"Mama, will I see Daddy when we get home today? Chen Xi has not seen Daddy for several days! I really miss Daddy!" Lately, Song Yuanhuan had always been leaving early and coming back late, his schedule mismatching with the children's normal routine. Although Song Yuanhuan would check in on his sleeping daughter each night he returned, Little Baby didn't know about this. Hence, it had indeed been several days since Little Baby last saw Song Yuanhuan. The little girl usually clung to Song Yuanhuan, even just sitting silently on his lap made her very happy.

"Daddy has been very busy lately. Once Daddy's done with his busy period, he'll have time to spend with Little Baby!" Xu Xiuxiu, hearing Little Baby's disappointed and worried question, truly didn't have the heart to let her down. Yet, she still had to speak up to comfort her.

Having a job can already consume a significant portion of one's life, and as a soldier, Song Yuanhuan's sense of mission and responsibility was even stronger than that of an average worker. Xu Xiuxiu knew full well that this was the sacrifice a military person had to make, and of course, she hoped the children would learn to understand.

"Alright then!" Little Baby's head drooped down in disappointment upon hearing that: "I wanted to tell Daddy about how the teacher praised big brother!"

"You can tell him when Daddy comes home!"

"I guess that's the only option." Little Baby pouted, her face expressing resigned acceptance.

"Mama, why don't you take us to see Daddy at the base this weekend?" Little Baby and Little Moon were not familiar with the Military District, but Song Chengguang knew it very well. He also missed the life there, and thus suggested the idea, not to mention that not wanting Little Baby to be so sad was one of his reasons as well.

"Do you want to go see Daddy, Cheng Guang?" Xu Xiuxiu furrowed her brows in hesitation upon hearing this, feeling slightly tempted. However, the Military District in Z city was not the same as the Imperial Capital Military District. Song Yuanhuan had just reported and was surely facing many challenges as he acclimated. His every action had to be careful and measured. She was concerned that bringing the children there might inconvenience Song Yuanhuan or even give people a reason to criticize.

"Yes."

"Do Little Baby and Little Moon also want to go see Daddy?" Xu Xiuxiu earnestly asked Little Baby and Little Moon.

"I do." Little Baby's voice was especially firm.

"..." Little Moon remained silent.

"Do you want to go see Daddy, Little Moon?" Xu Xiuxiu pressed the silent Little Moon.

Little Moon, with his clean and fair little face, looked at Xu Xiuxiu for a while before answering, "Chen Hao likes to be with Mama. Wherever you go, Mama, Chen Hao will follow." His words so well-behaved, they melted the heart.

"Great! Then after you finish your classes tomorrow, if Daddy hasn't come home, Mama will take you to see Daddy on Saturday," Xu Xiuxiu decisively decided.

At night, after the three children had fallen asleep, Song Yuanhuan still hadn't come home. While Xu Xiuxiu was getting ready for bed, a thunderstorm started outside, unexpectedly. Thunder roared and lightning flashed brilliantly. Xu Xiuxiu was somewhat anxious about the three children and went to check on them. Song Chengguang, fearless as ever, still slept deeply; Little Baby was the same, her mouth opening slightly, letting out a couple of subtle snores—adorably so.

"Mama," but when Xu Xiuxiu turned to tuck Little Moon in, she found the little guy wide awake, looking at her with big, bright eyes, his lips pressed together, his voice very small, laced with fear he seemed to be trying hard to control.

"Little Moon, why aren't you asleep yet? Can't you sleep?" Xu Xiuxiu asked gently, lifting her hand to caress Little Moon's silky little cheeks, until a sudden crack of thunder erupted in the sky outside, causing the figure of Little Moon on the tiny bed to visibly shudder and instinctively curl up into the comforter, leaving only a pair of eyes peeking out. Yet those eyes were still fixed on Xu Xiuxiu in frantic panic, the fear inside unmistakably clear.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu immediately had a revelation and realized that Little Moon was afraid of thunder and lightning. That was why he hadn't fallen asleep, or perhaps he had been startled awake by the thunder.

But it was exactly because she had figured it out that she felt a mix of emotions stirring within her in that instant. She even felt an urge to slap herself. As a mother who considered herself competent, she had never felt as inept as she did at this moment. Little Moon was almost three years old, and there hadn't been a shortage of thunderstorms over these three years. Yet it was only today that she discovered he was afraid of thunder. How much had she neglected him? Damn it!

"There, there, Little Moon, don't be scared. Mommy's here! How about you sleep with Mommy tonight?" Xu Xiuxiu cooed tenderly, reaching out to lift Little Moon from the blanket, only to discover that the little guy's thin pajamas were slightly damp with sweat, obviously from a cold sweat. The moment Little Moon was held in Xu Xiuxiu's embrace, he clung tightly around her neck with both hands for the first time, clearly very frightened.

"Mommy."

"There, there, Mommy's here!" Xu Xiuxiu soothed, carefully carrying Little Moon back to the bedroom. Little Moon lay quietly on her shoulder until Xu Xiuxiu reached the entrance of the master bedroom, where she then faintly heard Little Moon hum softly from his nose.

Xu Xiuxiu carefully placed Little Moon on the bed and tucked him in the comforter. She then climbed into bed herself and pulled Little Moon into her arms. "Little Moon isn't scared, right? Close your eyes, and Mommy will tell you a story, okay?" Xu Xiuxiu wanted to calm Little Moon's somewhat tense and wound-up emotions.

"Mommy." Little Moon's emotions seemed to have stabilized somewhat. He seemed to have forgotten about the thunder and rain outside and snuggled pitifully into her arms, not stopping until he found a comfortable and safe embrace. Then he rubbed his little head against the side of her shoulder.

"Mhm." Xu Xiuxiu responded, gently rubbing his head.

"Chen Hao isn't scared of thunder," Little Moon finally managed to utter an insincere sentence after a while.

"I know, Mommy's Little Moon is the bravest!" Although the statement was obviously a show of bravado, Xu Xiuxiu saw right through it. Many people are proud and stubborn, and Xu Xiuxiu herself was a prime example of stubbornness. Given that Little Moon's temperament was exactly like hers, Xu Xiuxiu could easily guess Little Moon's real reason.

"Daddy says that thunder is a normal phenomenon of nature, so Little Moon isn't scared." Little Moon, as if afraid that Xu Xiuxiu wouldn't believe him, hurriedly added another sentence.

"Mhm! Very smart." Xu Xiuxiu praised and then began to tell him a gentle little story.

Because Xu Xiuxiu was there, Little Moon soon fell asleep, though still not very soundly, clutching the corner of Xu Xiuxiu's pajamas without letting go.

Pa-dah—

Along with the sparse sound of rain outside, suddenly, there was a light sound of a door opening and closing in the living room. The sound was soft, but Xu Xiuxiu, with her keen ears and eyes, naturally wasn't mishearing. She turned her head to glance at the small clock beside her and saw that it was around ten o'clock at night. She guessed it must be Song Yuanhuan returning home. Given the good security in the area and its proximity to the largest Military District in the Imperial City, Xu Xiuxiu wasn't the slightest bit worried about safety.

Sure enough, the next moment the door to the master bedroom was pushed open from the outside, and by the light of the bedside lamp, Xu Xiuxiu saw the tall figure of Song Yuanhuan entering her view.