Chapter 158
But it also comes with a tiny bit of trouble.
For instance, while practicing choreography in the studio, I suddenly imagine a stray cat appearing at home, wanting to fill its belly with the little grass. What would the little grass do? Hide under the table and outsmart the big cat.
At the crucial moment, he returns from work and rescues the little grass from danger, chasing away the stray cat. From then on, the little grass looks at him with eyes full of admiration... Lost in imagination, his face unconsciously betrays some expression.
Then he gets punished by the dance instructor. Ever since he started raising the little one, this has been happening frequently to Nan Yan. The original penalty of ten push-ups for zoning out has now increased to fifty.
Nan Yan's abs were originally just for show, all looks and no substance. But because of the increased physical training from punishments, his physique unexpectedly improved.
Nan Yan even lifts his shirt to show off to Jiang Yan when he gets home. The gray sweatshirt raised, revealing a well-defined, contoured waist and abdomen. It's not exaggerated, but the lines are smooth and quite appealing.
Jiang Yan stands on the table, nearly getting pressed onto it by Nan Yan. Though they don't actually touch, she can feel his slightly elevated body temperature from running home.
Nan Yan runs his hand over his own abs, telling Jiang Yan, "This is what you call reaping the rewards of hard work, you know? After training, they're all playing on their phones and gaming, but I'm not like them."
"I deliberately zone out to get punished by the teacher, and I work out in front of them every day, outperforming them all. Look at my abs, they're getting more and more defined. You could use them as a trampoline now..."
Jiang Yan really does look, with wide eyes, even reaching out with both hands to touch.
Nan Yan hadn't originally thought of the little grass as the opposite sex, so he dared to show off his abs in front of her. But with Jiang Yan looking so intently, he suddenly feels a bit embarrassed.
"What are you doing? You can look but not touch, you little pervert," Nan Yan mutters, unexpectedly getting his belly button touched by Jiang Yan.
That seems to be a sensitive spot, startling Nan Yan so much he nearly jumps. He hurriedly pulls down his shirt to cover up, like a virtuous househusband who's been harassed.
It's at this moment that he clearly realizes, oh, she's a little girl.
...
After becoming aware of the gender issue, Nan Yan maintains a subtle distance from Jiang Yan: he no longer comes out wearing just a towel after showering, and he doesn't carelessly leave the bathroom door unlocked anymore...
He thinks he's made quite a big change and worries that such behavior might make the little grass uncomfortable.
But the little grass seems oblivious, eating, sleeping, playing on the tablet, and watching TV as usual every day, not even noticing when he comes home from work!
Nan Yan's changes fail to catch the little grass's attention at all. He feels dejected, thinking that he, the breadwinner, isn't valued by the little grass.
Nan Yan's every move inevitably becomes irritable. His temper was never particularly good to begin with, often scowling over small matters at work, so the photos taken of him always make him look cold and aloof.
Over time, his cold face became famous, even becoming a trademark. Some people, considering his privileged family background, labeled him with the persona of a cold, aloof young master.
The cold, aloof young master finishes cooking, takes off his apron, serves the meal, and calls the little grass to eat with a sullen face.