When He Ran laughed, his eyes slightly squinted. With the shimmer of tears, he appeared less tough and more endearing, evoking a sense of protectiveness.

Jian Xi held his hand, offering silent comfort.

He Ran said, “I always seem so vulnerable in front of you, not manly at all.”

Jian Xi smiled, tilting her head to look at him, “So, are you feeling better now?”

He Ran nodded slightly, “Yes.” He reached out to help her up, “It’s too hot; go change your clothes quickly.”

Jian Xi fanned herself while unzipping her outfit, sweat dripping down her neck.

He Ran glanced at her frog pajamas, “When did you buy this?”

“Many years ago, a friend gave it to me when I was studying abroad,” Jian Xi stood up, taking off the clothes along the way, “I originally thought about donating it, but then I figured no one would wear something like this, so I kept it. Never expected it to be put to good use today.”

He Ran went into the bedroom, fetched a set of clean clothes for her, and handed them over as he came out, “Go take a shower.”

Jian Xi took the clothes, “There are strawberries on the table; have some.”

He Ran picked one and reached out from behind her, “Open your mouth.”

Jian Xi was fed the biggest one, incredibly sweet.

She tilted her head and smiled at him.

He Ran leaned down to kiss her, “Sweet enough to kill you.”

Jian Xi stood still, using her index finger to wipe where he kissed, then licked it twice, exaggerating her tone, “Wow! It tastes milky!”

He Ran couldn’t help but laugh, pushing her towards the bathroom by her shoulders, “Go take your bath.”

Hugging her clothes, Jian Xi slipped inside. Not long after, she poked her head out, batting her eyes at He Ran.

He Ran: “What is it?”

Jian Xi winked at him and licked her lips with her tongue, “Brother Ran, I won’t close the door, okay?”

He Ran: “...”

Jian Xi: “Hahaha.”

Still, she closed the door.

He Ran stared at the door panel, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled softly, “Silly wife.”

While washing halfway through, Jian Xi shouted from inside, “Brother Ran, there’s no body wash left!”

Without much thought, He Ran fetched a new bottle from the storage cabinet and pushed the door open.

Jian Xi waited opportunistically by the door. As soon as he appeared, she splashed water onto his face.

He Ran clicked his tongue, turning his head to dodge.

Jian Xi hugged his neck and kissed each of his cheeks, “Too handsome; can’t resist.”

Through this continuous pampering, He Ran genuinely and wholeheartedly smiled.

Jian Xi was familiar with every expression on his face. This time, seeing that he was truly relaxed, she felt reassured and patted his butt, “Passing grade; go out now.”

Quickly, He Ran reached out and pinched her chest, “Thank you, Teacher Jian for your thoughtful guidance.”

The two played and laughed together, making their days naturally vivid and lively through these small interactions.

After coming out from the shower, Jian Xi blew-dried her hair while saying, “Mengmeng will be celebrating her hundredth day next week. Mom asked us what we think.”

He Ran: “What do you think?”

Jian Xi thought for a moment, “Just have a meal with the family; no need to make it too complicated.”

He Ran agreed without condition, “Alright.”

The hairdryer buzzed loudly. After drying her hair halfway, Jian Xi finally asked tentatively.

“Husband, apart from grandma, do you want to notify anyone else?”

He Ran didn’t get it at first, “Hmm?”

Jian Xi turned off the hairdryer, walked in front of him, her voice soft and slow, “Your dad and mom... they...”

He Ran’s facial color changed slightly, and Jian Xi immediately cautiously closed her mouth.

Trying to lighten the mood, she changed the subject, “It’s nothing, just asking. By the way, do you want any more strawberries? I’ll go wash the rest.”

But He Ran suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

Jian Xi lowered her head and quietly looked at him.

He Ran’s eyes were a bit stiff, tinged with an indescribable sadness.

His breathing was light as he spoke, “My parents divorced when I was very young, and I stayed with my father.”

Jian Xi sat beside him and smoothly continued, “Then let’s invite Dad over so he can see Mengmeng?”

After struggling internally, He Ran finally nodded, “Alright, I’ll call him.”

Jian Xi quickly said, “Let me do it; I’m cuter, elders like me.”

She clearly understood that although they hadn’t held a wedding banquet, it was still proper to inform both sets of parents. He Ran had been endlessly affectionate towards her but never mentioned this matter.

Being considerate, Jian Xi didn’t ask, but it had been on her mind.

He Ran smiled faintly, calmly saying, “No need, I will call him myself.”

At that moment, Mengmeng woke up, crying and whining in the bedroom.

Jian Xi hurried over, leaving He Ran sitting alone in the living room.

He pondered for a moment before picking up his phone, walking to the balcony, and retrieving the number last dialed a year ago.

In earlier years, He Ran’s temper was explosive, akin to a powder keg, much like He Zheng’an. The last call was when he and Jian Xi got married. Out of courtesy, he made the effort to notify them. After mustering the courage to dial, he received the cold reply, “The number you dialed does not exist.”

He Zheng’an had blacklisted him.

Such sarcasm pierced his entire being, draining all his anger.

Reflecting on the past, He Ran no longer harbored any hope for the present.

He pressed the number, turned on speakerphone, and mentally prepared himself for still being on his biological father’s blacklist.

After a brief wait, the phone emitted a long ringtone, “Doo—”

He Ran’s hand trembled; could it actually connect?

“Doo—”

“Doo—”

Each ring elevated his heart higher. He tightened his grip on the phone, his heart pounding, “Thump, thump, thump.”

After five rings, the tone abruptly changed to short and sharp—disconnected.

That heart which had risen three thousand meters high suddenly plummeted, crashing into a deep hole on the ground. He Ran fell in, his body and soul shattered.

“Fuck!” He Ran couldn’t help but curse under his breath, “If you’re going to keep me blacklisted, why bother letting me through!”

He took a deep breath, stuffed the phone back into his pocket, and turned to return to the room.

———

On the day of He Mengmeng’s hundredth-day celebration, even Tao Xinglai specially flew back from Wuxi’s filming location.

As soon as Lu Hanxiao saw him, he howled, “Big star, come sign an autograph for your older brother.”

Tao Xinglai removed his sunglasses, making a dazzling entrance, “Priority for the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled. Brother Lu, you definitely rank first.”

Lu Hanxiao casually pushed He Ran forward, “You go.”

Tao Xinglai scoffed, “I don’t sign for anyone handsomer than me. Sister, where’s my Mengmeng? Let me play with her.”

Jian Xi washed a basin of strawberries and said as she passed by, “She’s sleeping. Wow, do you have to be so extravagant, wearing such a thick gold chain?”

Tao Xinglai looked down, “Oh, it’s part of the costume; I forgot to take it off.”

Since Qiao Shu’s retweet last time, the topic热度 remained high. Riding this wave, Tao Xinglai’s popularity shamelessly rose, leading to various variety show invitations. Recently, he also landed the second male lead role in a major IP movie.

Lu Hanxiao was curious, “Who’s the heroine in your movie?”

Tao Xinglai chewed on a strawberry happily, “Zhou Yao.”

Lu Hanxiao: “Don’t know her.”

“She has the most beautiful legs in the industry.”

“Oh! Then I know!” Lu Hanxiao only recognized legs, not names, “I’ve touched them; not impressive, her skin is quite rough, not as delicate as our child’s.”

Jian Xi: “...” This contained quite a bit of information.

Lu Hanxiao acted nonchalantly, “Why Zhou Yao? I thought it would be Qiao Shu, who’s been linked to you in rumors.”

Tao Xinglai proudly proclaimed, “I told my agent, the basic condition for accepting roles is not to share the screen with Qiao Shu.”

“Wow, you’re such a big shot now.”

“That’s called having backbone. I don’t rely on women; I have talent.”

“Tao’er, when did you become so shameless? Did you learn from your brother-in-law?”

Hearing this, He Ran crumpled a piece of paper and threw it at Lu Hanxiao, “Did I offend you?”

Just then, Tao Xinglai’s phone rang—it was Li Xiaoqiang calling.

He answered, “What’s up?”

As he listened, Tao Xinglai’s expression changed from sunny to cloudy, then to snowy.

Cold as ice shards, he collapsed, “Changing actors at the last minute is one thing! But why replace the female lead with Qiao Shu!!”

Li Xiaoqiang continued babbling on the other end.

Tao Xinglai sobbed and sniveled, “You little beast! I’ll fire you, octopus, squid, and carp!”

Lu Hanxiao curiously leaned over, “What’s wrong, Tao’er? Is Qiao Mei acting opposite you?”

“Not quite.” After some thought, Tao Xinglai realized there might still be hope, “I’m the second male lead; I don’t have many scenes with the female lead.” He recalled the script, “They’re just everyday scenes; it doesn’t matter.”

Just as he consoled himself, his phone rang again—this time a text message.

Li Xiaoqiang probably didn’t dare to call anymore.

[Just received a call from the production team, asking you to switch to playing the male lead.]

Tao Xinglai’s heartbeat flattened, and the next piece of news nearly killed him.

[And that fight scene has been directly changed to an intimate scene between the two of you. Report to the set tomorrow, bring toothpaste, the first scene is a French kiss.]

Tao Xinglai: “!!!”

Qiao Shu, I must have stolen your underwear in a past life; you’re here to settle the score!

For Mengmeng’s hundredth-day family feast, the whole family gathered joyously.

Following tradition, they shaved the baby’s hair, and grandma kept a tuft, placing it in a lucky bag for Mengmeng to carry with her.

Tao Xihong was very straightforward, giving her granddaughter a red envelope containing a bank card.

Tao Xinglai gifted a set of golden bangles and a peace lock. He was very thoughtful, finding an old craftsman in Wuxi who handmade everything, even engraving Mengmeng’s name and birth date on them.

Jian Xi’s breast milk was nourishing; at just over three months, Mengmeng had already become a chubby baby.

And the family of three finally had their first official family portrait.

After the family banquet, He Ran, Lu Hanxiao, and Tao Xinglai played cards. Jian Xi found an opportunity to avoid them and went to find her grandmother.

“Xixi, you’ve worked hard during this time,” Grandmother patted her hand as they sat in the small tea room in the side hall.

While brewing tea, Jian Xi said, “Not really, Mengmeng is easy to take care of. Grandma, I had someone bring some cordyceps for you; I’ll give them to you later.”

Grandmother praised her for being considerate, took the tea she brewed, and blew on it to cool it down.

Jian Xi glanced at He Ran, who was enthusiastically playing cards in the living room, and softly said, “Grandma, I want to ask you something.”

“Hmm? Sure, sure, go ahead.”

Jian Xi lowered her eyes, her fingers delicately rubbing the rim of the cup, asking, “Is He Ran’s relationship with his father not good?”

Grandmother didn’t expect her to ask this.

Jian Xi raised her eyes, “I’ve never heard him mention anything about his family.”

“Xixi,” Grandmother held her teacup earnestly, “Are you blaming him?”

“No, no, no.” Jian Xi quickly shook her head, “How could I? I just want to know what the root of the problem is.”

After a moment of silence, Grandmother sighed lightly and said, “Actually, there wasn’t any life-or-death matter. In the end, it was all because of me, this old woman.”

“Because of you?” Jian Xi was startled.

Grandmother nodded, her tone seeming to penetrate through the haze of years, full of sighs, “When my daughter divorced his father, it was quite ugly.”

Jian Xi: “Why did they divorce?”

“Incompatibility, busy with careers, busy making money, neglecting companionship—they just divorced.”

Grandmother continued, “He Ran was twelve at that time. Both of them fought for custody, and he also wanted to go with his mother. But they couldn’t reach an agreement, so He Zheng’an took the custody dispute to court, which awarded it to him. He Ran was rebellious, always opposing his father, not studying well, getting into trouble every day—their relationship was very bad.”

Jian Xi could imagine that He Ran must have been full of hostility in his youth.

Grandmother’s tone was distant, “All these things can be endured. But later, his mother died in a car accident, and I, an old woman, felt like I had nothing left to live for.”

Jian Xi quickly grasped her hand, “Don’t be sad.”

“You’re such a good girl,” Grandmother held her hand back, having long accepted the passage of time, and continued, “He Zheng’an asked He Ran to bow to his mother and pay respects. He is a good child, unwilling to let me spend the rest of my life alone. So he told his father that he wanted to move out and live with me.”

Grandmother smiled, “I know He Zheng’an’s character. Their relationship was already strained, and after this incident, it broke completely. To be honest, there are many ways to resolve issues, but neither of them would compromise. Something trivial could turn into thunder and earthquakes.”

Jian Xi understood, “It was just a trigger. Their conflicts had been building up for a long time. Grandma, you don’t need to blame yourself either.”

“Ah,” the elder sighed deeply, “He Ran values loyalty and righteousness, a good seed. It’s just unfortunate that He Zheng’an is also an old stubborn man.” She turned her head, looked at Jian Xi, and advised, “Just treat it as hearing a story from the neighborhood gossip. Don’t mention it to He Ran; he’s sensitive about it. Don’t let it affect your marital relationship.”

Jian Xi promised, “I know where to draw the line.”

In the living room, Tao Xinglai’s cries continued, “I lost again! Are you two jealous of my handsome appearance, teaming up to crush my intelligence?”

Jian Xi tilted her head and looked over. As if sensing each other’s thoughts, He Ran followed her gaze and looked over.

Their gazes met in mid-air, his eyes filled with gentle warmth.

Lu Hanxiao was a troublemaker, throwing his cards on the table and covering He Ran’s eyes with his hand, “Those showing affection deserve to have their eyeballs dug out!”

———

From summer to autumn, then from autumn to winter.

When the sycamore trees in the community shed their leaves, piling up on the ground, Jian Xi’s maternity leave also ended. Hospital work was too busy; even though she didn’t have night shifts during her breastfeeding period, she still couldn’t manage direct feeding.

After persisting for a while, when Mengmeng was ten months old, Jian Xi made the difficult decision to stop breastfeeding. The process was torturous for the adults—her breasts were as hard as stones, and even lifting her arms caused pain.

Mengmeng, however, adapted naturally, sucking on the bottle without pressure, babbling away, showing early signs of language talent.

During infancy, it wasn’t clear whom Mengmeng resembled more. Now, taking her out for a walk, people immediately knew she was He Ran’s daughter.

As next month would be Mengmeng’s first birthday feast, Jian Xi planned something in her mind. After much deliberation and hesitation, she finally made up her mind.

When Tao Xinglai received the instructions, he was quite excited, “Wow, Sister, are we going on a mission? It feels like espionage—I love it!”

Jian Xi: “I’m glad you reacted this way.”

Tao Xinglai: “I’ve wanted to protest for a long time. Mengmeng is almost one year old and hasn’t even seen her grandfather. We’re going to Brother-in-law’s hometown tomorrow—will he drive?”

Jian Xi said: “You drive, I’ll take Mengmeng, and your brother-in-law won’t come.”

Tao Xinglai: “...”

The distance to Yao Province was over 300 kilometers. Even on the highway, it would take three and a half hours.

This time, Jian Xi indeed kept it from He Ran, choosing a time when he was on a business trip. With her daughter in her arms, along with Tao Xinglai leading the way, they came to acknowledge Mengmeng’s ancestry.

“Sister, feed me a strawberry,” Tao Xinglai drove, his mouth never stopping, “Pick the prettiest one.”

Mengmeng in the backseat mispronounced, “**, **.”

“Baby, it’s not **, it’s Uncle,” Tao Xinglai was frustrated, “Whom did she learn Mandarin from?”

“Alright, alright, among peers, she’s speaking early,” Jian Xi handed over the strawberry, “Open up.”

Tao Xinglai caught it in one bite and mumbled, “Do our in-laws know we’re coming? I’m starving; will there be pig’s trotters to eat?”

Jian Xi: “They don’t know we’re coming.”

Tao Xinglai slammed on the brakes, “What?”

Jian Xi said: “Yes, we’re uninvited guests.”

“Damn, exciting,” Tao Xinglai said, “Sister, I absolutely love your sense of humor.”

Thinking seriously, Jian Xi leaned closer, “On this trip, we might face some unpleasantness. I brought you along because I value your absent-mindedness—no, I mean your optimism and ability to stay positive.”

Tao Xinglai: “...” Worst-case scenario, “Will our in-laws kick us out?”

“Not to that extent,” Jian Xi licked her lips, carefully choosing her words, softly saying, “Because most likely, they won’t even let us in.”

Tao Xinglai: “...”

After exiting the highway, Jian Xi used the address she got from her grandmother and set the navigation.

Zheng’an High-Tech.

Tao Xinglai vaguely remembered, “A large group dealing with agricultural by-products, quite impressive.”

Jian Xi had already researched, “We’ll first go to the company, get the secretary to pass on a message, then act according to the situation.”

“What if our in-laws refuse to see us?”

“Then we’ll keep waiting at the entrance; whether coming or going to work, we’ll eventually catch them.”

Tao Xinglai solemnly nodded, “Just so happens, I have a pair of nunchucks in the trunk—just in case.”

Jian Xi laughed, “What do we look like?”

Tao Xinglai raised an eyebrow, “Mountain tiger hunters.”

The two siblings: “Hahaha.”

Mengmeng in the safety seat was extremely excited, joining in the excitement, “**, **.”

Tao Xinglai turned around, pretending to be fierce, “It’s Uncle.”

Entering the city, after driving for about ten minutes, they quickly arrived at the Zheng’an Industrial Park.

Jian Xi thought along the way, suddenly calling out, “No!”

“You scared me,” Tao Xinglai patted his chest, “What’s wrong?”

Jian Xi looked at him, “We can’t confront them directly, nor let things get too stiff. In case—just in case—things get unbearably awkward, I’ll play the sympathy card.”

Tao Xinglai agreed, “Good idea, a soft approach works wonders. Tell me, how exactly?”

Jian Xi: “You pretend to be mentally challenged. I’ll bring my family and children, and also take care of a mentally challenged younger brother—it should evoke sympathy.”

Tao Xinglai: “...” His mood felt bitter, “Let’s see.”

Parking, getting out of the car.

The grand office building of Zheng’an Group was right in front of them.

Tao Xinglai sighed, “Damn, even more majestic than Old Jian’s municipal government building.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he instantly got into character, sticking out his tongue, his eyes vacant, his head tilted, rolling his eyes.

Jian Xi got goosebumps all over: “...What are you doing?”

Tao Xinglai drooled, “Acting... acting like a mentally challenged child.”

The air suddenly fell silent.

A few seconds later, neither sibling could hold it anymore, bursting into laughter.

After laughing enough, Jian Xi held Mengmeng tightly, looking at the gate of Zheng’an Group, softly saying, “Let’s go, find Grandpa.”