Xiao Ya paused for a moment and said softly, "I didn't know before that there were so many occasions when one could receive gifts."
It was because of meeting Sheng Yuxiao that this became possible.
The first time she received a "Santa Claus" gift was also from Sheng Yuxiao.
After that, there were gifts for every kind of holiday, gifts for school advancement, gifts for exams, gifts for growing up...
"Fine," Zhou Xiaoshu said sadly, "It's all my mom's fault for not giving me a brother."
An Ying couldn't help but interject, "Having a brother doesn't necessarily mean it would be good."
Zhou Xiaoshu completely gave up: "Fine, then my mom would need to give birth to someone like Young Master Sheng. That's too difficult, let's go."
Both sides quickly said goodbye.
An Ying turned to walk toward her family's car.
Zhou Xiaoshu called out to her: "Let's go, come on."
"Xiao Ya left..."
"Yes, Xiao Ya left, so we won't have spicy hot pot today. Let's eat something not as delicious. We'll save the good food for when she's with us." Zhou Xiaoshu counted on her fingers.
She said: "Let's get takoyaki! I'm a big girl now, I can secretly be brave and eat things my parents don't allow!"
An Ying couldn't help but smile: "Mm-hmm."
Meanwhile, with Xiao Ya's coordination, the three of them ended up sharing one car.
Qin Sui frowned slightly. He hadn't expected to prepare another gift...
"Are foreign universities also four years?" Xiao Ya's voice suddenly rang out, pulling Qin Sui back from his thoughts.
"Yes," Sheng Yuxiao answered first.
"Then you should have graduated already, why are you going back?" Xiao Ya asked again.
This time Qin Sui answered first: "We still need to complete master's and doctoral degrees."
"How many more years of study is that?"
"At the quickest, three to five years; at the slowest, five to eight years. I'll probably take longer than Sheng Yuxiao." Qin Sui paused, then added: "Of course, not because I'm dumber than him."
After saying this, Qin Sui felt it wasn't enough and added: "My grades were better than his."
Sheng Yuxiao interrupted with a dark face: "That was in the past."
He immediately lowered his head and asked Xiao Ya: "Do you remember the diamond hairpin I bought you last year? I bought that with my full scholarship money."
Xiao Ya nodded: "I remember."
But last time Sheng Yuxiao told her it only cost eighteen yuan, so she could wear it without worrying about losing it.
He had lied to her.
That thing was very expensive!
Xiao Ya frowned and pulled the topic back on track: "Is it because you're studying different subjects?"
"Smart... Sheng Yuxiao will inherit the Sheng Corporation in the future, his path is very clear." Qin Sui paused, then continued: "The Qin Corporation will be handed over to Qin Yue in the future."
Qin Sui was very clear about himself.
He didn't look like someone who would commit crimes now, but that was only because he appeared more normal in front of Xiao Ya.
When far away, it was hard to say.
Qin Sui asked her: "What do you think about me becoming a doctor?"
"Do you like it?" Xiao Ya asked in return.
"It's okay."
"Then what do you like?"
"Nothing. It's strange for a person to have no interests, right? How about you help me choose?" Qin Sui said in a flat tone.
Sheng Yuxiao coldly interjected: "Not a good idea. Qin Sui, don't tie your life to someone else."
"Xiao Ya isn't just someone else."
Sheng Yuxiao remained unmoved: "Saying such things is useless. Say these things in front of your family and see what they'll think about Xiao Ya."
Qin Sui lowered his gaze slightly and said: "This is why I don't like humans. Everyone looks like an individual, yet they're not really individuals."
Xiao Ya sensed the atmosphere becoming unpleasant and quickly said: "I don't know what you'll be suitable for in the future, but you're already an amazing person now. If you find this boring... well, then go be a great person!"
The gloom in Qin Sui's eyes instantly dispersed, and he responded: "Okay."
Xiao Ya immediately asked him: "When are you going back to continue your studies?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow. Sheng Yuxiao probably around the same time?"
"I'm delaying for two days," Sheng Yuxiao said.
"You must be very busy too." Qin Sui couldn't understand where he found the time.
Sheng Yuxiao didn't respond to Qin Sui's comment, only saying to Xiao Ya: "I'll wait until you... um, are done before leaving."
Xiao Ya wanted to say she had already received her gifts and wasn't afraid.
But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't bring herself to say them. She missed Sheng Yuxiao too.
A phone ring suddenly broke the silence in the car.
"It should be the confirmation call from the restaurant I booked," Qin Sui said, glancing at Sheng Yuxiao.
Sheng Yuxiao sneered: "Didn't book a spot for me, right?"
Sheng Yuxiao didn't care at all, maintaining his arrogant expression: "Would that restaurant owner dare to turn me away?"
Qin Sui: "..."
Qin Sui answered the phone, but his expression changed after hearing the voice on the other end.
"Alright, I understand." He hung up. "I need to leave now."
"I owe you a meal," Qin Sui said to Xiao Ya.
He now felt that he was lacking in many ways compared to Sheng Yuxiao's thoroughness. He was somewhat bothered by it.
Xiao Ya looked at him in surprise: "You don't owe me anything."
It wasn't about owing.
It was just that Sheng Yuxiao did everything so well that the little one's heart would always lean towards him.
Xiao Ya continued: "We'll have many more meals together in the future."
Qin Sui paused momentarily, then smiled faintly: "Yes."
Well. For the first time, he felt that having such a long life ahead might be a good thing.
Sheng Yuxiao coolly corrected: "That's right, we will have many meals together in the future."
The two men exchanged glances. Both felt annoyed instantly.
Since Qin Sui said he had to leave, he immediately hailed a cab to the airport.
In the end, it was again Sheng Yuxiao who carried Xiao Ya home on his back.
At one-thirty in the morning, Sheng Yuxiao woke Ning Heng up with a phone call.
"Brother Sheng?" Ning Heng jolted awake and quickly reported to the phone: "I haven't been messing around, I swear. They invited me to a party yesterday, but I didn't go..."
Sheng Yuxiao frowned: "Who's talking about that?"
Ning Heng immediately lay back down peacefully: "Then what did you want to say? Go ahead."
Sheng Yuxiao remained silent for a while, until Ning Heng wondered if he had fallen asleep.
"Xiao Ya has grown up," Sheng Yuxiao said softly.
"Ah! Brother Sheng, you went back to see Xiao Ya? Why didn't you tell me?"
Sheng Yuxiao ignored his questions and continued: "She won't let me carry her anymore."
Ning Heng was experienced in this matter: "That's how it is when they grow up. My cousin was the same way. She was so cute when she was little, but now..."
Sheng Yuxiao coldly interrupted: "Xiao Ya is still just as cute now."
"Sorry, I misspoke... Anyway, when they grow up, well, they're not as close anymore. Part of it is increased gender awareness, and part of it is puberty, you know. Their thoughts change, and they find people our age boring, they don't want to deal with us at all."
Sheng Yuxiao narrowed his eyes: "Am I boring?"
"Brother Sheng, if you're boring, then there's no interesting person left in this world. You know so many things - rock climbing, racing, deep-sea diving..."
Sheng Yuxiao felt relieved: "Then it's fine."
Then he hung up.
Ning Heng: ?
When Sheng Yuxiao said it was fine, it wasn't really fine.
Ning Heng's words made him more directly aware that in the future, Xiao Ya might follow the same path as Ning Heng's cousin, growing more distant from him as she grew older...
After all, they weren't related by blood.
But he had worked so hard to wrap her in flowers and candy, carefully holding her, watching her grow up bit by bit... if that day really came... Sheng Yuxiao closed his eyes tightly. He could already feel his chest tightening.
The young Master Sheng, in his bad mood, decided to have a talk with the boy who was photographed talking to Xiao Ya.
