Jiang Nanfang went downstairs. A Zhong was in the driver's seat, and Zhan Beijue sat in the back.
She walked to the passenger seat and chatted casually with A Zhong the whole way, completely ignoring Zhan Beijue. They arrived at the kindergarten gate.
Ninety percent of the people picking up children after school were stay-at-home mothers or nannies.
Male parents were already rare, and a man with Zhan Beijue's physique and good looks was practically unheard of.
Thus, as soon as he stood by the gate, he became the center of attention in the crowd.
This was Jiang Nanfang's first time seeing him pick up the children. Sitting in the car, she watched him stand in the crowd, his tall figure making him stand out even from the back, exuding an imposing aura.
In an instant, she felt a pang of emotion.
Regardless of her own circumstances, her children were successful.
With this man's excellent genes, it was not in vain that they were reborn as humans.
Soon, the main gate opened.
The children stood in neat rows inside the campus.
Her son and daughter were in the front row. They spotted Zhan Beijue from afar and excitedly jumped up and down.
Zhan Beijue stood calmly and watched them approach. He took one by each hand. "How was your day at school today?"
The daughter was the sweetest-mouthed. "Very good. I just missed Daddy. Daddy, you look so handsome today!"
Even though he was praised by his daughter every day, Zhan Beijue still felt pleased. He reached out and touched her little face.
"Let's go, get in the car."
The car doors opened, and the two children scrambled in one after another.
Jiang Nanfang turned to greet them, and upon seeing their mother in the car, they shrieked so loudly they almost blew off the car roof.
"Ah, Mommy, why are you here? You came to pick us up from school too!"
"So happy! Mommy, I missed you so much! Mommy, come hug me!"
Jiang Nanfang couldn't stay put in the passenger seat and moved to the back seat to hug the two children, kissing each of them on the cheek.
"Mommy missed you too. You didn't say goodbye when you left that day, and Mommy missed you terribly. Have you been well these past few days?"
Zhan Beijue got into the car, pressed the door-closing button, and cast a cold glance at her. "Control your volume when you speak. I don't want people to misunderstand that there's a lunatic in the car."
"..." The two children quickly lowered their voices and whispered into Jiang Nanfang's ear.
Jiang Nanfang took them out to eat, and the two children were very excited, asking what they would eat.
Jiang Nanfang said, "Ask him. That way, if I say something and he picks on it, I can just let him decide."
"Daddy's coming too?" The two children became even more excited.
Zhan Beijue had no concept of food or restaurants and asked A Zhong, "Have you booked a restaurant?"
A Zhong knew Zhan Beijue's preferences and said that he had already booked one. They headed straight for the restaurant.
On the way, A Zhong's phone rang. He glanced at it and saw it was his girlfriend. He didn't dare to answer.
Soon, a message came through WeChat. A Zhong sneaked a glance at his phone screen but dared not reply.
He pretended to be calm and continued driving.
Zhan Beijue knew that A Zhong was the same age as him and was busy with work, so it wasn't easy for him to find a girlfriend.
She was probably urging him to come home. As the car passed a traffic light, he called out softly.
"Pull over to the side. You take a taxi back, and I'll drive."
President Zhan was always like this; he seemed stern on the surface, but he was soft-hearted.
Lately, he had done so much for A Zhong, and his relationship with his girlfriend had eased considerably. A Zhong was very grateful to him.
"No need, President Zhan. I'll drive. You might have a drink tonight."
"If I tell you to go, then go. What's with all the nonsense? Stop the car."
A Zhong could only pull over, bid them farewell, and get out of the car.
Suddenly, only the family of four was left in the car, and the children were extremely excited.
They recounted interesting stories from kindergarten to Jiang Nanfang and pestered her for kisses and hugs.
It was like an ordinary family of four, with an indescribably warm atmosphere.
Zhan Beijue occasionally glanced at the three of them in the rearview mirror, unable to describe what he was feeling.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the restaurant, a private dining establishment.
The group entered a private room, Zhan Beijue ordered the food, and then they waited for it to be served.
"Mommy, why don't you sit next to Daddy? You two can be side-by-side, and Brother and I can sit next to you. That way, you can take care of me wholeheartedly, and Daddy can take care of Brother wholeheartedly. Isn't that great?"
The daughter was playing the role of a matchmaker.
Jiang Nanfang glanced at Zhan Beijue. He was sitting two seats away from the three of them, his expression flat, and he was looking at his phone, appearing uninterested in her.
"No need. Mommy can take care of you both by herself."
"That won't do. You worked hard all day today, so you can't do everything by yourself."
The two children pulled Jiang Nanfang next to Zhan Beijue. "Let's go, our family should be together."
Zhan Beijue didn't say anything, allowing Jiang Nanfang to sit next to him.
Listening to her chatter with his daughter, he felt much better. He glanced at his phone again, but it was uninteresting.
He turned to Rui Rui and asked, "Are you thirsty? Shall I pour you a glass of water?"
Rui Rui nodded.
Zhan Beijue poured him a cup of tea.
"Daddy, your lips look a little dry too. You should drink more." Rui Rui obediently handed the teacup back to him.
Zhan Beijue subconsciously pursed his lips. The weather was hot, and he indeed felt a bit dry.
This boy was becoming more attentive lately.
The daughter seized the opportunity to interject, "Daddy's lips are dry? The weather has been too hot lately. You should put on some lip balm. Mommy, do you have any lip balm?"
Make him use her lip balm? Wouldn't that be a bit too intimate?
Jiang Nanfang didn't want to give it to him. "No. I was in a hurry to leave today and forgot to bring it."
But how could she escape her daughter's sharp eyes?
"Forgot to bring it? But your lips are moisturized and dewy. Go and apply some to Daddy."
After saying that, she puckered her lips and made a motion of rubbing them against someone else's.
"Like this. Mommy, hurry."
She wanted her to kiss Zhan Beijue! Where did this little girl learn all this?
Jiang Nanfang stared at her in surprise. "Where did you learn this? Who applies lip balm like this? Who told you?"
"Movies. That's how it's done in Stephen Chow's movies," she said innocently. "Ask Brother if you don't believe me."
Jiang Nanfang looked at Zhan Beijue, about to question him why he let the children watch such random movies.
Zhan Beijue's phone suddenly rang.
It was Gong Beibei.
She had been staying at the Zhan family's residence lately, so he guessed it was after work hours and she was asking if he wanted to go back for dinner.
Zhan Beijue glanced at her name and didn't feel like answering.
However, Rui Rui saw it too.
"Daddy, when is she going to move out of our house? Is she too poor to buy her own house? It's so inconvenient having an extra person at home every day. Can you help her rent a place and have her move out?"
To be so picky at such a young age?
Zhan Beijue covered his phone and threw it on the table. "Children should mind their own business when it comes to adult matters. Go drink your tea."
Jiang Nanfang: "..."
After not answering the first time, Gong Beibei called a second time.
The phone buzzed and vibrated on the table, and everyone was watching. He had no choice but to grab it and answer.
"What is it?"
Gong Beibei's voice sounded surprised and urgent. "Jue, come save me!"
She didn't seem to be at home, and the sounds from her end were noisy.
Zhan Beijue frowned. "Where are you? What happened?"
Gong Beibei explained a string of things over the phone.
The gist was that she had gotten into a conflict with someone while eating out, and she was very scared and wanted him to come over.
Zhan Beijue was too lazy to make a personal trip for such a trivial matter. "I know. I'll send someone over. You stay put and don't move."