On an ordinary Saturday morning, Sheng Sui was awakened by a baby’s crying.

Faint sobbing sounds came from nearby, like a kitten’s mewing.

Taking a deep breath, Sheng Sui opened her sleepy eyes to find the space beside her empty, while a tall, lean man stood by the crib two steps away, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted.

The man held the baby in his arms with practiced ease, his large hand patiently patting the girl’s back. Early autumn morning light filtered through the gauze curtains into the room, outlining the man’s focused appearance.

“…What’s wrong with little Yi?”

With the slight nasal tone of someone just awakened, Sheng Sui squinted as she tried to sit up, seeing Zhou Shiyu holding Sheng Yi and turning around at her words.

“She’s probably hungry.”

The girl stopped crying while lying against her father’s chest. Zhou Shiyu, holding her with one arm, returned to the bedside, leaning down to kiss the corner of Sheng Sui’s lips, speaking gently in a low voice:

“It’s only six-thirty. Sleep a bit more. I’ll go make formula.”

Sheng Sui tilted up her small face, obediently letting him kiss her, smiling with curved eyebrows as she agreed: “Then I’ll stay in bed for five more minutes.”

“Alright.”

Zhou Shiyu quickly left the bedroom carrying the baby. Sheng Sui hugged her blanket, wanting to stay in bed a while longer, but was awakened by Ping’An slipping in through the door crack.

After more than two years of marriage, eight-year-old Ping’An was quite an elderly cat, yet still agile. With a push of its hind legs, it jumped onto the big bed, leisurely settling by the pillow and using its tail to repeatedly brush across Sheng Sui’s face.

“…”

Her sleepiness completely dispersed, Sheng Sui hugged the cat and buried her head in its soft belly, listening to its purring for a while before getting up.

After simple washing and dressing, Sheng Sui casually pinned up her hair and left the bedroom, just in time to see Zhou Shiyu preparing formula for Sheng Yi in the kitchen.

After various complicated procedures and waiting for most of a year, they had finally gained approval from an unwed Chinese single mother in Country X. After several meetings, she decided to grant Sheng Sui and Zhou Shiyu adoption rights.

Sheng Sui still remembered the feeling of holding Sheng Yi in her arms for the first time.

The baby girl, lacking proper care, was thin and frail, crying incessantly in her mother’s arms, her wrinkled little face red as a tomato, as if protesting being forcibly brought into this world.

“…Daddy, drink milk!”

The soft, sweet baby voice pulled her back from her thoughts. It was Sheng Yi in her high chair, waving her little hands, looking up with her chubby cheeks at Zhou Shiyu busy at the counter, babbling as if cheering on daddy.

“Mm, just a moment.”

Precise and thorough as always, Zhou Shiyu strictly followed the baby nurse’s instructions, placing a thermometer in the glass measuring cup to test temperature, pouring the measured amount into the bottle, then opening the formula can, using a spoon to measure out the exact amount of powder, sealing the bottle cap, and gently shaking the bottle to dissolve the formula.*

Her husband’s smooth, practiced movements made Sheng Sui recall the first time she had prepared formula for crying Sheng Yi. Afraid the child was hungry, she had anxiously and hurriedly shaken the bottle vigorously to speed dissolution, ready to feed immediately.

In the end, Zhou Shiyu had stopped her, gently reminding Sheng Sui that there were too many bubbles in the bottle, which would easily cause the baby to have gas and hiccups if she drank it.*

Since then, eight or nine times out of ten, the heavy responsibility of childcare fell to Zhou Shiyu.

“…Little Yi, look what daddy is doing.”

Looking at her daughter’s rosy little face, Sheng Sui couldn’t help but bend down to give her a kiss. She saw Sheng Yi giggle, her round, bright big eyes full of affectionate laughter.

“Breakfast will need to wait a bit.”

Zhou Shiyu inverted the bottle, checking that the milk dripping onto his wrist had normal flow rate and temperature before turning to hand the bottle to his daughter.

The man’s expression remained calm throughout, only when he looked up at Sheng Sui did his deep dark eyes add a touch of gentleness: “I thought you’d sleep a bit more.”

“Ping’An came to the bedroom just now.”

Seeing Sheng Yi happily holding her bottle and drinking with great pleasure, her two short legs swinging cheerfully, Sheng Sui’s heart softened just as she felt a shadow fall, warm lips pressing against the corner of her mouth.

Forgetting their daughter was present, she wrapped her arms around Zhou Shiyu’s neck, naturally responding to the kiss. After being briefly deprived of breath for over ten seconds, her misty eyes smiled at Zhou Shiyu:

“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhou.”

“That form of address is too impersonal to be sincere.”

Zhou Shiyu raised an eyebrow slightly, turning to prepare breakfast for the couple, letting Sheng Sui cling to him from behind like a sloth.

After the family of three finished breakfast, Sheng Sui crouched by the high chair, using wet wipes to clean the milk stains around Sheng Yi’s mouth and remnants of the fruit puree Zhou Shiyu had specially made for her.

Zhou Shiyu used tongs to remove the bottle, nipple, cap, and sealing ring that had been sterilized in boiling water, removing the outer gauze wrapping, letting them cool before placing them in the special bottle sterilizer.*

Their own dishes were simply placed in the sink, waiting for Aunt Tian to wash them.

Sheng Sui watched Zhou Shiyu bustling about, hesitating before saying softly:

“…Actually, washing bottles could be left to me or Aunt Tian next time.”

She sometimes felt that Zhou Shiyu was somewhat overly nervous and cautious about Sheng Yi.

Both of them were busy with work, and under their financial circumstances, they could completely afford a nanny and baby nurse.

Even so, Zhou Shiyu rarely allowed others to interfere with childcare matters, handling everything personally.

For instance, even small things like preparing formula and new bottles, he wouldn’t trust to anyone, including her.

Sheng Sui vaguely sensed that this meticulous care might not solely stem from love.

But more like worry about not being able to keep this child alive.

Especially during the first week after bringing the baby home, she was already frail and couldn’t adapt to the environment, crying all day. So Zhou Shiyu also stayed awake for an entire week.

Even now, when Sheng Sui occasionally woke at night, she often saw her husband standing by the crib, gazing deeply at their sleeping daughter, his expression focused.

“It’s just convenient,” Zhou Shiyu closed the sterilizer, not compromising on Sheng Sui’s suggestion, only stepping forward to tuck the loose hair by her ear.

“Have you chosen what to wear to the wedding later?”

Sheng Sui nodded: “I’ve chosen.”

The family of three had risen early on the weekend to attend Xu Zhuo and Su Yingying’s wedding—last time during the camping trip, Sheng Sui had intuited that the two would succeed, and indeed they had gotten their marriage certificate within a year, though the wedding was held somewhat late.

She had chosen a white long dress suitable for a sacred occasion, with lace details at the waist that outlined Sheng Sui’s beautiful figure perfectly, her slender waist barely a handful.

While examining herself, Sheng Sui saw Zhou Shiyu standing by the door in the mirror’s corner, his right hand holding Sheng Yi who was waiting to change clothes.

Sheng Sui turned around. When their eyes met, she encountered Zhou Shiyu’s deep, gentle, smiling dark eyes, and pursed her lips: “Does it not look good?”

Sheng Yi let go of daddy’s hand and ran forward, suddenly raising her hands to hug Sheng Sui’s legs.

Zhou Shiyu stepped forward to zip up the last section for Sheng Sui, saying in a low voice: “You look beautiful no matter what.”

After speaking, the man turned around, embracing her and kissing the corner of Sheng Sui’s mouth again, his forehead resting against her smooth forehead as hot breath fell.

The man smiled with curved lips, half-jokingly: “It’s just that seeing you dressed like this to attend someone else’s wedding makes me a bit envious.”

“…”

Sheng Sui vaguely detected some melancholy in her husband’s words. Just as she was about to speak, she felt Sheng Yi by her feet restlessly tugging at her skirt hem.

The round little dumpling struggled to look up. Seeing daddy and mommy looking down at her, she suddenly broke into a grin, raising her hand to poke her own little cheek.

Sheng Yi was now sixteen months old and could already express emotions and needs in short sentences, her voice clear and bright:

“Daddy, mommy, want hugs, want kisses.”

The little dumpling stretched her arms toward Sheng Sui for a hug. After being kissed by Sheng Sui, she blinked at Zhou Shiyu, coquettishly tugging at the man’s sleeve again:

“Daddy, kiss.”

Facing his daughter, Zhou Shiyu was always gentle, cooperatively bending down to give a light kiss like a dragonfly touching water.

The little girl felt daddy’s kiss was too halfhearted, so she desperately pushed her little face against Zhou Shiyu’s mouth, her round cheeks dimpling.

Seeing this, Sheng Sui couldn’t help but laugh softly: “The title of ‘kissing maniac’ in our house might need to change hands.”

Zhou Shiyu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, covering his daughter’s eyes with one hand while supporting the back of Sheng Sui’s head with the other, tilting his head for a deep kiss.

Lips and tongues entwined, Sheng Sui’s tongue root went numb as she said softly: “…Don’t do this in front of the child, you’ll corrupt her.”

“That’s why I’m not letting her see.”

Zhou Shiyu’s teeth and tongue swept through the conquered territory. As silver threads connected and he retreated half an inch, his voice was deep and hoarse: “Also, I have considerable objections to Mrs. Zhou’s judgment in awarding titles.”

The man’s tone was leisurely, with a hint of roguish unreasonableness: “How can you only consider quantity without regarding quality and depth? That’s unfair to me.”

“…”

Half an hour later, the family of three finally set off, with Secretary Chen driving to the wedding venue.

During the journey, Zhou Shiyu handled business in the back seat while Sheng Yi, who was particularly clingy to him, spent the entire time lying in daddy’s arms, her two little hands gripping the man’s white shirt, turning her head to listen to Sheng Sui talk.

“Does little Yi know what we’re going to do?”

Seeing her daughter about to wrinkle her husband’s clothes, Sheng Sui reached out to hold Sheng Yi’s chubby pink hands, saying gently:

“Today we’re going to attend Uncle Xu and Sister Su’s wedding.”

The child was too young to understand the meaning of “wedding” immediately.

Sheng Yi obediently wrapped her palm around Sheng Sui’s index finger, shifting position in Zhou Shiyu’s arms, tilting her head to repeat:

“Wedding?”

Sheng Sui patiently explained: “Mm, people who like each other get married, and some hold weddings.”

Little Sheng Yi frowned and thought for a while, seemingly recalling the meaning of “like.”

A few seconds later, she first looked up at Zhou Shiyu, then at Sheng Sui, suddenly her eyes lit up:

“Daddy, mommy, wedding!”

“…”

There was a moment of silence in the car.

Sheng Sui and Zhou Shiyu had never held a wedding.

After more than two years of marriage, since Zhou Shiyu had mentioned it once right after their marriage, the matter of having a wedding had long been forgotten in Sheng Sui’s mind as time passed.

Even though they were attending a wedding today, Sheng Sui hadn’t thought about her and Zhou Shiyu’s wedding.

She looked up at Zhou Shiyu and found the man had also put down his iPad and was looking her way.

Zhou Shiyu wore his gold-rimmed glasses when going out, the lenses concealing most of the emotions in his eyes. When he looked at her silently, he seemed to be waiting for an answer.

In the instant silence, little Sheng Yi, who hadn’t received a reply, let go of Sheng Sui’s hand and pressed her warm little face against Sheng Sui’s palm.

The little dumpling asked pitifully, her round eyes seeming to hold a pool of tears:

“Daddy, mommy, no wedding?”

Sheng Sui knew her daughter didn’t understand weddings but was asking about the “liking” behind weddings.

Precisely because of this, she didn’t know how to answer.

Under her daughter’s teary gaze, Sheng Sui glanced toward Zhou Shiyu for help several times.

Seeing that someone was giving her meaningful looks in return but remained silent, Sheng Sui could only explain with some guilt:

“…Not all people who like each other hold weddings, because some people… don’t like weddings that much.”

After listening, Sheng Yi made a small “mm” sound, blinking with seeming understanding, using hands and feet to try to sit up from daddy’s arms.

This time, Zhou Shiyu was very cooperative, his large hands supporting his daughter under her arms, letting the little dumpling sit steadily on his lap.

At this moment, father and daughter seemed to mysteriously form a united front, with Sheng Yi leading the charge in the first round of attack against Sheng Sui.

The little dumpling wore a cream-colored fluffy dress, her just-fed belly round and plump, looking exactly like a pink and white baby from New Year paintings, round-headed and adorably naive.

She hadn’t yet put away her tearful expression, squatting on daddy’s legs, sadly pouting at Sheng Sui, calling out crisply:

“Mommy doesn’t like weddings?”

“…”

Just as Sheng Sui didn’t know how to reply, Sheng Yi suddenly turned back to look at Zhou Shiyu, grabbing the man’s shirt hem and tugging carefully:

“Daddy doesn’t like—”

“Don’t look at daddy.”

Zhou Shiyu answered his daughter’s question leisurely, soothingly patting Sheng Yi’s back. Sheng Sui was certain she could see some sly, mischievous laughter in the man’s eyes.

Then Sheng Sui heard Zhou Shiyu say unhurriedly: “Daddy likes weddings.”

“Likes having a wedding with mommy even more.”