“When did you guys arrive?”

Lying on the bed, watching Xiao Xin Yuan sprawled on his lap, Chen Yuan played with her while asking.

Xia Xinyu was beside him, taking out the clothes from Chen Yuan’s suitcase and hanging them up, and said, “We arrived around 3 PM. We wanted to give you a surprise, so we didn’t tell you.”

“Did you eat?”

“We ate McDonald's with Mommy,” Xiao Xin Yuan said happily, her mouth missing some teeth.

“McDonald's, huh.” Chen Yuan pinched Xiao Xin Yuan's cheek, then turned his head and asked, "Want to go out together this afternoon?"

"I'm not going." Xia Xinyu refused directly, "It's too scary to eat with you in that kind of place."

“Then what do you want to eat?”

“What does Xin Yuan want to eat?” Xia Xinyu asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Want to eat… want to eat hot pot!” Chen Xin Yuan said very enthusiastically.

“But what if Mommy wants to eat barbecue?” Xia Xinyu continued to ask.

“Then… then…” Xiao Xin Yuan thought of what her father had said, that her mother worked the hardest in the family, so she had to coax her, so she nodded, "Okay, then let's eat barbecue."

"Xin Yuan is so good, but Mommy suddenly wants to eat hot pot again."

“Then let’s go eat hot pot!”

The two of them got along so harmoniously.

And this was all because Chen Yuan took Xia Xinyu’s words to heart and didn’t focus all his attention on his daughter after having one.

Otherwise, a wife getting jealous of her daughter can be quite fierce.

“You met with two principals today, how was it?” Xia Xinyu asked with great interest.

“Still the same as before, nothing’s changed,” Chen Yuan said.

“Appearance-wise?”

“They’ve aged a little, but their personalities are still the same,” Chen Yuan said with a smile, “And Fourth High School is exactly the same, no changes at all.”

“I heard that Eleventh High School has been renovated to be very luxurious, with gyms and swimming pools and stuff…” Xia Xinyu said with some jealousy.

“They started renovating it right after we graduated, that’s how it is.”

They're purely targeting our graduating class here!

“Will you be busy tomorrow?” Xia Xinyu asked.

“The main schedule is tomorrow, but I’ll have time the day after tomorrow,” Chen Yuan said.

“Okay, then we’ll have fun the day after tomorrow.”

“Yay, playing with Daddy!” Chen Xin Yuan caught the keyword and raised her fist happily.

“Then tomorrow I’ll take Xin Yuan to see the doctor.”

“…Not yay.” Hearing this, Chen Xin Yuan slumped down, lying on Chen Yuan, becoming very listless, “Don’t want to see the doctor.”

“It was a hard-won appointment, so we have to go,” Xia Xinyu said, “There aren’t such good doctors over there.”

There was nothing seriously wrong with Xin Yuan, just some common childhood ailments, like indigestion.

“Want me to make a call and arrange something for you?” Chen Yuan said.

“Don’t bother, it’s not a big problem anyway.” Xia Xinyu refused to owe that kind of favor.

“Then you have to listen to Mommy tomorrow and be a good baby,” Chen Yuan instructed Chen Xin Yuan.

“If I’m a good baby, what will Daddy reward me with?” Chen Xin Yuan suddenly asked with starry eyes, very eagerly.

“Being a good baby is an obligation, you can’t negotiate that.”

“Eh…”

“But if you’re good, there might be some unexpected surprises.”

“I love you, Daddy!”

Chen Xin Yuan went straight for Chen Yuan's face and gave him a happy peck.

“Too clingy, Chen Xin Yuan, let Daddy rest.” Then, Xia Xinyu reminded her again from the side.

She used the full name, Chen Xin Yuan, don’t you understand the atmosphere, little one?

“Go read a book, be good,” Chen Yuan said.

“Okay, got it.”

Although this child was very fond of acting spoiled, she was still very attentive to learning, something her parents valued very much.

Even though she was only in kindergarten, she could already read some novels and stories, and could even write compositions, showing some literary talent.

But there were still some hidden worries.

It's okay to study liberal arts, but don't become a writer, especially not a web novelist!

“Then rest for a while, we’re still going out to eat later,” Xia Xinyu said.

“Okay, I’ll nap for a bit.”

Just like that, Chen Yuan lay down on the bed for a short nap.

And Xia Xinyu stroked his hair gently, quite tenderly.

Being back in this place, he really felt good.

But he wondered how they were doing…

………

"Please, patient number five, Chen Xin Yuan, come to consulting room three."

Hearing her name, Chen Xin Yuan reluctantly got up and reminded, "Mommy...it's my turn."

"Okay, let's go see Xin Yuan's favorite doctor."

"...Not really my favorite."

Chen Xin Yuan unknowingly made a tsundere statement.

“I heard this doctor is super amazing.”

“Yeah, only in her early thirties and already a deputy chief physician.”

"And she's especially pretty... she's the star doctor at the Women and Children's Hospital."

"No wonder it's so hard to get an appointment."

Hearing the parents of the waiting children say this, Xia Xinyu smiled.

Then, holding Chen Xin Yuan’s hand, she pushed open the door of the consulting room when it was her turn.

Then, she slowly sat down in front of the doctor.

“Registration form and medical card,” the female doctor said calmly, her head lowered.

“Okay, doctor, here…”

“…” Hearing this voice, the female doctor paused, then slowly raised her head. Then, she revealed a surprised smile, “Xinyu?”

“…”

Hearing this doctor call out her mother's name, Xiao Xin Yuan felt like the sky was falling.

Oh no, they're in cahoots!

“You cut your hair short, but you’re still so pretty,” Xia Xinyu said with a smile.

The Tang Siwen in front of her was still the same as before, with a cold expression and looked impressive. But the difference was that her shoulder-length hair had become a somewhat gentle and refreshing short hairstyle for women.

At first glance, she looked like a very authoritative and beautiful doctor.

“You’re here for a check-up, why didn’t you just call me?” Tang Siwen said, puzzled, “No need to make an appointment.”

“It’s okay, I have time,” Xia Xinyu explained.

“You could have just sent me the form on WeChat, and I would have prescribed the medicine for you,” Tang Siwen said with particular concern.

“I just wanted to see your work state, as expected of Director Tang, you’re really amazing,” Xia Xinyu praised.

“Okay…” Tang Siwen had no choice, then looked at the little bean sprout, and made a gesture, surprised by her height, “The last time I saw you, you were only this tall.”

“Have we met before?” Chen Xin Yuan asked, puzzled, sitting on the chair.

“We’ve met several times,” Xia Xinyu said, “This is Mommy and Daddy’s best friend, Xin Yuan, quickly call her Auntie.”

“No, no.” When Chen Xin Yuan was about to speak, Tang Siwen waved her hands repeatedly.

After making them both a little confused, she then said, "Just call me godmother."

“…” In Chen Xin Yuan's big eyes, even greater doubts appeared, looking back and forth between the two.

"You've become humorous, Wenwen," Xia Xinyu said, amused.

“Not bad, always had a bit of a sense of humor,” Tang Siwen said expressionlessly, with a hint of pride.

“…” Xia Xinyu said awkwardly, “I’ve seen you as a kid… although not exactly a very young kid.”

“What’s the problem? Xin Yuan,” Tang Siwen said.

“A little indigestion, and a bloated stomach.” Xia Xinyu said, handing the gastroscopy film to Tang Siwen.

After studying it for a while, Tang Siwen said, "A very beautiful stomach."

“Very beautiful?” Hearing that it was praised as beautiful, Chen Xin Yuan was quite happy and looking forward to it.

“Yeah, I want to give it a gastroscopy without anesthesia.”

Chen Xin Yuan: “…”

"Just kidding," Tang Siwen smiled.

Xia Xinyu: “…”

A bit too much humor.

Or rather, after being praised for being humorous, she kept making jokes, a bit too 'showy'.

"How's her appetite usually?"

"Very good."

"Does she have diarrhea?"

"...A little bit, maybe."

After the two asked and answered each other for a while, Tang Siwen roughly understood, and then said, "Actually, there's no big problem. I'll prescribe some medicine for Xin Yuan, she can take it for a few days, and if it doesn't work, send me a message and I'll change it."

"Okay." Xia Xinyu nodded in agreement.

While waiting for the prescription to be printed, Tang Siwen held Chen Xin Yuan’s chin with her hand and studied her mouth, “Losing your teeth? When you’re losing your teeth, or when your teeth are loose, don’t push them with your tongue, or pull them with your hands, otherwise your teeth will be uneven and won’t look good.”

Although Tang Siwen was in the pediatric gastroenterology department, she still looked at her friend’s child a little more closely.

"Did you hear that?" Xia Xinyu said to Chen Xin Yuan.

“Yeah, heard it.”

Chen Xin Yuan nodded honestly.

"So similar..."

Looking at her features, Tang Siwen couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hm?” Xia Xinyu asked curiously.

“She looks like her dad.” Tang Siwen explained, "Her eyes, her nose, all look like her dad."

"Daughters look like their dads," Xia Xinyu said with a smile.

At this time, the prescription was printed.

After giving the prescription to Xia Xinyu, Tang Siwen looked at her reluctantly, “After I’m done seeing patients… can we have a meal?”

"What a long-lasting promise."

Among these friends, the one she saw the least was Tang Siwen.

She was even busier than Chen Yuan, a county-level city’s top official.

So this time she came to see her for treatment, it was also deliberate.

Just to catch up.

“Then let’s have a late-night snack together, I’ll come find you when I get off work…” Tang Siwen said, her voice bitter and expectant.

“Okay, we’ll wait for you.” Xia Xinyu nodded, then stood up, took Chen Xin Yuan’s hand, “We won’t disturb Auntie’s work, say goodbye.”

“Auntie, goodbye.”

At her mother's request, Chen Xin Yuan waved goodbye to Tang Siwen.

Before the two left, Tang Siwen stopped them.

Then, she stood up and walked to Chen Xin Yuan's front. Slowly, she picked up the child, lifted her in front of her, looked at her face, smiled gently, and then pecked her cheek, "So cute, let Auntie give you a kiss."

“…”

Being kissed by a strange auntie was too much like something out of a novel, and Chen Xin Yuan's young mind was deeply imprinted.

When they walked out of the consulting room, holding her mother's hand to get the medicine, Chen Xin Yuan asked curiously, "What's the relationship between that auntie and Daddy?"

"They're high school classmates," Xia Xinyu said.

"Then she's in the same class as Godmother Zhou Fu?"

"Yes," Xia Xinyu said, "Do you want to go to Godmother Zhou Fu's place?"

"I want to! Every time I go there, there are so many delicious desserts..."

"Okay, then let's eat lots of sweets and rot all your teeth. Then, let the dentist uncle pull them all out with pliers..."

"Mommy, don't say it, I won't eat them, I won't eat them."

"Oh, our Xin Yuan is so good," Xia Xinyu praised, touching Chen Xin Yuan's head with a smile.

“…Uh.”

Chen Xin Yuan turned her face slightly to the side, and then complained in her heart: With such an excessive mother, how could I not be good?

………

The second learning meeting ended, and it was already 7 PM.

Chen Yuan looked at his watch and frowned slightly.

“Secretary Chen Yuan, is there a problem?” At this time, a male secretary from the government asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Chen Yuan said.

It was just that the meeting ran over the agreed time…

But Secretary Minghai said that when you come, you must learn more and ask more questions, so the length of the meeting was extended.

As for whether there were any gains…

There were some.

Now, everyone was going to relax a bit, drink some tea, and have some wine. But it wasn't a very formal gathering, not everyone needed to be there, so after explaining, Chen Yuan left.

At this time, the sky was already a bit dark.

Chen Yuan gradually thought of his high school days.

When he and Xia Xinyu went back to his junior high school, the wind was howling outside the window, and the classroom was dim and cold.

Although studying was indeed hard, those were truly the freest times.

After graduation, even the best relationships were really hard to maintain.

It was true, "we only knew it was ordinary then."

Standing at the intersection, Chen Yuan's phone rang.

It was Xia Xinyu.

“Hello, I’m done,” Chen Yuan said.

“Daddy, you finally finished the meeting, hmph.”

Chen Xin Yuan sounded a little unhappy about waiting.

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll make up for the time later.”

“I’ll come find you with Xin Yuan,” Xia Xinyu took the phone and said.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

Chen Yuan waited by the side of the road.

At this time, a black Audi A6 came out of the government building. Then, it stopped in front of Chen Yuan, the window rolled down, and a deputy mayor of the prefecture-level city said, "Secretary Chen, waiting for Teacher Xia?"

“Yeah, that’s right,” Chen Yuan said with a smile.

“Then we’ll be going?”

“Okay, leaders.” Chen Yuan raised his hand and smiled shallowly.

Just like that, he continued to wait at the entrance of the government building.

After a while, a woman wearing a green dress, with a little girl wearing a princess dress, walked to Chen Yuan.

“Where are we going to play, Daddy?” Chen Xin Yuan asked with great anticipation.

“How about we just take a walk?” Xia Xinyu suggested.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Chen Yuan agreed.

“Then, then I want Daddy to carry me!” Chen Xin Yuan started making demands.

“You’re a child in senior kindergarten now, walk yourself,” Xia Xinyu lectured.

“Ugh…” Chen Xin Yuan looked at Chen Yuan, her little eyes said everything.

“We’ll see.”

Chen Yuan smiled, then put his hand on Chen Xin Yuan's head and patted it.

“Then where should we take a walk?” Xia Xinyu asked.

“Hmm…” Chen Yuan thought for a while, then suddenly had an idea, “How about there?”

Xia Xinyu thought the suggestion was very good and nodded in satisfaction, “Okay.”

“More words I don’t understand…” Chen Xin Yuan complained, “You two are in cahoots too.”

“Why use ‘too’?” Chen Yuan asked.

“I went to see a doctor today… ah no, an auntie,” Chen Xin Yuan said, her language logic system not yet fully developed.

“Tang Siwen?” Chen Yuan asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Xia Xinyu said, “She’s already a very amazing doctor, very trusted by patients.”

“I never thought she’d become a pediatrician…” Chen Yuan said with some emotion.

“Yeah, and now she’s very good at getting along with kids,” Xia Xinyu looked at Chen Xin Yuan and said, “Xin Yuan was even hugged and kissed by her today.”

“Eww, does she like my daughter that much?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s because she looks like you…”

“Ahem, don’t stir things up, Xia Xinyu.”

After pouting and smiling, Xia Xinyu stopped teasing him and revealed a smile, “Let’s go.”

Just like that, the three of them got in a car and went to ‘that’ place.

A place not too far from the city, but still quite secluded.

Although after that, people often went there to relax, it still maintained its original appearance.

The sacred place in his heart hadn’t changed, which made him very happy.

Standing on the river beach in front of the abandoned water tower, the family of three enjoyed the cool river breeze.

The passage of time seemed to slow down at this moment.

Xia Xinyu put her sandals aside, and then stepped into the shallow water, and her memories went back to the past.

“I also thought of that photo,” Chen Yuan said, taking out his phone.

“I want to see, I want to see.” Chen Xin Yuan leaned over, then saw what her mother used to look like, and said in surprise, “So, so pretty.”

“You mean Mommy isn’t pretty now?” Chen Yuan asked, raising the question to a higher level.

“No, no. No, that’s not what I meant…”

Such parents who raised everything to the level of principle gave Xiao Xin Yuan a headache.

Xia Xinyu also laughed, and continued to lift her skirt and lightly step on the water.

She also looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

“Don’t run around, just play nearby.”

After instructing Chen Xin Yuan, Chen Yuan stood next to Xia Xinyu, put his arm around her shoulders, and admired the beautiful night scene together.

After a while, Xiao Xin Yuan ran to the middle of the two, made small drum-like shapes with her hands, and smiled mysteriously, “Mommy, Daddy, look at me.”

The two curiously lowered their heads, looking at Chen Xin Yuan in the middle.

Then, the little devil slowly opened her hands…

Just like that, a pale green glow slowly appeared.

Fluttering in front of the three of them.

The family of three simultaneously revealed some delighted smiles.

Synchronously, they slowly raised their heads, watching the faint light rise, gradually becoming distant, disappearing into the world…

(End of the book)