Slow to mature after marriage

Bo Yan raised his gaze from above the teacup and landed on her, raising an eyebrow slightly, revealing a lazy and roguish air.

Her heart skipped a beat again.

Zhou Shuyan indeed did not make things difficult for Bo Yan. Zhou Xubai, sitting to the side, had even less say.

The father and son were suffering in silence.

Undeniably, Bo Yan is a son-in-law who is impeccable in every way, but since his daughter has just been found, Zhou Shuyan naturally believes that his daughter is happiest when she stays at home.

He is confident that he can give his daughter the best.

But they found An'an too late, so now Bo Yan can only take advantage of the situation. As her father, he doesn't even have the right to refuse.

Jingbei is so far from Haicheng. Not only did my daughter marry there, but she also works in Jingbei. Sooner or later, she will have to return to Jingbei City.

Zhou Shuyan thought to himself that he should have a serious discussion with his wife about retiring to northern Beijing in the future.

Anyway, I've lived in Haicheng for so many years, I'm already tired of it.

The weather in Haicheng is too hot, so it's better to go to northern Beijing. It would be best to buy a house closer to your daughter.

-

Midway through, Zhou Shuyan answered a work call, and Zhou Xubai also left temporarily.

Bo Yan sat alone in the living room, pondered for a moment, and then sent a message to Zhou Yu'an.

[Bo Yan]: I'm in the living room, so bored. Come down here, Zhou Yu'an.

Zhou Yu'an glanced at the message, pondered for a moment, and decided to go ahead.

At the corner at the end of the corridor, Bo Yan leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket and the other hanging at his side, slowly raising his eyes.

As soon as Zhou Yu'an walked over, he was pulled into a corner.

Her back pressed against the cold wall, his palm placed between the back of her head and the wall, his other hand gripping her waist, and he covered her with his whole body.

When the kiss landed, the man's lips pressed hard against hers, carrying the pent-up longing of the past few days. His teeth struck her lower lip, and his tongue protruded, making her breath catch in her throat.

Zhou Yu'an gripped his collar, his knuckles turning white, but he didn't push him away.

After an unknown amount of time, Bo Yan released her lips, his forehead pressed against hers, his breathing still uneven, his voice low and hoarse.

"Have you missed me, honey?"

Zhou Yu'an was pinned to the corner, his breathing erratic, his chest heaving, and he whispered two words: "I've thought about it."

Bo Yan stared at her for two seconds, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and he bit her lower lip again, not hard, but with a hint of punishment.

"Little liar, do you know what it means to miss someone? Hmm? It means missing someone so much that you can't sleep or eat, just like me."

"I'm not lying to you." Zhou Yu'an looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. "I missed you, Bo Yan."

A thought stirred in the man's heart.

"You're not lying to me?" He chuckled softly, his thumb brushing against her waist. "You hung up the phone after only six minutes and thirty-two seconds yesterday, without even saying goodnight."

Zhou Yu'an was silent for a moment, then honestly replied, "Mom is waiting at the door."

Bo Yan took a deep breath, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and said helplessly in a muffled voice, "Fine."

Because of the presence of elders, Bo Yan quickly released her. Before releasing her, he viciously squeezed her waist, with considerable force, as if to wipe the slate clean of the past few days.

"I'll deal with you when we get back to Beijing."

He turned around, straightened his tie, tucked the crumpled hem of his shirt back into his trousers, and when he turned back, he was once again the well-behaved, impeccable son-in-law loved by his elders.

Zhou Yu'an leaned against the wall, watching his back as he walked back to the restaurant. He raised his hand to touch his lips, which were still burning from the kiss, and his heart was still beating very fast.

Yes, because she likes Bo Yan and misses him very much.

Therefore, a rapid heartbeat is perfectly normal.

-

That night, Bo Yan slept at the Zhou family's house, but because the elders were present, the two of them naturally did not share a room.

A few days later, Zhou Yu'an's birthday arrived.

This was Zhou Yu'an's first birthday since returning to the Zhou family. The Zhou family naturally wanted to give their daughter the best—Zhou Shuyan had originally planned a grand celebration, inviting most of Haicheng's celebrities to formally announce Zhou Yu'an's identity. However, Shen Ruoqing made the decision: "An'an doesn't like crowds. It's better for our family to have a quiet celebration." Zhou Shuyan thought about it and agreed with his wife, so he abandoned the idea.

The birthday celebration was held on one of the Zhou family's cruise ships. In Haicheng in April, the wind was warm, carrying a faint smell of the sea and the fragrance of flowers drifting from afar.

Zhou Yu'an stepped onto the deck, but suddenly stopped.

The enormous cruise ship was decorated in a grand yet gentle manner. Twenty-six birthday cakes were arranged in a row in the center of the deck, from smallest to largest. The smallest was no bigger than a palm, while the largest had three tiers, its buttercream frosting as exquisite as a work of art. In front of each cake were four gift boxes neatly stacked.

Everyone gave her twenty-six gifts. Twenty-six years, twenty-six gifts. It was as if they wanted to stuff all those missed, absent, and untimely gifts into her arms at once.

Didn't we agree to keep it simple?

Zhou Yu'an stood at the deck entrance, frozen in place.

Shen Ruoqing peeked out from behind the cake, smiling sweetly, her bright eyes sparkling softly in the candlelight. She wore a light purple dress, her hair styled in an updo with a pearl hair clip, making her look even more gentle than usual.

"An'an, come here quickly! Make a wish!"

Shen Ruoqing, Zhou Xubai, Zhou Shuyan, and Bo Yan stood at the very end of the cake.

Zhou Yu'an walked over step by step. She walked past the first cake—the one-year-old's cake, past the second—the two-year-old's cake, and continued until she reached the twenty-sixth cake, where she stopped.

Shen Ruoqing turned off the lights, leaving only the twenty-six tiny flames on the cake. The warm yellow light danced on everyone's faces, making their smiling eyes sparkle.

Zhou Yu'an looked into the three pairs of eyes—Shen Ruoqing's, Zhou Shuyan's, and Zhou Xubai's. And there was Bo Yan standing beside her, his hand on her waist.

Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"An'an," Shen Ruoqing's voice choked with emotion as she whispered in her ear, "You can make twenty-six wishes, and then secretly tell Mommy, and Mommy will grant them all for you, okay?"

Twenty-six wishes? Zhou Yu'an looked down at the flickering flames and thought, that's too greedy.

She slowly closed her eyes.

The candles on the cake were burning, and the scent of cream and gardenias mingled together, lingering around her nose. She clenched her hands and silently, forcefully, thought of a sentence in her heart.

I hope all those who love me are safe and sound.

The person I love is too.

She opened her eyes, bent down, and blew out the candle.