Chapter 6

    "Good grief!!!"

    "It's me, Aunt."

    Phayu grabbed the elderly woman's wrist just in time before the stainless steel tray could fly and hit his god-given face, potentially ruining it.

    "Single dad?"

    Aunt Tan furrowed her brows, examining the young man in front of her. Her eyes widened in recognition when she was sure it was indeed the single dad, Phayu.

    "What possessed you to cut your hair? I've nagged until I thought my jaw would fall off, and you never listened."

    "What kind of nonsense is that? I just wanted a haircut. Is that so strange?"

    Phayu sidestepped the elderly woman and went to sit on the living room sofa. Luckily, Ramin was off taking a shower. If he heard this, he would not miss the chance to tease him again.

    "Well, it's fine. You look more presentable now."

    The elderly woman sat naturally across from the homeowner. Though she was just the housekeeper, Phayu respected her as if she were a family elder. Everyone in the farm knew that besides Phayu, Aunt Tan was the one who had the authority to give orders to the workers.

    "If you've finished your work, you can head home. No need to stay late. I've bought food from outside, and I'll heat it up myself."

    "What about Wayu?"

    "Ramin is taking a shower. He'll be here soon."

    The elderly woman nodded in understanding. If it were anyone else, she might have worried and insisted on taking care of the little one herself. But since it was Ramin, she felt assured that he would take good care of Wayu, and even extend that care to Wayu's father. After all, he could not resist finding ways to tease the young man from Bangkok whenever he got the chance.

    He should watch out, or the boy might just run back to Bangkok one day.

    "Ramin is such a sweetheart. So talented, well-mannered, and he loves kids too."

    The tall figure, busy with his phone, raised an eyebrow at the elder. In all the years, he had never heard her praise anyone so easily. Yet here she was, casually complimenting Ramin in front of him.

    Sweetheart? More like a grumpy dog, always sulking and argumentative.

    "You only praise him. Don't you think I'm cute too?"

    "Don't compare yourself and get your feelings hurt."

    With that, Aunt Tan picked up her bag and walked out, leaving the tall figure to stew in his own thoughts while gritting his teeth. He lifted his phone, opened the camera, and took a selfie. If Ramin saw it, he would probably think it looked just like his father's profile picture.

    Once satisfied with the photo, the young tea plantation owner studied it for a moment before concluding to himself:

    "Not bad, quite handsome, actually..."

    After dinner, Ramin went up to Phayu's bedroom on the second floor. He had been here many times before, so it felt nothing out of the ordinary, especially since he needed to take care of Wayu before heading back to his place.

    "Peek-a-boo. Were you naughty today?"

    Seeing Wayu's bright eyes without a hint of sleepiness, Ramin took the opportunity to tease him a little. He had not had much time with the little one today, and he missed him terribly.

    "Ah-ah."

    "Hmm, not naughty at all, huh? You're such a good boy."

    His slender arms lifted Wayu up, hugging him close to his chest, and he planted loving kisses on both of the baby's soft cheeks. The more Wayu looked at him with those big eyes, the more Ramin's heart melted into a puddle on the floor. Once Wayu started talking, Ramin's heart would surely be overwhelmed by the cuteness.

    "Let's see if you've peed yet."

    With nimble fingers, he discreetly checked the baby's diaper. But instead of just finding wetness, there was a big surprise waiting for him.

    Wow... not just wet, but solid too. That meant he was a substantial little guy.

    "Let's change your diaper before bed."

    "Do you even understand each other?"

    The tall figure opened the bedroom door just in time to hear Ramin chatting away with the two-month-old baby, feeling curious. Even he could not communicate properly; when he asked Wayu to pee, he would fall asleep, and when he asked him to sleep, he would end up pooping for him to clean up.

    "At this age, babies start developing, so we need to talk to them often,"

    Ramin explained to the tall figure, the father of the little one in his arms. He then walked over to grab some old newspaper Phayu had stored in the drawer to wrap the used diaper, preventing any unpleasant odors from spreading.

    "I left the plan on the bed. Go take a look."

    Phayu nodded in agreement, watching Ramin clean Wayu's bottom without interrupting. The first time he saw Ramin doing this, he offered to help, worried that Ramin might be disgusted by cleaning up after someone else's child. But Ramin had firmly refused and even took Wayu back to his own place, leaving Phayu to sleep alone without his son by his side that night.

    "Are you sure you can handle walking all day?"

    He and Ramin had agreed to invest in the farm once more. Ramin would take charge of the farm's fan page and promotions, while Phayu would prepare activities for tourists. Visitors could tour the farm for free up to the fourth field, but if they wanted to join Ramin in activities like tea picking, observing processing methods, and trying their hand at roasting tea leaves to brew their own drink, they would need to pay an entrance fee of 650 baht per person. Children under ten could enter for free.

    "I can handle it. Once we welcome everyone, I'll head up to the fourth field to lead them to the sixth. While we're picking tea leaves, it'll be a chance to rest a bit,"

    Ramin said with a slight smile. Just the thought of the opening day made him excited. Tomorrow, he would start promoting the event, hoping at least a hundred people would join him, which would be a good start.

    "If you can't handle it, make sure to let me know."

    "I know, I won't push myself too hard."

    Watching Ramin pout slightly, Phayu shook his head in mild exasperation. Sometimes Ramin acted more mature than his age, yet he still had moments that reminded Phayu of Wayu when he spit up milk.

    If Aunt Tan saw this side of him, would she still call him sweetheart...

    As the months passed, the day for the farm's first opening of the year arrived. Although they were not offering overnight stays yet, as that required a bit more investment, they needed to carefully assess the risks.

    Ramin woke up early, hurriedly showering and dressing, glancing thoughtfully at his prosthetic leg. Last night, before bed, he checked his page's activity for a while and still found quite a few comments belittling his disability.

    People like this, if they could not type anything constructive, maybe they should just turn off the internet and go to sleep. Not only did their insults make the target feel bad, but they also affected others like Ramin. Just a few words could leave a deep scar on someone's heart.

    His slender arm reached to open the drawer and take out the body paint that Phasin had sent him. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only 4:30 AM. There was still a little time left since they planned to gather at 5:30 AM, but he needed to help Phayu get the little one ready, so he had to hurry.

    With swift strokes, the small brush created bright orange flower petals. Once satisfied with the design, Ramin used a hairdryer to dry it and then took a photo to upload to his personal page, captioned 'Gerbera.'

    A life as bright as the sun...

    Phayu quickly lifted the stroller out of the car before helping Ramin carry things, letting the young man hold Wayu and wait in the tent they had set up the day before. Ramin greeted everyone warmly with a smile, recognizing some familiar faces and others he had not seen before.

    Aunt Tan mentioned that these people used to work here before they had to leave due to a lack of funds. However, thanks to the generous compensation Phayu provided, they did not hold any grudges about losing their jobs suddenly. When Phayu announced the reopening of the farm, everyone eagerly returned to help with enthusiasm.

    "Looking sharp today, single dad."

    Uncle Saman, the long-standing worker who never considered leaving for another job despite the farm's struggles, teased with amusement. Usually seen in plaid shirts and tattered JJ shorts, who would have thought that after Ramin's makeover, he would look so handsome that many women would turn their heads.

    "I'm handsome every day."

    Ramin heard the tall figure say that and could not help but roll his eyes in mild annoyance. He then placed Wayu in the stroller for Aunt Tan to watch over, while he went to assist Phayu in discussing the rules with the new employees. He was not sure how many people would show up today, but everyone woke up excitedly to prepare nonetheless.

    The effort they were putting in was crucial for Ratchawakit Farm. It would determine whether they could continue or would have to shut down for good. Over the past month, Ramin had been tirelessly creating videos to invite his fans to visit. Phayu was not idle either; he helped with filming and sought sponsors for beverages and food for the event.

    In the past, this would not have been so easy. But with Ramin's fame and nearly five million fans, many brands were willing to take the risk. Even though the turnout was not as large as it could have been, it was still significant.

    If Ratchawakit Farm could move forward, they would gain more connections, benefiting everyone involved. Ramin even promised to sign a contract to be a brand ambassador for another full year, despite never having accepted any product review jobs before.

    It was a win-win situation.

    "Do you think anyone will come?"

    The slender figure glanced at his watch, which showed it was six in the morning, making him even more excited and causing his hands to sweat. He could not deny that he had high hopes for his fans.

    "I don't know, but I'm hopeful too."

    Phayu replied with a slight smile, waiting hopefully for the first tourist. Even as ten minutes passed, then twenty, the hope in everyone's hearts remained undiminished.

    Until...

    "The first group of tourists has arrived, sir!"