The Sweetest Marriage Ch.374

Chapter 374 – Qiuqiu’s Surname is Qu

Late at night, Qiuqiu lay on the bed, sound asleep. Wei Chen was still dealing with some documents, currently in the study room of the house.

Chen Li tossed and turned but couldn’t fall asleep. He didn’t know why he couldn’t sleep; closing his eyes, he felt a buzzing sound around his ears, extremely discomforting.

After about half an hour, Wei Chen emerged from the study room. Seeing Chen Li sitting on the edge of the bed with a drooping head, he walked over, a bit worried, and asked, “Li Li, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Chen Li shook his head and said, “I’m not feeling unwell, just can’t sleep.”

He wasn’t accustomed to recognizing a bed, so why couldn’t he sleep?

“I’ll take a shower and join you, okay?” Wei Chen’s voice was gentle.

“Okay.”

When Wei Chen emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in steam, Chen Li still hadn’t fallen asleep. He just looked at Wei Chen with droopy eyes, appearing pitiful.

Wei Chen approached and pulled Chen Li into his arms, pressing him against his chest, his deep voice reaching Chen Li’s ears, “Sleep, I’m here.”

Whether it was Wei Chen’s breath or his voice, they both brought endless security to Chen Li. Moreover, there was Wei Chen’s strong and steady heartbeat by his ears, quickly lulling Chen Li into a sweet and secure slumber.

Until the rhythmic and elongated breathing from Wei Chen in his arms, only then did Wei Chen plant a kiss on Chen Li’s forehead, shifting to hold Chen Li close as they both drifted into sleep.

The night passed without words, and soon dawn arrived.

When Chen Li woke up, it was already past eight in the morning, and Qiuqiu was awake, sitting by Chen Li and sucking on his fingers. Sensing movement from his father, Qiuqiu immediately turned to look at Chen Li, giggling, “Da da.”

Chen Li rubbed his hair, got up from the bed, and lifted the chubby Qiuqiu, saying, “Good morning, chubby Qiuqiu.”

Qiuqiu responded by smearing Chen Li’s face with drool, accompanied by a loud smacking sound.

After Chen Li and Qiuqiu finished freshening up, Chen Li’s phone rang—it was a call from Wei Chen.

Answering the phone, Chen Li smiled and said, “Achen.”

“Up already?” Wei Chen’s gentle voice transmitted through the phone, lifting Chen Li’s spirits.

Chen Li asked, “Yeah, have you gone to the company?”

“I’m already at the office. If you can’t stay at home, give me a call, and I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Okay,” Chen Li agreed, knowing that Wei Chen was still concerned about his inability to sleep last night, which made him feel sweet inside.

However, Chen Li didn’t dwell on his inability to sleep last night, feeling it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Chen Li and Wei Chen chatted affectionately on the phone for quite a while before reluctantly ending the call.

On Wei Chen’s end, after hanging up, he immediately called Lan Xiping. Wei Chen always kept Chen Li’s matters in mind, big or small, and he aimed to resolve them as soon as possible. Despite Chen Li being better now, Wei Chen couldn’t stop worrying.

The call connected quickly, and Wei Chen described the situation from last night to Lan Xiping.

“He just couldn’t sleep? No other symptoms?” Lan Xiping asked.

“No,” Wei Chen replied, “When I was with him, he fell asleep quickly and didn’t have any nightmares.”

“In that case, it’s not a major problem,” Lan Xiping said, “Chen Li has been hypnotized in your room before, so there might be subconscious resistance to that environment, causing sleeplessness. When he’s with you, he feels secure. Don’t be too anxious; spend a few more days wherever you are. Once Chen Li gets used to it, things will be fine.”

Hearing Lan Xiping’s reassurance, Wei Chen finally relaxed. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Lan Xiping chuckled. “Wei Chen, now that Chen Li is better, don’t be overly anxious. Many things he can gradually adapt to himself. Of course, if there’s any issue, feel free to call me anytime.”

Wei Chen realized he might have been too anxious and replied, “I understand.”

“I have a surgery coming up; let’s leave it at this for now.”

“Goodbye.”

After ending the call with Lan Xiping and receiving the advice, Wei Chen felt relieved and focused on his work.

Meanwhile, at the Wei family’s old mansion, Chen Li descended the stairs carrying Qiuqiu. Grandfather Wei was in the living room reading the newspaper, with Housekeeper Zhang standing nearby.

Seeing Chen Li coming down, Housekeeper Zhang greeted, “Good morning, Young Master Chen.”

“Morning,” Chen Li replied, his gaze somewhat reserved as he looked at Grandfather Wei and said, “Grandfather, good morning.”

Qiuqiu, on the side, mimicked, “Pa pa.”

Currently, Qiuqiu couldn’t say “great-grandfather.” Even when seeing Grandfather Qu, Qiuqiu called him “pa pa,” which made Grandfather Qu very happy.

At this moment, when Grandfather Wei heard Qiuqiu calling him pa pa, he was stunned for a moment before replying, “En.”

It wasn’t clear if this “En” was in response to Chen Li or to Qiuqiu.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and Chen Li didn’t know what to say to Grandfather Wei.

At this moment, Housekeeper Zhang spoke up, “Young Master Chen Li, breakfast is ready. Why don’t you give Master Qiuqiu to me, and you go ahead and have your breakfast?”

“Okay.” Chen Li nodded, handing Qiuqiu over to Housekeeper Zhang, instructing, “Qiuqiu is a bit heavy, so be careful.”

“Young Master Chen Li, rest assured, with this old body of mine, holding Master Qiuqiu is no problem,” assured Housekeeper Zhang.

Since Housekeeper Zhang had said so, Chen Li didn’t say anything more and headed towards the dining room.

Qiuqiu wasn’t shy either. Being carried by Housekeeper Zhang, he didn’t cry. Instead, he lay quietly on Housekeeper Zhang’s shoulder, not moving a muscle.

Grandfather Wei’s attention was now on Qiuqiu. Seeing this, Housekeeper Zhang smiled and said, “Sir, look how well-behaved Young Master Qiuqiu is.”

Grandfather Wei put down his newspaper and looked at Qiuqiu.

Qiuqiu also looked at Grandfather Wei, then opened his mouth and added, “Pa pa.” Then, with chubby arms outstretched, he cheerfully said, “Pa pa, hug.”

Grandfather Wei froze for a moment. Perhaps influenced by Housekeeper Zhang yesterday, he now saw a bit of Wei Chen in Qiuqiu, especially the nose.

Qiuqiu repeated, “Pa pa, hug.”

Grandfather Wei instinctively reached out and took Qiuqiu.

In Grandfather Wei’s arms, Qiuqiu waved his hands and kicked his legs, extremely delighted.

Grandfather Wei felt like something had struck his heart. His expression softened gradually.

After finishing his meal, Chen Li brought milk for Qiuqiu and saw this scene. He momentarily froze, then walked over to Grandfather Wei and said, “Grandfather, let me hold Qiuqiu. He hasn’t had breakfast yet; he must be hungry now.”

Grandfather Wei stiffened upon seeing Chen Li, almost like a child caught misbehaving. His face involuntarily warmed up, but he pretended to remain calm, returning Qiuqiu to Chen Li. Grandfather Wei felt like something was amiss. He coughed and said, “Well, Qiuqiu is very well-behaved.”

Qiuqiu understood praise and felt proud. He puffed out his chubby belly, smiling proudly, which eased some of the awkwardness in the atmosphere.

Chen Li settled on the sofa, holding Qiuqiu, who was hungry and eagerly gulping milk from the bottle while curiously looking around with his eyes.

Grandfather Wei glanced at Qiuqiu, trying not to openly stare, pretending to read the newspaper. Occasionally, he stole glances at Qiuqiu, completely oblivious to the newspaper in his hands, unaware that he was holding it upside down.

He couldn’t help but increasingly like Qiuqiu the more he looked at him.

Chen Li noticed but didn’t mention it. He hadn’t expected Grandfather Wei to have this side, feeling that he wasn’t as aloof as he seemed and was just like any ordinary elderly person.

Housekeeper Zhang also noticed but refrained from saying anything, unable to suppress a small chuckle.

Who would have thought that the charm of Young Master Qiuqiu was so compelling that even the old master couldn’t resist it?

After Qiuqiu finished drinking milk, Grandfather Wei cleared his throat, searching for a topic, and asked Chen Li, “Has Qiuqiu’s full name been chosen?”

“It has,” Chen Li didn’t hide anything, saying, “My grandfather chose it. He’s called Qu Ze.”

Grandfather Wei naturally knew who Chen Li’s grandfather was. Since this name was personally chosen by Old Master Qu, there wasn’t much Grandfather Wei could say about it.

However, when he heard that Qiuqiu’s surname was Qu, not Wei, his gaze slightly darkened, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

In theory, Qiuqiu having the surname Qu instead of Wei should have made him happy. He hadn’t even considered adding Qiuqiu to the Wei family genealogy. Even if Wei Chen wanted it, he would have to contend with Grandfather Wei.

But now, he realized that Qiuqiu didn’t carry the Wei surname at all. He probably didn’t want to be a part of the Wei family genealogy. The surname Qu was more valuable than Wei’s surname at present.

Chen Li and Wei Chen’s ability to make Old Master Qu acknowledge this grandson was also their skill. Giving the child the surname Qu would offer infinite possibilities in the future. Even if Old Master Qu were no longer here, it would remain the same. Old Master Qu’s generosity could ensure that Qiuqiu would never lack necessities throughout his life.

For Qiuqiu, this surname was advantageous. Besides, Qiuqiu wasn’t of the Wei family bloodline. So, not giving him the Wei surname aligned perfectly with his intentions, alleviating the disagreement between him and Wei Chen about Qiuqiu’s inclusion in the family genealogy.

With these thoughts, Grandfather Wei sighed. The glory of the Wei family now rested in Wei Chen’s hands. If Wei Chen insisted on including Qiuqiu in the Wei family’s genealogy, he wouldn’t be able to stop it. Wasn’t this the best outcome? Why worry?

Grandfather Wei was wrestling with countless thoughts at that moment, something Chen Li naturally couldn’t comprehend. He didn’t stay long in the living room, opting instead to take a stroll with Qiuqiu. The expansive and antique atmosphere of the Wei family’s old mansion kept Chen Li from feeling bored.

In the evening, Wei Chen returned. When he came back to the room, Chen Li recounted the morning’s events, vividly describing Grandfather Wei’s reaction to seeing Qiuqiu.

Chen Li’s tone was proud. After all, his chubby Qiuqiu was an adored presence wherever he went.

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