Chapter 3

    In Northern province, the night air was so cold that there was no need for air conditioning or fans. The later it got, the colder it became, making it necessary to snuggle under a thick blanket for warmth. By now, everyone else on the farm was probably asleep, but not Phayu.

    The tall figure gently placed the baby on the bed, which was securely enclosed with a safety rail. Normally, Aunt Tan would take Wayu to sleep with her at night because the little one would cry for milk every three hours, which might not give Phayu enough rest. But after spending the entire day taking care of his child himself, he realized that he did not know anything about Wayu at all. How could he be a good father?

    Moreover, Aunt Tan was getting older every day, and her health was not great. It was not fair to expect her to look after the child all day and night while also handling household chores. He did not want to hire a nanny because he did not trust that they would care for his child properly, like in those news stories. So, it seemed better to practice taking care of him himself.

    After arranging his baby's sleeping position, Phayu quietly slipped into the bathroom. It was late, and he needed to quickly take care of himself and get some rest before the little one woke up.

    Phayu looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. Ever since the farm had run into trouble, he had not had time to think about anything else except taking good care of his son and working tirelessly to preserve the family's last remaining asset.

    His calloused hand, roughened by labor, slowly caressed his sun-tanned face before he decided to pick up the razor to clean himself up a bit. That city boy had the nerve to call him uncle. That was just too much of an insult.

    He was not angry with Ramin, though. Lately, his face had indeed looked older than his age, and Aunt Tan scolded him about it every day. But what could he do? On the farm, apart from the workers and his child, there was no one else around. Who was he supposed to look good for?

    "That kid's gaze is so annoying."

    After shaving, Phayu cleaned the razor and washed his face thoroughly. As for his long hair, he would find time to get it cut outside later. Right now, he should go take care of his son.

    "Sleeping like a log, you little chubby one."

    With love, he pressed his prominent nose against his two-month-old son's soft cheek. Even though his relationship with Praemai, Wayu's mother, had been rocky since before they knew she was pregnant, this child was born out of the love he had for Praemai, even though that love had now fallen apart.

    Having just his son was not so bad...

    The morning air at Ratchawakit Farm was quite chilly. Being in the northern part of the country, it was naturally cool and pleasant all year round. However, during the summer, the midday heat could be scorching. Ramin stretched to shake off his stiffness for a while before getting up to neatly fold his blanket without waiting for anyone else to do it for him.

    Even though he was born into a wealthy family and had lived a comfortable life, his parents raised him well. Personal belongings had to be taken care of by oneself, and Ramin adhered to this rule strictly.

    "It's almost seven o'clock."

    His full lips murmured. Last night, after learning the farm owner's age, Ramin was left speechless for a moment. He had mistakenly thought the other man was closer in age to his mother or father for quite some time. He only snapped out of it when the other man shoved a large piece of fried fish cake into his mouth, making it almost impossible to chew.

    As if that was not enough, he even had the nerve to threaten that if he woke up late, he would miss breakfast. What a barbaric person, Ramin thought, not pleased at all.

    After showering and taking care of his personal needs, his slender hands picked up his prosthetic leg and put it on. Once he checked that everything was in order, he tried standing up and walking. Seeing that there were no issues, he smiled with satisfaction. Although it was not as comfortable as a real leg made of flesh and bone, at least it made life easier than having none at all.

    "Half an hour until breakfast is served. I should head over early."

    Having decided to help the homeowner prepare breakfast, Ramin nodded to himself and walked out of the guesthouse to find the owner.

    "Mr. Phayu, I'm here."

    Hearing Ramin's cheerful voice from outside, Phayu set down the vegetables he was chopping. He had been busy feeding Wayu milk, which delayed breakfast preparations a bit, even though he was the one who had arranged for the younger man to come.

    The tall figure walked over to open the door for the person outside. The first thing Ramin felt was the warmth inside the house, a stark contrast to the chilly air outside.

    "Come in and wait inside; the food's not ready yet."

    "Thank you—oh! You've shaved your beard?"

    Ramin's beautiful eyes stared at the other's face in surprise. He hoped he had not caused Phayu to lose confidence. If that were the case, he would feel terribly guilty.

    "Yeah, I planned to shave it off for a while now. It has nothing to do with you."

    "Oh."

    The slender figure followed the older man into the house, where he was instructed to wait in the living room, despite offering to help inside. After waiting for a while, he heard a child's cry. Ramin took the liberty to go check and saw the homeowner about to run to wash his hands, so he quickly called out to stop him.

    "Mr. Phayu, go ahead and continue cooking. I'll look after Wayu."

    The tall figure hesitated slightly, as he was not usually comfortable letting someone he had just met take his child out of sight. But for some reason, he did not feel that way with Ramin. Perhaps it was the gentle look Ramin gave Wayu, a natural kindness that was not forced or fake...

    "Please take care of him. Breakfast is almost ready."

    "Gladly."

    Seeing Ramin's wide smile, Phayu watched as he quickly picked up Wayu from the crib and walked outside, like a child with a new toy. Phayu shook his head slightly, wondering if Ramin was a guest or applying to be a babysitter.

    Breakfast was a simple meal of minced pork congee with soft-boiled eggs. Initially, Phayu thought Ramin might complain, but he did not say a word. After finishing the meal, Ramin volunteered to wash the dishes, allowing Phayu to go upstairs to shower and take care of his personal matters. Suddenly, Ramin's eyes widened as he remembered something.

    The slender figure dropped what he was holding and hurried outside to catch up with the homeowner, forgetting that he was not very adept at walking quickly.

    "Mr. Phayu, oh!"

    "Watch out."

    Hearing the call from the guest, Phayu, who was about to go upstairs, turned back just in time to catch Ramin as he was about to fall. He could not help but scold the younger man, causing Ramin to look visibly downcast.

    "I was in a hurry."

    "What is it?"

    "Can I record a video here for my channel?"

    Seeing the tall figure still looking stern, Ramin gave a sheepish smile. This guy was nothing like his brother, Phasin, who never scolded him. Who was this man to dare give him such a stern look?

    It was scary, you know!

    "Couldn't you wait to ask until I came back down?"

    "I was going to head out right after washing the dishes."

    "And who's going to take care of Wayu?"

    Ramin blinked, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to look after the little one while his father went upstairs to shower. It did not even cross his mind that he was just a tourist, not a babysitter.

    "Then make yourself comfortable. I'll watch Wayu for now."

    With that, he eagerly turned and walked away. He had already mentioned how much he liked little kids. Even though he was into men, he dreamed of adopting a child in the future and giving them all his love. Despite his recent heartbreak, it did not matter. Men were not everything in his life.

    It did not take long for Ramin to finish washing the dishes and settle in the living room with the little red-cheeked child in his arms. As he examined Wayu's features, he noticed the boy resembled his father in many ways.

    It was like they were cut from the same cloth...

    "Let's check yesterday's feedback."

    Ramin placed the little one down on the soft cushion before pulling out his expensive phone to check the activity on his page. There were people offering encouragement and expressing concern, along with some comments that seemed to come from fans of those two, subtly mocking him.

    "Guess they have fans too, huh? Impressive."

    Some of the derogatory remarks were so harsh that Ramin could not believe people could be so cruel to strangers. He was sure he had not stepped on anyone's toes to deserve such insults. But to respond in kind was too much effort for him to bother with.

    Would it not be better to spend time making a living? With so many people in the world, if he took every word to heart, he would go mad one day. His slender fingers exited the app and dialed home instead. After facing negativity, he wanted to recharge with some positive energy from his family.

    "Hello, P’Sin."

    (What's up, champ?)

    "I miss you."

    Phayu, who was coming down from upstairs, heard Ramin talking on the phone and chose to head to the laundry room instead, not wanting to intrude on the conversation.

    (I saw what you posted on your page, are you sure you’re alright?)

    "I'm really okay. I don't even know those people, so why should I care?"

    (That's good to hear. If anything comes up, let me know, okay?)

    (I will if something does. By the way, could you go into my room and send me the body paint here? I'm planning to stay a bit longer. The weather is great here, and there are some cute kids too.)

    After chatting with his brother for a while longer, Ramin hung up because his brother had to work with their father. It was just as Phayu returned.

    "Finished talking?"

    "Yeah, you didn't have to leave. I was just talking to my brother."

    Ramin glanced at the homeowner and sighed softly. Even though he had shaved his beard and looked a bit better, he was still wearing clothes that seemed fit for cutting sugarcane, along with torn JJ pants. Honestly, it was hard to believe this man was really a tea plantation owner.

    "Can I have your account name? I want to tag you."

    "I don't have the app on my phone."

    "Want me to download it for you?"

    Phayu nodded slightly and handed his phone to Ramin before walking over to his little one.

    With a puzzled look, Ramin took Phayu's phone, glancing back and forth between the device and its owner.

    "Uh... don't you have another phone?"

    "No."

    Phayu replied in a calm voice, but a small smile played at the corner of his lips, unnoticed by Ramin. Without another phone, how else would he get to see the Ramin's page?

    "But it—"

    "Hurry up and do it, so I can take Wayu out."

    Phayu brushed him off, sounding like he was getting tired of the younger man's antics, while Ramin could only sit there blinking in confusion. The beard, the unkempt hair, and the outfit that looked like he was about to go cut sugarcane or chop wood somewhere—now he was handing over a Nokia button phone that his father had stopped using thirty years ago, with a straight face.

    How could this thing even access the internet!