San San blushed and angrily leaned over to punch him. Chen Yunqi seized the opportunity to hug him around the waist, stroking the small section of his exposed waist, pulling him into his arms, kissing his sweet-smelling lips and teeth, and saying indistinctly, "My darling... I really want to hide you away... I can't bear to let anyone else see you..."
San San was quickly aroused by his advances. As fate would have it, the parking lot's motion-activated lights suddenly went out, leaving only the dim light from the central control screen illuminating their intertwined bodies inside the car. The midnight radio played soothing, ethereal music. Chen Yunqi used one hand to lock the car door, reached under the seat to adjust the backrest, turned off the engine, and completely concealed himself and the person in his arms in darkness.
The air conditioning stopped cooling, and the interior gradually became stiflingly hot. A white Macan swayed gently in the corner, its privacy tint completely concealing the affair taking place inside.
Chen Yunqi carried San San upstairs. After arriving home, Chen Yunqi carried him to the bathroom to wash up, changed him into clean pajamas, and settled him down on the bed. Then, he went to the balcony alone, lit a cigarette, took out his phone, opened his contacts, found Yu's father's number, and hesitated for a long time before deciding whether to call or not.
Yu Xiaosong's parents both work in the Education Bureau. Although they don't live in S City, they have some connections among classmates and colleagues. Chen Yunqi knew that if he wanted San San to get into a key high school, it would be inevitable to pull strings and make some connections. No matter how rich and powerful he was, he would be helpless without connections and introducers.
Among the people Chen Yunqi knew, only Yu Xiaosong's parents could handle this matter. Considering San San's future college entrance exam, he was almost about to press the dial button when he suddenly remembered what San San had said to him that morning. He snapped back to reality, took a few puffs of his cigarette, locked his phone, and tossed it back into his pocket.
Once the thought was dispelled, he relaxed completely. Leaning against the balcony railing, he rubbed his temples, shook the cigarette ash into the withered flowerpot, looked up at the indistinct dark clouds in the sky, and told himself that from now on, he would take good care of San San by his own efforts and could no longer ask for help from others, especially not from Yu Xiaosong's family.
The next morning, before San San was even fully awake, Chen Yunqi received a phone interview from Shengrui. He quietly got up, closed the bedroom door, walked to the desk in the study, and sat down, conversing fluently in English with the interviewer for 45 minutes. From why he wanted to join Shengrui to behavioral questions involving skills, leadership, and working under pressure, his methodical answers satisfied the interviewer, who immediately informed him that he could proceed directly to the written test in three days.
After the written test, he went through three rounds of interviews, and all the interviewers gave high praise and affirmation to the young man's performance. A week later, Chen Yunqi had just sent out the application email for the 33 program when he received an electronic offer from Shengrui, skipping the internship and directly entering the IBD (Investment Banking Division), which is the dream of countless finance students.
Chapter Seventy-One: School Starts
"Three three."
"baby?"
"You lazybones...!"
"My darling—"
"Get up quickly, or you'll be late."
"Silly boy! Get up!"
At 6:30 a.m., the dim light dispelled the light mist, the streetlights had just finished their work all night, and the whole city had already awakened from its deep sleep.
The oven in the kitchen beeped, and Chen Yunqi straightened his shirt cuffs while opening the oven door. He didn't even bother to put on oven mitts before taking out the freshly baked toast and placing it on the dining table. He then rushed into the bedroom, blew on his fingers, pulled San San out of a pile of blankets, and carried him into the bathroom.
Today is the first day of school. Chen Yunqi worked overtime until the early hours of the morning before returning home. He planned to quickly wash up and go to bed to be well-rested and welcome the new semester with San San. However, as soon as he got into bed, San San snuggled up to him warmly, wrapped her arms around his neck in a sleepy voice, and whispered in his ear, scolding him for coming home late and saying how much she missed him. Her voice was as soft as a feather, gently tickling Chen Yunqi's heart and instantly sweeping away all the fatigue from a whole day's work.
Half-asleep and half-awake, San San was like a sweet, soft glutinous rice cake—once you're hooked, you can't shake her off. Chen Yunqi symbolically declined for three minutes before "reluctantly" taking up his weapon and going into battle. After an hour of tenacious resistance and strict defense, he finally surrendered unconditionally and fell head over heels for the beauty.
Chen Yunqi almost overslept. He inwardly berated himself for his lack of self-control as he squeezed toothpaste onto San San's toothbrush and urged him to hurry. San San gargled, his hair a mess, and sat dazedly at the table. Staring at the slightly browned toast, he slowly said, "Brother... your bed is so soft and comfortable... I don't want to be separated from it..."
Chen Yunqi took San San's schoolbag and clothes out of the house, made him raise his arms in front of the table, took off his oversized T-shirt, put on his blue and white school uniform, picked up a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth, then pushed the milk over and frowned, saying, "You're spoiled. You'll sleep on the floor tonight."
"Hehe, then you have to go to sleep with me too," San San tore open a piece of toast, ate the center, leaving the four edges on the plate, and started fiddling with it while drinking milk.
Chen Yunqi, dressed neatly, came out of the bedroom, put down his suit, picked up an apple and put it in San San's schoolbag. Then, with one hand on the table and the other on the back of San San's chair, he leaned down and got close to his face, first kissing away the bread crumbs and milk stains on his lips, and then looked at him very seriously and said, "You're going to school now, so you'll sleep by yourself from now on. I'll make a room for you tonight."
After starting work, Chen Yunqi sported a near-buzz cut, his radiant face exuding the sharpness and competence of a young talent. A neatly pressed shirt and crisp trousers accentuated his muscular physique, highlighting his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tall, slender figure, giving him an air of both restraint and sexiness.
San San had ironed his clothes the day before, and the faint iris scent of Bulgari Pourhomme could only be smelled up close. San San gently tugged at his tie, pulling him closer, and looked at him with adoration, her breath close to his nose, saying, "You wouldn't want to."
From this angle, looking down, he could see the passionate marks he had left on San San's collarbone. Chen Yunqi reached out and fastened the collar of his short-sleeved school uniform, then tidied his messy hair, pinched his chin, and said calmly, "Little vixen."
After a hectic morning, having only eaten a few slices of toast, Chen Yunqi finally managed to get San San to the school gate before morning self-study. Watching San San jog into the school gate amidst a large group of students, Chen Yunqi suddenly felt a complex mix of emotions as a parent. He leaned back in his seat, lost in thought, before finally snapping out of it and starting the car to hurry to the company.
A workday begins with a double espresso. Shengrui, one of the top nine investment banks, operates globally, primarily providing financial services such as IPOs, M&A, and bond issuance to listed companies and startups of varying sizes. Chen Yunqi's IBD is divided into three business groups, responsible for mergers and acquisitions, leveraged financing and restructuring, as well as marketing activities and meeting specific client needs.
Chen Yunqi was parachuted into the investment bank's core business unit as an Associate, immediately drawing controversy upon joining the company. Ordinary fresh graduates can only become junior analysts after an internship, and it takes about three years of experience and training before they can be promoted to Associate. His main responsibilities included assigning tasks to his analysts based on instructions from the VP and MD, supervising and guiding them in completing their work, writing presentation texts, creating models, communicating with clients during transactions, and collaborating with analysts on administrative work, among other things.
The analysts at Shengrui IBD are all excellent. As a theorist with little experience, Chen Yunqi quickly got into work mode as soon as he took the job, putting in 100% enthusiasm and showing a humble and eager-to-learn attitude. Over time, everyone's opinion of him gradually changed. From initial dissatisfaction and criticism, they now cooperate unconditionally. This is because after a period of adjustment, they all felt Chen Yunqi's solid theoretical foundation and keen decision-making ability, and subsequently praised his sincere character and outstanding appearance.
He worked until late every night before going home. He was strict but not harsh with his subordinates, and led the entire department to execute work plans efficiently, successfully completing his first project after joining the company. On the day he received his first paycheck, he solemnly handed his bank card to San San, and they went to a pizza shop together to celebrate. He happily ate the pineapple chunks and all the pizza crusts that San San had picked out.
During his lunch break, he finally had a chance to check his phone. San San had sent him three messages that morning: "Class is starting! The teacher just asked me to introduce myself, I'm so nervous!", "My math teacher is so fierce! We have to do our morning exercises now!", and "School's out! My classmate took me to the cafeteria for lunch. Have you eaten yet?"
Chen Yunqi read each message carefully several times, imagining San San secretly editing messages for him on her phone in the classroom, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He put down the sandwich his colleague had brought back, got up from his desk, went into the smoking room, found a corner, and dialed San San's number.
San San answered the phone quickly, her voice filled with obvious nervousness and excitement: "Hey, bro."
Upon hearing his voice, Chen Yunqi's concern intensified. He restrained his emotions and calmly asked, "Have you eaten? How was your morning?"
"I've eaten. I had rice, braised pork, and ribbonfish. It was pretty good, just a little expensive. I can use my meal card now." The background noise on the phone was loud, with other students shouting and laughing. It made Chen Yunqi feel like he was back in his student days, remembering the lively scene in the hallway outside the classroom during breaks.
"Why did you only eat meat? Didn't you eat any vegetables?" Chen Yunqi's focus caught San San off guard. He paused for a few seconds on the phone before answering, "Um... I forgot."
Chen Yunqi smiled helplessly and asked, "Are you getting along well with your classmates? Are you paying attention in class?"
San San breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her voice, saying, "I listened carefully, but there are still some things I don't quite understand. My classmates are all very nice to me. The teacher asked the class monitor to sit next to me and asked him to help me more. He even offered to buy me milk tea just now, but I was too embarrassed to accept it."
"It's okay, just treat him next time, don't be stingy with money."
San San hurriedly said, "No, you work too hard..." His tone became somewhat guilty, "Brother, when I start working, I will work hard to earn money just like you, then I won't have to spend your money anymore, and I will support you."
Chen Yunqi could no longer hide his smile, but since there were other people in the smoking room, he suppressed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth and said in a low voice, "I understand. It seems I don't have to worry about having no one to take care of me since I have no children."
"Silly boy, what's mine is yours, understand?"
"Okay, I know," San San complained on the phone, "Don't call me a little fool! You're the fool!"
"Alright, alright, you silly boy."
Unable to outmaneuver Chen Yunqi, San San changed the subject and asked, "Brother, what time do you get off work today?"
"It's hard to say yet, let's see how the work progresses this afternoon," Chen Yunqi stubbed out his cigarette, loosened his tie, and said, "I won't be able to pick you up after school. Do you know how to get home by yourself? Aunt Li will start cooking at 5 pm. Eat as soon as you get home, and do your homework after you finish eating. If you don't understand something, you can ask your classmates, or wait for me to come home. I will try to get home as early as possible."
"Oh, okay..." San San sounded a little disappointed, but quickly adjusted her tone and said sensibly, "Don't worry, I'm going back to the classroom now. Remember to eat, don't overwork yourself, I'll wait for you to come home."
"Okay, I've got it. Don't worry," Chen Yunqi said as he pushed open the door and walked back. "See you later, baby."
Back in his office, Chen Yunqi quickly finished his sandwich, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rested for a moment, recalling the process of preparing San San for school during this time.
The school was arranged by Xue Meng. It is less than five kilometers away from Chen Yunqi's home. It is a private semi-boarding school that mainly enrolls students from the urban area. Its teaching facilities and teaching staff are among the best in S City.
The school had only a little over 800 students, most of whom were children of the school's owners. Chen Yunqi, posing as a distant relative of San San, paid the exorbitant tuition fees for him. He specifically asked Tang Yutao to send a certificate of poverty and school dropout issued by the Haiyuan County Education Bureau, along with a copy of San San's household registration. With Xue Meng's introduction, he visited the grade director and the principal, explained San San's special circumstances, and secured an enrollment spot for him.
To attract more students, private high schools face immense pressure in their college entrance exams. Initially, the grade leader was somewhat worried that San San's current situation would prevent him from keeping up with the senior year's pace, thus lowering the already low grade's cutoff scores. After all, he had dropped out of school for a year, and his junior year courses were only crammed by Chen Yunqi, lacking a systematic and comprehensive approach. Fortunately, San San's entrance exam scores weren't too bad. His answering strategies and problem-solving methods showed that although his foundation wasn't strong, he remembered and mastered the knowledge points Chen Yunqi had taught him very well.
In addition, Chen Yunqi also prepared a campus sponsorship plan. Without asking his mother's company for help, he contacted several interested companies through Kevin and spent a whole week securing a considerable sponsorship for the school's new campus expansion project.
During that week, he not only had to run around to help San San with his schooling, but also had to quickly teach San San to live independently and become familiar with his surroundings. He took San San on the subway and buses repeatedly, helped him find his way, taught him how to use various modern public facilities, got him a new house key, and bought him a new schoolbag and stationery. Although the school prohibited senior high school students from using mobile phones on campus, San San was a day student, and for safety reasons, Chen Yunqi still bought him a new one. With the teacher's permission and without disturbing other students, he allowed San San to bring his phone to school until he adapted to the new environment, so that he could contact him anytime if anything happened.
San San saw all of Chen Yunqi's good intentions. In order not to let him down and to let him go to work with peace of mind, San San put in her best effort. She quickly memorized the bus route between school and home, all the station names and the password to the community gate, learned to use most of the household appliances, and could even iron Chen Yunqi's shirts with an iron.
After starting work, Chen Yunqi began working day and night. To ensure San San's nutrition, he hired a skilled and experienced housekeeper to come and cook for him. San San was not used to being waited on, saying that he could eat takeout and clean the house himself, and did not want Chen Yunqi to waste his money. However, Chen Yunqi insisted that he should just focus on his studies and not worry about anything else, his attitude firm and brooking no refusal.
So, for the entire month of August, San San stayed home studying. He took Chen Yunqi as his role model, working very hard and diligently. Except for eating and sleeping, he spent all his time in the study reading and doing exercises. Several times, Chen Yunqi returned home very late and found him asleep on his books. He was so exhausted that he didn't wake up even when Chen Yunqi carried him back to bed. Even Aunt Li couldn't help but praise his diligence and feel sorry for him overworking his brain, so she prepared various delicious meals for him.
Sometimes, if Chen Yunqi came home a little early, San San would thoughtfully heat up a bowl of soup that Aunt Li had made for him, let him sit on the sofa and rest, and give him a back massage and shoulder rub. If he didn't see Chen Yunqi all day, he would occasionally throw a little tantrum, pretending to be angry that Chen Yunqi didn't have time to spend with him.
Aside from visiting Xintiandi and Xue Meng's bar once when he first arrived, San San had only ever bought things at the supermarket near his home. He hid under the covers, waiting for Chen Yunqi to coax him. Only after Chen Yunqi made a long list of promises, like taking him to Disneyland, museums, and the circus whenever he had time, would San San finally show his face for a kiss. Then he would find a small notebook and write things down, making Chen Yunqi sign it as a guarantee that if he didn't keep his promises, he would be punished by sleeping in the study for a month.
They also agreed that San San would go home with Chen Yunqi to visit his grandmother during the Spring Festival this year. He had been to the place where San San grew up, and he also wanted to take San San to see the city where he had lived and the school he had attended as a child. He wanted to take him to sit in that rusty swivel chair, buy him a roasted sweet potato from a roadside vendor, hold his hand and walk on the thick snow, and bring back all those long-forgotten past memories and beautiful recollections to share with San San.
No matter what Chen Yunqi said, San San always answered "okay," her obedient and sensible nature making Chen Yunqi feel sorry for her. Recalling these things, he suddenly longed to see San San as soon as possible, and his whole body was filled with energy and strength.
The afternoon's work went very smoothly, and the entire department, for the first time ever, left work at 10 p.m. Chen Yunqi declined the administrative department's offer to organize a celebration for him, bought a strawberry cake at a dessert shop downstairs from the company, and rushed home.
Upon entering, Chen Yunqi found San San still doing her homework in the study. He quietly placed the cake on the table and stood at the door, watching San San without making a sound. San San was diligently working on her problems under the lamp. After a long while, she looked up and noticed his return. She immediately put down her paper and pen and rushed over, as happy as a child.
Chen Yunqi caught San San as he jumped up, hugged him, and kissed him, saying, "I missed you so much, my baby. How was your day?"
Suddenly, as if she had suffered some injustice, San San hugged his neck tightly, buried her head in his shoulder, and said, "I miss you so much. I feel so lonely all by myself."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, my sweet baby. Did you eat your dinner?" Chen Yunqi carried San San to the dining table, put him down, and pointed to the box on the table, asking, "Do you still have room for cake with me?"
“Yes,” San San untied the ribbon binding the box, lifted the lid, and exclaimed, “What a beautiful cake! Is it some special day today?”
“It’s our San San’s first day of school,” Chen Yunqi said, taking out a candle, lighting it, and smiling at San San. “Come down and sit down, make a wish.”
"Ah, it's not my birthday, will my wish come true?" San San jumped off the table, sat obediently at the table, and turned to ask Chen Yunqi.
Chen Yunqi leaned down from behind him, embraced him, and together they looked at the flickering firelight, saying, "It's a miracle, let's hope so."
Hearing him say that, San San thought about it seriously for a moment, then closed her eyes and whispered, "I hope Mom and Dad can forgive me."
Chen Yunqi thought he could probably guess what San San would wish for—either for her to improve her studies or for Chen Yunqi's work to go smoothly. He didn't expect San San to use this opportunity to make such a wish, and his heart suddenly ached, and his throat choked as he said, "Silly girl."
San San wasn't annoyed when Chen Yunqi called him "little fool." He turned to him, flashing a bright smile and a set of white teeth. His lively eyes curved into crescent moons, and his radiant, innocent smile healed Chen Yunqi. Chen Yunqi reached out and tapped the tip of his nose, then looked at the candlelight and said gently, "Then I'll have one too. Mine should be more effective."
"I just hope my San San can get into university smoothly."
Chapter Seventy-Two Thunderclap
In late October, temperatures in the south remained high, and the entire city was as humid and stifling as a giant steamer. With the car's air conditioning set low, the windows quickly fogged up, and only by constantly rolling down the windows and wiping them repeatedly with tissues could one see the left-side rearview mirror clearly.
Chen Yunqi rejected a call from an unknown number that sounded like a sales call, tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, turned off the noisy music, and turned the air conditioning up, but still felt unbearably hot.
The road conditions were excellent at 2 p.m. When Chen Yunqi pulled into the parking lot, he checked his watch and realized that he was not only not late, but had arrived half an hour early. He parked the car and gulped down most of a bottle of mineral water, which finally made him feel the heat in his lungs subside a little. Looking at the plush lamb hanging on the rearview mirror, he suddenly remembered that at this time last year, he was already carrying his luggage and sitting on the train to Tianyun Elementary School.
The little lamb was a birthday gift from San San to him. One day about two weeks ago, San San was doing his homework alone at home when the local police station's household registration officer came to register residents' permanent residence information. Chen Yunqi wasn't home, so San San called him to ask what to do. Chen Yunqi quickly sent him a screenshot of his electronic ID card, asking him to show it to the police officer for verification and registration. That's how San San learned that his birthday was September 1st, which was also the day San San started school.
That day, San San was angry. He was angry that Chen Yunqi hadn't told him about his birthday, and even angrier that he hadn't known Chen Yunqi's birthday for so long, hadn't seen his ID, and hadn't thought to ask. Chen Yunqi tried everything to coax him for several days, even sleeping in the guest room for several nights in a row, until finally, on a rainy night, he knocked on the bedroom door and scrambled back to his own bed.
Streaks of lightning flashed across the room's windows, and the incessant thunder felt as if it were striking overhead. San San, her back to Chen Yunqi, huddled under the covers, refusing to even offer him a corner of the blanket. Chen Yunqi, wrapped in a fleece blanket, stealthily moved closer to San San at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, constantly trying to distract her with various topics, attempting to cover for himself. However, San San discovered his plan, and his efforts were immediately thwarted; he then moved back to the area outside the territory San San had marked out.
"Baby...I was wrong, please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
"I didn't mean to hide it from you, really. That day was an important day for you, I just didn't want to steal your thunder..."
"Boom—"
Before she could finish speaking, another rumble of thunder sounded outside the window. San San, unfamiliar with the endless typhoon season in coastal cities, shrank even further under the covers in fright. Taking advantage of the situation, Chen Yunqi leaned closer, trying to ingratiate himself, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, let me hold you, okay?"
"No! I haven't forgiven you yet!" San San cried out through the blanket, feeling wronged. "You did it on purpose, taking advantage of my ignorance. You wouldn't let me celebrate your birthday or prepare a gift for you. How could you do this to me!"
Chen Yunqi was so angry he scratched his head. On one hand, he thought about simply pulling back the covers and forcibly subduing him, but on the other hand, he couldn't resist teasing and coaxing him a little longer. So he coaxed him gently again, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I'm going to be struck by lightning! Wife, if you don't care about me, you should care about yourself. Getting angry is bad for your health. It's not a big deal if someone strikes me dead, but what if there's no one to take care of you in the future? You'll end up as a widow with no one to care for you. Just thinking about it makes me feel so sorry for you..."
"You're so annoying!" San San couldn't stand his shameless behavior any longer. She turned over and slapped away the hand that had been on her waist, saying angrily, "Stop imitating Teacher Tang!"
Seeing that he was finally willing to turn around and face him, Chen Yunqi quickly rushed over and hugged him, tightening his arms as he struggled and pushed him around. He coaxed and lied, "That's right, my wife is right. He's the one who led me astray! You've only been away from me for a few days, and I've already developed problems. This can't go on!"
Seeing San San's adorable puffed-up cheeks and huffing expression, Chen Yunqi felt both pleased and delighted. He pressed his advantage, saying, "Baby, don't be angry. I really didn't mean anything by it. I didn't really celebrate my birthday much before. My mom was too busy and always forgot. My birthday is close to my grandpa's, so he would celebrate it and then include me in the celebration. After a while, I forgot about it myself. It won't happen again. I'm really looking forward to having you with me from now on."
Now that the truth was out, San San immediately stopped being angry and hugged him, comforting him, "Your mother definitely didn't forget on purpose, don't be angry with her. I will remember your birthday, and I will celebrate it with you from now on."
“I’ve never been angry with her, don’t worry,” Chen Yunqi felt a wave of tenderness wash over him. “It’s enough that you remember me.”
Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and wind and rain raged, but inside the room, it was warm and peaceful, like another world. San San lay in Chen Yunqi's arms, smelling the tobacco scent on his neck, and said sleepily with her eyes half-closed, "Mmm... I'm sleepy, tell me a story."
“Okay,” Chen Yunqi tucked him in, thought for a moment, and recalled a story his grandfather had told him when he was a child. He gently patted San San’s back and told the story in a deep and gentle voice.