“Dad, how did you know…” Yu Yingze was so excited that he jumped up and hugged Yu Jinxiao, planting two big kisses on his cheek.

The sudden affection left Yu Jinxiao a little dazed.

He had never experienced such enthusiasm from his son, let alone this kind of treatment. Everything felt so wonderful, almost dizzying.

Yuanyuan stood quietly to the side, not seeking any credit. Her large, bright eyes sparkled with happiness, as if she were the one most delighted.

Noticing the little girl, Yu Jinxiao knelt down, placing his hand gently on his son’s shoulder.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had really slowed down and spent quality time with his family.

He hadn’t even taken the time to understand what his sons truly liked.

All his time had been consumed by work, as if the busyness could shield him from thinking about painful memories.

But just now, in that brief moment, Yu Jinxiao suddenly felt a pang of regret.

In running away from the past, it seemed he had also been running away from bonding with his sons. He had missed out on so many important moments.

“Actually, this bike was Yuanyuan’s idea,” Yu Jinxiao said seriously, locking eyes with his son. “She said she saw you looking at a magazine last night, and it had this bike in it.”

Yu Yingze paused, blinking in surprise before glancing at his little sister.

“Dad hasn’t spent much time with you guys, but I promise from today on, I’ll try to come home early more often. I’ll spend more time with you and your brother.” Yu Jinxiao, who wasn’t one to show his emotions, suddenly felt the urge to say these words—and he said them without hesitation.

Expressing his feelings to his children wasn’t as embarrassing as he once thought.

Even little Yuanyuan, at just three years old, could express her likes and dislikes freely. How could he, as an adult, be less open than a child?

“Dad, you forgot about Yuanyuan!” The little girl, upset at being left out, charged forward and wrapped her small arms around both her dad and brother.

“How could I forget you?” Yu Jinxiao pinched her nose, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “No matter where we go, you’ll always be included.”

“Yay!”

The birthday party officially began.

The room filled with the cheerful chorus of the birthday song as the children clapped, sang, and enjoyed the sweet treats. They even started playing games.

Yu Jinxiao sat on the couch, watching the noisy group of children, but instead of feeling irritated, he felt content.

Normally, he preferred peace and simplicity, but today’s lively celebration didn’t bother him in the slightest.

When someone has been trapped in a certain environment for too long, trying a different way of living isn’t such a bad idea.

A soft text notification chimed amid the laughter, its sound barely noticeable.

But the moment it rang, it seemed amplified a hundredfold. Yu Yingze heard it clearly.

Just moments ago, he had been happily playing, but now he froze, his eyes instinctively darting toward his father on the couch.

His father was looking at his phone.

For more than a minute.

Based on past experiences, his father would probably stand up within five minutes, then approach him with an apologetic tone, explaining that he had to go to the office for some urgent business.

No matter how upset or sulky Yu Yingze got, his dad never changed his plans for him.

Over time, Yu Yingze had become used to this constant disappointment.

“Dad, why are you on your phone again?” Yuanyuan’s small voice interrupted, as she approached, peeking at the screen. “After work, you need to rest, or… or you’ll get so tired you might die.”

Yu Jinxiao almost laughed. Was this little one actually worried about him?

The message on his phone was indeed work-related, but after hearing Yuanyuan’s words, he suddenly realized he was falling back into his old habits. He quickly put the phone away.

Not far away, he could feel a strong gaze on him.

When Yu Jinxiao looked up, he locked eyes with Yu Yingze, whose smile had already faded.