◎Is That Le Qing?◎
As expected, it took both good cop and bad cop to get the job done. For the sake of their little toys and snacks, the two toddlers sat silently at their tiny workstations for two whole hours, their eyes glazing over as they sorted through one small card after another. They couldn’t leave, and they couldn’t cry.
None of the tricks they could think of worked.
Why was this so different from when they followed their aunt to work? This was unbearable—waaah!
Just as they were about to finish, Secretary Chen promptly delivered a fresh stack of small cards.
Le Qing could see the light fading from the children’s eyes.
“Is this going to last all day?” she finally couldn’t help but ask.
It wasn’t that she questioned Jiang Suizhi’s methods, but kids this age only remembered things in fragments. There was a good chance they’d forget the whole incident in half a year.
They might even grow up and accuse him: “When we were little, Uncle Suizhi abused us—no food, no sleep, no bathroom breaks, just locked up in a ‘tiny room’ like prisoners.”
Jiang Suizhi glanced up at the pitiful little ones outside, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes. “It’ll be over by afternoon.”
If it dragged on too long, even the kids wouldn’t be able to take it.
To Le Qing’s surprise, the two toddlers actually lasted until lunch break.
“Hey there, little… colleagues~” The nearby secretaries, seeing the kids drained of their usual energy, mentally cursed the big boss in the office for the first time. Softly, they coaxed, “Time for a break! Let’s go eat.”
Eat?
Right now, the kids didn’t even want milk, let alone food.
The moment they were allowed to rest, they slumped over their tiny desks, too exhausted to lift their heads.
Kindergarten was so much better—at least the teachers greeted them with a “Good morning!” at the door. Here, all Boss Jiang said was, “You have five minutes.”
Hmph.
Just as the secretaries were about to coax them further, the door to the boss’s office swung open.
Jiang Suizhi lifted his gaze slightly, and the secretaries scattered instantly—the boss didn’t like people getting too close to him.
Well, except for the person beside him.
“Just friends,” my foot. Hah.
Once everyone had left, Le Qing stepped out and crouched in front of the toddlers’ workstations. “Shift’s over. Let’s go eat.”
Little Le An lifted her head hesitantly, not daring to act spoiled or ask for a hug.
Who knew if the person in front of her was still “Auntie” or “Ms. Le” now?
She clutched the meal card handed out by Secretary Chen, her eyes red and puffy.
Le Qing’s heart ached. This was the first time she’d seen the kids so thoroughly miserable—no wonder Jiang Suizhi had suggested she hide in the break room if she couldn’t bear it.
Who could stand seeing this?
She couldn’t help but glance back at Jiang Suizhi.
Meeting his faintly reproachful gaze, Jiang Suizhi: “…”
Fine. Now he was the villain.
But if he was going to be the villain, he might as well commit to it.
He crouched down too, picking up the small cards on the toddlers’ desks to “inspect” them with exaggerated seriousness.
The kids tensed up immediately, afraid that one wrong move would cost them their toys.
“Not done yet?” Jiang Suizhi asked.
That was the last straw. The two toddlers, who had been holding it together, burst into tears. The older one cried quietly, biting his little hand to keep it dignified, while the younger one wailed, shoulders shaking violently.
“An-An was wrong! An-An doesn’t wanna work! An-An wants kindergarten!”
A few seconds later, her brother cracked too, sobbing, “Uncle and Auntie go to work… I’ll go to kindergarten, waaah!”
Le Qing was torn between heartache and amusement, pulling out tissues to wipe their faces. “Alright, alright, no more work. Don’t cry.”
“Waaah… Ms. Le~”
Even while crying, they remembered to address her properly.
She hugged them both. “You can call me Auntie now.”
That only made them cry harder, now with grievances to air: “No more Boss Jiang!”
Jiang Suizhi, inexplicably targeted: “?”
Clearly, they hadn’t been punished enough.
But he knew that for three-year-olds, today’s lesson had been harsh, even if it only lasted half a day.
He sighed. “Sorry.”
The kids sniffled, blinking up at him with teary eyes.
…And left him on read.
Still, Jiang Suizhi felt justified. “But you need to understand—everyone has responsibilities. You can’t just skip them because you don’t feel like it, and you definitely can’t drag others into it. Got it?”
The toddlers pouted.
Boss Jiang’s authority today was too deeply ingrained—they didn’t dare argue.
“Wash your faces, then we’ll eat.”
Really? The kids didn’t trust him.
Only when Le Qing nodded did they shuffle off to the break room, still hiccuping from crying, to wash up.
“Work’s over for today,” Le Qing said gently. “You can rest this afternoon, but tomorrow, it’s back to kindergarten, okay?”
Like wilted flowers, they mumbled, “Okay.”
Given the choice, they’d take kindergarten any day.
“Boss Jiang.” Secretary Chen knocked. “Should we have lunch delivered as usual?”
Though Jiang Suizhi wasn’t picky about food, he was particular about his environment and company. He had a private penthouse upstairs and never ate in the employee cafeteria. Secretary Chen always arranged for meals to be sent up.
Only the CEO’s keycard could access that floor, so he had to confirm in advance.
Just as Jiang Suizhi was about to nod, little Le Jia proudly presented her meal card. “Boss Jiang, can I swipe mine?”
Secretary Chen had told her this card worked downstairs, where there were fun play areas.
Having endured the work without enjoying the perks, Le Jia wasn’t about to let this slide.
Jiang Suizhi’s expression darkened at being called “Boss Jiang” again. “Call me Uncle.”
“Okay, Uncle Boss Jiang.”
This kid held grudges—just not against her aunt. What a failure of a boss.
Finally, Jiang Suizhi relented, waving a hand. “Go ahead. I’ll take them down.”
“Yes, sir!”
The moment Secretary Chen stepped out, he fired off a message in the group chat: “Attention all departments! Boss Jiang is bringing the kids and his ‘friend’ to the cafeteria!”
Everyone, guard your seats—don’t get too close to the boss!
Unaware of the commotion, the group stepped into the elevator.
The toddlers’ anger and sadness came and went quickly. Now, aside from a bit of lingering resentment, they were back to normal.
They refused to take the executive elevator, insisting on swiping their employee cards like proper little workers.
This led to a hilarious scene where employees waiting for the elevator froze upon seeing who was inside, too dazzled to step in.
The kids, oblivious, held the door open politely like tiny elevator attendants. “Please come in!”
Behind them, the adults seemed perfectly fine with this arrangement.
A few brave souls eventually entered, positioning themselves as far from Jiang Suizhi as possible while sneaking glances at the toddlers.
So cute! They look just like Boss Jiang—no, even cuter!
And they’re wearing employee badges? Adorable!
Noticing the gaze fixed on her head, little Le Jia looked up in confusion.
The young woman felt she now bore the weight of the entire office building’s afternoon tea gossip, so she mustered her courage and asked, "Are you... new employees here?"
Though work was exhausting, being treated like any other adult by their uncle gave the children—who desperately wanted to grow up—a sense of pride. They straightened their backs and showed their employee badges. "Yep! Hi~ I’m Le Jia, and this is my sister, Le An."
Little Le An, still a bit clueless, chimed in, "Auntie... I mean, colleague, hello!"
So they were tiny coworkers.
"And where are you two headed now?"
"We’re taking Auntie and CEO Uncle Jiang out to eat," Le Jia declared proudly. "And we’re paying with our cards!"
Standing behind them, Le Qing lightly covered her face, regretting not having brought a mask. She’d forgotten these kids had a natural talent for socializing.
In the short elevator ride, Le Jia managed to chat with the woman about the best dishes in the cafeteria and even the best spots to visit after lunch.
Le Qing silently turned to face the elevator wall.
Beside her, Jiang Suizhi didn’t need to look closely to notice her reddening ears. Sometimes, those ears were more honest than she was, clearly betraying her emotions.
She was a strange one—unshakable and fierce in major situations, yet awkward and shy over trivial matters, like a naive little girl.
Whether it was her nervousness around elders or her current "self-deluding" act of hiding her face, it all gave Jiang Suizhi the impression of a stray cat. One that bared its fangs and puffed up at the slightest disturbance to protect itself, yet would cautiously approach and reveal its soft belly if offered a can of food.
Except she’d never shown that softness to him.
CEO Jiang was displeased.
The moment the elevator doors opened, the young woman hurried off. Small talk inside was fine, but outside, it might seem like she was trying to cozy up to the boss.
Meanwhile, social butterfly Le Jia stood at the elevator entrance, counting on his fingers: "One, two, three... left and right..."
That auntie had said the third window on the left was the best!
He glanced at his left hand, then his right, struggling to figure out the correct direction—until Jiang Suizhi grabbed his employee badge and turned him around. "Keep counting and we’ll miss lunch. This is left."
"I’m just young," Le Jia huffed, reclaiming his badge and taking his sister’s hand. "I’ll figure it out eventually!"
Then, with a grumble, he added, "Thanks, CEO Uncle Jiang."
"..." Jiang Suizhi narrowed his eyes. "Hold it."
"Brother, you’re done for," Le An whispered. "CEO Jiang is mad!"
Le Jia stiffened, guilt creeping in.
Jiang Suizhi strode over, fingertips lightly brushing before his large hand settled on the boy’s head—and spun him twice in place.
Le Jia clutched his head, utterly bewildered.
"There," Jiang Suizhi said, arms crossed and smirking. "Now figure out left and right."
"......!!!"
The little one seethed silently—because now he was completely lost! The cafeteria counters were arranged in a circle!
"Still calling me CEO?" Jiang Suizhi asked.
Le Jia swallowed his pride. "...Uncle."
"Hm." Jiang Suizhi scoffed and strode ahead. "Stubborn mouth, but your body’s honest."
Le Qing, who’d watched the entire childish exchange, chuckled and took the two sulking kids’ hands. "How old are you, CEO Jiang?"
"Twenty-six," he replied smoothly. "Prime age for pettiness."
She couldn’t help but laugh. "How’s your hand?"
She meant the one he’d used to ruffle Le Jia’s hair—worried it might bother him. But he seemed fine?
Jiang Suizhi, who’d been enduring it like a stoic, suddenly felt an itch in his heart—and his fingers. But with her holding both kids’ hands, he could only suppress his irritation.
"I’ll manage."
Had any psychologist ever mentioned that possessiveness could extend to children?
Wasn’t this getting worse?
CEO Jiang was deeply skeptical.
Lunch went as the kids hoped—they "treated" everyone, even if they could barely see over the counter and needed help swiping their cards. But they were satisfied.
Work = bad. Uncle = mean.
Paying like heroes = good. Uncle = good.
Just like that, the kids absolved their uncle of all crimes.
Meanwhile, a group chat buzzed with activity.
"Couldn’t see clearly with the mask, but it’s Le Qing!"
"Who’s Le Qing?"
"A model. Debuted as Lin Jian’s cover star and trended for her unreal looks."
"Can confirm. Got beauty-whiplash in the elevator. Her bare face could stun a statue."
"CEO Jiang eats well. How do people even land goddesses like that?"
"But in the elevator, the kids called him ‘uncle’ and her ‘auntie.’ They share her surname, ‘Le.’ Doesn’t seem like they’re his."
"Probably Old CEO Jiang’s kids? They resemble him more."
"Then what’s with the ‘auntie’? Online says the kids live with Le Qing. No mom around?"
"Big bro/sis duo? Uncle/auntie duo? Interesting."
"Shut it. You think their private life is your gossip fodder? Secretary Chen will have your heads if this leaks."
The chatter wouldn’t leave the company, but it did reach the Jiang family—especially Jiang Heling, who’d recently started assisting Jiang Suizhi in management.
About to board a flight for a business trip, he saw the messages about Jiang Suizhi bringing the kids and Le Qing to the office.
He wasn’t surprised. Jiang Suizhi had always been ruthless—making kids "work" as punishment for skipping kindergarten was nothing.
He nearly got shipped to Africa!
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t stir the pot.
Jiang Heling swiftly saved photos of the kids miserably working and screenshots of the gossip, then forwarded them to Old Master Jiang—who was bored out of his mind and itching to see his great-grandkids before the weekend.
This was obviously just a chance to scold his unruly grandson. Not at all an excuse to visit the kids.
Look how miserable they were!
Forced to eat cafeteria food with him!
Disgraceful!
But he was too old to drive, his eldest son was ostracized, and his second son was away on business.
So he’d have to sneak out with the family driver.
Jiang Hechang, equally idle, came downstairs just as his father was slinking out with a bag. He frowned. "Where are you off to?"
Why have you picked up that sneaky behavior from Second Brother?
"It's stuffy at home. I'm going out for a walk," Old Master Jiang said.
"A walk?" Jiang Hechang eyed the bag behind him. "What's in there?"
"Water, clothes, snacks," Old Master Jiang replied matter-of-factly. "What if I get thirsty, hungry, or cold along the way?"
In truth, the bag was filled with gifts he had been saving daily for his great-grandchildren.
After suffering such a big grievance today, he had to make it up to them properly.
Jiang Hechang: "..."
Are you going on a hike?
"You’ve got cars waiting for you the moment you step out," he pressed his fingers to his temples. "Not even dust can land on your shoes. Need I remind you that you’re 80 now? This isn’t like your younger days when you could handle heavy loads during training."
Old Master Jiang had served in the military for a few years in his youth.
"None of your business," Old Master Jiang turned and walked away.
"Wait." Jiang Hechang wasn’t trying to stop him—he just thought the bag looked heavy and wanted someone to carry it for him. But as soon as he approached, the old man clutched the bag protectively.
"?"
Now Jiang Hechang was genuinely suspicious. He strode over, lifted the bag to test its weight, and found it was indeed heavy.
He forced it open, only to find it packed with toy boxes and snacks.
"..." He laughed in exasperation. "What, are you planning to play with toys if you get bored?"
Old Master Jiang zipped the bag back up. "Got a problem with that?"
"Didn’t we agree not to bother them all the time?" Jiang Hechang sighed.
If not for this situation, he would have already found a way to visit and address the past.
"Special circumstances call for special measures," Old Master Jiang fumed, practically ready to discipline his grandson on the spot. "That brat Jiang Suizhi has never even been in a relationship—how could he possibly know how to take care of kids? Today, he dragged them to the office and made them cry. I’m going to teach him a lesson."
Bringing toys to discipline his grandson.
Jiang Hechang didn’t know who the old man thought he was fooling.
But Jiang Suizhi took the kids to the office?
After handing over all company authority, Jiang Hechang had deliberately distanced himself to avoid suspicion, refraining from prying into affairs there.
But who would’ve thought his youngest son would defy expectations like this? Wouldn’t it interfere with his work?
Jiang Hechang cleared his throat. "He really didn’t handle this well. Let me change, and I’ll go with you—"
"No need." Old Master Jiang anticipated this and shut him down immediately. "Qingxin is there too. Your presence will only make things awkward."
He knew Jiang Hechang wanted to mend the relationship, but today wasn’t the right occasion.
At the very least, they needed a proper setting—no distractions, no outsiders—where they could sit down calmly and talk things out with Le Qing.
Jiang Hechang’s expression turned complicated. "Qingxin?"
"Isn’t she sweet?" Old Master Jiang was quite fond of the young woman. "If not for you, she’d be part of our family by now. More sensible than any of you, and with a lovely temperament."
Jiang Hechang: "?"
"Enough, I’ll be late." Old Master Jiang hoisted the bag onto his back again. "I won’t be back for dinner. Eat on your own."
After two steps, he turned back, his tone more serious. "Qingxin isn’t unreasonable. She’s gentle by nature. If you’re sincere, don’t act all high and mighty when the time comes. She’ll make her own decisions."
"..."
Once again left behind at home, Jiang Hechang wondered if he’d missed something.
When he learned that Le Qing and the children were still in the city, it coincided with Jiang Yu’s incident. Since then, he hadn’t had a chance to see her. Every attempt to apologize was blocked—told not to intrude—so he kept putting it off.
But his impression of Le Qing remained vivid because their first meeting had been far from pleasant.
Jiang Suizhi was right—he had been arrogant. Back then, prioritizing the children’s safety over their feelings, he’d done everything to ensure Le Qing and the kids survived, even if it meant separating them.
Their meeting took place at a private restaurant. When he walked in, he never expected his son to fall for someone like her.
Jiang Yan had always been steady-tempered, never showing a rebellious streak, so Jiang Hechang had never worried.
But the young woman in the private room wore sunglasses and a cap, dressed in a cropped leather jacket and tall boots. When she removed her sunglasses, her sharp features carried an intense, almost intimidating aura.
In short, she and Jiang Yan seemed to belong to different worlds.
After hearing his proposal, Le Qing merely smiled and didn’t take the card he offered. Instead, she said, "Uncle, the whole ‘paying a woman to stay away from your son’ trope is outdated."
"If I truly loved him, I wouldn’t leave even if you gave me nothing."
"If I didn’t, how could your money compare to the entire Jiang empire? Wouldn’t it be better to become its mistress?"
Jiang Hechang, used to being the dominant one, bristled at encountering someone even more assertive.
Le Qing continued, "You have so little faith in your son. Even if we die, at least we’d die together."
"Then why didn’t you tell him you were pregnant?" Jiang Hechang countered.
Le Qing frowned but stayed silent.
"Because you were afraid he’d be compromised—that you and the child would become his weaknesses." Jiang Hechang laid out the stakes coldly. "He thought he was protecting you, but if I could find you, who else could?"
"This money is enough for you to give birth safely and live comfortably for a while." He pressed, "Le Qing, you know he can’t afford vulnerabilities right now."
She had remained quiet until the very end, when she suddenly laughed. "He was right—you really are just a shrewd businessman, excellent at negotiating terms."
She took the card. "But you’ll be disappointed. I’ll be back."
Then she added, "Uncle, what he needs is a father—no prefixes, no conditions."
To keep both children out of the mess, Jiang Hechang never told her he intended to bring her back later. Yet after that day, she vanished without a trace—even after Jiang Yan’s death.
So, by all accounts, their meeting had ended badly.
But no matter how hard Jiang Hechang tried, he couldn’t reconcile the image of Le Qing with the "sweet girl" Old Master Jiang described.
"Mr. Jiang." A few security guards carried large boxes inside. "These are Old Master’s deliveries. Should we take them to his room?"
Jiang Hechang snapped out of his thoughts and waved them off. "Go ahead."
As they passed, one guard tripped, dropping a box. Its contents spilled across the floor.
Jiang Hechang glanced down—magazines, all the same issue.
He bought this many?
Picking one up, his gaze froze on the cover model’s face.
Unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar.
Then he spotted the name beside it: Le Qing.
Jiang Hechang’s pupils constricted sharply.
This… is Le Qing?
