CHAPTER 629: CHAPTER 536: TAKING YOU OUT IS EVEN MORE TIRING THAN TAKING CARE OF KIDS (PART 3)

"Luowa, wake up! Stop glaring and fuming here!" Tong Yao gently nudged Long Che. "Go check if your granddaughter is awake."

At the mention of his granddaughter, Uncle Che’s face immediately lit up with a smile. He looked up toward his son and daughter-in-law, who were still standing on the second floor. "Rui’er, I heard from your mom that yesterday Sangyu and Ziyan could say ’Daddy’ already!"

"I’m eager to hear it too. I’ll go check if they’re awake. You don’t need to come up."

"They’re in the nursery. They woke up once at four o’clock, and I didn’t bring them back to our room."

Tong Airui smiled and led Yi Luowa to the nursery.

The two little ones were still asleep. Tong Airui leaned over the crib, gazing at the twins—his expression so tender that Yi Luowa felt a bit jealous.

"Logically speaking, I carried them for so many months. They should have learned to say ’Mommy’ first."

"You and I are inseparable. Whose name they call first doesn’t matter." Tong Airui smiled, stroking his daughter’s shiny black hair. "Wifey, where did you put those little bear hairpins I gave you? Let’s put a few on our daughter."

Yi Luowa pouted, letting out a dissatisfied hum. "Weren’t those meant for me?"

Tong Airui glanced at her with a smile. "They’re for you, all yours. When I have time, I’ll go buy more for our daughter."

"A grown man buying girls’ items—aren’t you embarrassed?"

"Embarrassed? Didn’t I buy so many things for you without hesitation?" Tong Airui chuckled, lightly pinching her nose. "Where’s my magnanimous wife gone? Why are you jealous of our daughter now?"

"Learned from you!" Yi Luowa teased, pouting as she turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Tong Airui asked softly, afraid of waking the children.

"Pretending to be magnanimous—going to get your daughter those bear hairpins!" Yi Luowa laughed as she walked out the door.

Back in the bedroom, Yi Luowa opened the wardrobe and pulled out a box of hairpins. After opening it to inspect, she found it full to the brim. Her husband really was considerate, keeping these saved up for years. Now, finally, they could be put to use.

Holding the box, Yi Luowa was just stepping out when the phone on the bedside table suddenly rang.

"This early? Who would call me?" Yi Luowa murmured suspiciously as she picked up the phone.

An unknown number!

She hesitated briefly before pressing the answer button.

"Lu... Luowa... Are you awake? I didn’t wake you, did I?"

That slightly nervous voice—was it the Queen Hao Tian!

Yi Luowa’s hand tightened around the phone. She wanted to speak, but it felt as though her tongue had tied itself in knots.

"Luowa?"

"I-I’m here, I woke up already. Are you looking for Danton? I’ll go call him for you..." Yi Luowa stammered nervously, unsure of what else to say, ultimately bringing up Danton as an excuse.

The Queen Hao Tian chuckled helplessly. "I’m calling you. There’s nothing specific—I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Hehe..." Yi Luowa laughed awkwardly.

"Ah... Tell me, why are we both so nervous!" The Queen Hao Tian let out a wry chuckle. "Last night, your father and I didn’t sleep a wink—especially after Danton told us you cried... Your dad and I cried too. All these years... You’ve endured so much. Luowa, I’m sorry. If it weren’t for Airui, I don’t know if we would have had the chance to reunite in this lifetime."

Mom... Yi Luowa’s lips trembled slightly. The word "Mom" was not unfamiliar to her; she called her mother-in-law that every day. But this "Mom"—her real mom—was someone she hadn’t called by that name in her entire twenty-one years.

Tears suddenly welled up uncontrollably in Yi Luowa’s eyes.

"Luowa? Are you still there?"

"...I-I’m here." Yi Luowa sniffled. "Actually, Airui and I had planned to call you later, but you beat me to it. I’ve... I’ve completely forgotten what I wanted to say."

"If I wasn’t worried about disturbing your sleep, your father and I would’ve called you last night." The Queen Hao Tian accepted the tissue handed to her by the Emperor Hao Tian and wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, suddenly breaking into a smile. "Luowa, let me tell you a joke."

Hearing her mother’s laughter, Yi Luowa immediately felt at ease. "What joke is it?"

The Queen Hao Tian laughed and said, "Yesterday morning, I was dozing off when I suddenly saw a handsome man standing by my bed grinning at me. It scared me so much I nearly called someone in to catch him."

"Ah! Haha... I know who that handsome man is!"

"Who?" the Queen Hao Tian asked with a chuckle.

"My dad!" As soon as Yi Luowa said it, she froze for a moment. That "Dad" just rolled off her tongue!

The Queen Hao Tian winked at the Emperor Hao Tian and silently mouthed, "She called you Dad. Just wait—soon she’ll call me Mom!"

The Emperor Hao Tian gave his wife a big thumbs-up with a laugh.

The Queen Hao Tian smiled gently. "Luowa, how did you immediately guess it was your dad?"

"Because no one else would dare enter your bedroom." Her mother didn’t seem to react to the "Dad" she had called out, and Yi Luowa touched her still-reddened cheeks, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"I haven’t seen your father without his beard in nearly twenty years—he scared me so badly that my heart still feels off! Oh dear..."

The Queen Hao Tian’s voice trailed off into silence, alarming Yi Luowa. "What’s wrong with you?"

"..."

"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Yi Luowa called out several times, but there was still no response from the other end of the line. Her anxiety caused tears to stream down her face, "Mom, don’t scare me! Please say something! I’m still waiting for you and Dad to visit me. If you fall ill, I won’t get to see you tomorrow... Wu wu..."

The Queen Hao Tian, hearing the word "Mom," suddenly burst into tears herself. "Luowa, don’t cry, don’t cry! It’s not your fault—it’s mine. I shouldn’t have scared you. I was just really hoping to hear you call me ’Mom.’

Yi Luowa pouted. "Now I know why I’m so mischievous. I clearly inherited it from you! How could you be so naughty? If you wanted me to call you Mom, you should’ve just said it outright instead of scaring me! Humph! I don’t want to talk to you anymore—I’ll talk to Dad!"

"I haven’t finished chatting with you! You can’t give him the phone! He’s already hugged Sangyu and Ziyan, taken pictures with you all, and you called him ’Dad’ before me. I’ve received nothing, so you have to keep talking to me longer."

"Pfft! Are you sure you’re the Queen Hao Tian I know?" Yi Luowa burst into laughter.

"I’m not the Queen Hao Tian; I’m your mom!" The Queen Hao Tian laughed as well. "My heart’s acting up again—quick, call me a few more times ’Mom.’"

"Mom, Mom, Mom!"

Yi Luowa called out "Mom" several times, and they both burst into laughter.

"Is that enough? If it’s not, I’ll keep saying it to satisfy you."

"It’s never enough! I could listen to you call me that for a lifetime and still not get enough. Please, call me a few more times."

"Mom~ Mommy~ Taking care of you is even more tiring than taking care of Sangyu and Ziyan!" Yi Luowa rolled her eyes in playful annoyance.

"Honey, your daughter is complaining about me." The Queen Hao Tian looked at the Emperor Hao Tian with mock distress.

"If I were her, I’d complain too. What kind of mom acts like this?" The Emperor Hao Tian grabbed the phone and chuckled. "Sweetheart, call me ’Dad’ a few more times."

Yi Luowa laughed so hard her shoulders shook. "Dad, please stop copying Mom. At this rate, I’m going to confuse you both."

The Emperor Hao Tian grew solemn, his expression serious and sincere. "There’s no confusion. You just need to remember that we’re your dad and mom. Sweetheart, call me ’Dad’ once more."

The previous sentence was heartfelt drama, and the latter immediately broke into comedic territory.

"Dad, you and Mom are just too much!" Yi Luowa giggled. "If you want to hear me call you, hurry over here and I’ll make sure you hear it all you want!"

"Alright! Early tomorrow morning, I’ll come over with your mom."

Yi Luowa smiled softly. Turning her head, she noticed Tong Airui leaning against the door, watching her. She quickly gripped the phone tightly. "Um, is there anything else?"

"If you’re busy, hurry and go about your day. Tomorrow we’ll finally meet." The Emperor Hao Tian said with a smile.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up, Yi Luowa looked shyly at Tong Airui. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Since the moment you started talking on the phone," Tong Airui replied, walking toward her with a smile. "Wifey, honestly, I’m a bit worried about tomorrow...I’m afraid you’ll cry. But watching you now, I think my worries are unnecessary."

Yi Luowa tilted her head to look at him. "Honey, isn’t it strange? I thought talking to them would feel awkward, distant even, but after just a few moments, it felt like we’ve known each other for ages. I can joke with them; they can act coquettishly with me... Haha... It’s truly amazing."

Tong Airui chuckled, gently tousling her hair. "It’s not strange at all. Their blood runs through your veins."

"Maybe you’re right. Hehe..." Yi Luowa buried her head in Tong Airui’s chest and started to laugh.