Fu Yunruo went to open the door and saw a tall young man standing by outside. The long black windbreaker on his body was swaying gently with the wind.
"Mr. Yue?" Fu Yunruo couldn't hide her surprise when she saw the person, "You…" Why was Si Yue here? Did he learn they were moving to Beijing and thus coming for a visit? But the security didn't inform her of his arrival.
Before Fu Yunruo could say a word, Si Yue had said, "I saw your figure just now. At first, I thought I had mistaken it, so I came to see. Unexpectedly, it was really you."
"Wait, do you also live here?" Fu Yunruo was even more surprised. She had come to the villa several times prior to today and occasionally saw other residents of the community, but she had never seen Si Yue.
Si Yue pointed to the villa next door, "That's my home."
"What a coincidence…"
"Did you move here too?" Si Yue glanced in, "It's really a coincidence."
"Yeah." Since Si Yue left the village, they seldom had contact again. From the news on the internet, Fu Yunruo knew that Si Yue was abroad most of the time and seemed to be very busy. Even Yuan Xin was too busy to care about Wenwen, so Fu Yunruo told her son not to bother them. Fortunately, Wenwen was sensible. After Fu Yunruo explained it to him, he no longer constantly asked to talk with Si Yue.
But on Wenwen's fourth birthday, a package arrived from Beijing with a birthday gift from Si Yue. Therefore, Fu Yunruo knew that he still cared about Wenwen.
Fu Yunruo finally reacted and hurriedly made way, "Come in."
Fu Yunruo brought Si Yue into the house. Wenwen's reaction upon seeing Si Yue was very big. The boy quickly threw away the bag in his hand and ran over with his short legs to hug Si Yue's thighs, "Uncle Yue!"
"Uncle Yue, I miss you so much! Did you come to see me?"
"Uncle also misses you so much."
Seeing that Wenwen still remembered him, Si Yue was in a good mood and leaned over to pick him up. Feeling the sturdy weight, he pinched the boy's now rounder cheeks and nodded approvingly, "Wenwen is getting fat again."
Wenwen, who was originally very excited: "…"
Wenwen's fat buttocks wiggled as he struggled to get free of Si Yue's hug. Once he landed back on the floor, he quickly ran to his mother, facing his back at Si Yue angrily.
Humph, he's very angry!
How could Uncle Yue say that he was fat as soon as they met? Did he think that a child didn't need a face, huh? Besides, he wasn't fat, he just wore too many clothes! Come summer, he would lose much weight and get lean again!
Fu Yunruo held her forehead, exasperated. Si Yue knew that Wenwen was sensitive about his weight, so why did he keep stepping on the landmine?
However, Fu Yunruo rarely intervened in Wenwen's interactions with others, so she didn't say anything.
Seeing the boy's reaction, Si Yue just smiled before greeting Uncle Guo and others.
When Chi Weicheng heard Si Yue say that he lived here, he felt doubtful for a moment. As far as he knew, Si Yue's house shouldn't be in this community. But Chi Weicheng's doubt didn't last long. Si Yue was a very famous actor, and it was normal for him to have many properties. There was nothing strange with him owning a few villas and taking turns living between them.
Uncle Guo just snorted coldly at Si Yue before barking to Chi Weicheng, "What are you doing?! Bring these in now!"
Chi Weicheng smiled apologetically at Si Yue, then hurriedly carried Uncle Guo's luggage into a room.
Fu Yunruo poured a glass of water for Si Yue, cleared a part of the sofa for him to sit down, and then said apologetically, "Sorry, we have just moved today, so it's still very messy now."
"No, it's my fault for intruding when you are busy."
Si Yue then glanced at Wenwen, who was following behind his mother. The little guy was obviously still angry and refused to look in Si Yue's direction. His little eyes, however, would sneak a glance from time to time.
Although Si Yue hadn't been in contact with the mother and son for almost half a year, he had always paid close attention to them, and listening to the report from the person he assigned to watch over them in secret had become his favorite past time after a long and hard day at work.
Si Yue's participation in the variety show a while ago caused him to neglect his company's affairs quite a bit. As a result, a pile of backlog work was awaiting his return, plus the heap of equally demanding work in the entertainment industry.
Later, something went wrong in one of the company's internal departments, prompting Si Yue to go abroad to deal with the problem in person. He was so busy during this period that he worked overtime late into the night through the Chinese New Year. After the Spring Festival, his workload finally calmed down, so he could finish everything well and came to see Fu Yunruo and Wenwen in person.
Si Yue coaxed Wenwen in a soft voice: "Yes, yes, Wenwen isn't fat. It's my wrong. Our Wenwen is a very generous little adult, so please forgive Uncle Yue, okay?"
When Wenwen heard Si Yue apologize, he let go of his grudge and generously gave his forgiveness, "It's okay. I forgive you."
"Well, as an apology, can I help Wenwen unpack your stuff?"
Wenwen's eyes immediately lit up, and he gave a strong nod, "Okay, okay!" Free labor was always welcomed in their house!
Wenwen immediately pulled Si Yue towards a pile of boxes and bags, "Uncle Yue, these are mine!"
"…" Fu Yunruo was speechless by her son's ignorance. How could he let a guest do the chore? She must lecture him later when everyone was gone.
Wenwen put on a haughty pose as he ordered Si Yue to carry his stuff.
Because he was doing menial labor, Si Yue first took off his trench coat and the blazer underneath, revealing a slim waistcoat and slender trousers.
Fu Yunruo couldn't help but take a few more glances in appreciation. She had to admit, Si Yue was indeed a very attractive man, and sometimes she also wondered what kind of perfect woman would be suitable to stand by his side.
Fu Yunruo and Wenwen's rooms were both on the second floor, Uncle Guo's room was on the first floor, and Qian Shengnan's room was also on the first floor.
The villa was a two-and-half story, with three rooms on the first floor and three rooms on the second floor. Because of the large number of people in the family, Fu Yunruo modified the piano room and gym on the first floor into bedrooms, leaving only the study on the second floor with its original purpose. On top of that, there was also a playground area for Wenwen to play.
Wenwen ran upstairs with a small bag in tow. He stopped in front of a room, pushed open its door, and was instantly met with a beautiful bedroom decorated in a sky blue theme.
There was a white wardrobe inside, along with a set of matching study desk and chairs in the same color, neatly decorated with several photo frames full of Wenwen's childhood photos. A large white bed stood against the wall, covered with a sky blue quilt with white clouds motif. On the bedside table was a photo frame with Wenwen and Fu Yunruo's photos inside.
Sky blue curtains hang against the bright windows. Open the curtains and look out, and you can see the beautiful scenery in the yard…
This was a child's room, but it was not childish at all. Wenwen was pleasantly surprised. His eyes lit up, and he immediately fell in love with his new bedroom.
Wenwen turned around and ran out again. It just happened that Fu Yunruo also came upstairs with a suitcase in hand. Wenwen ran over and dragged her into the room, "Mom, Mom, is this the room you prepared for me?!"
Fu Yunruo smiled, "Yes, do you like it?"
"I like it!" In order to prove how much he liked his new room, Wenwen nodded heavily. "Mom, I love you!"
"Mom loves you too!"
Seeing Wenwen's joyful smile, Fu Yunruo was also very happy. More than anything, she was satisfied that her hard work until a while ago was worth it.
When Fu Yunruo turned around, she saw Si Yue standing in front of the desk with a photo frame in his hand. Noticing the gaze, Si Yue put Wenwen's baby photo back and gave the mother and son a smile, "Wenwen was very cute when he was young."
"Of course!" Wenwen replied proudly. From the moment he was born, he was already the village's cutest baby!
And from now on, he would be Beijing's cutest baby!
Hearing her son being praised, Fu Yunruo was in a very good mood.
Seeing that Fu Yunruo was going to carry the luggage again, Si Yue said, "Leave this to me. Wenwen's room needs to be set up, right? You can stay here and do the unpacking. We will be done faster if we divide our tasks." He pointed to the two duffel bags he had carried upstairs.
Fu Yunruo thought about it for a moment and agreed with Si Yue's suggestion, so she left the luggage with him as she stayed behind to organize Wenwen's room.
Wenwen had a lot of clothes. Most of the clothes he had outgrown were given to other children in the village, leaving only a few pieces with special memories — such as the baby items handknitted by Auntie Mei. Yet, a lot was remaining. The clothes that Wenwen still wore now were a ton, with his winter clothes alone taking up three boxes.
Fu Yunruo unpacked the clothes and began organizing them in the wardrobe. Fortunately, the wardrobe was very spacious, as she specially chose a large one when purchasing the furniture. The clothes that needed to be folded were folded, and those that needed to be hung up were hung up. The process took a long time, during which Si Yue had gone back and forth several times, moving all stuff from the first floor to the second floor.
Finished with Wenwen's clothes, Fu Yunruo unpacked the rest of his stuff and put some toys and picture books on the bookshelf.
In no time, the originally empty house was full of liveliness again.
When Fu Yunruo walked out of Wenwen's room, the corridor was already full of various boxes and luggage, so much so that she found it hard to walk around.
"I don't know where you want to put these things, so I brought them upstairs for the time being." Si Yue said. Everything was carefully wrapped up, and he couldn't tell what was what.
At this time, Qian Shengnan and Tiantian had finished with the first floor, so they came upstairs to help.
"Move these and these into my room." Fu Yunruo said, pointing at several pieces of luggage. She was the one who packed them up, so she had a general impression of what was inside.
Fu Yunruo then carried one of the luggage into the master bedroom.
Without saying a word, Qian Shengnan immediately followed and moved the rest into Fu Yunruo's room.
Si Yue felt awkward entering Fu Yunruo's room, so he didn't help them. Instead, he pointed to a duffel bag at his feet and asked, "Where is this going?"
Wenwen took a casual look. He remembered all the bags that contained his stuff, and this one should be…
Wenwen's eyes rolled unnaturally, "These are just useless knick-knacks. Uncle Yue, please put them in the warehouse."
There was a warehouse in the backyard, used to store miscellaneous items.
Si Yue saw Wenwen's reaction and noticed there was something tricky in it. His curiosity suddenly rose, so he picked the bag up and secretly opened its zipper. The next moment, a thick photo album fell on the floor.
"Something fell out." Si Yue put down the bag and picked up the album.
When Wenwen saw that Si Yue seemed to want to open the album and take a look, he immediately became anxious, "Don't look!"
Seeing Wenwen's nervousness, Si Yue became even more curious, so he opened it…
Wenwen stood in front of Si Yue, jumping and shouting vigorously, "Give it back! Don't you dare to look!"
Wenwen jumped for a long time, but even his highest jump was only at the height of Si Yue's waist. His short arms were far from reaching the album in Si Yue's hands.
Desperate, Wenwen grabbed Si Yue's pants and began to climb up.
Fortunately, Si Yue's trousers were of good quality, and he also wore a belt today. Therefore, he didn't have to worry about having his trousers pulled down.
Si Yue seemed to be fascinated by the contents of the album, and it took him a long time to finally move his gaze and look at Wenwen, who was climbing up his leg like a little monkey.
Si Yue sighed: "It's nice to have a daughter." Such a soft and cute little baby, wearing a pink and frilly skirt like a little princess… how nice!
Wenwen: "…"
Si Yue was mocking him? It was a bolt from the blue for Wenwen. His little eyes widened like saucers, unable to believe that his trusted idol had not only peeked at his dark history, but also laughed at him for looking like a girl!
Fu Yunruo heard the commotion and came out. Seeing the two's strange posture, she asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Wenwen climbed down, then quickly turned to run towards his mother. But when he was just a few steps away, his back collar was grabbed, and he was pulled into the air. Wenwen tried to struggle free, but all he managed to do was move his short hands and feet in place.
Si Yue took Wenwen into his arms and said to Fu Yunruo with a smile, "Nothing. We are just playing."
Fu Yunruo glanced at Wenwen. The boy looked like an angry pufferfish, but he didn't refute Si Yue's words. Seeing this, Fu Yunruo smiled in response before returning to her bedroom and continuing unpacking.
After Fu Yunruo was gone, Si Yue said to Wenwen, "It's not manly to go to your mother for every little thing. Got it, Little Mr. Babbler?"
Wenwen retorted confidently, "I'm still young!" It's normal for a little child to depend on their mother!
But soon, Wenwen saw that Si Yue's eyes had turned to the opened duffel bag again. His eyes were shining with curiosity, and he looked like he couldn't wait to find what was more in there.
"!" Panicked, Wenwen hurriedly rushed over and used his own body as a shield against the bag. "Don't look!" He shouted fiercely.
Mom was too much! This stuff should have been thrown away a long time ago, but she insisted on bringing them to the new house. One day for sure, he would secretly get rid of them!
Meanwhile, Si Yue, who had seen the little guy's cute baby-era photos, was now washed with a desire to see more. He even wondered — since there was a large bag full of photos, could he ask for a few later and start his own collection?
Fu Yunruo didn't stay in the bedroom for long, as she wanted to prioritize setting up the common area, such as the study and the living room, before slowly taking care of her private space. After returning to the corridor, she finally learned why Wenwen and Si Yue were having a tug of war. For a moment, Fu Yunruo didn't know whether to laugh or console her son.
In the end, to preserve Wenwen's pride, Fu Yunruo pretended to see nothing. Otherwise, in the case the child became thoroughly cornered and cried loudly, demanding her to throw the old photo albums, she would be the one who gets heartache in the end.
All of these photos were dear memories to cherish!
Fu Yunruo secretly moved a few albums into the bookshelf in her bedroom before putting the rest on the high shelves in the study, where another thick album was neatly arranged. The shelves were high enough that even an adult as tall as Si Yue couldn't reach them without a ladder.
Wenwen was satisfied with this arrangement. Although it wasn't in the warehouse as his initial demand, the end result was almost the same – out of sight and out of reach!
Time passed fast in busyness, and everyone spent the whole day unpacking and setting up rooms. The huge living room had been restored to its livable state, giving the empty house a warm and hospitable atmosphere in an instant.
At the end of the day, everyone was too tired to do anything else. No one was in the mood to cook or go out for a bite, so they ordered takeout. Although it was a takeaway restaurant, the place was recommended by Si Yue. The price was reasonable, and the food was excellent. The group, who was as tired as a dog and initially had no appetite, managed to finish a large table of dishes.
Tiantian and Chi Weicheng didn't stay long after dinner. Followed by Fu Yunruo's repeated thanks, they said goodbye and took their leave. Si Yue's house was next door, so he stayed after the rest had left. Meanwhile, Uncle Guo had gotten in the age. The three-day travel and the busy day afterward had taken their toll on his body, so he retired to his room for an early sleep.
Wenwen, who had made two awkward unilateral quarrels throughout the day, was now sticking to Si Yue again. Si Yue seemed to have said something funny, which prompted a hearty laugh from the boy.
Wenwen saw Fu Yunruo coming and quickly gestured for her to sit on the opposite sofa. Fu Yunruo sat down. Now that she finally had free time, she started a light conversation with Si Yue, "It's a bit late, but congratulations on winning the Best Actor Award!"
Si Yue's latest movie won many awards during the high-profile triennial International Film and Television Festival last year, and the news occupied the trending topic both domestically and internationally for a whole week.
This achievement pushed Si Yue's fame to an even higher pedestal than before — unshaken and uncontested.
Therefore, although the congratulations were a bit late, Fu Yunruo still wanted to congratulate him in person.
"Thanks."
"Uncle Yue, you are amazing!" Wenwen's eyes were sparkling, and he was full of ambitions as he looked up at Si Yue and continued, "I will definitely surpass you one day!" That's right, his pursuit in this life was not to reach Si Yue's status but to surpass it!
Oh? This boy was small, but his ambitions were big.
Si Yue patted Wenwen's head and gave him encouragement: "You can!"
Si Yue didn't stay long. Seeing that Fu Yunruo was very tired, he soon stood up and said, "I should go back too. Have a good rest."
Fu Yunruo nodded. She sent Si Yue off and watched him leave before closing the door and returning to the living room. When she returned, Wenwen was already dozing off on the sofa, probably because the house was quiet now that all the guests had left.
Fu Yunruo picked up the little guy and took him back upstairs.
"Mom…" Already half-sleeping, Wenwen hugged his mother's shoulders dazedly and soon fell completely asleep.
It was such a busy day, and he was very tired.
Fu Yunruo initially was about to take Wenwen to his new room, but after a second thought, she brought him to her bedroom instead. Today was their first day living in the new house, and she was afraid that the boy was still unfamiliar with his surroundings and would feel unease sleeping alone.
Fu Yunruo was also very tired, so she took a quick wash and immediately fell asleep once her head touched the pillow.
On the first night in the new house, everyone slept so soundly and got up late the next day.
On the first night in the new house, everyone slept so soundly and got up late the next day.
When Fu Yunruo woke up, it was already past nine, far later than her usual. However, she still felt very tired and had to gather a lot of struggle and willpower to take herself out of bed. Next to her, Wenwen was snoring softly with his cheeks flushed, clearly still deeply asleep. Careful to not wake him up, Fu Yunruo washed and changed before walking downstairs with a yawn.
Qian Shengnan was already up. Seeing Fu Yunruo entering, she said, "There is breakfast in the kitchen."
Because she didn't know when her employers would get up, Qian Shengnan kept the breakfast under the lid on the dining table. Fu Yunruo went to look and saw steamed buns, fried dough sticks, porridge, and soy milk in various dishes and bowls. "Thanks," Fu Yunruo said, thinking that Qian Shengnan had gotten up early in the morning to buy breakfast. However, she was surprised when Qian Shengnan said again, "Mr. Si Yue brought the breakfast."
"?!" Fu Yunruo, who had just poured a bowl of soy milk and taken two sips, almost choked in surprise.
Qian Shengnan was confused. What's wrong? Shouldn't she accept the breakfast? In her impression, Mr. Si Yue and her employer were very familiar with each other. So it should be normal to send each other some food, right?
Fu Yunruo thought for a while and said euphemistically, "We will make our own breakfast from now on." She didn't know if Qian Shengnan understood what she meant or not, but the girl at least nodded in response.
After a while, Uncle Guo also got up and entered the dining room, "What to eat?" He glanced at the table and took a seat, "I want porridge and steamed buns."
Fu Yunruo thought for a moment. Since the food was already taken, sending it back was not an option, so she gratefully accepted Si Yue's kindness for today. After leaving a small portion for Wenwen later, she turned to Qian Shengnan and asked, "Shengnan, have you eaten?"
Qian Shengnan shook her head, "No." The employers hadn't eaten yet, so how could she eat first?
No wonder there are so many left. Fu Yunruo said again, "If we start our meal late, you could eat first."
Qian Shengnan nodded.
The three finally sat down and had breakfast together. After the meal, Fu Yunruo went up to check on Wenwen. She called a few times, but the child only groaned a few times like a fat piglet and refused to wake up, so she just let him asleep as he wanted and asked Qian Shengnan to pay attention if he woke up later.
Fu Yunruo then went to the flower room in the courtyard, a former greenhouse left by the previous owner, which she had renovated with the house. Fu Yunruo put all the eleven orchids she raised here. At first, she prepared this flower room for Uncle Guo, but the old man disliked it for being too small and refused to allow his precious orchids to be cramped together in such a tiny place, so Fu Yunruo had no choice but to add some other potted plants beside her orchids to prevent the place from looking too empty.
In fact, it was okay, too. Having her personal flower room at home in the yard was very convenient. Despite the flower garden being located not too far away, it still took some driving to get there. After Wenwen started school, she would send him to the kindergarten first thing in the morning, then quickly came home to start the day's morning livestream. The business side of the flower garden didn't need an early opening time, so she could leisurely drive there after waiting until the morning rush hour was over. She would then come home after picking Wenwen back from school and continued with the evening livestream.
Fu Yunruo had announced a five-day break before moving, so there was no livestream today. After tidying up a little, she left the flower room.
Uncle Guo had walked in and out of the courtyard a few times, seemingly not used to getting separated from his precious orchids. Unable to stand idle for longer, he asked to be sent to the flower garden.
Wenwen hadn't woken up yet, so Fu Yunruo couldn't leave home and had to ask Qian Shengnan to drive Uncle Guo there. After sending the two off, she then returned to her bedroom and continued with the tidy-up.
The master bedroom Fu Yunruo occupied was a large suite comprised of a bedroom, a bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe, and a sitting room. She didn't make much change during the renovation, but since she had no use for a personal sitting room, she turned it into an office instead. The renovation was done with forward-thinking — Wenwen would eventually grow up and use the main study room, so she would need a separate space of her own by then.
Not long after, Wenwen was woken up by hunger. "Mom…" The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He then looked around, finding his surroundings unfamiliar.
Fu Yunruo heard the sound and came out. Seeing Wenwen was finally awake, she went to fetch his clothes while teasing, "Have you woken up, little sleeping piglet?"
Wenwen protested: "I'm not a pig!"
Seeing his mother coming with his clothes, Wenwen raised his hands cooperatively. In fact, he had long been able to wear his own clothes, but winter clothes had so many layers and were too thick. He would lose his balance and fall backward when he tried to put on a pair of trousers, so he had no choice but to ask for his mother's assistance.
But he could wear summer clothes by himself, okay!
After getting dressed, Wenwen was completely awake. He jumped out of bed and ran to wash his face, then rushed out of the room, "Mom, I'm hungry!"
Fu Yunruo prepared the breakfast she had left for Wenwen and arranged it in front of him, "Who told you to stay in bed and refuse to get up? Look how hungry you are now."
Wenwen giggled. His short legs shook on the kid's stool. Seeing the delicious breakfast spread, his stomach grumbled again. He wanted to eat all!
"Mom, what about Grandpa Guo?" When Wenwen had almost finished eating, he finally noticed that the house was so quiet.
"Shengnan took him to the flower garden."
Hearing this, Wenwen's eyes lit up. He jumped off his stool and ran to his mother, "Mom, we should go too!"
"No car."
Fu Yunruo had only one car. After employing Qian Shengnan, she usually left all the driving to her and rarely drove by herself again.
"We can catch a ride!" Wenwen was eager to try.
When Fu Yunruo was still hesitating, the doorbell rang. Wenwen immediately ran out with joy, "It must be Uncle Yue!"
Fu Yunruo ran after him in a hurry, but quickly remembered that this was a high-tech villa. After taking a look at the intercom monitor by the wall, she saw that the visitor was indeed Si Yue.
When Fu Yunruo arrived at the hall, Wenwen was already by the door, tiptoeing himself as tall as he could. His hand managed to reach the door handle, but he was still a bit too short to open the door.
After Fu Yunruo opened the door, Wenwen rushed out like a bullet, "Uncle Yue!"
Si Yue picked up Wenwen, then turned to look at Fu Yunruo. The corners of his lips curled up in a perfect arc, and there was a smile in his brilliant eyes, "Morning."
Fu Yunruo suddenly lost her words, "M-morning."
Si Yue went inside with Wenwen in his arms. Fu Yunruo closed the door and followed behind. Somehow, she felt that Mr. Yue was a little different today. She couldn't tell what was different, but she found that the man was more attractive and even… a bit seductive.
Fu Yunruo was in a trance for a moment. When she regained her senses, she noticed two pairs of eyes, one big and one small, were both looking at her with the exact same expressions.
"Wh-what?"
Wenwen blinked, "Mom, Uncle Yue said he is free today and can take us to the flower garden. Shall we go together?"
"Eh? Oh, okay…" Fu Yunruo nodded out of reflex, but soon realized her mistake, "Wait-"
"Mom agreed. Uncle Yue, let's go!" Wenwen cheered.
"Okay."
Fu Yunruo: "…"
Why did she feel that something was not right?
Fu Yunruo got into the car and saw Wenwen sitting in a child seat, happily talking to Si Yue. The sight of a child seat installed in such a luxury card was quite abrupt for Fu Yunruo, so she asked in surprise, "Do you have children, Mr. Yue?"
Could it be that Mr. Yue was married?! She indeed never asked about Si Yue's private affairs, and her understanding of him was mainly based on public information.
"Not at the moment." Before Fu Yunruo's imagination had a chance to go wild, Si Yue answered. There was a hint of laughter in his tone, "I prepare it just in case. Look, it ends up being useful, doesn't it?"
Fu Yunruo touched her nose awkwardly. No matter how slow she was, she knew that people only installed a child seat in their personal vehicle if they had children who needed one. Who on earth would go so far for 'just in case?
"Um… Mr. Yue, are you really free now?"
"Of course. What's wrong?"
"Actually, you don't have to mind us if you have something else to do." In Fu Yunruo's impression, big stars were usually very busy all the time, so much so that they rarely even had personal time. Si Yue was indeed very leisurely when he was at Shanghe Village before, but he was filming a variety show at the time, and it was normal that he had no other schedule during the contract period. Now that he was back in Beijing, there was no way he really had nothing to do, right?
"It's alright. I'm on a break and have a ton of free time." Having been busy for months, Si Yue was indeed taking a bit of time off right now.
Hearing this, Fu Yunruo was amazed. Si Yue was indeed Si Yue. How many stars dared to have the same confidence? Normally, they would be afraid of losing popularity if they went off-screen for an extended period of time.
Wenwen listened to the adults' conversation. Afraid that his mother misunderstood him for making an unreasonable demand on Si Yue, he raised his voice in protest, "I asked Uncle Yue first, and he said he is free!" If not, he wouldn't clamor to ask Uncle Yue to send them. He was not an ignorant toddler!
Afraid to make Wenwen more upset, Fu Yunruo quickly skipped the topic.
The rush hour was already over, so the car ran smoothly and arrived at its destination within half an hour. The flower garden had not yet officially opened for business and was still closed to the public. In addition, its location was relatively remote, so there were not many pedestrians around.
The car drove directly into the garden's private parking space before stopping. After the car was properly parked, the three got off.
Wenwen jumped off the car with great enthusiasm, then took Si Yue's hand and proudly introduced, "Uncle Yue, welcome to our flower garden."
Wenwen was very proud. It was not easy to have such a large garden in the metropolitan area. Mom and Grandpa Guo were awesome!
Si Yue's eyes scanned around before nodding seriously, "Uh-huh. Very amazing!"
The temperature outdoors was still cold, so there were not many potted plants around, leaving the place quite empty. The ones left outside were the most cold-resistant. Despite that, it was clear that the garden was very well-organized.
The temperature-controlled flower shed was like another world by itself, with a warm, spring-like breeze and rows over rows of blooming flowers. Fu Yunruo rushed to help Uncle Guo with the orchids, so she left Wenwen and Si Yue to entertain themselves.
The new flower shed was very large, too large for Uncle Guo and Fu Yunruo to handle alone. Therefore, Fu Yunruo considered recruiting at least three workers before the grand opening: one to manage the business side and two others to help take care of the garden and flowers.
The recruitment process needed to be done before the garden could officially open. Fu Yunruo asked Tiantian to post a hiring notice online and also put the printout version of the same notice by the gate. Uncle Guo would be in charge of the interview later. As a quasi-public figure, Fu Yunruo's face was already well-known, and it was not suitable for her to show up.
Uncle Guo had a good eye for people, but he was also very picky. Fu Yunruo figured it wouldn't be easy to find employees to his satisfaction. Soon after the hiring notice was up, a resume came in, which Tiantian promptly forwarded.
Fu Yunruo found no problem with the resume after taking a look, so she told Tiantian to inform the person to come for an interview tomorrow.
The garden's opening time was still a month away, just in time for the weather to get warmer and spring flowers to bloom. Thanks to that, they had ample time to choose and recruit suitable employees.
At night, Uncle Guo refused to leave and once again expressed his intention to live here full-time. But how could Fu Yunruo allow him? The garden was big, and also totally empty. In case an emergency happened, it would be too late when they finally found Uncle Guo.
Fu Yunruo firmly disagreed. Uncle Guo couldn't win against her and finally allowed himself to be escorted back to the car with a sulk.
Fu Yunruo's reasons were reasonable and indisputable. Firstly, they had just moved in and weren't familiar with the new home yet. Secondly, no one else lived in the garden, and it was too risky for Uncle Guo to live alone. Thirdly, daily necessities such as bedcover and quilts were also not yet prepared.
Thus, Uncle Guo had to come home with them and temporarily had a daily commute to the flower garden. Once the business was open, he was free to live here with the employees, and she could bring Wenwen to stay over a few days a month, especially during the weekends.
On the road, Fu Yunruo looked out of the window and said to Qian Shengnan, "Let's stop at the supermarket."
Prior to moving, Fu Yunruo had visited the house a few times and knew the neighborhood quite well. There was a large supermarket just in front of the community, specifically catering to the residents, making it very convenient to do grocery shopping.
Despite advertising itself as a supermarket, it was actually quite small in comparison. The supermarket, however, carried a complete range of daily necessities, and customers could also order additional items to be delivered later.
Because of the limited access, public figures who lived in the community didn't need to wear a disguise when visiting the supermarket, hence Fu Yunruo often saw well-known celebrities buying groceries like normal people here.
There was nothing to eat at home, so Fu Yunruo made a stop to buy some fruits, vegetables, and several daily necessities. They had prepared a lot of things beforehand, mainly thanks to Tiantian's help, but still lacked many things.
Uncle Guo said, "I want to buy quilts."
"Okay."
Fu Yunruo and Uncle Guo got off at the entrance of the supermarket, while Qian Shengnan drove the car back first. The remaining distance was close enough to be walkable, and the supermarket also offered a delivery service they could use later.
The supermarket was on the first floor of a five-story building, which served as a community center. Besides the supermarket, the building housed a gym on the second floor, a recreation center on the third, a children's playground on the fourth, and finally, an after-school activity center and a cram school on the fifth floor.
The community consisted of mainly affluent households with enough income to hire private tutors at home. Still, the activity center provided the children with a chance to take interest classes with friends of the same age.
As a mother with a young son herself, Fu Yunruo was very interested and had decided to enroll Wenwen in the classes he showed the most interest in.
Fu Yunruo and Uncle Guo had just entered the supermarket and taken a shopping cart when Fu Yunruo's phone rang. She took it out and saw Si Yue's name on the caller ID. After the call was connected, Wenwen's tender voice came from the receiver, "Mom, where are you?"
On the way back, Fu Yunruo 'ruthlessly' abandoned Wenwen and went back in her own car with Uncle Guo and Qian Shengnan. "We are in the supermarket now. You and Uncle Yue should go home first." Fu Yunruo paused for a moment, "Mr. Yue, please take care of Wenwen. Shengnan should be there soon."
Fu Yunruo remembered that Si Yue should be driving now, so she just said a few more words to her son before ending the call.
Befitting of its target market, everything was pricier in this supermarket, with many imported brands filling the display racks and fewer products per category. Large furniture, for example, was only available as display products and had to be custom-ordered. But smaller items such as daily necessities and groceries could be bought directly.
Still, with all the conveniences and services provided, the higher price tag was worth it.
Fu Yunruo first went to the home department to buy some odds and ends.
"Excuse me, are you Yunyun?" A deep voice came from the nearby aisle. Fu Yunruo looked up and saw a handsome man in a suit and leather shoes, looking at her with a very surprised yet excited face.
The man originally saw a slender figure that he found familiar, so he tried to look closer. Believing that the other party was Yunyun, he called tentatively and finally got a 100% confirmation upon seeing her face. "Hello, I'm your fan, Lin Ji." He introduced himself, "My online username is Anon0000, and I am a member of your fan list."
Fu Yunruo replied, "Hello, too. Yes, I know your username." Only her fans called her Yunyun, and she was also familiar with the username Anon0000. Although still not comparable to the legendary long-digit username, Anon0000 was also one of her oldest and most generous fans.
"Did you move here? What a coincidence!" The fans were informed when Fu Yunruo was moving to Beijing, but they didn't know exactly where. As a Beijinger, Lin Ji was naturally happy to have his idol closer, but he didn't expect Yunyun actually move to his neighborhood!
"Yeah, what a coincidence!" Fu Yunruo didn't expect the world to be so small. Who knew that she would meet a fan right after moving?
"If other fans knew about our meetings, they would be so jealous and wish to jump through the screen to give me a punch in the face." Lin Ji laughed.
Fu Yunruo was amused, "It's nothing…"
"Mom!"
Fu Yunruo turned her head and saw Si Yue and Wenwen, holding hands and walking toward her.
Wenwen let go of Si Yue's hand and rushed over to hug Fu Yunruo's thighs. Displeasure was written all over his face. "Mom, you are too slow," Wenwen pouted. He waited at the door for a long time, but no one was there.
"Sorry, it's Mom's fault. Mom will definitely bring you together next time." Fu Yunruo coaxed the sulking boy.
When Lin Ji saw Wenwen, he was even more overjoyed. He, who disliked small children, was currently experiencing what netizens described as 'cuteness overload.'
In Lin Ji's opinion, the real Wenwen was much more adorable than the screen. This little guy was practically a walking cutie bomb!
Lin Ji then deliberately made his voice as soft and gentle as possible, "Hello, baby…"
Hearing his nickname called, Wenwen turned around and blinked, "Hello, uncle!"
"Yes, yes, hello too!" Lin Ji suppressed his inner excitement and said with a bright smile, "I'm your fan."
Wenwen tilted his head. This was the first time he met a real fan, not counting the people he personally knew.
"Do you want an autograph, uncle?" Wenwen clenched his small fists tightly, his eyes sparkling.
"Of course!" Lin Ji took out a pen from his breast pocket. He didn't bring any paper or a notebook, so he simply took out a clean handkerchief and spread it open.
Wenwen took the pen. His chest puffed up, full of confidence. This was his first autograph, so he was determined to write his name in the most beautiful font possible. But the reality was cruel. Despite his best effort, the end result was crooked writing that took up most of the handkerchief's surface.
Wenwen blushed when he saw the finished autograph. How could it be so ugly?
However, Lin Ji was full of praise: "Baby is so amazing! You can even write your own name! Awesome!"
The deluge of rainbow farts instantly restored Wenwen's confidence. The boy held his head high and smiled proudly.
Lin Ji turned to Fu Yun and said, "Can I ask for an autograph from you too?"
Had to say — when a handsome man smiled shyly, his attractiveness instantly doubled.
"Of course." Fu Yunruo smiled. She took the pen and signed her name on the empty side of the handkerchief.
Watching their interactions, Si Yue raised his eyebrows. His eyes fell scrutinizingly at Lin Ji. The next moment, he quickly walked over, picked up Wenwen, and spoke intimately to Fu Yunruo, "Have you finished shopping?"
Fu Yunruo looked at the contents of her shopping cart, "Not yet."
When Lin Ji saw Si Yue, his smile faded, and his gentle gaze turned into a stern one.
Si Yue casually returned the stare.
Two pairs of eyes met, and for a moment, there seemed to be a crackling sound in the air.
"Are you Mr. Si Yue?" Lin Ji extended his hand politely with a smile, "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you. May I ask who you are?" Si Yue returned the handshake.
"My surname is Lin. Lin Ji."
"Hello, Mr. Lin."
"Does Mr. Si Yue also live here? I haven't seen you before."
"Nothing strange about that. I am often away for months during filming, and I rarely leave home even when I am in town."
"Really? That's such a pity…"
"Indeed…"
Meanwhile, Fu Yunruo was looking at the contents of the shopping cart, listing the remaining items she had to buy. When she raised her head again, she saw the two men shaking hands while exchanging greetings. Both of them were smiling, but she felt something was off for some reason.
For a split second, Fu Yunruo wondered – did they know each other before and have a bad relationship? She tilted her head and looked more attentively. No, they didn't seem to be on bad terms of some sort. Based on their conversation, these two should be total strangers.
"Do you two hit it off right away?" Seeing the tightly shaking hands, Fu Yunruo muttered in amazement. It's nice to make friends!
The two men who were busy exchanging barbed smiles just now suddenly regained their senses. Si Yue withdrew his hand, turned to Fu Yunruo, and responded with a slight smile, "Yes, we hit it off right away."
Lin Ji also retracted his slightly numbed hand and put on a perfect smile as he nodded amiably, "It's a pity we haven't known each other before."
Fu Yunruo didn't know how men usually got along and couldn't offer any comment. Still, she was busy right now, so she said tentatively, "Then, how about you stay here and chat? I still have to go and continue my shopping."
Lin Ji quickly responded, "I am familiar with the layout and products here. I can show you the way and give advice on best buy."
Lin Ji's heartbeat quickened slightly. Having been a fan for years, he regarded Fu Yunruo as a goddess in his heart. The unexpected meeting with his goddess made him somewhat nervous. In front of Fu Yunruo, his calmness was no longer, and he turned into a greenhorn boy.
Before Fu Yunruo could answer, Si Yue rejected with a smile, "Thank you, but we don't want to waste your time. I am equally familiar with this supermarket, so I will help her."
Fu Yunruo looked at Si Yue, then looked at Lin Ji. Even without Si Yue, Fu Yunruo had no intention of bothering someone she had just met, so she politely refused Lin Ji, "Thank you. But we have a long shopping list, so our plan from the beginning was just to walk around and see whatever is availaible by ourselves."
Lin Ji looked disappointed, but he was worried about giving Fu Yunruo a bad impression by insisting too much, so he said, "It seemed I have overstepped. Sorry."
Lin Ji then turned his gaze to Si Yue, curious about the other party's relationship with Fu Yunruo. He knew that Si Yue was an acquaintance of the mother and son, but he wasn't aware they were actually this close. Especially because he could feel the blatant hostility from Si Yue. Standing together, the three looked like a complete family, but Lin Ji could see that Fu Yunruo's attitude towards Si Yue was not at all in that direction.
Lin Ji actually wanted to exchange contact information with Fu Yunruo, but was afraid she might feel offended. After being entangled for a moment, he finally said a polite goodbye and left reluctantly.
Anyway, now that he and Yunyun lived in the same community, surely there would be plenty of chance meetings in the future, right? He shouldn't be too hasty and break Yunyun's first impression of him.
After Lin Ji left, Si Yue turned to Fu Yunruo and said solemnly, "Is he your fan? You must keep a proper distance from fans. What fans like is the image of their idol, not necessarily the real self. Sometimes, being too close brings unwanted consequences."
Wenwen nodded in agreement. Fans were a group of cute little angels, but who could guarantee there weren't devils among them? It was impossible to know someone's inside just by their outer appearance, and a fan that turned into an extreme fan was the scariest being in the world.
"?" Fu Yunruo was confused. What with this sudden warning and lecture? Still, Si Yue was indeed a superstar with countless fans, and his advice must be based on plenty of experiences, so Fu Yunruo nodded, saying that she would take his words to heart.
In fact, she didn't think that this Lin Ji was nothing but a normal fan, although they had only exchanged a few words…
Fu Yunruo quickly forgot about this episode and continued her shopping. Last, she went to the produce section and bought some fruits and vegetables.
Uncle Guo bought a load of stuff, including quilts, bedcovers, etc… on top of several daily necessities. Clearly, he wanted to bring them back to the flower garden so that he could start living there as soon as possible.
Because of the huge amount of stuff they bought, they had to use the supermarket's delivery service and walked home empty-handed. On the way home, Fu Yunruo saw Si Yue still carrying Wenwen in his arms. Afraid that Si Yue had missed the timing to put the boy down, she hurriedly said, "Mr. Yue, you can put Wenwen down. He can walk by himself."
Wenwen, who actually enjoyed the free ride, reluctantly said, "Uncle Yue, let me down."
Si Yue put Wenwen down.
Wenwen trotted to Fu Yunruo's side and held her hand. His chubby face was beaming with pride as if to say: look how sensible I am!
At the villa's gate, Fu Yunruo politely invited, "Mr. Yue, would you like to have dinner with us?" Si Yue had helped so much today, practically giving them a full precious day off, driving them back and forth to the flower garden. It would be too rude to see him off without even offering dinner.
Si Yue nodded, "Gladly."
…
After the lively first day, the new live-in Bejing was quickly getting on the right track. Uncle Guo's former students finally found a suitable date to arrange a get-together. Everyone came with their family and spouses, making the occasion very lively.
Uncle Guo put on a sour face as usual, but those who knew him could see that he was very happy and had more drinks than usual. If not for his students' strict surveillance, Uncle Guo would probably have ended up totally drunk.
Still, Uncle Guo managed to get a bit drunk at the end of the party, so on the way home, they got off the car at the gate of the community, intending to walk back slowly and let the night breeze dispel some alcohol from their system.
Fu Yunruo did drink, but not enough to make her drunk, unlike Uncle Guo, who was drunk enough that he babbled all the way, complaining that Fu Yunruo didn't allow him to live in the flower garden.
Seeing that Uncle Guo was really unhappy with the situation, Fu Yunruo finally made a compromise, "After we finish recruiting live-in employees, I will let you move there, okay?"
Fu Yunruo had thought about it and felt ashamed for putting Uncle Guo in an uncomfortable position. He was a person who loved orchids wholeheartedly and was not used to getting separated from his precious wards. It was normal that he was dissatisfied with his current living situation.
Moreover, Uncle Guo was also quite old, and the daily commute surely wasn't easy for his body…
She indeed didn't want to allow Uncle Guo to move, mainly because she felt that the living environment in the flower garden was not as good as the one they had in the villa. Moreover, she also couldn't stand letting Uncle Guo live alone without anyone to take care of him.
Seeing Fu Yunruo's low mood, Uncle Guo felt guilty, "I don't mean to blame you…" Of course he understood Fu Yunruo's reasoning and good intention, but he couldn't bear being separated from his orchids.
"I know." Fu Yunruo smiled, "Let's hope we can hire suitable people soon."
It was easy to find a worker with suitable skills, but it was not easy to find someone whose spouse would also come along as a housekeeper.
"It's hard because you demand too much." Uncle Guo muttered.
"I'm not too demanding. But considering our situation, employing a married couple is the best…"
"It's hard because you demand too much." Uncle Guo muttered.
"I'm not too demanding. But considering our situation, employing a married couple is the best…"
After posting the hiring notice, a lot of applicants sent their resumes in. Uncle Guo was picky, but finally found a candidate he liked. The person was a woman in her early thirties with good practical skills, had previously worked in the flower industry, and came with rich management experience.
After hiring a manager, they still had to hire two more workers, and these people had to be live-in employees, which were not easy to find. The flower garden housed many precious orchids, so Fu Yunruo wanted to find someone with both good skills and good conduct.
The best candidate would be a strong man to help with the work in the garden and also be responsible for the overall security, and then a middle-aged woman who would do the cooking, cleaning, and other housekeeping duties.
After moving to Beijing, Fu Yunruo wanted to focus on Wenwen and her career, so she needed to free herself from daily chores, thus the necessity to hire a housekeeper. However, there were not many rooms in the flower garden, so Fu Yunruo wanted to hire a couple so that they could use the same room downstairs.
The three bedrooms upstairs were already a stretch for the family members. Uncle Guo naturally got one room for himself, and Wenwen was growing up, so he would also need more privacy and a bedroom of his own whenever they stayed overnight. As for Fu Yunruo, she claimed the last room and put a bunk bed for herself and Qian Shengnan, who would also stay in the flower garden with them.
It was a less than ideal situation, so Fu Yunruo began to ponder the alternative — in the case they failed to find suitable workers, should she build another house next to the current one?
"Not too demanding?" Uncle Guo snorted. However, he also understood that Fu Yunruo's requirement was the best for their situation.
Fu Yunruo smiled: "Let's wait another week. I will relax the requirements if we still fail to find suitable candidates by then."
"Excuse me."
An unfamiliar voice suddenly interjected. Fu Yunruo turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a security uniform standing nearby, looking very nervous.
"Ah, yes. What's the matter?" Security guards were not a rare sight in this community. The management put heavy emphasis on the residents' safety and privacy, and had security patrolled the premise on a regular basis. However, Fu Yunruo didn't know why this person suddenly stopped them.
The security said nervously, "I'm sorry, Miss Fu, but I accidentally overheard your conversation…"
He knew what he was doing was wrong, but after accidentally overhearing the conversation, he gathered his courage and called out.
Fu Yunruo glanced at Uncle Guo.
Uncle Guo said with a stern face: "It seems that you have something to tell us. What is it?"
The security was tall and sturdy, but looked very honest. He rubbed his hands together for a moment, as if gathering his words, "I-I heard you are recruiting workers. I know two candidates who are quite qualified. Can I recommend them to you?"
"A good friend of mine is very loyal and honest, but he is a little disabled… it doesn't hinder his movement, though! If we have hand-to-hand combat, I can never win against him. He is married, and his wife is also looking for a job. So…"
The security tried his best to say good things about his friend, but his nervousness made him forget his words. He was sweating profusely, afraid his clumsiness might destroy his friend's chance of getting a job.
"…I-it's okay if you don't think they are suitable later. But can you at least give them a chance for an interview?"
Fu Yunruo didn't have the heart to reject. This security obviously wanted to help his friend so much that he risked losing his own job just for a chance.
Fu Yunruo gave the security the address to the flower garden. If he couldn't remember the address, he could call the villa later.
The security thanked Fu Yunruo and Uncle Guo many times before leaving in a hurry.
Uncle Guo glared dissatisfiedly, "Why are you so softhearted?"
"It's just an interview. If they don't meet our standards, we won't employ them." Of course she hoped that the opposite was true. If so, it was a win for everyone.
Uncle Guo snorted coldly and said nothing.
Fu Yunruo didn't think much about this small episode until the new manager she had hired, Sister Wang, gave her a call the next morning, saying that a couple had come to apply for the job. Fu Yunruo glanced at the clock and saw that it was still 9:30, so she asked Sister Wang to take the couple in first and waited until they arrived before starting the interview.
Fu Yunruo, Wenwen, and Uncle Guo took the car Qian Shengnan drove and soon arrived at the flower garden. Upon entering the living room, a middle-aged couple was sitting on the sofa. The woman looked obviously nervous, but the man sat with his back straight.
"I am sorry. It seems I have made you wait long." Fu Yunruo said. According to Sister Wang, the couple was already waiting at the gate when she arrived this morning, so she had no idea how long they had been waiting.
The couple stood up, "No, no. We deliberately came early."
When Fu Yunruo saw the man's face, she understood what the security meant by 'a little disabled.' There was a large scar on the man's left face, deep enough to destroy his left eye. At first, the scar made his appearance scary, but his intact right eye showed a firm and honest look.
Fu Yunruo was surprised for a moment, but didn't show it on her face. She looked at Wenwen and saw the boy was looking at the man with a curious gaze without signs of fear.
The woman looked nervously at Fu Yunruo, afraid she would chase them away after seeing the scar. She knew her husband's injury was unwelcome by city folks, causing him to be rejected by prospective employers. So far, no one was willing to hire him, not even for temporary jobs, because people feared his appearance would frighten their customers.
But Fu Yunruo didn't mind the man's appearance. What they needed now was a male employee to handle the security of the garden. His job was mainly done at night, and he didn't need to interact with the customers. Therefore, the most important criterion was that the person must be honest and reliable.
The couple who came to apply for the job were both forty-six. The husband's name was Wei Wuguo, and the wife was Zhang Dongmei. They were childhood sweethearts. Wei Wuguo was a person with a strong sense of justice and was previously a recruit in the military school during his youth. Once when he was off duty, he was injured when saving people, causing a permanent scar on his face and blinding one of his eyes. Naturally, he could no longer continue his career as a soldier and had to retire.
Wei Wuguo didn't want to cause the army trouble. After being discharged, he took a meager pension and returned to his hometown to find a new job. Unfortunately, many employers rejected him just because of the blind eye and conspicuous scar on his face.
In addition, Wei Wuguo himself was only strong in physical skills and combat ability. Back during his days in military school, it took him a lot of grueling effort to pass the written classes. Even security guards nowadays needed an acceptable look, and Wei Wuguo had no other skills that attracted employers enough to ignore his appearance. Failing to find a job, he finally returned to his hometown to be a farmer.
Later, he met Zhang Dongmei, who was willing to be with him. The two finally married and had a daughter together. The couple had a dull life, but their daughter was an excellent student and was admitted to Beijing University.
The couple was naturally happy for their daughter, but at the same time, they were in a dilemma. They wanted to stay close to their daughter and save more to give her a better life, but farming was not a profitable job, and they couldn't earn enough money no matter how hard they worked.
After long deliberation, the couple finally decided to try their luck and move to Beijing. In order to find a job, Wei Wuguo contacted former colleagues from his army days, most of whom he had not seen for many years. The majority of them had also retired from military service and now either ran their own business or got employed in the civilian sector.
One of the most popular jobs among ex-military was to become a security guard in a high-end establishment. Despite looking dull and ordinary, this job was easy enough, paid well, and came with generous benefits.
Wei Wuguo contacted his former colleagues but didn't put all his hope in them. In the meantime, he and his wife tried their best to do job-hunting on their own. Unexpectedly, one of his former colleagues rang him a call only five days later, saying that a resident in the community he worked was hiring a couple. Seeing that Wei Wuguo and Zhang Dongmei met the requirements, the person agreed to give them an interview.
After Fu Yunruo learned about the couple's background, she was already moved. They were just a normal rural couple with nothing to suspect of, and most importantly, they met the basic requirements she set. Still, she had to test Wei Wuguo's skills before making a final decision. The garden housed many precious orchids, so the security guard needed real skills. Otherwise, in the case of burglary and such, it would be fatal if the security couldn't deter the thief or even get injured in the process.
It just happened that Qian Shengnan was here, so Fu Yunruo let her test Wei Wuguo in real combat. In the end, the two ended up in a tie, but according to Qian Shengnan, she lost.
There was no problem with skills, no problem with characters, and the flaw in appearance could be ignored.
What's more, the scar on Wei Wuguo's face was the medal of heroic deeds, which only roused Fu Yunruo's admiration. In fact, after looking at the scar for some time, she was now used to it and no longer felt it scary.
Since Uncle Guo also had no objection, Fu Yunruo hired the couple on the spot with a probationary period of three months.
The salary and benefit Fu Yunruo offered was generous, so the couple asked for no more and directly entered their first day of employment.
Like this, the flower garden finally reached its maximum capacity, and the large population suddenly made the place very lively.
Uncle Guo couldn't wait to move in the next day. Now that they had hired the guard and housekeeper, Fu Yunruo had no reason to refuse and simply decided to stay over with Wenwen for a few days. The reason for staying over was to observe the newly-hired couple and see the quality of their work. In case there of problems, she would need to replace them as soon as possible.
Wenwen had no objections and was very happy to live in the flower garden. He was particularly very interested in Uncle Wei and loved to watch the latter doing morning exercises every day. He often saw Sister Shengnan doing a similar routine, but women's exercises were different from men's, so he never asked her to teach him.
Now that there was a more suitable person to learn from, Wenwen's curiosity was once again kindled. If he could learn a thing or two, the benefit would be for life!
…
Fu Yunruo kept this for herself, but there was another reason why she decided to stay in the flower garden, and that reason was Si Yue. It was hard to tell others, but recently, she felt Si Yue was getting too close, making her uncomfortable.
Although they had once lived together under the same roof during their time in the village, Si Yue always maintained a proper distance then. The distance was just enough to keep a friendly atmosphere between them and did not make her think in another direction.
However, now that they lived next to each other, she saw Si Yue all the time. Si Yue came to her house every day to check on and play with Wenwen, and occasionally also helped with her work.
For this reason, Fu Yunruo had a hunch that Si Yue was deliberately trying to get close to her, and his attitude was sometimes a bit ambiguous…
Fu Yunruo thought of what Tiantian had once said to her and couldn't help thinking in that direction. Could it be that Si Yue was indeed pursuing her?
But although she was single, she had a child out of wedlock… And Si Yue's also treated Wenwen very well, maybe even better than a biological father might do. Could it be perhaps that he seriously wanted to become Wenwen's stepfather?
Fu Yunruo was anxious for a while and felt that she was overthinking. Trapped in a dilemma, she simply chose to avoid Si Yue temporarily.
Two days later, Fu Yunruo finally ran back to the villa during the day, mainly because her orchids were still at home, and she had to take care of them…
Fu Yunruo sneaked out when Wenwen was taking a nap and asked Brother Wei and his wife to watch the boy during her absence. She had completely trusted the couple at this point, and had also met their daughter Wei Xiaoyue who was admitted to Beijing University. When Fu Yunruo learned that the family of three lived in a small rented room, she allowed Wei Xiaoyue to live in the flower garden to assure the Wei couple.
Because of this arrangement, Fu Yunruo temporarily shared a room with Wenwen, while Wei Xiaoyue shared a room with Qian Shengnan. This made Fu Yunruo deeply aware of the lack of available bedrooms. She was about to contact some contractors to build two additional rooms when Wei Wuguo offered to do it instead.
When the family of three still lived in the countryside, Wei Wuguo often helped people build houses. Naturally, adding two bedrooms to an existing building was much easier than constructing one from scratch.
It just happened that the flower garden was still idle now. The couple worked hard, not to mention that Wei Wuguo's former colleagues, that is, the security guard of Fu Yunruo's community, also came to help after getting the words. They were very grateful for Fu Yunruo's willingness to employ Wei Wuguo and especially took a few days off to lend hands with the construction work.
With more workers, the job was done efficiently, and the two bedrooms were finished in no time.
When returning to the villa, Fu Yunruo deliberately chose the afternoon because she thought Si Yue was not home at the time. This way, she could hurriedly water the flower, do some maintenance, and quickly go off again before Si Yue came home.
It took Fu Yunruo just a moment before her focus quickly shifted to the orchids, and she forgot about everything else.
The seventh child needs a trimming…
Fu Yunruo put all her attention on the seventh child. Just as she put the tools away and turned around, she suddenly saw a figure standing by the door. Caught off guard, she stepped back in shock.
"Be careful."
Before Fu Yunruo had time to react, Si Yue was already very close. His one hand was holding her waist, while the other caught the pot she accidentally knocked over in a panic.
There was almost no distance between them. Fu Yunruo's nose was about to touch Si Yue's chest, and her lungs seemed to be full of his unique smell.
Fu Yunruo's heart was beating fast, so fast that she was frightened. Her hands gripped the shelf behind her as she tried her best to escape Si Yue's embrace.
"Did I surprise you?" Si Yue took a step back.
Fu Yunruo stared at him, "Why are you here?"
'Did I surprise you,' he said? Anyone who suddenly found someone standing behind them without any warning would be surprised, alright?
Fu Yunruo felt that her heart almost jumped out of her throat.
"…I'm sorry."
Si Yue was a bit aggrieved. Was he so ugly? How come she looks so scared?
This is supposed to be his most charming pose…
"I heard some movement here, so I came over to check."
"…" For a while, Fu Yunruo couldn't say a word. She didn't tell anyone about her guess and dilemma, and even Qian Shengnan was put in the dark. Thinking that Si Yue was a close friend of Fu Yunruo and Wenwen, it was normal that she allowed him in.
"I'm dropping in to check on the flowers."
"I see." Si Yue didn't ask any more questions, and Fu Yunruo also didn't give any unnecessary explanations.
The two fell into another silence.
Only then did Fu Yunruo realize that their posture was not correct. They were not only very close, but Si Yue's hand was still holding her waist!
Fu Yunruo subconsciously tried to push him away.
She pushed once, pushed twice… but the man didn't budge an inch.
Just like a big mountain, Si Yue was still standing right in front of her.
Si Yue lowered his eyes. Seeing the two palms pushing against his chest, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
Fu Yunruo followed his gaze, and her mind suddenly exploded with a bang. Si Yue's body temperature seemed to permeate through his clothes right into her skin, numbing her palm from the heat.
There was a smile in Si Yue's eyes, "Does it feel nice?"
Fu Yunruo hurriedly retracted her hands as if scalding, "I-I'm sorry…"
Fu Yunruo's face was as red as a boiled shrimp. She clearly just wanted to push Si Yue away, but why did it seem that she was trying to take advantage of him? "Mr. Yue." She tried to remain calm, "I'm not used to being so close to others."
Si Yue then withdrew his hand and took two steps back.
Fu Yunruo finally sighed in relief.
"Yunruo…" As soon as Si Yue called out her name, Fu Yunruo's heart suddenly jumped again, and she quickly interrupted in panic, "Wenwen must be waiting for me. Since I have finished my business here, it's time to return to the flower garden. See you later!" Fu Yunruo didn't give Si Yue a chance to say a word and quickly finished with a bang.
"I see. Be careful on the road."
"?" That's it? Didn't he have more to say? What does he mean?
Fu Yunruo was confused by Si Yue's behavior. Every time she suspected he had a romantic interest in her, his attitude would suddenly return to normal. It was this ambiguity that made her heart jump up and down, as she couldn't help pondering his intention.
"Mr. Yue…"
"Yes?"
Fu Yunruo swallowed her words. Asking this kind of question was extremely risky. In the case she really misunderstood Si Yue, wouldn't it be too embarrassing?
If Si Yue's attitude had been more clear and open, she could straightly reject him. But at this point, there was nothing she could say.
"Ah, no… I'm off."
"Alright." Si Yue turned around and said, "Let's go out to play once you guys return home."
Fu Yunruo: "…"
…
Fu Yunruo returned to the flower garden with a mind full of doubt and questions. But soon, she had no time to be entangled. The flower garden would officially be open for business in ten days, but there was one more important event before the opening.
Wenwen's kindergarten.
Wenwen had a bolt out of the blue. He was having a good time here, but his mother suddenly told him to go to school?!
He didn't want to go to kindergarten and hang out with a bunch of little brats!
"Mom…"
"You are already a four-year-old, a big kid. Children of your age should go to kindergarten."
"Mom…"
"Our house is running well now. I don't need you to accompany me during the day, and neither does Grandpa Guo. There are plenty of uncles and aunties in the flower garden, so we don't need a child's labor."
"Now, what reason do you have?"
"…" Wenwen was speechless. All the excuses he could find were blocked. After thinking hard for a long time, he finally retorted with confidence: "But I can read a lot of characters and do the math, so I don't need to go to kindergarten!"
"Oh? Then let me test you."
"Up to you, Mom!" Wenwen is confident. He already remembered many Chinese characters, knows multiplication tables and can read pinyin. He was not afraid of any test!
Fu Yunruo found a pen and paper and wrote a simple character 乚.
"How do you pronounce this word? What does it mean?"
"?" Is this a word? Isn't it just a radical! How to read it?!
Fu Yunruo spoke softly, "My dear, this is the simplest word, just a one-stroke character. Everyone learns it in kindergarten."
"…" Wenwen was stunned. He had memorized many characters, yet he didn't know how to read the simplest ones?
"Vast is the sky, and boundless is the pasture. The breeze blows upon the grass and grazes upon the cattle and sheep. What is the name of this poem?"
…Wh-why couldn't he remember? There seemed no such poem in the children's poetry collections he had read? But he seemed to have heard it somewhere…
"What is the thirteenth number after the decimal point of pi?"
Wenwen quickly snapped his fingers and calculated.
3.1415926…
What are the next numbers?
Wenwen's eyes turned into mosquito coils. These questions were too difficult…
Why didn't Mom test him 1+1?!