Challenges and Growth

On Monday, August 8, 2016, the alarm clock rang at 6 a.m. in the mist-filled room. Zhou Yang tiptoed downstairs, and the kitchen soon rang with a symphony of pots and pans. The sunny-side-up eggs in the pan were frying to a lace-like golden hue. The toaster dinged and popped out two golden, thick-cut slices of bread—he remembered Xiaofeng's preference for this crispy texture. Meanwhile, the millet and yam porridge prepared for the children had cooled to the perfect temperature.

The entrance at 7:30 seemed to have been fast-forwarded: As Zhou Yang bent over to put shoes on the two children, Xiaofeng was stuffing sweat towels into two small backpacks. "And the water cup..." He took the thermos she offered him, the warmth from the brief contact between his fingertips lingering until he turned and walked out.

At 10 a.m., sunlight slanted through the gauze curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Xiaofeng closed her notebook and stood up to move around. She caught a glimpse of a sticky note on the refrigerator. It was Zhou Yang's handwriting: "There's mango sago in the refrigerator."

At 5:10 PM, at the entrance of the nursery, Zhou Yang squatted down and steadily caught the children who stumbled towards her. On the way home, she stopped by the supermarket to buy groceries. Passing by a gashapon machine, Oscar looked up and asked, "What is this?" "Gachapon machine," Zhou Yang replied. "Do you want to play?" "No," Oscar pointed at himself with his chubby hand and said in a baby voice, "Now you ask me." Zhou Yang looked at him lovingly and asked, "Do you want to play the gashapon machine?" "Yes! Yes!" The two little ones immediately cheered.

At 9:30 PM, Zhou Yang entered the following information into the nursery's system: "Today's vegetable intake: Meets standard" and "Bedtime: 8:55 PM." Xiaofeng walked in with hot milk. He was already planning the next day's meals.

Zhou Yang took the milk and took a sip, then said softly, "Thank you."

Xiaofeng walked over to him and reached out to wipe the milk foam from the corner of his mouth, but Zhou Yang grabbed her hand and, with a little force, Xiaofeng was caught off guard and sat directly on his lap.

Zhou Yang quickly put his arm around her waist, his voice filled with anticipation: "Tomorrow is Chinese Valentine's Day. Let's go out to sea to celebrate tonight, okay?"

Xiaofeng blushed and nodded shyly.

At 5:10 PM on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, the wrought iron gates of the nursery still clung to the day's warmth. After picking up the children, they drove straight to the dock, just in time for the yacht to depart.

As the yacht sliced ​​through the emerald sea, Zhou Yang pushed the lemonade toward the children. Xiaofeng's pearl earrings were reflected in the dinner plates on the table. The sight of her smiling as she peeled shrimp for the children was, in Zhou Yang's eyes, more precious than any rare treasure.

As the yacht slowed down into the sunset channel, the sunset glow suddenly dyed the entire world a honey-colored hue. Zhou Yang adjusted his position on the deck, forming a "human wall" to shield Xiaofeng and the children from the sea breeze. As the twin brother sat in front of Xiaofeng, counting seagulls, he noticed her eyelashes trembling slightly. The shimmering sea surface was now just a large-scale replica of the starlight in her eyes.

The buzzing sound of a swarm of drones rising into the sky woke up the intoxicated twilight. When the words "BE MY GIRL" bloomed in the night sky, Zhou Yang took out not a ring box, but a parenting manual full of sticky notes - each page recorded the children's daily life, eating habits, and even Xiaofeng's menstrual period notes.

"These are the duties of a husband." Zhou Yang's voice was softer than the waves, but it was accentuated by Xiaofeng's embrace. The drone had just transformed into a heart-shaped star ring, and the warmth of her embrace made Xiaofeng suddenly realize that true romance never existed in the sky.

The next day, Zhou Yang's alarm clock rang early. He reached out and touched Xiaofeng's hair. His voice was nasal, just waking up: "Xiaofeng, do you remember? When I kissed you for the first time, I asked you what it felt like, but you didn't answer me."

Xiaofeng's eyelashes trembled slightly, her brows furrowed slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of sleepiness still in them: "I feel very happy." After saying that, she moved closer to Zhou Yang's pillow, "Did the alarm clock ring? I'll get up with you and make breakfast."

Zhou Yang turned over and pressed her under him, his tone lazily saying, "Don't get up..."

Xiao Feng woke up instantly, but his limbs were firmly held by him, so he could only shake his head: "I will be late."

"Won't……"

"I'll do it as soon as possible..."

"Keep your voice down..."

September 23, 2016, at the entrance of the orphanage. Moments before school was over, Zhou Yang was bending over to check the children's safety seats. Two little kids, wearing matching overalls, were led by their teacher. Their tiny leather shoes tapped out a brisk rhythm on the concrete floor.

Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at his watch: "Teacher, is everything okay?"

The ponytailed female teacher smiled gently, with fine lines forming at the corners of her eyes. "Oscar said there's a special mission today."

Zhou Yang knelt on one knee and steadily caught the two little ones who rushed towards him. His shirt was immediately stained with a few smears of colored crayon. "Today's secret mission is—" he lowered his voice, deliberately drawing out his tone, "to pick up Mom from school."

In the rearview mirror, two pairs of bright eyes blinked, and the little feet on the safety seat swayed to the beat of the car music "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

"What are you going to say to Mom when you see her later?"

"Thank you for your hard work!" Two childish voices sounded simultaneously.

As the passenger door opened, a sweet peach scent wafted in. Xiaofeng lowered her head to adjust the hem of her skirt when Zhou Yang placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You!" Her ears flushed, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the seatbelt buckle, her heart skipping a beat.

At the entrance, the red envelope in Zhou Xiao's hand was slightly wrinkled.

"Thank you, Grandpa and grandma!" The two chubby little hands raised high suddenly turned to Xiaofeng and handed the red envelope to her.

Xiao Feng's eyes were filled with tears, and her voice was choked with sobs: "Thank you, uncle, thank you, aunt."

Dusk, like melted honey, thickly enveloped the house. Zhou Yang was in the kitchen, helping Fan Weiwei mix the last of her salad dressing. Xiao Feng sat in the dining chair, feeding the children bananas. Suddenly, Zhou Yang conjured two "flowers" made of vegetable stems from behind her, making the two little ones giggle so hard that they sprayed out the banana residue in their mouths.

"Dinner's ready!" Zhou Xiao called, carrying a clay pot. Goji berries and red dates floated in the golden chicken broth. Fan Weiwei suddenly placed a piece of pig's trotter, trimmed of fat, in Xiaofeng's bowl, then picked up a large piece of fish. "You're so skinny! Eat more meat to build up your body."

The two brothers ate their meals obediently. Lucas looked up from his bowl, glanced at Oscar, and silently scooped up the broccoli from his own bowl and put it into his brother's. Oscar kicked his feet happily, and Zhou Yang smiled and wiped the pumpkin puree from the corner of his mouth.

Under the table, Zhou Yang's knee gently touched Xiaofeng. When she looked up, she saw Zhou Xiao wiping the children's mouths with tissues. His movements were clumsy but gentle.

After clearing the dishes, everyone slumped back onto the sofa. Fan Weiwei picked up a mandarin orange slice, squinting her eyes and smacking her lips. "This mandarin orange is so sweet today, like it's been dipped in honey..." She suddenly turned to Xiaofeng, who was chewing an apple, and asked, "Would you like to accompany Zhou Yang to the business meeting next week?"

Xiao Feng slowed down his chewing and glanced at Zhou Yang: "Brother Zhou Yang, what do you think?"

"Of course I want you to go with me." Zhou Yang's tone was full of anticipation.

Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

As the business meeting approached, Xiaofeng became increasingly anxious, suffering from insomnia and daytime dizziness. On the day of the event, she developed a low-grade fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Zhou Yong stayed at the hospital with Xiaofeng while she received an IV drip, while Zhou Yang attended the event with her children and parents.

The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall illuminated the champagne tower with dazzling brilliance. Amidst the clinking of glasses, no one noticed Jiang Tao in the corner. He made his way through the elegantly dressed crowd, stooped, took the twins by the hand, and led them to the Jiang family's table.

The two little ones were wearing little dresses, their hair was combed meticulously, and they had big light brown eyes and high nose bridges, looking very much like someone. They sat on the bench, deliberately kicking the tassels of the tablecloth with their little leather shoes, and babbling to their fourth grandfather.

Jiang Tao turned sideways and looked up at Jiang Wenqing, only to meet his evasive gaze. The exchange of glances sent Jiang Wenqing reflexively crouching. As his palms touched two soft, small hands, the scent of disinfectant from the delivery room suddenly resurfaced in his memory, as clear as if it had happened yesterday.

Jiang Wenqing lowered his head, trying to hold back his tears, but Lucas's chubby fingers threaded through his carefully styled hair. This unintentional gesture was like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of emotion. He buried his face in the children's collars, which smelled of milk, and said in a trembling voice, "Call me daddy."

The noise in the banquet hall suddenly faded away, and the Jiang family gathered together tacitly, forming a human wall to isolate the flash lights from this warm place.

The sound of Zhou Yang's leather shoes came from far away, and a light cough woke him up from this short dream.

"If Xiaofeng isn't happy," Jiang Wenqing stood up straight, his eyes still red, but his face had replaced with a proper banquet smile, "I don't mind being third for love."

Zhou Yang bent down to catch the twins who were rushing towards him, his tone calm but firm: "You don't stand a chance."

When the three of them disappeared through the revolving door, Jiang Wenqing discovered that the fragrance of the children's shower gel was still lingering on his palms, so sweet that it made his heart tighten.

Xiaofeng, who arrived home first, sank into the sofa like a deflated ball. Zhou Yong came over with a mug in hand. "Drink some warm water first." He bent down and placed the mug on the coffee table. "Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

Xiao Feng picked up the cup and shook his head: "My legs are just weak."

Zhou Yong sat down next to her, the leather sofa creaking slightly. He rubbed his palms together, gathering his words for a long time before speaking. "Sometimes, a person's mental state can affect their physiology." Seeing Xiaofeng's quizzical look, he suddenly switched to a more academic tone. "Neuroregulation disorders can lead to autonomic dysfunction or hormonal imbalances, resulting in psychological and physiological interactions."

"Dad." Xiaofeng interrupted him, his nails unconsciously rubbing circles on the rim of the cup. "I know what you want to say. I just don't dare to go, I don't dare to see him."

"Maybe it was my fault from the beginning." Zhou Yong's voice suddenly became as light as a sigh.

"No, Wenqing is really good." Xiaofeng shook his head, "But I have to learn to let go."

As she spoke, she brought out Jiang Wenfeng's notarized documents. Zhou Yong read them and sighed, "He's trying to ensure you have a comfortable life."

"I really can't hate him..." Xiao Feng buried her face in her palms, her voice leaking out through her fingers, with confusion, "How did it come to this?"

"Let's move on." Zhou Yong suddenly changed the subject, his tone pretending to be relaxed. "Have you and Zhou Yang already started?"

"Yeah." Xiaofeng responded softly.

"Take your time, there's no rush." ​​Zhou Yong took out a card from his inner pocket and handed it to Xiaofeng. "By the way, this is for you."

Xiaofeng turned the card over and over and looked at it: "What is this?"

"Your gift—a physical examination package. Take some time to get a comprehensive checkup, and remember to reserve the VIP access."

Xiaofeng suddenly tilted her head and leaned on Zhou Yong's shoulder, whispering, "Thank you, Dad..." She felt that his body stiffened for a moment, and then a pair of warm hands gently patted her head, like comforting a wronged child.