Hearing this, Shi Anlan paused for a moment.
He recalled that day when the Director of Education had brought a stack of files to his office.
Because of his request for “a younger female homeroom teacher,” the director personally delivered the profiles of four candidates who met the criteria.
He flipped through them one by one, and when he saw Zhou Nuan’s file, his hand froze.
Zhou Nuan, 23 years old, graduated from Jianghan Provincial Normal University and had been specially recruited as an outstanding graduate representative.
In the photo, the young girl had gentle, curved brows, a sweet smile, and an overall pleasant appearance—not particularly stunning, but very comfortable to look at. Her clear, untainted eyes were full of spirit, with a hint of stubbornness and resilience that immediately caught his attention.
“She’s the one,” he said, pointing to Zhou Nuan’s file, to Director Liu.
“Her?” Director Liu was slightly surprised—this was unexpected.
Among the four candidates, she was the youngest, least experienced, and had the least background.
However… she was also the most attractive.
Considering the special situation in Shi’s family, Director Liu seemed to understand.
“Alright, I’ll arrange it immediately,” he said, standing up quickly and leaving the secretary’s office.
Shaking off his thoughts, Shi Anlan habitually pinched the bridge of his nose.
After a whole day of meetings, he was indeed a bit tired.
“Tomorrow, buy some gifts or treats for every child in the class,” he instructed Shi Yan, looking at the large bag by the door.
He hadn’t expected Teacher Zhou to be so considerate—his son received so many gifts on the very first day!
But it was out of kindness, and he couldn’t be ungrateful.
“Yes, sir,” Shi Yan replied respectfully.
“I’ll go check on him,” Shi Anlan said, entering Shi Xuzhi’s room.
Hearing the movement, Shi Xuzhi looked up.
“Dad,” he said softly.
“Have you finished your homework?” Shi Anlan asked, patting his head and sitting on the chair beside him.
“Almost done,” Shi Xuzhi obediently replied.
“No rush. Take your time; Dad is here with you.”
“Okay, Dad,” Shi Xuzhi lowered his head and continued his work.
Watching his obedient, sensible son, Shi Anlan felt a surge of guilt.
It seemed like it had been a long time since he had quietly spent time with his child.
Since taking office in Jiangcheng over two months ago, he had been either on business trips or working overtime at the municipal government, returning home late almost every day. By the time he came back, his son was usually asleep, leaving them with very few moments alone together like today.
Sigh… there was no choice. New officials often face a trial by fire, especially in a city as complex as Jiangcheng.
If it weren’t for his predecessor’s misfortune, he wouldn’t have been parachuted from the provincial city. Alone, facing such a complex situation, it was difficult to even gain a foothold, let alone achieve anything significant.
A heavy responsibility lay ahead.
Gazing at his son’s serious face while doing homework, he was momentarily reminded of his son’s infancy.
So small, skin wrinkled. In the blink of an eye, he was already seven!
And he, himself, had grown from 28 to 35 years old.
Time truly is a butcher’s knife!
The boy’s mother had left shortly after his birth. And due to work, Shi Anlan spent very little time with his son. The child had mostly grown up with his cousin—Shi Yan.
Thus, Shi Xuzhi’s closest person was not his mother or father, but his cousin Shi Yan.
The unique family environment had shaped Shi Xuzhi’s personality differently from most boys.
He wasn’t noisy or mischievous, but rather quiet, introverted, and even somewhat timid.
He never mentioned his mother in front of Shi Anlan, even though he envied other children with mothers.
Before coming to Jiangcheng, he had lived with Shi Yan in the provincial city. Shi Anlan, due to work, had served in several places.
Initially, he hadn’t planned to bring his son along—transferring schools was troublesome, and with the boy’s personality, frequent changes might negatively affect his mental health.
But Shi Yan said the child was growing up and needed his father, especially a boy during this crucial stage of character development.
Even if he couldn’t see him every day, one or two times a week was better than months apart.
Shi Anlan considered this reasonable. After getting his son’s agreement, he brought him along.
This was also why he wanted a younger female homeroom teacher for his son—indirectly fulfilling Shi Xuzhi’s need for maternal care.
He hoped this decision was correct.
As for why he hadn’t found a stepmother all these years: firstly, the failure of a previous political marriage left lasting trauma; secondly, he hadn’t met anyone who truly suited him.
Women who approached him with ulterior motives were never considered.
“Dad, I’m done,” Shi Xuzhi’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Come sit here, Dad will check your work,” Shi Anlan said, patting his leg.
Perhaps unused to being so close to his father, Shi Xuzhi hesitated.
After a moment, he shyly climbed onto his father’s lap.
His subtle expressions and movements didn’t escape Shi Anlan’s eyes. His gaze deepened.
It seemed his son was indeed… not very close to him.
Thinking this, he reached out and hugged the small, soft body.
The boy stiffened noticeably, even Shi Anlan felt it—causing him to pause.
“Tell Dad, how was school today?” he asked as gently as possible.
“It was good,” Shi Xuzhi nodded obediently. “The teacher and classmates were all very nice to me.”
“Oh? Tell me more, how were they nice?” Shi Anlan pretended to be very interested.
“During morning reading, Teacher Zhou held a welcome ceremony for me. My classmates gave me lots of gifts.” The boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Really? What do you think of Teacher Zhou?” Shi Anlan cared more about this than the gifts.
“Teacher Zhou?” The boy paused, a blush appearing on his face. “She’s pretty and very kind.”
“Do you like her?”
“Yes,” the boy nodded without hesitation.
Seeing his son so certain, Shi Anlan breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed his choice that day had been right.
Sometimes, one truly must trust their first impression.
“Since you’ve finished your homework, go take a bath and get to bed early,” he said, patting his son’s back.
“Okay, Dad,” Shi Xuzhi replied, noticeably lighter and more cheerful than when he first arrived.
Shi Yan helped him go bathe.
Shi Anlan went to the balcony outside the living room, standing by the window, looking at the trees whose shadows stretched under the streetlights, and instinctively lit a cigarette.
Jiangcheng, the third-largest city in Jianghan Province, was a three-hour drive from the provincial capital.
As a provincial parachuted municipal leader, Shi Anlan’s appointment had caused a small but notable stir in Jiangcheng’s political scene.