In Baimei County, located in the central region of Tianchao, the snow came and went sporadically. Apart from a chill that made one’s scalp tingle, there wasn’t much fun to be had.

This gradually dashed Mei Fang’s wish to build snowmen with the kids.

Having slowly adapted to the local rhythm of life in Baimei County, the large Mei family—over a dozen members—sat around a round table in preparation for celebrating the Little New Year.

“Phew… Here comes the fragrant, steaming red-braised pork!”

Since the kids rarely made it back home from Peng City, there was naturally no need for them to worry about any housework. Yu Ling, Xiang Xiaoxia, and Liang Meijuan brought dish after piping hot dish to the table.

“Tonight’s Little New Year dinner was cooked by the three of us—”

Teacher Yu happily set the chopsticks and bowls on the table, clasped her hands behind her back, and cheerfully said:

“Let’s play a little game while we eat, okay? If someone can correctly guess which dish was made by me, I’ll give them a big red envelope! But—each person only gets one guess. If you guess wrong, you have to send me a red envelope!”

“Ugh… Mom, you’re being so childish. I used to think you were mature and dependable. What happened? You’re getting more and more like a kid.”

Xia Yuan said this while picking up a piece of cola chicken wing and dropping it into her own bowl. “This is the only dish my mom is really good at, so this plate of chicken wings must be—”

After tasting the chicken wing, Xia Yuan suddenly had a conflicted look on her face.

“How do I put it… This doesn’t quite taste like Mom’s usual style…”

“Ts-ts-ts!”

Little Yuanbao, strapped into a baby chair nearby, flailed her arms and babbled excitedly. Seeing her so interested, Xia Yuan peeled off a small piece of chicken skin and fed it to her.

“Yummy?”

“Mmm, hao cha~!” (Yummy~)

Little Yuanbao squinted her eyes and grinned, putting on an adorable expression.

Xia Yuan thought for a bit before giving her answer. “It’s different from Mom’s cooking method. Feels like a decoy—part of a devious trap set by the evil language teacher. So I don’t think this was made by Mom.”

Teacher Yu smiled without responding, then looked around. “Anyone else want to try?”

“Hmm, I’ll give it a try too…”

Mei Fang remembered that Teacher Yu’s cooking skills had improved significantly over the years, and cola chicken wings were a dish that anyone could master, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

He took a small bite of the chicken wing, and his eyes lit up.

“Th-this cola chicken wing…”

“Is it special, Ah Fang?”

Lin Youxi tugged at his sleeve beside him. “Let me have a taste too.”

“I’ll get you a new piece.”

“I’ll just eat yours.”

“Then—”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Mei Fang fed the chicken wing into his wife’s mouth, while Lin Youxi clung affectionately to his arm in a snuggly embrace.

This couple could now openly show their affection in front of the family, unlike YuanYuan, who still acted reserved around Mei Fang in public.

Xia Xun watched Mei Fang and Lin Youxi flaunt their affection with growing concern.

Although the three of them were essentially in a stable triad relationship, people inevitably had preferences. Who could truly treat everyone equally?

As a doting father, Xia Xun knew his daughter was kindhearted and simple, and often worried that Xia Yuan would end up on the weaker side of the relationship. Watching her happily feed noodles to Little Yuanbao made his feelings even more complicated.

YuanYuan, you better toughen up!

After tasting the piece Mei Fang fed her, Lin Youxi chewed and got ready to spit out the bone. Mei Fang, ever thoughtful, handed her a tissue just in time. Lin Youxi pouted thoughtfully and said:

“Even though it tastes different from the cola chicken wings Mom Yu used to make, I still think she made this dish.”

“What makes you say that, Youxi?”

Yu Ling beamed at her newly added daughter, clearly pleased. “Let’s hear your reasoning.”

“Even though the flavor’s changed a lot compared to before, Mom Yu still has a habit of using lemon juice to season her dishes. My mom and Mama Xiang don’t do that…”

Hearing her analyze things so methodically, Mei Fang nodded in agreement. “Same here. The seasoning technique—it’s very much like Teacher Yu’s—ah, I mean Mom Yu’s style. So I’m siding with Youxi.”

Mei Fang still wasn’t used to calling his former elementary school teacher “Mom.”

“What the heck… Judging from just that? That’s way too flimsy a reason!”

Xia Yuan pouted in protest. “I’ve been eating Mom’s cola chicken wings for nearly twenty years! I know them better than anyone! This just doesn’t have Mom’s flavor! Okay, time for the reveal, Mom!”

“Tsk tsk tsk…”

Teacher Yu clicked her tongue and sighed. “To think, after all these years living together, even my biological daughter couldn’t recognize her mom’s cooking. I’m truly heartbroken.”

“Eh eh eh! It really was yours, Mom?!”

“If it wasn’t me, who else would’ve made it…? All right, YuanYuan, you owe a red envelope! Send one to Youxi… and I’ll send a big one to Ah Fang.”

“Aaaaah! How could this be… wu wu—!”

Xia Yuan’s pouty, aggrieved face instantly triggered a burst of laughter around the table. Even Little Yuanbao shook her little fists and babbled rebelliously.

At this moment, perhaps only her biological dad, Xia Xun, truly felt sorry for her.

He watched her with a face full of disappointment.

Then suddenly, he noticed Lin Youxi’s daughter, little Youxixi, staring at him with a look of utter horror and disbelief.

It was as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

…

Xia Xun tried not to let it get to him. But once he glanced at Little Youxixi, he realized—she hadn’t looked away once. Her wide eyes still locked onto him in dread.

Crap.

A thin sheen of sweat formed on Xia Xun’s forehead.

If anyone got the impression that he was frightening Youxixi… That would be hard to explain.

Xia Xun entered the Xia family’s time-honored tradition of catastrophic overthinking—

Lin Youxi: [Eh… Is Dad Xia just glaring at my daughter? Or maybe… he doesn’t like me either?]

Mei Fang: [Dad, I understand if you don’t want to get close to Youxi and Youxixi, but they’re my family. Please don’t make it so obvious—it hurts me as a father.]

Yu Ling: [Honey, you’re a grown man. Why are you picking on a child? If you keep this up, even I won’t like you anymore!]

Xia Yuan: [Comrade Xia Xun! I must seriously warn you! Youxixi is also my daughter! If you can’t accept her, then maybe you don’t belong in this house anymore!]

Aaaaagh!

Please no!

Xia Xun maintained a calm exterior, but his heart was in absolute turmoil.

Just then, Mei Ya spoke up.

“Uncle Xia, why aren’t you eating? Don’t have an appetite?”

“Ah… n-no, that’s not it.”

Just as Xia Xun was scrambling for an excuse, Xiang Xiaoxia suddenly scolded Mei Ya loudly:

“Xiao Ya! Wipe your mouth! Don’t be so rude to your elders—don’t ask such questions!”

Both Xia Xun and Little Youxixi were startled by the outburst. Xia Xun flinched, while Youxixi’s face crumpled with fear.

“Aaaah… Mom, look what you did! You scared Youxixi into crying! Don’t be afraid, sweetie. That’s just your grandma being unreasonable again…”

Mei Ya quickly tried to comfort Youxixi, pinching her cheeks and scolding her mom all the while. Given that in-laws and the daughter-in-law were present, Xiang Xiaoxia didn’t press the issue further—she let it go after a few retorts.

Thus, Xia Xun narrowly escaped disaster.

Still, speaking of Youxixi…

Xia Xun’s face flushed slightly as a gentle, fatherly smile surfaced.

She’s just as adorable as our Little Yuanbao!

—

After the family finished their Little New Year reunion dinner, the grandmas all scrambled to give the babies their baths.

With the kids in capable hands, the Mei-Yuan power trio left their daughters behind for once and took a stroll through the snow-covered courtyard to help digest dinner.

“Now that we’ve got a little peace, should we go out tonight and have some fun?”

Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi each took one of Mei Fang’s arms. “Feels like it’s been years since we last wandered Baimei like this.”

“We can go get some beef noodles tomorrow morning. Pan’s Noodle Shop is closing after tomorrow, I think.”

“It is?! Why are they closing so early this year?!”

Xia Yuan huffed. “So many people want their noodles during the New Year!”

“They work hard all year just to enjoy a peaceful holiday. A warm home, wife and kids—that’s the ultimate goal for us Tianchao folks…”

“Ah Fang really has it all now—double the joy. I’m jealous!”

Lin Youxi said softly, “I don’t really feel like going out tonight though… How about we just soak our feet and rest early?”

“Ah, Youxi… You haven’t been feeling great since you got back, have you?”

Mei Fang scratched his head and grinned. “Yeah, you should rest—”

Before he could finish, Lin Youxi poked his cheek to silence him.

“I’m feeling much better these days. Just need a bit more Super Ah Fang energy, and I’ll be back to 100%~”

“Tut tut tut, Ah Fang, are you slacking again?”

Xia Yuan grinned and nudged him. Mei Fang immediately shot back:

“You two should know perfectly well whether I’m slacking or not. It’s all fun and games until YuanYuan starts ‘ah ah ah-ing’ again at night, and your parents are staying over tonight, right? How are we supposed to do that when the in-laws are home?”

“I—I’m not that dramatic! You make me sound like some wild beast…”

“But it’s totally true.”

Lin Youxi chimed in calmly.

“Ahhhh! You two are the worst!”

Their laughter echoed through the snowy night.

“But really, don’t you want to go out just a little?” Mei Fang asked gently. “It’s rare we have time like this. We could relive some old memories.”

Lin Youxi shook her head. “Let’s not go far. Youxixi and Yuanbao only just started getting used to their grandmas. If the novelty wears off, they’ll cry for us.”

“I think Youxixi did great today! She didn’t cry at all, even with so many people around. She’s growing up fast.”

“Better to grow up slowly.”

Lin Youxi looked up at the snow dancing from the sky. “That way, we’ll have more and more time… to watch them grow by our side.”

“Aww, Youxi, why so sentimental all of a sudden…”

Xia Yuan smiled. “I think we should just go with the flow. Kids will grow up, become independent, build families of their own, and then—”

“Ah… pfft—!”

Mei Fang nearly collapsed on the spot. His wives had to hold him upright.

“Ah Fang? You’re getting emotional now? Don’t be like that, haha… You’re a grown man!”

“I know, I know, but…”

Mei Fang whispered, “Don’t bring that up now, or I’ll get emotional…”

Even the happiest families can’t escape those inevitable emotional conversations—

Just then, the gentle snowfall suddenly turned into a flurry, forcing the three of them back under the eaves.

Because Mei Fang’s courtyard was so large, they were covered in snow by the time they got back.

“Phew… I’ve got snow in my mouth.”

The three of them brushed snow off each other. As they did, Lin Youxi suddenly slipped her icy hand inside Mei Fang’s shirt and stared at him curiously.

Lin Youxi naturally had cold hands and feet. Now with snow on her hand, she intended to give Mei Fang a freezing shock, but Mei Fang only clutched his mouth and grimaced for a bit before letting her move around freely on his body.

“Hmm… tut…”

“Isn’t it cold, Ah Fang?”

Xia Yuan helped brush the snow off Mei Fang. “I thought with Youxi icing you like that, you’d yell something weird like, ‘Damn, that’s cold!’”

“Nope. My wife’s just trying to warm herself with me — how could I complain…”

Mei Fang said with a serious expression: “Letting my wife feel warmth is my responsibility as a father.”

“What do you mean ‘as a father’? Don’t mix your bedroom games with your parental titles. Little Yuanbao already can’t tell what our relationship is anymore.”

“Speaking of that, when little Yuanbao and little Xixi grow up, their understanding of ‘mom’ will have to be a little different too.”

The three-parent relationship meant they hoped the kids would come to accept having two moms, so normally, they would ask little Xixi and little Yuanbao to call them Yuan Mama and Xi Mama. But since there was a ‘dad’ for contrast and babies naturally liked calling ‘Mama,’ they still preferred to just call ‘Mama’ more often.

So for the children in the future, accepting that they had two moms would indeed be a difficult thing…

“Who knows how the kids will feel about us when they grow up.”

Xia Yuan sighed mid-sentence. “I think before that happens, helping them understand the emotional foundation between dad and mom is important.”

“Letting it happen naturally might be better. Yeah, let it happen naturally…”

Lin Youxi said while suddenly chuckling.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t have a mom growing up, and now little Xixi and little Yuanbao can enjoy double the maternal love. It really feels like something to envy.”

“Ah ah ah… Youxi, stop talking… Let me give you a big hug… Wuuu—”

Xia Yuan joined the cuddle pile to keep warm.

Snow filled the sky.

It looked like tomorrow might be a good day for a snowball fight?