Zhou Songyan had his assistant buy a large pile of toys.
Chengcheng was only interested in model rockets, cars, and ships. He didn’t touch the others.
After handing Chengcheng over to the assistant, Zhou Songyan went back to his work.
The entire Rongzheng Group went crazy.
President Zhou brought his son to work!!!
All kinds of internal group chats at Rongzheng exploded.
“Since when does President Zhou have such a big son? We never heard anything about this!”
“Exactly! If he never brought him to the office, how would we know?”
“This is huge news!!!”
“I didn’t see him. Anyone who did—come out and say something. Is he really President Zhou’s son?”
“Me! I saw him! He looks exactly like President Zhou—like he was carved from the same mold!”
“That’s exaggerated! I saw him too. He does look a bit like President Zhou, but not identical. Maybe we’re mistaken—maybe they’re not father and son at all.”
“I think they look very alike. He has to be President Zhou’s son!”
“Now I’m more curious about who the child’s mother is.”
“Yeah, who’s so amazing that she secretly won over the cold and aloof President Zhou?”
“No wonder when the Ji family’s heiress made such a public confession, President Zhou sent her straight to the police station. Turns out he’s already taken.”
At that moment, someone asked in the group, “Could the child’s mother be Miss Guan?”
Someone immediately replied, “That’s possible. I heard Miss Guan is President Zhou’s ‘white moonlight.’”
…
Meanwhile, Li Mai had already landed in Yucheng.
She had no idea that her precious son had stirred up a storm at Rongzheng Group.
The news eventually reached Zhou Jingtian.
His secretary told him.
“What kind of nonsense is this? Impossible!”
He didn’t believe it.
His son had lived like a monk for years—where would a son suddenly come from?
Of course, he wanted a grandson.
But that was just wishful thinking.
Zhou Jingtian treated it as a joke and didn’t take it seriously.
As for the child, he assumed it was probably a friend’s kid.
At lunchtime, Zhou Songyan had the assistant order food from a hotel.
He and Chengcheng ate in the office lounge area.
“Can you eat this? If there’s anything you like, tell me tomorrow and I’ll have them buy it,” Zhou Songyan said.
“I can eat it. I’m not picky,” Chengcheng replied.
“Really? If you’re not picky, eat this spinach.”
Chengcheng: “……”
He spoke too soon.
Spinach was his least favorite food.
Chengcheng protested, “You’re not eating it either. Adults should set an example first.”
Zhou Songyan: “……”
He was rendered speechless.
Because he hated spinach too.
What kind of order was this?
The assistant knew very well that President Zhou didn’t like spinach, yet spinach was still on the menu.
The assistant felt innocent.
Before ordering, President Zhou had instructed him: There’s a child—order something nutritious, with both meat and vegetables.
So he’d ordered a plate of pan-fried spinach, thinking kids would like it.
In the end, when he came to clear the table, the spinach dish was completely untouched.
Outside, rumors were spreading that the child was President Zhou’s son.
Only the secretaries and assistants knew that wasn’t true.
But…
How could both of them be picky eaters—and picky about the exact same thing?
The assistant muttered to himself while cleaning up.
In the afternoon, Zhou Songyan had meetings.
He asked an assistant to take Chengcheng to play.
The assistant showed Chengcheng around different floors of the company.
Some bold employees came straight up and asked, “Kid, who are your mom and dad?”
Chengcheng grinned, showing his little tiger teeth. “Guess.”
The employee: “……”
No one bothered being subtle anymore.
They asked directly, “Is President Zhou your dad?”
Chengcheng kept smiling. “Guess.”
The assistant beside him was laughing to death.
This kid was kind of sly.
…
After Li Mai finished her work after landing, she took some time to call Chengcheng.
When she learned that Zhou Songyan had taken him to Rongzheng Group, her vision went black.
“Y-you… isn’t it inappropriate for you to go there? Won’t it affect Uncle Zhou’s work?”
“I didn’t affect him,” Chengcheng said.
“Did anyone ask you anything?”
“Yes.”
“What did they ask?”
“They asked who my parents are—and whether my dad is Uncle Zhou.”
Li Mai took a deep breath.
She knew it.
Once Zhou Songyan brought Chengcheng to the company, rumors were inevitable.
“How did you answer them?” Li Mai asked.
Chengcheng smiled slyly. “I told them to guess.”
Li Mai: “……”
This kid was a little mischievous.
But as long as nothing was exposed, Li Mai felt relieved.
Chengcheng didn’t actually look that much like Zhou Songyan—he resembled her more.
The Zhou family probably wouldn’t notice anything.
She had never planned to hide the truth forever.
At first, she hadn’t intended to tell Zhou Songyan, but for Chengcheng’s sake, she had begun to reconsider.
Chengcheng knew Zhou Songyan was his father, and he liked him.
Li Mai was considering letting the father and son acknowledge each other.
She just wasn’t ready yet.
She didn’t want her son to suffer the hardships she had endured.
The mother and son chatted for a while before ending the call.
Chengcheng was using his phone watch to talk to Li Mai.
The assistant stood nearby, listening, and thought the woman’s voice on the other end sounded really pleasant.
Clear and gentle, like a mountain spring—very soothing.
That voice…
It sounded a bit familiar, as if he’d heard it somewhere before.
…
After work, Zhou Songyan took Chengcheng out for dinner.
Burgers, fried chicken, and fries.
They said kids loved that kind of food.
Chengcheng really did.
It was just that his mom rarely allowed him to eat it.
She said eating too much wasn’t healthy.
He hadn’t had it in a long time—having a little should be fine.
Zhou Songyan handed him a chicken wing. “Eat. What are you spacing out for?”
Chengcheng took it and started gnawing on it.
After a while, he asked, “Uncle, why aren’t you eating?”
“I don’t eat junk food,” Zhou Songyan replied.
Chengcheng: “……”
After a moment of speechlessness, he said, “So because I’m not your biological son, you let me eat junk food?”
Zhou Songyan: “……”
“That’s not what I meant. Don’t go tattling to your aunt.”
Chengcheng snorted and took a fierce bite of his burger.
“Eat less,” Zhou Songyan said. “We’ll have something else later.”
Chengcheng ignored him.
After eating and drinking his fill,
Zhou Songyan ordered food at a nearby restaurant and also ordered a portion for Chengcheng.
Chengcheng was already full from the burgers and fried chicken and couldn’t eat any more.
Once again, Zhou Songyan emphasized, “Don’t tell your aunt that I let you eat junk food.”
“Then take me to eat it again tomorrow,” Chengcheng said.
Zhou Songyan: “……”
They returned to Chunfeng Road.
“Chengcheng, can you bathe by yourself?” Zhou Songyan asked.
“Of course.”
“Alright. Go wash up yourself. Call me if you need anything.”
Chengcheng closed the door, found his pajamas, and went into the bathroom to shower.
Zhou Songyan didn’t go far. He stayed right outside the door.
He took out his phone and made a video call to Li Mai.
Li Mai was still accompanying Ji Wangyu at a social engagement.
When she saw Zhou Songyan’s video call request, she was so startled she almost dropped her phone.
“Who is it?” Ji Wangyu turned and asked.
Li Mai covered her phone. “A friend. President Ji, I need to step out and take a call.”
Ji Wangyu’s gaze darkened slightly. “Go ahead.”
Li Mai found a secluded corner before accepting the video call. “President Zhou, what is it?”
Zhou Songyan glanced at her surroundings. “Still out?”
“Yes.”
“With Ji Wangyu?”
“Yes.”
“Has Ji Wangyu been drinking?” Zhou Songyan asked.
Li Mai was baffled. “Yes.”
Why was he even concerned about whether her boss had been drinking?
Zhou Songyan said, “If he’s been drinking, then— stay away from him.”