Da Bao and Xiao Bao are twin brothers.

When they were born, they were like two little skinny monkeys—small and frail.

Da Bao was a few ounces heavier than Xiao Bao.

Da Bao opened his eyes as soon as he was born, while Xiao Bao only opened his eyes four or five days later.

Jiang Zhiqing disliked children.

She looked at them once and then turned her head in disgust, not wanting to look again or to breastfeed them.

At that time, life was tough, and food was scarce.

Good children were a matter of luck, let alone twins like Da Bao and Xiao Bao, whose own mother was too indifferent to nurse them.

Everyone said they probably wouldn’t survive.

Yan Runzhi didn’t believe that.

Dong Sheng had a much harder time growing up, but he survived, didn’t he? Dong Sheng’s sons were even better than their father, so how could they not be raised?

She tried every means to get good food for Jiang Zhiqing to recover—eggs, brown sugar, millet, river fish, meat scraps.

Whatever she could get, she brought back with all her might.

With the help of Secretary Shang and his wife, she made sure to cook something good for her daughter-in-law regularly.

Jiang Zhiqing looked down on her, never listened to her, and only ate the food she cooked and wore the clothes she made, giving her no respect.

Yan Runzhi went along with it.

Dongsheng was not at home, and the daughter-in-law had given birth to two sons, which was a blessing from heaven for the Cheng family.

No matter what, the daughter-in-law was a benefactor of the old Cheng family.

Yan Runzhi was grateful and focused on taking good care of the postpartum period.

However, young people didn’t understand the importance of postpartum care, especially Jiang Zhiqing and Meng Yiyi, who always came up with new ideas.

Other things were fine, including what to eat, but Yan Runzhi was adamant about not letting Jiang Zhiqing go outside to cool off or wash her feet and hair in the river.

“In the old society, even if the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn’t get along, the daughter-in-law had to be well cared for during her confinement. This period is a major event for a woman’s life. If done well, it ensures recovery from any previous illness. If not done well, the rest of her life will be hard. For this one month, you must listen to me.”

With Yan Runzhi taking care of her, Jiang Zhiqing’s previous ailments like anemia and cold hands and feet had mostly improved.

Although Jiang Zhiqing disliked her two sons and didn’t want to breastfeed them, with her mother-in-law providing good food and care, the new mother naturally had milk. It was uncomfortable for her not to nurse.

Thus, Yan Runzhi managed to ensure that Da Bao and Xiao Bao got milk.

Da Bao was healthier and nursed quickly and heavily.

Xiao Bao, like a little monkey, was slow and couldn’t drink much.

Because Da Bao instinctively knew his mother didn’t like him and might not nurse him, he took every opportunity to eat quickly and fill up.

Xiao Bao, with less strength, nursed more slowly and less.

Yan Runzhi had Jiang Zhiqing feed Xiao Bao first, but he ate slowly, which annoyed her.

She insisted on switching to Da Bao after a while.

So, Yan Runzhi did everything she could to persuade Jiang Zhiqing for the sake of her two grandsons, making sure Xiao Bao didn’t starve.

By the time they were five months old and could drink rice soup and eat egg custard, the situation became less tense.

When Da Bao and Xiao Bao were a little older, Yan Runzhi began to teach them to speak.

She often said, “Your mother has had a hard time. You need to grow up quickly and be filial to her” and “Dongsheng might be working hard, so you should grow up well and be smart and capable like him.”

Since Dongheng wasn’t at home, she worried that her grandsons wouldn’t feel any connection to their father.

So, she told them various stories about Winter Sheng’s childhood.

At first, the stories were all true events.

Over time, as there were fewer true stories, she started making up tales with Dongsheng as the main character.

Thus, Dabao and Xiaobao were not at all unfamiliar with Dongsheng; they even felt that Dongsheng was like their little brother.

With Yan Runzhi’s meticulous care, although the two children lacked a father and mother’s love, they grew up safely.

Dabao was sensitive and stubborn, yet also shrewd.

Xiaobao was innocent and adorable, but also resilient.

In reality, though, the two brothers were not as well-behaved as they seemed on the surface.

When forced by circumstances, one must adapt to the environment, as Grandma used to say.

Grandma said that in drama scripts, it’s called “a wise man adapts to the times,” so Xiaobao, in order to gain his biological mother’s attention, always risked being disliked or scolded by sticking close to her every day.

If she didn’t reject him, he would stay by her side. If she got annoyed and told him to go away, he would quickly leave.

Once, the three generations quietly discussed whether they would ever be able to warm Jiang Zhiqing’s heart.

That was something Dabao had learned from Old Lady Shang.

He heard her scold someone, saying, “After all these years, you still can’t warm your heart. Is your heart made of stone?”

Dabao thought Jiang Zhiqing’s heart was made of stone—cold and hard!

No, she was like a stone to them, but to that Meng Zhiqing and the man they talked about, she was not like that.

Dabao was a shrewd child.

He didn’t talk much, but he was perceptive and could read people’s expressions and predict their intentions.

Even though he didn’t understand everything, it didn’t stop him from knowing things.

Jiang Zhiqing had another man named Bian Haitao.

Although Dabao didn’t know what a man’s role specifically was, he knew it wasn’t a good thing.

Dabao secretly told Grandma, but Grandma told him not to spread rumors and not to tell anyone, as it would harm their mother.

He kept quiet, but he kept an eye out to see if anyone else was gossiping.

He only felt relieved when no one else spoke out.

Children of poor families grow up early, and children without fathers grow up even earlier.

From a young age, around four or five, Dabao had the sense that he was like a little man, responsible for protecting Grandma and his younger brother, and, oh yes, their mother too.

Grandma told him not to dwell on the past but to focus on the present and the future.

As long as they continued to be good to their mother, she would eventually be moved by them.

But Dabao felt that Jiang Zhiqing would never be moved.

She even wanted to sell him and Xiaobao!!!

Don’t think he didn’t know!

At first, he didn’t understand, but after thinking about it for a while, he began to understand a bit.

That day when their mother took them to the Zhao family, it was actually to sell them.

But what puzzled him was why she changed her mind.

Not only did she change her mind, but her attitude also changed.

After leaving the Zhao family, her attitude towards them was different.

At first, she was distant from them, but she was no longer as disgusted as before. Instead, she looked at them with curiosity.

Dabao could feel the surprise and admiration in her eyes.

He had seen that kind of look in many people’s eyes.

When they saw him and Xiaobao, they would be surprised and say things like, “Oh, these two children look so alike and are so handsome! They are the most handsome children we’ve ever seen.”

Her gaze at that time was very similar to that.

From that time on, Dabao was determined: keep an eye on Mom, make sure she doesn’t run away, and definitely not let other men take her away.

Anyone who tries will have their legs broken! He kept a little notebook in his mind, jotting down everything.

Xiaobao, that silly fawn, just laughed foolishly and didn’t even notice if Mom was about to run away.

Dabao felt like he was worrying himself sick.

Does the silly fawn Xiaobao know nothing?

Of course not!

He has his own way of thinking.

After leaving the Zhao family, from the moment Mom picked him up and smiled at him, he knew something was up.

He might look like a silly fawn, but inside, he’s just as sensitive as Dabao, only his sensitivity shows through by becoming even more clingy, not distant and wary.

Mom seemed like a different person!

Grandma always told them stories, from winter tales to stories of fairies and spirits—things like the Snail Girl, the Apricot Blossom Fairy, Feng Shisan, Nie Xiaoqian, the Fox Spirit, and the White Snake.

Xiaobao already believed in his heart that Mom might be some kind of fairy or spirit repaying a debt, which is why she was getting better and better to him and Dabao, and also treating Grandma well.

Once, when Mom wasn’t at home, the two brothers discussed Jiang Lin.

Dabao: “Grandma, don’t you think Mom is different now?”

Yan Runzhi: “People grow up. Women, once they have children, are different from before.”

Xiaobao: “It’s been years; she’s only different now?”

He meant that she’s had us for years, and only now she’s different, so it’s not what you said.

Dabao: “She’s definitely not right. She took us to that village, probably planning to sell us and make money to go back to the city.”

Yan Runzhi: “Little ancestors, don’t say such things. Don’t let anyone hear you.”

Xiaobao: “We’ve closed the door.”

Yan Runzhi: “So do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?”

Dabao and Xiaobao replied in unison, “Of course, it’s a good thing.”

Yan Runzhi smiled, “See, it’s all good. Your mother suddenly realized how wonderful you are and decided to love you properly. She has come to her senses.”

Dabao figured out that something was wrong with their mother through observation.

Xiaobao knew through intuition and feeling.

But, no matter what, their mother was getting better and better—loving them, loving Grandma, and loving Dongsheng.

Hehe.

Dongsheng and Linlin are the best.

After Dongsheng came back, Linlin couldn’t leave them anymore.

Dongsheng is their little friend, their father, their brother, and the main pillar of this family.

Dabao and Xiaobao love Dongsheng so much. It’s so much fun when he is with Linlin.

When they bring Grandpa and Wensheng back home, it will be even more interesting.

Wensheng is also their little brother, and they play with him.

The whole family lives happily together. These joyful days make them wake up smiling.

The two brothers grew up healthy and became handsome young men.

Dabao grew increasingly composed. Although he appeared elegant and gentle, he actually had a subtle aloofness and pride.

Everyone knew this distance was due to his excellence.

He didn’t like participating in his classmates’ trivial chatter, such as “that person is so flirtatious,” “XX is pretty,” “they’re dating,” or “XX is flirting with you.” Discussions about girls, boys, and relationships bored him.

He loved writing, creating rigorous, logically beautiful, and interconnected stories.

He was willing to spend time making a suspense story thrilling and irresistible for readers.

People said Jiang Sheng’s mystery stories were intricately woven with layers of plots, twists, and characters, leaving readers astonished.

After reading the first time, they often stayed puzzled for a while, then eagerly went back to decipher the clues and characters.

It was as if he set up puzzles for readers to solve, making reading an enjoyable experience as they engaged in uncovering the secrets.

It was the ultimate enjoyment for his die-hard fans.

Xiaobao, in contrast, was very different from him. They had distinct personalities, each with their own traits.

Xiaobao was passionate about discussing trivial topics.

The more casual, the more enthusiastic he became, often capturing inspiration in the heat of the moment.

His stories were not as restrained, calm, or reserved as Dabao’s.

Instead, they were passionate, vibrant, and energetic, with a spirited youth charging forward.

The protagonists were smart, witty, and humorous, ensuring no one would be bored around them.

He always brought surprises to readers, whether they enjoyed thinking or not. Everyone loved reading his books.

Occasionally inspired, he would come up with riddles for everyone—self-made puzzles, couplets, mazes, physics and math problems, and even challenge Jiang Sheng’s reasoning skills.

Whenever this happened, their readers would go wild, with newspapers publishing the puzzles in their supplements for the public to solve.

Anyone who found the correct answer would receive a prize from the newspaper.

Xiaobao’s puzzles were often born from sudden inspiration, and many times, he didn’t have the answers himself.

So Dabao would quietly solve the puzzles and write a letter to the newspaper with the correct answers.

If there were errors in the puzzles, he would also provide thorough arguments.

Readers were very forgiving of Xiaobao’s puzzles.

Even if the puzzles weren’t rigorous, so what? Everyone enjoyed them.

Dabao always felt that this wasn’t rigorous enough and didn’t want to write similar content.

Xiaobao, however, was not convinced and insisted on getting Dabao’s help.

He had Dabao under his thumb because, when they were in the womb, Dabao had taken the nutrients he needed, and after birth, Dabao had taken the milk, so until he was ten, he was shorter and less robust than Dabao.

Dabao had always been inseparable from him, used to protecting and caring for his younger brother, being clung to by him, solving problems for him, and saving his pocket money to buy sweets, food, and toys for him.

Habits can be powerful.

Even if he verbally refused, his body would still act, compromising with Xiaobao and helping him come up with those clever puzzles.

But Xiaobao was never going to be obedient.

He proposed that they take turns writing stories.

He said Dabao’s stories were too calm, like a grand and majestic building that could immediately lift readers up and make them strive to elevate themselves.

It wasn’t cute enough!

How fun it would be if they took turns writing!

In the end, it was Mom and Little Sister who made the decision.

They came up with a compromise: Dabao would create a few humorous and interesting characters in his serious stories, while Xiaobao would create a few rigorous, rational, scholarly, and calm characters in his passionate and humorous stories.

This way, they could help and influence each other.

And so, the brothers supported each other and challenged each other until the eve of their college entrance exams.

At that time, they first filled out their application forms before taking the exams.

Without a doubt, Dabao would choose a science major, specifically the Physics Department at Capital University.

Xiaobao glanced at Dabao and copied him.

If Dabao hadn’t ignored him, he would have had Dabao write an identical one for him.

Dabao noticed his action out of the corner of his eye and sighed in resignation.

He stopped writing and looked at him, “You obviously don’t like physics and math that much. Why are you copying me?”

They could turn writing into a career and earn enough to support the family, so applying to college was purely about self-improvement and learning what they were interested in.

When they were in their second year of high school, Dabao chose science, while Xiaobao, who was more adept at liberal arts, had chosen science as well.

“I want to be Dabao’s desk mate, just like when we were young,” Xiaobao insisted.

Dabao was somewhat helpless.

They weren’t conjoined twins and didn’t have separation anxiety.

Why did Xiaobao insist on following him?

But, considering that Xiaobao had accompanied him to play football, Dabao decided that if Xiaobao really wanted to study science, he would tutor him.

As a result, he fell for the silly roe deer’s trick.

The silly roe deer didn’t actually want to study science with him; he just wanted someone to do his homework!

The silly roe deer was even brazen about it, saying, “Dabao, sometimes I don’t want to come to class. Can you help me ask for leave? Or you could pretend to be me and answer when the teacher calls my name.”

Dabao shot him a sidelong glance and said, “If I’m pretending to be you, who’s going to pretend to be me? Besides, if you want me to pretend to be you in class, shouldn’t you have chosen a humanities track? We’re not in the same class, and it would be easier for me to help you if we were.”

Xiaobao was even more stubborn than Dabao when he decided on something, so he insisted on studying science and remained in the same class as Dabao, sharing a desk.

Several pretty girls enrolled in science to get closer to Dabao, but Xiaobao monopolized the seat next to him, leaving them with no chance at all.

He didn’t give Dabao a chance, nor did he give himself one.

Many pretty girls were interested in him and Dabao, but he didn’t catch on.

Now, with the college entrance exam approaching and everyone filling out their application forms, he wanted to apply for the same major as Dabao.

That way, they could do homework and projects together, and then, hehe, hehehe.

Dabao said, “I’m studying physics and math; it will benefit my writing. You should choose a major you’re interested in.”

Xiaobao replied, “Whatever you’re interested in, I’ll be interested in too.” Four years of college, doing homework and writing papers on his own—wasn’t that going to be tough!!!

A child who had cheated on homework since a young age was already used to avoiding it.

Of course, this didn’t prevent him from doing well academically; even without doing homework, he still excelled.

Dabao said, “If you choose a different major, I can pretend to be you and attend classes for you, and learn some different knowledge along the way.”

Xiaobao thought for a moment. “How about I choose Western literature?”

Dabao: “!!! That’s a humanities major; you’re a science student.”

Xiaobao: “I asked the teacher, and science students can take it too, but it’s a disadvantage.” He leaned over to look at Dabao’s application form, his slender white fingers tapping his chin. “How about I choose a history major instead? I could study archaeology and history, which would also help with my writing.”

Dabao: “……”

Xiaobao truly embodied the principle of “I’ve had lifelong interests since childhood, and it’s also a way to make a living, so education is just a means to gain knowledge; what and how I study doesn’t matter as long as I’m happy.”

Classmates gathered around to ask them, “Cheng Xin, Cheng Li, what majors are you two applying for?”

Xiaobao replied loudly, “My brother Dabao might apply for physics or math. I’m applying for history or world literature.”

Someone called out, “You’d better not apply for literature. The teacher said if you study literature, you won’t be able to write such exciting and naturally beautiful novels. Haha.”

At first, the two brothers kept their novel-writing activities secret from their classmates, but they couldn’t stop their proud family and friends from bragging about them.

Wensheng even bought their books and distributed them to the theater troupe! Fang Chengguang, He Liang, Su Xingyun, and others were even less discreet, boasting about them wherever they went.

Eventually, the teachers found out, and so did the classmates.

The chemistry teacher, who originally had a poor opinion of them, was shocked to discover they were Lin Shi, Jiang Sheng, and Lin Sheng.

He almost swallowed his glasses in disbelief.

Wow, his favorite little authors turned out to be the two students he disliked the most!

The chemistry teacher, a recent transfer, had seen these students’ good family background, their handsome looks, their father being a government official, their mother being a research institute staff, their family wealth, and their constant showing off—treating classmates to candy, ice cream, or driving around in a big Jeep.

A couple of pampered young boys!

But in the end… it turned out to be surprisingly delightful.

The two brothers earned their own money and didn’t spend a penny of their parents’ money.

Xiaobao, with his lively and enthusiastic personality, united his classmates and was friendly toward them.

He wasn’t trying to show off anything.

Previously, they had looked at people with colored glasses, thinking that children from a government agency compound must be spoiled and that even if they were good at studying, their inherent bad habits wouldn’t change.

But then…

In the classroom, everyone was chatting and laughing endlessly about their college applications.

At this moment, the chemistry teacher poked his head through the window and called out to Dabao, “Cheng Li~~”

Even Dabao, who was usually calm and steady, was startled, his eyebrows twitching.

He turned to look, “Teacher, please come in if you have something to say.”

The chemistry teacher refused, holding onto the window sill, his small eyes gleaming with a mysterious light behind his large black-rimmed glasses. “Cheng Li, have you considered studying advanced chemistry? You two could apply to the chemistry department. Chemistry is a very fascinating, rigorous, and promising subject. You know…”

The chemistry teacher suddenly became serious and mysterious, lowering his head slightly and rolling his eyes up to look at Dabao.

Dabao sighed slightly.

He had to respect his teacher and couldn’t just punch him out of the window.

The chemistry teacher continued, “Cheng Li, you know that human fat can be used to make explosives. If a criminal used this for a crime, wouldn’t it…”

Dabao, hearing this, became suddenly interested.

He placed his slender hand on the window sill and gracefully leapt outside.

Their senior high classroom was on the first floor.

The school had decided not to waste the time of senior students climbing stairs and allowed them to spend more time reviewing their studies.

“Teacher, you never talked about such interesting things before,” Dabao said with interest.

The chemistry teacher happily invited him to his office for a private discussion. “Such profound and dangerous knowledge can’t be taught just anywhere. You’ll have to wait until you enter university to learn it.”

In the evening, Dabao returned from the office.

Xiaobao grinned and said, “Old Fan’s done for again, emptied out by you.”

He gave Dabao the nickname “Master of Starving Teachers,” meaning that whenever Dabao found a great idea or knowledge from any teacher, he would inquire until all the teacher’s knowledge became his own.

Xiaobao said that if it were in the past, such a disciple would have been envied for learning so many tricks.

Dabao knew he was joking but still played along, “Teachers are cultured people, not so narrow-minded.”

At this time, some male and female classmates came over to invite them to a dance party.

Many high school students ended up going to college dance parties, and some even dated college students.

Dabao and Xiaobao, who had been little stars at Provincial University in elementary school, had grown up and could dance, but they weren’t interested in the dance party.

If they went, they would be surrounded by girls, which would be too boring, and they wouldn’t waste their time on that.

Of course, if Baosheng were going, they would accompany him.

Xiaobao glanced at his watch. “Dabao, hurry up. Baosheng is about to finish school. Let’s go pick him up.”

He casually tossed his backpack into a drawer without needing to take it back to review.

Xiaobao took an unconventional route; the main entrance was too far, so he usually climbed over the back wall, which made getting to the elementary school much quicker.

Dabao was used to his little antics by now, seeing no big deal.

After all, it was just a wall; he easily climbed over it with a casual hand.

As the two of them climbed over the wall, they saw Wensheng and Baosheng on the ground.

Wensheng was dressed in an old-fashioned white cotton jacket and pants, with cloth shoes on his feet, and holding a small straw hat.

He was smiling gently at them.

Baosheng stood next to him, wearing a pink gauze dress, her hair tied into braids with a pink bow, and white leather sandals on her feet.

She had her hands behind her back, tilting her head with a mischievous smile on her face.

Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her black eyes clear, making her look almost unreal.

“Haha, caught you red-handed!”

Dabao and Xiaobao jumped down from the wall.

Xiaobao said, “It’s all to pick you up early.”

They asked Wensheng why he was out so early today.

Wensheng replied, “Tomorrow is the movie premiere, and Mom said we should come back early to try on the clothes.”

“Try on clothes?” Xiaobao was surprised. “We’re just going to a movie, not a wedding.”

He was genuinely worried.

His mom might make them wear formal attire.

At that time, with the reform and opening up, and international exchanges, formal attire typically meant suits and ties.

Wensheng looked quite dashing in a white suit, white leather shoes, and a top hat while filming TV shows, but Dabao and Xiaobao felt a bit awkward wearing suits in real life.

Seeing Xiaobao about to complain, Baosheng’s rosy lips pouted. “Hey, Xiaobao, are you trying to make Mom angry?”

“Who dares! Whoever dares to make Mom angry, I’ll hit him!” Xiaobao laughed as he took her hand and started running forward. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

With his height and long legs, Baosheng couldn’t keep up, so Xiaobao carried her on his back.

The siblings laughed and ran home together.

Although Baosheng was already 11, she had been raised by her older brothers since she was little.

Dabao and Xiaobao still treated her like a child.

When they got home, Jiang Lin was greeting the manager and tailors from the high-end suit store.

She and Yan Runzhi had visited several stores before finally choosing this one.

This shop, which had been open in the provincial capital since the 1920s, had closed down but continued the craft through the years.

After the end of the cultural revolution, they reopened the shop.

A while ago, she had taken the opportunity to visit her family’s home to get measurements and took a family photo while she was at it.

Now that the clothes were ready, the tailors came personally to deliver them and do a fitting on the spot, making any necessary adjustments.

The men’s attire consisted of suits, with shirts, cufflinks, vests, and then the suits themselves—two sets for each person, along with ties and bow ties to mix and match as needed.

The women wore small evening dresses. Baosheng’s was a flowing, fluffy pink tulle dress, like a princess.

Jiang Lin’s was a black dress, originally designed as a strapless, off-the-shoulder style with a bow at the back.

However, seeing Cheng Rushan’s deeply intense gaze made her quickly ask the designer to modify it to a one-shoulder style.

It was a similar design, simple and elegant, with both black and white versions.

Yan Runzhi also had a dress—a gown and a qipao, both of which she had helped design.

Except for Dabao’s, which was a bit short and needed some adjustments, everyone else’s outfits fit perfectly.

After the tailors left, Siaobao looked at Dabao and walked over to measure him, “Why do you keep growing secretly? We’re clearly twins; why do you always want to be taller than me?”

Dabao: “It’s intelligence that boosts height. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Xiaobao: “Baosheng, he says you’re dumb!”

Baosheng changed into her princess dress, twirled around in dance steps, danced a circle with Jiang Lin, another with Cheng Rushan, and then danced with each family member.

She took Dabao and Xiaobao’s hands and said, “Tomorrow is Wensheng’s movie premiere, followed by a cocktail party. You two mustn’t lag behind!”

Xiaobao: “Yes, madam.”

Jiang Lin, amused by their sibling bickering, pulled Cheng Rushan to try on his suit.

Cheng Rushan, however, asked her to put on her dress and gazed at her intently.

“Let’s go out for dinner. I’ll take you for steak and coffee, and then to a musical.”

Currently, the city was all about a chic lifestyle—steak, red wine, dance parties, and coffee.

Cheng Rushan wasn’t interested in these things, but he was very interested in taking his wife out.

Tonight, they could even skip going home and experience a couple’s suite with a large floor-to-ceiling window.

The provincial capital had recently built a cultural palace and a Times Building, which Jiang Lin and her team were responsible for.

The cultural palace included a theater, cinema, and sports center, while the Times Building had a star-rated hotel catering to domestic and international businesspeople, with high prices.

Cheng Rushan wanted to invite his wife to stay there.

It was designed by them but had never been used.

Jiang Lin laughed and, in the end, couldn’t resist him, so she was successfully taken out for a romantic evening.

Wensheng, seeing them leave, smiled and said to Dabao and the others, “I’ll cover the cost. You guys go to the movies and have dinner. I’ll take Grandpa and Grandma to the theater and then for dinner. How about that?”

Baosheng grabbed Cheng Yunzhi’s hand and said with a smile, “Wensheng, Grandpa and Grandma also want to go to the movies. Then we’ll go for steak, where there’s a piano performance.”

Yan Runzhi clapped her hands and laughed, “That sounds great. We old folks want to be trendy too.”

She whispered to Cheng Yunzhi, “Old man, can you manage steak?”

Cheng Yunzhi, having suffered in the past, had lost most of his teeth and was now using dentures.

Cheng Yunzhi held her hand and said, “I can’t bite, but watching you eat is satisfying to me.”

So the Cheng family went out for a romantic outing, leaving the house empty.

After they left, the phone rang with a series of calls.

First, Zeng Hongjie, then Fang Chengguang, Su Xingyun, and Jiang Dage called in turn.

They all received tickets for Wensheng’s movie premiere the next day and heard there would be a cocktail party.

Jiang Lin had said to dress formally, and they were unsure what “formal” meant, so they wanted to ask.

To their surprise, no one from the Cheng family was at home, which was quite unusual as Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi were usually around.

Unable to reach Jiang Lin’s home, they communicated among themselves and eventually contacted Zeng Hongjie.

Zeng Hongjie advised, “Wear your best clothes. The cocktail party is very formal, with photos being taken and even coverage in the newspapers.” She had already arranged for reporters to interview and follow them, planning to take a family portrait.

The film, a thirty-year project by a renowned director, depicts the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty’s Peking Opera, the lives and loves of its people, and how their dreams and hopes were reborn from the ashes, reflecting more than half a century of historical changes.

Wensheng played the second male lead, a role that resonated with his own experiences, allowing him to perform effortlessly and flawlessly, with no trace of acting.

The director and screenwriters all agreed that his performance overshadowed the male lead.

However, rather than suppressing him, they allowed his artistic power to shine through in the film.

Zeng Hongjie had already thought of the title and content for the next character interview: “Drama Life,” capturing their friendships and lives.

The tagline was: “Time will not age, and we will not part.”

In the 16th-floor couple’s suite of the Time Tower, Jiang Lin looked out over the city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The quiet city, with its burgeoning wings of flight, was full of anticipation and desire for a better tomorrow.

She gazed in a trance until she was enveloped in a warm, sturdy embrace.

She leaned contentedly against him and hummed a tune.

“The most romantic thing I can think of is growing old with you~~”

She looked up and gave him a soft smile. “Shan Ge, it’s so wonderful to have met you in this lifetime.”

She thanked fate for the gift of meeting such a beloved person in the boundless wilderness of time.

He gave her everything, and she returned everything to him.

He gazed deeply at her, lowered his head to kiss her, with a firm yet gentle, tender, and affectionate kiss.

A lifetime of love, a lifetime of care.

[The End]