Seeing them return, An Che, who had been reading on the bay window, brightened up and immediately ran downstairs excitedly.
The driver opened the car door, and An Ruo was the first to bend down and step out. Han Chong helped the man into a wheelchair, and she pushed him into the living room.
"Sis! Bro-in-law!"
A joyful smile spread across An Che's face. "You're finally back!"
The servant took the coat An Ruo handed over. With the indoor air conditioning, her whole body instantly felt warm.
"So happy to see us back?" An Ruo pushed the man over.
"Of course I am." An Che was so excited that he momentarily forgot his boundaries, linking his arm with An Ruo's as he sat down with her on the sofa.
"Sis, you have no idea how boring it was being alone in the villa..."
The man's deep, intense gaze fell on An Che's arm, constantly linked with An Ruo's. His brow furrowed slightly, and he silently looked away.
"You two siblings chat. I have some things to take care of."
An Ruo was just listening to An Che complain about how boring the past two days had been. At his words, her eyes flickered in surprise, and she smiled. "Alright, I'll brew some black tea and bring it up to you later."
The man hummed softly in response.
Han Chong pushed him up to the second-floor study.
"Have you kept up with your studies at home these past two days?"
"Don't worry, Sis. I've been doing practice problems whenever I'm free. If you don't believe me, you can check the study."
An Ruo ruffled his hair and chuckled softly. "Alright, I trust you."
After spending a while with An Che in the living room, An Ruo brewed some black tea and poured it into milk—a new way of drinking she had come up with.
She picked up the tray and went to the second floor, stopping in front of the study to knock.
The man's low voice faintly came through: "Come in."
An Ruo pushed the door open and saw the man buried in his work at the desk. She set the tray down on the table, poured a cup, and slid it over to him.
"Take a break and have a drink."
The man seemed to be dealing with something tricky, his brows tightly knit as his long, well-defined fingers flipped through documents. He didn't even notice she was beside him.
Watching him frown in thought, An Ruo realized she couldn't help much by staying, so she turned to quietly leave.
"Mrs. Shen."
The man's sudden voice made An Ruo freeze in her tracks.
She turned around. "Is something the matter?"
Shen Xiaoxing patted his lap, signaling her to come closer. "Come here."
He had been so absorbed in flipping through the documents that he momentarily neglected her. When he looked up and saw the girl about to leave, he almost immediately called out.
An Ruo walked over lightly and was pulled onto his lap.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" She tried to get up from his embrace. "I'll disturb you here..."
The man's large hand pressed against her lower abdomen, his arm firmly encircling her. His jaw rested lightly on her shoulder, and his low, magnetic voice tugged at her heartstrings.
"It's rare to have a break—won't you let me hold you a little longer?"
"But you're working..."
"It's fine, it won't affect anything." The man kept her in his arms as he continued flipping through the documents, occasionally marking them with his pen.
The girl obediently stayed on his lap, reached over to grab the teacup, and silently brought it to the man's lips.
Shen Xiaoxing's eyes paused for a moment, then he cooperated and drank the black tea from the cup, a satisfied smirk curling at his lips. Taking advantage of the girl's distraction, he stole a quick kiss.
This was a rare treat.
An Ruo froze, sitting stiffly on his lap, not daring to move. Her face flushed red, and she looked adorably cute holding the cup.
She was introverted by nature, usually quiet, and staying in the man's arms, knowing he was working, she tried her best not to disturb him.
Shen Xiaoxing appreciated her thoughtfulness—she stayed still and well-behaved while he worked, and when there was nothing to do, she would proactively start conversations.
In short, he was falling more and more in love with her.
Thinking this, the man leaned down and kissed her cheek again.
An Ruo bit her lip slightly. "You... just focus on your work."
"I'm not some saint who can resist temptation." The large hand on her abdomen grew warm, rubbing gently twice, and he smirked mischievously. "Mrs. Shen, we're married—why are you shy?"
"I..." An Ruo was conservative at heart, and her shyness showed on her face. She stammered, pursing her lips. "I'm not shy."
"Your face is this red, and you're not shy?"
At his words, the girl's face turned even redder. She lowered her head and dared not speak.
Shen Xiaoxing chuckled softly, his thumb lightly brushing her cheek, both intimate and full of affection.
"Want another drink?"
An Ruo poured him another cup of black tea and handed it to him.
Shen Xiaoxing thoroughly enjoyed this process—him working while she stayed obediently in his arms, occasionally feeding him a sip of water, and sometimes teasing her with a sly smile.
...
Shen City, Cemetery.
A gentle breeze swept through, blowing the fallen leaves off the tombstone.
A woman holding a large bouquet of chrysanthemums placed it in front of the grave. She took off her sunglasses, her eyes slightly red as she stared intently at the gold-engraved lettering...
"Dad, Mom, Xiao Yun... I've come to see you." She twisted open the bottle cap, poured some of the alcohol onto the ground, then took two gulps herself. Her nose stung with bitterness, and she choked out tears.
"Nine years..." Song Weiwei squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the urge to cry. Her voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come see you."
"I miss you so much... Mom, I really miss you, all of you... These years, I've been so tired living. Sometimes I wish I could go with you, so our family could be reunited."
She tilted her head back and took another drink, exhaling a puff of warm air. Her nose was red, whether from crying or the cold, and she sniffled lightly. "But when I think of how you died so horribly in front of me, my heart aches so much... I have to avenge you. Living is only for revenge."
Song Weiwei slumped to the ground, her shoulder leaning against the tombstone as she stared at the gloomy sky in the distance. Tears silently slid down her face.
She longed to go back to being the carefree Mu Yan—someone who was loved, protected, and didn't have to worry about anything at that age...
But in an instant, everything was gone. Her family had all perished in the flames, leaving her alone, like a wandering ghost, enduring pain as she fell asleep and waking up to more pain every day.
Song Weiwei smiled bitterly. No one lived a worse life than she did.
She raised the bottle and took two more gulps, her whole demeanor radiating despair...
The man's spotless leather shoes crunched on the fallen leaves. She froze for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze to see Gu Chao standing there in his wool coat.
Song Weiwei's expression changed instantly. She quickly composed herself, stood up, and turned to flash him a flirtatious smile. "Hey, CEO Gu, what a coincidence. Visiting someone who's passed on too?"
Damn it. Why did this man have to come to the cemetery on the same day as her?
How was she supposed to explain this now?
Gu Chao gave her a deep look, walked over with his bouquet, and was shocked to find the chrysanthemums Song Weiwei had bought placed in front of the tombstone.
His pupils contracted, and he turned to her in disbelief.
Song Weiwei took a deep breath, calmly picked up the flowers from the grave, and gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry, wrong person..."
She let out two dry chuckles, then, under the man's suspicious gaze, walked over to the side, knelt down, and burst into loud sobs. "Dad, your daughter has come to see you..."
Gu Chao: "..."
She mistook the grave???
Under the man's intense stare, Song Weiwei cried pitifully. "You left just like that, and I never even got to fulfill my filial duties to you."
"..."
Gu Chao leaned in to look. If he wasn't mistaken, the inscription on the tombstone read: Beloved Wife...
And she was calling it "Dad"?