Chapter 38
The more Yun Chuman listened, the more convinced she became that the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Gu Jijing.
She wasn't surprised that Gu Jijing knew her phone number. After all, he was the kind of person who could pinpoint the exact coffee shop where he would meet her.
To her surprise, the other party called while drunk.
Just as she was lost in thought, a shattering sound came from the other side, like a glass falling to the ground.
Yun Chuman frowned. Although she didn't want to get too involved with Gu Jijing, he seemed like a decent person and she couldn't just let him get drunk and ignore him.
She raised her voice and asked, "Mr. Gu, are you alright? Is anyone with you?"
Upon hearing the name "Mr. Gu," the two children exchanged a glance and their similar little faces filled with surprise.
Yun Shu leaned close to Yun Juan's ear and whispered, "Elder Brother, is Mr. Gu the uncle who claims to be our father?"
This was a bit convoluted, but Yun Juan understood immediately. He frowned and nodded, "It's him."
"I'm fine, of course I'm fine... Nobody's here with me, how could anyone be here with me..."
Gu Jijing spoke in a muffled voice, his tone choked with emotion, just like when the two children were arguing.
Yun Chuman scratched her head. What a hassle. She didn't want to have such a big, cheap son.
“Yun Chuman…” Gu Jijing sniffed, looking aggrieved, “Can’t I even watch the live stream? Why is the live stream room all black? Did you block me?”
Live stream room?
Only then, Yun Chuman realized that Gu Jijing had been watching the live stream of "Every Family Has Its Own Affairs," but she wouldn't take the blame for blocking him!
She stated very seriously, "Mr. Gu, even though you're drunk, you can't just say whatever comes to mind. I don't have the power to block you in the live stream. If others hear this and misunderstand, they'll definitely think I have some special relationship with the production team."
After a moment of silence, Gu Jijing suddenly whispered, "I'm sorry... I was wrong."
Yun Chuman blinked. Gu Jijing seemed quite well-behaved after getting drunk.
She wanted to laugh but held it in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two children eagerly peeking over. After thinking for a moment, she put the phone away from her ear on the bed and turned on speakerphone.
Gu Jijing's voice was amplified countless times: "I'm sorry... I won't say that again. Yun Chuman, don't be angry. If anyone says you have a special relationship with the production team, I'll help you clarify things. No, I'll help you beat them up!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu tilted her little head in confusion. This voice sounded like the uncle they had seen that day, but it didn't quite feel the same. How strange.
Yun Chuman's lips curled up at once and she said very seriously, "Little Juan and Little Shu, this is what a drunk person looks like. You must remember that you should never drink alcohol, no matter what."
Yun Shu clapped her two chubby little hands together and suddenly realized, "Ah! Otherwise, I would end up like the uncle on the phone and elder brother from before."
Yun Juan's eyes widened slightly and his ears turned a little red. So this was how he was when he was drunk? Although he remembered what he had done, he didn't expect the reality to be even more embarrassing than he remembered!
He clenched his fists. No, he absolutely could not drink alcohol again!
Gu Jijing was still muttering something when Yun Chuman asked, "Mr. Gu, where are you now?"
"Where? Where? Let me see..."
Gu Jijing paused for a moment and then laughed, "I'm at home!"
Yun Chuman felt a little relieved. If he was at home, the probability of danger after getting drunk would be lower. She pondered for a moment and asked, "Mr. Gu, did you just get home?"
"Yeah, how did you know? Yun Chuman, you're so smart!" Gu Jijing started grinning foolishly.
Yun Chuman was speechless upon hearing this, and really wanted to say, "Gu Jijing, your persona has collapsed!"
She sighed and continued, "It's very late now, Mr. Gu, why don't you go to sleep?"
After saying that, she mentally added, just to avoid trouble. If he suddenly felt like messing with the gas, knives, or water and electricity, Gu Jijing would be on the news tomorrow.
Gu Jijing seemed to be considering her words, and after a long while, he smiled and said, word by word, "Okay, I'm going to sleep..."
Not long after he finished speaking, Yun Chuman heard a series of dragging footsteps, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling onto the bed.
"Yun Chuman, I've covered myself. I've been good, haven't I?" Gu Jijing chuckled sheepishly and asked cautiously, "Can you give me a reward?"
If it weren't for his unclear speech and his completely ruined persona, Yun Chuman would have seriously doubted whether he was really drunk and actually wanted a reward.
However, she was still a little curious, so she asked, "Hmm? What do you want?"
"I...I..." Gu Jijing stammered, his voice lowering considerably, "I want to hear a bedtime story."
Yun Chuman was stunned for a moment, and almost burst out laughing. She never expected Gu Jijing to be like this.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu frowned in confusion. They didn't know that adults also needed to hear bedtime stories.
But they soon became alert. This uncle really was there to take their mommy away!
The two children looked at Yun Chuman with nervous expressions and their little faces scrunched up.
Even without speaking, the puppy eyes conveyed a multitude of messages: Is Mommy going to tell him a story? What should we do? What's up with this uncle? He's so strange!
Seeing their expressions, Yun Chuman couldn't help but burst out laughing this time.
When Gu Jijing heard her laughter, he thought she was laughing at him. He felt a pang of sadness and a slight tingling sensation in his heart. He said sadly, "Is it not allowed?"
"Allowed."
Yun Chuman casually placed her phone on the bedside table. "I was just about to tell Little Juan and Little Shu a bedtime story. If Mr. Gu doesn't mind, you can listen in."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu was unhappy and pouted, saying aggrievedly, "Mommy..."
Yun Chuman patted their heads and explained softly, "He's drunk. If he doesn't go to sleep soon, he might do something dangerous."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu seemed conflicted upon hearing this.
"Little Juan and Little Shu, can I listen with you? I've never listened to a bedtime story before," Gu Jijing asked cautiously.
The two children were easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force, and their hearts softened upon hearing his words.
Yun Shu leaned close to Yun Juan's ear and whispered, "Elder Brother, he said he's never heard a bedtime story before!"
Yun Juan frowned slightly: "So pitiful..."
They looked at each other and nodded.
Yun Juan, with a serious expression, said to Yun Chuman, "Mommy, we agree to let him listen too."
Yun Juan raised his chubby index finger and wrinkled his little nose, "But only this once."
“Okay, just this once,” Yun Chuman pinched their little cheeks. “Little Juan and Little Shu are so kind.”
Yun Juan and Yun Shu beamed after receiving the praise.
Gu Jijing's voice was filled with joy: "Thank you, Little Juan and Little Shu, thank you, Yun Chuman. I've closed my eyes now, you can start telling the story."
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan and Yun Shu suddenly felt a strange surge of competitive spirit.
The two children quickly lay back down in their seats, skillfully pulled over their blankets, covered themselves up, and patted their little chests with their chubby hands.
They turned to Yun Chuman and said in unison, "Mommy, we're ready too!"
Yun Chuman was both amused and exasperated.
She didn't refuse Gu Jijing, firstly because she didn't want to get entangled with a drunkard, and secondly because she wanted him to go to sleep quickly and avoid trouble. It would be terrible if she saw news about the president of Gu Group suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning after getting drunk the next day. Unexpectedly, it also sparked a competitive spirit with the two children.
She picked up the storybook and realized that Yang Qingshu had given Yun Shu "Balloon Bear".
Yun Chuman thought the cover was cute. Smiling, she turned to the first page to read it slowly.
Her voice was soft and gentle, and just listening to it made one feel calm and comfortable.
Gu Jijing, Yun Juan and Yun Shu's breathing gradually calmed down, and by the time Yun Chuman finished reading half of it, they had already fallen asleep.
The storybook was quite interesting. Yun Chuman flipped through it for a while before whispering into her phone, "Mr. Gu?"
There was no response from the other end for a while. Only after she was sure that Gu Jijing was really asleep did she hang up the phone.
Yun Chuman smiled, hoping that when Gu Jijing woke up tomorrow, he wouldn't dig a hole and bury himself.
While Yun Juan and Yun Shu may not kick or punch while sleeping, they do create shapes.
Yun Chuman turned her head and saw two children wearing white rabbit pajamas, making the exact same movements.
Chubby arms were raised high, two little legs were bent outwards, and the soles of the feet were facing each other. The blanket covering their body had long since disappeared.
She couldn't resist taking a picture of the Yun Juan and Yun Shu with her phone and posting it on her WeChat Moments. Then she tucked them in before turning off the lights and going to sleep.
The next day, Yun Chuman woke up late, which was unusual for her.
The two children were still asleep, but they had changed from their odd positions to curling up into tiny balls on their sides, with their chubby cheeks squeezed together by the pillow.
Yun Chuman secretly poked their cheeks and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
She had just turned on her phone to do her morning exercises when she suddenly remembered the post she made on WeChat Moments last night.
She casually opened the chat app and, sure enough, had already received quite a few likes and comments.
—Let me be quiet (Mo Rongwen): Little Juan and Little Shu are indeed very artistically talented. They can even pose while sleeping.
—Eating Rainbow (Xu Qiuhong): Where did these little rabbits come from? Elder Sister has carrots here, come over quickly!
—The ocean is all water (Xiaoxi): Save with one click
—It's Yan, not Ran (Feng Yan): Hahaha, my neighbor's son said this is staged.
—It's Ran, not Yan (Cheng Yaran): So cute, but the little tiger is even cuter.
—It's Meow Meow (Li Miaomiao): Ask the two kids what color burlap sack they like.
Yun Chuman replied to their comments one by one. Just as she was about to exit the app, she suddenly received a friend request.
She paused for a moment before clicking on the message with a puzzled look. When she saw the message, she knew who it was without even asking.
The profile picture was all black, and the nickname simply read "Gu Jijing".
Yun Chuman was very curious about what he wanted to say by adding her. Was it that ‘Woman, erase the memories of last night’, or that last night wasn't him, but his second personality, or something like that?
As she thought about it, she clicked "accept," but she didn't greet Gu Jijing. She simply clicked into his chat interface.
Yun Chuman waited for half an hour, but Gu Jijing kept showing "typing is in progress" on his end, without sending a single message. In the end, he only liked the photo of Yun Juan and Yun Shu, dressed as a little bunny.
She rubbed her chin. Was Gu Jijing planning to pretend he didn't remember what happened last night?
She chuckled. This was good. It saved her a lot of trouble.
Yun Chuman felt completely relaxed and started doing the radio gymnastics again, following the instructions to swing her limbs. She hadn't done it for a few days, and her movements were a bit rusty.
On the other side.
Gu Jijing indeed intended to pretend that he hadn't remembered what happened last night.
He knew he couldn't hold his liquor, so he usually didn't drink at all.
However, when he went out to discuss business yesterday, he accidentally drank some fruit juice containing alcohol. He realized something was wrong almost the instant he drank it, and sure enough, his head started to spin a minute later. Fortunately, alcohol didn't affect his complexion, and his business partner didn't notice.
But to prevent any accidents from happening, he quickly asked Yang Feng to take him home.
Afterward……
Gu Jijing opened his eyes groggily, and it took him a while to realize that the blanket was unusually covered up to his chin.
He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, and only after regaining consciousness did he realize that his head was heavy and painful.
He frowned, and just as he was about to rub his temples, scenes from his drunken moments flooded his mind.
Gu Jijing opened his eyes wide in disbelief. He sat up abruptly and instinctively reached for his phone on the bedside table, only to find it empty.
He looked around and finally found the phone under the pillow.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
Gu Jijing felt his throat was extremely dry and his fingers twitched uncontrollably. He hesitated for a moment, but finally picked up his phone.
But the phone wouldn't turn on at all. It had long since run out of battery.
Gu Jijing breathed a sigh of relief. As if stalling for time, he charged his phone, deliberately slowed down his pace, washed up, and even ate breakfast before returning to his bedroom to pick up his phone again.
He closed his eyes, mustered his courage to turn on the phone, entered the password, and entered the call interface. The three words "Yun Chuman" at the top felt like a branding iron, constantly rolling on Gu Jijing's face and ears, burning and painful.
He glanced at the call duration. It was a full hour and a half.
It was not a dream!
He actually called Yun Chuman after getting drunk last night. Not only did he call, but he also cried and said he couldn't watch the live stream, and asked her to tell him a bedtime story! He even asked the two kids to let him listen in!
Gu Jijing put down his phone with a deathly pale face, slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, stared blankly out the window, and finally fell backward with a thud, covering his eyes with his arm.
What was that saying online again? Oh, let him live on another planet...
He was still in shock for a long time, wondering how to explain what happened last night. He knew he wouldn't have the face to call Yun Chuman again, so he finally mustered up the courage to send her a friend request. Texting was better than calling.
However, Gu Jijing regretted it as soon as he sent the message. He stared intently at his phone screen, wondering why there was no option to recall the friend request! This was so inhumane!
Before he could finish his self blame, there was notification that he had already become friends with Yun Chuman.
He stared at the initial profile picture for a long time before tentatively typing, trying to explain, apologize, or even deny, trying all sorts of excuses, but he couldn't send any of them.
Gu Jijing irritably threw his phone aside and stared intently at the ceiling. He had been very careful not to drink, but he still slipped up yesterday.
He took two deep breaths, picked up his phone again, and found that he had accidentally clicked into Yun Chuman's Moments, where a photo of Yun Juan and Yun Shu was prominently displayed at the top.
Under the soft yellow light, even while sleeping, the two little rabbits still had a slight upturn at the corners of their mouths.
Gu Jijing suddenly felt much calmer. He couldn't resist giving it a thumbs up. He could almost hear the voice telling the story from last night.
He sighed and decided to pretend he hadn't remembered.
He rubbed his throbbing temples. The small red mole on his nose hidden in a blush. This drunkenness wasn't all bad. At least... at least... it made him impulsively add Yun Chuman, and he was a little closer to her and their two children's lives.
Moreover, blackouts were very common. As long as he didn't mention what happened last night, Yun Chuman would definitely not know that he can remember.
Gu Jijing reassured himself twice. When he got up again, he was still the decisive and ruthless CEO Gu.
However, what he didn't know was that Yun Chuman already knew about his ability to remember after drinking, because Yun Juan was the same.
The two children woke up not long after Yun Chuman got up. Before their eyes were fully open, they instinctively and groggily joined the radio exercise team.
After they finished exercising, Yun Chuman led them to wash up and have breakfast.
Around eight o'clock, Yang Qingshu knocked on the door.
Yun Shu ran over with her short legs, jumped up and down, and said happily, "Qingqing, the storybook you gave me is so interesting!"
Yun Juan followed behind her and hummed, muttering, "Yeah, it's so interesting that you've fallen asleep."
Yang Qingshu pretended not to hear him and smiled at Yun Shu, "I'm glad you like it. I have other books, I'll bring them to you tomorrow."
“Okay,” Yun Shu nodded with a smile. She glanced at Yang Qingshu’s large schoolbag and asked curiously, “Qingqing, are you going to kindergarten again?”
Yang Qingshu glanced at her watch: "No rush, there's still half an hour."
Yun Shu immediately became excited: "Can I tell you about what's happened these past few days? I've made a new friend, her name is Little Gesang!"
Yang Qingshu nodded and smiled, "I watched the live stream and you all seemed very happy. I'd like to hear your stories."
Yun Shu immediately pulled him toward the sofa.
Yun Juan followed them reluctantly, partly to protect Yun Shu, and partly because he wanted to talk about his new friend.
Yun Chuman smiled at the three children and noticed Yang Fengnian, whose door was still open next door. She quickly took the insulated food container from before and returned it to him, "Thank you, Mr. Yang. It tastes very good."
"I'm glad you like it."
Yang Fengnian grinned, his tone exactly the same as Yang Qingshu's.
He took the insulated box and said, "Must trouble you ith Qingshu. I'll come pick him up for school in a bit."
Seeing that he was about to close the door, Yun Chuman quickly said, "Mr. Yang, I would like to ask you about children's schooling. Qingqing is about the same age as my little Juan and little Shu, and they should be starting school too, but I have absolutely no experience in this area."
Yang Fengnian paused for a moment, opened the door wider, and asked, "How old are little Juan and little Shu this year?"
"Four years old, but they haven't had their birthdays yet." Yun Chuman saw the birth dates of the two children on the household registration book.
“Hmm… four years old,” Yang Fengnian pondered for a moment, “I don’t know what little Juan and little Shu’s background is like, nor do I know what your requirements are, Ms. Yun.”
"How about this, I'll use Qingshu as a reference for you first."
"Must trouble you then," Yun Chuman said.
Yang Fengnian waved his hand and said slowly, "Children face a lot of competition these days, so they should choose key schools for primary school to build a solid foundation. The current enrollment age for primary schools is six to seven years old. If you want to get into a key primary school, Little Juan and Little Shu should start studying now."
“As for the learning methods, there are generally two: parents teach or send them to a good kindergarten,” Yang Fengnian, a high school teacher himself, spoke with much more confidence when talking about his profession. “I have been teaching Qingshu all along, and he has learned things much earlier than his peers.”
Yun Chuman thought to herself, "As expected, Yang Qingshu is ahead of his time."
"Actually, based on Qingshu's current level, he can already get into the city's key primary school, but I don't want him to start school early or skip a grade. Otherwise, he won't be able to make friends, just like I was back then."
Yang Fengnian smiled sheepishly, “If little Juan and little Shu also want to get into a key primary school or find a better kindergarten, I don’t recommend the one nearby which Qingshu is attending. It only plays with the children and doesn’t have a complete early childhood education system. I sent Qingshu there because I didn’t have time to take care of him.”
After he finished speaking, he pushed up his glasses, took out a small notebook from his pocket, wrote down the names of a few kindergartens, and handed it to Yun Chuman: "These are all good, especially Chuying, which is actually an affiliated kindergarten of a key primary school. If little Juan and little Shu can get in here, they can go directly to primary school. The only downside is that it is too far away from here."
Yun Chuman was completely bewildered. She hadn't expected there to be so many things involved in choosing a kindergarten for the children.
“Little Juan and Little Shu are still quite young and they also have to participate in variety shows. You can try teaching them academic subjects at home and consider sending them to kindergarten next year,” Yang Fengnian said with a gentle smile. “Kindergarten is just a transition, so there’s no need to be too nervous.”
Yun Chuman blinked. He had said such a long string, and wasn't nervous?"
She smiled politely and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yang. I will think about it carefully."
Upon hearing this, Yang Fengnian reverted to his usual taciturn and shy demeanor. He waved his hand helplessly, pondered for a moment and said, "If you don't mind, Little Juan and Little Shu can also join in when I teach Qing Shu."
Yun Chuman paused for a moment, smiled politely and said, "I will ask Little Juan and Little Shu what they think. If needed, I will trouble Mr. Yang again in the future."
Yang Fengnian said it was alright, turned around and went into the house to put the insulated box away, came back and called to his son, "Qingshu, it's time to go."
Yun Chuman subconsciously looked at the three children and was surprised to find that Yun Juan had also joined Yun Shu and Yang Qingshu's conversation.
“Little Gesang’s horse is named Red Date. You can come with us next year when we go.” Yun Juan’s eyes lit up as he thought of his good friend on the grassland.
"Qingqing, you can also choose a horse," Yun Shu cheerfully chipped in.
"Mm." Yang Qingshu looked at them with some envy. When he heard Yang Fengnian call him, he waved goodbye with reluctance "Little Shu, I'm going to kindergarten now. I'll come find you after school."
After he finished speaking, he put his schoolbag back on and jogged over to Yang Fengnian.
Two children followed behind him, standing by the door to say goodbye.
Looking at his retreating figure, Yun Shu couldn't help but say, "Elder Brother, Qingqing looks so tired."
Yun Juan pursed his lips and after a long while finally hummed in agreement: "Even his backpack is bigger than him."
Yun Chuman scratched her head. She didn't really agree with what Yang Fengnian had just said. Just like Yun Juan and Yun Shu said, she also felt that Yang Qingshu was very tired.
She was certain that if she hadn't only asked about kindergarten, Yang Fengnian would have told her which university Yang Qingshu would attend, what graduate school he would pursue, and what job he would do in the future.
Yun Chuman didn't need her two children to be academically excellent, nor did she need them to start competing from kindergarten. She hoped they could grow up happily, and she would try her best to discover their interests and provide support.
Of course, this didn't mean she would let the children do whatever they want without studying. She would make sure her two children understand the importance of learning, so they have a sense of expectation and goal about what level they should reach in their studies, and strive to achieve it.
As Yun Chuman thought about it, she led the two children into the house: "Little Juan and Little Shu, rest for a while. Aunt Ranran and Uncle Feng Yan will come to pick you up this afternoon to record a song."
Yun Juan immediately became tense, but also vaguely looked forward to it.
Yun Shu bounced around, raising her chubby little arms: "I can't wait!"
Yun Chuman checked the time and saw that she still had some free time, so she decided to finish her illustration work and let Yun Juan watch. This would not only help him relax, but also teach him how to draw.
As soon as she took out her tools, she received a video request from Xu Qiuhong.
Yun Chuman sighed helplessly. These people used to call her, but ever since they added her as a friend, every time they contacted her it was via video call, just to catch a glimpse of Yun Juan and Yun Shu.
She pressed the accept button, and sure enough, Xu Qiuhong's first words on the other end were: "Little Juan and Little Shu, where are you?"
Hearing her voice, Yun Juan and Yun Shu gathered in front of the camera, tilting their little faces up and smiling as they greeted her: "Elder Sister Hong!"
Xu Qiuhong readily responded, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter: "My darlings, you're awake! Have you eaten? Were you tired from going out these past few days? Oh dear, you all seem to have lost weight!"
Although she called herself the elder sister, she spoke like a doting mommy.
With a serious expression, Yun Juan answered each question earnestly: "I'm awake, I've eaten, I'm not tired, and I haven't lost weight."
Yun Shu pinched her cheek: "I haven't lost weight either. I just weighed myself with Elder Brother, and I've gained a pound."
Yun Juan glanced at her and nodded with a smile: "That's right, Little Piggy Shu already weighs the same as me."
"I'm not a pig," Yun Shu said, wrinkling her little nose.
"Look at your face," Yun Juan said with a mischievous grin, pinching her cheek.
Yun Chuman smiled and shook her head. Yun Juan was completely hurting others by a hundred percent while injuring himself by eighty percent.
He weighed the same as Little Shu, and he called Little Shu a little pig, so wasn't that also calling him a little pig? Only someone like Little Shu, who hasn't even graduated from kindergarten, wouldn't be able to figure that out.
Oh, and there was also Xu Qiuhong, a "mommy fan," who looked at the two kids with a loving smile, completely oblivious to the fact that what they're saying was wrong.
Yun Chuman noticed that the scene behind Xu Qiuhong wasn't an art gallery, so she asked, "Didn't you go to work today?"
Xu Qiuhong seemed to wake from a dream and her expression immediately returned to normal as she looked at her: "Taking a ten-minute break. I'm outside the gallery."
She raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I have good news to tell you."
"What good news?" Yun Chuman asked curiously.
Xu Qiuhong looked around, leaned closer to the camera, and lowered her voice, "I have inside information that your painting is the first place winner in this competition."
She said excitedly, "Manman, you've broken a record! This is the first time a non-graduate has gotten first place. The results will probably be announced in a week."
Although Yun Chuman was confident in her work, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.
Upon hearing this, the two children stopped pecking at each other like chickens and looked at each other excitedly.
Influenced by Xu Qiuhong, Yun Juan subconsciously whispered, "Mommy won an award!"
Yun Shu nodded with sparkling eyes and whispered, "Mommy is so amazing!"
The two children held hands and happily spun around in place.
“Yes, there’s one more thing,” Xu Qiuhong added, “Many people have wanted to buy your paintings during the exhibition. After the competition ends, would you consider holding an auction?”
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan and Yun Shu looked over nervously, and the two hugged each other again, cheek to cheek.
Yun Chuman patted their little heads to comfort them. Just as she was about to refuse, Xu Qiuhong said, "The price this time should be very high. The president of Gu Group also likes your painting very much. With him there, the auction price will not be low."
The president of the Gu Group?
Yun Chuman frowned: "Gu Jijing?"
"Do you two know each other?" Xu Qiuhong paused for a moment and then raised her voice, "The day you returned from Z City, he happened to come to the gallery. After seeing your painting, he waited for you for a long time."
After she finished speaking, she asked doubtfully, "But it doesn't seem like it. He doesn't even know Little Shu's name, nor does he know your real name, yet he asked me to give him your contact information. Of course, I wouldn't agree to that."
Yun Chuman immediately understood that the troublesome President Gu that Xu Qiuhong had mentioned was Gu Jijing. He noticed them not because he saw the trending topics or variety shows, but because he accidentally saw her painting of Yun Shu in the gallery.
Wait a minute, the name Gu Group sounds familiar.
Yun Chuman frowned, trying to recall where she had heard it before.
She glanced at the two children beside her without thinking, and suddenly remembered that Chuqing Children's Clothing was also a subsidiary of the Gu Group!
Yun Chuman was somewhat surprised. She had a gut feeling that these were all coincidences, and Gu Jijing didn't seem like the kind of person who would break his word.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, but even if it was all a coincidence, it was still quite troublesome.
"Manman, what's wrong?" Xu Qiuhong asked with concern.
The two children rested their chins on her lap, tilted their little heads slightly, and blinked their puppy eyes.
Yun Juan frowned slightly: "Mommy, are you feeling unwell?"
Yun Shu held her hand worriedly: "Mom..."
"I'm fine, Little Juan and Little Shu, don't worry."
Seeing this, Yun Chuman quickly comforted her, "Forget it, there's no use thinking about it so much." She then said to Xu Qiuhong, "Xiaohong, I won't sell the painting. It's little Shu's treasure."
Upon hearing this, Yun Shu immediately broke into a grin and even leaned in front of the camera to pat herself: "My treasure."
Yun Juan also chimed in, "We won't sell it. Little Shu will be heartbroken if we do."
Xu Qiuhong was completely charmed by the two children and immediately replied, "Won’t sell, definitely won't sell. I'll take good care of it for you, and I'll personally return it to you after the art exhibition ends."
A smile appeared on Yun Juan's little face: "Thank you, Elder Sister Hong."
Yun Shu said softly, "Elder Sister Hong is so nice, Little Shu likes you so much."
Xu Qiuhong almost fell to the ground, and even shouted, "Cuteness attack!"
Yun Chuman was amused by her exaggerated performance and mischievously reminded her, "You only have one minute left to rest."
Xu Qiuhong's smile froze, and she looked at her with a chilling expression: "Devil."
"Fifty seconds."
"Ahhh, Yun Chuman, you devil!" Xu Qiuhong shouted, but quickly put on a smiling face when facing the two children. "Little Juan and Little Shu, Elder Sister Hong is going to work. I'll come play with you again when I have time."
The two children nodded, waved their chubby little hands at her, and said in unison, "Bye-bye, Elder Sister Hong! Good luck with your work!"
Xu Qiuhong was instantly fully recovered.
After hanging up the phone, Yun Chuman finally felt at ease and began drawing illustrations.
She had originally planned to bring her two children along, but Yun Shu wasn't interested in painting and wasn't very good at it either.
"How about Little Shu watches a movie or an animated film?" Yun Chuman asked.
Yun Shu nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
"What does Little Shu want to watch?" Yun Chuman opened the video app and placed her phone in front of Yun Shu.
The little girl laid on the sofa, swung her short legs, tapped the screen with her chubby little hand, looked up and giggled, "This!"
Yun Chuman glanced at it. It was a movie about puppies.
She patted Yun Shu's little head: "This is good, Little Shu, watch this one."
Yun Shu let out a sound of approval and began to watch intently.
Yun Chuman and Yun Juan sat on the ground nearby.
She was drawing illustrations intently, while Yun Juan rested his elbows on the coffee table, craning his little head to watch her draw quietly.
Yun Chuman would occasionally explain why she drew in a certain way, and Yun Juan would nod very seriously. As he watched, he also got a little itchy to draw. He glanced at Yun Shu lying next to him, found a pencil and a piece of white paper, and started drawing too.
For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the friction of pen nibs against paper and the sound of a movie.
About two hours later, Yun Chuman suddenly heard a sobbing sound. When she looked up, she saw Yun Shu with swollen and red eyes and her chubby cheeks covered in tears.
Yun Chuman was startled: "Little Shu, what's wrong?"
Yun Shu jumped off the sofa and threw herself into her arms, clutching her clothes with her little hands, and said sadly, "Mommy, the little dog was so kind and brave, but it died in the end."
As she spoke, she cried even harder, her little shoulders trembling.
Yun Chuman was both amused and exasperated, wondering what had happened to her.
She patted Yun Shu's back and gently comforted her, "Don't cry, Little Shu. The little dog is so kind, it certainly wouldn't want the people who see its movie to be sad, right?"
Yun Shu blinked, seemingly finding the words reasonable, but tears still streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Yun Juan walked over at this moment, patted her little head, and handed her a piece of paper, "Don't cry, Little Shu. Look what I drew for you."
Yun Chuman and Yun Shu looked over at the same time, and saw that there was actually a lifelike little dog on the paper.
Yun Shu took it with delight, looked at the phone, and then at the drawing: "Mommy, it's a puppy! Elder Brother is so amazing!"
Yun Chuman then realized that Yun Juan had drawn the little dog from the movie Yun Shu had watched.
Yun Shu stopped crying, wrapped her chubby little arms around Yun Juan's neck, and hopped around, "Thank you, Elder Brother! I love this painting!"
Yun Juan smiled and pinched her cheek.
Yun Chuman was surprised by Yun Juan's rapid progress and exclaimed, "Little Juan, you draw so well! You've improved so much since last time!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan smiled with a mixture of surprise and shyness.
In the morning, Yun Chuman helped the two children, and at noon, the two children taught Yun Chuman.
Under their guidance, Yun Chuman finally managed to finish a lunch: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, blanched kale, and steamed pork with rice flour.
Although the finished product was still a bit burnt, Yun Juan and Yun Shu helped with the seasoning and it was still a decent meal, and much better than her previous ones.
Under her influence, the two children never hesitate to praise others.
Yun Juan took a bite of food, smiled, and gave a thumbs up: "Mommy, you've improved a lot!"
Yun Shu exclaimed exaggeratedly, "It's so delicious that I want to eat mommy's cooking every day from now on!"
Although Yun Chuman knew that the two children's words were biased and encouraging, she couldn't help but feel a little proud. However, she hadn't forgotten what had happened before and resisted the urge to post it on her WeChat Moments.
Not long after they finished eating, Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran called her. After getting her exact address, they drove over to pick them up.
Knowing that they were going to record a song today, Yun Chuman specially dressed the two children in black short-sleeved shirts and hip-hop pants, and even pinned a little frog sunglasses on each of their heads.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu seemed to know they were cool, so they deliberately kept a straight face when they stood downstairs.
Yun Chuman kept suppressing her laughter.
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran couldn't stand it. They burst out laughing the moment they saw the two children.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu stood back to back, frowning as they looked at them, as if to say, "What's so funny? Aren't we cool?"
Cheng Yaran covered her ever-turning lips with one hand and gave a thumbs-up with the other: "Little Juan and Little Shu are so handsome!"
The two children immediately burst into laughter and said obediently, "Thank you for the compliment, Auntie."
Not to mention Yun Chuman, Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran also thought they were adorable.
Feng Yan finally managed to stop laughing. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and said to Yun Chuman, "It's a pity we're not singing hip-hop today."
Yun Chuman hadn't expected them to let the two kids sing hip-hop, so she asked curiously, "What will they sing then?"
Cheng Yaran said mysteriously, "You'll find out when the time comes."
She took the two children's hands and couldn't help but squeeze them. Their soft texture felt really nice.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu squeezed her hand, and Cheng Yaran immediately smiled.
Feng Yan watched her with a smile for a while before turning to Yun Chuman and saying, "Chuman, you and Ya Ya go to the recording studio first. I'll take Little Juan and Little Shu to learn the new song. I'll come find you after they've learned it."
Only then, Yun Chuman realized that the two children's tasks today were not simple. They not only had to learn a new song, but also had to go into the recording studio to record it.
She glanced worriedly at the two children beside her who were excitedly skipping and jumping.
Cheng Yaran noticed her worry and winked at her, "Don't worry, Little Shu's musical sense is even better than you think."
"I'm worried about Little Juan," Yun Chuman whispered awkwardly in her ear.
She was afraid that Yun Juan would not be able to learn and would suffer another setback.
Cheng Yaran looked proudly at Feng Yan beside her: "You can rest assured about this. With Feng Yan here, Little Juan will definitely learn how to sing this song quickly. Not only that, he will also gain a lot of confidence!"
Confidence greatly boosted? That was amazing!
Yun Chuman said expectantly, "Elder Sister Ranran, then what about me...?"
Was there also a chance to boost one's confidence?
Cheng Yaran glanced at her, awkwardly looked away, and stiffly changed the subject: "Oh dear, I brought some throat-soothing tea. Little Juan and Little Shu, get in the car quickly, I'll take you to try it."
She started jogging after she finished speaking.
The two little children, with their short legs, ran off while smiling brightly and saying, "Thank you, Auntie!"
Feng Yan chuckled as if watching a joke, and followed after them.
Yun Chuman quickly got into the car and pursed her lips. She would just be a tone-deaf person and never have the chance to experience the feeling of increased confidence in this lifetime!
A note from the author:
Q: What is your impression of your father like?
Yun Juan: After getting drunk, he just starts whimpering [disdain.jpg]
Yun Shu: Can only go to sleep if Mommy tells me a story. [Disdainful emoji]
Gu Jijing: ...Goodbye, Earth
Yun Chuman: Pack your (idol) baggage and have a safe trip!
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