Gu Yanqing saw that she was okay now and sat back in his seat.

He had watched the whole choking incident and couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Suppressing a smile, he cleared his throat and said softly, “Is having a meal with me so stressful?”

Qiao Wanqing, still annoyed, couldn’t help but reply, “It’s because General Manager Gu’s dominance is too strong, it overwhelmed me.”

Gu Yanqing: “…That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“How is that not a compliment? It’s clearly a sincere praise. ‘King’ and ‘dominant’ are both terms used for someone in power.”

Gu Yanqing heard her tone finally becoming less formal and polite, with a hint of playfulness.

She was a fresh Qiao Wanqing who liked teasing him, and he found it quite enjoyable.

He said, “Since you praise me so much, I’ll graciously accept it without guilt.”

Qiao Wanqing: “…”

After finishing their meal, Gu Yanqing asked Qiao Wanqing, “Are you still going to visit your uncle?”

Qiao Wanqing shook her head. “No, I’m not going.”

Visiting her second uncle wouldn’t be helpful.

Sitting there would only make things awkward between them.

“In that case, want to go home and see Koko?” It had been a while since she saw him, and she was starting to miss him.

“Okay.”

They returned in Gu Yanqing’s car.

It turned out that her second uncle’s wife needed to go back today, so Qiao Wanqing left her electric scooter for her to use.

On the way, Qiao Wanqing suddenly realized that Gu Yan didn’t bring Yuan Yuan with him this time.

She remembered he used to bring him along before and asked, “Where’s Yuan Yuan today? Why didn’t he come with you?”

“He’s at kindergarten. His parents picked him up early.”

“Oh, have his parents reconciled?!”

Qiao Wanqing was surprised but didn’t want to pry since she wasn’t supposed to know about Yuan Yuan’s family situation now.

But she was curious.

She remembered the book didn’t include this part.

Could it be that the author skipped over the twists and turns of this period due to childhood matters?

Thinking it over, Qiao Wanqing approached indirectly, saying, “Last time Yuan Yuan told Huang Daxian that his parents were arguing. Are they reconciled now?”

Gu Yanqing wasn’t defensive towards her.

He took a sip of milk and said, “His parents had a big fight over a small matter recently. They were on their way to the Civil Affairs Bureau to file for divorce when they got into a car accident. His dad instinctively shielded his mom.”

Qiao Wanqing: “…”

This plot… Is it a bit melodramatic?

Gu Yanqing didn’t need to explain the next part.

He could already guess it.

After the accident, the two of them would realize their love for each other deep down, perhaps even thinking it was a test or a chance for them to revive their love, leading to a happy ending together.

It seems like this new development completely diverges from the original story.

Yuan Yuan seems quite fond of his parents.

If they don’t divorce, would he still want Gu Yanqing to formally adopt him as his son?

Alternatively, maybe Yuan Yuan’s parents were temporarily moved by each other’s actions but later realized they still couldn’t get along, so they split up again, leaving Yuan Yuan to be cared for by Gu Yanqing.

If that’s the case, Yuan Yuan would have a tough time.

However, when Qiao Wanqing heard that Yuan Yuan had been taken back, she secretly felt a bit relieved.

She didn’t want to admit it, but her biggest concern was alleviated if Gu Yanqing didn’t officially recognize him as his son in the end…

Qiao Wanqing was lost in her thoughts, letting go of a major worry.

Despite the uncertainty between her and Gu Yanqing in the future, she felt a moment of relief.

For now, she just wanted to leaned back in her seat and fell asleep.

Seeing this, Gu Yanqing found a place to stop the car.

He fetched a clean pillow from the back, opened it to reveal a small blanket inside, and gently covered Qiao Wanqing with it.

Unable to resist, he admired her profile.

Qiao Wanqing hadn’t been taking care of herself lately.

She had lost weight, had dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion had a slightly unhealthy pallor.

But this hasn’t affected her beauty; even in her illness, she has that sickly beauty that evokes sympathy.

Speaking of which, it’s been almost two years since they met.

During this time, they’ve faced many ups and downs—first he didn’t think much of Qiao Wanqing, then she would snap back at him at the slightest provocation.

They’ve been entangled in a complex relationship, seemingly never able to peacefully coexist.

Watching her peaceful sleeping face, Gu Yanqing adjusted her blanket and started the car again.

When they arrived home and Gu Yanqing saw that she was still asleep, her neck tilted to one side, he was worried that she might wake up with a sore neck.

He gently nudged Qiao Wanqing, saying, “Wanqing, wake up. We’re home. Go sleep in your bed.”

She had been sleeping deeply, almost in a state of blissful oblivion.

Startled awake by Gu Yanqing, she rubbed her eyes uncomfortably, wanting to turn over and go back to sleep.

However, her head instinctively moved towards the door, and Gu Yanqing quickly reached out his hand to shield her head from hitting the door.

Gu Yanqing’s hand was warm, and Qiao Wanqing’s face pressed against it.

The warm touch startled her fully awake, dispelling all drowsiness.

She intended to sit up and move away from his hand, but to her surprise, Gu Yanqing was very close, close enough for her to count the length of his long eyelashes.

Feeling awkward in this position, Qiao Wanqing shifted her eyes and said, “Um, could you move a bit?”

Gu Yanqing looked at her, a faint smile in his eyes. He asked, “Are you saying that no matter what I ask for now, you would agree, Wanqing?”

“…,” Qiao Wanqing didn’t expect him to be like this.

She awkwardly smiled and said, “Well, I trust Mr. Gu’s integrity. You’re not the type to take advantage of… of someone in a vulnerable position.”

She had initially wanted to say “to take advantage of someone in distress,” but it was obvious that the word wasn’t exactly correct.

“How can you be sure I have integrity?”

Gu Yanqing’s face drew closer and closer, making Qiao Wanqing instinctively shrink back.

This person was shameless! He was completely different from the dignified gentleman she knew as Gu Yanqing.

Initially, Gu Yanqing just wanted to tease her, but seeing her vulnerable and timid, covering up like a frightened little creature, he found it amusing.

Suddenly, he wanted to push the limits and see how far Qiao Wanqing could endure.

Unfortunately, just as this was happening, Qiao’s grandmother heard the noise outside and hurriedly came out, carrying Kou Kou.

Qiao Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Her face was now completely flushed.

Gu Yanqing was such a troublemaker.

Kou Kou, seeing his long-unseen father again, happily rushed into his arms.

Like most kids, if he doesn’t see a person for a while, he forgets them.

Gu Yanqing, however, no matter how long he is gone, is still remembered by Kou Kou, and he always wants him to hold him in his arms.

“Baby has grown up again,” Gu Yanqing picked him up and unexpectedly bit him on the face, leaving saliva all over his face.

Gu Yanqing was pleased. “Is the baby kissing me?”

Kou Kou recently unlocked a new skill: whenever he likes something or someone, he always wants to take a bite.

Last time, he nearly chewed up the spinning top Gu Yanqing bought him.

If Qiao Wanqing isn’t careful for a moment, Kou Kou grabs it and sticks it in his mouth.

Kou Kou buries his head in his arms. During this period, he has grown a lot, and his small body feels a bit heavy now, cuddly in Gu Yanqing’s arms.

Gu Yanqing couldn’t resist kissing him several times on the side of his head, making Kou Kou giggle.

The four of them entered the house together.

Qiao Wanqing went to change her clothes, while Qiao’s grandmother poured a glass of water for Gu Yanqing.

He took it and politely said, “Thank you, Grandma.”

Qiao’s grandmother looked away and said, “No need to thank me, Mr. Gu.”

Initially, Gu Yanqing was concerned that Qiao Wanqing might need help when he was far away, and knowing she might not tell him herself, he left his business card with Qiao’s grandmother, urging her to call if anything happened.

Qiao’s grandmother had a good impression of Gu Yanqing and recognized his capabilities.

She often considered things more than Qiao Wanqing, so she didn’t refuse to keep his card.

It turned out to be useful now.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all this trouble,” Gu Yanqing said again.

“No trouble at all,” Qiao’s grandmother quickly replied. “Mr. Gu, please have a seat. I’ll go wash the dishes.”

Kou Kou nestled in his father’s arms, interacting with him for a while.

Then, pointing towards the door and saying “na na” with his mouth, Gu Yanqing asked him, “What does Kou Kou want?”

Kou Kou kept pointing in one direction, looking a bit anxious.

Gu Yanqing carried him towards the door, and only then did Kou Kou joyfully exclaim, “Fa, fa.”

Fa?

Gu Yanqing didn’t quite understand what he meant until he saw a rose bush planted in the corner of the yard.

Right now, the roses were in full bloom, with clusters of light pink flowers that looked especially beautiful.

Seeing the roses, Kou Kou looked at Gu Yanqing happily, as if seeking praise.

So he was talking about flowers.

Gu Yanqing was pleasantly surprised by Kou Kou’s enthusiasm.

The last time he saw Kou Kou, he could only say simple words like “ya,” “da,” and “ba,” struggling even with the pronunciation of “mama.”

Now, Kou Kou already knew about flowers.

Even though his pronunciation was not accurate, the fact that he remembered something he was interested in, knew where it was, and could say its name left Gu Yanqing very impressed.

He gently kissed Kou Kou’s little hand and praised him, “Kou Kou is amazing and very smart.”

Kou Kou knew he was being praised by his dad, and he smiled so wide that his eyes nearly disappeared.

The esteemed lawyer quickly contacted Qiao Wanqing and her second uncle to understand the situation, then went to the police station to review the case files.

After examining the materials, he assured Qiao Wanqing and her family not to worry, as the situation could be easily resolved.

Upon hearing that things could be resolved, Qiao Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a lingering sadness.

What others could easily resolve, she had struggled and exhausted herself over, yet made no progress.

She finally understood why her son, Gu Siqiao, in the book was so determined to climb to the top of power at any cost.

With the matter settled, she could finally calm her racing thoughts.

After weeks of anxiety, she decided to sleep well in the afternoon, something she hadn’t done in a long time.

Originally, Qiao Wanqing had plans to have dinner with Huang Kewei today and had rescheduled.

Gu Yanqing still had work matters to attend to, having squeezed out time to be here.

All his belongings were still at the hotel; here, he was just an ordinary person without anyone to manage bringing his things over.

After lunch, he bid farewell to handle his work.

Since Kou Kou was clinging to Gu Yanqing, Qiao Wanqing escorted him to the doorstep.

Gu Yanqing handed Kou Kou over to Qiao Wanqing and said, “I’ll come by tomorrow to see you all. Rest well and don’t think too much.”

Qiao Wanqing nodded. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Gu Yanqing said lightly as he opened the car door. “I’ll take my leave now. Bye bye, Kou Kou.”

Kou Kou didn’t understand “bye bye” yet, but hearing his name from Gu Yanqing made him smile happily.

As Gu Yanqing sat in the car and closed the door, Kou Kou suddenly started crying.