Shu Yan couldnât help but say to Feng Zeyu with a smile, âI only made a joke. Look how frantic it got her.â
âWell, if you know that too and stop joking about it.â Feng Zeyu shook his head, âJingJing is old now. She knows what she wants. As parents, we only need to give advice. We shouldnât interfere too much with their lives.â
âYou donât think I know that? I just worry sometimes. JingJing has yet to be in a relationship at her age. I worry that my divorce has traumatized her.â
Tianbao was young then and didnât know anything. JingJing was old enough to remember what was going on. That and all the failed marriages that they had seen around them. Shu Yan worried that JingJing would be affected by them.
âDonât worry about that. JingJing is much stronger than you think.â Feng Zeyu felt that JingJing was still the same child in Shu Yanâs mind. In reality, the timid girl had already grown up without them noticing over time.
Tianbao was gone for a whole two years and didnât even return for the New Year. If it wasnât for a call here and there, Shu Yan would think that he had disappeared.
When Tianbao was returning home, Shu Yan tossed and turned the night before and couldnât sleep. She pestered Feng Zeyu to go and pick Tianbao up early in the morning.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âItâs only 5 right now. Tianbao wonât be back till 3 in the afternoon. Donât you think itâs a bit early for that?â said Feng Zeyu helplessly.
Shu Yan took a look at the time. That did seem a bit early, but she could no longer fall back asleep.
She got up and cleaned Tianbaoâs room one more time. She checked what they had prepared in the kitchen. They were all dishes that were Tianbaoâs favorite.
Shu Yan dragged Feng Zeyu, JingJing, and Xiao Bao with her to the train station to pick up Tianbao right after lunch.
Tianbao, with his military haircut, darkened skin tone, a simple black tee, jeans, and black sneakers, stood in front of Shu Yan. His eyes reddened a little, he gave Shu Yan a big and bright smile.
âMom, I am back.â
âSo you still know to come back? You have been gone for two years. Has it occurred to you to take some time off and return for a visit?â Shu Yanâs tears came pouring down when she finally saw her son. She had never been apart from him for so long since she had arrived in this world. âYouâve grown taller and look to be good spirited.â
âMmm, not bad.â JingJing, who had become more and more cold and distant, nodded approvingly.
âBig Sister.â There were tears in Tianbaoâs smile when he saw JingJing. He turned toward Xiao Bao and rubbed him over his head. âLook at you. You are almost taller than me.â
âMy hairstyle. You are messing up my hairstyle.â Xiao Bao avoided Tianbaoâs hand and tidied up his hair. Hearing that Tianbao was talking about his height, he lifted his head complacently. âIâll be taller than you by next year.â
Shu Yan smacked him. âDonât you be gloating. Your grades have been slipping. If this keeps up, you wonât be attending your dance lessons anymore.â
Xiao Bao rubbed his head and pouted. He grumbled about Shu Yan playing favoritism.
Why was it that his Big Sister and Second Brother could do as they please but not him?
Once they had gotten home, Shu Yan turned into the worldâs best mother. She fetched slippers for Tianbao and showed him to his room to wash up. She was short of bathing him in the bathroom. Xiao Bao was very jealous when he witnessed that.
âDad, look at Mom. Sheâs playing favoritism, right? This is so unfair.â
Feng Zeyu glanced over at him. âI think she has been too nice to you. Now you dare to criticize her behind her back.â
Xiao Bao collapsed onto the couch and shriveled up. Why would he attempt to talk about his wife with a man who dotted madly on his wife? He asked for this.
Tianbao had matured a lot after two years of training. He was well spirited and was nothing like his depressed self prior to joining the military.