Children in other families began calling “Baba” and “Mama” as early as seven or eight months, and those who started later could also make sounds by ten months. But little Guangzhi still wasn’t speaking much even after her first birthday. Despite the normally composed Fu family’s demeanor, they began anxiously consulting doctors.

However, the doctor seemed unsurprised. After reviewing all the functional test results, he told them that children’s language development is part of the left brain system. Some children naturally have more developed right brains — like their daughter who learned to walk early — which means they would speak later.

The doctor’s words reassured the entire family, while also cautioning them not to assume the child couldn’t understand anything and that speaking to her was useless. What you say is what the child will learn, so they should practice more.

Since the doctor had spoken, Ruan Sixian had no reason to continue worrying every day. Nature would take its course, and there would eventually come a day when the child would speak.

During this period, while the child hadn’t yet learned to introduce herself, Ruan Sixian and He Lanxiang threatened Fu Mingyu with dire consequences if he continued calling her “Guangzhi.”

Since the baby’s formal name “Dingxin” also came from the “Songs of Chu” verse “a steadfast heart doesn’t waver, broad aspirations aren’t narrow,” Fu Mingyu didn’t feel too disappointed.

Without the nickname “Guangzhi,” Ruan Sixian gave her a new one — “Xiao Xingxing” — which not only echoed her formal name but also engraved in her memory of that meteor shower.

Of course, whether Fu Mingyu secretly called her “Guangzhi” in private was something she wouldn’t know.

Days passed in anticipation of Xiao Xingxing’s first words.

But when the day finally came that she spoke, Ruan Sixian fell into endless confusion.

It was an ordinary morning when Ruan Sixian, having accidentally slept a bit longer, walked groggily toward the nursery. Not finding Xiao Xingxing there, she looked downstairs to see her daughter sitting cross-legged in the middle of the sofa watching television.

Beside her, Auntie Zhang was shaking a milk bottle, while the child’s nanny was arranging a small scarf.

Ruan Sixian stretched lazily, staring at this scene with great contentment.

However, before her hands had even dropped, her daughter looked up at her, smiled sweetly, and said — “Baby.”

Hmm?

Hmm??

Ruan Sixian’s hands froze mid-air as she stared at the one-and-a-half-year-old child downstairs, unable to come back to her senses.

Did she just speak?

What did she say again?

Was it “Mama”?

Ruan Sixian blinked, and the little one downstairs waved her small hand, saying in a soft, sweet voice — “Baby, awake now?”

Hmm?

Hmm??

This was truly what they meant by “silent until speaking, then shocking everyone.”

Other children might say single words from a few months old, but even at over a year old, they might not form subject-verb-object sentences. Yet her daughter opened her mouth with complete sentences?

But just as Ruan Sixian was feeling delighted, she suddenly realized something.

This phrase sounded familiar… like she had heard it just yesterday morning.

Thinking of this, Ruan Sixian froze upstairs, while the two aunties also stared at Xiao Xingxing in astonishment.

After a moment, Auntie Zhang asked puzzledly — “Where did she learn that from?”

The professional child nanny beside her discreetly glanced upstairs.

Catching this look, Ruan Sixian expressionlessly turned and walked toward the bathroom.

Fu Mingyu was supporting himself with one hand on the sink, chin raised, using a towel to wipe the remaining foam from his jaw.

He had just showered, and the steam hadn’t completely dissipated. Under the warm yellow light, his deep voice emerged through the muddled sound of running water.

“Baby, awake now?”

Ruan Sixian — “…”

Her hand holding the toothbrush paused, and she lowered her head without saying a word.

“What’s wrong?” Fu Mingyu turned to lean against the sink, crossing his long legs, watching Ruan Sixian brush her teeth with interest. “Who upset you?”

“You.”

“What did I do now?”

With the toothbrush in her mouth, Ruan Sixian’s words were left for Fu Mingyu to guess.

“Yoo shouud go downstaiws and see youw dawter.”

At any rate, she was too embarrassed now to face the two older aunties downstairs.

Fu Mingyu straightened up, leaning forward behind Ruan Sixian, his chin brushing against her neck as he looked at their reflection in the mirror.

“Not going yet. Today, we both happen to be free. Should we go to South Ao later?”

“!”

With a mouth full of foam, Ruan Sixian couldn’t speak, so she kicked backward, stepping on his foot.

Fu Mingyu was completely baffled. He frowned and let out a light “tsk,” then casually wiped the foam from the corner of her mouth with his thumb before walking out.

His daughter was contentedly watching TV in the living room.

Fu Mingyu picked her up and played with her for a while, holding her shoulders to stand her on his legs.

“Guangzhi, what’s wrong? Did you make Mom angry?”

Ruan Sixian had just come down the stairs when she heard the word “Guangzhi,” immediately running over to snatch the child from Fu Mingyu’s arms.

“Are you sick? I said don’t call her Guangzhi!”

Fu Mingyu showed no remorse for being caught. He took the milk bottle handed over by the nanny, tested the temperature, and while feeding his daughter, asked — “What’s wrong with Xiao Xingxing today?”

Ruan Sixian glanced at the two aunties and was too embarrassed to say.

“Nothing.”

After that day, Xiao Xingxing began speaking frequently. She called “Baba” and “Mama” smoothly, and occasionally when Ruan Sixian handed her something, she would say “Thank you, Mama.” But that first phrase “Baby” that had opened her jade lips remained on her tongue.

Sometimes she would even call Fu Mingyu “Gege” (Big Brother).

It was fine when no one else was around, but with the aunties present, Ruan Sixian always felt very embarrassed.

It seemed she had given birth to a little parrot spirit.

When Fu Boting learned that his granddaughter had started talking, he arranged to return to China ahead of schedule. He and He Lanxiang arrived with lots of gifts to see their granddaughter.

But their timing was unfortunate, as Xiao Xingxing was sleeping.

He Lanxiang sat by the crib for a long time but couldn’t hear her granddaughter call her “Nainai” (Grandmother), so she reluctantly went to arrange the gifts she had brought.

After dinner, Fu Boting went to the cradle, just wanting to look closely at his granddaughter’s little nose and mouth, when he saw her open her big eyes.

Fu Boting was overjoyed, reaching out to pick up his granddaughter. Just as he was about to ask her to call him, she took the initiative and called out a clear “Baby!”

Complete with a bit of an “er” sound at the end.

The sixty-something-year-old, straight-faced titan of the aviation financial leasing industry was unexpectedly called “Baby” and his old face turned slightly red.

He Lanxiang — “…”

Ruan Sixian — “…”

The instigator glanced over indifferently, as if unaware of the awkward atmosphere, and said seriously — “Xiao Xingxing, call Grandfather.”

Later, when Xiao Xingxing skillfully learned and distinguished the correctness of various titles, she also learned some simple complete sentences earlier than other children her age.

How was this discovered?

Thanks to Young Master Yan.

It was winter by then, and Xiao Xingxing was almost two years old.

Yan An, representing the Yan family, came with Zheng You’an to bring some small gifts for the child.

He wasn’t interested in children, even somewhat disliked them, but seeing how happy Zheng You’an was playing with the child, he went over to symbolically take a few glances.

Once he looked, he couldn’t take his eyes away.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, a girl who inherited Fu Mingyu’s appearance was quite beautiful.

Later, after Zheng You’an had been holding her for a while, Yan An casually reached out — “Tired? I’ll hold her for a bit.”

Zheng You’an rolled her eyes and turned her back to him. “Don’t drop the child.”

Understandably so — Young Master Yan, with his ten fingers never touching spring water, when would he ever hold a child?

As the evening grew late and they needed to return home, Yan An sauntered over to Xiao Xingxing and casually shook a rattle in front of her eyes.

Xiao Xingxing’s eyes followed the rattle for a few turns, piquing Yan An’s interest. He bent his precious waist, took her small hand, and helped her hold the rubber hammer to hit the whack-a-mole game.

Xiao Xingxing was quiet, letting Yan An play with her, though her face didn’t show much excitement.

Yan An himself was satisfied with the play, abandoned the whack-a-mole machine, grabbed an electric toy dog, turned on the power, and let it run on the ground while planning to let Xiao Xingxing sit on it.

For the first time, he showed such a gentle smile to a child. With both hands, he picked her up and lifted her slightly — “Shall Uncle take you for a horseback ride?”

Xiao Xingxing waved her arms in the air, and Yan An, pleased with this, was about to place her on the electric toy dog.

But before he could let go, Xiao Xingxing spoke up.

“Are you sick~?”

Yan An — “…?”

The soft, sweet infant voice couldn’t diminish the impact of those words. Zheng You’an saw his pupils shaking, and the little appreciation he had for children visibly disappearing at an alarming rate.

Yan An came to his senses — Fu Mingyu’s child was indeed his child; the gears of fate were welded in place.

“You all…” Zheng You’an turned back, stunned, to look at the couple. “What have you been teaching her?”

Fu Mingyu had also heard it. He frowned slightly, glanced at Ruan Sixian, and then stepped forward to pick up Xiao Xingxing.

“You can’t say such things in the future.” He sat with the child to one side to instruct her.

After the Yan couple left, Ruan Sixian stood in place for quite a while, anxiously reflecting.

She unconsciously bit her finger, squatting down in front of Fu Mingyu and Xiao Xingxing, saying with little confidence — “Xiao Xingxing, you can’t say such things in the future, your little parrot.”

Xiao Xingxing had already been educated and was now playing with toys, completely ignoring Ruan Sixian’s words.

She nervously glanced up at Fu Mingyu — “I only said it to you once yesterday. I didn’t expect her to learn so quickly.”

Then, she promised herself — “I won’t say it again in the future.”

“You can say it if you want,” Fu Mingyu handed the rattle to Xiao Xingxing, looking at Ruan Sixian from the corner of his eye. “Just don’t say it in front of Guangzhi.”

“You seem to enjoy being scolded…” Ruan Sixian stopped mid-sentence, glaring. “Fu! Ming! Yu! You called her Guangzhi again! You have—”

Fu Mingyu glanced up at her, and Ruan Sixian’s words abruptly stopped. She took a deep breath, looked up at Fu Mingyu, and said — “You have a… problem.”

One sitting, one squatting; one smiling, one frowning — making Ruan Sixian look pitiful.

Ruan Sixian gave a cold laugh. “I see now, you men are forever like elementary school students. You’re happy when you see me angry.”

Fu Mingyu leaned forward, brushing Ruan Sixian’s nose with his index finger.

“Don’t laugh coldly, or Xiao Xingxing will learn that too.”

“Then how should I laugh?” Ruan Sixian grinned widely. “Like this?”

Fu Mingyu’s eyes still held a smile as he pulled her up into his arms, saying softly — “How can you be so cute?”

Ruan Sixian squinted, glancing at her daughter.

Although it was somewhat pointless to ask, she still quietly said — “So am I cuter, or is your daughter cuter?”

“You’re cuter,” Fu Mingyu said. “You’re the cute mom…”

“Shh! Don’t say anymore.” Ruan Sixian suddenly pressed her hand against Fu Mingyu’s chin. “Xiao Xingxing will learn another bad word.”

Fu Mingyu — “…”

From that day on, Ruan Sixian never spoke negatively about Fu Mingyu in front of her daughter.

She made a pact with herself — when she wanted to say “Are you sick?” she would say “Are you alright?”

When she wanted to say “You pervert,” she would say “Are you okay?”

To prevent Xiao Xingxing from learning to directly call out Fu Mingyu’s full name, even her emotional terms of address for him changed to a teeth-gritting — “Respected husband.”

Whether Xiao Xingxing would say inappropriate things in the future, Ruan Sixian didn’t know, but to outsiders, the couple appeared to be textbook examples of mutual respect.

Besides self-restraint, Ruan Sixian also requested Fu Mingyu.

“You’re not allowed to say ‘oh,’ or ‘hmm,’ or ‘tsk,’ or ‘whatever is fine’ — which gives me choice paralysis — and you’re not allowed to just nod without speaking.”

Ruan Sixian took a breath and added, “If you have nothing to say, then say ‘Wife, I love you.’ Got it?”

Ruan Sixian looked at him, waiting for him to say “Okay.”

After a while, the person opposite her opened his mouth — “Wife, I love you.”

Ruan Sixian — “…”

Fine then.

Xiao Xingxing’s parrot-like speech-learning phase came to a temporary end, and she never learned any more curse words.

However, regarding her education, Fu Mingyu and Ruan Sixian maintained a generally relaxed attitude, mostly letting her play however she wanted until she was sent to early education classes after turning three.

For a small child leaving home for the first time to spend half a day in a strange place, Ruan Sixian and Fu Mingyu were concerned and specially arranged a time to personally take her there.

But all the way there, the little one neither cried nor fussed. Even when the teacher took her in her arms, she turned back to smile and wave goodbye to them.

“Bye-bye, Dad and Mom~”

It’s good that children are sensible, but Ruan Sixian found it somewhat heartbreaking.

“Do you think she’ll just leave one day without looking back?”

Having raised a child for over three years, Fu Mingyu had developed the foresight of a parent. Holding Ruan Sixian’s hand and looking at the child in the nursery, he said — “Children will eventually have their own lives. The person who will always be with you is me.”

A month later, Xiao Xingxing received her first homework assignment.

The teacher gave each child a hand-drawn picture book to take home to learn about “mountains, rivers, and streams.”

In the book, the mountains were green, the water was blue, and the clouds were white.

Xiao Xingxing casually flipped through two pages before beginning to doze off.

They say you can see a child’s future at age three, and Ruan Sixian seemed to foresee her daughter’s future as an underachiever in academics.

This wouldn’t do.

She opened the book again, pointing at the pictures and saying — “Come, let’s go through this once more with mom.”

“This is a mountain…”

“Mountain,” Xiao Xingxing repeated, while simultaneously pointing to the rivers and clouds in the picture faster than Ruan Sixian — “River, cloud.”

Ruan Sixian — “…”

This child not only looked like her father but had his temperament too.

“Star, let’s not look at books anymore,” Fu Mingyu picked her up. “Let’s go see real mountains, rivers, and streams.”

“Yes, yes!”

Fu Mingyu turned back to Ruan Sixian, raising his eyebrows.

After so many years together, how could Ruan Sixian not understand his meaning?

At this moment, she was even more eager than Xiao Xingxing.

Two hours later, the family of three appeared at South Ao General Airport.

The Diamond Star had been well-maintained. Although they hadn’t visited in these past few months, not a speck of dust had settled on it.

“Star, come up,” Ruan Sixian sat in the pilot’s seat, beckoning to Xiao Xingxing. “Mom will help you do your homework.”

The spacious co-pilot seat was just right for Fu Mingyu and Xiao Xingxing.

The plane took off at the end of the runway, passing over flat plains and gradually ascending.

Wherever the plane flew, maple forests blazed like fire, dyeing the mountains red; mists rose and colorful clouds gathered, layers of clouds tumbling in the sunlight, revealing golden rays; the clear lake stretched like vast glazed glass, with rippling waves, bright and radiant.

Xiao Xingxing leaned against the window, looking down, her vision extending thousands of miles.

Mountains weren’t just green; they could also be red.

Clouds weren’t just white; otherwise, why would they be called “colorful clouds”?

Even flowing waters weren’t necessarily blue.

Xiao Xingxing showed excitement for the first time, letting out a long exclamation of wonder.

“Wow…”