Wen Li waited until the flowers had wilted, even losing interest in the new car. From seven o’clock until now, he had lost count of how many times he had glanced out the window.
The boss really was unreliable—they weren’t even dating yet, and he was already keeping the girl overnight?
After eighteen glances, he finally saw his boss strolling leisurely in the darkness.
“The property management in this neighborhood is useless—they still haven’t fixed the streetlights,” Fu Chengyan grumbled irritably as soon as he got in the car.
“They fixed them, but they broke again.”
Wen Li also thought the property management was incompetent. If they couldn’t handle it themselves, they should hire professionals to fix it. The lights kept going out, plunging everything into pitch darkness. Thankfully, there was no lake nearby.
Otherwise, an accident was bound to happen sooner or later.
Fu Chengyan frowned. “Get someone to fix them.”
“Yes, boss.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Fu Chengyan sent a message to Assistant Lin.
He had promised the little one to go to the amusement park tomorrow, and in the afternoon, he would take the little girl to the ranch.
“Who’s managing Zonglin Ranch now?”
Wen Li was slightly taken aback. The boss hadn’t been there in years and rarely asked about it.
“It’s Wen Ci.”
“Tell him to clear the ranch tomorrow. No unauthorized personnel are allowed in.” Fu Chengyan added, “Did Saimi give birth to a foal?”
Wen Li’s lips twitched. “Boss, Saimi gave birth six years ago.”
He really didn’t pay much attention.
“Forget it then. Has Little White grown up? Make sure Little White is washed clean. Someone will play with her tomorrow.”
Wen Li naturally understood who “someone” referred to. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll make sure Wen Ci gives Little White a fragrant bath tomorrow.”
Fu Chengyan glanced at him with a faint smile. “Don’t just stand around either. Wash Douzi clean too.”
Douzi was a pure black stallion without a hint of any other color. Wen Li said he looked like he’d never been crossbred.
Douzi had a terrible temper, ate a lot, and was hard to manage. If a stranger touched him, he’d kick them halfway across the field.
Fu Chengyan had taken a liking to him at first sight, insisting he had personality and was a fine horse.
The groom trembled every time he fed him, afraid the horse would kick him in a fit of displeasure.
“Boss, I’d rather wash Little Saimi.”
Little Saimi was also pure white, gentle in nature, and allowed anyone to touch her.
“If you don’t want to wash him, then keep quiet,” Fu Chengyan said.
“Boss, the journey is long. It’s boring not to share some heartfelt thoughts.”
Fu Chengyan scoffed. “Heartfelt thoughts? Come to the company tomorrow, and I’ll assign you a position.”
Wen Li declined the offer politely. “Boss, I’m your personal bodyguard.”
“The company’s security department is short-staffed. Go report there.”
“Alright, boss. I’ll keep quiet then.”
After more than ten minutes of silence, the car arrived at Lushan Manor. From a distance, Fu Chengyan saw three people standing by the main building’s entrance—one adult and two children, bundled up tightly with only their eyes visible.
“It’s Steward Liu and the young master and young miss,” Wen Li said. “Boss, you came back too late today. They’ve been waiting for you.”
“Got it. Are you staying here to rest or heading back?”
Wen Li said he was going back—his wife was afraid to sleep alone.
“Then take the car. Drive safely.”
Wen Li was surprised. “Boss, you’re so generous. Aren’t you afraid I’ll scratch it on the way?”
“Then you can work off the debt as Auntie Liu’s assistant at Lushan Manor for free.” Fu Chengyan got out of the car, waved, and walked away.
The next second, two little cannonballs charged straight toward him. Fu Chengyan bent down, scooping both little rascals into his arms with one hand each.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet? Standing outside foolishly, aren’t you cold?” Passing by Butler Liu, he nodded and told him to go rest.
Auntie Liu had prepared ginger soup early on, one bowl for each of the three. Before the two little ones could start chattering, Fu Chengyan swiftly poured the warm ginger tea down their throats.
Clapping his hands, he hugged the two little rascals. “Alright, now you can talk.”
The siblings, Fu Xuanlang and Fu Xuanyue, scrunched their little faces into tight knots. Auntie Liu quickly popped a hawthorn candy into each of their mouths.
“Uncle—”
Fu Xuanlang had barely uttered two words when Fu Chengyan manually silenced him. “Alright, finish your candy before speaking.”
The hawthorn candy was soft. Fu Xuanyue chewed it up and swallowed it, then pouted unhappily. “Uncle, you came back so late. Brother and I were getting sleepy waiting for you.”
Fu Chengyan rubbed her slightly cold little hands. “If you were sleepy, you should have gone to bed with Auntie first. You could have told Uncle whatever you wanted to say tomorrow.”
“But I haven’t seen Uncle for so many hours. I missed you~”
The soft, milky voice made Fu Chengyan happy too. “Uncle had something to do today, so he came back late. How about I take you to the amusement park tomorrow morning?”
Fu Xuanyue nodded eagerly. “Then we’ll go as soon as we wake up?”
“Yes, as soon as we wake up,” Fu Chengyan said. “Now, how about going to sleep?”
“Okay, Uncle. I’m going to sleep now.”
“Brush your teeth before going to bed, understand?”
“Understand.”
“Good girl, go ahead.”
As Auntie took Fu Xuanyue upstairs, Fu Xuanlang immediately spat out the hawthorn candy in his mouth. “So sour, so gross.”
“If you didn’t like it, you should have spit it out earlier. Look how sour it made you.” Fu Chengyan unwrapped a little bear gummy and popped it into his mouth.
“Yueyue said we shouldn’t waste.”
“It’s okay to waste. Don’t force yourself to eat things you don’t like,” Fu Chengyan taught him. “But Yueyue’s thinking is correct. Food doesn’t come easily, so we should practice the ‘clean plate’ action. Take only what you can eat to avoid waste, understand?”
“I understand, Uncle.”
“Good, go upstairs and sleep.”
Fu Xuanlang was carried upstairs under his arm, wiggling his arms and legs happily. “Uncle, I want to ride the pirate ship tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting dizzy?”
“I’m not afraid. I want to ride it. I also want to ride the bumper cars.”
“You’re three years old, not thirteen. You can ride the merry-go-round twice tomorrow, that’s it.”
“No, Uncle. You weren’t like this with Yueyue just now. Uncle is biased.”
Fu Chengyan chuckled. “Yes, yes, I’m biased. Have you washed your feet?”
Fu Xuanlang was tossed into the middle of the bed, scrambling to sit up. He pulled off his thick fuzzy socks, wiggling his fair, tender little feet. “Uncle, smell them. They’re fragrant~”
He had specifically asked Grandpa Liu to wash them nice and fragrant.
Fu Chengyan kept a straight face. “I’m not smelling them.”
“Then smell my socks. My socks are fragrant too.”
Fu Chengyan felt the little rascal was doing it on purpose. He stripped off his outer clothes and tossed them aside, revealing the gray fuzzy pajamas underneath. “Go to sleep, or you won’t wake up in time to go to the amusement park tomorrow.”
“Uncle, at noon, Grandma Liu made cheese pastries and cheese egg tarts. They were so delicious, but Uncle didn’t get to eat them.”
Fu Chengyan hummed in acknowledgment. “I don’t eat those.”
The little one opened his big eyes wide, “But I saved some for you, Uncle, in the oven. Yueyue even left you some Taro Sweet Potato Balls.”
Fu Chengyan paused, “Alright, I’ll eat them later.”
“Uncle, haven’t you had dinner yet?”
“I have,” he said, “but I’m still a bit hungry.”
Fu Xuanlang giggled, looking quite pleased with himself, “I knew Uncle would be hungry coming back so late.”
“Uncle, I’m the smartest, right?”
“Yes, you’re the smartest.”