Qin Yiren didn’t tell Lu Weizheng that they had moved, making it hard to argue that it wasn’t intentional.

After dropping off Lu Chenjun and Xu Youyou at the kindergarten, she saw a call from Lu Weizheng on her phone as they were heading back.

“Wham—”

Qin Yiren flipped over her phone after pressing the reject button.

“Wenyin, your dress today looks really nice.”

“Really? How about we get matching outfits? I bet you’ll look even better wearing it!”

“Hey, that’s a great idea.”

……

Soon after, the two friends happily chatted away.

As for Lu Weizheng, who was he? Qin Yiren doesn’t know him.

But Lu Weizheng was still Lu Weizheng. Around ten o’clock, he arrived at the villa gate.

However, because his information wasn’t registered, he was blocked outside.

The two security guards guarding the gate that day happened to not know Lu Weizheng. When they heard the guy claim that he was the villa owner’s husband, they thought he was just a troublemaker!

Well, it’s because Lu Weizheng, in his hurry to get home, hadn’t shaved and was wearing a random short-sleeved shirt. At first glance, he looked like a homeless man on the roadside.

Of course, for a homeless man, Lu Weizheng at least had a handsome face.

But the security guards couldn’t just let him in based on his face alone!

What happened to those security guards at the entrance of the villa area? Can they just let anyone in?

“I’m really Yiyi’’s husband! If you don’t believe me, go ask her!”

Just as Lu Weizheng was considering whether to force his way in or to show his ID and marriage certificate to prove his identity, Butler Qin arrived.

Naturally, he knew Lu Weizheng.

“Master? What happened to you?” He looked like he had just escaped from somewhere.

Lu Weizheng: “……”

He felt bitter in his heart, but he didn’t say anything.

“Is Yiyi still angry?” Lu Weizheng cautiously probed.

There was no hint at all that the man in front of Butler Qin would soon become the mayor of Jiang City.

Butler Qin smiled kindly. “Miss isn’t angry. She’s been quite happy lately.”

With that, he led Lu Weizheng into the house and instructed the household staff to prepare clean clothes and other necessities, showing that he was a top-notch butler.

“Where’s Yiyi?”

Lu Weizheng had initially thought that he would see his dear wife as soon as he entered, or at the very least, once he had finished bathing and freshening up, Butler Qin would have relayed news of him.

But surprisingly, that didn’t happen at all!

“Master, what would you like for lunch?” Butler Qin continued to smile. “Miss said she’s having lunch with Miss Xu next door, so you’re free to choose.”

Lu Weizheng: “……” Miss Xu from next door?

He had just hastily obtained the address and rushed over almost immediately, so he had no idea who lived next door.

Now, upon hearing this familiar surname, Lu Weizheng naturally guessed that it was none other than Xu Wenyin, the friend who had disrupted his family— no— his wife’s good friend.

They had become neighbors again?

Lu Weizheng immediately felt a sense of crisis and thought about going out to catch people.

Unexpectedly, Bulter Qin stepped in to stop Lu Weizheng, speaking with a standard professional smile. “Miss said she didn’t want to see you next door; it would ruin her appetite.”

Lu Weizheng felt like a knife had been plunged into his chest. His expression instantly turned despondent, resembling a dog abandoned on the roadside, completely unlike a mature man in his thirties.

“Uncle Qin, Yiyi is still mad at me, isn’t she? Do you think kneeling on durian will help?”

“Master, there’s no durian in the house.”

Was that the main point?!

Lu Weizheng felt even more aggrieved. He silently walked to a corner and crouched down, exuding a gloomy aura.

“Master, would you like mushrooms for lunch?” Butler Qin followed closely behind, asking in a serious and professional tone.

Lu Weizheng indicated that he didn’t want to talk.

Fortunately, Qin Yiren wasn’t that heartless. She returned to the villa around noon.

The main reason for this was Xu Wenyin’s busy work schedule, leaving her with less time to accompany Qin Yiren.

After spending some time at the Xu family’s house and playing with Niannian, Qin Yiren realized it was about time to go back, so she leisurely made her way home.

“Wife!”

A large talking dog rushed forward.

Qin Yiren scowled. “Stop!”

Half a meter away, Lu Weizheng abruptly stepped on the brake.

Seeing Qin Yiren’s indifferent demeanor, as if she didn’t want him near her, Lu Weizheng began to act pitifully. “Wife! I was really forced into it! I’m even more wronged than Dou E^[1]from the Chinese play 《The Injustice to Dou E》; a metaphor for a miscarriage of justice! You have to listen to my excuse— no— listen to my explanation!”

Qin Yiren: “……”

Was this what the new mayor of Jiang City was like? Was Jiang City doomed?

Fortunately, even when ‘acting spoiled’, Lu Weizheng knew there were things that couldn’t be said in public. Qin Yiren didn’t really want Lu Weizheng to apologize with death either. The two of them went to the study upstairs.

About two hours later, the couple came downstairs.

Judging by the expressions on Qin Yiren and Lu Weizheng’s faces, it seemed like nothing major had happened.

Butler Qin couldn’t help but show a relieved smile.

In comparison to Lu Weizheng, he definitely leaned towards Qin Yiren, but Butler Qin didn’t want the couple to truly fall out. He felt relieved now that things seemed to have calmed down.

“After a while, Juanjuan will finish school. You go pick him up.”

“Okay, Wife.”

“And Youyou as well, they’re together. Wenyin told me she didn’t have time this afternoon.”

“No problem, Wife.”

“When you see Youyou, try to act normal!”

“……Oh.”

He felt wronged. Where was he being abnormal? His face was still as handsome as ever, so why didn’t his wife care about him at all?

If Lu Weizheng really voiced that question, he’d probably get a sneer from Qin Yiren and a ‘handsome men become tiresome after a hundred days, while ugly ones become familiar after three’ remark.

Considering the time they’ve been together, including five years of marriage, even the most handsome face would lose its novelty.

———pr

Shortly after, it was time to pick up the children from school. When Lu Chenjun saw that it was Lu Weizheng who had come to pick him up, he showed the same disdainful expression as his mother.

Lu Weizheng: “……”

Hehe, it seemed like his son’s treatment of him wasn’t much different from his wife’s.

Without hesitation, he bent down and pinched Lu Chenjun’s cheeks on both sides, gritting his teeth as he spoke, “Juanjuan, aren’t you happy to see Dad? Hmm?”

There’s definitely a sense that if Lu Chenjun says he’s not happy, his father won’t let go.

But even though Lu Chenjun’s face was almost distorted, he still didn’t yield and chose to remain silent.

On the other hand, Xu Youyou was very happy. “Uncle Lu!”

It had been over half a year since they last met, but Xu Youyou clearly hadn’t forgotten Juanjuan’s father.

It’s still girls that are cute.

With Xu Youyou around, Lu Weizheng naturally had to maintain some semblance of dignity. He took Xu Youyou’s little backpack and then lifted the girl high in his arms.

Lu Weizheng still remembered that Xu Youyou liked this game.

Sure enough, the little one laughed happily!

Lu Weizheng chatted with Xu Youyou as he walked towards the car, making them look even more like a father and daughter pair.

As for his son, Lu Chenjun, he was big enough to keep up on his own.

By the evening, any lingering sense of grievance that Lu Weizheng had felt disappeared when he saw the abundant dinner spread on the table, many of which were his favorite dishes.

My wife still cares about me!

Lu Weizheng had about a month left before officially taking office, so this was a rare vacation for him in the past few years.

It was truly precious!

He wished he could stick by Qin Yiren’s side twenty-four hours a day, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

During the day, after Lu Chenjun went to kindergarten, Qin Yiren would go to her studio to design some clothes, including those for boys and girls, as well as ladies’ dresses.

It’s just……

“Honey, why design two dresses that look so similar?”

Lu Weizheng, who was trying to be invisible on the side, couldn’t help but ask. Or was it that they look similar, but once they’re made, they’re completely different?

From what Lu Weizheng knew, Qin Yiren didn’t like wearing similar clothes.

She preferred to be unique.

“Oh, those are the matching outfits for me and Wenyin!” Qin Yiren casually replied without even lifting her head.

A few days ago, when Xu Wenyin mentioned the idea of matching outfits, Qin Yiren was intrigued, but she thought it would be boring to just buy two identical pieces of clothing.

She thought it would be better to design a set herself. At first glance, they might look similar, but there were subtle differences in the small details. For example, since Qin Yiren’s style was more flamboyant, her dress was more complicated.

Moreover, Qin Yiren had intuitively grasped the concepts of mother-son and mother-daughter outfits. She had also designed similar style clothes for Lu Chenjun and Xu Youyou.

When the four of them wore this set together, wouldn’t they stand out on the streets?

Lu Weizheng smiled. He understood now.

In this household, he had completely lost his position!

How could this be?!

So, taking advantage of his rare vacation and his thick-skinned nature, Lu Weizheng acted first and explained later. Before Qin Yiren could fully react, he simply shoved her into the car and then hugged her tightly, expressing his desire for a second honeymoon trip with his wife, no questions asked!

Lu Chenjun’s matters were left to Butler Qin. Lu Weizheng trusted that his son would be fine.

Qin Yiren: “???”

She couldn’t resist, feeling both angry and amused in her heart. But when she saw Lu Weizheng’s forlorn yet hopeful expression, she couldn’t help but soften.

If they were just going away for a few days, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

However, Qin Yiren still called Butler Qin and carefully explained many things. Lu Chenjun was still at kindergarten, so she would call him during his lunch break.

Lu Chenjun who received a call from Qin Yiren and learned that his parents had left him to go on a trip: “……”

Lu Weizheng even kept interrupting, saying things like “Son, don’t miss us too much” and “We won’t be back for a while.”

Was he really going to live with this person forever in the future? How annoying!

After hanging up the phone, Lu Chenjun was met with four pairs of sympathetic eyes.

“Juanjuan, don’t be sad!” Xu Youyou was the first to step forward to comfort him. “Adults can be willful like that sometimes.”

His parents went out to play and left him at home. Thinking about it makes her feel sorry for Juanjuan. Her mother would definitely not do that.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Qian Xin chimed in next. “Juanjuan, just try to be understanding. My parents used to go eat delicious food without telling me as well!”

Of course, that’s not the case anymore. The family of three were all working hard to lose weight and results have already begun to show in just over a month.

Father Qian, who was the most determined, had lost fifteen pounds already!

Of course, it’s partly because he had more to lose initially. It’ll get harder to lose weight as they progress, but they’re not afraid. The three of them were working together towards their goal.

Only Liu Miaomiao’s expression carried a hint of envy. “Juanjuan, if your mom and dad aren’t around, doesn’t that mean you can have ice cream every day?”

As the weather gradually cooled down, Father and Mother Liu started strictly controlling Liu Miaomiao’s ice cream intake for the sake of her health. She was only allowed to have one every three days.

And it was just a tiny, tiny one that would be gone in a few bites.

Liu Miaomiao was very unhappy about it but couldn’t do anything. Now, hearing that Lu Chenjun’s parents wouldn’t be back for a while, her first reaction was envy.

Wouldn’t that mean being able to do whatever he wanted?

“Yeah, that’s right!” Qian Xin seemed to have thought of that as well. “You can watch TV for a long time every day, Juanjuan.”

“You can also eat as many cupcakes as you want, since you’re so thin, Juanjuan.”

……

The conversation gradually veered off, turning into a discussion about how they would be free to do whatever they wanted when their parents weren’t around.

They even started brainstorming ideas for Lu Chenjun on how to have fun and make the most of his time.

Lu Chenjun said, “……Grandpa Butler is still at home.”

Moreover, he had absolutely no interest! In any! Of the things! They were suggesting!

After school, as Lu Chenjun was about to get out of the car to go home, Xu Youyou, who lived a little further away, grabbed his sleeve.

“Juanjuan, why don’t you stay with me then? That way, you won’t be scared alone at night!” This was what Xu Youyou had in mind.

With Aunt Qin and Uncle Lu both gone, Juanjuan would be alone in the big villa, and he would definitely be scared.

Xu Youyou had obviously overlooked the presence of the security guards, household staff, and most importantly, Butler Qin.

“And in the evenings, we can have pillow fights together, watch cartoons, and even train and study together!”

Xu Youyou continued, “Youyou’s new bed is super big and super soft!”

The new house is so big, she wasn’t afraid Juanjuan would find out her mother’s secret!

Lu Chenjun was silent for a moment. “I won’t be scared.”

He demanded to sleep alone when he was about two years old, and he had never been afraid.

For Lu Chenjun, his parents going out to play didn’t have much of an impact. Grandpa Butler would take care of everything, so he didn’t feel as ‘pitiful’ as his friends imagined.

Of course, he also wouldn’t be too ‘free’!

As a child with strong self-discipline, Lu Chenjun filled his days with various activities.

Except for the disruption caused by moving a few days ago, things had slowly returned to normal.

So whether Qin Yiren and Lu Weizheng were there or not didn’t affect him at all.

However, little Lu Chenjun was yet to learn one thing—— plans can’t keep up with changes.

Xu Youyou used both hands and the thing she was pulling changed from Lu Chenjun’s sleeves to his hand, refusing to let go.

At the same time, she blinked her big eyes, looking at Lu Chenjun with an expectant gaze. “But Youyou will be scared!”

Her new room was indeed large and beautiful, and Xu Youyou liked it very much.

But it’s just, well, a bit too large.

Every night, after Xu Youyou fell asleep, Xu Wenyin would ‘leave’. When Xu Youyou woke up in the morning, she always felt the space was too empty, and she couldn’t just see her mother’s figure making breakfast for her in the kitchen as soon as she opened the door like before.

Xu Youyou couldn’t accurately describe the strange feeling, but she wanted to sleep with her friend.

Coincidentally, Aunt Qin and Uncle Lu went out to play, so Juanjuan was alone at night too. Maybe……

“Okay.” In the end, Lu Chenjun agreed to Xu Youyou’s request. “You let go first.”

Xu Youyou hesitated. “If I let go, will Juanjuan run away?”

Lu Chenjun said, “Silly! I need to tell Grandpa Butler!”

“Don’t you also need to tell Aunt Xu?”

Xu Youyou grinned. “Mom will definitely agree!”

Butler Qin agreed. He even prepared a change of clothes for Lu Chenjun and followed them to Xu Youyou’s house.

Once the two children were asleep, he would naturally return home.

Xu Wenyin agreed as well.

Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that she never refuses Xu Youyou’s requests.

Plus, the two children had already slept together before, and there was no need to worry about anything at such a young age.

Knowing that Lu Chenjun would stay there overnight, Xu Wenyin even suggested to Butler Qin that he should also just stay so he could avoid having to run back and forth.

Now they had plenty of rooms; the entire third floor was still vacant. He could choose whichever room he liked.

But Butler Qin politely refused.

Having been a butler his whole life, some thoughts and actions had already become ingrained in him, and he certainly wouldn’t casually stay overnight at the house of his employer’s friend.

After dinner, Xu Wenyin continued her ‘work’, while the two little ones proceeded with their usual lessons and training. The only difference was that the teacher had to walk a few extra steps from the Qin residence to the Xu residence, but otherwise, everything remained the same.

At half-past nine in the evening, after washing up, Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun lay down on the soft, large bed. After ensuring that everything was in order, Butler Qin turned off the lights and bid the two children goodnight.

“Click—”

The door was gently closed.

First, there was silence, followed by the faint sound of someone turning over on the mattress. When things finally settled down completely, Xu Youyou’s soft voice could be heard, “Juanjuan, are you asleep?”

Lu Chenjun responded, “……No.”

Upon hearing that, Xu Youyou immediately curled up beside Lu Chenjun like a little cat, her bright eyes shining conspicuously even in the darkness, revealing that someone wasn’t the least bit sleepy.

“Then, Juanjuan, let’s have a chat!”

She even seemed a bit excited!

Lu Chenjun asked, “……Chat about what?”

Deep down, he had a vague sense that Xu Youyou must have something to say to him, otherwise she wouldn’t insist so strongly on him staying.

“Juanjuan, Aunt Qin went out to play, do you miss her?”

Lu Chenjun replied, “No.”

Half an hour ago, he had just video-called with his mother. The two adults had already arrived at a small island, where they seemed to be planning to go surfing tomorrow.

Ignoring a certain man who always tried to steal the spotlight, the conversation between Lu Chenjun and Qin Yiren was actually quite boring.

“Juanjuan, what did you eat at dinner?”

“Shrimp, vegetables, spare ribs……”

“Are you tired from tonight’s training?”

“No.”

Lu Chenjun mostly just nodded or shook his head, responding simply when gestures weren’t enough.

He had been independent ever since, usually with Qin Yiren ‘glued’ to him, while Lu Chenjun could spend a long time alone.

“Really?” Xu Youyou didn’t believe it. “I just wish to be with my mom all the time!”

But recently, Xu Wenyin has been very busy, and the time she spent with Xu Youyou has greatly reduced.

With a housekeeper around, there was no need for Xu Wenyin to cook or clean anymore.

Upon closer examination, it seemed that only during dinner could she see her mother, and occasionally exchange a few words with her in her mind during the day.

It’s too shot! Really too short!

But given Xu Youyou’s personality, she wasn’t the kind of child who would stubbornly demand her mother to spend more time with her.

After all, her mother being so busy was all for her sake.

Although she didn’t know exactly what Xu Wenyin was busy with, maintaining such a beautiful house and buying so many things for Xu Youyou must be very hard work.

“That’s impossible.”

Lu Chenjun’s voice in the darkness carried a cold and mature tone, “Children cannot always be with their parents. Sooner or later, they will have to separate.”

Xu Youyou became upset. “Why is it impossible? I just want to be with my mom forever!”

“Adults have their own things to deal with, and kids have their own things too. You’ll go to school and work in the future, maybe even get married. Anyway, it’s impossible to be with your mom forever!”

Lu Chenjun’s voice also raised a bit.

“Then Youyou won’t study, work, or get married!”

“Impossible!” Lu Chenjun insisted.

He emphasized again, “It’s just not possible! Aunt Xu wouldn’t agree either!”

It was probably the first time for both kids to talk like this, and if they kept going, they’d probably start arguing soon.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

There was a knock on the door.

“Youyou? Mom will be sad if you don’t study, you know?”

It was Xu Wenyin’s voice.

She just wanted to check if Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun were asleep, so she entered Xu Youyou’s mind first.

Then she happened to catch the ‘argument’ between the two children.

With Lu Chenjun nearby, Xu Wenyin was afraid that speaking directly in Xu Youyou’s mind at this moment might reveal something. Yet, she also didn’t want the two children to argue, so she decided to come over in person.

There wasn’t anything today that required her intervention. Aside from the time spent on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was probably still over half an hour left, which should be enough time for a heart-to-heart talk.

The bedroom light came on again, but this time, instead of the bright main light, two dim yellow lamps were switched on.

Seated cross-legged on the big bed, Xu Wenyin looked at the two children. One was looking at a doll at the head of the bed, and the other was staring at the blanket in front of them. No one was speaking.

In the end, it was Xu Wenyin who spoke first.

“Youyou, you go talk first.”

The general idea of the matter, actually, she already knew, it’s just that Xu Wenyin still had to go through a process.

Xu Youyou lowered her head. “It’s nothing, Mom.”

She didn’t know that Xu Wenyin had already ‘watched’ the whole process before, nor did she want her mother to know that she and Juanjuan had almost quarreled over the matter.

“Then what about Juanjuan?”

Lu Chenjun replied, “There’s nothing going on.”

Asking Lu Chenjun would definitely not yield any result; he even seemed a bit frustrated now. How could he argue with Xiao Lu over such a trivial matter? He clearly knew how much Xiao Lu cared about Aunt Xu.

Xu Wenyin: “……”

These two little ones were forcing her to come up with a decisive move.

“Really? Mom is so sad. Youyou is keeping something from Mom.”

Xu Wenyin instantly transformed into a drama queen, producing a handkerchief out of nowhere to begin ‘wiping away tears’. “Mom knows I’m getting older and there’s a generation gap between us, sniff—”

Should one say she truly deserves the title of someone who excels in acting classes? When Xu Wenyin gets serious, she can really fool people.

Well, at least Youyou was fooled by it.

“No, Mom! That’s not true!”

The little one was almost on the verge of tears, saying, “Youyou don’t think that!”

Lu Chenjun: “……”

This acting was a bit fake and exaggerated.

But seeing Xu Youyou’s anxious expression, Lu Chenjun chose to remain silent.

He felt that Xu Youyou’s question just now would be better answered by Aunt Xu.

The answer he gave was obviously not what Xu Youyou wanted to hear.

If Qin Yiren were there right now, she would surely express with relief, “My son, you’ve finally grown up.”

Under Xu Youyou’s stuttering explanation, Xu Wenyin, who already knew the answer, nodded earnestly, and when the little girl finished speaking, she hugged her tightly.

“Mom indeed cannot accompany Youyou forever.”

Xu Youyou lowered her head, obviously feeling a blow.

“But Mom will always love Youyou~”

“As long as Youyou still need Mom, I’ll always be here.”

This task was a long-term one, with the ultimate goal of ensuring Xu Youyou’s happiness. Currently, progress stands at 21%, and the recent increase has been slow, mainly because they haven’t reached the main storyline yet.

In the final chapter of the novel, Xu Youyou is already thirty years old. She had adopted the son of her former love rival and seemingly happily became the only one for Lu Haoyu.

In the extra chapter, however, Xu Youyou was ninety years old. Through her memories, she reflected on her absurd and helpless life, even she herself doesn’t know if she can be considered happy.

The system doesn’t know what criteria determine the end of the task, but from the current perspective, it seems to require at least several more decades.

Xu Youyou is still young now, but when she grows up and gets to know more people, she probably won’t cling to her as much.

With that thought, Xu Wenyin felt a bit lost.

However, she also knew that humans and systems were different; human emotions were more complex, and it wasn’t possible to accompany just one person for a lifetime.

In the future, Xu Youyou would have a broader horizon, and all Xu Wenyin could do was…… keep all those crazy people away!

She absolutely couldn’t allow them to ruin Xu Youyou’s happy life.

Xu Youyou was comforted by Xu Wenyin’s hug and promise.

That’s right, even though her mother doesn’t have much time to spend with her, her mother loves her very much.

Xu Youyou clearly stated that she wanted to earn a lot of money to make her mother’s life easier, so her mother doesn’t have to work so hard!

To ensure the two children could get out of bed tomorrow, Xu Wenyin soon left the room.

This time, Xu Youyou no longer tossed and turned anymore. She sweetly said to Lu Chenjun, “Goodnight, Juanjuan.”

Lu Chenjun also said good night in reply.

The argument, which didn’t even qualify as an argument, had already been forgotten by the two little ones.

———pr

After that, Xu Youyou was pleasantly surprised to find that her mother had more time to spend with her. She could see her at breakfast and dinner, and during the day at kindergarten, her mother would also chat with her a bit more whenever there was an opportunity.

The two seemed to have returned to their previous intimate mother-daughter days.

However, as a system, Xu Wenyin couldn’t fully grasp Xu Youyou’s tangled and lonely heart. She was merely frightened by the mention of not studying.

Not studying wasn’t an option!

If students don’t study, they might think about dating. Dating might lead to being deceived by scoundrels. Being deceived might lead to disillusionment and even illegal activities, making them a disgrace to society.

Just the thought of Xu Youyou dyeing her hair in rainbow colors, having a row of earrings on her ears and face, wearing revealing clothes, and showing up in front of her with a similarly rebellious delinquent boy, saying they want to elope together……

Xu Wenyin shuddered at the thought. Not working or getting married might be acceptable, but not studying! Absolutely not!

Studying is a must! Studying is the only way to go!