The two spent the afternoon at the aquarium, their outing concluding with a phone call.
"An'an, we've had quite enough fun. Your dad's calling, let's go," Fang Miaomiao waved to Wen Yan'an, who was not far away.
"Okay."
As they exited the aquarium, they saw Xin Xuanlai stepping out of a car.
"It's you. Where's Da Chen?"
"Master Wen sent Da Chen back in his own car. Good afternoon, young master."
"Good afternoon, Brother Xuanlai."
They got into the car.
"Did you have fun?" Wen Zhiyan handed over two wet wipes.
"It was alright."
"Thank you, Dad."
Wen Zhiyan watched Wen Yan'an obediently wiping sweat from his face. An'an seemed a little different.
"We saw the dolphins. It was Friday, so there weren't many people. The staff even let us get close to the dolphins," Fang Miaomiao said, her eyes full of smiles. "You wouldn't believe it, An'an got sprayed by a dolphin! Luckily, we were wearing raincoats, or we would have been soaked."
"You got sprayed by a dolphin too?"
Wen Yan'an nodded. "Mom laughed when she saw me get sprayed, and then another dolphin just sprayed her directly."
"An'an, do you like the sea?"
"Yes."
Speaking of the sea, Wen Yan'an's eyes sparkled. "They're so beautiful. An'an really likes them."
Hearing this, Wen Zhiyan's lips curved slightly. "Then you can start learning to swim now. It'll be hard to learn diving later if you don't."
"Dad?" Wen Yan'an looked at Wen Zhiyan, surprised. "What did you just say?"
"Why are you suddenly using polite language?"
"Dad, what did you say just now?"
"Learning these things now will enable you to learn activities like diving when you grow up. If you don't learn to swim, it'll be tough for those other sports."
"Can I... can I really?"
"Why not?"
At this, Wen Yan'an's eyes began to well up.
Now it was Wen Zhiyan's turn to be flustered. He looked at Wen Yan'an questioningly, then sought help from Fang Miaomiao.
Fang Miaomiao couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "You two, are you trying to make me die of laughter?"
"I'm not."
"Mom, you can't say such things."
"So, are you two going to play guessing games with each other, or should I be the go-between?"
Fang Miaomiao realized there was a significant disconnect between the father and son. Both were people who could go half a day without saying much. No wonder Wen Yan'an had been so quiet before. Their relationship was less like father and son and more like strangers living under the same roof.
"Grandma said I can't learn these things; it's a waste of time," Wen Yan'an said dejectedly, his shoulders slumping.
"When did that happen?"
Wen Zhiyan's voice trailed off. Years ago, after he learned about An'an, he had pulled himself together and taken over the Wen Corporation. An'an had been raised by his parents at the Yu Garden, and Wen Zhiyan would visit a couple of times on weekends.
It wasn't until An'an grew older and they noticed he was clearly different from other children that he decided to bring An'an to live with him. After years of living together, while their interactions weren't cold, they were limited to brief exchanges.
Moreover, since the doctor said An'an had no issues, he had let things develop as they were. He had always assumed An'an's quiet nature and preference for being alone in his room were as the doctor had said – innate.
But today's words made him feel something was off.
Wen Yan'an shook his head. "I don't remember."
Hearing this, Fang Miaomiao's heart ached. She pulled Wen Yan'an into a hug and glared at Wen Zhiyan.
Wen Zhiyan felt guilty and let Fang Miaomiao glare at him. "Miaomiao, I didn't know about these things."
"Well, now you do."
Wen Zhiyan paused for a moment. "An'an, you don't need to worry about what Grandpa and Grandma say, okay? You can learn whatever you like. Learn anything you want."
Wen Yan'an hugged Fang Miaomiao, remaining silent.
Wen Zhiyan looked at Fang Miaomiao for help.
Fang Miaomiao shot him a look. "An'an, don't mind them. Can we go learn to swim later? Your mom isn't good at much, but I can cheer for others. I can definitely cheer for you."
"Mom isn't going to learn with me?"
"Your mom already knows how to swim, so I'll just cheer for you from the side. With my cheering, you'll definitely learn quickly."
She knew how to swim. In her past life, when she was a newcomer, the lead actress had bullied her. In one scene, due to the lead actress, she had to keep jumping into the water. At first, it was fine; as soon as she jumped in, lifeguards would pull her out.
The last time, all the lifeguards had disappeared. She thrashed in the water, the feeling of suffocation overwhelming her. The splashing water felt like it was beating against her. The sensation of being suspended made her instinctively struggle harder. She cried for help in the water, pleading for someone to help her, but there was no one. Not a single person on set came to her rescue.
After that drama, she found an agent and signed up for swimming lessons.
She never wanted to experience the feeling of suffocating in water again.
"Hmph."
"Are you being silly?" Fang Miaomiao heard Wen Yan'an's hmph and playfully patted his shoulder. "Your mom only knows how to swim; I can't teach you, okay? For something professional like this, you definitely need to find a professional to help."
"Besides, look at how lazy your mom is. To help you with swimming, I have to drag myself out of my comfortable bed to cheer for you. Isn't that already great? Don't get greedy, alright?"
"Really?"
"Why else?" Fang Miaomiao decisively threw the topic to the somewhat paternal Wen Zhiyan. "If you don't believe me, ask your dad."
"Dad?"
Under Fang Miaomiao's guidance, Wen Yan'an's personality had become noticeably more lively.
"Your mother is right. Everyone has their specialties. If you want to learn to swim, you naturally need to find a professional instructor," Wen Zhiyan said, glancing at Fang Miaomiao. "And your mother accompanying you every day must be very tiring. You're a little man, you can't let Mom work so hard, understand?"
Wen Yan'an thought for a moment, then looked at Fang Miaomiao with a wronged expression. "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't think that through just now. I actually don't want you to work so hard."
"Okay, okay, okay."
Seeing his face, which looked so wronged that tears could fall at any moment, Fang Miaomiao's head started to ache. She quickly comforted him. "How could that be? I'm happy to be able to go to swimming lessons with An'an. Between the bed and An'an, An'an is definitely more important, right? Don't listen to your dad."
As she spoke, Fang Miaomiao glared at Wen Zhiyan. This man. She had asked Wen Zhiyan to persuade and comfort An'an, but instead, he had made the child cry. He was useless.
Wen Zhiyan gave an awkward smile. He could do anything else, but comforting children was truly a challenge for him.