The chubby girl hugged the gift box, her eyes narrowing into slits with a smile.

"Thank you. Our wedding banquet is scheduled for the sixth day of the first lunar month."

Lin Ziyan nodded, looked at the lemon tree in the yard, and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight.

Back home, Lu Yun Shen couldn't wait to open the gift box.

He paused for a few seconds when he saw what was inside.

Lu Yun Shen opened the bottle cap, took out a star, looked at it for a while, and then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He recognized the logo on the watch immediately; it was from the same brand as the one on his wrist, but it wasn't particularly expensive.

At the very bottom of the box was a thick stack of letters, all wrapped in special envelopes.

There's also a heart-shaped sticky note on top: One note per day.

"Brother Shen..."

Yang Yanzhou suddenly rushed in, looking flustered.

Lu Yunshen slowly closed the box, intending to take them on the plane.

"Brother Shen, is Pei Zhuling returning to China tomorrow?" Yang Yanzhou asked, his hands clenched tightly.

Lu Yun Shen glanced at him lazily. "You got the news?"

Before returning to China, Pei Zhuling sent a telegram to Nie Lei, specifically instructing him not to tell Yang Yanzhou in advance.

When Nie Lei returned to Beijing last time, he had already revealed it to Lu Yunshen.

Yang Yanzhou slumped into his chair, muttering, "Really coming back..."

He rushed back from the port as soon as he heard the news, and now his back is chilly and covered in cold sweat.

His breakup with Pei Zhuling was quite inexplicable; she left the country the week after the breakup.

Because going abroad was a sensitive topic at the time, he didn't dare to inquire too much about Pei Zhuling's situation overseas.

Nie Lei is her cousin, and she will most likely look for him when she returns to China.

Yang Yanzhou felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. If only he had been more resolute back then, things might not have turned out this way...

"After our plane lands tomorrow, her plane will arrive at Beijing Airport at the same time."

"If you still want to see her, just go to the international flight exit tomorrow and wait there," Lu Yunshen suggested.

He also knows some things, but it's not appropriate to say more now.

Nie Lei didn't reveal this because he was afraid Yang Yanzhou wouldn't be able to resist and would fly directly to England to find someone.

Pei Zhuling not only returned after completing her studies, but also had a child.

Nie Lei guessed that the child was most likely Yang Yanzhou's.

Back then, Grandpa Yang intervened to prevent the two from dating because he felt that Pei Zhuling's family background might affect him.

It doesn't have much of an impact now, so Yang Yanzhou simply went into business and doesn't touch military or political affairs anymore.

"What else do you know?" Yang Yanzhou squinted at him.

He's incredibly shrewd when it comes to interpersonal relationships; no one can fool him.

Lu Yun Shen only said this one sentence before he realized something was wrong.

You'll find out tomorrow.

…

Pei Zhuling, who was on the plane at that moment, suddenly sneezed.

She looked at her sleeping son beside her, a complex emotion welling up in her eyes.

With the help of her mother's friend abroad, she was able to take care of her son and study at the same time.

After studying architectural design for several years, when her company intended to open a branch in China, she applied to return without hesitation.

Therefore, the boss specially promoted her to a higher level and said a lot of encouraging words.

A figure flashed through Pei Zhuling's mind, and her eyes gradually welled up with tears.

She received a letter from her cousin, who had left Beijing and gone to Fuzhou with a friend to start a company.

Pei Zhuling lowered her eyes, her expression complicated. She had considered this possibility before, but reality had slapped them in the face.

She looked out the window, lost in memories.

Pei Zhuling only snapped out of her daze when the flight attendant's sweet voice rang out.

She didn't feel tired even though she hadn't slept all night; instead, she felt a little anxious.

Perhaps it's a feeling of trepidation upon returning home...

"Mother…"

Her son's soft, sweet voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Zhouzhou, the plane is preparing to land." Pei Zhuling packed her things, a smile playing on her lips.

Her long, black, curly hair fell down, obscuring her delicate profile, and her almond-shaped eyes were full of tenderness.

She wore a red sweater with dark jeans that accentuated her long, straight legs.

"Mommy, can I see Daddy?" Zhouzhou's bright eyes blinked.

Pei Zhuling's smile froze on her face as she murmured, "Perhaps..."

"If he wants to come," she added in her mind.

If Yang Yanzhou was determined to find out, it would be easy for him.

Yang Yanzhou, who was waiting at the international flight exit, gripped the iron railing tightly with both hands in nervousness.

Lu Yunshen asked the family driver to take his maternal grandparents back first, and stay here with him.

Of course, he was entrusted by his friend Nie Lei to pick up Pei Zhuling.

"Brother Shen, what exactly have you been hiding from me..." Yang Yanzhou stared wide-eyed at the exit.

Pei Zhuling pushed a suitcase, and a child was sitting on the suitcase.

When he saw the child's features clearly, his legs went weak.

Isn't this a miniature version of him?

"A gift," Lu Yunshen said with a faint smile.

He only now realized what Pei Zhuling meant when she told Nie Lei about the gift.

There's absolutely no need for a paternity test; it's 100% my friend's child.

"If we don't go now, they'll leave." Lu Yunshen kicked his friend.

He then strode toward the exit, ignoring Yang Yanzhou, who was still stunned.

“Brother Lu.” Pei Zhuling’s eyes were full of surprise when she saw him.

She never expected that the friend who came to pick her up at the airport would be him.

"Mom, is he Dad?"

"No," Lu Yunshen denied first.

The boy blinked, a fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes.

“Your father is there. He was shocked by the ‘gift’ your mother brought back,” Lu Yunshen continued.

Pei Zhuling looked in the direction he pointed, pursed her lips, whispered a few words in her son's ear, and put him down from the suitcase.

Zhouzhou landed on her feet and ran straight towards Yang Yanzhou without hesitation.

"You're planning to come back and settle down, aren't you?" Lu Yunshen asked casually.

Pei Zhuling breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "Yes, I must come back to build our motherland..."

She had this plan when she was studying architecture, and now is the perfect time.

Pei Zhuling knew that Xiao Jin had been making preparations since she returned to China.

"That's fine." Lu Yunshen helped push the luggage.

She dated Yang Yanzhou against her family's wishes and then chose to study abroad at such a special time.

Now that they have completed their studies, they are returning home with a heart full of dedication to building their motherland.

Pei Zhuling smiled faintly and remained silent, looking at the two people embracing tightly not far away, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

"Mom, why does he look so much like me?" Zhouzhou suddenly asked a profound question.

Yang Yanzhou, "..."

Pei Zhuling squatted down. "Yes, because he is Zhouzhou's father."

When she looked at Yang Yanzhou, it was as if the two had never been apart; her gaze was clear and bright.

Once the three of them were in the car, Yang Yanzhou finally came to his senses, gripped Pei Zhuling's hand tightly, and couldn't utter a word.

Pei Zhuling glanced at her hand being held, but did not pull away.

"Let's talk about it back at the hotel," Pei Zhuling said in a low voice.

Yang Yanzhou nodded, his lips pressed tightly together.

His whole body was tense, as if it were all a dream, yet it felt so real.

Pei Zhuling looked out the window, gently putting her arm around her son's little shoulder, her mood surprisingly calm.

Four years have passed since she left this place, but this familiar feeling brings her peace of mind.