Chapter 75

During the Chinese New Year holiday, Xu Zhiyi was in a break state, with all her work temporarily handed over to Secretary Cai. No more late nights or back-to-back overseas video conferences—this was luxurious and delightful.

Only occasionally did Li Ke update her on KEVE Technology’s market expansion.

For the past few days, she had been staying on the second floor, waking up naturally every morning.

This morning, when she woke up, she found herself hugging something soft and warm. The person next to her had already gotten up, but as she looked down, she realized she was holding her giant stuffed toy.

No need to guess—it was Jiang Sixun who had placed the toy in her arms after getting up.

Hugging something while sleeping made her feel secure, and she could even half-lie on it.

The toy had been one of her birthday gifts from her father the year she returned home. She was way past the age of being obsessed with stuffed animals, but her father had said he didn’t know why, but he just really wanted to give her one.

When she first brought the toy back and placed it on her shared apartment bed, it had taken up a third of the small bed’s space.

Xu Zhiyi got up, washed her face, changed clothes, and glanced at the time—it was already 9:30.

Since no one else was home, she felt like a bit of a free spirit.

The butler informed her that Jiang Sixun had gone out after breakfast.

Xu Zhiyi asked, “Will he be back for lunch?”

The butler replied, “He said he couldn’t make it back in time, but he’ll be home for dinner.”

Xu Zhiyi nodded and sat down to eat.

Today was the fifth day of the lunar new year, and her brother was returning from fishing in the southern hemisphere, expected to land around 4 PM. Her mother had plans for a dinner gathering with some friends, and her father seemed to have gone somewhere else.

“I don’t need lunch made. I’m heading out for a walk.”

The butler said, “Mr. Xu is at home.”

“Dad didn’t go out?”

“No, he’s probably in the study upstairs.”

Since there was no sign of her father in the living room, and no one seemed to be waiting for her, Xu Zhiyi thought her dad must be out as well. She quickly grabbed a few bites of breakfast, took her half-finished juice, and headed up to the third floor.

“Dad.”

As soon as she turned the corner of the stairs on the third floor, she called out.

The door to Xu Xiangyi’s study was closed, and the soundproofing was good—no response.

Xu Zhiyi pressed the doorbell, and soon after, the door was pulled open from the inside.

“Why didn’t you sleep in a little longer?”

“I’ve had enough sleep. No work these days, so I’m not tired.”

Her father’s study was completely different from the cozy and romantic feel of the rest of the house. It was his own private space, with a design tone that leaned more toward coldness and seriousness. From the color scheme to the desk and bookshelves, even the floor-to-ceiling curtains, everything in the room exuded a sober and intense atmosphere.

But upon closer inspection, there were a few items that seemed out of place in this serious space.

On the desk and bookshelves, there were small toys that clashed with the study’s rigid vibe.

A race car made of building blocks, a flower built from the same…

In the study, there were small, colorful houses, rough handmade crafts, and a display of photos from her childhood.

The study had been redecorated last year, and this was Xu Zhiyis first time stepping inside. Every other time she was home, her father would always wait for her in the living room, hoping she’d spend time with him. She’d never had a reason to come to the study before, nor had she thought about taking a look.

But now, with the unfamiliar layout and decor, it hit her suddenly—whenever she was home, her father rarely worked late.

Or perhaps he did, but it was always after she had fallen asleep.

Xu Xiangyi was still dealing with some unfinished work. He said to his daughter, “Feel free to look around.” He returned to his desk and put on his fine silver-rimmed glasses.

Xu Zhiyi wandered over to the bookshelf, eyeing a handmade item she couldn’t even recognize, and sheepishly said, “Dad, why would you put this in the bookshelf?”

He glanced at her with a warm smile. “Childhood joy is priceless.”

Xu Zhiyi couldn’t understand how her childhood craft had turned out this way—terribly crude, almost embarrassing. She looked at all of her “masterpieces” from the past and leaned her forehead against her father’s desk in disbelief.

Standing beside him, her back against the edge of the desk, she deliberately avoided looking at the computer screen.

Her father teased her, “You’re a CEO, and you’re worried about seeing company secrets?”

“Huh?”

“I’m dealing with KEVE’s emails.”

She had finally managed to hire a billionaire to work for her, tasked with expanding KEVE’s market within the country.

Xu Zhiyi smiled. “Now I’m even more afraid to look. What if I, as the boss, can’t understand what you’re replying to? That would be really embarrassing.”

“It’s normal not to understand,” Xu Xiangyi joked, “I’m just randomly replying anyway.”

His teasing made Xu Zhiyi laugh. She put down her juice, pulled out a chair, and sat next to her father, determined to learn the ropes.

By the time the emails were handled, it wasn’t yet noon. Xu Zhiyi suggested they go out for lunch. “Today, this boss of yours is treating you. Let’s reward you for your overtime work.”

Xu Xiangyi thought for a moment and then asked, “How about I take you to Disneyland? Want to go?”

Xu Zhiyi didn’t hesitate for a second: “Let’s go.”

She’d been to Disneyland before, as had her father.

But back then, it wasn’t her father who took her, and it wasn’t her father who had gone with her either.

Once they entered the park, Xu Xiangyi bought her a pair of Mickey ears, then went to buy some snacks.

Xu Zhiyi looped her arm around her father’s and walked while snacking.

Xu Xiangyi asked, “What ride do you want to go on?”

Xu Zhiyi smiled. “How about the carousel?”

She hadn’t ridden the carousel here; the only one she’d ridden was on Hong Kong Island.

Xu Xiangyi agreed. “Alright, let’s go play one.”

They chose the only ride Xu Zhiyi could enjoy with her father.

Without thinking, Xu Zhiyi blurted out, “Dumbo?”

Xu Xiangyi chuckled, “Alright, Dumbo it is. It’s also convenient for me to record a video for you.”

Forty minutes later, two videos appeared in the family group chat.

One showed Xu Zhiyi riding the carousel, and the other showed the father-daughter duo enjoying Dumbo together.

Xu Keheng commented in the group: “Such a big baby.”

His mother, He Yi’an, who was watching the videos, couldn’t help but laugh at her son’s teasing.

Xu Xiangyi replied: “If your sister were in the group, you’d be getting a beating right about now.”

Xu Keheng shot back: “Does she need a reason to beat me? Even if I didn’t call her a giant baby, she’d still beat me.”

The videos were shared in the group for more than ten minutes, but Jiang Sixun hadn’t said a word.

Xu Keheng tagged him: “Where are you?”

Still no reply.

Xu Keheng teased again: “Don’t tell me Uncle Lu took you to the zoo to see wild animals?”

Jiang Sixun: “…”

He had just seen the messages in the group and replied: “Setting up the wedding room.”

That day, when Shang Yun had mentioned the bridal car procession, Jiang Sixun had suddenly realized—after picking up the bride, where would they go? They couldn’t just drive around the neighborhood and return to his in-laws’ house.

They needed a proper wedding home. Later, when they had children, his father-in-law could come to visit without staying in a hotel.

The apartment he owned was not far from his in-laws’ place, and it was suitable for a wedding home. However, the furniture needed to be custom-made. He had arranged for a designer to come today.

The wedding was set for June 6th, and there were four months left, just enough time for a redecoration.

Xu Keheng sent another message in the group: “Who’s picking up the plane?”

No one replied.

He Yi’an was too busy showing her friends the video of her husband riding Dumbo, and she was laughing uncontrollably.

Xu Xiangyi was busy playing with his daughter in the next amusement park attraction, with his phone left with the bodyguard.

Jiang Sixun was discussing some details with the designer and didn’t have time to check his phone.

It wasn’t until evening that Jiang Sixun finally came out of the wedding home and replied in the group: “What time is the flight?”

Xu Keheng replied: “I’m almost home.”

That night, it was just the two of them having dinner at home.

Xu Keheng went to the temperature-controlled wine cabinet and grabbed a bottle of fine wine, pouring two glasses.

Jiang Sixun looked closely at the bottle—it was a rare red wine from his father-in-law’s collection. “Dad doesn’t even drink this. You’ve got guts.”

Xu Keheng put the bottle stopper back, folded the towel that had been wrapped around the bottle, and set it aside. Then, with a grand and dignified air, he raised his glass and said: “I need some fatherly love too. What’s wrong with having a bottle of wine?”

“…“

Jiang Sixun took a sip of the rich red wine, “Don’t come looking for me if things go south.” He shifted the conversation to Xu Keheng’s trip to the southern hemisphere and asked about Qi Er’s mental state—he couldn’t help but care.

“How’s Qi Zhengchen doing?”

Xu Keheng took his time savoring the wine on his tongue, using the moment to organize his thoughts.

Swallowing the wine, he replied, “Better than he was in Madrid. Don’t expect him to forget everything overnight. Everything takes time. But there’s some good news. His parents have finally accepted Zhong Yanyue.”

As long as Qi Er was willing to open his heart again and live well with Zhong Yanyue, it was only a matter of time before he moved on.

As for Shang Yun wanting to be a groomsman, it was partly because of Zhiyi, and partly because of their business partnership. In the future, their collaboration wouldn’t be limited to AI healthcare—there would be more industries where they’d cross paths. To avoid any unnecessary rumors, the wedding would make it clear that the Shang family was close to them and Jiang Sixun.

After all, it was rare for one family to handle both the groomsman and the bridesmaid duties.

“Shang Yun even had his older brother help him catch the bouquet.”

Jiang Sixun’s expression was unreadable.

With a brother like that, Shang Yun probably didn’t know what kind of karma he’d accumulated in his past life.

After dinner, Jiang Sixun took the half bottle of wine and headed outside.

It was below freezing outside, and he wasn’t wearing a jacket.

Xu Keheng, watching his retreating figure, called out, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Sixun replied, “Taking the fall for you, what else can I do?”

The half bottle of wine would easily be noticed by his father-in-law, so he had to figure out a workaround. He had wine in the car, but it wasn’t the same vintage as the one his father-in-law treasured. He’d use it as a temporary replacement until he could find the exact same one.

The half bottle of wine was placed in the car’s fridge for now, and he swapped it with an unopened bottle of wine for the temperature-controlled wine cabinet at his father-in-law’s place.

It was nearly 10:30 p.m., and Xu Zhiyi still hadn’t returned.

Jiang Sixun sent her a message, asking where she was.

Xu Zhiyi, having walked around all day, was exhausted and had fallen asleep on her father’s shoulder.

By the time they arrived home close to midnight, Jiang Sixun was waiting in the living room. He heard the car and stepped outside to greet them.

Xu Zhiyi had been so busy all day that she hadn’t seen him. Getting out of the car, still half-asleep, her eyes widened as she saw him. She smiled sleepily, “What were you busy with today?”

Jiang Sixun’s voice was light with a hint of a smile, “Busy setting up our home.”

“Our home?”

“Yes, the wedding home. We’ll stay there on the wedding day.”

Xu Zhiyi blinked, a bit flustered. She had been so caught up with everything that she had completely forgotten about it. How could they not have a wedding home? On their wedding day, she couldn’t just be moved from the third floor…

They headed straight to the second-floor room.

At that moment, Xu Xiangyi got out of the car from the other side, holding two large shopping bags.

“Bought so many things.” Jiang Sixun took the bags from his father-in-law’s hands.

Xu Xiangyi smiled, “All things Zhiyi likes—plush toys and keychains. There’s even a keychain for you and Xu Keheng.” He joked, “I’m making sure I’m fair to both of you.”

Jiang Sixun thought to himself, “Even if it’s not fair, it doesn’t matter. He and Xu Keheng have already gotten their share of fatherly love.”

Xu Keheng, nearly falling asleep, had been waiting on the sofa for his father and sister to return.

As soon as Xu Zhiyi stepped inside, she asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Not tired.”

She rummaged through the shopping bags and pulled out a keychain. “This is for you.”

Xu Keheng rolled his eyes with a laugh, “Do you think I’m three years old?”

“Dad bought it for you,” she said, “Compensation for fatherly love.”

Xu Keheng rubbed his forehead, “Too much fatherly love isn’t always a good thing. It gives me a headache.”

While waiting for his sister, he and Jiang Sixun had shared the last of the half-bottle of red wine. The after-effects of the wine had left him with a slight headache.

Xu Zhiyi looked confused, “What do you mean?”

Unable to explain in front of their father, Xu Keheng said, “Jiang Sixun knows what I mean. Ask him later.”

Later, back in their room, Xu Zhiyi couldn’t wait to ask Jiang Sixun what her brother had meant.

Jiang Sixun didn’t rush to explain. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her.

As she was enveloped in his embrace, her lips met his, and only then did she notice the lingering scent of wine on him. The strong fragrance surrounded her as she breathed in.

When the kiss broke, her breath came in shallow bursts, and only then could she speak, “You had wine tonight? With my brother?”

“Yes,” he replied softly.

Xu Zhiyi’s eyes flashed with suspicion, “You two stole my dad’s wine, didn’t you?”

Jiang Sixun smiled lazily, then leaned in to kiss her again.

His kiss was tender, and Xu Zhiyi, lost in the sensation, instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as their bodies became intertwined.

He guided her towards the bathroom, their steps clumsy.

His coat and her sweater scattered across the floor.

As the warm water poured down, mist filled the room, slowly clouding the mirror.

The intertwined figures in the mirror grew indistinct, blending into the fog.

…

By late May, their wedding home was finally ready. The custom furniture had all been set up.

Spring passed, and summer arrived quietly amidst the busyness of life. June was almost upon them.

The wedding procession was also ready. Jiang Sixun had personally arranged the cars, leaving no room for anyone else’s intervention.

On June 4th, he moved into the wedding home, and his father, Lu Jianbo, arrived in Shanghai. They would also hold a wedding in Hong Kong on the 6th, but only his third uncle’s family would attend as representatives.

Jiang Sixun’s wedding leave officially began that afternoon. He went to the airport to pick up his father and his uncle’s family. On the way back, he rode with his father.

Lu Jianbo had never held a wedding himself, so he couldn’t quite relate to the feelings his son was experiencing. He asked, “How do you feel now?”

Jiang Sixun, surprisingly nervous, replied, “Nervous.”

He never expected to be nervous, but now that the paperwork was done and the wedding day was approaching, a sense of unease settled in.