Chapter 15

The manager saw Feng Chengze standing silently and started to wonder why the telescope was being brought up again after so many years. What did Mrs. Feng mean by this?

Mrs. Feng clearly knew the situation. He remembered that after the telescope was removed, Mrs. Feng, pregnant at the time, had come to dine, stood on the terrace for a while, and then returned to the private room as if nothing had happened.

Feng Chengze restrained himself from asking, “How could something that has nothing to do with me be my doing?” He neither nodded nor shook his head. Only when Feng Jiayuan poked her head out and called to him from the terrace he replied in a deep voice, “No need.”

Although he found it puzzling, he believed there must have been a reason for his actions. Since it was done, there was no need to question or overturn it.

The manager breathed a sigh of relief and felt more at ease. “Okay.”

Feng Chengze turned and walked towards the private room but suddenly stopped and looked back at the terrace.

There were rattan chairs, pebbles, and an L-shaped flower bed on the composite wood floor. But there was no telescope to view the stars and nebulae. Perhaps because he had never seen it, he felt that the telescope indeed did not need to be there.

Ji Qingyu and Feng Jiayuan had already ordered their food, leaving only Feng Chengze to order. He casually opened the menu and ordered a dish he used to eat often. Soon, Feng Jiayuan’s smartwatch rang. She was always busy, and all her classmates in the Rose Class were her good friends. This time, her subordinate Xu Yichuan called her via video. She graciously accepted the call, pointing the small camera at her round face, “What’s up?”

Xu Yichuan’s voice came through, “My lord, look! My dad bought me a car model! You’re the first person I’m sharing this with!”

Feng Jiayuan turned around and started whispering with her friend. The two children chatted away.

Ji Qingyu noticed that Feng Chengze seemed to be in self-doubt. She initially wanted to ignore it but thought that Feng had been quite helpful today. He had given her a presumably unlimited card in the morning and calmly resolved the situation. So she softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“That telescope…” Feng Chengze looked at her deeply and hesitated for a moment, “Did A Yu bring it for you?”

Ji Qingyu was confused, “What?”

Feng Chengze turned silent.

“Uh, no way?” Ji Qingyu thought for a moment, “He never mentioned it to me, but didn’t you see it before?”

Feng Chengze confirmed that he had indeed not seen it before. He clasped his fingers together and placed them on the table, remaining silent.

If it weren’t for the current situation, and if the person sitting opposite her wasn’t Feng Chengze, her current husband, Ji Qingyu might have felt a bit touched. But now, while it would be false to say she felt nothing, it was just a small ripple.

“Is there something else?” Ji Qingyu focused more on Feng Chengze’s seemingly calm face. He couldn’t be showing such a serious expression over such a small matter; there had to be something more. That was the main issue.

Feng Chengze glanced unobtrusively at Feng Jiayuan, who was video-chatting with her friend. Under Ji Qingyu’s patient gaze, he said in a low voice, “We’ll talk about it tonight.”

Some things are not convenient to say in front of children.

Ji Qingyu almost choked. She had pricked up her ears, ready to listen carefully to what could make him look like he had swallowed a fly. From her very shallow and superficial understanding of him, if it weren’t something that could shake his worldview, he wouldn’t react this way. When they woke up on the plane and found themselves five years in the future, he was only stunned for a few seconds before quickly regaining his composure. Was there something bigger than waking up five years in the future?

She really wanted to know!

But he just said, “We’ll talk about it tonight.”

She held back, picked up her cup, and calmly drank water.

Feng Jiayuan chatted with Xu Yichuan for a long time until the waiter came over with a food cart, the enticing aroma of the food filling the air. She had no intention of socializing anymore and had to tell her subordinate on the other end, “I have to eat now. By the way, I ordered a Mickey Mouse mousse today, as my mom promised.”

This made Xu Yichuan very envious.

In fact, the children attending this school all came from very well-off families. Even though it was just a kindergarten, the requirements were not just about being able to afford the high tuition fees; there were also multiple assessments. Getting an invitation to the opening day already filtered out many families. The students who were admitted, even if those from the most ordinary backgrounds, had parents who were high-level executives or elites in their fields. From what Ji Qingyu knew, Xu Yichuan’s father was the CFO of an Asian region for a multinational corporation, and his mother was a well-known fashion designer. However, almost all parents were reluctant to let their children eat such things. Hearing the words “Mickey Mouse mousse,” Xu Yichuan was already drooling.

The child sincerely asked, “My lord, does your mom want another son? A son like me who is great at bouncing balls.”

Feng Jiayuan proudly said, “My mom said there will only be one precious baby in our family, and that’s me.”

Xu Yichuan was disappointed, “Alright then…”

After hanging up the video call, Feng Jiayuan’s appetite was whetted, and she ate the palm-sized mousse cake without leaving a crumb. She chattered about the happy things that happened at kindergarten today, but what made her happiest was that she didn’t have to go to school tomorrow because it was Saturday!

Her absolute favorite day was Saturday. She didn’t like Sunday as much because she had to go back to school the next day. If it were yesterday, Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze would have listened to her patiently and gently. But today, neither of them was in the right state of mind. Feng Chengze was still preoccupied with that matter, and Ji Qingyu was intrigued by his troubled expression. Unfortunately, this man was too much, speaking only halfway and leaving the most exciting part for the evening.

After dinner, Feng Jiayuan played on the terrace for ten minutes before getting bored and clamoring to go home.

Ji Qingyu was more than happy to oblige. Feng Chengze’s complex mood had persisted since before dinner, occasionally showing signs of distraction, as if he were pondering something important. Although Feng Jiayuan was still young, she was very observant, especially of the adults around her. Her eyes darted around, and she quickly noticed her father’s unusual expression. She tugged at his sleeve and curiously asked, “Daddy, are you unhappy?”

“No.” Feng Chengze snapped out of his thoughts, looked down at his daughter, and wanted to reach out and touch her. His palm just brushed her bun before he pulled back. He remembered how much this little girl cared about and cherished her hairstyle. Thinking of this, he withdrew his hand, bent slightly, and picked her up.

Feng Jiayuan sat steadily on her father’s strong arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned to Ji Qingyu, saying earnestly, “Mommy, Daddy is really unhappy today.”

When Daddy was unhappy, he would hold her.

Ji Qingyu stifled a laugh, “What should we do then?”

“Daddy said that Mommy and I are his treasures,” Feng Jiayuan said earnestly. “Daddy holds me, and Mommy holds Daddy.”

Ji Qingyu: “…” She wondered why her lips felt a bit itchy; it seemed she had talked too much today.

Feng Chengze didn’t react much to the latter part, but the phrase “Mommy and I are his treasures” made him uncomfortable. Frankly, although he had resolved not to question his five-year-old self, hearing such words still left him puzzled and confused.

Ji Qingyu could naturally call Feng Jiayuan “treasure.” In just a day or two, she could say things like “my little darling,” “love you,” “miss you, kiss you.” But he couldn’t do it. Calling his daughter “Yuan Bao” was his limit—and that was because it was her nickname. He would never call anyone “darling” or “baby” in his life. He couldn’t even think it without frowning and barely suppressing a feeling of discomfort and disgust. So, he was skeptical about the credibility of what his daughter said.

“Mommy!”

Seeing Ji Qingyu not responding, Feng Jiayuan got anxious, “What’s wrong with you two! You are really weird! Super weird!!”

Actually, if Feng Jiayuan were a few years older than four, she would be able to articulate and understand this “weirdness”—her parents seemed to no longer kiss, hug, or hold hands.

Ji Qingyu was stunned, and so was Feng Chengze. In the end, both of them felt guilty. Hearing this, they were speechless. Feng Chengze’s grip on his daughter tightened, and he gave Ji Qingyu a deep look. She immediately received his signal, took a few quick steps to catch up, and gracefully linked her arm with his, “Mommy was just thinking about how to make Daddy happy.” She could feel the muscles under his shirt fabric tensing.

Feng Chengze lowered his eyes, glanced at the fair hand without a trace, and pressed his thin lips together, still saying nothing but tacitly allowing her action.

Feng Jiayuan pouted, “Anyway, you two are super weird!”

Ji Qingyu: “What’s weird about us?”

Feng Jiayuan paused, shook her head, and said blankly, “I don’t know either.”

“Daddy isn’t unhappy.” Feng Chengze tried to force a smile, but it was difficult. He could only make his tone gentler, “Daddy is just thinking about work.”

Feng Jiayuan was easily convinced and sighed like a little adult, “Daddy, just wait. When I grow up, you won’t have to work anymore.”

“Then Daddy will wait.” The seriousness on Feng Chengze’s face disappeared.

Ji Qingyu burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling.

When would little Feng Jiayuan, who hadn’t even graduated from kindergarten, grow up enough to take over the reins…Retirement? It seemed Feng Chengze would have to wait a while.

By Friday, the parking garage was almost full, showing how busy the hotel and restaurant were. Anyone who saw the family of three could see the harmonious, warm, and happy atmosphere. The tall father held his cute daughter, and the slender and beautiful mother intimately held her husband’s arm, slightly tilting her head and smiling as she whispered to her husband and daughter. They passed by a black sedan. No one noticed that there was someone sitting in the driver’s seat.

This was too common. By Friday, city dwellers were out and about, and all major malls were crowded.

…

As night fell, the nearby skyscrapers lit up with spotlights, illuminating the city. The restaurant staff didn’t get a break until almost nine o’clock, slowing their pace. The manager was nowhere to be seen. After a quick meal, two waiters stepped outside for some fresh air. They both looked at the slender man standing on the terrace. Just his back made people curious about what his face looked like. He stood there quietly.

“What do you think he’s looking at?” one waiter whispered to his colleague, “Is it the… Yisheng Building?”

“But there’s no light show today.”

Yisheng Group was wealthy and held light shows on certain days every year. They had seen the angel blowing out candles and the flying projection light show, which was probably for the little princess of Yisheng’s birthday. The fireworks rain was for the current owner’s wedding anniversary with his wife. The feathers floating on roses and blown away by the wind were probably for Mrs. Feng’s birthday, as an old restaurant employee revealed that Mrs. Feng’s name had the character “羽” (Yu).

T/N: Yu means feather.

That was last year’s idea, and there was more to come this year, but every year, it attracted many people to take photos and videos.

“I don’t know.” The colleague shook his head, “It feels like he’s looking at the stars…”

Hearing the supervisor’s instructions on the walkie-talkie, they quickly returned to the lobby. When they passed by again, the man looking at the stars on the terrace was gone.