After the fish pond in the villa's back garden was cleaned, Gu Shuanghua had a new batch of colorful koi placed inside.
Gu Shuanghua drank a tea tonic for qi and calming the nerves while sitting in the pavilion. Looking at the lively fish swimming nearby, she felt the villa was excessively quiet today.
She pressed her temple and murmured,
“Why haven't I seen Lü Rong bringing Chacha out to wander around today?”
Normally, Chacha loved circling the pavilion corridor. The moment he came out, the entire villa seemed especially lively.
Having one extra little person around really did make a difference.
The housekeeper came over carrying a fruit platter, gray at the temples and smiling.
“Mr. Lü took Chacha to register at kindergarten today. I expect they'll be back around lunchtime.”
Gu Shuanghua lifted her head slightly and asked as if casually,
“Which kindergarten did they register at?”
The housekeeper genuinely didn't know. After thinking for a moment, he said,
“Several of Jing City's top kindergartens have excellent teaching quality. Whichever one they choose should be fine.”
Gu Shuanghua set down her teacup. Remembering Chacha's obedient appearance, she couldn't help caring a little.
“They shouldn't choose a school that's too strict either. Chacha started several days late. If he can't keep up and his confidence gets hurt, that won't be good.”
At this point, Gu Shuanghua couldn't help frowning and complaining about Lü Rong.
“Lü Rong too. He knew perfectly well Chacha was old enough for school. If he'd married Gu Huaizheng earlier, Chacha wouldn't have had to start kindergarten several days later than the other children.”
The housekeeper kept his eyes lowered and did not respond to that. Glancing at the sky, he changed the subject.
“I'll go tell Chef Li to make an extra serving of clear-stewed black-bone chicken soup for lunch today.”
Gu Shuanghua nodded, then added,
“And make an extra dessert.”
Gu Shuanghua was older and devoted to healthy living. She had cut out oil and sugar early on, so there was no need to ask who the dessert was for.
The housekeeper's smile deepened. He answered affirmatively.
Chairwoman Gu might have spent so many years in a position of authority, with a stern personality, forceful methods, and an unsmiling manner toward everyone,
but in truth, she responded to gentleness rather than force.
The more someone opposed her head-on, the worse things went for them.
Gu Shuanghua had never been threatened by anyone in her life. Back then, she and Lü Rong had fiercely confronted each other several times because their beliefs differed, so naturally everything about him rubbed her the wrong way.
But with Chacha, the housekeeper could clearly tell that Chairwoman Gu liked the child in her heart.
Otherwise, she wouldn't deliberately save a dessert for him.
Not long after the housekeeper left, Chacha's soft voice sounded from the front courtyard.
“I like kindergarten. I want to go again tomorrow.”
Gu Huaizheng's slightly nervous voice followed close behind.
“Let's not go tomorrow. Chacha should stay home another couple of days and prepare before we talk about it.”
Chacha went blank for a moment. He had no idea what there was to prepare before going to kindergarten.
“Okay.” Although Chacha didn't understand, he still obediently agreed.
Lü Rong glanced at Gu Huaizheng, who clearly still wasn't psychologically prepared, smiled, shook his head, and took Chacha to wash his hands and eat.
When they reached the dining room, Chacha discovered Grandma was there too.
After Daddy lifted him into the high chair, Chacha fastened his green leaf-shaped bib and curved his eyes.
“Grandma, I went to kindergarten today.” Chacha swung his legs, his joy impossible to hide.
Gu Shuanghua gave an “Mm” as if uninterested, but couldn't resist asking,
“How was kindergarten? Didn't you attend class?”
Whenever Chacha spoke, his words carried a sweet smile, like a purely sweet little gummy bear, soft and springy.
“I attended one class. I even learned to dance.” Chacha shared with Grandma.
Gu Huaizheng nodded beside him with the pride of a parent.
“Mom, you didn't see it. Chacha really has talent for dancing! He only learned for a little while and could already finish the whole dance. I don't think there was a single child in the class who danced better than Chacha.”
Gu Huaizheng got ideas at the drop of a hat. As he spoke, his dark eyes began to shine.
“What do you think about developing Chacha toward dance in the future?”
Lü Rong paused as he sat down.
Although Lü Rong naturally had a biological father's filter when it came to Chacha, even he couldn't lie to his conscience and say Chacha danced well.
Lü Rong's eyelid twitched. He gently advised,
“Chacha is still little. Why don't we wait and see later?”
Gu Huaizheng shook his head and continued on his own.
“No, no, no! As parents, we have to plan ahead for Chacha. Otherwise we'll waste his talent!”
Chacha eagerly took a bite of sweet-and-sour pineapple pork, raised his little head, and asked blankly,
“What's talent?”
Did he have that thing?
Gu Huaizheng forgot all about eating and picked up his phone to find an excellent dance teacher for Chacha before his gifts went to waste.
Lü Rong hurriedly pressed Gu Huaizheng's hand down. Seeing Gu Shuanghua look over, he lowered his voice.
“Eat first. Whatever it is, talk after the meal.”
Gu Huaizheng knew Gu Shuanghua disliked noise during meals and regretfully set down his phone.
“All right, I suppose.”
After eating, he would properly pick a teacher for Chacha.
Chacha was a very easy little cub to feed. He was almost never picky. Apart from not drinking much soup or other liquids, he accepted basically every kind of food.
He also ate quietly, never scattering scraps everywhere. He simply puffed his cheeks and chewed, chewed, chewed with effort.
By the end of the meal, not a morsel remained on Chacha's little plate. Only a bit of sauce clung near his mouth.
Lü Rong wiped Chacha's mouth clean and smilingly tapped his little nose.
“Little glutton finished eating?”
Chacha touched his round, full tummy. It felt soft and springy, very nice. He gave an “Mm” and curved his eyes.
“All finished.”
After climbing down from the high chair, Chacha tipped up his small face and asked Grandma,
“Grandma, why didn't Brother come home today?”
Gu Ran had an opening-of-term exam today. The lunch break was too short for him to come home, so he had to eat at the school cafeteria.
Gu Shuanghua hadn't expected Chacha to still be thinking about Gu Ran. Warmth inevitably rose in her heart.
“Gu Ran has an exam. He's eating at school today.”
Chacha nodded and sighed with great regret.
“What a pity. There was such yummy meat today, and Brother couldn't eat any.”
Chacha's drooping head quickly perked up again. After walking several circles with Daddy to digest his meal, he went back and had a long, satisfying afternoon nap.
***
Scorching midday sunlight poured across the earth, while the glass facades of skyscrapers reflected glaring light pollution.
Gu Huaizheng stared at the various messages on his phone as he entered the Gu Corporation building, handling several urgent matters in an orderly fashion.
When he reached his office, his special assistant handed him the materials for the afternoon meeting.
“President Gu, these are the meeting materials for this afternoon.”
Gu Huaizheng took them, glanced once, casually set them aside, and looked up.
“Jing Jie, in the next couple of days, help me investigate well-known teachers in the dance world. Preferably someone senior and experienced, with a patient temperament.”
The special assistant was utterly confused. He gave a surprised “Huh?” and couldn't understand how the conversation had suddenly turned to this.
“Find a teacher? What for?”
Gu Huaizheng could barely suppress his smile. The ends of his dark brows lifted, and his voice was full of emotion.
“Chacha is exceptionally talented at dancing. Our Gu family has spent generations in business. At last we're going to produce an artist.”
The special assistant remained confused for quite a while. Then he remembered something and silently cursed in astonishment.
Wasn't Chacha Lü Rong's son?!
Had President Gu already fallen so deeply in love with Lü Rong that he could accept everything about him?
Still baffled, special assistant Jing Jie slowly recovered. Remembering something, he said,
“If you're looking for teachers in street dance or boy-group choreography, I think Director Gu probably knows more people.”
Director Gu, Gu Qiong, was Gu Huaizheng's younger sister. She currently worked as art director at a top fashion magazine and had extensive resources in both entertainment and fashion circles.
Gu Huaizheng thought that made sense and immediately called Gu Qiong.
Gu Qiong had already been away on a business trip for half a month for the magazine's latest weekly issue.
Receiving a call from her older brother, Gu Qiong's slender willow-leaf brows drew together before she answered.
“If you're calling to ask me to help you divorce, I'll be delighted. Otherwise, forget it!”
Like Gu Shuanghua, Gu Qiong also deeply disliked her white-lotus male sister-in-law!
She had a fiery, decisive personality and had inherited the Gu family's forceful temperament. Within the industry, she was recognized as a formidable career woman.
Perhaps she and Lü Rong were like water and fire, incapable of coexisting. From beginning to end, Gu Qiong had never approved of her older brother being with Lü Rong.
Gu Huaizheng thought his sister's words sounded awful. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said helplessly,
“I'm calling because I want you to help me find a street-dance teacher. Don't you know some boy groups in entertainment? See whether you can find one or two members to teach Chacha.”
Gu Qiong went blank for a moment and asked doubtfully,
“Who's Chacha? Your illegitimate son?”
Gu Huaizheng replied irritably,
“Chacha is my son! He calls me Uncle. What do you think our relationship is?!”
Gu Qiong: “…”
“What kind of mess is that?” Gu Qiong said speechlessly.
Only after a long while did Gu Qiong suddenly realize.
“Don't tell me Chacha is Lü Rong's son?! Gu Huaizheng, is your brain broken? You're finding boy-group members to teach Lü Rong's son?! Do you know even an unknown boy group can charge more than a hundred thousand for one performance?!”
Gu Huaizheng genuinely didn't know.
“That's not expensive.” Gu Huaizheng rubbed his chin, completely on a different wavelength from his sister.
“Bring some over first. We'll decide whether they're suitable later. I'll also have Jing Jie find a traditional-dance teacher and see which style suits Chacha.”
Gu Qiong was genuinely about to ascend from sheer rage.
When people became too speechless, they really did feel like laughing. Gu Qiong gave two cold laughs, choked silent by Gu Huaizheng, and repeatedly gave him a thumbs-up.
“Gu Huaizheng, you're incredible. You're putting remarkable enthusiasm into being a stepfather.”
Hearing the mockery in his sister's voice, Gu Huaizheng simply ignored her tone and rubbed his chin.
“Right? I think I'm doing pretty well too.”
Gu Qiong didn't want to hear another word and directly hung up.
Her brother had gone insane.
Gu Qiong took a deep breath, pushed back the magazine shoot, and caught an overnight flight home, preparing to properly meet this male sister-in-law of hers—