He feeds his baby, feeds himself, puts her in her playpen, gets ready for the day and then waits for the sound of the doorbell ringing. The moment he realizes he should have left five minutes ago is also when he gets a phone call. He listens as the babysitter explains in

between sobs that she is very sorry, but that she wouldn’t be able to show up. He responds in the most understanding tone he can muster that she doesn’t need to worry, that it’s okay and that he can handle the situation, no problem. The problem is… he can’t.

He looks at his daughter inside the playpen, still in her pajamas as she plays with the chewable toys she can reach. He doesn’t know any other babysitter he trusts, and even if he could ask his aunt to keep an eye on her, the Xues live far away enough that to drive all the way

to their house to drop her off and then drive back to the university he attends would only make him even more late than he already is. Sighing, Mo Ran goes to her room to find a change of clothes and grab her baby bag. He’s going to have to take her with him.

The walk across the university patio is filled with more curious glances than usual. It wasn’t uncommon for him to make heads turn as he passed, good-looking as he was, but this time he knows he’s not the sole reason they’re looking at him. Properly tucked into her baby carrier

and miraculously asleep, his daughter attracts the attention of everyone one that passes by them. A few classmates talk to him, asking how come he never mentioned having a child before telling how she looks just like him. Mo Ran smiles at the comments, walking as fast as he can

towards the building he needs to reach. Out of all days for this to happen, he wished it wouldn’t be the very day where he’d be facing Professor Chu for five hours. Professor Chu was vastly infamous across the campus, known both his impeccable explaining of the lessons he

taught, but also for how unforgiving his grading tended to be. As one friend who dropped off his course said once. “You’re gonna learn it, but you’re also gonna fail. There’s no in between.”

Mo Ran had tried getting in his professor’s good graces once, back when he first saw the man in person. Chu Wanning was a beautiful man whose face and voice had him instantly fascinated. But that infatuation soured overtime the more and more unreasonable about his grading

Chu-laoshi turned out to be. It was easier to find himself growing resentful over the incessant “I know you can do better than that”s he’d receive every time, instead of encouraged. How is he supposed to study *more* while also working full time and raising a child? Overworking

himself to death isn’t an option when he has someone to care for. Mo Ran climbs the stairs to the classroom in a hurry, batting an eye on the large clock on the hallway. He’s twenty minutes late for class, and he just knows he will be the center of attention when he steps in.

Reaching the classroom door, he breathes in and out before turning the handle and pushing it open. The moment he steps in, all the heads turn his way, staring at the unexpected interruption.

Amongst at all those stares, is Chu Wanning’s confused one – the most Mo Ran has ever seen him emote while lecturing –, that flies between him and the baby carrier in his hand.

There’s a standstill for a whole second, before Mo Ran gets himself together and casually walks up to his professor. Chu Wanning manages to grow even more surprised when he actually sees his daughter, and looks at him as if waiting an explanation as to where he produced a baby

from. “Chu-laoshi I swear I had no other choice.” Mo Ran explains. “The babysitter canceled and I had no one else to leave her with and I swear she won’t disturb your class.” He babbles, nervousness creeping in as he waits for Chu Wanning to say anything, almost sure he’ll

simply be asked to politely remove himself from the classroom. But Chu Wanning just nods. Then gestures for him to take any empty seat as he turns back to writing on the whiteboard. Mo Ran wastes no time in doing what he is told, thanking the heavens for the unexpected good

mood his professor seems to be in, and slowly slotting himself on a vacant seat right next to the wall in the first row, trying not to worry about how very close to Chu Wanning it leaves him.

He doesn’t bother with the silent curiosity of his classmates, knowing that any mention of the illustrious guest in the room will make Chu Wanning scold them out loud. The least they’re acknowledged, the better, even.

As usual, the classroom keeps its cryptic silence as his professor talks. He steals some glances to his daughter, who stays asleep undisturbed. That is until Mo Ran’s hope that he would be able to sit through the first period without any incidents is shattered by a cellphone

ringing loud enough to scare him, the other classmates and even make Chu Wanning jump a little at the sound of it. It takes one look at the carrier for him to find his daughter staring at him with wide eyes, making a face that he knows very well precedes a loud wail. Jumping

from his chair, he unfastens the safety harness like his life depends on it and quickly escapes the classroom before his baby can cry her lungs out, almost tripping on a power cord on the way out. Mo Ran apologizes as he closes the door behind him, walking away as far as

possible so the sound of his daughter’s crying doesn’t disturb any of the classrooms on this floor. He walks out to the nearest veranda and stays there for a while, rocking around as he comforts her. “Now that was quite the scare, huh?” He asks, holding his daughter close. “Dad

is sorry, the cellphone can’t get you in here.” He says, then laughs at his own words as he soothes her. He puts all his comforting tactics to work, from talking to her to simply humming and walking around, dancing with her in his arms.

Ten minutes later, when she’s apparently calmer, Mo Ran walks back to the classroom in silence. He offers a sheepish expression as he passes by his professor, but Chu Wanning doesn’t seem to bothered by him walking in front of him. He blissfully ignores Mo Ran the whole time,

and Mo Ran can’t be more grateful for that. He tries to silent put his daughter back on the carrier, but she immediately starts fussing, displeased. Trying his best not to cause a scene, Mo Ran simply fixes his hold on her again and moves to sit down.

Unfortunately, just like every other baby, his daughter likes standing up far better than sitting on his lap. The moment he touches down on the chair, she sobs in his hold. Mo Ran shots up again and sighs, unsure of what to do and trying not to attract too much attention on

himself but knowing he’s under scrutiny nonetheless. He’d been on the end of many nasty glares before, most from adults who’d look at him like his daughter’s existence was an inexcusable inconvenience no matter what. He’s sure one or two of his classmates are probably staring at

him with absolute annoyance, and he tries his best to pretend no one else can see him. “Mo Ran?” The call of his name has him pursing his lip and flinching. He turns to look guiltily at Chu Wanning, who looks at his standing presence in the corner of the classroom.

“Is everything okay?” He asks, putting the cap back on the marker he had been using. Mo Ran doesn’t bother looking at the whiteboard; he already missed enough of the explanation that he can’t keep up with it anyway. The direct address has the whole classroom looking at him,

and Mo Ran wishes he could simply disappear. He swallows as Chu Wanning waits for him to say anything. “I—” he starts, voice low as if afraid of a scolding. “I’m sorry. She’s fussy, if I sit down she’ll cry.” There’s an understanding nod, and the feeling that he is surely about