Serenade

In this life, Jin Xi and Bo Yan had two children together, with only three years between them in age. Their first child was a son, so for their second child they had a daughter.

Having one son and one daughter made for a good combination.

Jin Xi had been doted on by Shen Ping Chuan since she was little, so even when she married Bo Yan, she was still just a childish young girl. Her mind was always filled with all kinds of fanciful ideas, and she loved to tease her husband.

Bo Yan was better at taking care of the children, since he had lived independently for a long time, taking care of himself, and so knew more life skills than Jin Xi.

Even so, this was Bo Yan's first time being a father, so he didn't have much experience either. In the eyes of the domestic expert Shen Ping Chuan, the way this couple took care of their children was truly unbearable to watch.

One day, the couple took their children grocery shopping and ran into Shen Ping Chuan.

Shen Ping Chuan watched them from afar. Jin Xi was carefully comparing products on the shelves, with a cute little bean sprout following behind her.

The little bean sprout had a rope tied around him, with the other end tied to Bo Yan's wrist. This guy was walking the child like a dog on a leash.

"What's with leashing the kid like a puppy?"

Shen Ping Chuan walked over, indignant. He pointed at Bo Yan, accusing him of taking the lazy way out instead of behaving like a real father.

"Why don't you carry the child on your back?"

Bo Yan immediately turned around. On his shoulders was a space cat pod baby carrier, with his daughter's round little head resting against the vented window, fast asleep.

Shen Ping Chuan was speechless. So you walk the dog and carry the cat, huh?

"Come to my house tomorrow. I'll give you some training, since you're clearly unqualified for this job. Too dangerous."

Jin Xi hadn't seen Shen Ping Chuan in a long time and was happy to run over and give him a big hug. "Our busiest person somehow has time to go grocery shopping? You didn't even come to my birthday party last month!"

"Didn't I give you a present? I've spent every one of your birthdays with you for over ten years now. Cut me some slack this year."

Shen Ping Chuan really had been too busy. He had started from the bottom in real estate sales, getting up earlier than the roosters and sleeping later than the dogs every day. But no matter how busy, spending time with his wife at the supermarket was a task he had to complete.

Xia Qing gently pushed along a shopping cart, smiling as she walked over. "Brother and sister-in-law are here, so come over for dinner tonight. I'll have my husband cook."

"Sounds good," Jin Xi readily agreed.

Shen Ping Chuan untied the leash from Bo Yan's wrist and picked up his son. "Little Shell, stop minding your dad. Come home with Auntie."

The boy reached out his little arms and hugged Shen Ping Chuan's neck.

They all went to Shen Ping Chuan's home.

The house was one they had just made a down payment on and moved into last year, in the highest-end Chun Tian Paris community developed by the Shen Corporation real estate company.

Shen Shishan had given him a 10% down payment discount, getting him a preferential price.

Shen Ping Chuan had actually insisted on starting from nothing without any help from his father.

But Shen Shishan had been very firm on this matter.

"Chun Tian Paris is in the school district. I'm counting on this house for my grandkids to attend No.1 High School in the future. You think I care about you? You can live in a public restroom for all I care, but my grandkids are going to live in the school district, no discussion."

Shen Ping Chuan still couldn't win against Shen Shishan, so he bought the Chun Tian Paris house at a discount price. But other than that, he didn't accept any more help from Shen Shishan.

In the kitchen, Xia Qing tied on an apron and helped Shen Ping Chuan wash vegetables. Shen Ping Chuan stopped her, "Qingqing, go keep our guests company. I don't need help here."

Xia Qing spoke softly, "It's okay, I'll stay with you."

Shen Ping Chuan knew she was shy and not great at chatting with others, afraid of awkward silences.

"But that's my sister out there," he said.

"It's not Little Xi, it's Senior Bo Yan. He makes me nervous."

Shen Ping Chuan didn't press the issue further. This was just Xia Qing's personality - she hadn't had many friends back in school either. Others thought she was aloof and hard to get close to, but Shen Ping Chuan knew she just had thin skin and didn't know how to interact with people.

No problem - Shen Ping Chuan would protect her for life, letting her live in the way she felt most comfortable.

As Shen Ping Chuan cooked, he chatted with Xia Qing about things going on at work - the various eccentric characters a low-level sales manager inevitably had to deal with, the frequent frustrations. Xia Qing didn't really understand how to navigate these interpersonal issues; all she could do was reassure Shen Ping Chuan, saying that if anyone bullied him, to let her know and she'd teach them a lesson.

Shen Ping Chuan laughed at this. "So protective of me?"

Xia Qing was straightforward, saying what was on her mind. "You're good to me, so I care about you. Anyway...don't keep anything from me."

In fact, Shen Ping Chuan rarely complained to Xia Qing. His work exhausted him, nearly working him to death, but as a man, he wouldn't bring that stress back home.

The Shen Ping Chuan who came home was always grinning and joking around to make her happy.

But this didn't mean Xia Qing was unaware.

She knew that after she fell asleep, Shen Ping Chuan would sneak out of bed to go to his study and work overtime, organizing customer documents on his computer. She also knew Shen Ping Chuan went out to the balcony alone to take work calls from customers, enduring a lot of abuse. She further knew...Shen Ping Chuan endured it all for her sake.

The prince of the Shen Corporation, his life could have been so easy, but he had given it up, choosing an entirely different path instead.

Xia Qing hugged Shen Ping Chuan from behind, gently saying, "Pingchuan, I love you."

Shen Ping Chuan's cooking paused briefly. He turned his head back, looking at the girl clinging to him, and faintly smiled. "Kiss me."

So Xia Qing tiptoed up and kissed his cheek.

"Okay, you can't always stick by my side. Go keep your sister company, or she'll feel we're being impolite. You have to act like a proper sister-in-law, right?"

Xia Qing nodded.

Just then, Jin Xi leaned in the doorway laughing. "Oh my, not even a minute away from my brother and my sister-in-law is lovesick. Don't make it hard for her, I'm just a wild little sister, I don't need company!"

Shen Ping Chuan exclaimed, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Hmm, a good few minutes?"

"Well, come help me cook if you're here."

"You do your thing. Why boss your sister around?" Xia Qing pulled Jin Xi back out. "Let your brother cook. Don't bother him."

"Yes ma'am, sister-in-law!" Jin Xi hooked her arm around Xia Qing's. Looking back at Bo Yan, she called, "Babe, go help my brother in the kitchen."

Bo Yan put the child down and readily went into the kitchen, staring down Shen Ping Chuan.

Shen Ping Chuan hung his apron around Bo Yan's neck. "What are you looking at? Let me teach you a lesson, brother-in-law, on how to write the four characters for frugality and hard work."

After dinner, Little Shell sat on the sofa, listening to his mom affectionately calling his dad "baby." Jealous, he protested, "I'm Mama's baby too!"

Bo Yan patted the back of his head. "No you're not, your mom's only baby is your dad, just him alone."

Little Shell's eyes instantly welled up with tears, as if his mom had been snatched away. Pouting, he cried, "Then I don't have a mommy anymore."

Jin Xi nudged Bo Yan. "Why do you always bully him?"

Bo Yan helplessly said, "He's supposed to grow into a manly man, but crying over nothing - is this really my son?"

Their daughter sat in a baby bouncer, giggling away happily. She didn't understand any of it, just laughing very cheerfully.

Jin Xi soothed her son, "Little Shell, don't cry. Look how your sister is laughing at you."

Little Shell's big wet eyes looked at Jin Xi as he mumbled, "Mommy's only baby is Daddy, not Little Shell."

Jin Xi wiped his tears dry. "Little Shell has Mommy, Daddy, and little sister too. But Daddy only has Mommy. Little Shell can't be jealous of Daddy, understand?"

Bo Yan's heart was touched. He grasped Jin Xi's hand tightly.

Many, many years later, when Little Shell had grown up and started his own family with children, he finally understood that maternal love his mother had for his father.

She had shared almost all of her happiness and blessings in life with him.

Even with white hair and frail with age, she would still hold his hand and call him "baby."

Later on, the aging Jin Xi developed Alzheimer's disease and forgot many people and events. However, the only two people she never forgot were Bo Yan and Shen Ping Chuan.

Once, when Xiao Beike brought his children back home to visit the elderly woman, Jin Xi leaned on her cane blankly by the door and looked at him for a while before her gaze slowly drifted to his suitcase.

She turned back to Bo Yan and said, "The suitcase is so heavy."

Without any hesitation, Bo Yan walked over and picked up the suitcase.

Just as Xiao Beike was about to say, "Dad, don't bother, go rest," he heard his father say to his mother, "Which dorm building is your room in? I'll carry it over for you, senior."

A happy, sweet smile of a young girl appeared on the aged mother's face. She said, "I'm in Room 409, Building 10. Thank you for your trouble, senior."

Author's note: There will be one more chapter tomorrow.

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