Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lin Wan wrapped her arms around his neck. âGot it, Mr. Li.â
They were wrapped in a blanket together and unable to sleep throughout the night.
In late January, the temperature in Yun City dropped below the freezing point.
Li Yanchen, Lin Wan, and Li Zekai went together to pick up Li Zexuan and Li Zexin from their schools.
The winter break for junior and senior high schools happened on the same day. The three of them went to the junior high school first. Li Zexin had already packed his backpack and belongings. He wanted his roommate to help carry them back home since it was nearby.
However, the previous day, Lin Wan had said something about having a sense of ceremony, so she made him wait at the school.
When Li Zexin saw the car at the school gate, he grabbed his suitcase and ran.
The first one to get off the car was Li Zekai. Although he had just seen his brother yesterday, the little boy was still happy. âBrother Xinxin!â
Lin Wan and Li Yanchen got out of the car at the same time. Li Yanchen had his hands in his pockets. He was leaning against the car door, while Lin Wan stood at the front of the car and smiled at her two stepsons.
Big Mouth and the others walked slowly. During breaks, they usually took a car back home by themselves.
Seeing two people outside the gate being treated like celebrities, the roommates quickened their pace.
âI envy you, Xinxin. Itâs just a five-minute distance between the school and the house, but your family still insists on picking you up!â Preserved Egg said.
âThatâs right. Itâs so frustrating for me, too. It takes me forty minutes by bus to reach my home, and my dad still makes me go on my own.â
âI spend an hour commuting, and I also have to go by myself. Xinxin, youâre really lucky.â
âIâm going to protest. Iâm going to ask my mom if Iâm really her biological child.
Look at Li Zexin, his parents come to pick him up even though itâs just across the street.â
His friends went on and on about it. Although they were snarky, Xinxin knew they were happy for him.
He thought back to the past. Whether it was winter or summer, Li Yanchen had never ever come to pick him up even once.
Even after so many years in junior high, no one had ever seen Li Zexinâs father. Now that their best friendâs father showed up at the school for his son, everyone felt happy for Li Zexin.
âI didnât want them to pick me up. Itâs just a short distance. But they insisted.
Weâre going to pick up my big brother later.â
âEnjoy!â
âAlright, get in the car quickly. Have a happy winter break and the happiest new year. See you next year!â Li Zexin got into the car.
Li Zekai talked away all the way.
âBrother Xinxin, didnât you want Dad to pick you up? You said that Dad insisted on picking you up, but you didnât want it,â said Li Zekai.
Li Zexin pinched his younger brotherâs cheek. âYouâre really clueless. Couldnât you see I was being sarcastic?â
He leaned back on the seat. âDad, thank you. Now the whole school knows that
I actually have parents who care about me.â
Li Yanchenâs hands paused at the steering wheel for a moment. He wasnât sure if his sonâs voice had choked up a little.
He looked at the rearview mirror and smiled. âKid, sit tight. Today, there are a lot of people getting off school for vacation. Donât distract me from driving.â
Li Zexin looked up. âOkay, Dad.â
Lin Wan remained silent. It was nice to hear the heartwarming conversation between the two. She was glad that father and sons were finally getting along.
At Yun Xi High School, Li Zexuan bid farewell to Xie Wanyu and waited alone at the school gate for Assistant Qin to pick him up.
When Li Yanchen and Lin Wan got out of the car together, he froze. Then, he saw his two younger brothers getting out of the car and calling out to him.
âThe whole family is here to pick me up?â
It took him a while to understand that it was real.
âWhy are you all here?â Li Zexuan asked.
âTo pick you up and take you home,â Li Zexin said.
Together, they helped carry Li Zexuanâs luggage into the car.
Assistant Qin had gone to Xuecheng Village to pick up Auntie Bao. They talked and laughed along the way to Royal Water Bay.
Auntie Bao asked Assistant Qin if he was the new housekeeper. Assistant Qin told her that he was an assistant at the company.
âAuntie Bao, I heard that you used to take care of Madam. Has she really changed so much?â Assistant Qin asked.
âYes, she has. And so has Yanchen. Theyâve both become better versions of themselves,â said Auntie Bao.
âThatâs true. Sir has changed since he got married. I really have Madam to thank for that. When sir is happy, weâre all happy.â
âTheyâre both good people. Assistant Qin, do you have a girlfriend? If not, I can introduce someone to you. My eyes are sharp when it comes to people. I have a fellow villager. Her daughter is twenty-five and works in an office. Sheâs quite good-lookingâ¦â Auntie Bao talked endlessly.
Assistant Qin wanted to interrupt, but seeing how enthusiastic she was, he felt awkward. He could only wait until she finished before. âThank you for that, but I already have a girlfriend. We just started dating. But Secretary Han is still single. How about I introduce Secretary Han to you?â
âWhoâs Secretary Han?â
âOh, right. You probably havenât met him. Heâs around my age and works for
Mr. Li. We both handle everything in the company and can be considered Mr. Liâs right-hand men. Secretary Han is thirty years old and has a seven -figure annual salary. Heâs also a nice personâ¦â
They exchanged numbers when they got out of the car.
After Assistant Qin took Auntie Bao to Royal Water Bay, he returned to the company. He met Secretary Han there and told him that he had found someone for him. He showed him the number of the woman Auntie Bao had introduced to him.
Secretary Han widened his eyes. âWhatâs going on?â
Assistant Qin told him that Auntie Bao had introduced someone to him, so he had suggested his name to her.
âWhy are you pushing her to me when you donât want her?â
âBecause I already have a girlfriend. Are you planning to remain single forever? There is no pleasing you at all. Iâm leaving!â Assistant Qin grumbled and went back to his own office.
The Royal Water Bay Villa became lively again.
Auntie Mama couldnât stop smiling when she met Auntie Huang.
âBao Bao.â
âHuang Huang.â
The two often chatted on WeChat. When they met again, they referred to each other more casually.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Auntie Bao went to cook in the kitchen, and Auntie Huang followed her to help out.
After Li Yanchen and the others returned home, they didnât bother taking their luggage and went straight inside.
Lin Wan gave Auntie Bao a hug when she saw her. âMama Bao, I missed you.â
Auntie Bao patted Lin Wanâs head. âMy little girl, youâre back.â
âYou two can rest. I and Mr. Li will cook lunch.â
The kids were talking about going to the amusement park, but their lovely chatter came to a halt when they heard Lin Wan offering to cook.
âMs. Lin, Mr. Li is very skilled in cooking. Why donât you leave it to him? Come over here, I have something to show you.â Li Zexin came up with a reason to stop Lin Wan from going into the kitchen.
Lin Wan followed him. Auntie Huang and Auntie Bao couldnât bear to let Li Yanchen cook in the kitchen, so they chased him away.
âYanchen, go be with the kids. Leave the kitchen to us.â
âYeah, at your pace, this meal will probably be ready only by evening.â
Li Yanchen untied his apron. âI only know how to make some simple dishes,â he said in embarrassment. âI donât even recognize these ingredients. I might end up wasting the ingredients.â
âItâs alright. Get out of here.â Auntie Huang chased him out of the kitchen..