Five years after my wife's death, she came back!

While the two were drawing together, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Shang Chenyan pushed open the door and stood outside: "Come down and have dinner with us. It's getting late, and it'll be too much trouble for you to cook at home."

Shi Ying's stomach rumbled twice, just as it was supposed to.

Her face flushed, and she instinctively grabbed the picture book to cover herself.

A faint smile appeared in Shang Chenyan's eyes as he walked in and said to the two of them, "Go wash your hands."

"oh."

Shi Ying led Shang Nian into the bathroom. The warm water washed over her fingers. Looking at the two figures, one big and one small, in the mirror, Shi Ying suddenly felt that Shang Nian's eyes were very similar to her own.

They both have round, doe-like eyes, and even their lip shapes are somewhat similar.

She frowned. Did she look a lot like his mother?

That's why Shang Nian hugged her and called her "Mom" as soon as she saw her today, and clung to her and wouldn't let her leave.

That's why Shang Chenyan treated him so well.

Shi Ying stared blankly at the mirror until someone tugged at her hem.

She looked down and saw that Shang Nian had already wiped her hands clean and was standing obediently beside her, looking up at her.

Shi Ying squatted down to look her in the eye: "Niannian, don't I look a lot like your mother?"

Shang Nian shook her head.

She wanted to say, it's not just that you look like her, you are her mother.

Shi Ying, however, thought she was denying it and breathed a sigh of relief.

She liked the pretty and well-behaved little girl very much, and felt sorry for her because she was five years old and still couldn't speak, but that didn't mean she was interested in playing some melodramatic first love or white moonlight substitute game with this father and daughter.

She is a person with important things to do.

Thinking of this, Shi Ying slapped her forehead. She had almost forgotten her strategy plan because of the father and daughter's interruption.

"Niannian, don't you have a cousin named Shang Yu?"

Shang Nian nodded.

Shi Ying felt a little immoral, but she was too eager to finish the mission and go home. This time, she only had one month to complete the mission, which in the real world was roughly equivalent to a year here.

Time was short and the task was urgent; she was still waiting for that million to come in handy.

"Does Niannian have his contact information?" Shiying coaxed her softly, trying to think of a good excuse to get his contact information.

Before she could come up with an excuse, Shang Nian pulled her outside, picked up a phone from the desk, fiddled with it for a bit, and handed it to her.

The green bubble number was clearly visible above.

Shi Ying quickly wrote it down, then picked up Shang Nian and kissed her: "Nian Nian is so amazing."

Shang Nian blinked, her cheeks flushing red, and she buried her head in her arms again.

Will giving my cousin's contact information make my mom happy?

Shang Nian thought for a moment, then dug out Shang Yu's email address, phone number, and home address.

Shi Ying: "..."

That's unnecessary.

She has social anxiety and would rather contact someone via a chatbot than make a phone call.

There was another knock on the door.

Shang Chenyan looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression: "Why aren't you coming down?"

"Coming, coming!" Shi Ying quickly put away her phone, picked up Shang Nian, and ran out.

Shang Chenyan's gaze lingered on the two similar faces, but he asked nothing. He took the child from her arms and went downstairs in front of her.

Several home-style dishes were laid out on the dining table downstairs. Shi Ying craned his neck to look into the kitchen, but he didn't see the legendary nanny. Could it be that he made these dishes himself?

Shang Chenyan pulled out a chair for her: "Sit down."

Shi Ying sat down, flattered. It was her first time eating with her boss, and she was so nervous that she didn't know where to put her hands.

Shang Chenyan chuckled and sat down opposite her: "Don't be shy, just make yourself at home."

"Okay, okay..."

"Would you like some?" Shang Chenyan poured a glass of red wine.

Shi Ying instinctively reached out and took it: "Thank you, President Shang."

She buried herself in her rice, and after taking a bite of beef tenderloin, she narrowed her eyes in amazement: "So delicious."

"Eat more if you like it." Shang Chenyan used serving chopsticks to put some food on her plate. "I'm glad you like it."

Shi Ying's eyes darted around: "Did you make this, Mr. Shang?"

"Um."

"You can cook too?"

Shang Chenyan's hand, which was holding a chopstick, paused slightly, and a clear female voice unconsciously echoed in his mind:

"Shang Chenyan, I can't cook. You'll have to be in charge of cooking after we get married."

"You did a really good job. You have to make this for me every day after we get married."

The man's hand tightened subtly around the chopsticks, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He gave a bitter smile and said, "Mm."

Shi Ying noticed that he seemed a little off, so she quickly lowered her head and focused on eating, without saying anything else.

Half an hour later, Shi Ying burped rather inelegantly and slumped into her chair.

A cup of hot tea was pushed in front of her. Shi Ying looked up and met Shang Chenyan's handsome face.

"It aids digestion."

"Thank you." Shi Ying picked up her water glass and took a few sips. It tasted sweet, but she didn't know what it was.

She leaned on the table to stand up: "Isn't it very late? I should go home."

Upon hearing that she was leaving, Shang Nian hurriedly grabbed the hem of her clothes.

Shang Chenyan glanced out the window: "Hmm, it's dark, it's quite late."

"However, it's not easy to get a taxi here. I'll have the driver take you back."

Shang Nian pouted and glared at Shang Chenyan unhappily.

The man ignored her mournful gaze, walked to the window, picked up his phone, and made a call.

Shi Ying didn't hear what he was saying, but she saw that he was frowning and his handsome face seemed to be somewhat displeased.

A few minutes later, he came over and said apologetically, "The driver has already finished his shift. He said he had something to do at home and can't make it right now."

"That..."

"I'll take you," Shang Chenyan said, picking up the keys from the table.

Shi Ying quickly grabbed his hand: "President Shang, you've been drinking."

Shang Chenyan reacted a little slowly: "It seems so..."

Seeing him like this, Shi Ying was even more hesitant to let him take her home; perhaps he was drunk.

A soft, slightly cool hand covered the back of his hand. This intimate contact made Shang Chenyan's whole body ache, and his blood seemed to be rushing and hissing.

"Then I'll have to trouble you to stay here for the night." He swallowed hard. "This villa is in a rather remote area, and it's hard to get a taxi. If you stay here for the night, the driver will take you home tomorrow morning. It's Friday tomorrow, so I'll give you a day off. You can go back to work next week."

Shi Ying hesitated for a moment, but after thinking about it carefully, staying in a luxury mansion for one night and getting a free day off was definitely not a loss for her.

Moreover, Shang Chenyan has a wife and daughter, and he wouldn't have any ill intentions towards her, so she felt very at ease staying here.

Shi Ying didn't stand on ceremony and nodded, "Thank you, President Shang."

Shang Nian stood quietly to the side listening to the two talk. Knowing that Shi Ying wouldn't leave, she happily stood on tiptoe and took her hand.

The two ran upstairs again. Shang Chenyan stood there and could faintly hear the girl's laughter.

The man's tall, slender figure was reflected in the glass window, and he saw a hint of softness appear on his expressionless face.

He could hear his heart, which had been barren for five years, beating wildly.

This villa was designed by her and him five years ago.

They planted every tree and blade of grass in the yard together.

For the past five years, he has stayed here, as if he were guarding the memories they shared.

But time will erase everything; the flowers she planted will wither, and the footprints she left behind will disappear.

Her presence is becoming less and less noticeable, fading further and further away.

Day after day, he stared at the empty villa, his heart breaking little by little.

Thankfully, she returned before all of that disappeared.