◎Men aren’t important—earning money is what truly matters.◎

After conducting blood tests and a series of examinations, Yue Jiayi was preliminarily diagnosed with a high fever caused by a viral cold.

During dinner, his appetite was poor, and he felt drowsy, even skipping the daily bedtime reading ritual that usually never wavered.

Fu Jiaxi touched his forehead—it was scorching hot.

The household’s medical supplies were fully stocked: ice packs, thermometers, and fever-reducing medications were all applied. She continuously wiped the back of his neck with a warm towel.

But after two hours, his temperature still hadn’t come down. They had no choice but to drive to the emergency room.

Yue Jiayi was extremely uncomfortable and became fussy. He resisted the doctor’s examinations, crying out “No injections!” whenever a nurse approached.

Fu Jiaxi was at her wit’s end, feeling a bit scared, so she called Yue Jincheng.

As soon as Yue Jincheng appeared, Yue Jiayi’s lips quivered, tears streaming down his face. With a heavy nasal tone, he reached out his small hand and called for “Daddy.”

Yue Jincheng picked him up and walked to the end of the corridor.

Father and son huddled close, whispering softly. Yue Jiayi’s legs dangled against Yue Jincheng’s waist, smudging his silk shirt with shoe prints on the light beige fabric. Yue Jincheng cradled his son, soothing him with quiet words.

Yue Jiayi finally agreed to have his blood drawn and receive an injection.

Three IV bags dripped slowly. Yue Jiayi started coughing again, prompting the doctor to administer a dose of cough suppressant medication.

Finally, the child closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Lying in the hospital bed, the feverish redness on his cheeks faded, replaced by a pale, sickly complexion.

Yue Jincheng gently tucked the little quilt over him and turned his head slightly. “I’ll stay here—you go rest.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t refuse, quietly stepping out of the ward.

The international medical department offered VIP suites with full amenities, including a caregiver’s bed.

After overseeing the completion of the second IV bag and changing the medication, Yue Jincheng also came to this side.

He pushed open the door, only to find someone who wasn’t resting.

Fu Jiaxi was diligently working under the lamp, sitting at a small table, revising presentation pathways with unwavering focus.

Yue Jincheng pressed his palm against the doorframe, trying to restrain himself as he reminded her, “I told you to rest, not to switch places and continue working overtime.”

Fu Jiaxi was too absorbed and startled by the sudden voice, replying sharply, “You told me to rest—are you expecting gratitude for your generosity?”

Yue Jincheng said, “Don’t deliberately misinterpret my words.”

“Why would I deliberately?” Fu Jiaxi countered. “Your tone already sounded harsh, and I’m just stating facts. If I said something like ‘It’s okay for officials to start fires but not for commoners to light lamps,’ you’d probably dislike it even more.”

Yue Jincheng was still seething inside, anger accumulated from earlier in the day showing no signs of dissipating.

He stepped into the room, closed the door, and this time, unwilling to stay calm, confronted her directly.

“Are you blaming me for making Jiayi sick?”

“I never said that.”

How could she not? He reminded her, “You even told me to take a roller coaster to the hospital.”

Fu Jiaxi remained silent, unwilling to waste energy on such trivialities.

Yue Jincheng continued, “I’m not the first father to take my son on a roller coaster—you can’t blame everything on me.”

“…”

What did any of this have to do with anything?

After a brief hesitation, Fu Jiaxi suddenly realized.

“Was it just the roller coaster?” Her expression was serious, but her tone softened slightly. “Did you ask our son who looks better in the same jacket—Daddy or Uncle?”

Yue Jincheng clenched his fingers tightly. How could his own son betray him so completely?

Fu Jiaxi couldn’t help but feel baffled. “Are you being childish?”

Yue Jincheng defended himself stubbornly, “I was teaching my son to distinguish right from wrong and not to lie.”

Fu Jiaxi struggled to suppress her laughter. “Honesty is a virtue, right?”

As she relaxed, Yue Jincheng felt some tension ease as well.

In the soft light, Fu Jiaxi exuded a hint of charm. Yue Jincheng was momentarily distracted. The calm after the storm made the distance between them seem less insurmountable.

Fu Jiaxi refocused on her screen, meticulously reviewing data point by point.

“The recovery rate calculation needs to be broken down—was it direct collection or unified?” Yue Jincheng suddenly interjected.

Fu Jiaxi considered his input and demonstrated, “Merge this row, delete this item.”

“No need,” Yue Jincheng raised his chin slightly. “Combine the formulas—it’ll be clearer.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t immediately understand. “Where?”

Yue Jincheng leaned forward, covering her hand on the mouse, guiding the cursor to indicate.

Fu Jiaxi sincerely accepted his advice, gaining clarity.

Yue Jincheng added, “There are two more crucial points.”

Fu Jiaxi’s eyes lit up, becoming even more spirited.

“You sleep first,” he calmly negotiated. “I’ll tell you after you wake up.”

Fu Jiaxi paused, then couldn’t help but smile faintly, realizing how much effort he put into this.

“Alright,” she agreed, her tone unconsciously softening.

Yue Jincheng let Fu Jiaxi rest in the caregiver’s room while he went to watch over their son.

Before leaving, he dimmed the lights, his hand on the doorknob, one leg already out the door, but he suddenly turned back. “New leader? Your college classmate? Going to amusement parks for team-building events to show consideration for subordinates?”

Fu Jiaxi was taken aback by his barrage of questions. “Ah, yes.”

Yue Jincheng remarked, “Merging categories and items makes the proposal framework more precise and concrete. If he can’t pinpoint such a clear entry point—his competence needs improvement.”

His evaluation was objective, consistent with his usual work style.

The door closed, and he left quickly.

It seemed he didn’t want to linger a second longer to hear her defend her senior.

________________________________________

Yue Jiayi’s cold had started abruptly and hit hard. In the morning, his fever spiked again, necessitating hospital observation.

Just as Yue Jiayi had fallen into a deep sleep, he suddenly woke up upon hearing those words and began crying uncontrollably.

Feverish and with his little face flushed red, the child’s emotions spilled over easily. It was like how, on ordinary days, he could never get that one toy he desperately wanted—but now, in this moment, he finally had a reason to demand it.

Yue Jiayi reached out his hands, his voice hoarse from crying. “I want Daddy and Mommy, I want both of you to stay with me.”

Fu Jiaxi felt her heart ache alongside her son’s distress. She patiently comforted him, gently holding him close. She couldn’t make decisions for Yue Jincheng, so she softly reassured him, “Mommy will stay with you. Mommy won’t leave.”

Yue Jiayi clung tightly to her neck, his small hands gripping so hard they left red marks.

Yue Jincheng stepped forward, gently prying open his son’s tight grip on Fu Jiaxi. “Daddy won’t leave either. Both Mommy and Daddy will stay with you.”

Under their soothing words, Yue Jiayi fell back asleep. Even in slumber, his tiny fists remained clenched, gripping Yue Jincheng’s collar tightly.

After two days of IV drips, his fever finally subsided.

With too much work waiting at the company, Fu Jiaxi urged Yue Jincheng to leave, assuring him she could handle things alone.

Yue Jincheng didn’t argue and agreed to return in the evening to relieve her.

“Bye, Daddy! Be safe on the road,” Yue Jiayi sweetly called after him.

“You…” Fu Jiaxi sighed helplessly. “Yesterday you were a little devil, and today you’re an angel.”

“I think being a little devil isn’t so bad,” Yue Jiayi murmured as he flipped through a picture book. “Because when I’m a little devil, Daddy and Mommy will stay together with me.”

Fu Jiaxi suddenly realized the need to have a conversation with her son about some realities he must accept and understand.

But weighing the situation, she decided to wait until he was fully recovered.

Her phone buzzed—it was a message from Qin He: Jiaxi, is the child feeling better?

Fu Jiaxi was deeply moved.

She hadn’t even mentioned taking leave that morning, yet Qin He somehow learned the news and proactively granted her time off. Take care of your family. You don’t need to come to the office today.

Fu Jiaxi immediately called Qin He back—first to express her gratitude, and second to discuss work arrangements.

Qin He briefly went over the fourth draft of the tender proposal with her. When Fu Jiaxi asked about further revisions, Qin He showered her with praise.

This made her think of Yue Jincheng’s incisive, straightforward annotations from the previous night. They were concise, effective, and yielded twice the results with half the effort.

“Director Qin,” Fu Jiaxi said, “I can be at work on time tomorrow.”

She hadn’t noticed the commotion at the door.

Until Yue Jiayi called out, “Grandma, Auntie, Second Aunt!”

Fu Jiaxi froze, quickly ending the call.

The visitors were Aunt Yin Zhen, Aunt Yue Linmei, and Wan Yu.

Wan Yu was very enthusiastic, immediately taking Fu Jiaxi’s hand upon entering. “Is Jiayi feeling better? Sister Jiaxi, you also need to rest. Yunzong was worried about you all. If it weren’t for his video conference today, he would’ve come along.”

“Thank Brother Er for me,” Fu Jiaxi softly expressed her gratitude, then greeted the other two elders. “Auntie, Aunt-in-law, please sit.”

“Oh, no need to be so polite, Jiaxi,” Yue Linmei said, her brows furrowed with worry. “When I heard the news about our precious baby being hospitalized, I was so anxious I couldn’t eat breakfast. Why didn’t you tell us? Taking care of a child alone is so difficult.”

Fu Jiaxi explained, “You’ve already worried enough. Jiayi’s father is here too. We didn’t want to trouble the family.”

Aunt Yin Zhen frowned disapprovingly. “Jiayi is the treasure of the Yue family. This isn’t just about worrying or not—we should have been informed. What if something serious happened? Could you handle it alone?”

Fu Jiaxi tried to reassure her. “He’s been checked thoroughly. It’s just a viral cold—a lot of children catch it during seasonal changes.”

“Others are others, and Jiayi is Jiayi—they’re not the same thing,” Yin Zhen corrected.

Fu Jiaxi felt a headache coming on.

Having dealt with the Yue family for so many years, she knew these distant relatives well.

For instance, the three visitors before her right now:

Yue Linmei was smooth-talking but sharp-tongued, a master of setting traps and burying hidden daggers.

Aunt Yin Zhen spoke bluntly, her arrogance making her easy to provoke. She was used to playing the villain and showed no signs of changing.

And though Wan Yu was Yue Yunzong’s second wife, she was far from a simple, innocent flower. Fu Jiaxi hadn’t interacted much with her, but from their few encounters, Wan Yu struck her as a simpler version of Yue Linmei.

The driver accompanying them brought in baskets of fruit and boxes of toys—all gifts for Yue Jiayi.

Yue Jiayi politely thanked them.

“Our little Jiayi is so well-mannered.”

“He’s lost so much weight—it’s heartbreaking.”

The three women exchanged comments, while Fu Jiaxi stepped back, retreating to the edge of the crowd.

“Earlier, I heard you on the phone—are you going back to work tomorrow?” Yin Zhen suddenly asked.

“Yes,” Fu Jiaxi replied. “Jiayi can be discharged this afternoon.”

“And after that? When you go to work, who will take care of him?”

Yue Jiayi quickly answered, “Daddy will take care of me. He promised to take me to the office to build Legos together.”

Yin Zhen frowned and turned to Fu Jiaxi. “Jincheng is so busy with meetings all day. How can he possibly have time to take care of a child? He’s a good father, but even he has limits. Can’t you rest a few more days and fully recover with the child?”

Before her words faded, a voice came from the doorway.

“Auntie, perhaps you haven’t worked in a long time and don’t understand modern corporate policies,” Yue Jincheng entered the room, his tone neutral. “Even if I take personal leave, there are procedures. It’s not as simple as just saying it.”

Fu Jiaxi hadn’t expected him to return unexpectedly. She asked, “Did you forget something?”

Yue Jincheng walked up to her and whispered, “Come take a look.”

Aunt Yin Zhen’s pride was slightly wounded. “When Jiayi is sick, of course he wants his mother by his side.”

“His father can also accompany him. He’s not a three-year-old who doesn’t understand the world. I’m busy, and Jiaxi has work too. As parents, we should treat our son equally,” Yue Jincheng said. “If he can’t accept this, then it only shows that Jiaxi and I have failed in raising him.”

Though his tone was calm, it wasn’t hard to detect the underlying tension.

Aunt Yin Zhen persisted. “When making choices, one should weigh the pros and cons and prioritize what’s urgent. Is the child more important, or that meager salary?”

Yue Jincheng responded, “Getting sick is a normal physiological process. With timely medical attention and proper treatment, recovery is inevitable. Jiayi has both his parents by his side, and even our elders have come to visit and show concern. That’s already more than enough. Auntie, Aunt Linmei, Sister-in-law, shall we have lunch together?”

The implication to leave was clear. Once the visitors departed, the atmosphere in the room relaxed.

Yue Jincheng closed the door and turned around to see Fu Jiaxi lost in thought by the window.

Fearing her emotions might still be affected, Yue Jincheng apologized first. “I didn’t know they would come. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Fu Jiaxi’s gaze drifted like dandelion seeds, aimless and unfocused.

After a long pause, she slowly spoke. “In the past, many people would say, ‘You’re so wealthy—why do you always insist on working and earning that meager salary? Isn’t it meaningless? Why not stay at home as a virtuous wife, cooking meals, supporting your husband, and raising your child? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live a carefree life as Mrs. Yue?’”

Yue Jincheng’s heart sank with every word she spoke.

“At first, I was Yue Jincheng’s girlfriend, then Director Yue’s wife, the Yue family’s daughter-in-law. Later, I became Yue Jiayi’s mother. But… can’t I just be myself anymore?”

Her tone was eerily calm, her words flowing smoothly, yet her emotions felt hollow and detached.

Watching her slender figure and vacant expression, Yue Jincheng couldn’t help but step toward her.

He even raised his hand, his palm trembling slightly, wanting to gently stroke her hair. There was guilt, regret, and an indescribable ache in his heart.

His palm hovered near the nape of her neck, just a centimeter away, as he murmured softly, “Don’t be sad.”

“What do I have to be sad about?” Fu Jiaxi suddenly reined in all her emotions, her expression defiant. “I’ve just become even more certain.”

Yue Jincheng paused. “Certain of what?”

Fu Jiaxi’s gaze hardened like stone. “Men really aren’t important. Earning money is what truly matters.”

Yue Jincheng: “….”