Chapter 67

After the wedding, the family of three flew directly to Northern Europe and played in a fairy tale world for nearly a month before returning home at the end of August. Cheng Liqi called her great uncle, little uncle and Stepfather Shi as soon as she got home, and then called her good friends one by one. She bought gifts for everyone and only called Shen Chuqi last because she had the most to say to Shen Chuqi.

Shao Chengze was also making calls, reporting to his mother and mother-in-law that they had arrived home safely. Lv Siwei and her group of good sisters were still vacationing on the islands. They would not be back until October. Fei Zuhui and Cheng Shanhe had embarked on a world tour. At the beginning of this year, Cheng Shanhe stepped down from his position as the head of the Cheng family, handing over all the company’s affairs to Cheng Jinchuan. After their daughter’s wedding, the couple set off from the island, heading south. They were in no hurry, playing for two days and resting for three. They planned to spend three to five years to visit all the scenic places.

Cheng Jinchuan had just gotten out of the shower when the two were still on their calls. She understood her daughter being on the phone for so long, after all she hadn’t seen Little Chuqi in such a long time, so they must have endless things to talk about. But why was he still on the phone after such a long time? Cheng Jinchuan went over to Shao Chengze and wanted to hear what was being said on the other end of the phone.

She had just gotten out of the shower and her slightly damp hair carried a citrus scent, brushing lightly against the back of his hand. Shao Chengze put his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, responding with “I know, Dad,” to the other end of the phone, indicating that he was listening carefully.

Cheng Shanhe was giving his son-in-law a lesson, imparting the ways of getting along with his wife. To summarize it in one sentence: Don’t think that everything will be fine just because you’ve finished the wedding and gotten the certificate. If you dare to treat my daughter badly and make her sad or angry, I won’t let you off easy.

Cheng Jinchuan took the phone from Shao Chengze, “Dad, how are you and mom enjoying yourselves?”

As soon as he heard his daughter’s voice, Cheng Shanhe immediately changed his tone. Fei Zuhui heard that it was now her daughter on the phone and immediately snatched the phone from Cheng Shanhe. She was tired of listening to him talk. If it wasn’t for not wanting to ruin his image as a father-in-law in front of his son-in-law, she would have just hung up the phone.

Fei Zuhui chatted with her daughter briefly before briskly ending the call. The young couple had their own lives to lead, and if the elders interfered too much, it would likely have the opposite effect. Of course Cheng Shanhe also understood this reasoning, but his desire to act as father-in-law had not yet been satisfied, so he still needed to put on the father-in-law attitude when appropriate.

Shao Chengze fully understood his father-in-law's attitude towards him. After all, he didn't want to have too good of an attitude towards Shen Chuqi either. His fingers coiled a strand of her black hair that hung down by her ear. "Is Little Liqi still on the phone?"

Cheng Jinchuan smiled. "Who made you keep using the time difference as an excuse while you were away, making it so the two little ones couldn't get through on a call for three days straight? Of course now that we're back she has to get her fill all at once." She stroked his rough stubble, they had sat on the plane for over ten hours before finally landing this afternoon, and he had not yet shaved, so there was a layer of bluish stubble on his chin. "Alright, go take a shower, Aunt Qu is almost done making dinner."

Shao Chengze held her without letting go, his gaze deep as he looked at her. During the over a month they spent in Northern Europe, although they stayed in hotel suites, because they were out traveling, Cheng Jinchuan didn't feel at ease with their daughter sleeping alone, and Cheng Liqi also didn't dare sleep in a room by herself in the unfamiliar environment. So although called a honeymoon, there actually wasn't much sweetness about it.

Cheng Jinchuan cupped his face and kissed the corner of his lips. "Keep the stubble for now, I'll help you shave later tonight."

The arms Shao Chengze had wrapped around her waist suddenly tightened, and his deep gaze also tightened, his dark eyes glowing as he locked her in his eyes. "Really?"

"Mm, but you have to be responsible for coaxing Liqi to sleep."

Coaxing their daughter to sleep was no difficult task. By now Shao Chengze was fully adept at storytelling skills, and usually after he finished one story, his daughter would already be breathing evenly in sleep.

At 9 pm, Cheng Liqi went to bed on time, but she wasn't sleepy at all. Firstly because she had slept the whole way over on the plane, and also because the jet lag hadn't reversed yet. Shao Chengze told three stories and Cheng Liqi's big bright eyes were still alertly sparkling, waiting for Dad to tell a fourth story.

Shao Chengze stroked her hair spread over the pillow and gently asked, "Little Liqi, aren't you sleepy?" Cheng Liqi shook her head. "I'm not sleepy at all, is Dad sleepy?"

Shao Chengze replied, "A little bit."

"Then Dad should go to sleep, I'll call Shen Chuqi and have him tell me stories. He said he has several new stories he wants to tell me."

Not only was Shao Chengze not sleepy at all, even if he was dead tired, he still had to prop his eyelids open to coax his daughter to sleep before he could go to sleep himself.

After Shao Chengze told the seventh story, Cheng Liqi was sprawled on the bed, propping up her chin in her hands, blinking her eyes even more merrily.

Shao Chengze set down the fairytale storybook and pulled the little one into his arms. "Little Liqi, how about Dad sings you a lullaby? Do you have one you want to hear?"

Cheng Liqi pillowed her head on Dad's arm, thinking about which lullaby she wanted Dad to sing. Just then, Shao Chengze's phone rang on the bedside table. It was Li Peifeng calling. Why was he calling at this time? Shao Chengze picked up. The voice coming through the phone was Shen Chuqi's. "Uncle, it's Little Chuqi. Did Little Liqi fall asleep yet? I suddenly remembered something I wanted to tell her."

Shao Chengze was just about to say she was asleep when Cheng Liqi had already heard Shen Chuqi's voice. She rolled over and tumbled to Dad's ear, asking the person on the phone, "Shen Chuqi, what did you want to tell me?"

Shao Chengze could only switch the call to speakerphone.

Shen Chuqi replied, "I'm going to grandma's house tomorrow. Do you still want beef jerky? If you want some I'll have my grandma make extra this time."

"Great, granny Shen's beef jerky is the most delicious."

Shen Chuqi was very happy. "Then I'll have granny make a whole lot, and bring it all back for you."

"You don't need to make a whole lot, that would be too tiring for granny Shen. It's fine if you just bring three back."

"I'll help granny so she won't get too tired."

Shao Chengze listened to the two chatting back and forth, unable to get a word in edgewise. He coughed lightly several times, and when Shen Chuqi heard uncle's coughing, he realized it was probably time to hang up. "Cheng Liqi, I'll talk to you again tomorrow after I get to granny's house. You should go to sleep now, it's very late."

Cheng Liqi held the phone in her hands. "But I'm not sleepy at all yet, I slept too much on the plane. Shen Chuqi, are you sleepy? Let's chat for a bit."

Shao Chengze coughed even louder. But this time Shen Chuqi didn't get the hint from uncle's coughing. He said to Cheng Liqi, "Then I'll tell you a story."

"Yay!" Cheng Liqi lay back down in Dad's arms. "Shen Chuqi, Dad and I will listen to your story together."

When Shen Chuqi heard that uncle was also going to listen, he stumbled over the words he was just about to say. But he took a breath to steady himself, adjusted his breathing, and started from the story's setting.

Shao Chengze listened to the childish voice coming through the phone, his brow furrowed deeply. Could you call this storytelling? The exaggerated tone was more like singing opera. But it was precisely this sort of childish yet exaggerated storytelling that made the little one in his arms gradually close her eyes.

Shen Chuqi also heard the silence on the other end of the phone. He softly asked uncle, "Uncle, did Little Liqi fall asleep?"

Shao Chengze reluctantly murmured affirmation.

"Then I'll hang up first. Good night, uncle." Shen Chuqi said in an even smaller voice. Shen Chuqi had helped accomplish what he had been anxious to do yet unsuccessful at all evening. Shao Chengze didn't know whether to feel more happy or angry about it. His current mood was complex to say the least. He carefully slid his arm out from under his daughter's head, then tucked the blankets around her once more. If it wasn't so late, he really wanted to call his father-in-law - he felt like his father-in-law was the only one who could understand his current mood.

Shao ChengZe returned to the bedroom, Cheng Jinchuan had fallen asleep waiting for him. He gently kissed her forehead without waking her up. After sitting on the plane for so long, she was tired too.

Cheng Jinchuan slept very soundly this time. Sleeping in her own bed after a long journey was the most comfortable. In her half-awake state, she felt the scorching heat pressed against her waist. As she moved, the person behind her moved with her, holding her waist and pressing her against him.

"Awake?" The hoarse voice mixed with heat blew against her ear. The prickly stubble scraped her neck, reminding her of what she had promised last night.

Cheng Jinchuan turned her head back to look at the man behind her, and asked groggily, "You didn't stay up all night, did you?"

Shao ChengZe kissed the corner of her lips. "You'll have to make up for it."

Cheng Jinchuan smiled vaguely under his kisses. "Don't blame me. I was waiting for you the whole time. It's not my fault that you, as a dad, weren't up to it and spent nearly three hours trying to get our daughter to sleep without actually getting her to sleep."

At the mention of last night's events, Shao ChengZe felt annoyed and wronged. As a dad he had been outdone by a brat, and he didn't even know who to complain to.

He leaned over and swallowed all her words into his belly.

Outside, the sky had just begun to brighten. In the greyish sky, all the stars had lost their light. The moon left a faint shadow behind. The sun was still below the horizon, but the summer heat had already awakened, enveloping Cheng Jinchuan. Sweat rolled down her cheeks under the constant thrusting, dripping onto his lips and into his mouth. She couldn't withstand his scorching gaze or the waves of heat below her body. She finally passed out.

When Cheng Jinchuan woke up again, the man was no longer by her side. She picked up her phone and saw that it was past nine. Leaning against the headboard, she replied to some work messages, then nestled in bed a while longer before finally getting up in her slippers. The room was quiet. The air carried the faint aroma of food. She could hear the faint laughter of Cheng LiQi outside. Cheng Jinchuan casually grabbed a hair clip from the table and gathered up her hair as she walked towards the yard.

Father and daughter were picking grapes under the grape trellis. Seeing her mother come out, Cheng LiQi happily ran to her mother's side, holding up the basket for her mother to see. "Mom, look! So many grapes, aren't they as beautiful as pearls?"

The grape vines that had been transplanted last year were now laden with glistening, translucent grapes.

Cheng Jinchuan stroked her head. "They really are as beautiful as pearls."

Shao ChengZe turned around, and their eyes met filled with uncontrollable smiles.

"Hungry?" Shao ChengZe asked.

"A little," Cheng Jinchuan replied.

"Then let's eat."

"Yay, food!" Cheng LiQi cheered loudly.

The morning sun wasn't too harsh yet, softening the smiles on the three with a veil of gentleness.

What is happiness?

Perhaps just a simple meal, together with your loved one.