Li Mai changed the subject. “Senior sister, when are you coming back?”
You Huan replied, “I’ll travel for another week.”
“Alright. Have fun.”
“Mm. Kisses—I’ll bring you some good food when I’m back.”
“Okay, okay.”
Li Mai hung up and headed toward the secretary department, not noticing a figure standing in the corner.
Ji Wangyu had come out for a smoke. He hadn’t even lit it yet when he heard Li Mai’s voice.
She was talking to a friend.
It wouldn’t be appropriate to smoke, and it wouldn’t be polite to interrupt her either, so he planned to wait until she left.
Instead, he heard Li Mai mention that she had left Chengcheng with Zhou Songyan.
He lit a cigarette and took a hard drag.
…
Zhou Songyan spun around once in his executive chair, his phone lighting up and going dark repeatedly.
Sun Yuanjie walked in. “President Zhou, has Chengcheng gone home?”
The little guy hadn’t come to the company with President Zhou for several days.
When Chengcheng had been at Rongzheng Group for that week, the entire company had felt unusually lively.
Zhou Songyan froze for a moment, as if all his earlier confusion and frustration had vanished.
He straightened up. “What is it?”
Sun Yuanjie handed him a document. “President Zhou, this is your schedule for the week.”
“Leave it there and go out.”
After Sun Yuanjie left, Zhou Songyan called Chengcheng.
He had Chengcheng’s number.
Chengcheng was at home, holding a primary school textbook and reading.
He answered casually, “Uncle.”
“What are you doing?” Zhou Songyan asked.
“Reading.”
“Kindergarten homework?”
“At home.”
“Your aunt isn’t working today?”
“She is.”
“So you’re home alone?”
“Yes.”
Zhou Songyan sucked in a sharp breath.
Chengcheng was only four years old, yet Li Mai had left him home alone.
“Wait there. I’ll come get you right now.”
“No—”
Before Chengcheng could finish the word, Zhou Songyan had already hung up.
Half an hour later, Chengcheng’s phone rang again.
“Chengcheng, which building and apartment do you live in?”
Chengcheng hesitated for a moment. “Building 13, Room 602.”
Mom had said she didn’t oppose him keeping in touch with Dad.
If he let Dad come in, Mom probably wouldn’t be angry… right?
Nervous, Chengcheng opened the door for Zhou Songyan.
Zhou Songyan stepped inside and looked around at the small apartment—smaller than even one of his bedrooms. The furniture was old, but everything was neat and clean.
A faint, fresh fragrance lingered in the air.
On the dining table sat a glass vase with several fresh roses.
The little home felt warm and cozy.
“Uncle, there aren’t any slippers your size,” Chengcheng said.
“That’s okay. I don’t need them.”
Zhou Songyan was secretly pleased.
No men’s slippers meant no man usually came here.
Li Mai had no idea that while she was away, Zhou Songyan had already walked straight into her home.
Chengcheng reminded him, “Uncle, don’t tell my aunt that I gave you the address.”
Zhou Songyan curled his lips and nodded. “Got it. I won’t sell you out.”
“Uncle, why did you come to my house?”
“I was worried about you. Why didn’t your aunt send you to kindergarten today?”
“I didn’t want to go. Kindergarten is boring.”
Zhou Songyan understood.
When he was young, he hadn’t liked kindergarten either and barely went a few days a month.
But he’d always had someone looking after him, and Zhou Jingtian had even hired private tutors—his days were never idle.
Chengcheng being home alone wasn’t safe.
“Have you eaten?” Zhou Songyan asked.
“Yes. Aunt left food for me.”
“Change your clothes. Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“Can you swim?”
“No.”
“I’ll teach you.”
Before returning to Chunfeng Road, Zhou Songyan detoured to a supermarket and bought Chengcheng a swimsuit, swim cap, goggles, and some child-friendly float rings and kickboards.
The villa at Chunfeng Road had an indoor swimming pool on the third floor.
Chengcheng knew that.
…
When Li Mai didn’t see Chengcheng on the surveillance camera, she immediately called him.
Zhou Songyan glanced at Chengcheng, who was happily playing in the water, picked up the phone watch, and answered the call.
“Hello.”
Li Mai thought she’d misheard. She pulled the phone away and checked the screen again.
It really was Chengcheng’s number.
Zhou Songyan’s voice came through the phone again. “Chengcheng is with me.”
Even though Li Mai had already thought it through—planning to let the father and son acknowledge each other when the time was right—she was still nervous at this moment.
“How did Chengcheng end up with you?”
“Li Mai,” Zhou Songyan said seriously, “if you can’t properly take care of Chengcheng, then send him back so he can be with his parents. Leaving him home alone is far too dangerous. If I hadn’t called him, I wouldn’t even have known about this.”
Li Mai: “……”
For any normal parent, leaving a four-year-old child alone at home really was something that deserved criticism.
“I… Chengcheng can take care of himself. He’s fine.”
“You believe what a little kid says?”
“Then what do you want me to do? Sending him away is impossible.”
He was her son—where could she possibly send him?
Hire a nanny?
She didn’t have the financial means right now.
“I’ll hire a nanny for you,” Zhou Songyan said.
Li Mai was silent for a moment. “Let’s talk about that later.”
“President Zhou, I’ll come pick Chengcheng up after work.”
“No need. I’ll take him back myself.”
…
When Li Mai got home, she saw Zhou Songyan sitting boldly on the small sofa in her living room.
She looked at her son.
Chengcheng felt guilty and didn’t dare meet her eyes.
In the end, Li Mai didn’t say anything.
“President Zhou, thank you for bringing Chengcheng back and for taking care of him.”
“Is a verbal thank-you enough?” Zhou Songyan asked.
Li Mai didn’t respond.
Seeing her play dumb, Zhou Songyan said directly, “I’m hungry. It’s not too much to ask to eat a meal at your place, right?”
What could Li Mai say?
She went into her room, changed into home clothes, and tied her hair up into a bun, revealing her fair, slender neck.
Zhou Songyan glanced up unintentionally, his throat bobbing twice.
Li Mai went into the kitchen.
Zhou Songyan’s phone rang.
It was a video call from Old Mrs Zhou.
He walked out to the balcony to answer it.
The balcony was small, with plenty of clothes hanging to dry.
Zhou Songyan was tall, and his head brushed against the hanging laundry.
He casually pushed it aside.
With a swipe of his finger, Old Mrs Zhou’s face appeared on the screen.
“Grandson, where are you—oh!”
Old Mrs Zhou’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening.
“T-that… what is that?”
She seemed to have seen something shocking.
Zhou Songyan turned around in confusion—and his face bumped into something.
A white bra.
Oh…
The air instantly became awkward.
Li Mai came out of the kitchen and saw Zhou Songyan’s face pressed up against her underwear. She screamed, rushed over, grabbed it, and ran back into the bedroom.