It was at this moment that little Fu Guangzhi was born into the world.

Since current regulations made it difficult to determine the effects of high-altitude radiation on pregnant women, Ruan Sixian stopped working after receiving confirmation from the hospital.

But these days of idleness made it hard for her to sleep at night.

Every time she closed her eyes and thought about it, she felt that having a new life inside her belly was a magical thing.

Although her abdomen was still flat, she was extremely careful with every movement, even holding onto Fu Mingyu’s arm when turning over in bed.

After several days of this, even getting out of bed resembled the old empress dowager from the Qing Dynasty, and Fu Mingyu couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

“Right now it’s just a fertilized egg. Even if you went dancing, it wouldn’t have any impact,” Fu Mingyu said this, but still lifted her up and carried her to the bathroom, setting her on the counter with his arms propped on either side of her legs. “Should I help you wash your face and brush your teeth?”

“No, thank you for your kindness.”

Ruan Sixian stretched her legs, wanting to jump down, but Fu Mingyu held her in place.

“Wait.”

He lowered his head to look at Ruan Sixian’s abdomen, raising his hand to touch it gently, smiling without realizing it.

“Do you want a boy or a girl?” Ruan Sixian asked.

Fu Mingyu answered almost without thinking — “Either is fine.”

“But I have a feeling it’s a son.” Ruan Sixian stared blankly at Fu Mingyu’s chest. “Lately in my dreams, I keep hearing a baby boy laughing.”

“Really? Then you’re quite talented,” Fu Mingyu took out a facial wipe, dampened it and wiped Ruan Sixian’s face, saying leisurely, “You can even distinguish between male and female infant voices.”

Ruan Sixian fell into deep thought. It wasn’t until Fu Mingyu had prepared the toothpaste and handed it to her that she finally spoke — “I just can tell the difference.”

“You don’t like sons?” Fu Mingyu asked.

Ruan Sixian pointed at Fu Mingyu with her toothbrush — “It’s not that I don’t like them, but what if I give birth to one just like you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Fu Mingyu grabbed her hand, looking at her intently. “Tell me.”

“Oh…” Ruan Sixian said casually, “Causing trouble for other girls, that’s what.”

“Which girls have I troubled?” Fu Mingyu released her hand and instead pinched her chin, his fingertips gently caressing it. “Hmm?”

The morning heat in the bathroom made Ruan Sixian’s face flush. When she looked up and met Fu Mingyu’s gaze, her hand unconsciously lowered, and she said bashfully, “Who knows?”

A soft laugh rippled through the bathroom. “Maybe it’s the girl from the Ruan family, who’s been so troubled that she’s about to have my child.”

Washing up finished right at seven o’clock. Auntie Zhang had prepared breakfast, and Fu Mingyu needed to go to the company after eating.

Ruan Sixian put down her toothbrush, spat out the bubbles, and glanced sideways at Fu Mingyu several times as they squeezed together to dry their hands.

Suddenly, Ruan Sixian stretched out her arms toward him.

“The bathroom floor is slippery.”

Fu Mingyu laughed, bent down, and carried her out.

The early stages of pregnancy had almost no impact on normal life. With nothing to do, Ruan Sixian attended music concerts, visited art exhibitions, and experienced immersive theater, before realizing that this artistic lifestyle didn’t suit her. Staying at home was more enjoyable.

As the weather grew hotter, she became increasingly lazy.

Ruan Sixian didn’t show her belly, and even at five or six months, her limbs weren’t swollen. She still maintained her exercise habits.

But while Ruan Sixian had free time, Fu Mingyu became extremely busy by the seventh month of her pregnancy.

Why was he called a ghost? Because he always returned home in the middle of the night, and when Ruan Sixian woke up in the morning, there was no one beside her. If not for the lingering warmth on the bed, she might not have known someone had been lying next to her.

Ruan Sixian felt he was too tired and suggested he stay at the Mingchen Apartments at night to save a considerable amount of travel time.

He verbally agreed, but still returned home every night, lying down on the bed very gently, embracing Ruan Sixian as he fell asleep.

During this period, Fu Mingyu declined almost all social engagements. However, tonight there was a three-way supply chain cooperation meeting between the travel, aviation, and accommodation sectors. Zhu Dong had reserved a private room and invited many potential partners who showed interest in cooperation today.

This was one of those unavoidable situations. Fu Mingyu informed Ruan Sixian before heading out to keep the appointment.

During the dinner, everyone was in high spirits, except for Fu Mingyu, who didn’t touch a drop of alcohol, drinking only water and tea throughout. Seeing this, Zhu Dong muttered a couple of comments.

“People who don’t know might think you’re the one carrying a child.”

This comment made the nearby burst into laughter, while Fu Mingyu merely raised his eyebrows, still showing no intention of drinking. “You know my wife’s temperament.”

A nearby tourism technology platform owner, hearing their conversation, probed further between drinks and learned more details.

A wife is seven months pregnant, with limited mobility these days. But for certain matters, this seemed like an opportunity.

He covered his mouth with his wine glass and exchanged a glance with the female companion he had brought.

Understanding his meaning, after surveying Fu Mingyu several times, she stood up with her wine glass.

She had originally been a receptionist at this travel company. Because of her beauty and the drinking capacity she demonstrated at the company’s annual party, she was transferred to the marketing department. Though young, her skills at maneuvering social situations at drinking tables had grown increasingly sophisticated from accompanying her boss to business engagements.

The young woman walked over to Fu Mingyu, offering pleasant toasts, and finally downed her glass first. The men at the table praised her drinking capacity, while Fu Mingyu merely smiled and drank the tea in his cup.

Before coming, she had heard from her boss that today’s gathering was related to their company’s interests, and she should be clever. She was told that World Aviation’s Mr. Fu wasn’t easy to get along with and required special care.

But now seeing his gentle expression and the faint smile at the corners of his mouth when he spoke, he was nothing like what others had described.

Later, after much maneuvering, her boss somehow arranged for her to change seats with someone, placing her next to Fu Mingyu. She conscientiously helped him pour tea and water.

However, just as she picked up the ceramic teapot before she could pour, Fu Mingyu, who had been engrossed in conversation with Zhu Dong, suddenly turned to look at her, his hand blocking the cup.

“No need, I’ll do it myself.”

After the teapot was taken away, the young woman lowered her hand awkwardly, noticing the ring on Fu Mingyu’s fourth finger. Her gaze disappeared into the flickering lights of clinking glasses.

After dinner, Fu Mingyu was the first to stand up, preparing to leave.

The young woman skillfully helped him take his coat and handed it to him. Fu Mingyu casually accepted it but didn’t put it on, simply draped it over his arm, said goodbye to everyone in the private room, and walked out.

Because of this coat-taking gesture, which seemed to establish a certain tacit understanding, the young woman immediately followed him out.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Dong touched his ear, hesitating between standing up or remaining seated for several minutes.

He had also had a child last year and deeply understood how difficult it was during a wife’s pregnancy, with great external temptations. For instance, the young woman just now — not only was she pretty, but she was also proactive. He feared that if Fu Mingyu couldn’t resist temptation and was moved by her, tomorrow he would have to visit his good friend of many years in the intensive care unit. So he reluctantly stood up and followed them out.

Zhu Dong went outside and didn’t see anyone, his heart already beginning to race.

After all, this place had connecting hotels.

Fortunately, he turned a corner and saw them at the elevator.

Fu Mingyu stood under the light, lowering his head to look at the person in front of him.

His gaze swept across her face, making the young woman feel somewhat nervous.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

This was originally just an excuse, but she hadn’t expected Fu Mingyu to follow up on her words. She could only press on — “Just about the cooperation we mentioned today. You seemed quite interested.”

The elevator hadn’t arrived yet. Fu Mingyu said softly — “Go on.”

“Our company is a blockchain-based centralized… no, decentralized open-source travel distribution platform that can solve problems like flight status conflicts.”

“Are you saying that your company’s developed blockchain can be used as a single source for flight data?” Fu Mingyu glanced at his phone. Two minutes earlier, Ruan Sixian had sent him an “I’m going to sleep.”

Looking at the screen, his eyes reflected a warmth completely different from his speaking tone. “With the constant emergence of airline product inventory integration and multi-source distribution channel demands, what solutions does your company’s blockchain technology provide?”

Fu Mingyu had just randomly picked two questions, but they left the person opposite him speechless.

“I…”

“You don’t even understand your own company’s business situation clearly. What are you using to talk to me?”

The elevator arrived and the doors opened automatically. Before walking in, Fu Mingyu looked back at her — “Is it just this face of yours? Then you might as well first find out who my wife is.”

As his words fell, Zhu Dong, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, walked out with a smile and made a genial gesture toward the young woman — “Your boss is looking for you.”

Once inside the elevator, the two men stood side by side. Zhu Dong looked at their reflections and said idly — “You speak more gently now.”

“Do I?” Fu Mingyu loosened his collar button, his tone softening. “Maybe it’s because I’m about to become a father.”

Recalling how the young woman had chased after him, wanting to “have a chat,” he smirked. “I thought my wife was quite famous. I didn’t expect there would still be people charging forward so bravely.”

“It’s your fault,” Zhu Dong said. “Just now you accepted the coat she handed you, and her eyes immediately changed.”

Fu Mingyu lifted his eyelids slightly. “What else could I do? Just leave my coat? My wife bought it.”

He paused for a moment, then added — “Besides, I’m used to it. Our housekeeper is very attentive in this regard.”

Zhu Dong was speechless. “I take back what I said earlier. You’re still the same, unchanged at all.”

The elevator descended slowly. In the silence, Zhu Dong added — “Well, there is one change. Your temper has been smoothed out by your wife.”

Fu Mingyu — “Do you have to use the word ‘smoothed’?”

Zhu Dong — “Then… conditioned?”

Fu Mingyu — “…”

Seeing Fu Mingyu had nothing to say, Zhu Dong laughed. “Seriously, many years ago I thought you would marry a gentle and virtuous wife like that girl just now.”

Fu Mingyu spoke coolly — “What do you mean by that?”

Zhu Dong — “…Of course, Comrade Xiao Ruan is also very gentle and virtuous, and beautiful too. Few women can compare in this aspect.”

Fu Mingyu lowered his eyes, his tone gentle, as if speaking to himself — “There are many beautiful women, but there’s only one Ruan Sixian.”

“Oh, that’s true indeed.” Zhu Dong nodded in strong agreement. “After all, apart from in dreams, you can’t find another woman who would fly to the high plateau in the middle of the night to bring you home.”

By the time Fu Mingyu returned home, it was already midnight. He didn’t take a shower but pushed open the bedroom door and walked in by the moonlight.

However, just as he bent down, he saw Ruan Sixian open her eyes.

“Not asleep yet?”

“No, I’m having some insomnia tonight.” In the darkness, Ruan Sixian looked at Fu Mingyu’s eyes. “I dreamt you went behind my back to find a young little sister.”

Fu Mingyu — “…”

The doctor responsible for Ruan Sixian’s pregnancy psychology had mentioned that women during pregnancy tend to overthink things, requiring husbands to provide ample reassurance.

This kind of thing wasn’t happening for the first time today, but he had never told Ruan Sixian about it, feeling there was no need to make her angry over such matters.

But he felt that Ruan Sixian might have a powerful sixth sense about tonight’s events, so he bent down to touch her forehead, about to speak, when he heard her continue — “Such a young, young little sister, not even a year old. You were holding her in your arms, kissing her over and over.”

Fu Mingyu — “…”

Ruan Sixian, with only her eyes showing above the covers, smiled until they curved. “I have a feeling it might be a little sister.”

In the blink of an eye, deep winter arrived.

The night before, a heavy snowfall had blanketed everything. At seven in the morning, just as the sun was rising, the city was bathed in the bright light reflected by the accumulated snow.

It was at this moment that little Fu Guangzhi was born into the world.

As Ruan Sixian had predicted, it was a soft and sweet little girl.

When Fu Mingyu heard her first cry, he snapped out of his tension, gripped Ruan Sixian’s hand tightly, and bent down to kiss her forehead.

Ruan Sixian was covered in sweat, staring at the ceiling for quite a while before finally speaking.

“Is she beautiful?”

Only then did Fu Mingyu turn his head to look at his daughter.

“Beautiful.”

Ruan Sixian breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the baby being brought over by the nurse.

A few seconds later, she frowned.

“Is your eyesight bad?”

Although the baby was wrinkly, all her indicators were healthy.

He Lanxiang also preferred girls over boys, which fulfilled her unfulfilled desire for a daughter. From the day her granddaughter was born, she began to showcase her abilities, buying enough little clothes to fill two wardrobes, enough for the baby to change five outfits every day.

Beyond this, the things prepared by others also literally ensured the little one “wanted for nothing in clothes and food.”

As the child gradually grew, her skin no longer peeled, becoming as fair as her parents. When sleeping, her eyelashes were long and dark. Dressed in clean, exquisite little clothes, when awake, her eyes seemed to have built-in beauty lenses. Any elder who saw her would hold her and not let go.

Ruan Sixian finally admitted that Fu Mingyu wasn’t blind; he was just confident.

But the scene from her dream never occurred. Fu Mingyu never kissed his daughter all over; he would only sit by the crib for an hour or so, staring at her without blinking.

Ruan Sixian didn’t know what Fu Mingyu was looking at, so she decided to investigate with him. But often, by the time she felt there was nothing worth seeing, she had already been sitting by the crib for an hour.

After some time, she began to understand.

The child before them — every inch of her skin, every strand of hair, the blood flowing through her body — was from her and Fu Mingyu.

The child was perhaps the world’s strongest button, tightly fastening her and Fu Mingyu together. No matter how the world might turn upside down, this life’s arrival was proof of their love.

However, true family bonding grew through their daily interactions.

A month after the child’s birth, Ruan Sixian began her return-to-work training, and it was actually Fu Mingyu who did more of the daily care.

Fu Mingyu wasn’t overly affectionate with his daughter but showed extraordinary patience and attentiveness in practical matters. For instance, he never let the nanny cut the baby’s fingernails.

Sometimes when she returned home, she would see Fu Mingyu holding the baby in the yard, feeding her with a bottle. The image of his impeccably tailored suit paired with such action was both strange and harmonious, making her feel it wasn’t quite real.

As a father, Fu Mingyu was very competent, but he seemed to have a somewhat peculiar sense of humor.

For instance, he always called such a delicate little girl “Guangzhi.”

This certainly wasn’t her formal name, but he called her that so often that the child would respond when she heard it.

“Guangzhi, Guangzhi, Guangzhi! What obsession do you have with these two characters?” Ruan Sixian was quite upset, feeling very sorry for her daughter being stuck with such a nickname. “When she grows up and tells others ‘My name is Guangzhi,’ won’t her classmates laugh at her?”

“What’s wrong with Guangzhi?” Fu Mingyu remained unrepentant. “A steadfast heart doesn’t waver, broad aspirations aren’t narrow. The name Dad gave you is excellent.”

Ruan Sixian let out a deep sigh.

Fine, let it be Guangzhi. It’s still better than Dazhi (Great Aspiration).

But perhaps because she had been given such a nickname before birth, the child’s future path seemed to have been accidentally predicted by Fu Mingyu.

Of course, that’s a story for another time. At present, the child’s personality gave Ruan Sixian some concerns.

The child was already one year old, yet she still hadn’t started speaking. Other children generally began calling “Dad” and “Mom” around ten months.

Ruan Sixian often leaned over the crib, coaxing her softly — “Baby, say ‘Mama.'”

The child would only blink her eyes.

“‘Mommy’ is fine too.”

Still no response.

Ruan Sixian frowned and looked back at Fu Mingyu — “She doesn’t call anyone.”

Fu Mingyu smiled, confidently walking forward, bending down to hold the tiny hand. “Guangzhi, say ‘Baba.'”

His baby stared at him and slowly opened her mouth.

Fu Mingyu’s eyes lit up with a smile, while Ruan Sixian held her breath tightly.

Why him?!

But her child didn’t disappoint her. Although she opened her mouth, she only let out a big yawn, then turned over and closed her eyes to sleep.

Her whole body seemed to say “Sleeping, don’t disturb.”

Fu Mingyu — “…”

Ruan Sixian couldn’t contain her laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

Ruan Sixian didn’t notice the change in Fu Mingyu’s expression, laughing so hard she fell back onto the sofa. “If I don’t laugh, should I cry instead?”

“Cry?” Fu Mingyu mused. “That’s not out of the question.”

Ruan Sixian’s laughter came to an abrupt halt, frozen on her lips.

“Fu Mingyu, could you please act like a decent human being in broad daylight?”

He raised his hand, his index finger hooking his tie and pulling it down, his eyebrows lifting, his eyes carrying a meaningful smile. “Not really. I can’t bear to let you have a second child.”

Ruan Sixian — “…?”

Perhaps it’s true that pregnancy makes one stupid for three years, as she didn’t realize what Fu Mingyu meant until she had been coaxed into the bedroom.

Apart from not speaking, little Fu Guangzhi also didn’t like playing with toys. During the baby’s first birthday ceremony, faced with a table full of books, an abacus, coins, a treasure gourd, and a seal, she seemed uninterested in looking at them. Under the eager gazes of surrounding relatives, she picked up a book just for show.

Ruan Sixian thought the child might take after her, so she carried her to the storage room to see the collection of model aircraft.

But the child still lowered her head, playing with her own hands.

“Is this child somewhat introverted?” By this time, Ruan Sixian had returned to flying, with limited time at home, which made her feel guilty. “Is it because we spend too little time with her?”

“Being introverted is also good.”

Although Fu Mingyu said this, he wanted to explore the child’s personality from another angle.

He began to discover his daughter’s artistic talent.

One morning, Ruan Sixian was on leave and woke up late. Finding both the large and small person missing from beside the bed, but hearing faint music outside, she followed the sound.

In the second-floor hall, she saw Fu Mingyu at the piano, with little Fu Guangzhi nestled in his arms.

The morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the father and daughter. The man’s back was straight, playing the piano with consummate elegance, while holding the baby in his arms, adding a touch of tenderness.

Ruan Sixian walked quietly behind him, bending to rest her chin on his shoulder, glancing at the text on the music stand.

“Pagani… ni Etude. Can she understand it?”

“Whether she understands isn’t important,” Fu Mingyu’s ten fingers flowed smoothly across the keys, his expression serene. “Cultivation of temperament should begin early.”

“Oh… do you remember when I was pregnant, you did the same thing?”

“Hmm?”

“I was asleep then.” She pressed her hand on Fu Mingyu’s, gesturing for him to look at the child in his arms. “I think our daughter takes after me in this regard.”

Fu Mingyu looked down and let out a long sigh.

Little Fu Guangzhi was sleeping soundly in his arms.

Regarding the baby’s introversion, the two no longer pushed the issue.

Because they discovered that although she didn’t like to talk, she loved to smile. From this perspective, her personality was fine.

Ruan Sixian noticed that as the baby’s facial features developed, she looked increasingly like Fu Mingyu, practically a copy and paste.

Thinking about it, this appearance seemed to match such a personality. When she grew up, she would be a perfect ice beauty.

“Why is that fair?” Ruan Sixian murmured, holding the child. “I carried you, I gave birth to you. Why don’t you look like me?”

Fu Mingyu was very satisfied with this appearance and didn’t forget to comfort his wife. “Daughters naturally tend to take after their father’s looks.”

Ruan Sixian turned to look at Fu Mingyu, unusually coquettish, trying to get him to say something nice. “But this way, I’m at such a disadvantage.”

Fu Mingyu smiled faintly — “Loss is a fortune.”

Ruan Sixian — “…”

“Then I wish you a fortune as vast as the eastern sea.”