Chapter 121 Moonlight Like Water, Time Flows Like a Song (Grand Finale)
Children always wake up early. Mimi woke up first, lay in her little bed, hugged her panda doll and spaced out for a while, then got up and ran barefoot to the master bedroom door.
Mimi pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside.
Huo Nanchen had just finished his run downstairs, washed up, and was putting on his shirt.
Seeing his daughter's little head, he walked over and squatted down: "Awake?"
"Okay." Mimi nodded. "Daddy, braid my hair."
When Huo Nanchen was at home, he would comb Lin Xili and Mimi's hair every morning.
He has learned many types of braiding and is now very skilled at it.
Huo Nanchen picked up his daughter and said, "Let's go see if your brother has woken up yet."
On the other small bed in the children's room, Nuonuo was still asleep, her little face half-buried in the pillow, breathing evenly.
Huo Nanchen then carried Mimi to the living room, where Sister Li was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
At seven o'clock, Lin Xili woke up. She walked to the living room in her pajamas and saw Huo Nanchen braiding Mimi's hair.
Mimi sat on the small stool, looking very content.
"Mom!" Mimi turned her head, her braids not yet finished, her hair still loose.
"Don't move," Huo Nanchen said softly, deftly dividing his hair into three sections with his fingers.
Lin Xili walked over, sat down on the sofa, and looked at them.
Huo Nanchen tied Mimi's hair into two small braids, secured them with light blue hair ties, and pinned the ends with two small blue snowflake hair clips.
Then he looked at Lin Xili: "Your turn."
Lin Xili sat down in the chair in front of him, and Huo Nanchen combed her hair with a comb.
"A bun hairstyle?" Huo Nanchen asked.
"Yes, it makes you look younger."
Huo Nanchen chuckled softly, "You're still very young."
Lin Xili smiled and said, "I'm not young anymore, I'm already in my early thirties."
Huo Nanchen's fingers ran through her hair, gathering her long hair, twisting it, and coiling it into a bun, securing it with hairpins.
Once finished, he gently pressed down on the bun to make sure it was secure.
"alright."
Lin Xili got up and looked in the mirror in the entryway. Her bun hairstyle looked neat and revealed her entire face and neck.
She turned around and kissed Huo Nanchen on the cheek: "Your cooking skills are getting better and better."
At this moment, Nuonuo also woke up, rubbed his eyes and came out. Huo Nanchen took him to wash up and change his clothes.
Lin Xili and Mimi prepared the things they would bring when they went out: a water bottle, snacks, wet wipes, spare clothes, and a camera.
Sister Li came out of the kitchen. "Manager Lin, Dr. Huo, breakfast is ready."
“Sister Li,” Lin Xili said, “you don’t need to go to the botanical garden today. Take a day off and go back to spend time with your family.”
Sister Li hesitated for a moment: "Are you sure you don't need me to come along and help look after the children? There are a lot of people in the botanical garden, and the two children will be running around."
"It's alright." Huo Nanchen carried Nuonuo, who was dressed neatly, out of the room. "We can take care of her. You can rest today and go back to celebrate your daughter's birthday."
Sister Li nodded and said, "Okay, thank you!"
After breakfast, the family of four went out.
As the elevator descended, Mimi excitedly stomped her feet: "Look at the flowers!"
Nuonuo was quite calm, but her eyes were bright.
The botanical garden is located in the northeast corner of Hong Kong. It covers a large area and is divided into several sections.
Huo Nanchen had made an appointment in advance, and the car drove directly into the parking lot.
At 9:15, there were already quite a few tourists in the park, mostly families or couples.
There are several tall ginkgo trees at the entrance, their golden leaves shimmering in the sunlight.
Mimi looked up, her little mouth agape in an "O" shape, while Nuonuo stared at the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground, wanting to step on them.
"Take a picture first." Lin Xili took out her camera.
They took several family photos under the ginkgo tree, asking passing tourists to take them for them. The family of four stood under the golden canopy, their eyes and brows beaming with smiles.
Huo Nanchen was holding Mimi, and Lin Xili was holding Nuonuo's hand. Just as the shutter clicked, a ginkgo leaf fell and froze at the edge of the frame.
Upon entering the park, we first visited the tropical plant greenhouse, a warm and humid place where various exotic plants thrived.
Mimi was interested in the giant water lily, whose leaves looked like big green plates floating on the water.
Nuonuo stared at the carnivorous plants, fascinated by the structures of pitcher plants and Venus flytraps.
"Does this eat bugs?" he asked, his childish voice full of curiosity.
"Hmm." Huo Nanchen squatted down and pointed to the structure of the pitcher plant. "The insects are attracted by the scent, crawl in, and then can't get out."
Nuonuo looked at it for a long time, then said seriously, "The bug is pitiful."
After leaving the greenhouse, we went to the Autumn Colors Garden, where various trees change color in autumn.
The maple trees are as red as fire, the ginkgo trees are as yellow as gold, and there are also orange maple trees and purple-leaf plum trees.
Nuonuo and Mimi would run around picking up fallen leaves for a while, and then stop to watch the birds in the trees.
Under a red maple tree, Lin Xili took out his camera again: "Take a few more pictures."
At lunchtime, they ate at the restaurant in the park. Mimi was a little unsteady with her spoon, so Huo Nanchen helped her pick up some food.
Nuonuo eats very well on her own, but she will pick out the carrots she doesn't like. But after Lin Xili gives her a look, she will obediently eat them back.
After dinner, we sat in the rest area for a while. The children were a little sleepy and yawned while leaning against their parents.
Lin Xili looked at Mimi sleeping in her arms and said softly, "Nan Chen, by the way, Grandma and Father asked us to go back to the old house for dinner tonight. It just so happens that Xining Xiyu is back from studying in Malaysia and said she misses us too."
Huo Xining and Huo Xiyu are eleven years old. In recent years, the two children have occasionally come to their home for weekends and have a very good relationship with Nuonuo and Mimi.
They went on a study tour to Malaysia with their school during the summer vacation and just returned.
Huo Nanchen nodded: "Okay."
Nuonuo, nestled in his arms, was already asleep, her little face pressed against his chest.
Huo Nanchen adjusted his position to make the child more comfortable.
After resting for half an hour, we continued exploring, visiting the aquatic plant area and the rock garden in the afternoon.
Mimi woke up, her energy restored, and started running around again.
Nuonuo woke up, but was still sleepy and kept wanting to be held.
"Let me do it." Lin Xili took her son.
Huo Nanchen held his daughter's hand to prevent her from running too fast and falling.
The family of four strolled slowly, looking at the water lilies in the pond, the succulents on the rockery, and the small bridge over the flowing water.
In a corner of the rock garden, Lin Xili suddenly stopped.
There was a small patch of blue plumbago growing there, its blue flowers standing out against the gray and white rocky background.
“Look,” she whispered, “blue snowflakes.”
Huo Nanchen saw it too. The two stood in front of the flowers and looked at them for a long time.
Mimi wanted to pick it, but Lin Xili stopped her: "It will hurt the flower."
Mimi seemed to understand, but withdrew her hand.
By the time we got back, the children were exhausted and fell asleep shortly after getting in the car.
Lin Xili sat in the passenger seat, flipping through the photos on her camera, one by one, recording the entire day from when she left home in the morning until just now.
"It's a really good shot," she said.
"Okay." Huo Nanchen focused on driving.
They went home first, changed their clothes, and then went to the Huo family's old residence.
Huo Xining and Huo Xiyu were already waiting at the entrance of the main hall. Both children had grown much taller. Huo Xining had her hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing a light-colored dress.
Huo Xiyu was wearing a shirt and trousers, standing upright, but with an expectant smile on her face.
"Uncle! Aunt!" they greeted.
Lin Xili got out of the car and hugged the two children: "Did you have fun?"
"I'm so happy!" Huo Xining's eyes sparkled. "The sea in Malaysia is so blue, and we even saw sea turtles."
Huo Xiyu added, "The rainforest is also amazing, with many plants I've never seen before."
Just then, Grandma Huo came out of the house. "Nan Chen, Xi Li, come quickly, I just made some soup."
Huo Donghua was sitting on the mahogany sofa in the main hall, reading a newspaper.
Seeing them come in, he put down his newspaper and nodded.
Over the past four years, the relationship between father and son has improved a lot. Although they still don't talk much, the tense sense of estrangement has disappeared.
“Father.” Huo Nanchen nodded slightly.
"You're here." Huo Donghua's gaze lingered on Lin Xili for a moment. "I heard from Qing Shu that you've become a supervisor."
Lin Xili nodded: "He was appointed not long ago."
"Okay." Huo Donghua didn't say much more. "Do a good job."
Lu Qingshu was promoted to vice governor last month and has been even busier with work, so she hasn't returned yet.
Huo Nanyu is still managing the family business at the company and will arrive later.
Xining and Xiyu showed Nuonuo Mimi the gifts they brought back from Malaysia.
A wind chime made of seashells, a small wooden elephant, a herbarium, and a box of tropical Musang King durian candy.
The two three-year-olds stared wide-eyed, especially Mimi, who was captivated by the wind chimes.
“This is for my sister,” Huo Xining said.
Huo Xiyu then picked up a herbarium and showed Nuonuo the pressed tropical leaves inside, saying, "These leaves are very large..."
Nuonuo looked at it intently, her little hands gently touching the plastic film on the specimen.
Dinner was ready, and everyone sat around the table. Grandma Huo sat in the main seat, Huo Donghua was on the left, Huo Nanchen was on the right, Lin Xili was next to Huo Nanchen, and the children sat down in order.
Although the meal was still conducted according to the Huo family rules, the atmosphere seemed to have lost its former seriousness.
After the meal, we went to the pavilion in the courtyard to drink tea, and the children surrounded Grandma Huo, basking in her warmth.
“Xining, Xiyu, tell me about Malaysia,” Grandma Huo said.
Huo Xining began to recount his travel experiences: the azure sea, the pristine white sand beaches, the giant sea turtles laying their eggs, and the various novel snacks at the night market.
Huo Xiyu added details: the types of tropical plants, local cultural customs, and climate characteristics.
Nuonuo and Mimi listened intently, even though they didn't understand much of it, their eyes were always fixed on their older brother and sister.
"When you grow up, you can go too," Lin Xili said to the two innocent children.
"I want to go~" Mimi said in her childish voice.
Nuonuo tilted her little head and thought seriously for a moment, "I want to go to a place where there is snow~"
Huo Donghua smiled, a rare occurrence, and looked at Nuonuo, "Want to go skiing?"
Nuonuo nodded.
"Okay, when you're a little older, Grandpa will take you to Mohe."
"Great!" the children exclaimed excitedly.
After finishing his tea, Huo Donghua stood up and said, "Nan Chen, come with me to the study."
After Huo Nanchen left with Huo Donghua, only Grandma Huo and Lin Xili remained.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, accompanied by the laughter of children.
“Xi Li,” Grandma Huo said slowly, “you’ve had a tough four years.”
Lin Xili shook his head: "It wasn't hard work, it was very fulfilling."
“It’s not easy to balance work and family.” Grandma Huo looked at her with loving eyes. “But you’re doing a great job, and so is Nan Chen.”
"A family should support each other." Grandma Huo paused, then added, "The path to officialdom gets harder and harder the higher you go, especially for women. It's not easy!"
Lin Xili put down her teacup. "Grandma, I have Nan Chen and the support of my family. I'm not afraid."
The moment Lin Xili conceived twins, she understood that balancing family and career requires the joint efforts of the whole family.
It was past nine o'clock, time to go back. The children were already sleepy. Mimi was yawning on Huo Xining's shoulder, and Nuonuo was rubbing her eyes.
Huo Xining and Huo Xiyu were reluctant to part, saying they would come back to visit their younger siblings next weekend.
Lin Xili leaned back in her chair, looking at the night view outside the window.
Four years—it's both short and long. It feels like just yesterday that I first saw those two tiny gestational sacs on the ultrasound image.
Nuonuo and Mimi have grown from babies in swaddling clothes into little people who can run, jump, talk, and think.
"Tired?" Huo Nanchen's voice came through the phone.
"A little." Lin Xili closed her eyes. "But I'm very happy, very fulfilled."
The car drove into their residential area, parked, Huo Nanchen first carried Mimi, and Lin Xili carried Nuonuo, and they took the elevator upstairs.
They settled the children in and covered them with blankets.
When Lin Xili came out after washing up, Huo Nanchen was watering the blue snowflakes on the balcony.
She walked over and stood beside him. "Nan Chen."
Huo Nanchen put down the kettle and turned to look at her.
She said, "I impulsively married you because of family issues. They say impulsiveness is the devil, but I'm very lucky. Since meeting you, I've been happy."
Huo Nanchen didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Life may have hardships, challenges, and exhaustion, but it is also filled with warmth, growth, and every step we take together.
The moonlight is like water, the years are like a song, the future is long, and they will always protect the warmth.
—The End—
Huo Nanchen and Lin Xili will live a happy and fulfilling life together for the rest of their days.
Thank you everyone for your support!
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