Wenwen's self-esteem was hit so much. He stopped talking and went to squat in the corner, like an eggplant wilted by frost. He, who always believed himself to be at least at par with the sixth-grade students, turned out to be unable to pass Mom's easy test. Too embarrassing!
Fu Yunruo smirked secretly. Little brat, you think your mother doesn't know how to handle you? Naive!
"Are you going to be a good kid and go to kindergarten obediently?"
"Okay…" Wenwen said in a low voice.
Fu Yunruo picked up her son, "Our Baobao is the smartest. You can recite poetry, do arithmetic, and write! Mom has never seen a child smarter than you!"
"How come Mom's Baobao is this smart?"
After hitting her son with a psychological stick, Fu Yunruo was busy giving the boy proverbial carrots. She praised and praised and praised. Soon, Wenwen's depressed mood turned into that of a sunny sky, but he still tried to make himself look humble.
"It's nothing." Wenwen said modestly, "There are many things I still don't know."
"That's why Baobao has to go to kindergarten and learn many things, so that you will become smarter and more awesome!"
"Alright." Wenwen finally showed a smile and answered happily.
The kindergarten Fu Yunruo took fancy was very close to the community, only ten minutes by car. Since she owned a house in the area, it was easy to secure Wenwen a place in the kindergarten. Fu Yunruo had prepared Wenwen's enrollment months in advance. The most important procedure was adding Wenwen to her household registration, which she had done right after they moved to Beijing.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Fu Yunruo quickly brought Wenwen to enroll. They went by car and soon arrived at the kindergarten. It was a large school, with many facilities built in a fantasy theme popular with children, just like a castle in the fairy tale.
Today was the enrollment date. Many parents came with their children to enroll, making the kindergarten very lively. Fu Yunruo saw Wenwen staring toward the playground where many children were playing, so she said, "Do you want Sister Shengnan to take you to play?"
Today Fu Yunruo came with Qian Shengnan and Wenwen. Since she had to go through the enrollment procedure, she had to let Qian Shengnan watch Wenwen if he wanted to stay behind and play.
Wenwen shook his head and grabbed Fu Yunruo's hand, "I don't want to!" It's too childish!
He came to kindergarten not to play, but to learn. He was just a little curious. He didn't know there were so many toys and playgrounds in the kindergarten. How could the students focus on their studies?!
Fu Yunruo took Wenwen to meet the teachers. The parents who came to enroll their children were all nicely dressed and drove luxury cars. From this alone, it could be seen that the kindergarten's target demographic was the children of upper middle-class families and above.
To Fu Yunruo's surprise, she and Wenwen turned out to be quite famous. Many parents and their children came over to introduce themselves.
No wonder Fu Yunruo was surprised. It had been more than half a year since Wenwen's variety show aired. Both kept a low profile afterward and refrained from public appearances. Normally speaking, most people should have forgotten about them, and there shouldn't be many who could recognize their faces in real life.
A lot of parents came to greet Fu Yunruo and exchange business cards. Meanwhile, Wenwen also met many children and harvested a group of new friends.
Fu Yunruo quickly finished Wenwen's enrollment procedure and registered him for the preschool class, which officially started in three days.
…
Fu Yunruo and Wenwen left early in the morning. When they were finally home, it was already almost twelve o'clock. The two entered the house and found Si Yue was already there, busy chatting with Uncle Guo.
Although Uncle Guo didn't accompany them to school, he still cared a lot about Wenwen and especially took a day off from the flower garden to wait at home.
Seeing them return, Si Yue asked, "How is it?"
"It's done." Fu Yunruo nodded, satisfied. She then sat on the sofa and filled in the two men with the details about the school.
"Uncle Yue, you are here!" Wenwen trotted happily.
Si Yue patted the boy's head, "Wenwen is about to start kindergarten. What gift do you want?"
Wenwen shook his head. He didn't want any gift. He already had a lot!
Si Yue thought for a moment, "Alright. How about I take you to the amusement park today?"
Wenwen's eyes sparkled, "Okay!"
Uncle Guo massaged his waist and said, "I won't go. I'm too old for this kind of place."
Fu Yunruo hesitated: "But you are a public figure…" Wouldn't Si Yue's appearance cause chaos in the crowd? How would they play, then?
"You forgot? I can disguise myself perfectly." Si Yue winked at Fu Yunruo.
"…"
Fu Yunruo still tried to resist, "Why don't you and Wenwen go alone? I will be waiting at home."
Wenwen ran to Fu Yunruo and asked incredulously, "Mom, won't you go with me?"
"There is Uncle Yue, no?"
"No, mom must go too," Wenwen said coquettishly.
"…" Fu Yunruo fell silent. She thought for a while, but in the end, she couldn't win against her son's plea. "Okay. I will call Tiantian too. Let's go together."
Like this, it wouldn't feel like a family of three going on an outing.
"Uh-huh!"
When Fu Yunruo raised her eyes, she inadvertently met a deep and probing gaze.
The two looked at each other for a while, and for some reason, there seemed to be a smile in Si Yue's eyes.
Fu Yunruo said awkwardly, "Mr. Yue, you don't mind, right?"
"Of course not. More is merrier."
Fu Yunruo promptly texted Tiantian and also invited Chi Weicheng and Wei Xiaoyue. Unfortunately, the other two already had prior appointments, so only Tiantian could go with them.
…
After taking lunch at noon, Qian Shengnan put on a simple makeup on Fu Yunruo, enough to change her overall look. Add a hat and a pair of large black-rimmed glasses on top of that, and the camouflage was perfect.
Next, Qian Shengnan also put a little disguise for Wenwen. Fu Yunruo was watching from the side when the doorbell rang. She got up and went to open the door, only to see a stranger in an ordinary black jacket and a hat standing on her front porch.
"Hello." The man said. Fu Yunruo had never seen this person before, and his voice was equally unfamiliar to her. She was about to ask who he was when she suddenly had a guess. "Mr. Yue?" She hesitantly called.
Fu Yunruo was about to ask who he was when she suddenly had a guess. "Mr. Yue?" She hesitantly called.
"You saw it through?" The voice changed back to the one she was familiar with.
Fu Yunruo couldn't help but take a few more glances, amazed by Si Yue's change. Although her disguise was already very good by her standard, those close to her would still be able to recognize her. But Si Yue's disguise was on the entire level. His change was so drastic that Fu Yunruo almost suspected that he had just undergone plastic surgery.
Si Yue's skin tone had darkened somewhat and looked much rougher than the original. Fu Yunruo didn't know what he had done, but even the shape of his face had changed, and he was now looking like any ordinary guy you could see on the street.
"How is it?"
Fu Yunruo gave a thumbs up, "Perfect!"
Fu Yunruo invited Si Yue in and sighed inwardly — this guy's too talented!
When Si Yue entered the living room, even Wenwen didn't recognize him for a moment. When he finally saw that it was his Uncle Yue, the boy hurriedly jumped up and circled around him for a moment. Eyes gleaming with curiosity, Wenwen seemed eager to learn this skill too.
Not long after, Tiantian also arrived. There were not many people, so everyone rode in Si Yue's car, which had enough space for four adults and one child.
The group of five drove to Beijing's largest amusement park. After the weather got warmer, many people came out to play. The park was full not only of parents and children, but also young couples on a date and small groups of teenagers.
Fu Yunruo saw the huge crowd and muttered, "So many people…"
There was a long queue at each attraction, some of which might even take hours to get in line.
"Wait here; I'll be back soon." Si Yue said to Fu Yunruo, then quickly ran off and disappeared.
Fu Yunruo asked Wenwen, "What do you want to play?"
Wenwen looked around excitedly. So this was the amusement park! It was so lively and looked very fun!
Wenwen narrowed her eyes happily. He once had never been to an amusement park, but now he was also a kid with a parent to bring him to play!
"What do you want to play, Mom? I'll accompany you!" Wenwen said generously.
Fu Yunruo laughed, "Mom likes to play with Wenwen's favorite ride."
With so many rides, it was indeed very hard to choose.
…
Moments later, Si Yue returned with several fancy-looking black cards. "This is a special VIP card. You can use this to go through a special entrance to ride any attraction without lining up in a queue."
Si Yue gave out the cards, one per person.
Wenwen suddenly heard bursts of screams. He quickly turned around, just in time to see a roller coaster whiz past the winding rail, leaving bursts of excited screams.
Wenwen's eyes lit up, "Mom, I want to ride a roller coaster!" It looks so fun!
"…" The corner of Fu Yunruo's mouth twitched. She didn't expect this level of 'excitement.'
Before Fu Yunruo could say a word, Si Yue told Wenwen, "There is a minimum age for roller coasters. You are still too young."
Wenwen sighed in disappointment.
Fu Yunruo quickly said, "Do you want to ride a merry-go-round instead? Bumper car is fun too, you know?"
Seeing Wenwen look entangled, Tiantian suggested, "Let's walk around and take a look. If you find something interesting, we can go in and try."
This idea was reasonable, so everyone agreed. The group of five walked into the crowded amusement park. Wenwen, who was too small, was instantly submerged among the sea of people, and all he could see were rows of rows of feet.
Seeing this, Si Yue promptly lifted the boy up and put him on his shoulders.
Wenwen's line of sight was now very high, and he was overjoyed. He looked right and left, happily enjoying the cheerful scenery around.
He was the tallest! Other children sitting on their father's shoulders were not as tall as him!
After walking for a while, the group finally saw an attraction suitable for Wenwen, so they took him there.
Finished with one, they moved on to the next attraction: the classic merry-go-round.
Fu Yunruo took a lot of photos of his son and even regretted putting on a disguise today. They were disguised so well that they couldn't recognize themselves in photos!
Wenwen was having a blast. They went to ride the bumper car next. Fu Yunruo and Wenwen shared a car, while the others rode by themselves. They rode around the venue in cheers as they crashed into each other.
Fu Yunruo also had a good time and couldn't stop laughing.
Once was not enough, so they took a second round.
Wenwen's cheeks flushed with excitement, and he shouted at Si Yue, who was waiting outside, "Uncle Yue, come here and play with us!"
Si Yue waved his hand and was just about to refuse when Fu Yunruo also turned to him with a smile: "Mr. Yue, you should have a try! It's so fun!"
"…Okay."
Si Yue walked into the venue and chose a car at random. Bumper cars were not designed for someone with Si Yue's height. His long legs were forced to bent, looking very cramped and uncomfortable. Even with his 'ordinary' disguise, the style of playing with a bumper car did not match Si Yue.
Fu Yunruo couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Mom, go and crash into Uncle Yue!" Wenwen exclaimed.
Fu Yunruo obeyed the command.
At first, Si Yue was not accustomed to the car and wobbled around for a while. But it took him just a moment to master the skills. His control over the steering wheel was so proficient, and he deftly avoided the pursuit of the mother and son.
Wenwen was very excited. There were many times when they were about to collide with Si Yue, but he always managed to escape at the last moment.
Wenwen pouted, "Uncle Yue, don't run around!" What's the point of playing with bumper cars if they don't collide with each other?
Hearing this, Si Yue raised his eyebrows, turned around, and collided with Fu Yunruo's car.
Wenwen was instantly happy again.
After playing twice, everyone was satisfied and moved on to the next attraction.
On the way, Tiantian's sharp eyes noticed a candied fruit stall not far ahead, "Candied fruit! Let's buy it!"
Wenwen's eyes lit up, "Take me too!"
Tiantian took Wenwen's hand and brought him to pass through the crowd.
Wait for them, candied fruits!
"Wenwen!" Fu Yunruo hurriedly chased after the two. But a group of people suddenly crossed the road, and she lost Tiantian and Wenwen's figures in an instant.
"Don't worry." Si Yue patted her shoulders, "Qian Shengnan is with them."
Fu Yunruo realized that Qian Shengnan's figure was nowhere to be seen. "Shall we look for them?" She squinted her eyes and tried to find the familiar figures, but she couldn't see Tiantian and the others with so many people around.
Fu Yunruo was about to chase after them, but a hand suddenly caught her wrist.
She turned around and looked doubtfully.
Si Yue said to her, "Let's wait here. They will come back after buying the candies anyway. I'm afraid we will miss each other if we go after them."
Hearing this, Fu Yunruo thought it made sense. Tiantian and Wenwen were going for the candied fruit seller. They didn't go far, and should be coming back soon. So Fu Yunruo and Si Yue moved to the sidewalk where there were fewer people and found a place that was easy to be seen. It was at this time Fu Yunruo realized that Si Yue had been holding her wrist all this time. Startled, she tried to retract her hand. Fortunately, Si Yue immediately let her go, so she quickly stepped back.
The wrist that had been in Si Yue's hand until a few seconds ago felt so burningly hot. Fu Yunruo subconsciously shook her hand several times, trying to distract herself from the awkward feeling.
Glancing from the side, Si Yue said in an affirmative tone, "You are avoiding me."
"N-no." Fu Yunruo avoided Si Yue's gaze and tried to speak without showing a guilty conscience, "We are friends, no? Why do I avoid you without reason?"
"Really?" Si Yue raised his eyebrows.
"Really!"
"Your flower garden will open in ten days, right? Do I have the honor to attend the opening ceremony?"
"Of course." Fu Yunruo nodded, "But you have to disguise yourself." According to his current appearance, Si Yue should be okay. There must be passersby on the opening day, and Fu Yunruo didn't want to cause a sensation because of a famous actor's appearance. Although this could double as a free advertisement, Si Yue's face value was too potent for her small, fledging business.
Si Yue lightly patted Fu Yunruo's head, "You dislike my face?"
Fu Yunruo quickly turned her head away, "Don't touch. The hat will fall down."
Si Yue chuckled.
Fu Yunruo gave him a suspicious look. The vague possibility she previously had instantly turned into a seventy percent certainty. Seeing Si Yue's reaction… he should really be interested in her, no?
Should she test him first?
"Mom!" A crisp voice suddenly rang. Fu Yunruo looked back, and saw a small figure rushing to her, complaining, "Where have you been? I couldn't find you!"
Fu Yunruo pinched the boy's chubby cheek lovingly, "You dare to say that? Who was the little boy who left his mother behind and ran away for candied fruits?"
Wenwen blinked, feeling a bit guilty, "I wanted to buy them for you, Mom."
The peddler who sold candied fruits didn't have a fixed stall and went with the crowd, so it took them some time to finally track him down.
"Where are the candied fruits?" Fu Yunruo looked at the empty chubby hands.
Wenwen looked back and spotted Tiantian, who had also emerged from the crowd. He trotted to get two red candied fruits from her hands, then ran back to his mother, "For Mom!"
Fu Yunruo took one: "Thank you, Wenwen."
Si Yue asked, "Where's mine?"
Wenwen looked up in surprise. He hesitated for a moment, but finally gave Si Yue the remaining candied fruit in his hand, "For Uncle Yue!"
Tiantian bought one for herself, but she also bought a few extras, which she handed to Wenwen. "These candied fruits are quite authentic. They are both sweet and sour. Very tasty."
It had been years since Fu Yunruo last ate this kind of snack, so she was also quite enthusiastic.
The group continued walking while snacking.
Fu Yunruo saw that Wenwen had already eaten three. Afraid of him overeating sugar, she told him to stop.
Wenwen was a little reluctant to let go of the remaining candied fruits. But he was an obedient child, so he didn't protest. Besides, he knew he had to save some room in his stomach for other delicious foods, so he simply gave the rest to Fu Yunruo.
Fu Yunruo had already eaten one and was full. No matter how delicious, this was not a food she could eat a lot at once.
Seeing her dilemma, Si Yue took the rest of the candied fruits from Fu Yunruo's hand and ate them all in one go.
At this moment, Wenwen spotted something that sparked his interest. He took his mother's hand, pointed at the gigantic Ferris wheel, and shouted excitedly, "Mom, let's ride the Ferris wheel!"
Then Wenwen imitated a grown-up's tone and said solemnly, "I heard that if we ride the Ferris wheel together and make a wish on the top, we can be together forever!"
He wanted to be with Mom forever!
Fu Yunruo held back her laughter, "Little boy, where did you hear this?"
Si Yue also flicked Wenwen's head and told the boy, "That means you should take the person you like."
Wenwen said confidently: "I like Mom the most!"
He was not a three-year-old baby, so of course, he understood that the legend of the Ferris wheel referred to couples. However, no one said that relatives wouldn't work too.
Mother and son could also wish to be together forever!
If he lived to 80 years old, his mother must live until 100. Anyway, they must be together forever!
"Tell this to your future wife."
Wenwen puffed up his cheeks and said unhappily, "Even if I have a wife, I will still like Mom the most!" He wouldn't be like others, forgetting one's mother after getting a wife. He would be good to both his wife and mother!
Moreover, he didn't believe that his taste would be so bad to choose a wife who couldn't get along with his super nice mother!
Fu Yunruo was naturally elated. No matter how the future, it was worth her life to receive such words from her son at this moment. With a smile, she said, "Mom doesn't want to be your third wheel." She vowed that she would never be a bad mother-in-law. After Wenwen set off to build a family of his own, she would become a good and sensible mother-in-law. But the thought of Wenwen having a wife in the future made her sad and happy at the same time, and she only wished that her little piglet would meet a good cabbage.
Thus, the group of five went to ride the Ferris wheel. Because their number exceeded the capacity, they split into two cars, with Fu Yunruo, Wenwen, and Si Yue riding the same car.
They played all day and only returned home at 9 pm after having a satisfying dinner.
During the next two days, Fu Yunruo was very indulgent to Wenwen. Considering the child would soon start school, she let him do whatever he liked.
Wenwen was naturally very happy. Everyone in the house was very attentive to him, which made him want to jump up in joy.
Days passed, and soon it was the first day of kindergarten. On such an important day, Uncle Guo and Si Yue also took the time to personally send Wenwen to school.
Today was the first day at school. Full of enthusiasm, Fu Yunruo woke up early and carefully dressed Wenwen like a little prince, eager to make him the cutest kid in the kindergarten.
In order to impress Wenwen's new classmates, Fu Yunruo also made great efforts to bake a box of bear-shaped biscuits for him to share with other kids and make friends.
When it was time to set off, the group departed with two cars. The cars stopped in front of the school entrance, and Fu Yunruo and the others got out. There was already a crowd of adults and children at the kindergarten, very lively.
Fu Yunruo walked into the gate, holding Wenwen's hand. On the other side of the boy was Si Yue, in sunglasses and complete disguise, also holding his hand.
Uncle Guo walked with them and looked around with scrutinizing eyes. He then nodded secretly, seemingly satisfied with the school.
"Good morning, Ms. Fu." A young woman came over with a kind smile.
"Good morning, Teacher Su." Teacher Su was Wenwen's new homeroom teacher. Along with two other teachers, they were responsible for the preschool class where Wenwen belonged.
Wenwen raised his head and greeted sweetly, "Good morning, Teacher Su."
"Good morning, Wenwen." Teacher Su's eyes fell on the tall man next to the boy. "Is this Wenwen's father? Hello."
"Hello, Teacher Su; my surname is Si."
Fu Yunruo was caught off guard by Si Yue's acquiescence. When she was about to correct the misunderstanding, Si Yue was already starting a conversation with Teacher Su.
"Does Wenwen need to go to the classroom now? How are the class composition and schedule? How many children are there in one class? Do you have a fixed schedule for nap time and outdoor activities? Can the parents stay behind today to see how our children are in the class?"
Teacher Su patiently answered Si Yue's questions one by one.
Having missed the timing, Fu Yunruo felt embarrassed to interject just to explain the misunderstanding. In the end, she could only swallow her words and join the conversation.
Forget it — thought she. Anyway, Si Yue only came to kindergarten this time. Even if there was a misunderstanding today, Teacher Su would probably forget it in two days.
"This child is naughty. If something happens when he is at school, please inform us immediately. We will definitely discipline him well."
"Of course."
Teacher Su took Fu Yunruo and the rest of the parents to take a look at the classroom. On the way, they heard a loud burst of cry. Teacher Su hastened her speed and hurriedly rushed to the classroom to help soothe the crying children.
Fu Yunruo and other parents followed behind and entered the classroom. Inside, there were many crying children, but the one who howled the loudest was a chubby little guy holding the thigh of a handsome man in a suit and leather shoes.
The man's face was already turned dark.
Seeing this, Wenwen pouted. These little babies were too childish. They were just going to school; what's there to cry about?
The children's cries were loud and endless, reverberating one after another. Fu Yunruo looked down at her son. Children generally had a herd mentality — seeing someone crying, others would also cry in response. But Wenwen seemed to haven't been affected, and he kept a calm and mature-like expression on his face.
Teacher Su hurriedly rushed in and helped coax the children. She and other teachers were veterans in handling children and could see at a glance which children were genuinely crying as opposed to those who only followed the trend. It took them just a moment to finally appeased the bunch of crying radishes.
Kangkang, who cried the loudest, reluctantly stopped crying. But when he saw that his father was about to leave, he pursed his mouth and started to howl again.
He didn't want to go to kindergarten!
As a result, the children who had just calmed down continued to cry.
Kangkang's father was so angry that his forehead twitched. He said to his son, "See that kid over there? He is younger than you, but he doesn't cry. Aren't you feel ashamed?"
Kangkang, who was busy howling with dry eyes, opened his eyes and looked in the direction his father pointed. Sure enough, a small boy, much cuter than even the most beautiful little princess he had seen in books and tv, was looking curiously at him.
Finally, Kangkang sniffed. He wiped his tears, put on a tough front, and walked over to the little cutie, "Hello, little brother. My name is Kangkang. What's your name?"
"My name is Wenwen," Wenwen replied. He raised his head and found that all the children in the class seemed taller than him, which made him depressed.
When would he grow up? So sad.
"Little Wenwen!" Seeing such a cute little brother, Kangkang immediately forgot the sadness of entering kindergarten. Now full of enthusiasm, he gripped Wenwen's hand and took him to the classroom.
Wenwen waved to his family, "Mom, you can go back. Come pick me up in the afternoon!"
"Little Wenwen sits here!" Kangkang patted a seat, then happily pointed to the next seat, "I'm sitting here, next to you! Don't worry; from now on, I am your big brother. I will protect you!"
A little girl in a pink dress and gauze skirt was playing with a doll when Kangkang's loud voice attracted her attention. Raising her head, her eyes suddenly brightened, "You look like my idol!" Lele looked at Wenwen curiously and said in a tender voice, "My idol is called Wenwen. What is your name?"
Kangkang said to Lele, "His name is Wenwen!"
"You really look like my idol. Even your name is the same!" Lele clapped her hands happily.
"Let me tell you a secret. My idol Wenwen is the most handsome little prince. I want to marry him when I grow up!"
Lele liked a little boy whom she had once seen on TV. But she hadn't seen him again for half a year, and, despite children's natural forgetfulness, she still remembered the appearance and name of the little boy. It must be true love!
Wenwen: "…"
Lele's voice was loud, which attracted the attention of other children. Unexpectedly, there were several of Wenwen's little fans in the class. Hearing Lele's declaration, a chubby little girl said loudly, "Wenwen won't marry you! He will marry me when he grows up because I am the most beautiful little princess!"
"No, I'm the most beautiful little princess!" Lele put her hands on her hips and frowned.
"You are wrong! My mother said it's me!"
"You are both wrong. I am the most beautiful and cutest little princess!" A short-haired little girl stood up and joined the argument.
"No, it's me!"
"Me!"
Wenwen: "…"
Along with other parents, Fu Yunruo stayed outside the classroom, watching Wenwen surrounded by a group of lively children. She was both relieved and happy. Her son was really popular!
The parents started to chat. One of the men pointed and said, "That's my naughty boy. His name is Kangkang."
"Hello, Kangkang's daddy. That's my son Wenwen."
"The girl next to them is my daughter Lele. I know you and your son. My daughter learns about fans and idols from tv, and she has been Wenwen's fan for quite some time ago. Now that they are classmates, she must be overjoyed." Lele's mother said with a smile.
Just as the parents exchanged introductions, another commotion broke in the classroom. Several little girls were quarreling loudly. When the parents overheard the contents of their quarrel, they broke out with laughter.
The teachers were all veterans. They quickly coaxed the children to stop fighting, and soon the girls reconciled and became best friends again.
The parents stood outside for a while and left one by one after seeing that their child was adjusting well.
Si Yue said to Fu Yunruo, "We should go."
Fu Yunruo nodded. She threw her boy a few more reluctant glances and then left with Si Yue and Uncle Guo.
After they were out of the kindergarten's gate, Fu Yunruo looked at Si Yue, "We are going to the flower garden. What about you?"
Si Yue replied: "I have some business to attend to in the company."
Fu Yunruo nodded. Frankly, she was relieved that Si Yue finally started to become busy again.
Si Yue and Fu Yunruo went on separate ways. The flower garden's official opening date was coming soon, so Fu Yunruo was busy arranging the public area, which consisted of most of the space outside the flower shed's vicinity. Due to the decision to open a business, the garden no longer exclusively grew orchids but also purchased a batch of other flowers to grow in the flower beds. Under Fu Yunruo's meticulous arrangement, the garden became much more beautiful.
Now the winter snow had completely melted, and spring flowers started to bloom. Some of the flowers in the flowerbed had already started blooming, and soon they would look beautiful when blooming in large numbers.
Fu Yunruo was absent-minded all day. Today was Wenwen's first day at school, and she was incessantly worried. Was he doing well? Would he be bullied? Had he gotten used to the new environment? Was he perhaps crying for his mother?
Afraid of missing any message from Wenwen's teacher, Fu Yunruo checked her phone every few minutes, and she couldn't help feeling time passed too slowly today.
Finally, the afternoon came. When the clock showed 3:40 pm, Fu Yunruo and Qian Shengnan departed for the kindergarten, ready to pick up Wenwen.
Classes ended at 4:30. Fu Yunruo arrived at 4:15, just 15 minutes earlier, but outside the kindergarten was already full of people, also waiting for their children. When Fu Yunruo got out of the car, she happened to see the parents of Wenwen's classmates, so they gathered in one place and chatted.
Soon the bell was ringing, and it didn't take long for the teachers to come up with a group of children lining up neatly. Wenwen was the shortest child in his class and thus was first in line, making it easy for Fu Yunruo to spot him at first glance.
When she came to her son, Fu Yunruo noticed the boy's listlessness and was immediately anxious.
What happened to Wenwen? Was he bullied?
"Mom…" Seeing his mother, Wenwen regained a bit of energy, but he was still far from his usual liveliness.
Fu Yunruo took Wenwen's hand, "What happened, Wenwen?"
Teacher Su explained, "Wenwen is doing well in school. His classmates like to play with him." She also didn't know why the boy was so listless after school. She paid close attention to the children and knew that Wenwen was not bullied. On the contrary, he was playing happily with his friends until a moment ago.
Wenwen shook his head, "Mom, let's go home."
"Okay."
Fu Yunruo took Wenwen into the car, then asked again with concern, "What did Wenwen do at school today? Will you tell Mom?"
Wenwen said depressedly, "I don't want to go to kindergarten tomorrow…"
Hearing this, Fu Yunruo was anxious, "What's wrong? Did other children bully you?"
Wenwen shook his head: "No one bullied me."
"Then, can you tell Mom why you don't want to go to kindergarten?"
Wenwen sighed and said seriously: "Kindergarten is too childish. Most of the time was spent playing. I want to study, Mom!"
Playing games was a waste of his time, but he couldn't deny that he had a good time today.
…it must be that the environment had affected him too much. He obviously went to kindergarten with the intention of studying!
"…" Fu Yunruo was speechless. Never in her imagination did she think of this reason.
"Mom, I want to go to elementary school." Wenwen thought for a while and said, "You can enroll me in the fourth grade."
Fu Yunruo said earnestly, "My dear, there is a minimum age to enter elementary school. You cannot go just because you want to. Although Mom's Baobao is very smart, you still have to do it step by step."
Fu Yunruo had indeed taught Wenwen a lot of basic knowledge such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, but she was far from a professional teacher. Without a systematic study, it was impossible for Wenwen to reach the level of an elementary school student.
…Moreover, even if he actually had the ability, she still wouldn't allow him to skip grades so early.
"Think about it. The fourth grade is for big kids, so the desks and chairs are so high that you cannot even see the teacher in the front. How do you study like that?"
"…" Wenwen looked at his short arms and legs and sighed in melancholy.
Fu Yunruo softly persuaded, "Kindergarten also teaches many things, but today is the first day, so the teachers allow the children to play more so that you guys can get familiar with each other and get used to the environment."
"Think about it, didn't you and your classmates quickly become friends after playing together? Wouldn't you like to play with your new friends tomorrow?"
Wenwen hesitated. Was it like that?
"Kindergarten is all about play-based learning. When you were having fun with various games, didn't the teacher also teach you new knowledge?"
…that's true.
"You can't decide that kindergarten is not good based on the first day's impression. Let's wait and see for a week or two. If you still feel that you learn nothing, we will find another solution."
Wenwen thought for a moment and felt that what his mother said made sense, so he nodded, "Okay!"
After resolving the problem, Wenwen suddenly felt much better, "Mom, you know, today at kindergarten…"
Fu Yunruo smiled, glad that her son had regained his liveliness.
…
At eight in the evening, Si Yue returned home from work, and the first thing he did was come over to check on Wenwen. At this time, Fu Yunruo was taking the boy on a walk. The open space in the community was excellent. Not only were there enough green areas and pedestrian walks, but there was also a playground for children, complete with bright lights to accommodate night use.
Wenwen liked this playground so much, and he was now climbing the castle-shaped playground with several big kids, clamoring and laughing happily.
Fu Yunruo stood on the side and watched her son attentively.
When Si Yue arrived, he saw Lin Ji standing beside Fu Yunruo, and the two seemed to be chatting happily.
Lin Ji's voice was slightly excited: "Really? That's great! I'll definitely come!"
"Ruoruo."
"Ah, Mr. Yue."
Seemingly inadvertently, Si Yue inserted himself between the two and turned to Lin Ji with a smile, "Mr. Lin, what a coincidence."
Fu Yunruo and Lin Ji were originally standing not far apart. With Si Yue stepping in the middle, he almost stuck himself to Fu Yunruo.
Fu Yunruo took two steps back in reflex.
"Good evening, Mr. Si." Lin Ji's pupils narrowed slightly, but he still gave Si Yue a polite greeting.
Si Yue also took a step back, putting himself between Lin Ji and Fu Yunruo as if making a statement. "Mr. Lin looked so excited just now. What were you two talking about?"
Lin Ji smiled lightly: "Yunyun invited me to attend the opening ceremony of her flower garden."
"I see. You should indeed be invited. We will be happy to see you there."
"…" Lin Ji paused for a moment. Then, seemingly inadvertently, he continued, "Yunyun also promised to invite me to the flower room in her villa to see the orchids she raises. Speaking of which, this would make me the first fan to see the orchids with my own eyes. I'm flattered."
"Heh." Si Yue chuckled. The first? Of course not. He was the first fan to see the orchids, and others like Lin Ji would never topple him from this position.
"…" Fu Yunruo was stunned. Was this really the way of getting along between men? Why did she smell gunpowder here?
"Yunyun, can I take a few pictures later?" Lin Ji directly passed Si Yue and walked to Fu Yunruo.
"Sure."
When Wenwen took a break, he saw Si Yue with Fu Yunruo, so he stopped play—… no, he stopped exercising and then trotted to them.
"Uncle Yue!"
Si Yue picked up the boy, made a circle, then held him in his hands.
Fu Yunruo asked, "Wenwen, have you done playing?"
Wenwen shook his head, emphasizing, "I'm not playing. I'm exercising." He wanted to grow taller as soon as possible.
"Sorry, Mom is wrong. Wenwen is indeed exercising."
Seeing that it was getting late, Fu Yunruo was about to go home.
"I'm also going home." Lin Ji quickly said. His home was not far from Fu Yunruo's, just a few villas away. Living in the same community, the chances of running into each other were indeed pretty high. Fu Yunruo had seen Lin Ji a few times by chance, and they had learned a few things about each other.
Fu Yunruo and Lin Ji were walking in front, while Si Yue, still carrying Wenwen in his arms, walked one or two steps behind.
Wenwen's eyes moved around. He leaned closer to Si Yue and softly whispered in his ear, "Uncle Yue, is Uncle Lin trying to pursue my Mom?"
Si Yue slowed down, put a little distance from Fu Yunruo, and whispered back, "He wants to be your stepfather."
Si Yue secretly thought to himself: given Wenwen's importance to Fu Yunruo, it was impossible for her to be in a relationship with a man whom the boy did not approve of.
Wenwen looked in Lin Ji's direction with scrutinizing eyes. After a while, he reluctantly said, "If Mom likes him, so be it."
Si Yue: "…" Sure enough, a son was not a caring little padded jacket!
As soon as Wenwen told Si Yue that, he regretted it a bit. Still, he wasn't lying. He had now grown up and was no longer as insecure as his past self. His mother loved him so much, and he knew she would never let him feel abandoned just because she had a new family.
Furthermore, he could see that Uncle Lin was mature, dependable, and surely knew how to pamper his mother. Although he still preferred to have his mother all for himself, he also hoped she could have someone she could depend on.
Still, understanding rationally didn't mean that Wenwen felt nothing about his mother having a lover and building a new family. Just imagining his mother might have another baby in the future made him feel depressed endlessly.
Wenwen twisted his chubby body, asking to be put down. After Si Yue let him go, the boy immediately dashed forward, plunging himself between his mother and Lin Ji.
Wenwen took Fu Yunruo's hand, "Mom!"
Lin Ji patted Wenwen's head and smiled softly. He didn't feel that Wenwen was interrupting them. Instead, he was happy that the boy was willing to get close to him.
Si Yue strode with his long legs and quickly settled himself next to Fu Yunruo. "How is Wenwen in kindergarten? Has he been used to it?"
Fu Yunruo nodded, "Fortunately. Everything is good so far."
"Glad to hear that. This kindergarten boasted an excellent evaluation in our circle. Wenwen can learn many things beyond academic study."
This Fu Yunruo could tell. Although the tuition was expensive, most of the students came from wealthy families. The parents of such children were normally very picky, so for the kindergarten to be so popular was proof of its outstanding quality.
"I know that kindergarten. The daughter of my sister also studied there." Lin Ji suddenly interjected very naturally.
"What a coincidence…"
The walk home didn't feel long with a company to chat with. After saying goodbye to the two men, Fu Yunruo and Wenwen entered their home. After playing hard in the playground, the little guy was full of sweat, so Fu Yunruo took him to the bathroom and used a basin of hot water to wipe his face, hands, and back before changing him into pajamas.
Wenwen was sleeping alone now. Two days after moving to the new house, he declared that he had grown up and could no longer sleep with his mother, so he asked to sleep alone in his new room.
Fu Yunruo took Wenwen back to his room and cuddled him to sleep.
Wenwen was lying on the bed. Looking at his mother, he called softly, "Mom…"
"Yes?"
Wenwen actually wanted to ask: Mom, do you like Uncle Lin? Will you marry him?… but in the end, no words came out, and he closed his eyes silently.
Fu Yunruo softly patted him. She somehow felt that the little guy seemed to have something in mind, but seeing that he closed his eyes and fell asleep, she decided not to disturb his rest.
Fu Yunruo slowly got up, careful not to awaken her son. She then turned off the light, leaving only a small night lamp by the bedside, before leaving the room silently.
…
After the first day, Wenwen dutifully went to kindergarten every day and no longer clamored to quit school or skip grades. As days passed, he found that kindergarten was quite interesting on its own — there were many things to learn and a lot of friends to play with. He also had lots of friends in Shanghe Village, but unlike there, the playtime in kindergarten was more structured and had elements of learning.
It was also in kindergarten that Wenwen found his fatal shortcomings: foreign languages. He knew some simple English and could manage basic greetings, but most of his classmates were not only fluent in English, but also understood other languages such as Italian and French.
Wenwen, the only monolingual kid in class, was shocked silly. He did not have the opportunity to go to kindergarten in his previous life, and the elementary school he later attended as an orphanage child was a poor one. Before he finished elementary school, he ran off with some people to the film and television city to find jobs. Although he did some self-study later, it was hardly structured and did not change the fact that he was a dropout without even an elementary school diploma.
So it turned out that even four or five-year-olds were so smart nowadays?
They spoke in foreign languages like it was their mother tongue…
Wenwen lost his sense of superiority and was overcome with a sudden urgency.
He must study hard and catch up. It would be too shameful if these little brats defeated him in the exam!
…
Now that Wenwen no longer disliked going to school, Fu Yunruo could finally focus more on the flower garden. The grand opening was finally here. For this day, Fu Yunruo held a modest opening ceremony — not too grand but not low-key either.
Not being too grand meant that she only invited friends and acquaintances. But because many of these people were public figures and industry elites, the line-up guests ended up being very flashy and not at all low-key.
For example, Brother Fatty and others streamers she had known from the Panda Live app. Fu Yunruo sent them invitations via WeChat group one by one. Those who lived in the vicinity of Beijing all came to attend, while those who were far away sent their best well-wish.
There were also Uncle Guo's many students, his former colleagues, and business partners…
Once Fu Yunruo finished counting the invitees, it finally struck her how many friends she had. It was at this moment she truly felt that she was no longer alone in this world. She had forged many bonds and friendships, and was equally reciprocated.
Si Yue naturally attended the garden's opening ceremony. He came early, but because his face was not suitable to appear in front of the public, he stayed inside and helped entertain the guests of honor.
A white-haired old man in Tang-style suit and a crutch got out of a car, accompanied by a personal assistant in rimmed glasses. "Old Guo, finally willing to come out of your mountain hermitage?" Upon seeing Uncle Guo, the old man laughed heartily.
Unexpectedly, Uncle Guo didn't lose his temper and smiled smugly in response, "My students are filial. They insisted on taking me back so that they could look after me better. Totally unlike yours, don't they?"
"Are you going to show off your top-grade imperial orchid?"
"Not mine, but my Ruoruo. Her luck is not bad. After only three or four years learning the art, she cultivated a top-grade mutated lotus petal orchid."
"Ruoruo, come here. Let me introduce him to you. This is Director Gan from the Institute of Ecological Botany."
"Hello, Director Gan."
Director Gan didn't mind Uncle Guo's sarcasm. He smiled at Fu Yunruo and nodded with satisfaction, "She's a good seedling." Then he turned to Uncle Guo: "I really can't compare to you in terms of students. Your luck is good. It's not easy to meet such a good student."
"Seems like you still have some self-awareness."
"…"
Fu Yunruo watched the two old men bickering from the side. Curious, she nudged Chi Yucheng and asked in a low voice, "Brother Chi, what is Uncle Guo and Director Gan's relationship?"
Chi Weicheng seemed to hold back a smile, "Sworn rivals."
Fu Yunruo watched the two old men bickering from the side. Curious, she nudged Chi Yucheng and asked in a low voice, "Brother Chi, what is Uncle Guo and Director Gan's relationship?"
Chi Weicheng seemed to hold back a smile, "Sworn rivals."
Uncle Guo and Director Gan were in the same grade and same major, and they were equally excellent. Back when they were young and frivolous, the two geniuses with similar tempers ended up disliking each other. They competed for every single thing, and their relationship was the worst back then. Later, the two made a bet to see who could grow the best mutated orchid first. In the end, Director Gan won, and Uncle Guo left Beijing in a fit of anger and returned to his hometown.
Still, it was not in Uncle Guo's style to admit defeat. Even after returning to the countryside, he devoted himself to cultivating an even better mutated orchid, vowing to have a comeback.
Years passed, and both men were now old. Their temper was no longer as fiery as before. Although they still had a petty fight from time to time, they could at least sit and have tea together.
Although Uncle Guo had not yet cultivated an orchid that could defeat Director Gan, he had taught many excellent students. Now, he also had Fu Yunruo, who would eventually take on his mantle.
Director Gan was different. Although he had made great achievements in orchid art, he had no successor.
Fu Yunruo looked at the two old men who sipped tea while exchanging bickers. Seeing that their relationship was actually pretty good, she let go of her worries and went out to receive other guests.
The grand opening went smoothly. Fu Yunruo initially predicted that due to the garden's relatively remote location, they would not see many customers until they had made some name. However, she was pleasantly surprised to see several businesses coming on the very first day.
It was a good start. Fu Yunruo's friends posted in their Moments to help promote the garden. As a result, many passersby came to take a look out of curiosity. Initially, it should be enough for the manager Sister Wang to handle the guests in the public area by herself, but the unexpected influx of business was too much for one person, so Fu Yunruo and Sister Zhang had to go to help.
Fu Yunruo didn't especially advertise her new business, nor did she hide it from others. But those who came on the opening day recognized her face, and it took no time for her fans to also receive the news. Thankfully, her fanbase was mostly rational adults, so instead of coming in droves, only those who lived in Beijing promised to wait until weekends to have a visit.
Nowadays, more and more office buildings have specially-designated green areas with indoor potted plants and such, so in addition to selling flowers and related products, Fu Yunruo's flower garden also offers office landscape maintenance and similar services. Such service was done based on a periodic contract, which gave the garden a fixed source of stable income.
Due to the better than expected business, Fu Yunruo immediately posted another hiring notice the day after the opening, looking for two additional employees.
…
Wenwen happily went to kindergarten every day, and the business in the flower garden was booming. Fu Yunruo was relieved to see everything was going on track. Maybe the busy period had taken a toll on her body, but Fu Yunruo suddenly fell ill.
One day, Fu Yunruo found herself waking up feeling dizzy and sore. Her nose was stuffy, and she clearly had a fever. This was Fu Yunruo's first time getting sick after arriving in this world, and it was bad enough that she couldn't even get out of bed.
Fu Yunruo was unable to move. Moreover, she was worried about infecting Wenwen and also didn't want to frighten the boy, so she endured the discomfort and texted Qian Shengnan, asking the latter to send Wenwen to school and explained to him that she had gone early in the morning to deal with an urgent matter at the flower garden.
Qian Shengnan quickly came upstairs to check on Fu Yunruo.
"It's okay, just some cold. I will go to the hospital later to get medicine." Afraid of infecting Wenwen through Qian Shengnan, Fu Yunruo didn't even open the door and continued communicating via text message.
Fu Yunruo's reply put Qian Shengnan at ease. Still, she couldn't help but want to check on Fu Yunruo's situation. Qian Shengnan was about to knock when the door of the opposite room opened. She turned around and saw Wenwen jump out of his room.
"Sister Shengnan, morning!" Wenwen had now developed the habit of getting up on time every morning and no longer needed his mother to wake him up every day.
"Morning."
Wenwen ran downstairs, but didn't see his mother. He looked around strangely, "Where's Mom?"
Qian Shengnan came after him, "There is an urgent business in the garden, so your Mom rushed out early this morning. She asked me to send you to school today."
Hearing this, Wenwen was a little disappointed. But he was a sensible boy and didn't make a tantrum. "What's happened?" He asked concernedly.
"I don't know. You can ask your Mom after she comes home tonight."
Wenwen nodded and stopped asking. For some reason, today's breakfast tasted bland. Having no appetite, he quickly finished eating and jumped out of the chair. "I'm done. Sister Shengnan, let's go."
"Okay."
Wenwen walked out of the house and stood on the side of the road, waiting for the car to come out. Si Yue was returning from his morning exercise and saw the little boy standing alone with a small schoolbag on his back. Feeling strange, he came over and asked, "Wenwen, where is your mother?"
"Uncle Yue!" Wenwen's eyes brightened, but he then sighed in concern, "Mom has gone to the garden. Something happened, but I don't know what."
Si Yue looked surprised, but before he could ask any more questions, Qian Shengnan was already coming out with the car.
Wenwen walked to the car and was about to open the door, but Si Yue was faster. He carefully helped the boy in and fastened his seat belt.
Qian Shengnan didn't get out of the car after seeing Si Yue helping Wenwen. She looked calm, but inside, she was still worried about Fu Yunruo. Too worried to leave the sick Fu Yunruo alone at home, Qian Shengnan said to Si Yue, "Mr. Yue, glad to see you. Yunruo left a message before leaving today, asking you to help take care of the orchids in the flower room."
Si Yue nodded, but felt even more strange inside. Didn't Fu Yunruo treasure her orchids the most? She never let him or Wenwen touch them, so why?
Before Si Yue could ponder further, Wenwen waved at him, "See you later, Uncle Yue."
Si Yue watched the car leave, then turned around and went to the house next door. Before she left, Qian Shengnan gave Si Yue the key to the house, so he simply opened the door and went in.
He walked around the yard and went to the flower room to have a look, but he didn't touch any of the orchirds. For some reason, his guts told him that Fu Yunruo would hack him to death if he dared to touch even a single petal of her precious orchids.
Not long after, a text came on his mobile phone with a very brief sentence from Qian Shengnan.
Please look after Yunruo?
She is at home? Didn't she go to the garden?
Fu Yunruo didn't send Wenwen to school and lied to him that she wasn't at home…the problem must be pretty serious.
Si Yue immediately entered the house and went upstairs, then knocked on Fu Yunruo's door. Having helped around with the move-in, he had a grasp of the house's layout and knew which room was Fu Yunruo's despite never entering it.
At this moment, Fu Yunruo had fallen asleep soon after sending the last text to Qian Shengnan. The sudden, constant knock awaken her from her slumber. Fu Yunruo felt her head very heavy. In a daze, she mistakenly thought she had been sleeping for a long time, and Qian Shengnan had returned after sending Wenwen to school.
Fu Yunruo lifted the quilt and got out of bed, but as soon as she stood out, the world seemed to be shaking, and she had to stagger just to open the door.
"Shengnan…" Fu Yunruo called with a hoarse, weak voice. Having no strength to stand on her own, she had to hold onto the door frame.
When Si Yue saw Fu Yunruo's pale and feverish look, his complexion suddenly changed. He quickly stepped forward, picked her up, and hurriedly took her back into the room, "You are sick."
Fu Yunruo's feverish brain was very sluggish today. Finding the world suddenly spinning, it took her a long time before she slowly responded.
Uh? Was Shengnan always so strong? Wait, why did Shengnan sound like a man?
Fu Yunruo leaned weakly on the sturdy chest and raised her head with difficulty, only to be stunned to see the face of a totally different person, "M-mr Yue…"
Out of reflex, Fu Yunruo tried to break free, but she had no strength at all, and her movement was too weak to be called a struggle.
Si Yue said to her, "Stop talking. You have to rest."
Fu Yunruo's fever made her reaction a lot slower. She didn't respond until she was put back on the bed and covered with a thick quilt. She whispered hoarsely, "Thank you…"
After putting Fu Yunruo on the bed, Si Yue put his palm on her forehead and frowned when feeling the boiling hot temperature.
Fu Yunruo's brain was very mushy today. She fell asleep soon afterward and didn't hear what Si Yue was saying before her mind turned blank.
After Si Yue finished calling his family doctor, he hung up and returned to the bedside. Seeing Fu Yunruo's pale face and her frowning in sleep, he went out again to fetch a basin of water and a small face towel.
When Si Yue returned, he saw that Fu Yunruo had thrown the quilt aside, and her face was red with sweat. He helped her put on the quilt back, but Fu Yunruo struggled unconsciously, muttering, "It's hot…"
"Be good. It won't be hot soon…" Si Yue comforted softly. Because Fu Yunruo moved a lot, her pajamas became disheveled, slanting open the area around the collar and revealing her fair and slender collarbone.
Si Yue was dazzled by the sudden exposure of beautiful skin, but he was not beastly enough to have another thought in this situation, so he continued wiping Fu Yunruo's face and forehead with a wet towel while coaxing her in a low voice. Seemingly a little more comfortable, Fu Yunruo finally stopped kicking the quilt and fell asleep again.
The period after that was full of drowsiness, obscuring Fu Yunruo from comprehending what was happening around her. She barely remembered hearing a voice coaxing her to swallow some bitter things, but she seemed to cry aggrievedly in response. Soon afterward, her mouth became sweet, so she stopped crying and fell asleep again.
After Fu Yunruo fell asleep, she dreamed of her childhood — the first after a long time. She was afraid of bitter medicine as a child and always struggled a lot whenever she fell sick. Every time without fail, her grandpa and grandma would do everything to coax her to eat well and to take her medicine, and her grandpa would even sing her lullaby clumsily to make her asleep.
Although her parents were mostly absent when she was little, her grandparents pampered her to no end, and she had a happy and fulfilling childhood.
Now, she seemed to be back to the time when she was but a little child, living with her grandparents and enjoying the feeling of being pampered. The sense of security made her lips curl up even in her sleep.
Si Yue sat on the head of the bed, half-hugging Fu Yunruo, and finally managed to coax her to drink medicine. She kept hugging him and refusing to let go, but suddenly frowned, "Stinky…"
Si Yue was both amused and annoyed. She spat the medicine on him and now protested that he stinks?
Dr. Meng, who was also in the room, silently lowered his sense of existence. He suddenly seemed to not recognize his own boss. That woman spat out medicine all over his body, yet the boss did not even flinch… was this still the same clean-freak person he knew? No wonder there was a rumor getting around saying that they were going to have a boss lady. If not for true love, would the boss let himself be treated like this?
Out of curiousity, Dr. Meng couldn't help to take a second look at the sleeping woman, but he was met with Si Yue's piercing glare instead. He had no choice but looked away silently, complaining in his heart: possessive bastard…
Dr. Meng returned to his professional mode, "Miss Fu is fine. After the fever subsides, let her take a good rest for a while."
Fu Yunruo's condition looked serious and scary, but it was actually not severe enough to need hospitalization. The main cause of her illness was stress and overwork, causing her body to collapse once the tension left her. On top of that, the season was changing now, and it was easy to catch a cold if you were not careful. Under multiple causes, it was nothing strange that Fu Yunruo suddenly collapsed with a fever and cold.
Si Yue was relieved by the diagnosis. Thankfully, although the fever had reached 40 degrees, it didn't turn into pneumonia. Dr. Meng administered a fever-reducing injection to put Fu Yunruo's temperature under control. However, worried that the fever might come back, Si Yue did not allow him to leave yet.
When Fu Yunruo slowly opened her eyes again, she was still lying on her bed, but there was an unfamiliar stand next to the bed with an infusion bottle hanging on it. She tried to get up, only to find that her right hand couldn't move. At the same time, a low voice came from her side, "Don't move."
Startled, Fu Yunruo turned her head to the source of the voice. Now that her head was no longer so heavy, she had regained some clarity. There she found Si Yue sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand on hers. Upon closer look, a needle was inserted into the back of her right hand, which was connected to the hanging drip.
"Mr. Yue?" Fu Yunruo called, her voice still hoarse, "Why are you here?"
Si Yue stared at her and answered, "You are sick."
He then let go of her hand and went to pour a glass of warm water.
Now that Fu Yunruo saw that she was getting a drip, she stopped trying to get up. When Si Yue brought her the water, she used her left hand to take it.
"I'm sorry for troubling you." Fu Yunruo was surprised to find Si Yue personally taking care of her.
Si Yue refused to let Fu Yunruo hold the glass. He sat on the head of the bed and carefully helped her up, "You're still not well. I will help you." His tone was firm, clearly not allowing a rebuttal. He held Fu Yunruo in his arms and put the glass on her lips.
Fu Yunruo almost froze in shock. She quickly grabbed the glass and gulped half before saying, "Thank you."
Si Yue helped her to lie down again before putting the glass on the bedside table.
"What happened to me?"
"Your temperature was 40 degrees. The fever has finally subsided a bit, but you still cannot move yet."
Oh, no wonder she felt so weak and hot.
Fu Yunruo looked outside the window and asked anxiously, "What time is it now?"
"3 pm."
Fu Yunruo sighed relievedly. It wasn't half past four yet, so she still had time to pick up Wenwen from school.
Si Yue saw her thoughts at a glance, "You need total rest."
"I'm already much better." She was so dizzy and weak that she couldn't even walk properly this morning, which had given her quite a scare. In contrast, she felt a lot more energetic now.
Si Yue's attitude was firm: "No, you are not."
After Si Yue learned that overwork was one of the causes of Fu Yunruo's sudden illness, he regretted his past decision to not interfere in her career. More than anything, he was annoyed at himself for not just quietly providing her with some convenience. As long as he helped a little bit, she wouldn't be so tired, let alone falling sick like this. But the consequence had been done. Seeing Fu Yunruo's current weak and thin figure, Si Yue was determined to let her return to her full health before allowing her to move around again.
"…" For some reason, seeing Si Yue's attitude made Fu Yunruo feel inexplicably guilty.
"Yunruo, you finally woke up." After a brief knock, Qian Shengnan pushed open the door and came in. Seeing Fu Yunruo was awake, she sighed in clear relief. When she came back after sending Wenwen to school this morning, she was startled to see Yunruo's state, which was clearly not as simple as a common cold. Fortunately, there was Mr. Si Yue, who not only had been looking after Yunruo when she was away, but also called his personal doctor over.
This doctor was very skilled and came fully equipped. He quickly brought Yunruo's fever under control, which finally put her at ease. Otherwise, she would have rushed Yunruo to the hospital.
Fu Yunruo gave Qian Shengnan an embarrassed smile, "Sorry for making you worry."
"It's fine."
After confirming that Fu Yunruo was okay, Qian Shengnan left the room before quickly returning with a bowl of light porridge. "You haven't eaten a bite since morning. You must be starving."
Fu Yunruo actually had no appetite, but she knew she needed a proper meal to build up her energy and get better quickly, so she forced herself to finish half a bowl.
Si Yue and Qian Shengnan persuaded for a while, but seeing that Fu Yunruo couldn't eat anymore, they didn't force her.
Not long after, a middle-aged man in a white coat came in and gave Fu Yunruo a kind smile, "Hello, Miss Fu, my surname is Meng, and I'm Mr. Si Yue's family doctor."
"Hello, Dr. Meng." Fu Yunruo greeted the doctor and expressed her thanks. She then couldn't help glancing at Si Yue, thinking: Mr. Yue actually has a family doctor?
Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Si Yue explained, "I often need to adjust my physical state when filming, so it's safer to have an attending doctor."
Fu Yunruo nodded in understanding. Acting was indeed very hard. Sometimes the plot demanded the actor to be thin, and sometimes he needed to look fat. Having a doctor to keep watch would make the adjustment safer and more effective.
Wait, should she look for a family doctor too? Maybe Wenwen would need it when he seriously started his acting career one day…
"Wenwen…"
"Doctor Meng, can I go out in half an hour?" She had to pick up her son from school.
"…" The corners of Doctor Meng's mouth twitched, "No matter how good I am, it's impossible to make a patient recover in a few hours…"
Fu Yunruo wanted to facepalm. It seemed that the fever had eaten her brain, ah! What a silly question — only a miracle would make her recover so quickly!
But what about Wenwen?
Si Yue said, "Let Qian Shengnan go."
Fu Yunruo hesitated. She didn't send Wenwen to school this morning. If she also didn't appear to pick him up, the child would certainly be upset.
"Wenwen is a sensible boy. Wouldn't he be sad if he knew that you pushed your sick body to pick him up?"
This was true. Fu Yunruo finally relented and lay back on the bed, as well-behaved as a cute kitten, "Mr. Yue, I'm already much better. Please don't mind me if you are busy. I am alright on my own." Although she didn't know how long Si Yue had been here, she was now much better and didn't need to be looked after, so she didn't want to waste more of Si Yue's time.
Si Yue's tone was firm, "I'm not busy."
"Oh…" Fu Yunruo still wanted to say more, but finally decided to keep silent. It seemed that the sickness had brought up her vulnerable side, and she actually really wanted someone to accompany her…
…
Fu Yunruo hadn't fully recovered, so after lying down for a while, she soon became sleepy and fell asleep again.
Si Yue sat quietly at her bedside, careful not to wake her up, waiting for the remaining drip to finish.
Dr. Meng had also gone out at some point, leaving the two alone.