Half an hour later, the three of them walked out of the shop dressed in wizard robes.
He Yun'an raised his camera. "Uncle, Auntie, let me take a photo of you!"
Sang Ning linked arms with He Siyu, tilting her head slightly toward him as she smiled brightly at the camera.
He Siyu glanced down at her radiant expression, his heartbeat gradually quickening. He pressed his lips together but couldn’t suppress the faint upward curve at the corners of his mouth.
They played all morning and didn’t stop for lunch until noon at a nearby restaurant.
While He Siyu went to order food, Sang Ning scrolled through the photos they had taken, selected nine, and posted them on her social media.
Within moments, the post was flooded with likes.
He Yun'an was overjoyed, chattering excitedly about which attractions they should visit in the afternoon.
Since they were already tired from the morning and He Yun'an kept talking nonstop, they ate slowly.
By the time they finished, it was almost two o'clock.
As they were about to leave, Sang Ning had just stood up when she heard a voice call out,
"Miss Nan."
Sang Ning turned, her expression flickering with hesitation. "You are…?"
The woman before her wore a well-pressed suit, her hair tied in a low ponytail, exuding both professionalism and approachability.
She spoke politely, "I’m Zhao Yunke, the lawyer who handled the equity distribution contracts for your startup team before."
Sang Ning finally remembered. "Attorney Zhao, hello."
She was a senior lawyer at Junping Law Firm.
They had only met briefly a year ago. Though they had exchanged contact information and added each other on social media, they hadn’t interacted since.
Sang Ning extended her hand, and Zhao Yunke shook it.
"Are you here at the amusement park too?" Sang Ning asked cordially.
Zhao Yunke smiled. "I was just here for work and happened to pass by. When I saw you, I thought I’d say hello. I hope I’m not intruding."
"Not at all."
While they spoke, He Yun'an was pestering He Siyu to play cards with him. He Siyu responded half-heartedly, occasionally glancing at Sang Ning with a look that asked when they were leaving.
Zhao Yunke’s gaze lingered on He Yun'an for a moment before she asked with a smile, "Is this your nephew, Miss Nan?"
Sang Ning quickly introduced him. "Yes."
She patted He Yun'an’s shoulder. "Yun'an, say hello to Auntie."
He Yun'an hated greetings but still obediently mumbled, "Auntie."
Zhao Yunke pressed her lips together slightly, smiling. "What a well-behaved child."
He Yun'an blinked in surprise.
Zhao Yunke then turned back to Sang Ning. "I won’t keep you any longer. You should go enjoy yourselves. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave."
Sang Ning nodded. "Of course."
Zhao Yunke gave He Yun'an one last glance before finally walking away.
Sang Ning watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but there seemed to be a trace of melancholy hidden in Zhao Yunke’s expression.
By the time they returned home that evening, He Yun'an had already fallen asleep in the car.
He Siyu drove him back to Wenxi Villa first before heading to Palm Bay with Sang Ning.
Their marital home was still under renovation. Since they had married in a hurry and none of the available properties matched Sang Ning’s taste, He Siyu had bought a new villa.
For now, they were too lazy to move and continued living at Palm Bay.
Out of the blue, Sang Ning asked, "Do you know who He Yun'an’s mother is?"
He Siyu replied indifferently, "No idea."
He had never been interested.
After a pause, he added, "I think she was a student sponsored by the He family."
"A student?" Sang Ning was surprised.
"The He family sponsors many students from impoverished regions every year, supporting them until they graduate. But when a sponsor and a sponsored student get involved, it never sounds good. Grandma was furious."
Sang Ning thought for a moment. "Wasn’t your eldest brother still in university at the time?"
"They were classmates. But public opinion doesn’t care about that. It damaged the He family’s reputation, especially since there was a child involved."
"What happened afterward?"
"Afterward, my brother was sent to the military, and the woman went abroad for studies. I don’t think she ever came back."
Sang Ning fell silent for a few seconds before murmuring, "That’s such a shame."
He Siyu noticed her quietness and reached over to hold her hand. "It was a long time ago. Everyone’s moved on."
He Yun'an had moved on, becoming more lively. Grandma had moved on, gradually accepting him.
And his eldest brother—he should have moved on too.
Sang Ning turned to look at him. "If it were you, could you move on?"
"Me?"
His grip on her hand tightened, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "Not a chance."
Even if the heavens and earth were overturned, no force in the world could stop him from marrying her.
A month later, the Mid-Autumn Festival approached once again.
Grandma He called to say that Commander He was returning, and both He Xingzhou and He Jinxing would be back. She asked Sang Ning and He Siyu to come home for the reunion dinner.
In a private dining room, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed as the door slid open.
The man seated inside straightened slightly, lifting his gaze to the newcomer.
He Xingzhou’s usually stern expression softened almost imperceptibly.
Zhao Yunke walked in and took a seat across from him, smiling. "Long time no see."
Long time no see.
It had been ten years.
He Xingzhou’s hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly. "Long time no see."
"Contacting you out of the blue like this must seem presumptuous."
Zhao Yunke paused, rubbing her fingers against the water glass before forcing another composed smile. "I’m being transferred to the U.S. This time, I probably won’t come back."
He Xingzhou’s gaze froze, his lips pressed tightly together in silence.
"I saw Yun'an not long ago," she continued. "He’s so well-behaved and happy. Even though he didn’t recognize me, he still greeted me politely." Her voice wavered, tears glistening in her eyes.
"He wants to see you," He Xingzhou said.
Zhao Yunke shook her head. "He’s doing well now. I don’t want to confuse him or make him sad by appearing suddenly."
He Yun'an had been accepted by the He family. Why should she disrupt his peace?
She needed to stay away.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she whispered, "As long as he grows up happy, I have no other wishes. Please take good care of him. He may not have a mother, but he has you."
He Xingzhou remained silent for three long seconds before finally speaking. "Can’t you stay?"
Zhao Yunke’s smile faltered, her fingers tightening around the glass until her knuckles turned white.
She shook her head. "I’ve already let go."
She forced another smile. "We both should."
At eleven o’clock, Sang Ning and He Siyu arrived at the He family’s ancestral home.
"You’re back!" Grandma He greeted them warmly.
"Grandma He," Sang Ning responded with a smile.
"Come, sit." Grandma He quickly gestured for Nanny Zhao to serve tea.
Nanny Zhao had already prepared Sang Ning’s favorite rose-sweetened tea.
He Wanjun and He Jinxing had already returned and were seated in the living room.
"Dad," He Siyu greeted lazily as he slumped onto the sofa.
He Wanjun scowled at his son’s lack of posture but couldn’t be bothered to scold him.
"Where’s Eldest Brother?" He Siyu asked casually.
He Jinxing shot him a meaningful look.
He Wanjun’s expression darkened. "He should’ve arrived early this morning. He hasn’t come back?"
He Jinxing chuckled. "Eldest Brother rarely returns. He’s probably catching up with old friends."
He Wanjun didn’t press further.
A short while later, the sound of a car pulling up came from outside.
"The eldest young master is back."
He Xingzhou pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Grandma, Dad."
"Why are you back so late? You’re about to miss the reunion dinner!" Grandma He scolded.
He Xingzhou pressed his lips together.
He Jinxing quickly pulled him to sit down. "Even if you were meeting friends, you shouldn’t have delayed our family dinner."
He Xingzhou took a seat without a word.
But then again, he was always the quiet type, so no one found it strange.
He Wanjun took a sip of tea, his gaze heavy as it settled on him. "Siyu is already married, and your second brother is getting engaged next month. Yet here you are, the eldest, still single. It’s unacceptable!"
He Xingzhou remained silent.
Just as He Jinxing was about to speak, He Wanjun shot him a glare. "This doesn’t concern you."
He Jinxing promptly shut his mouth.
Finally, He Xingzhou spoke. "I’m not ready to marry yet."
He Wanjun scoffed. "Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your mind. Let me make this clear—as long as I’m alive, you can forget about it! You will get married this year!"
He Xingzhou said nothing.
No agreement, no refusal.
He Siyu drawled lazily, "Marriage isn’t livestock breeding. Whether it’s this year or next, what’s the rush? Besides, even if it were, Big Brother has already given you a grandson. What more are you worried about?"
He Jinxing nearly choked on his own saliva, bending over in a coughing fit as he covered his mouth.
Sang Ning swallowed hard, her expression stiff as she glanced at He Wanjun.
He Wanjun was furious, practically leaping out of his seat. "You insolent brat! Think you’re clever, do you?!"
He Jinxing hurried to intervene. "Dad, calm down!"
Grandma He also rushed to mediate. "Goodness, why lose your temper on such a festive occasion?"
He Wanjun jabbed a finger at them. "You think I want to? Look at these ungrateful sons of mine! I must have committed some sin in my past life!"
The once-warm living room instantly turned into a battlefield.
Just as the confrontation was about to escalate—
"I’ll teach you a lesson today—"
Sang Ning suddenly felt a wave of nausea, covering her mouth as she gagged.
The room fell into a brief, stunned silence.
He Siyu immediately moved to support her, brows furrowed. "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Grandma He’s eyes lit up. "Could it be… could it be that she’s—?!"
