The little girl was hiding in her arms. After burying her face in it, she was not willing to look up again. It was as if her biological father was some evil monster or bad character, so frightening that she had to hide.
Da Bao and Er Bao maintained the same attitude as when they were downstairs earlier. Together with their younger sister, they were bound by a common hatred for the enemy. They would guard against Zhai Sheng.
As soon as their mother sat down, Da Bao and Er Bao consciously moved their chubby little buttocks and sat beside her. Their hands were tugging at their mother’s clothes. This was the only way that they could gain a sense of security before this stranger.
“Be good. Didn’t Mom tell you that this is your dad?” Qiao Nan felt tired. She did not fall behind in both her studies and taking care of kids. She had been traveling to and fro home and school every day. Although she had designated vehicles to send her and did not need to squeeze with others via public transport, this kind of life was also quite tiring. “Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, goodnight. All of you are feeling tired too. Keep Mom company and sleep together, okay?”
Qiao Nan was aware that by this time, the triplets should have been snoring and sleeping like piglets based on their usual routine.
If they had not found their biological father unfamiliar, they would not have kicked up a fuss and hung on until now. They would have long fallen asleep.
After hugging the soft and milk-scented bodies of the three children, Qiao Nan could not take it anymore. She lay down and patted on the position beside her. “Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, let’s sleep.”
San Bao’s eyeballs swirled. As usual, she was occupying the place closest to Qiao Nan. When San Bao lay down, Da Bao and Er Bao positioned themselves beside their younger sister. When Qiao Nan reached out her hands, Da Bao and Er Bao grabbed Qiao Nan’s clothes and fingers respectively.
The mother and children maintained this state during their sleep.
Initially, the three children would fall asleep within seconds that they hit the bed.
Today, it was most probably because Zhai Sheng had been standing in the room and did not seem to be leaving. The exhausted triplets rubbed their eyes from time to time and insisted on keeping themselves awake, staring at Zhai Sheng. The alertness in their little eyes did not reduce at all.
At the sight of the triplets’ persistence, Qiao Nan thought of many ways to coax them but to no avail. “…Not going to sleep?”
San Bao’s small face had been plastered to Qiao Nan’s arms. Her mouth was drooping and she looked very unhappy.
“Alright.” There were no parents who could win against their children in this world. Qiao Nan moved the back of her feet and nudged Zhai Sheng’s body. “Brother Zhai, you have spent too little time with them. The triplets can greet people now, but they are still young and insensible. They won’t understand some reasoning even after I tell them. It will be a little tough on you. Why don’t you help me wash the clothes first? You can get in the bed after they have fallen asleep.”
This was the only solution that she could think of.
Clearly, the triplets refused to sleep and forced themselves to be awake due to Zhai Sheng’s existence.
If Brother Zhai was not around, naturally, the triplets would not need to be so persistent. They would sleep like they always did.
He had to be chased off the bed by his wife because of his three children. Very few men in this world would feel happy about this.
However, he was one of the main culprits who created these three little scums. These children did not belong to others. No matter how Zhai Sheng disliked the presence of the children, which affected how he and Qiao Nan got along, he had no way to stuff the triplets back into Qiao Nan’s womb so that they could not keep saying and doing things that would drive him to his grave.
Zhai Sheng pulled a long face as he took the clothes changed by his three children to the restroom to wash them.
Qiao Nan would wash her own clothes. However, she did not have much time to settle the triplets’ clothes. After all, other people in the house could help Qiao Nan share this burden.
Fortunately, the three pairs of short legs of the triplets could walk now. However, to children who had just picked up walking and were not steady in their steps, there was a limit to the distance that they could travel.
As such, they had to change the triplets’ clothes. However, their clothes were not that dirty either. It was not as if Zhai Sheng had not washed any clothes before.
As such, it did not take much effort from Zhai Sheng to wash the triplets’ small clothes. Zhai Sheng had long witnessed clothes that were dirtier and more difficult to wash in the army.
Furthermore, these items belonged to his sons and daughter. As their biological father, which father would shun his children’s things in front of outsiders? Since his wife had given the orders, he would wash them.
Alas, after Zhai Sheng finished washing the triplets’ clothes and came out, the triplets’ eyes were still opened.
Before Zhai Sheng flared up, Qiao Nan spoke nicely and patiently to coax Zhai Sheng, this ‘big child’. “Why don’t you go downstairs and have a cup of tea first? The triplets are exhausted. I think I will be able to coax them to sleep very soon. Come back again after they have fallen asleep?”
The triplets’ attitude was too obvious. As long as Zhai Sheng was still in the room, they would not sleep.
If Zhai Sheng dared to get onto the bed now, the triplets would dare to join forces and shoo Zhai Sheng off the bed.
Given Zhai Sheng’s strength, of course he would not be kicked off the bed by the three children. However, there was no need for the father and children to go to this extent. It would be embarrassing and hurtful. Qiao Nan still very much wished for the triplets to accept Zhai Sheng, this father, and that the father and children could get along well with one another.
If that could happen, Qiao Nan could slack off from time to time when Zhai Sheng was home then. She could let Zhai Sheng take care of the kids while she found more time to study and pick up new knowledge.
Zhai Sheng gave Qiao Nan a look of warning. He was so cooperative now. Qiao Nan also had to cooperate in the same way too when he ‘wanted’ something later.
As expected, Zhai Sheng’s placed his hands on the doorknob, opened the door, and went out.
The serious expressions on the triplets’ face immediately eased. They even let out huge sighs of relief and nudged Qiao Nan. After sighing, they yawned. Without the need for Qiao Nan to coax them, they showed off their capability to fall asleep and slept soundly before Qiao Nan could open her mouth to hum.
Qiao Nan heaved a sigh of relief after the triplets fell asleep. She wanted to get up and call back Zhai Sheng, who had just left the room.
It was such a rare opportunity for the family of five to be able to sleep on the same bed.
Just the thought of that scene made Qiao Nan feel very heart-warming.
Since she had thought of it, she had to do it. Just as Qiao Nan wanted to sit up and go downstairs to call Zhai Sheng, her plan was wrecked by the three ‘little monkeys’.
Da Bao, Er Bao, and San Bao were either tugging at Qiao Nan’s clothes or coming into direct contact with Qiao Nan by her side. It was not so easy for Qiao Nan to withdraw her hands from the arms of her three children.