◎Remember to come to the blind date. Don’t be late.◎

《Warming Up》

/Biting Spring Pancakes

A gentle breeze accompanied a sunny sky; May was the most comfortable season in Yunjin City.

But at this moment, Fu Jiaxi’s mood felt like throwing a torch onto an iceberg—extremely tormented.

The parent sitting across from her was relentless, their emotions growing increasingly agitated.

“I’m not satisfied with Teacher Xiao Yu’s handling of this situation, and I don’t accept it. If a simple ‘sorry’ can solve everything, then anyone could hit my son in the future, because apologies cost nothing!”

Principal: “Your concern is valid, but this is only Teacher Xiao Yu’s suggestion. This is just a small conflict between children, and we...”

“How could there be such an immature suggestion? I can’t understand it.”

The principal’s smile faltered. “I apologize. We didn’t consider it thoroughly enough.”

The sharply rising tone was abrupt and jarring. Yue Jiayi hid behind her mother again, her small fists tightening further.

Fu Jiaxi turned her head, smiled at her son, and held his damp little hand. Then she turned back, speaking softly, “It was wrong of Jiayi to hit first, and he apologized immediately. I understand your feelings—an apology may not be enough. But after Jiayi apologized, your child retaliated by stabbing him in the face with a pencil.”

“That’s impossible. My child is the sweetest.”

The principal interjected fairly, “There’s surveillance footage in the classroom. I’ve already retrieved the complete video. Can we watch it together?”

With no room left for baseless arguments, the other party fell silent momentarily, though their anger remained unshaken, still etched on their face.

“Waaah!!” The child who had been hit suddenly burst into tears, his sobs like an unreasonable afternoon downpour. He pointed at Yue Jiayi and accused, “He hit me! I didn’t even touch him, waaah!”

“I dodged it!” Yue Jiayi peeked out and shouted loudly, “You were trying to stab me in the eye with a pencil!”

Fu Jiaxi’s expression hardened as she pulled Jiayi slightly behind her. Her voice dropped two degrees colder. “My child made a mistake, so apologizing is necessary. But let’s separate the issues here. Shouldn’t your child also say ‘sorry’ to Yue Jiayi?”

“Did it actually stab him? Was there any injury? Any marks? Nothing happened. So why should my child apologize?”

Fu Jiaxi pressed her lips tightly together. Her silence wasn’t due to being persuaded or out of fear, but because the atmosphere was too tense. She didn’t want—and it wasn’t appropriate—to escalate things further in front of the children.

The principal frowned, clearly disapproving of this reasoning. However, adhering to the principle of peaceful negotiation, she patiently mediated, “Then what approach would you like to take to resolve this issue?”

“The act of hitting someone is unforgivable, but since he’s just a child, I’ll offer two options. First, have him read a letter of self-criticism three times in front of the entire class. Second, transfer him to another class.”

The principal frowned. This demand was quite excessive.

For a moment, even the silence was profound.

Given Fu Jiaxi’s temperament, breaking things irreparably over something like this wasn’t beyond her.

The smile at the corner of her mouth was the last calm before the storm, and her rolled-up sleeves signaled a warning. But just as she stepped forward, her clothes were gently tugged. She looked down to meet Yue Jiayi’s bewildered eyes.

They were clear, yet timid.

His tightly clenched little fist loosened, eagerly intertwining his fingers with Fu Jiaxi’s as if to comfort her.

The flames of reason above were extinguished, and Fu Jiaxi’s heart softened instantly.

Yue Jiayi had always been quiet and slow to warm up as a child, unlike her.

Fu Jiaxi thought that if he were a bit more like her, even if he were less likable or occasionally lost control, at least he wouldn’t suppress himself.

In this brief moment of distraction, the short silence that followed was misinterpreted by the other party as submission. They raised their chin triumphantly. “Make your choice.”

“Sorry to interrupt.”

The voice came from a man in a suit standing at the door.

Yue Jiayi exclaimed in surprise, “Dad!”

Two figures entered. Yue Jincheng walked behind them, half-hidden, impeccably dressed in formal attire, having come straight from an ongoing executive meeting. Lawyer Cheng stepped aside, extending a protective hand toward little Jiayi as he ran over.

Yue Jincheng scooped him up lightly, holding him close and bouncing him slightly in his arms. Then he touched foreheads with him—a默契 (silent understanding) between father and son.

“Dad,” Yue Jiayi’s voice softened. “I made a mistake.”

Yue Jincheng hummed in acknowledgment. “Do you regret it?”

Jiayi lifted his little head slightly. After a pause, he shook it firmly. “No!”

This answer pleased Yue Jincheng immensely.

He set his son down, took a few steps forward, and stopped beside Fu Jiaxi.

Yue Jincheng wasn’t the kind to appear mild-mannered—he was handsome and composed. Today’s meeting was important, and he had foreign guests to meet in the afternoon, so his hair was neatly styled, revealing his forehead. Dressed in formal attire, his presence was naturally impressive.

The other parent felt uneasy but maintained their aggressive stance. “So, this must be Father Yue. Fine, discuss among yourselves how to handle this.”

Yue Jincheng didn’t rush to provide an answer. Instead, he calmly reviewed the sequence of events.

“Yue Jiayi hit someone.”

“Yes, he hit my son, made his nose bleed, and scratched his hand.”

“What did this child say to Jiayi before the altercation?”

“They had a minor argument over something trivial.”

“What kind of argument? What trivial matter?”

“It was... it was...” The other party clearly didn’t want to elaborate and reiterated, “Anyway, your son hit someone.”

Yue Jiayi peeked out from between his parents, still seething with indignation, his eyes red and brimming with sadness. “He insulted me! Called me an abandoned child, said I didn’t have a father, and that Mom and I were kicked out.”

Fu Jiaxi turned her face away, her expression tight.

Yue Jincheng appeared unperturbed, speaking calmly. “It’s true that hitting someone is wrong and deserves punishment.”

The other parent breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, He seems tough, but turns out he’s easy to handle.

Then, Yue Jincheng gave a subtle nod to Lawyer Cheng nearby.

Lawyer Cheng put away his recorder and phone, stepping forward. “Madam, hello. I am Mr. Yue’s attorney. In fact, young Yue Jiayi has both parents alive. Given your incorrect guidance, defamation, fabrication of facts, and suspected intentional harm, causing distress to my client, I have been authorized to handle this lawsuit entirely.”

“Lawsuit?!” The other party was completely stunned, flustered. “Are you insane? Your son was the one who hit first!”

“We encourage you to pursue all legal means to protect your rights. We will fully cooperate.” Lawyer Cheng turned to the principal, politely saying, “Teacher, until the legal process is completed, can Jiayi continue attending his original class?”

“Of course.”

—

There was one more storytelling lesson left.

Neither Fu Jiaxi nor Yue Jincheng left. With the teacher’s permission, they sat at the back of the classroom to observe.

The summer uniforms were fresh and British-inspired. Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, piano music played softly in the background, and the children’s innocent voices brought fairy tales to life.

Yue Jiayi sat upright in the second row, his face earnest. When the teacher asked questions, he enthusiastically raised his hand high.

Fu Jiaxi relaxed slightly. Thankfully, her child hadn’t been too affected.

The classroom benches were small, making Yue Jincheng’s tall frame look slightly comical. He stretched one leg out straight, clearly uncomfortable. His work phone beeped with email notifications several times—Tuesday was always his busiest day.

But Yue Jincheng showed no trace of impatience. Like Fu Jiaxi, his eyes followed closely, attentively observing his son’s emotions.

Occasionally, Yue Jiayi glanced back. Seeing both his parents sitting there together, he flashed a big toothy grin and enthusiastically threw himself into the interaction.

Fu Jiaxi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

He was happy.

Happier than he’d been in a long time.

Lost in thought, her phone slipped from her pocket and landed on the ground with a dull thud.

As Fu Jiaxi adjusted her posture to pick it up, Yue Jincheng beat her to it, bending down to retrieve it and handing it to her mid-air.

“Thank you,” Fu Jiaxi murmured softly, taking it.

Their fingers brushed briefly, then quickly retreated.

Polite, almost overly distant.

Yue Jincheng didn’t speak, loosening his collar slightly, a hint of restlessness rising.

The classroom was filled with the sound of children’s laughter and chatter, drawing a clear boundary line between them. Any attempt at communication felt superfluous.

Until the bell rang.

“Daddy! Mommy!”

Yue Jiayi’s joyful cry broke the awkward silence.

Fu Jiaxi patted his head, and Yue Jincheng lifted him up with one hand. “The story about the penguin and the whale was excellent.”

Yue Jiayi shyly scratched his face. “I almost forgot a part!”

“No limits. If you can improvise freely, Daddy would think it’s even better.”

Encouragement worked better than praise. Yue Jiayi hugged Yue Jincheng’s neck tightly, swinging his legs contentedly.

Fu Jiaxi followed behind with the backpack, but suddenly it was empty in her hands. Yue Jincheng had already taken it for himself.

Yue Jiayi, perched on his shoulder, playfully winked at her.

The driver waited at the school gate with Yue Jincheng’s business car—a sleek black Bentley.

Fu Jiaxi slowed her pace.

“Mommy, get in the car!” Yue Jiayi called out anxiously, his eyes pleading.

Unable to resist, Fu Jiaxi relented.

The back seat was spacious, accommodating three people comfortably.

Yue Jiayi sat in the middle, leaning toward Fu Jiaxi one moment and Yue Jincheng the next.

“Mommy, the kids say you’re so pretty.”

“They also say my dad is super handsome, like a big boss.”

Even the driver chuckled.

Speaking of Yue Jincheng, the eldest son of the Yue family and the general manager of Baifeng Group. He had two younger brothers and was groomed as the successor from a young age, full of confidence and ambition. During Baifeng’s capital securitization reform, when alliances were being formed, Yue Jincheng, the most neglected member of the family, found himself without support. Yet, despite his weak position, he emerged victorious amidst open hostility and hidden attacks, consolidating real power and ascending to his position—a textbook case of climbing the corporate ladder.

Not “like” a big boss.

But the real deal.

Yue Jiayi was like a cheerful little koi fish.

Fu Jiaxi and Yue Jincheng could effortlessly respond to any topic he brought up.

Yet between the two of them, not a single word was exchanged.

Yue Jincheng took out candy he’d brought back from a business trip to Switzerland the previous week, offering it as both comfort and reward. “Only two pieces a day.”

Yue Jiayi eagerly agreed and began tasting it right away.

At that moment, Fu Jiaxi’s phone rang—it was Bai Duo.

She answered, “It’s fine now. Everything’s resolved. I took half a day off from work.”

“Dad,” Yue Jiayi tugged at Yue Jincheng’s sleeve, “give Mommy a piece too.”

Yue Jincheng looked at Fu Jiaxi.

Fu Jiaxi leaned back against the seat, her fair face flushed faintly pink, like a pale rose glistening with dew. Her fatigue was evident, a soft vulnerability showing through.

Yue Jincheng took out two candies and handed them to her.

Fu Jiaxi was momentarily surprised, straightened up slightly, and gathered herself to accept them.

On the other end of the line, Bai Duo’s loud voice boomed, “Remember to come to the blind date tomorrow night! Don’t forget, and don’t be late!”

Just as Fu Jiaxi was about to take the candy, Yue Jincheng’s hand paused. Suddenly, he closed his fingers, hiding the candy in his palm and retracting it.

“...”

Fickle and petty, moody and unpredictable.

How had Yue Jincheng become like this?

Putting herself in his shoes, Fu Jiaxi figured it was probably due to the overwhelming workload and stress.