Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

When Tang Junyao woke up again, it was already 9:30, and the seat next to her was already empty.

She reached out and subconsciously touched the spot next to her; the sheets were completely cold, indicating that the person had been up for a long time.

Not only is Ji Hancheng gone, but Xiaoyouzi is gone too.

If it weren't for the scattered spots on her body reminding her of what happened last night, she would most likely have thought it was all a dream.

Memories of last night flooded back; every action, every word, seemed to play before my eyes. My ears felt slightly warm, and my throat tightened. I remember Ji Hancheng saying at the very last moment last night, "Stay at Yixinyuan."

What does Yixinyuan have?

Lost in thought, his eyes were fixed blankly on a certain spot on the curtain, lost in thought.

The man had been standing by the bed watching her for quite a while without her noticing. He strode over to the bed, sat down, and asked with a smirk, "What are you thinking about so early in the morning, hmm?"

The slight vibration of the bed brought her back to her senses. She turned her head lazily to look at the man who was looking down at her from the bedside, and asked, "What time did you get up?"

Seeing that she had come to her senses, he slowly leaned over and used his left hand to brush the stray hairs from her cheeks to the sides. "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Do you still want some sugar-free rice cake?"

She shook her head and continued, "You still haven't answered my question?"

Ji Hancheng curled his lips slightly, "I'll get up as soon as you fall asleep. Our son needs to pee."

So I got up to help my son urinate.

"Okay, then please call the front desk and ask them to prepare some savory breakfast for me."

Then she immediately followed up with, "What did Lele eat?"

Ji Hancheng gently kissed the corner of her lips, touched it with his fingertips, chuckled, and stood up. "Chicken porridge."

Tang Junyao: "I thought you were making him eat bone broth again?"

Ji Hancheng stood by the bed with a smile, "I'm your biological father, not your stepfather."

Tang Junyao nodded in agreement, but it was unclear whether she agreed with his words or his actions.

He lifted his foot to leave, saying, "I'm going to check on the kitchen."

She quickly stretched out a hand from under the covers and waved it to stop her, saying, "You can just make a call. I'll just grab something to eat. No need to go to all that trouble."

She's not really particular about food, but that's how people are. Once someone pampers them, they'll subconsciously want to be a little woman and occasionally use a woman's privileges.

That's probably what she is now.

Her attention was on the man, completely unaware that the red marks on her neck were now exposed to the air. Ji Hancheng looked at his masterpiece from last night, his lower abdomen tightened, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He avoided her gaze and said in a deep voice, "It's nothing. I'll go take a look and clear my head. Our son is in the living room."

Wake up?

Only when she withdrew her hand did she realize what she had exposed. She felt awkward for a few seconds. This man had no self-control at all.

It hasn't leaked yet?

Not long after, Ji Hancheng returned with breakfast, just as Tang Junyao finished washing up and was about to leave the room when she bumped into the man.

He quickly reached out and put his arm around her waist, asking softly, "Are you throwing yourself at me this early in the morning? Is this to thank me for bringing you breakfast?"

She gently nudged him, glanced into the living room, and said, "Stop it, our son's here."

I thought he would loosen his grip immediately after I said that, but he didn't. Instead, he held on even tighter. "What does a little kid know? He needs Xu Mingkai to write a number for him. He can't do anything useful, but he has a lot of clever ideas."

Tang Junyao felt sorry for her son and couldn't bear to remind him, "Brother, your son is not even 2 years old. Please think about him with normal thinking."

She really thinks his son is a genius, but as for his claim that he had Xu Mingkai write the lie for him, she was speechless.

In a moment of distraction, her lips were gently pecked. Their eyes met, and she could see the pleasure and affection in his eyes. "I won't tease you anymore. Go and eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Upon arriving at the restaurant, he was stunned to see the long-uneaten multigrain pancakes on the table. His expression betrayed his surprise. He looked up at her with a puzzled look and asked, "Did you go queue up to buy pancakes?"

I doubt the Tihou Hotel would have multigrain pancakes; those are only available from street vendors. Back when she was on her way to work, she would stop by the roadside stall near the hospital and buy a pancake and a cup of soy milk—that would make a delicious breakfast.

Ji Hancheng leaned against the door frame, smiling, "Hurry up and eat, I had the chef make it."

My heart felt warm all morning, and I chuckled softly, "The chefs at the Emperor Hotel must have it tough; they have to be skilled in everything. How did you know I like this?"

Ji Hancheng didn't reveal anything, but simply said, "I've seen it. Survival of the fittest. Only those with complete skills can become chefs at Tihou. Do you think just anyone can get in?"

Tang Junyao did not refute this statement; it was true that one needed a variety of skills to survive in this society.

The more ordinary a person is, the more skills they should have. Having more skills is never a bad thing; they can even help you in your own life.

Tang Junyao took a bite of the multigrain pancake, which tasted delicious and authentic. She then drank a sip of soy milk, feeling wonderful. The man leaned against the doorframe, watching her. Suddenly, Xiao Youzi ran over and called out, "Mommy."

Tang Junyao looked down at her son in a low voice, "This is not something you can eat. You can't bite it."

Little Yuzu looked slightly displeased. His father was making him drink porridge again. "Porridge."

Upon hearing this, Tang Junyao looked up and gave the still leisurely man a disapproving look. "Your son is protesting against you for giving him porridge."

Ji Hancheng didn't find anything wrong with it and replied, "You don't even have all your teeth yet, what do you want to eat?"

Tang Junyao glanced at the pitiful little Youzi in her arms, then looked up again and said seriously, "That's how kids are. They have a desire to explore and a sense of curiosity. They might think that the food adults eat tastes especially delicious."

Ji Hancheng, completely off-topic, replied, "Well, I'd like to try again. Remember to give it to me."

Tang Junyao: He suspected that he was making a sexual inappropriate joke again.

Seeing her serious expression, Ji Hancheng touched his nose and smiled, "Well, I won't give him porridge tomorrow."

She earnestly reiterated, "Don't force him to write anymore. He's still so young. Childhood is a short time. I want Lele to have a happy childhood."

She tilted her head back, her expression serious, so serious that Ji Hancheng was momentarily at a loss. He walked over and took the little pomelo from her arms. "I know, I'll listen to you. Hurry up and eat it."

Tang Junyao thought that a lifetime is actually very short, consisting of only three stages: childhood, youth, and old age.

Each stage of life is neither too long nor too short. She cannot guarantee that she can participate in and bring joy to Lele in every stage, but she wants to give him a happy childhood while she can.

She cannot guarantee the future.

Watching the father and son building blocks together in the living room, a sentence he had said last night suddenly came to her mind: "I'm already changing."

Yes, he has already started to change, he is trying very hard to change, and she can see it.

Meanwhile, Su Xue was being held tightly by Lu Jinnan as he apologized to her.

Despite saying sorry a hundred times that morning, Su Xue had already forgiven his foolish behavior last night.

"Grandma, please don't be angry. I was really wrong. I promise I'll make you happy next time."

Su Xue blushed shyly, "You wish! There won't be a next time."

Lu Jinnan, shameless as ever, knew that Su Xue wasn't really angry anymore, so he chuckled and kissed her lips with a loud smack, saying, "People have to know how to be strong; you have to get up from where you fall."

He then added, "Next time I'll show you what a war of attrition is. We won't use that junk, and we won't be in Tiss. I suspect that all those nobody stuff Han Yue bought was cheap."

Su Xue chuckled as she watched the man openly criticizing Han Shao. She stubbornly refused to admit defeat and continued to chat with Lu Jinnan about risqué topics, saying, "Don't back out halfway through, and don't make promises you can't keep."

Lu Jinnan pulled Su Xue into his arms and warned her mischievously, "Don't cry later."

Su Xue reached out and hugged him back, her smile fading slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Are you going to my dad's birthday party next month?"

Lu Jinnan stepped back, looking down at Su Xue with anticipation. "If you're willing, I can go right now. At worst, I'll get a beating, but I promise I won't fight back or talk back."

Su Xue: "Then I'll talk to my dad about us in a few days."

"Okay, I'll know what kind of gift Dad likes so I can prepare it in advance."

Su Xue pretended to pout, "We're not married yet, he's my dad, not your dad."

Lu Jinnan: "It's only a matter of time. Practice beforehand, and the more you say it, the smoother it will become, so I don't make a mistake later."

Su Xue reached out and pinched Lu Jinnan's waist. He stepped back, accidentally pressing down on Xiaocaozi's leg. Su Xue scolded him, "Be careful, Yueyue is right behind you."

"I'm sorry, I'll slow down. Here's a good morning kiss first."

After saying that, he placed a long and deep kiss on Su Xue's lips, tender and affectionate.

Waves, one after another, sing joyfully on the sea.

Just like Su Xue's mood at this moment.