The two kids pushed Zhou Shiyi all the way back, and they didn’t even complain about being tired when they returned to the hotel.
“Daddy, you have to eat more from now on, no more picky eating! If you’re picky, you won’t have the strength to walk!” YouYou earnestly lectured him.
Zhou Shiyi hadn’t expected the two kids to push him all this way without getting tired.
He replied, “Alright, Daddy won’t be picky anymore.”
At mealtime, Zuozuoyou kept putting food on his plate.
They were all dishes he usually never ate, but that the kids themselves loved.
“Daddy, eat quickly, no picky eating!”
“Daddy, eat more to have strength! If you don’t eat, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow, and we won’t push you anymore!”
Each one acted like a little adult, managing him.
“Eat up!”
“Big bites!”
Zhou Shiyi looked at the plate full of dishes he didn’t like and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Zhong Yi said nothing, quietly amused as she watched him.
Zhou Shiyi felt he couldn’t show his picky eating in front of the kids, so no matter how much he disliked the food, he forced himself to eat it.
What his father couldn’t control him over, he never expected to be controlled by his own sons thirty years later.
Worried that he wouldn’t eat, the two kids stuffed rice in their mouths while keeping a close eye on his chopsticks, reminding him now and then to balance meat and vegetables.
“Daddy, you can’t just eat meat, you have to eat vegetables too!”
Zhou Shiyi nudged Zhong Yi’s leg under the table, signaling her to manage the kids and stop staring at him.
Zhong Yi teased him, pulling her leg away to avoid him leaning on her.
Zhou Shiyi spoke to her in the Jiangcheng dialect: “Didn’t you say you only love me? Come closer.”
Since the two sons understood English, he had to switch to dialect when talking with Zhong Yi.
Over the years, he had learned some from Zhong Yi, so simple communication was no problem.
Zhong Yi smiled and stretched her leg out again, pressing it against his.
“Daddy, what language did you just speak?”
“Jiangcheng dialect.”
“But I don’t understand.”
“I said you and your brother are the best kids.”
YouYou was overjoyed and put more food on Daddy’s plate.
Zhou Shiyi said, “…Thank you, Daddy, that’s enough.”
He recalled a friend in the group chat who had just given up trying to please their kids and allowed everyone to be picky eaters.
But he wouldn’t do that; he wanted to maintain his image in front of his sons.
Before sleep, each son slipped a drawing under his pillow wishing him a happy birthday.
The brothers were perfectly in sync, both drawing a family of four.
Though the drawings were a bit abstract, the scene was very heartwarming.
Zhong Yi’s birthday gift to him was good news from the project: after five and a half years, the chip had finally taped out.
After the kids fell asleep, Zhou Shiyi held an online meeting with the algorithm and chip teams.
To his surprise, only Níng Quē and Yan Tinglin logged in; the rest of the team had already started their vacations.
Back when Zhou Shiyi held his wedding in Windmill Village, Yan Tinglin had given the team a month of paid leave, promising they could take the remaining month after the project was over.
Yesterday, Yan Tinglin announced: since the project period was long and everyone was tired, he would grant them an additional month of paid leave starting immediately.
“Boss, isn’t there a summary meeting tomorrow?”
“I’ll attend on your behalf.”
The algorithm team envied the chip team and tagged Níng Quē in the chat repeatedly.
They tagged him but said nothing.
Níng Quē thought it over and granted everyone an extra month of paid leave.
As for the summary meeting, he would naturally attend it for all.
At Kuncheng, Du was busy and couldn’t attend.
So, the meeting was just the three of them.
“Where are my sons?” Yan Tinglin asked to see Zuozuo and Youyou.
Zhou Shiyi replied, “You want to see them now? When you usually take care of them, why don’t you?”
Yan Tinglin laughed, “I’m busy.”
Those two little rascals stayed in his office for half a day each time, and his ears would ring for days afterward, like he had tinnitus.
“Let me see them, haven’t seen them in days but still claim to miss them.”
Zhou Shiyi said, “They’re asleep.”
Yan Tinglin: “I only want to see them when they’re asleep. I don’t want to see them when they’re awake.”
Zhou Shiyi didn’t show them; after all, he had finally gotten them to sleep and didn’t want to wake them.
After an evening of Zuozuoyou and Zuozuo lecturing him not to be picky with food, he didn’t want to hear it anymore.
The three of them dropped work talk in their meeting.
Zhou Shiyi said, “I heard the Bay Area is offering sky-high salaries to poach you. Thinking of going back?”
Yan Tinglin sipped his coffee slowly: “No. I can’t bear to leave my two sons.”
Zhou Shiyi said, “That’s easy. Bring Zuozuoyou over then.”
Níng Quē: “Don’t scare him.”
Yan Tinglin just laughed heartily.
Bringing two kids along would indeed scare him.
His reasons for not going back were twofold: first, his own company and team in the Bay Area were doing well and didn’t need his constant oversight; he had enough vacation every year to handle matters back home.
Second, he didn’t want his parents to endure long-haul flights to see him.
If there were a third reason, it was because working with Zhong Yi and Níng Quē was so pleasant.
He hated office politics, especially internal faction fights in the group. Going back meant facing all that.
Why make things difficult for himself?
In the five-plus years he had been with Jinghe, everything promised by Min Ting had been fulfilled, and no one ever interfered with his decisions.
The Kuncheng project ended successfully, and after a few months’ rest, he and Zhong Yi were about to start collaborating on the next Big Model project.
Even with the sky-high salary in the Bay Area, he couldn’t find a reason to go back.
Yan Tinglin changed the subject and asked Níng Quē, “Why don’t you ever talk about your own son?”
Níng Quē had married someone her family introduced, and things were going well. Their son was now two years old.
“Isn’t it easier to take care of just one kid than two? Zhou Shiyi’s house has two kids, and sometimes they act wild, right?”
Níng Quē said, “Who says one kid is easier? He whines all day, refuses to eat this or that, and still needs to be carried when walking.”
Zhou Shiyi felt, for some reason, that Níng Quē was indirectly criticizing him.
Then he realized she didn’t even know what he was like as a child.
Zhong Yi happened to walk over to the computer and almost laughed, but held it back.
She didn’t open her own laptop and instead dragged a chair over to sit next to Zhou Shiyi.
The four of them used to have video meetings often and sometimes didn’t realize they were chatting late into the night.
It was nighttime here, but almost noon over there.
“You’re not on vacation?” Zhong Yi asked.
Níng Quē: “Not in a rush. Waiting for you to come back.”
Yan Tinglin was even less hurried: “In a few days, I’m going to check out Kuncheng Semiconductor.
The customized chips have been adjusted, and after taping out, mass production depends on Zhou Sujin’s side.
Five and a half years have passed, and Kuncheng Semiconductor’s manufacturing technology has made a qualitative leap.
Back then, Zhong Yi had shown sincerity to him with Kuncheng Semiconductor and Jinghe Group’s business secrets, saying the future of semiconductors had to be here.
Five and a half years flew by like a blink, and everything felt like yesterday.
The few of them chatted casually until after midnight. The small town turned to the 30th.
Yan Tinglin sent a timely birthday greeting in the group: “Happy birthday, forever thirty!”
Níng Quē raised her goji berry tea as a toast: “Happy birthday.”
Five years ago, he had planned a surprise for his birthday, but the model needed adjustments and couldn’t make it to the real car test, so they never properly celebrated.
That night, they were busy until late and didn’t have time to celebrate his birthday.
Five years later, finally making up for it.
Card.
Zhong Yi hugged him: “Happy birthday, forever twenty-nine!”
Zhou Shiyi couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her.
“Thank you.”
He also thanked the two friends who waited until midnight in the video call to send their wishes.
“Come back and make up the birthday feast. Don’t try to skip it.”
Yan Tinglin stood up and told Níng Quē, “Let’s eat.” Then reminded her, “Don’t forget your Fanka.”
In recent years, he had treated the team to meals every day; his meal card balance was finally depleted.
Without a balance, the monthly meal allowance ran out before the end of the month, so now he was freeloading on Níng Quē’s Fanka every day.
After ending the call, Zhou Shiyi bowed his head and kissed her.
Zhong Yi held his tongue with hers, just like the first deep kiss years ago.
Clumsy, reckless, purely driven by feeling.
Outside, the town quieted down.
Inside the room, only the smacking sounds of their kisses filled the air.
While kissing, Zhong Yi grabbed him tightly.
She thought back to that March, the first meeting about the Kuncheng Motors project in the Jinghe conference room.
At that time, he hadn’t yet taken over Kuncheng Motors; it was just rumor outside.
At that moment, she didn’t know her father had already decided on a marriage alliance, so she resolutely refused to participate in the project.
That day, Níng Quē said so many things, but she wasn’t sure she absorbed them all.
She only remembered writing in her leave request that she hoped for more time to think. @UnlimitedGoodStories, all found on Jinjiang Literature City
At that time, she couldn’t even think properly.
How could she have thought through anything?
When she wrote those words, she only wanted to see him once.
Not to get a result, just to see him once.
She called her father several times, but he didn’t answer.
Unable to wait until evening, she went to her father’s company, without caring if her identity would be exposed.
Later, she chose March 21st to get their marriage license, not because it was easy to remember.
It was because March 22nd was too painful, and she wanted to use the previous day to end the sadness.
The deep kiss ended.
Her hand still lay on top.
Zhou Shiyi took her hand away, leaned down, and lifted her into his arms.
Zhong Yi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.
They kissed all the way to the bathroom.
Zhou Shiyi set her down and locked the door behind him.
“In the box.”
Kissed and murmuring, Zhong Yi said unclear words.
They had brought a big box on this trip, and since Zhou Shiyi had packed it himself, he naturally knew where it was.
For a moment, he even thought about having another child.
But seconds later, he sobered up.
He let go of her in his arms and went to the suitcase to fetch it.
Soon, he returned.
Zhou Shiyi placed the item in Zhong Yi’s hand and lowered his head to kiss her.
Zhong Yi couldn’t see anything, relying on familiar memory.
Zhou Shiyi held his breath, his sharp Adam’s apple moving with her rhythm.
She was very slow.
So slow that Zhou Shiyi adjusted his breathing several times in his mind, but she still wasn’t done.
He didn’t let go of her lips, letting her get to know him again by memory.
Zhong Yi’s arms got a little sore, so she rested.
Zhou Shiyi didn’t rush her and softly called, “Baby.”
When she was done, he lifted her and headed inside.
Zhong Yi gripped his shoulders, standing on one leg under the shower.
The other leg was supported by Zhou Shiyi and never put down.
Held in his arms, sometimes gentle, sometimes passionate.
Unable to help herself, she rose on her toes and clung to him, kissing him back.
“President Zhou, happy birthday. Congratulations on Kuncheng Motors doubling its market value in your five and a half years.”
He had spent over five years breaking the doubts others once had about him.
She bit his upper lip softly, “I love you.”
Zhou Shiyi responded deeply.
The next morning, Zhou Shiyi was pushed awake.
They were staying in a suite; the kids’ room was inside.
When the two little ones woke up, they grabbed their pillows and climbed onto their bed.
Anticipating this, Zhou Shiyi and Zhong Yi hadn’t slept in the bed last night after their intimate time in the bathroom.
“Daddy, move over!”
“Daddy, you’re sleeping in such a big space! I can’t fit!”
YouYou took his hand off Zhong Yi and even patted the back of it.
Zhou Shiyi—
Zhong Yi woke up, opened her eyes, and found the obedient sons lying on either side of her.
She raised her hand and pulled the kids into her arms.
“It’s still dark. Let’s sleep a little longer, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
They responded softly to their mother.
Not the loud voices that nearly shattered ears when talking to Zhou Shiyi.
“Mommy, I love you.”
“Mommy, I love you too. So much.”
The two kids fell asleep again in their mother’s arms.
When they woke, Zhong Yi asked if they remembered what day it was today.
@UnlimitedGoodStories, all found on Jinjiang Literature City
They had just drawn pictures yesterday, so they remembered.
The two shouted in unison, “Daddy’s birthday!”
They tumbled out of bed and threw back Zhou Shiyi’s covers, jumping right into his arms. @UnlimitedGoodStories, all found on Jinjiang Literature City
“Daddy, happy birthday!”
“Daddy, happy birthday, I love you!”
Woken from his sleep by their weight, he kissed both their cheeks.
After collecting himself, he pulled his sons into a hug.
Though their love was sometimes fleeting and unpredictable, at this moment, he had never felt such contentment.
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