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Lu Hao was sitting happily in his high chair, his little hands gripping a soft teething toy. Cheng Xiaoshi stood nearby, keeping an eye on him while chatting with Lu Guang, who was reading through some documents at the counter. Everything seemed perfectly calm—until Lu Hao suddenly dropped the toy, reached out, and clamped his tiny teeth onto Cheng Xiaoshi’s finger when he reached to pick it up.
“Ow! Hao Hao!” Cheng Xiaoshi yelped, pulling his hand back and cradling his now red and slightly indented finger. “You bit me! I thought we were friends!”
Lu Hao just giggled, clearly proud of his new skill, his chubby cheeks squishing up as he clapped his hands. Cheng Xiaoshi looked over at Lu Guang, who was watching with an amused glint in his gray eyes.
“I think he’s learning how to bite,” Cheng Xiaoshi said, pouting as he showed his husband his injured finger. “Lu Guang, he’s dangerous now.”
“Dangerous?” Lu Guang set his papers down and walked over, his lips quirking into a teasing smirk. He grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet and gestured for Cheng Xiaoshi to sit. “He takes after his Bà, then.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked, sitting down at the table while Lu Guang opened the kit.
“You bite,” Lu Guang said simply, pulling out a bandage and cleaning the small mark on Cheng Xiaoshi’s finger.
“I do not bite!” Cheng Xiaoshi said, his cheeks immediately turning red as he glanced nervously at Lu Hao, who was still happily babbling in his high chair.
Lu Guang chuckled softly, wrapping the bandage around Cheng Xiaoshi’s finger with deliberate care. “You sure about that?” he asked, his voice low and teasing. “You also don’t leave claw marks on my back during our—”
“Stop!” Cheng Xiaoshi squeaked, his face now fully crimson as he grabbed Lu Hao from his high chair and held him close, as if the baby could shield him from the teasing. “I can’t help that! And don’t say stuff like that in front of Hao Hao!”
Lu Guang leaned back, arms crossed, his expression entirely too pleased. “Why not? He doesn’t understand.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Cheng Xiaoshi huffed, his face buried against Lu Hao’s soft bonnet as he tried to hide his embarrassment.
Lu Hao, completely oblivious to his parents’ antics, cooed happily and reached out to grab at Cheng Xiaoshi’s face. His tiny fingers tugged at his Bà’s hair, and Cheng Xiaoshi sighed dramatically. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Hao Hao,” he muttered, though the affection in his voice was unmistakable.
Lu Guang leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to the top of Lu Hao’s head before glancing at Cheng Xiaoshi. “He’s cute because he takes after you,” he said quietly, his teasing tone replaced with something softer.
Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before looking away, still blushing. “Y-Yeah, well, maybe. But you better keep an eye on him. If he starts biting you next, don’t come crying to me.”
Lu Guang chuckled, his eyes full of warmth. “I’ll take my chances.”
The bathroom was warm, filled with the gentle sound of splashing water and Lu Hao’s happy babbling. Lu Guang knelt by the tub, sleeves rolled up, carefully washing his son’s tiny arms and legs. Lu Hao was having the time of his life, smacking his hands into the water and sending small sprays everywhere.
“Hold still, Hao,” Lu Guang said calmly, his steel-gray eyes focused on the task of rinsing soap from the baby’s soft black hair. “You’re getting water everywhere.”
Hao ignored him entirely, his brown eyes wide with curiosity as he reached for the bright yellow rubber duck floating nearby. He grabbed it, squealing in triumph before shoving the toy straight into his mouth.
“Careful,” Lu Guang murmured, gently taking the toy away to avoid any chewing mishaps. “That’s for playing, not eating.”
Hao pouted, his little brows furrowing, but Lu Guang was unmoved. He leaned closer to wash the soap off Hao’s cheeks, his movements practiced and precise.
That was when it happened.
Before Lu Guang could react, Hao leaned forward and clamped his tiny teeth down on Lu Guang’s forearm.
A sharp inhale escaped Lu Guang as he froze, staring down at his son, who was now giggling around the bite. Hao’s little teeth barely made a mark, but the intent was clear—he’d officially decided biting was his new favorite activity.
“Hao,” Lu Guang said evenly, his calm demeanor betrayed only by the faint twitch of his brow. “What are you doing?”
Hao released his arm, looking up with an innocent grin, as if he hadn’t just declared war. He babbled happily, splashing the water again, completely unfazed.
Down the hall, Cheng Xiaoshi poked his head into the bathroom after hearing the commotion. “What’s going on in here?” he asked, only to pause when he saw Lu Guang rubbing his forearm, a faint red mark visible. “Wait… did he bite you?!”
“Yes,” Lu Guang replied simply, his eyes meeting Xiaoshi’s incredulous stare. “He bit me.”
For a moment, Cheng Xiaoshi just blinked. Then, a wide grin spread across his face as he leaned against the doorframe. “Oh, this is rich. I told you he was dangerous! What happened to your whole ‘he takes after his Bà’ theory now, huh?”
Lu Guang raised an eyebrow, his expression as unbothered as ever. “It still stands. You’re the one who’s always biting your lip when you’re thinking too hard. Clearly, he picked it up from you.”
“Excuse me?!” Cheng Xiaoshi sputtered, his face flushing bright red. “I don’t bite people!”
“No, just me,” Lu Guang said smoothly, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “And usually only when—”
“Stop! Not in front of Hao!” Cheng Xiaoshi interrupted, waving his arms dramatically as his face turned even redder.
Meanwhile, Hao was thoroughly entertained, clapping his wet little hands and laughing as if he understood the joke. His brown eyes sparkled with mischief as he splashed the water again, sending droplets onto Lu Guang’s shirt.
“You’re lucky he’s cute,” Cheng Xiaoshi muttered, walking into the bathroom and crouching down next to the tub. “Hao Hao, you’re supposed to be nice to your Baba, not turn him into a chew toy.”
Hao responded by reaching out to grab Cheng Xiaoshi’s sleeve, tugging on it with surprising strength. Cheng Xiaoshi leaned closer, and Hao immediately opened his mouth like he was about to go in for another bite.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Xiaoshi said, pulling back just in time. “This is becoming a problem, Lu Guang. He’s on a rampage.”
“I’ll handle it,” Lu Guang said, his calm tone somehow reassuring despite the situation. He gently lifted Hao out of the tub, wrapping him in a fluffy towel and holding him securely. “But first, let’s get him dried off.”
Hao wiggled happily in the towel, giggling as Lu Guang patted him dry with practiced care. Cheng Xiaoshi watched, still grinning but unable to resist one last jab.
“So, how does it feel to get bitten by your son?” he teased, crossing his arms.
Lu Guang glanced at him, his steel-gray eyes glinting with amusement. “It feels like he’s learning from the best.”
Cheng Xiaoshi opened his mouth to retort, but Lu Hao chose that moment to lean forward and plant a slobbery kiss on Lu Guang’s cheek. The sight immediately dissolved any arguments, leaving Cheng Xiaoshi laughing helplessly as he leaned into Lu Guang’s side.
“Alright, fine,” Xiaoshi said, pressing a kiss to the top of Hao’s head. “Maybe he gets the biting thing from me. But you’re still on diaper duty tonight.”
Lu Guang smirked faintly, adjusting Hao in his arms. “Deal.”
Later that evening, after dinner and a short walk around the house to tire him out, Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi were sprawled out on the bed, a parenting book propped open between them. Lu Hao, freshly changed into his soft footie pajamas, was crawling around the bed, babbling and giggling to himself as he explored.
“‘How to discourage biting in toddlers,’” Cheng Xiaoshi read aloud, squinting at the page. “It says here to redirect the behavior. Like, if he tries to bite, we give him something else to chew on. That doesn’t sound too bad.”
Lu Guang, sitting cross-legged next to him, nodded thoughtfully. “Makes sense. We’ll need to be consistent, though. If he bites, we can’t laugh or make it seem funny. It reinforces the behavior.”
Cheng Xiaoshi pouted. “But it is kind of funny. Did you see his face when he bit you earlier? He looked so proud of himself.”
Lu Guang glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Do you want him biting you again? Because that’s how it happens.”
“Okay, okay, fine,” Cheng Xiaoshi said, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. “No laughing. Got it.”
As they turned the page, Lu Hao crawled closer, babbling happily. He paused in front of Cheng Xiaoshi, studying him intently for a moment before raising his little hand and smacking him square in the face.
“Hey!” Cheng Xiaoshi yelped, his head jerking back in surprise. He blinked, touching his cheek as Lu Hao giggled and crawled away like nothing had happened. “Did he… did he just smack me?”
Lu Guang, trying to keep a straight face, cleared his throat. “He did.”
Cheng Xiaoshi turned to him, eyes wide. “He didn’t learn that from me!”
Lu Guang looked equally incredulous. “He certainly didn’t learn it from me.”
They both stared at each other for a beat before realization hit them at the same time.
“Qiao Ling,” they said in unison.
Cheng Xiaoshi groaned, flopping back against the pillows. “Of course! Her favorite pastime is smacking me upside the head. She’s been a terrible influence.”
Lu Guang chuckled, his gray eyes glinting with rare amusement. “She does enjoy keeping you in line.”
“I don’t need to be kept in line,” Cheng Xiaoshi grumbled, sitting back up. “And now she’s passed on her violent tendencies to Hao Hao. How do we even fix this? Do we redirect smacking too?”
Lu Guang glanced at Lu Hao, who had stopped crawling to inspect one of his stuffed toys, his tiny fingers tugging at its ears. “We redirect,” he said simply, reaching over to pick up another toy and hold it out. “And if that doesn’t work, we blame Qiao Ling again.”
“Fair,” Cheng Xiaoshi muttered, watching as Lu Hao abandoned the stuffed toy to crawl back over to them, his face lighting up when he saw Lu Guang holding out the new toy.
As Lu Hao grabbed it and settled in to chew on its plush surface, Cheng Xiaoshi sighed. “You know, between the biting and the smacking, we might not survive his toddler years.”
Lu Guang reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “We’ll survive. Probably.”
“Probably,” Cheng Xiaoshi echoed, though the fond smile on his face said he wouldn’t trade it for anything.