In mid-June, He Ran returned to his hometown in Yao Province.

The trouble was that Lu Hanxiao, that clingy fellow, teamed up with Tao Xinglai—who was on vacation—and shamelessly hitched a ride in his car.

They gave him a reason fit for braving the elements: “I miss Tao Yuanming.”

He Ran: “If you miss him, go find him. Why are you following me?”

Lu Hanxiao said: “I want to be baptized in your father’s pastoral paradise.”

He Ran sneered, “All he has there is pesticide and fertilizer—enough to fill anyone up.”

Tao Xinglai was a loyal fan of strawberries, having adored them passionately for twenty-six years. His conscience was a bit better than Lu Hanxiao’s.

Cradling a basket of strawberries tightly, he said, “Brother Lu, save some room in your stomach. The pesticide and fertilizer are waiting for you later, so don’t fight me over these strawberries. I love you.”

“Get out of here,” Lu Hanxiao rolled his eyes. “Your love can fly to the heavens—I’m not accepting it.”

“You’re rejecting me? How boring. Brother-in-law He, from now on, I’ll only be devoted to you. It’ll move heaven and earth.”

He Ran wasn’t too pleased either. “I’m driving. For the safety of everyone in the car, little bro, behave yourself and stop grossing me out.”

Lu Hanxiao: “Hahaha.”

Tao Xinglai grew angry. “You two rough guys, how dare you talk to the Best Actor like that! Let me tell you something—Qiao Shu is an incredible fighter. With one split kick, she can send you straight into the ground, and by next year, you’ll sprout flowers.”

He Ran: “Right, and then those flowers will grow into carnivorous plants that’ll snatch your head away.”

Lu Hanxiao: “Crunch, crunch—it’ll be crispy, and they won’t spit out the bones.”

Tao Xinglai clutched his strawberries even tighter. “I’m done playing with you two.”

What kind of people were they, really?

The three chatterboxes performed their roles all the way, their tongues firing off like machine guns until they finally reached their destination.

Once out of the car, Lu Hanxiao assessed the villa in front of him. “Not bad. The terrain is flat, which boosts fortune. The main gate faces east, absorbing sunlight and energy. There are two floors, symbolizing prosperity and upward mobility. Brilliant.”

Tao Xinglai looked up at him in admiration. “Oh my gosh, Brother Lu, you even know feng shui? You’re so talented! I must promote you.”

Lu Hanxiao eagerly asked, “Promote me to what?”

“To be my guiding light. Let me count…” Tao Xinglai began tallying on his fingers. “Qiao Shu, Director Li, Bruce Lee, Tony Leung, Andy Lau… Hmm! Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to my 250th idol!”

Lu Hanxiao’s mind immediately spat out I want to f ** your mom*, but realizing it wasn’t appropriate, he quickly revised it to, “Little Tao, maybe you need to be remade.”

“I’d like that, but my mom and the mayor of our city might not handle it well.”

He Ran parked the car, stepped out, removed his sunglasses, and hung them casually on his index finger. “That’s enough from both of you. Speak properly instead of being vulgar. Words alone mean nothing—it’s all about real action.”

That comment hit a nerve with Lu Hanxiao. “What do you mean? Just because you have a wife, does that make you special? I have one too!”

He Ran’s voice remained calm. “A unilateral decision means nothing.”

Furious, Lu Hanxiao felt his heart crack. “Who says it doesn’t work? Twice a night, quality meeting European standards.”

Tao Xinglai quickly covered his ears. “I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening. This is too embarrassing.”

He Ran raised an eyebrow and calmly walked ahead.

Lu Hanxiao hung his head, tugging at the expensive hem of his shirt, feeling utterly dejected inside.

Tao Xinglai chased after He Ran. “Brother-in-law, wait for me. Help steady me.”

He Ran didn’t slow down, slightly turning his head. “Why?”

“I’m afraid I’ll faint from happiness when I see my sister.”

“…”

________________________________________

Jian Xi was four months pregnant. During the first trimester, her morning sickness had been severe—she could vomit for five minutes just from drinking water. She had taken sick leave and spent the difficult early stage of her pregnancy at home.

Last week, she and her grandmother had brought Mengmeng back to their hometown.

When the door opened, Tao Xinglai stood in the front, shouting, “Sis, hug me, hug me!”

Jian Xi smiled, looking much healthier than before.

She slowly approached, pushed Tao Xinglai aside, and embraced He Ran, who had already spread his arms wide behind her.

He Ran’s embrace was domineering. After hugging her, he kissed her cheek gently.

Jian Xi obediently said, “I can eat and sleep well now. It’s like I’ve been reborn.”

He Ran chuckled and shifted his gaze to her belly. Then, bending down, he pretended to scold it. “Brat, if you dare to torture your mom anymore, I’ll beat you up once you’re out.”

Jian Xi patted his head and softly said with a smile, “Boss He, stop acting tough. You know you’ll get beaten for this, right?”

Lu Hanxiao clapped his hands in approval. “I’ve practiced, Xiaoxi. Choose me, choose me.”

Jian Xi made way, leading everyone inside. “Find a seat yourselves. I won’t bother serving. If you want fruit, wash it yourselves.”

He Ran asked, “Where are Dad and Mengmeng?”

“They went to the experimental fields,” Jian Xi glanced at the time. “They’ve been gone for an hour. Dad said today they’d plant something.”

He Ran guessed it was late-season rice.

“Brother-in-law, I want to see your three mu of fertile land,” Tao Xinglai set down his strawberries.

“Sure, let’s go together.” He Ran put on his sunglasses, changed into slippers, and tossed a pair each to Tao Xinglai and Lu Hanxiao.

Jian Xi drove, knowing the way better than He Ran.

Lu Hanxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure you’re your dad’s biological child? You don’t even know what’s at home.”

He Ran: “Of course. I haven’t been home for over ten years, and only started coming back more frequently these past couple of years. My old man has so many fields—I can’t possibly keep track of them all.”

Tao Xinglai looked dreamy-eyed. “Brother-in-law, you were once a rebellious wild youth. So cool.”

Lu Hanxiao chimed in, “See? This personality of yours has been around for ages. Unlike me—I’m gentle, wealthy, and cultured. Little Tao, get Mayor Jian to give me an award.”

“I think handing you a brick would suit you better,” Jian Xi suddenly remarked.

Upon hearing this, He Ran curved his lips and added, “Yes, smash it directly onto your head, and a bloody rose will bloom spectacularly.”

Lu Hanxiao, sitting in the backseat, reached forward to choke He Ran’s neck from the passenger seat. “I’ll get you a makeover.”

Tao Xinglai leaned over smugly. “Make him look like me—no copyright fees required.”

Jian Xi was exasperated and silently spoke to her unborn baby. “Son, be good and sleep. Don’t listen to their nonsense—it’ll ruin your prenatal education.”

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Zheng’an Group’s experimental farmland.

The view stretched endlessly, fragrant for miles. The planning was impeccable, with informative plaques placed every three meters.

“Chili peppers, eggplants, and this is cucumber.” Tao Xinglai inspected several plots. “There are too many varieties!”

Lu Hanxiao stood in the cucumber field, studying it with great interest.

He Ran walked over and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“This.” Lu Hanxiao pointed to a cucumber on the vine and said slyly, “I feel very close to it.”

“Close? How?”

“It resembles the shape of nature.” Lu Hanxiao touched the fruit. “Don’t you think it looks cute?”

He Ran: “Damn, you’re disgusting.”

“Disgusting? Don’t talk nonsense if you’re uneducated.” Lu Hanxiao plucked the cucumber, rubbed it with his palm, and bit into it directly.

Juice dripped everywhere as he ate messily.

He Ran couldn’t help but remind him, “You’re a CEO, and your father is still the head of the Provincial Public Security Department. Can you at least act dignified?”

Lu Hanxiao corrected him, “My old man got promoted and moved to the capital to enjoy Peking duck. Why do I need dignity? I’m rich, handsome, well-endowed, skilled, and affectionate. What’s it to you?”

He Ran was left speechless, thinking, What a blockhead.

Tao Xinglai turned around and exclaimed, “Holy crap, Brother Lu, that cucumber was sprayed with pesticides! You’re doomed.”

Lu Hanxiao remained unfazed. “Stop talking nonsense if you’re uneducated. The plaque clearly states it’s organic and pollution-free. Why are you trying to be clever, Little Tao?”

Caught red-handed, Tao Xinglai sighed, feeling bored.

Pregnant, Jian Xi sat by the edge of the field, enjoying the scenery.

At that moment, the loud roar of a diesel engine thundered from afar.

He Ran squinted, shielding his eyes from the sun, and looked toward the sound.

Tao Xinglai blinked rapidly. “Oh my god, this is so cool!”

Even Lu Hanxiao was stunned. “It’s like seeing myself in the future.”

Before them stretched endless green fields full of life. He Zheng’an drove an open-top tractor, wearing oversized sunglasses perched on his nose and a straw hat atop his head. Sitting beside him was Mengmeng in a slip dress.

Grandpa and granddaughter sat side by side. Mengmeng stood up, pointing ahead with her chubby little hand.

“Charge toward Daddy!”

He Zheng’an, stern as ever, steered with one hand and gave his granddaughter a thumbs-up. Then, adjusting the tractor’s direction, he accelerated with a “vroom vroom.”

He Zheng’an’s driving skills were impressive—he navigated the rugged fields as if flying a plane, even showing off a stylish drift at the corners, making He Ran’s heart race.

With a perfect emergency stop, the open-top tractor came to a halt in front of everyone.

Mengmeng reached out her hand to He Ran. “Daddy, pick me up!”

He Ran wrapped his arm around her little belly and tucked her under his armpit.

Mengmeng squealed excitedly, clutching a foxtail grass in her hand. “I’m a little fairy, and I’m flying to the sky!”

By the field, Jian Xi’s face carried a gentle smile.

He Ran picked up Mengmeng and pointed to Tao Xinglai. “Daughter, who’s this?”

“My uncle.”

“And this?”

Lu Hanxiao, upon hearing this, eagerly leaned closer.

Mengmeng thought for a moment, then exclaimed, “Wow!” “This is the person Daddy scolds every night before bed.”

Lu Hanxiao: “….”

Mengmeng began performing, imitating He Ran’s tone. “He’s so stupid.”

Lu Hanxiao: “….”

He Ran couldn’t stop laughing and planted a kiss on his daughter’s face.

Mengmeng turned her head, cupped her father’s handsome face, and smooched him back.

Tao Xinglai took the child by the hand. “Come on, Uncle will take you to pick some fruit.”

As the two walked away, Lu Hanxiao sighed, “Mengmeng is clearly your seed.”

He Ran beamed with pride. “Of course. My genes are strong everywhere. How could she not be like me?”

Lu Hanxiao fidgeted with his fingers, feeling a bit down. “I want a daughter too.”

It was true—though the Lu family was large, oddly enough, all the children in this generation were boys. Growing up surrounded by men, Lu Hanxiao felt like he’d become as hard as stone.

He Ran patted his shoulder. “Before you have a daughter, please shower all your affection on Mengmeng. As for money, don’t give too much—ten thousand or so a month should do.”

“Go to hell,” Lu Hanxiao didn’t want to talk to him anymore. Instead, he enthusiastically greeted He Zheng’an. “Uncle He, if there’s anything you need help with, just let me know.”

He Zheng’an, wearing sunglasses, stood beside He Ran. The father and son exuded an incredibly similar aura.

He pointed to one of the fields. “There, start planting.”

Lu Hanxiao was quite excited—he had never experienced being a big-shot farmer before. So, enthusiastically, he rolled up his pants and “plop” jumped into the mud.

But once he landed, he froze. “Holy crap! Why is it so deep?!”

He Ran was utterly disgusted. “Lu Hanxiao, next time you go out, don’t say you’re my buddy.”

He bent down, revealing a chiseled section of his waist. Quickly rolling up his pant legs, he took off his slippers and slowly stepped barefoot into the field.

Under the sunlight, He Ran’s physique and features were top-notch.

He looked up and smirked at Jian Xi. “Does your husband look good?”

Before his wife could respond, Lu Hanxiao chimed in. “Food? It’s not even time for lunch yet. The food hasn’t been cooked yet. Hold on a little longer.”

“Damn you.” He Ran glared at him fiercely.

Lu Hanxiao was bewildered, innocently asking, “What’s wrong? Your gaze makes me feel like I’m being eyed by someone shady. Don’t stray from the righteous path.”

He Ran was speechless. “I’m fucking you!”

Still feeling unsatisfied, he reached out and pushed Lu Hanxiao, who lost his balance and fell to his knees in the mud. “Damn, that was sneaky!”

Fortunately, Lu Hanxiao was tall; otherwise, he would’ve ended up with a mouthful of mud.

His relief lasted less than ten seconds before He Ran pressed down on the back of his head and, with a slight push, sent him sprawling flat on his back in the mud.

Lu Hanxiao wasn’t one to be easily manipulated. As he fell, he hooked his leg around He Ran’s leg.

“Aren’t we good buddies? Let’s wrestle together in the mud.”

Mengmeng clapped her hands, hopping around while tugging at Tao Xinglai’s pants excitedly. “Uncle, uncle! My daddy turned into an African man. He’s all black—is that black sesame paste on his face?”

Tao Xinglai panicked, holding onto his waistband. “Big Mengmeng, you’re about to pull my pants off! Loosen your grip, loosen it!”

Upon hearing this, Mengmeng released her grip and stomped her feet. “Hmph! You’re embarrassing me! I’m not playing with you anymore!”

Tao Xinglai: “???”

Jian Xi smiled and beckoned to her daughter. “Mengmeng, come here.”

Hearing her mother’s call, the little one plucked a foxtail grass, held it high, and announced, “The little fairy is taking off again!”

Meanwhile, He Ran and Lu Hanxiao, two thirty-year-old men, were already wrestling in the mud.

Tao Xinglai pulled out his phone, took a picture, and sent it to Qiao Shu with the caption, “Let me show you what a live-action idiot squad looks like.”

Beside them, He Zheng’an frowned and barked sternly, “Stop messing around! Don’t ruin my field!”

He Ran grabbed Lu Hanxiao’s arm, while Lu Hanxiao pinned He Ran’s leg. The two were twisting themselves into something resembling Tianjin-style twisted dough sticks.

This group of troublemakers made He Zheng’an furious.

After two hours of chaos in the fields, the group returned to He’s house in full force.

Jian Xi forbade He Ran and Lu Hanxiao, covered in mud balls, from riding in the car. They had no choice but to drive the tractor home, exchanging verbal jabs along the way.

During lunch, He Mengmeng whined that she wanted to eat watermelon instead of rice.

Jian Xi refused, scaring her a little. The little one, afraid of her mother, teared up, took her bowl of rice, and obediently locked herself in the “black room.”

Tao Xinglai felt heartbroken. “Sis, how could you do this?”

Jian Xi was firm in her principles. “Some habits must be corrected from a young age. We already have your example—don’t you think that’s enough?”

Tao Xinglai: “???”

He Ran burst out laughing, handing a chicken leg to his wife and another to his younger brother. “Eat meat, eat meat.”

Lu Hanxiao grew envious. “What about mine?”

He Ran raised an eyebrow and generously handed him a piece. “Here, eat. This chicken butt suits you perfectly.”

Lu Hanxiao regretted it. “Why didn’t I finish you off in the fields earlier?”

Taking advantage of everyone talking, Tao Xinglai quietly slipped away.

He tiptoed to the “black room” where Mengmeng was crying. “Oh my goodness, look at your cruel mother scolding you like this. When we get home, we’ll report her to the mayor and have her executed.”

Mengmeng’s tear-filled eyes blinked, and she sniffled. “Mmm!”

Then she pointed to the large bowl of rice on the small table and called out pitifully, “Uncle, my favorite uncle.”

Tao Xinglai’s heart softened. “Don’t worry, leave it to your uncle.”

With that, he picked up the bowl of rice and started eating voraciously.

In half a minute, the bowl was so clean it could reflect his handsome face.

After swallowing the last bite, Tao Xinglai said joyfully, “See? Doesn’t this prove how much your uncle loves you? Aren’t I amazing?”

Mengmeng raised her chubby little hand. “Super amazing.”

Then, she stuck her head out and shouted toward the door, “Mommy, Uncle cheated! He ate all my rice for me. Look, there’s not a single grain left!”

Tao Xinglai: “???”

In the end, both uncle and niece ended up kneeling in the “black room.”

________________________________________

By evening, a large group gathered in the courtyard, setting up a small wooden table to play Landlord.

Jian Xi and Mengmeng were having a harmonious chat, mother and daughter getting along well.

Tao Xinglai’s knees still hurt a bit, which might have affected his luck—losing three rounds in a row.

Even Lu Hanxiao, who was also playing as a “farmer,” was getting angry. “Tao, can you focus? Stop thinking about your knees. Are you addicted to kneeling and licking or something?”

Tao Xinglai’s face went blank, his eyes filled with admiration. “My gosh, how did you know?”

Lu Hanxiao: “….”

He Ran was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “Anyone want this bomb card?”

“Bomb your sister! If it’s already a bomb card, who can afford it? Stop being dramatic, okay?” Lu Hanxiao fumed.

He Ran played another card. “A pair of mimi.”

Tao Xinglai: “???”

Lu Hanxiao: “???”

He squinted and, upon closer inspection, was rendered speechless. “Can you speak properly? It’s clearly a pair of Qs.”

He Ran’s mysterious sense of aesthetics made him chuckle. “Don’t you think Qs look alike?”

“Like your dick.”

“That’s right.” He Ran suddenly realized. “They do look like a pair of eggs.”

Tao Xinglai was starting to lose it. He pulled out his phone. “Get ready—you guys might want to prepare yourselves. I may need to call the police.”

He Ran lit a cigarette, dangling it casually from his lips. “That place—I’m familiar with it.”

Lu Hanxiao: “So am I. I’ve bailed you out of the station at least five times.”

After hearing this, Tao Xinglai silently put his phone back down.

Jian Xi and Mengmeng were cuddling together. Jian Xi’s gaze was warm, occasionally glancing toward He Ran.

This man, the most important person in her life, still smiled just like he did when they first met.

Jian Xi got up to use the restroom. When she came out, He Ran was waiting at the door.

Jian Xi asked, “Done playing cards?”

“No.” He Ran said, “I knew you were secretly watching me.”

Jian Xi smiled.

He Ran reached out and hugged her. “When you were looking at me, what were you thinking?”

Jian Xi’s brows softened, exuding warmth.

She didn’t say it aloud—

In the courtyard, there was a gentle breeze, a clear moon, old friends, and a loved one.

These tiny, ordinary things gave a woman the sweetest completeness in her life.

Jian Xi lowered her head, her lips curving upward into a smile.

“Husband.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you very much.”

He Ran paused, pulling her tighter into his embrace. Softly, he whispered:

“I know. I’m holding you very tightly.”

<Sweet & Loving> The End.