that, she got up to go draw that curtains but she was already a step too slow. The boss had already thoughtfully drawn the blinds for her. Yan Shuyu stood behind him and watched him with a very complicated look.