"We're all home now, let's not talk about work. Discuss your work matters during work hours. Let's have dinner."
"Dinner, dinner."
Xu Yunzheng ran towards the dining table.
Everyone else also followed him.
Ever since Xu Yunzheng's first visit, Fang Yue had prepared a child's high chair at home.
The high chair is somewhat taller than the dining table's built-in chairs. Xu Yunzheng couldn't climb onto it by himself, so he stood next to the chair, waiting for Shen Yin to lift him up.
"Xu Yunzheng, call uncle, Uncle will lift you up."
"Uncle."
Shen Lv did just that and lifted him up.
"Thank You, Uncle."
"Oh, no need to thank me, Xu Yunzheng. You're just like me, handsome, obedient, and polite."
All the while touting himself, Shen Lv praised Xu Yunzheng.
Hearing her son's comments from across the room, Fang Yue made a face. There's no way Shen Lv took after her. How could he have such thick skin?
"Cough cough, Shen Lv, don't flatter yourself. Of everyone sitting here, you're the least good-looking. Saying Xu Yunzheng takes after you, if he did, he wouldn't find a partner. Isn't that right, Xu Yunzheng? You take after your mom and dad."
After speaking, Fang Yue looked at Xu Yunzheng and slipped a braised shrimp tail into his bowl.
"Mom, are you personally attacking me again? How am I ugly? Tell me the truth, am I your biological son?"
Looking at Shen Tianzheng and Fang Yue and then at Shen Yin, Shen Lv's expression fell apart. Shen Yin has double eyelids, and so do Shen Tianzheng and Fang Yue. Only he, in his whole family, has single eyelids.
This aroused deep suspicions in Shen Lv.
"Who told you that you're our biological son? We picked you up from a garbage heap. Your suspicions were correct."
Shen Lv.........
"When you find a partner, that's when you'll be our biological child."
Shen Tianzheng took the cue from Fang Yue and continued.
"Dad, mom, it's my birthday today. Can we not talk about my upsetting situation?"
The reason Shen Lv was unwilling to come home was his parents' nagging about getting married. He felt utterly powerless before it.
"So you remember it's your birthday. You're another year older."
Shen Lv was on the verge of tears, hoping Xu Yunzheng would help him.
"Uncle, what's wrong with your eyes?"
Shen Lv's left eye kept winking at Xu Yunzheng.
"Nothing, Uncle is about to make a wish."
Shen Lv stood up and put the birthday hat on Xu Yunzheng's head.
Shen Yin lit the candles on the cake.
"Uncle will make a wish. Xu Yunzheng, would you like to blow out the candles with uncle?"
Xu Yunzheng nodded his head.
"Hold on, Wang Wang, are you sure about your wish?"
"Wang Wang is a dog?" Biting his finger, Xu Yunzheng looked around when he heard the name Wang Wang. Could there really be a dog at grandma's house?
"Mom, I told you, don’t call me by my nickname. Look, you never call sister by her nickname."
Shen Yin:???
"That's because your sister is married. After getting married, you can't call her by her nickname. If you have the guts, get married and I won't call you Wang Wang."
Shen Lv... Was it that hard for him to have a meal or celebrate his birthday? Saying he's another year older, not wanting to be called by his nickname, and the talk turned to marriage again.
"Wang Wang is Uncle?"
The little one by the side, hearing the conversation between Fang Yue and Shen Lv, finally caught up to the fact: Wangwang was not a dog, but an uncle.
"Correct, my pet name is Wangwang, and your mom is called Meow."
…………
Shen Yin, just about to pick up some food with her chopsticks, stops abruptly upon hearing this. It was her first time hearing that she had another name, Meow.
Wangwang and Meow, sounds quite unique.
Shen Yin glanced at Xu Xiuhe. Xu Xiuhe mimed the words "Meow."
Shen Yin immediately looked away, continuing to eat her food.
"Is Meow mommy?"
"Yes, your mom's called Meow. It's no surprise you're mother and son: your mom used to always call me Dog."
"Now she still does, but as a bachelor."
Fang Yue chimed in again. They can't be blamed for putting pressure, after all, which family's son hasn't gotten married by 30? It's not like they were poor.
"Mom, my sweet mom, your son was wrong. He will find someone to marry tomorrow."
"Weren't you pursuing Doctor Ji? How's that going?"
Fang Yue's every utterance was like stepping on Shen Lv's landmine.
"She got married a while ago."
As Shen Lv's voice trailed off, the dining table fell into a sudden silence.
His heartbreak was apparent at first glance.
Shen Lv likes beautiful women, and he has a lot of them saved on his Weibo. As the saying goes, love at first sight; that's how he felt for Ji Qingyan. Strange, but there was a certain allure - Ji Qingyan is the cool beauty type.
Shen Lv finds such looks irresistible. After pursuing her for a long time, gifting flowers and sending messages, Shen Tianzheng fell ill and Shen Lv became busy with work. For a good while, Shen Lv did not reach out to Ji Qingyan.
When everything in the company finally settled down, and he sought Ji Qingyan, she let him know she now had a boyfriend.
Shen Lv thought, having a boyfriend wasn't a problem, and as long as they weren't married, he would wait until they broke up.
A few days passed and Ji Qingyan sent Shen Lv a copy of her marriage certificate.
Shen Lv went on a self-pity spree for a few days, drinking quite a bit.
After regaining his strength, he threw himself into work. Not long after, Fang Yue brought it up again. That's like pouring salt on his wounds, isn't it?
"How about I set you up for a blind date?"
Fang Yue tentatively asked, having given up hope of Shen Lv finding a match on his own.
"Whatever."
Despairing now, Shen Lv didn't care one way or the other.
"Brother-in-law, how are you thinking about it? When can we step aside and discuss it in earnest? I really think Qingwan District is a good idea - it has great potential for growth."
"Alright."
"Another talk? Hurry up and eat, or the food will get cold. Yunzheng, what do you want to eat? Grandma will serve you."
"I want to celebrate my birthday tomorrow."
Xu Yunzheng shook his head, wagging it from side to side.
"Wow, Yunzheng, your birthday is still months away! Birthdays are not something you celebrate unless it's the right day."
"When will my birthday be celebrated then? Yunzheng wants to celebrate."
"Zheng Zheng's birthday is in the first half of the year, the day that Zheng Zheng was born. Zheng Zheng's birthday arrives before Uncle's, it has already passed and only after celebrating the New Year will be Zheng Zheng's birthday again. By then, Zheng Zheng can also make a wish."
Fang Yue patiently explained.
A puzzled expression appeared on Zheng Zheng's little face.
"Grandma, is Zheng Zheng older than Uncle? But why is Uncle taller than Zheng Zheng?"
"Well, how can I explain this?"
The little one's question stumped everyone.
"Grandma said, the birthday is the day when one is born, Zheng Zheng's birthday was earlier than Uncle's, so Zheng Zheng was born before Uncle, so Zheng Zheng is older than Uncle!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha."