He actually hated sweets.
When they were young, Si Nian always loved giving him pastries, which he detested.
They all ended up in that girl Fu Qianqian's mouth.
Because his sister loved them, he never said anything.
This led Si Nian to believe he liked them, and she would always find new ways to give him various exquisite pastries.
But Si Nian didn't know he had never tasted a single one.
Of course, Fu Yang didn't feel he owed Si Nian any apology.
Because giving gifts was her own wishful thinking.
He had never asked her to.
But now, for some reason, he suddenly felt a strong urge to try one.
He expected it to be cloyingly sweet, but as the pastry entered his mouth, it was fluffy, savory, and melted on the tongue.
Even after swallowing, a delightful fragrance lingered between his lips and teeth, leaving a lasting aftertaste.
He was taken aback.
Grandma Jiang, seeing his expression, laughed. "How is it? Delicious, right? You have to admit, that girl really has a talent."
Fu Yang was somewhat dazed.
He had always thought desserts were awful, too sweet and greasy.
Just like Si Nian herself, sticky and clingy, annoyingly persistent.
But now he realized that wasn't the case.
He pursed his lips and looked at the delighted Grandma Jiang.
"Auntie Jiang, do you know her?"
Grandma Jiang was momentarily confused, not understanding his meaning. "You mean Nian Nian? The one who brought me the pastries?"
Fu Yang nodded. "Yes."
Grandma Jiang said, "Of course I know her, otherwise she wouldn't have sent me food. But why do you ask?"
Fu Yang paused, thinking to himself that perhaps Grandma Jiang was avoiding mentioning his past with Si Nian.
After all, he was already married to Lin Sisi, so maybe she was steering clear of the topic?
Thinking this, he shook his head, said nothing more, and bid farewell to leave.
Grandma Jiang was utterly bewildered.
Why was this young man asking about Si Nian out of the blue?
Could it be that he saw her coming to deliver something earlier and was captivated by the girl's peerless beauty?
That seemed possible.
After all, that child was so beautiful. Forget men, even an old woman like her couldn't help but adore her.
What a pity though, she was already married. No chance for him.
So, Grandma Jiang didn't elaborate either.
After leaving the Jiang residence, Fu Yang sat in his car for a while.
Pondering Grandma Jiang's words.
So, Grandma Jiang did know Si Nian.
Si Nian even sent her pastries, undoubtedly to curry favor and use that as a means to get closer to him.
Perhaps Grandma Jiang even helped her find this house.
Otherwise, given Si Nian's current situation, how could she possibly afford to live in such a nice place?
He had looked into Zhou Yueshen's background before.
Thirty years old, with three adopted sons.
Someone as proud as Si Nian, even if she didn't say anything outwardly, surely wouldn't be content to spend her life with a man like that.
Now that she was back in the city, her first move was to find someone connected to him.
To get close to him, she really went to great lengths.
Fu Yang shook his head.
Perhaps because he had figured it out, he felt unexpectedly good.
Fine, let bygones be bygones.
If she had truly gone this far for him, then if things didn't work out with that Zhou fellow in the future, he might not be unwilling to take her in.
After all, he had no intention of staying with a woman like Lin Sisi either.
After Si Nian left, many women had approached him.
But upon getting to know them, Fu Yang found none who could sacrifice for him the way she had.
If not for that accident, if she hadn't been the adopted daughter...
Perhaps by now, she would already be his wife.
Fu Yang turned his head slightly, looking towards the neighboring house.
It wasn't until his guard reminded him that he signaled to leave.
Just as the car drove off, someone emerged from the house.
Zhou Yueshen walked out with a broom, heading towards the pond in the yard.
A military-green SUV passed by the gate. He lifted his gaze and glanced at it.
He was about to take a closer look when Si Nian came out.
"Zhou Yueshen, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zhou Yueshen withdrew his gaze and looked at her.
"It's still early. I'm cleaning the pond to fill it with water."
The pond wasn't very large, with a small rockery inside.
It had gathered dust for a long time, and weeds had grown at the bottom, needing cleaning.
Hearing this, Si Nian smiled, her features clear and lovely.
This man really couldn't sit still.
Busy running around all day, he never seemed to tire.
She took a few steps forward. "Let me help you."
"Hold me steady, I'm coming down."
She looked down cautiously at the pond's edge.
Zhou Yueshen strode over in two or three steps. His large, strong, and warm hands gripped her under the arms and effortlessly lifted her down.
Si Nian was still wearing slippers; she had only come to call Zhou Yueshen to bed.
She hadn't expected the old man to be so restless.
Just as she steadied herself, two loud "booms" suddenly echoed in the sky, startling her so much she nearly stumbled.
Zhou Yueshen steadied her.
Both looked up instantly towards the sky.
A massive firework exploded in mid-air, its fragmented light scattering in all directions, instantly illuminating the two of them.
Si Nian's mouth fell open slightly, somewhat dazed. "So they already had such beautiful fireworks in this era."
Zhou Yueshen paused, withdrew his gaze from the sky, and looked down at her. "This era?"
Si Nian realized her slip of the tongue and quickly averted her eyes, smiling. "I mean, it's been a long time since I've seen such pretty fireworks."
They had bought some before at home, but nothing this spectacular.
Fireworks like these were something she could only afford when she was in her twenties in the future.
When she was a child, they were just single sticks of fireworks you lit yourself, held in your hand, going 'pop, pop, pop' as they sprayed out.
That's the kind she had bought for the second child and the others before.
The kids had been thrilled setting them off.
People in the village loved setting off those too.
Although New Year's was over, the city was still lively.
Someone was actually setting off fireworks.
Zhou Yueshen looked down at her, noticing a strange, distant emotion on Si Nian's face.
Even though she was right in front of him, at this moment, she seemed far away.
As if the person before him didn't belong to his world.
As if she might vanish in an instant.
His breath hitched.
Si Nian suddenly looked back at him. Seeing the man's furrowed brow and tense expression, she was taken aback. "What's wrong?"
The next second, the man raised his hand and, under her surprised gaze, cupped the back of her head, lowering his to kiss her deeply.
...
Fu Yang had just returned home when he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned to see Fu Qianqian walking in, laden with large and small bags, her smile even brighter than his.
Fu Yang frowned slightly. "Why are you back so late?"
Although his sister was an adult, the Fu family had strict rules and wouldn't allow Fu Qianqian to be out late or stay overnight.
How come she was back so late today?
Seeing him, Fu Qianqian's wide grin instantly vanished. "I was shopping."
Fu Yang looked at the things in her hands, his frown deepening. "When did you develop such extravagant habits?"
Fu Qianqian rolled her eyes. She was about to say 'none of your business,' but then she remembered what Yu Dong had said about Si Nian earlier that day. Her eyes suddenly gleamed with a thought.
