Having made a mistake once before and been isolated for it, Jiang Hechang had no intention of repeating it this time. Nor was he impulsive enough to seek out Le Qing directly. Instead, he decided to delve into the world of fashion—something he rarely paid attention to—based on the information he had.
However, details about Le Qing online were scarce. The only thing more prominent than her career as a model was her identity as the aunt of two children.
An aunt?
Though sending her and her children abroad had been partly an impulsive decision, Jiang Hechang had thoroughly investigated Le Qing’s background beforehand. She had no siblings—so where did this "aunt" come from?
The woman on the magazine cover bore some resemblance to the Le Qing he remembered, and the name matched too. Could it really be a coincidence?
Frowning, Jiang Hechang took the magazine and went upstairs. He opened the safe behind his bookshelf, which held not only Jiang Yan’s childhood awards but also sealed documents about Le Qing from years ago.
Comparing the person in the videos to the one in his memory, he found no similarities beyond a faint facial resemblance.
After a long moment of contemplation, he flipped to the section about Le Qing’s parents.
The couple had passed away young, leaving no close relatives. The information column was practically blank, offering no leads.
Then, suddenly, he noticed something he had overlooked before.
The orphanage.
It was the orphanage where the couple had adopted Le Qing.
Jiang Hechang took out his phone and noted down the contact number, only to find it disconnected when he dialed.
A few minutes later, he called another number. "Old Ou, prepare the car. I’ll need it in an hour."
He wasn’t going to the office today. He had all the time in the world to investigate.
The driver asked, "Where to, sir?"
"City B."
"City B?" The driver was surprised. "Should I take you to the airport?"
"Drive there directly."
"That’ll take four or five hours. Will you be returning today?"
"Not for now." Jiang Hechang paused, recalling his youngest son’s scolding words, then added, "Pack accordingly. We might stay for a couple of days."
Meanwhile, after lunch, the two little ones grew drowsy. This time, Jiang Suizhi didn’t enforce strict discipline. Instead, he let Le Qing take them to his private lounge for a nap.
Le Qing wasn’t in the habit of napping, but the children had endured a rough morning and clung to her tightly. Knowing she’d soon leave for work abroad, she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.
Before she knew it, lulled by the children’s collaborative storytelling, she dozed off herself, resting her head on a pillow beside the bed.
Jiang Suizhi waited outside. Le Qing had said she’d come out after settling the kids, and he had planned to change the bandage on his hand. But half an hour passed with no movement from the lounge.
After a brief hesitation, he walked over.
The door wasn’t fully closed, just slightly ajar.
Peering through the gap, he saw the two children nestled in the middle of the bed, their cheeks rosy from the cool air conditioning.
Le Qing sat at the edge, half-leaning against the foot of the bed, eyes shut, breathing evenly.
She looked far more peaceful than she had in the car that day. Jiang Suizhi leaned against the doorframe, his gaze openly lingering on her face, fingers absently tracing the dial of his wristwatch as if mimicking the ticking of a second hand.
Unlike that day in the square, his heartbeat wasn’t erratic.
Yet he wanted to keep looking even more.
After a long while, he retrieved a spare blanket from the nearby cabinet and draped it gently over her.
Being this close, her breathing was audible, a quiet reminder of how absurd his thoughts were in this moment.
He wanted to touch her.
Every fiber of his being seemed consumed by this single urge, made even harder to resist by the sound of her steady breaths.
The medication was within arm’s reach. In the past, he would’ve taken it without hesitation. But now, the thought didn’t even cross his mind.
Only touching her would ease this.
Jiang Suizhi’s gaze darkened, deeper than he’d ever realized, until the sound of his phone vibrating on the desk outside snapped him back to reality. He straightened abruptly.
But in that instant, his hand accidentally brushed against her hair—so lightly it could’ve gone unnoticed, yet the sensation was vivid, sending a shiver through him.
His throat tightened, fingers hovering just above her strands as if still touching them.
The phone kept ringing, and the children stirred slightly, rolling over in their sleep.
Only then did Jiang Suizhi withdraw his hand, stepping out silently and closing the door behind him.
After downing a bottle of ice-cold water from the fridge, he exhaled deeply and picked up his phone, now ringing for the second time. His voice carried a restrained edge. "Grandfather."
"I’m downstairs at your company. Grant me access—I’m coming up."
Jiang Suizhi frowned. "Why are you here?"
"If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have known how you’re treating my great-grandchildren! They’re so young—how could you be so harsh?"
"..."
Jiang Suizhi clicked his tongue.
Time to clean up those employee gossip groups.
He grabbed his access card. "Three years old is the perfect age for adventure."
Old Master Jiang: "?"
Fuming, he snapped, "I’m taking them home right now!"
Now that the kids had agreed to attend kindergarten, Jiang Suizhi had no intention of keeping them here. He was about to agree when he remembered the person still asleep in the lounge.
His eyelids lifted slightly as he glanced at the closed door, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Not yet. They haven’t clocked out."
"Jiang Suizhi!"
"Hm." Unhurried, Jiang Suizhi decided to reason with his grandfather. "Your dear girl is about to leave for work abroad. If they throw a tantrum every morning, demanding their aunt take them to kindergarten, do you think that’s appropriate?"
As expected, Old Master Jiang hesitated. "At this age, skipping school is fine. I’ll take care of them while you’re working."
"And raise another pair like my father and uncle?"
You little brat!
"Your dear girl agrees with this parenting approach," Jiang Suizhi continued smoothly. "Haven’t you heard? When parents discipline their children, elders shouldn’t interfere. If you swoop in with treats now, all the effort Le Qing and I put in today will be wasted."
For once, Old Master Jiang was speechless, his childcare skills questioned.
"They’re napping," Jiang Suizhi relented. "I’ll grant you access. Have Secretary Chen take you upstairs to rest—everything’s there. You can pick them up at the end of the day. Dinner at my place is also an option."
A slap first, then a sweet date.
He’d mastered the capitalist playbook perfectly.
The old master was currently just thrilled at the thought of not having to resort to shameless tactics to secure dinner tonight—what a pleasant surprise! His grandson was being unusually agreeable today.
"Fine, then make sure you leave work early—no overtime, and no forbidding them from using the restroom!"
"...Mhm."
After hanging up, the cunning wolf gazed thoughtfully at the door.
Old Master Jiang adored the two children and couldn’t bear to see them suffer even a little. He also held Le Qing in high regard and often deferred to her wishes. But what if he later found out...
CEO Jiang’s brows furrowed slightly.
Found out what? That he treated Le Qing as a remedy?
So what if he did? Was that not allowed?
He convinced himself effortlessly, and with absolute conviction.
Le Qing was roused by the commotion of the two little ones—they were back to their loud "whispering," making it impossible not to overhear.
"Don’t go out, don’t tell Uncle we’re awake," Little Le Jia schemed. "We haven’t finished looking at our cards yet."
Getting caught meant being dragged back to study those flashcards!
No, they didn’t even feel like looking at picture books now. Staring at the ceiling seemed far more appealing.
As long as they didn’t have to "work," they were willing to do anything.
The two little ones were convinced their plan was flawless, their four tiny feet swinging leisurely, occasionally poking Le Qing’s hand.
Clearly, the art of slacking off knew no age limits.
A mischievous impulse struck her, and she deliberately let out a soft cough.
Instantly, the two on the bed fell silent—they’d clearly agreed to play possum.
Le Qing pretended to yawn before slowly sitting up, unsurprised to find the two little ones with their hands on their tummies, eyes tightly shut, though their lashes fluttered faintly.
Quite the little actors.
"Oh, the little ones are still asleep?" she feigned surprise. "Then I guess I won’t return their toys and snacks?"
At that, their eyes flew open like saucers, and they scrambled up eagerly.
Little Le Jia clung to her arm, whining, "We’re awake!"
"We’ve been awake for ages!" An'an latched onto her other side. "Now we can have our toys!"
They wanted their little backpacks!
Le Qing remained unmoved. "Awake but pretending to sleep?"
"Are we learning to lie now?"
The guilty pair immediately hung their heads and mumbled, "Sorry, Auntie. We just didn’t want to work."
Le Qing couldn’t bring herself to stay stern. Softly, she said, "No more lying, okay? If there’s something you don’t want to do, say so properly first. Understood?"
"Mm-hmm!"
"I’ll go get your toys. Play here quietly and don’t disturb Uncle’s work, all right?"
At this point, the little ones wouldn’t dare disrupt their uncle’s work—from now on, they’d steer clear of him during office hours!
Only then did Le Qing stand, but she suddenly noticed a blanket draped over her.
This lounge was exclusively used by Jiang Suizhi, though he’d mentioned he didn’t nap and preferred the upstairs penthouse, so he rarely rested here. Yet the room carried a faint, soothing scent of greenery.
The blanket did too.
It smelled comforting, vaguely reminiscent of his own fragrance.
Had he come in earlier?
Le Qing felt a pang of embarrassment. She’d promised to leave after settling the kids, yet she’d dozed off herself—and even had someone cover her with a blanket.
Folding the blanket neatly, she stepped out to find Jiang Suizhi already at work, with Secretary Chen giving a report nearby.
At the sound of her movement, both men paused mid-conversation. The former glanced up casually and remarked, "Awake? There are face towels in the left cabinet by the bathroom."
Secretary Chen nearly fumbled his documents.
"Thanks," Le Qing replied softly. "Don’t mind me—just grabbing something."
She darted back into the lounge with the two little backpacks in record time.
She’d seen it this morning—Jiang Suizhi at work was nothing like his usual self. Every detail was immaculate, even the way he twirled a pen during calls exuded an intimidating precision.
It made her nervous, let alone daring to interrupt.
Meanwhile, if not for his familiarity with his boss’s temperament, Secretary Chen’s jaw would’ve hit the floor.
He knew Miss Le Qing and the children were special cases, but even Old Master Jiang had been relegated upstairs—while Miss Le Qing napped in the boss’s private lounge?!
A wall away!
That lounge was off-limits even to him. No, scratch that—nothing in this office was to be touched without the boss’s explicit permission.
The man washed his own coffee cups.
Secretary Chen couldn’t even picture Miss Le Qing asleep on the boss’s bed.
His mind involuntarily replayed the wild speculations circulating in the company’s group chat this morning.
Conclusion: Those in the know, knew.
Mid-mental spiral, his boss’s indifferent voice cut in: "Done staring?"
"Huh?" Secretary Chen snapped back to reality, meeting his boss’s gaze—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
Normally, though stern, the boss bore traces of the late CEO Jiang’s demeanor—unshakably composed, always in control. He rarely showed emotion, even more so than his predecessor.
But now, his gaze held a sharp, dark intensity, like a predator warning off rivals. Even his glasses couldn’t soften that dominance.
"D-done staring," Secretary Chen stammered.
Yet somehow, his answer seemed to deepen the scrutiny.
Sweat poured down his back.
Jiang Suizhi asked coolly, "Were you planning to continue?"
"Y-yes!" Secretary Chen didn’t dare let his mind wander now. "Next is news from Young Master Lin. The overseas branch requires your signature on key equity transfer documents, and a board meeting must be convened immediately. Your presence is mandatory."
"Timing."
"Three days from now, 8 a.m. local time." Secretary Chen said. "We can depart today or tomorrow. When should I book the flight?"
He could’ve sworn his boss glanced toward the lounge before answering: "Tomorrow, after noon."
"Understood."
What was that look about?
Did the boss’s travel plans now hinge on the people inside?
Was their relationship that complicated?
But curiosity aside, Secretary Chen didn’t dare glance around again. One more probing question, and his job might genuinely be at risk.
That afternoon, Le Qing mostly stayed in the lounge, moving her laptop inside to edit videos with the kids’ input, while reminding them to space out uploads.
She found today’s footage particularly amusing, so she transferred clips from their mini-camera, trimmed the highlights (though there weren’t many), and posted them online.
Fans weren’t just here for the kids—they were also starved for glimpses of their ethereally beautiful aunt.
After a long wait, the new video instantly flooded with likes and comments.
[Why do I open the app only to see my babies crying? What broke their little hearts this time?]
【Hahahaha kids all over the world act the same on their first day of school, though Jiajia and An'an seem clingier than most. Auntie looks like she’s about to surrender.】
【If I had an aunt like that, I’d be clingy too. Auntie, do you accept 236-month-old babies?】
【Wait, who’s that man?】
【Seems like the neighbor uncle who lives across the hall.】
【!!!!】
【Why hide a face like that before? Holy crap, that suit, those long legs—this angle makes me feel like he’s about to step on me next.】
【Following the wrong account. I don’t deserve to be here with this level of looks.】
【Nor do I deserve to be in this tax bracket. What kind of family is this? That car probably costs millions.】
【What I’m curious about is why the neighbor uncle is helping Auntie take the kids to school?】
【The kids call him “Uncle,” so he’s probably family.】
【Got it. If you ask, it’s “Auntie.” If you ask, it’s “Uncle.”】
【How can a mouth at 38°C say something so cold? Did I hear that right? He told the kids to go to work?】
【I’m dying of laughter hahahaha, what kind of tough-love method is this?!】
【But would their company really let them mess around like this with kids?】
【Just wait till the end, folks. I never thought I’d see someone from the finance magazines here today.】
【President Jiang, if you’d told us you were this handsome sooner, I’d have gotten a master’s degree just to join your company!】
【Scatter, everyone. The president of Jiang Corporation—so the kids are his nephews? Holy crap?!】
【I thought I’d be shocked by President Jiang’s wealth and looks, but now I just want to curse: damn capitalism, my babies’ eyes have lost their sparkle!】
【As pitiful as it is, I can’t stop laughing hahaha. Only someone at his level could perfectly recreate a work environment for kids like this.】
【Kid: Forget about me inheriting your business. Drive yourself to work at 65, you jerk!】
【Making the kids sob their way through “work” outside—what are you two doing in the office?! Why so quiet?!】
After sending the video to the kids, Le Qing went back to editing, completely unaware of the comments. Since the kids couldn’t read yet, there was no risk of them being affected by praise or criticism, so Le Qing only checked the comments when she had time.
But at that moment, Little Le Jia heard the voice of “Uncle System” in his head again. He stopped playing with his toys, surprised and delighted. “Uncle System?”
“Mm.” The system’s voice was gentle. “You’ve earned a lot of achievement points today.”
Little Le Jia didn’t care about that. Instead, he said, “Uncle, you’ve been gone for so, so long.”
Back when their “bad auntie” was around, Uncle System would comfort him whenever he was upset, find ways to get him and his sister snacks, and even tell him stories. But ever since Auntie became nice, Uncle System appeared less and less. Sometimes when he called, there was no response. This time, it had been even longer—Uncle System hadn’t shown up since the day they met Uncle’s older brother.
That morning, when Uncle had bullied him, he’d had no one to complain to.
The system fell silent for a few seconds. “Do you need something, kiddo?”
“Uncle!” Little Le Jia didn’t dare complain to Auntie because she and Uncle were on the same side. So he poured out his grievances to Uncle System, recounting how he’d been forced to “work” that morning.
He expected comfort, but even Uncle System laughed. “Is there a video? I’ll watch it later.”
Little Le Jia was furious. “Uncle!”
“Don’t be mad at him,” the system said. “He’d never really hurt you. You have to remember—he’s one of the most important people in your life.”
Little Le Jia muttered, “Auntie is.”
The system paused but didn’t argue. “Yes, but Uncle loves you too. He’s someone you can rely on.”
“If you can’t find me in the future, go to him.” Its voice softened. “He’ll always be there. But remember what I told you—protect him, so he can grow up healthy and happy with you. Understand?”
“I protect him,” Little Le Jia said quietly. “Just not today.”
He’d been too angry, but he’d still swiped his card to buy Uncle lunch! He’d watched him eat every bite!
The system: “Good job.”
“But why would Uncle System disappear?” Little Le Jia asked, confused.
The system had no answer.
It realized now that its purpose in this world was gone. The kids’ needs were being met, and they were growing up happily—better than it could’ve planned. Le Qing and Jiang Suizhi were doing a far better job than it ever could.
So it was fading away, only conscious when the kids needed achievement points.
“Because you’re doing well,” it said gently. “You won’t need me anymore.”
“I will!” The child panicked. “When Uncle bullies me, I want to tell you!”
The system chuckled, though it sounded like a sigh. “What can I do? I can’t scold him for you now.”
“When you grow up, you can scold him yourself, okay?”
“No! He’s Uncle. I won’t bully him.” Little Le Jia was firm on this. “But I want to hear you talk.”
The system didn’t answer. It couldn’t. Instead, it changed the subject. “Last time, you said you wanted to work with Auntie, right? You’ve earned enough points now. Want to exchange them?”
Work?!
At this point, the word triggered Little Le Jia. He refused outright. “No!”
The system was taken aback. “No? Without this, you won’t have a way to get opportunities or money.”
Little Le Jia was adamant. “I don’t want money. There’s something more important now.”
“What?”
“Going to kindergarten!”
The system: “……”
It didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But hearing this, it felt a pang. The kids truly didn’t need it anymore. Even opportunities and money meant nothing to them now.
After a moment, it asked, “Then what will you need in the future?”
Little Le Jia thought about it. He had Second Grandfather, Great-grandfather, Auntie, Uncle, and his sister. He didn’t need anything else.
Except… he didn’t want Uncle System to disappear.
“Uncle,” he said seriously, “we can get gifts for Auntie. Can we get one for you too?”
The system’s voice glitched briefly. “What?”
“A gift for you.” Little Le Jia wanted Uncle System to have something. “Like a red envelope.”
Not just tasting candy through him.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not like you. I can’t hold things.”
"Then will Uncle come out, please?" Little Le Jia grew anxious, blurting out whatever came to mind. "If Uncle comes out, I'll give him presents! And Auntie and Uncle too—Second Grandfather and Great-grandfather are all really nice, they’ll give Uncle lots of gifts too!"
He figured someone as amazing as Uncle probably needed loads of those points to exchange for even more incredible gifts.
So he added, "Auntie filmed lots of videos of us. I’ll save them all and give them to Uncle too."
Then, hesitantly, he asked, "Uncle... can I trade for you?"
