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Lu Hao was a tiny hurricane of chaos, an adorable mess-maker with a head full of soft black hair and sparkling brown eyes that seemed to light up whenever he discovered something new to grab or knock over. At eight months old, he was unstoppable, crawling around the photo studio like it was his personal playground. His tiny hands slapped against the wooden floor as he giggled, his dark eyes gleaming with unrestrained glee as he made a beeline for a stack of carefully arranged photo frames.
“Not again, Lu Hao!” Cheng Xiaoshi groaned, rushing over from the counter where he’d been attempting to clean a camera lens. He scooped the baby up into his arms just before Lu Hao could pull down another precarious tower of stacked photo albums. “You’re like a tiny tornado with legs. How do you always find the messiest spots?”
Lu Hao squealed happily, his pudgy hands reaching for Cheng Xiaoshi’s face, tugging at his hair with surprising strength. Cheng Xiaoshi winced, though a fond smile tugged at his lips. “Lu Guang, your son is terrorizing the studio again!”
Lu Guang, who was sitting at the desk sorting through a pile of client photos, glanced up with a faint smirk. His steel-gray eyes softened as they landed on the bundle of energy wriggling in Cheng Xiaoshi’s arms. “Our son, Xiaoshi,” he corrected, setting down the photo he was inspecting. “And I told you to baby-proof the studio last week.”
“I did baby-proof it!” Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed, gesturing dramatically with one hand while the other held Lu Hao securely. “But this little rascal keeps finding ways to get into everything. I swear he’s plotting against me.”
Lu Guang stood, walking over to the pair with his usual calm demeanor. He reached out, and Lu Hao immediately transferred his attention to his other parent, letting out a delighted squeal as Lu Guang lifted him from Cheng Xiaoshi’s arms. The baby babbled incoherently, tiny fists clutching at Lu Guang’s shirt.
“See? He likes me better,” Lu Guang teased lightly, holding Lu Hao close as the baby nuzzled against his shoulder.
“Unfair! You’re his favorite because you’re the calm one,” Cheng Xiaoshi huffed, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. “I’m the one running around all day making sure he doesn’t eat the film rolls or fall into the tripod!”
Lu Guang chuckled, a rare sound that softened his usual stoicism. “You’re doing fine, Xiaoshi. Besides, he’s only curious. It’s a good sign—he’s growing, exploring the world. Isn’t that what you wanted for him?”
“Well, yeah,” Cheng Xiaoshi muttered, his pout fading into a sheepish grin. “But I also want him to stop pulling the frames down. I already had to fix three last week.”
Lu Guang shifted Lu Hao in his arms so the baby was sitting on his hip. Lu Hao blinked up at him with wide brown eyes, his chubby fingers tugging on Lu Guang’s shirt collar. “Maybe he needs something to keep him busy,” Lu Guang suggested, tilting his head toward the small playpen tucked in the corner of the studio. It was currently filled with soft toys and blankets, but Lu Hao always managed to escape it within minutes.
“I already tried that!” Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “He climbs out like he’s training for the baby Olympics. I even caught him chewing on the edge of your chair yesterday!”
“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full,” Lu Guang replied, though there was a faint sparkle of amusement in his steel-gray eyes as he gently pressed a kiss to Lu Hao’s forehead.
“Don’t you dare laugh,” Cheng Xiaoshi warned, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You’re helping me clean up this time. And—”
Before he could finish, Lu Hao let out a high-pitched squeal of joy and reached out, his tiny hands grabbing at Lu Guang’s glasses. With surprising accuracy, he yanked them off Lu Guang’s face, waving them around triumphantly like a trophy.
Lu Guang blinked, his now unadorned eyes narrowing slightly. “Lu Hao,” he said in a warning tone, though it was far too gentle to be effective.
“Oh no, he’s got your glasses again!” Cheng Xiaoshi gasped, half-panicked, half-laughing as he reached for the baby. “Those are expensive, Lu Hao! Give them back to Baba!”
But Lu Hao only giggled, holding the glasses just out of reach as Cheng Xiaoshi tried to grab them. The baby’s tiny legs kicked excitedly, and he let out another delighted squeal when Cheng Xiaoshi started tickling him in an attempt to retrieve the stolen item.
“See what I deal with?” Cheng Xiaoshi grumbled, though his voice was filled with affection as he finally managed to wrestle the glasses from Lu Hao’s tiny grip. “He’s a menace, Lu Guang. A cute menace, but still.”
Lu Guang smirked, his sharp gaze softening as he adjusted his now slightly smudged glasses. “He’s just like you,” he said, his voice laced with teasing warmth.
Cheng Xiaoshi froze, his mouth falling open. “What’s that supposed to mean?! I’m not a menace!”
“No,” Lu Guang agreed, his lips quirking upward. “But you’re cute.”
Cheng Xiaoshi turned bright red, stammering as he tried to form a coherent response. Meanwhile, Lu Hao let out another happy squeal, clapping his hands as if he understood the playful banter between his parents.
Lu Guang glanced down at their son, his expression softening even further. “You’re going to grow up to be a handful, aren’t you?” he murmured, his voice filled with love.
Cheng Xiaoshi leaned closer, his own exasperation melting into a warm smile. “As long as he grows up happy,” he said softly, reaching out to brush a strand of soft black hair from Lu Hao’s forehead.
The baby babbled in response, his tiny fingers wrapping around Lu Guang’s as he smiled up at his parents, completely oblivious to the love and devotion that surrounded him.
“Alright,” Cheng Xiaoshi sighed, straightening up. “Let’s take a family break. I’ll grab the camera and—”
“No,” Lu Guang interrupted, his calm tone firm. “We’re not putting him in another photo session today. Let’s just… enjoy the moment.”
Cheng Xiaoshi grinned, nodding. “Alright, Lu Hao. Let’s go make another mess somewhere else. But this time,” he added, glancing at Lu Guang with a mischievous glint in his eye, “you’re cleaning up, Baba.”
Lu Guang carried Lu Hao upstairs while Cheng Xiaoshi trailed behind, muttering about how much mess they’d have to clean up later. The small bedroom was just as Cheng Xiaoshi had left it earlier that day: the queen-sized bed, now covered with a soft gray comforter, dominated the room, and the side-sleeper crib was securely attached to Cheng Xiaoshi’s side of the bed. Toys were scattered across the bedspread, an unspoken reminder of Lu Hao’s ever-present energy. The room was cozy, but there wasn’t much space left to move around—making the bed the only real play area.
Lu Guang gently set Lu Hao down on the mattress, and the baby immediately started crawling toward the pile of colorful toys. He grabbed a plush bear with one hand and a rubber stacking ring with the other, babbling excitedly as he examined them like they were the most fascinating things in the world.
Cheng Xiaoshi flopped onto the bed beside him with a dramatic sigh, propping himself up on one elbow. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Hao. You’ve been running me ragged all day,” he teased, poking Lu Hao’s round cheek. Lu Hao giggled, waving the bear in the air like it was a trophy.
“Careful,” Lu Guang said as he sat down on the other side of the bed, his calm gaze fixed on their son. “He’s going to think poking is a game, and then you’ll regret it.”
Cheng Xiaoshi rolled his eyes but grinned as he reached for one of the plastic blocks in the toy pile. “Yeah, yeah. You’re always so serious, Baba. Loosen up for once.” He tossed the block lightly into the air, catching it with ease before handing it to Lu Hao, who immediately dropped the bear to grab it with both hands.
Lu Guang arched a brow. “I’ll loosen up when you stop calling me serious like it’s a bad thing,” he replied, his tone tinged with dry humor.
Lu Hao, oblivious to the banter, started banging the block against the mattress, delighted by the muffled sound it made. Cheng Xiaoshi laughed and leaned in closer. “You’re so noisy, Hao. I don’t know how you got so loud when both of your parents are—” He paused and corrected himself with a grin, “Okay, when one of your parents is quiet.”
Lu Guang smirked faintly, reaching out to smooth down a stray tuft of Lu Hao’s black hair. “He’s just curious about the world,” he said softly. “It’s not a bad thing.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Cheng Xiaoshi leaned over to kiss the top of Lu Hao’s head. “Still, you’re going to give Bà gray hairs before I even hit thirty, aren’t you?”
Lu Hao let out a squeal in response, waving the block around before dropping it and clapping his hands. He crawled over to Cheng Xiaoshi, reaching out with tiny fingers to tug at his shirt. “Bà! Bà!” he babbled excitedly.
“See? He knows who the fun parent is,” Cheng Xiaoshi said, beaming as he scooped Lu Hao into his lap and tickled his sides. Lu Hao shrieked with laughter, kicking his little legs as he squirmed.
Lu Guang rolled his eyes, though the warmth in his steel-gray gaze betrayed his fondness. He reached for one of the soft rattles and shook it gently, drawing Lu Hao’s attention. The baby stopped squirming and stared at the toy, transfixed by the sound.
“Here,” Lu Guang said, holding out the rattle. Lu Hao immediately grabbed it, shaking it with enthusiasm. Cheng Xiaoshi leaned back, watching the baby with a wide smile. “He’s obsessed with noises,” he said. “We should get him one of those musical toys that play a bunch of different songs.”
“And let you complain about how annoying they are two days later?” Lu Guang replied, raising a brow. “I think I’ll pass.”
Cheng Xiaoshi laughed, leaning his head against Lu Guang’s shoulder. “You’re no fun, Baba,” he teased, though the soft look in his eyes made it clear he didn’t mean it.
Lu Hao babbled happily as he crawled between them, banging the rattle against the bed and tossing it into the pile of toys before grabbing a new one. The bed became a miniature play zone, scattered with colorful blocks, plush animals, and teethers. Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi both joined in, showing Lu Hao how to stack the rings or squeeze the squeaky toys.
At one point, Lu Hao crawled onto Lu Guang’s lap, his tiny hands reaching for the buttons on Lu Guang’s shirt. “He’s going to tear your shirt apart,” Cheng Xiaoshi warned, watching with amusement as Lu Hao tugged insistently.
Lu Guang, ever patient, gently took Lu Hao’s hands and redirected them to a stuffed bunny. “Here, Hao. Play with this instead.”
Lu Hao pouted for a moment before grabbing the bunny and stuffing one of its ears into his mouth. Cheng Xiaoshi laughed, his eyes crinkling with mirth. “I think he likes the bunny better than us.”
“Doubtful,” Lu Guang said, his voice soft but certain as he watched their son. “We’re his whole world.”
Cheng Xiaoshi fell quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on Lu Hao as the baby babbled around the bunny’s ear. “Yeah,” he said softly. “And he’s ours.”
Lu Guang’s hand found Cheng Xiaoshi’s, their fingers intertwining as they sat together on the bed, watching their son play with the kind of boundless joy only a baby could have. In that moment, the cramped room didn’t feel so small—it felt warm, filled with love and laughter, just as it always should be.