Shao ChengZe returned Shao's firm in the afternoon.
When Kong Yichan saw him come, she picked up a stack of files piled on the table, got up and called Mr. Shao. The boss didn't come for a long time. Things that needed to be dealt with had already piled up like a mountain.
Shao ChengZe glanced at her and asked, "Why didn't you take time off?"
A week before Children's Day on June 1, Shao's firm had sent a notice to all employees that those with children in sixth grade or below, including sixth grade, could take paid time off that day, and that one day off would not count towards annual leave or make-up days. Taking time off on Children's Day would become a company convention and be included in the company charter.
When the notice was issued, it caused quite a stir in the company. Those with young children all wanted to spend Children's Day with their kids that day. If it wasn't a Saturday or Sunday, they could only ask for leave, which meant less pay on one hand, and most importantly, they had to look at the leader's face. What was supposed to be a happy day spent with the children became disheartening if they met an unaccommodating leader. Even if they got the day off, it left them feeling unhappy.
This move won Shao ChengZe a large portion of the frontline employees' hearts. Although Mr. Shao looked cold and stern on the outside, strict and ruthless, the things he did still had a human touch.
Some said this must have to do with Mr. Shao's newborn daughter, otherwise how could the high and mighty boss suddenly be down to earth and consider things on behalf of the employees. Others said, never mind what it's related to, we're the ones who benefit from it in the end. What's wrong with being able to accompany your child for a day effortlessly? Why overthink it?
Kong Yichan also felt it was good. She had planned for the day to be perfect, but she had an argument with her husband last night. In a huff, she came to work to let him take time off without pay to accompany their kid. She wanted to come to the company, enjoy the air conditioning, eat in the company canteen, and listen to gossip about the boss.
The boss's mouth injury hadn't healed yet, and his fingers had new teeth marks. The three young assistants whispered among themselves, wondering if the boss was haggard these days because he over-indulged himself and was weakened.
Kong Yichan didn't think the boss's poor complexion was due to over-indulgence. He was probably still quite far from that point. Miss Cheng probably only acknowledged him as her child's father and refused to discuss anything else. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the company this afternoon and would have been happily spending the holiday with his daughter in his arms and her mother by his side instead.
Kong Yichan followed the boss into the office and answered his question, "Her dad is with her. I happened to have some work to deal with, so I came to the company."
Shao ChengZe nodded slightly to indicate he understood, took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the chair back, rolled up his sleeves halfway and asked, "What did you need me for?"
"These are documents that need your approval."
"Okay, leave them there."
"Mr. Shao, Chairman Fang from Ling Cheng wants to move tomorrow night's dinner to tonight because he has to go abroad temporarily. But tonight you have a family dinner with Old Mr. Shao, so I wanted to check with you?"
"That works out just right. I'll tell the old master that I'm having dinner with Chairman Fang so I can't make it to his family dinner. That way you don't have to come up with another excuse."
Old Mr. Shao demanded that Mr. Shao have dinner at home every Friday. But if Mr. Shao could make it home once a month, that was considered good already. Whenever he didn't go back, Old Mr. Shao would call her and Kong Yichan couldn't relay Mr. Shao's real reason of "too lazy to go" to Old Mr. Shao. She had to painstakingly come up with an excuse each time to save Old Mr. Shao's face.
Kong Yichan replied, "Okay, Mr. Shao."
She was about to take her leave when the boss called her back. "Oh right, Kong, please help me buy an electric mosquito swatter."
Kong Yichan raised her brows slightly. Mr. Shao needed an electric mosquito swatter? Given his current icy expression, mosquitoes should give him a wide berth when they see him.
"When do you need it by?"
"Before I get off work today," Shao ChengZe flicked his lighter. "Get two."
"Alright, Mr. Shao."
Kong Yichan had always been very efficient. In less than an hour, she delivered two electric mosquito swatters to Mr. Shao's office. Kong Yichan thought Mr. Shao bought two, one for the office and one for home. But in the end, Mr. Shao took both with him when he left the office.
This was Kong Yichan's first time seeing a boss carrying electric mosquito swatters. She felt that if the manufacturer saw this, they should pay a sky-high price to get him to endorse their product.
When Mr. Shao came out, the assistants immediately packed up and followed behind the boss. Mr. Shao always took these two male assistants to various dinners and business occasions. Kong Yichan's classmates envied her for getting such a good boss who didn't drag her to all kinds of unsavory dinner parties. She also felt she had a decent boss. While the boss had high demands for work, and certainly wasn't known for being sweet-talking, his integrity was undisputed.
After the boss left, Kong Yichan also packed up and got off work. She was still mad at her husband, but she would go home early today and make a big dinner for their "little cutie" - that was the best holiday gift for her daughter.
When she went downstairs, she saw her husband hugging their daughter waiting downstairs. Her daughter was also holding a big bunch of roses. When she saw Kong Yichan come out, the little girl held out the roses to her mom. She said it was a Children's Day gift from Dad to Mom.
Kong Yichan's remaining anger vanished when she saw her daughter and the flowers. She glared at her husband, but her eyes were smiling.
Sitting in the car, Shao ChengZe saw the bunch of roses in Kong Yichan's arms. He tapped his knee pensively.
Cheng LiQi had spent the afternoon playing in the amusement park with her grandpa, grandma and mom. After dinner at a restaurant, they went to the movies.
Cheng Jinlan wanted to take Cheng LiQi to watch a cartoon while Cheng Shanhe rarely had time to go to the theater. So Cheng Jinlan got tickets for her parents to see another movie, giving them a chance to go on a long-awaited movie date.
Fei Zuhui complained this was an old married couple going on a date, but her hand was already happily hooked onto Cheng Shanhe's arm. Cheng Shanhe was very pleased with his daughter's arrangement. He patted his wife's hand and said, "Even when we're seventy or eighty years old, we've still got to date."
Cheng LiQi corrected her grandpa, "Grandpa, Grandma will never become an old lady. Grandma will always be eighteen."
Because of what her granddaughter said, Fei Zuhui was all smiles, instantly ten years younger.
Cheng Shanhe conceded defeat to his granddaughter's silver tongue. He didn't know who she took after. He knew his own daughter's personality - outwardly cold but inwardly passionate, who did more and talked less. Just looking at the Shao kid's photos, he could tell he wasn't the sweet-talking type either.
The cartoon ended early. Seeing Cheng LiQi's eyes drooping with fatigue, Cheng Jinlan texted her mom and took Cheng LiQi home first. The little girl fell asleep in her car seat shortly after driving out of the theater.
When Cheng Jinlan saw the car parked in front of her home, she felt irritated. This wasn't even his home. Did he intend to come report in every day? And he parked so brazenly, afraid others wouldn't see him?
Cheng Jinlan stopped the car and got out. "If you keep coming, can you park in the back?"
Shao ChengZe was startled at first, then the corners of his lips turned up. "Okay, I'll park in the back next time."
Cheng Jinlan was annoyed with herself for speaking rashly, making it seem like she was looking forward to his visits.
Shao ChengZe took the initiative to explain his purpose in coming. "I came to deliver the electric mosquito swatter. Little LiQi asked me to buy this for her, said she wanted to help Mommy get rid of mosquitoes."
Cheng Jinlan: ...
She wanted to say, there's no need to deliver it yourself, you swatting yourself would be best.
Shao ChengZe opened the back door, his hand lingering over the flowers next to the electric mosquito swatter, but in the end he only took out the swatter.
Cheng Jinlan didn't take it. She remembered what she had put in her bag this morning. She took out the box from the passenger seat and returned it to him.
Shao ChengZe didn't take it either. He could tell without looking that she hadn't even opened it.
"Why didn't you open and take a look?"
Cheng Jinlan scoffed lightly. "Nothing worth looking at." She decided to have a calm discussion with him. "If you want to see Cheng LiQi, we can set a fixed time every week, Saturday or Sunday. You can spend a day with her. That way you don't have to come here wasting time every day."
Shao ChengZe sought out her gaze. "I don't feel it's a waste of time. I don't just want to see her, I also want to see--"
You.
Cheng Jinlan cut him off. "Shao ChengZe, let's not talk about the past. Just looking at the nearly seven years, many things could have changed. You have your life to live, and I have my life. A child's healthy growth doesn't require an intact family. If you work hard to be a good dad, I believe you will be one. And I will also strive to be a good mom. We maintain a peaceful relationship in front of Cheng LiQi, so she can grow up happy and carefree. As for anything else, we really have no need to discuss further."
Shao ChengZe took a step closer. "Alright, let's not talk about the past, just the present. I can confirm that I still like you now, otherwise you wouldn't appear in my dreams over and over. All these years, the only person in my dreams is you, it has never changed."
Cheng Jinlan gritted her teeth. Needless to say, the dreams he was having were definitely not any good dreams. "That only shows you are a pervert."
Shao ChengZe didn't deny her assessment of him. He gently asked her in return, "What about you? Have you ever dreamed of me, even once?"
Cheng Jinlan scoffed lightly. "Not even half a time, what nice dreams could you be having." She folded her arms, unwilling to lose this bout. "Don't talk about liking or not liking anymore. I know what it feels like to like someone. Back then, the way you looked at me always carried a sense of detachment and appraisal. Don't think I can't feel it."
The liking back then was already masked and disguised, let alone now after seven years.
Shao ChengZe finally grasped the crux of the problem, "I behaved detached because I thought you liked Shi Ran, and you were willing to be with me only to pass the time, so I was always hesitating between moving forward and pulling back." He paused for a moment, his dark eyes fixed tightly on her, for the first time laying bare the questions that had been pressing on his heart, "Do you like Shi Ran?"
Just passing the time? What exactly did he take her for?
Cheng Jinlan's face lit up with a bright smile, "Not only do I like him, as you already know full well, I love him so much I can't stand it. Even knowing his heart is elsewhere, I still love him to death."
Shao ChengZe's taut jaw suddenly relaxed, and a light shone in his composed eyes. He knew the answer now, and was certain, "It's me you like."
Somewhere in the distance a dog started barking wildly, each bark louder than the last, yapping irritatingly.
Cheng Jinlan felt a fire smoldering in her throat, burning all the way up to her heart, for his late-coming certainty. The fire burnt her until she began speaking recklessly, "I like dogs."
Cheng LiQi was woken up by the barking, blinking open her eyes in a daze. Seeing her mom and dad outside the car, she called "Mama", then "Papa", reaching out her arms for a hug.
Shao ChengZe passed the electric mosquito swatter and his jacket to Cheng Jinlan, then went around to the back seat to pick up Cheng LiQi. Cheng Jinlan reflexively took the things he handed her, but the moment she had them, angry at herself for the reflex, she threw his jacket onto the roof of the car. Then she made an effort to put on a gentle smile for Cheng LiQi, "Baby, did the noise wake you up?"
In her papa's arms, Cheng LiQi rubbed her eyes and leaned over, circling her mama's neck with both hands, snuggling up to seek comfort from mama in her sleepy state, "The doggie woof woofs woke me up, Mama. I like doggies too, but I like Grandma's little milk doggy, the little milk doggy is so cute, it won't woof so loud. Does Mama also like little milk doggies?"
Cheng Jinlan: ......
Shao ChengZe: ......!
