Qin Tianyi's group crisis was only temporary; there would always be setbacks on his path to realizing his dreams, and she would quickly make herself stronger, worthy of him, able to help him, and walk with him on the road to pursuing his dreams.
Thinking this, she no longer felt inferior or self-pitying, and threw herself back into her work with renewed vigor.
After work, she went directly to the kindergarten to pick up Xiao Xingxing, and the two walked towards the apartment, eating candy bought at the kindergarten gate.
She held Xiao Xingxing's hand, listening to him talk about the amusing anecdotes among the children at kindergarten, finding the thoughts and ideas of children so simply adorable.
"Mom, today Jiang Shihan kissed me on the face, her saliva was so disgusting," Xiao Xingxing said, wiping his little face.
Gu Susu asked with a laugh, "Why did she kiss you? Doesn't she know that boys can't kiss girls, and girls can't kiss boys?"
"She said that's how they kiss the dog at home, they hug and kiss it when they see it's cute," Xiao Xingxing said with a look of disgust, his expression remarkably like Qin Tianyi's.
Gu Susu teased him, "Then Jiang Shihan thinks you're cute, and our Xiao Xingxing is indeed quite cute."
Xiao Xingxing said dismissively, "I'm not a cute puppy at all. I'll stay away from her in the future."
Gu Susu watched him with amusement, feeling that his demeanor was becoming more and more like Qin Tianyi's. She didn't want her son to become an iceberg in the future; she wanted Xiao Xingxing to be a warm man.
"Xiao Xingxing, you can't treat girls like this. You should be more tolerant and generous towards girls, like a real man."
"But Dad didn't say that. Dad said girls are very troublesome, and you only need to be nice to girls you like, and ignore those you don't."
Gu Susu was speechless. So this was how Qin Tianyi educated his son.
"It's not like that. Regardless of whether you like someone or not, you should have gentlemanly conduct towards girls, understand?"
Xiao Xingxing's eyes widened, and he said "oh" as if he understood, but not quite.
She thought that when she saw Qin Tianyi later, she would have to have a good talk with him about his parenting style, as he was leading their son astray.
Unknowingly, they arrived at the building where the apartment was located. Xiao Xingxing asked strangely, "Mom, why are we here? Aren't you taking me for dessert and to the amusement park?"
"We're not eating out today. Mom will make something delicious for you when we get back," Gu Susu said to him with a smile. "Guess who is waiting for us upstairs?"
Without thinking, Xiao Xingxing blurted out two words, "Dad."
Gu Susu patted his head, "Good boy, you're so smart."
Xiao Xingxing grinned happily, "You guys made up."
Qin Tianyi had arrived at the apartment early, and had his secretary deliver the fresh fish and vegetables he had bought.
He had just finished a phone call with Xiao Anjing about Sai Ou's unreasonable insistence on investing in Mishang when he heard movement outside the door, knowing naturally that Gu Susu was back from work.
He had intended to give her a welcoming kiss at the door, but was slightly surprised to see her come in holding Xiao Xingxing's hand.
"You went to pick up the child?"
Gu Susu released Xiao Xingxing's hand and said, "Before you sent the message, I had already arranged with Chen Ma to pick up the child."
"Is this Chen Ma on my side or yours?" Qin Tianyi complained to Xiao Xingxing with a smile.
Gu Susu changed her shoes and said, "Do I need to say?"
Xiao Xingxing went to Qin Tianyi's side and said cheerfully, "Dad, Mom said she's going to make us something delicious."
Gu Susu was about to head to the kitchen to see what ingredients were left in the refrigerator.
Qin Tianyi, however, stood up and stopped her, saying, "You've had a long day at work. I'll do it tonight. My cooking skills have improved a lot recently."
"You'll do it? Won't the kitchen explode?" Gu Susu still walked into the kitchen and saw several bags of fresh fish and vegetables on the cutting board, asking, "Did you buy these?"
Qin Tianyi hummed in response, not mentioning that his secretary had done it for him.
Gu Susu saw a live fish in one of the bags, wriggling in the transparent plastic bag.
She immediately walked over and started filling the sink with water, intending to put the live fish into the sink first.
Qin Tianyi, however, stopped her, saying, "Haven't you seen Xiao Xingxing for a few days? Go play with him, I'll do it."
Gu Susu still said with concern, "Why didn't you buy pre-cleaned fish? Do you know how to kill a live fish? You've always had Rong Ma and Chen Ma around. Have you ever prepared a fish from start to finish yourself?"
"Stop fussing. Killing a fish isn't difficult. Go wait outside," Qin Tianyi said forcefully, not allowing her to question him further.
"Alright." Gu Susu had no choice but to leave the kitchen and go accompany Xiao Xingxing in drawing.
However, she was still worried about Qin Tianyi in the kitchen. She couldn't help but tiptoe back into the kitchen and saw Qin Tianyi holding a cleaver in one hand, staring at the live fish flopping on the cutting board, unsure where to start.
The live fish suddenly jumped again, almost leaping onto his face and splashing him with water.
Gu Susu watched from behind and couldn't help but laugh. She couldn't hold back and let out a chuckle.
Qin Tianyi then realized she was behind him and turned around to scold her, "Why are you back in the kitchen?"
Gu Susu efficiently put on gloves, took the cleaver from his hand, and said, "Why don't you go out and accompany the child? I'll do it. After I kill the fish, you can be the head chef, okay?"
Qin Tianyi had to admit to himself that he had no idea how to deal with the live fish, but he was still reluctant to admit it.
Regardless of his willingness, Gu Susu pushed him out of the kitchen. She first cleaned up the kitchen, which he had turned into a battlefield, and then dealt with the live fish.
As she was gutting the fish, she complained inwardly, thinking that this man clearly hadn't cooked much, yet he wanted to challenge himself with a live fish. But her heart felt sweet.
After they finished dinner together, they accompanied Xiao Xingxing to watch television until he became drowsy and fell asleep, allowing them to have some private time.
Coming out of Xiao Xingxing's room, Qin Tianyi immediately embraced her and asked, "Were the dishes I made tonight delicious?"
"They were alright," Gu Susu said indifferently.
Qin Tianyi suddenly cupped her face and, with a hint of annoyance, bit her lip. "I worked all evening, and all I get is 'alright'."
Gu Susu looked at him and smiled slightly, "Then what do you want me to say? I was the one who killed the fish, and judging by Xiao Xingxing's expression while eating, your skills still need improvement."
"That's because I didn't want to kill living things," Qin Tianyi retorted stubbornly.
Gu Susu said with amusement, "Then why did you buy a live fish instead of a semi-finished product?"
Qin Tianyi thought to himself that he would have a good scolding for his secretary at the group tomorrow, questioning her ability to buy groceries and whether she thought he was a gourmet chef.
Seeing that he had no retort, Gu Susu stood on tiptoe and pinched his cheek, "What are you thinking about?"
"Thinking about you." Qin Tianyi gazed at her, and the next moment, he kissed her urgently and deeply.
Gu Susu was somewhat overwhelmed by his kiss, her mind a blur, when her phone suddenly rang.