The weather started to get cold and the two children had changed into their new uniforms and went to school with light down jackets on top and little boots with the chauffeur.

It was a good school. Ever since the two children had transferred over to Nanshan, the way they acted and talked had changed a lot. Even Shu Yan thought about signing up for some etiquette classes sometime.

Shu Yan didn't have to leave as early as the children. Ever since she hired Aunty, she hadn't been getting up as early. She would get up to have breakfast with the children before getting ready to head into work after they had left for school.

When winter came, the fall undergarments and winter sleepwear were particularly popular. Even though their company had, by now, rented the entire building, they were still short-handed.

Shu Yan was planning for the next promotional activity. She needed to have the franchisees sent the money over by the end of the month. They weren't short money but nobody would complain that they had too much money.

"C'mon in," said Shu Yan when she heard the knocking on her office door. She looked up and saw Xia Rou walking in carrying a stack of documents in a white suit and her hair tied up behind her.

"What is it?" Xia Rou was now the top designer of the company. She wasn't management but she was pretty much one.

She had received a few design drafts that had potentials and wanted to show them to Shu Yan.

The design drafts weren't bad but they were instantly eye-catching either. Returning the drafts back to Xia Rou, Shu Yan asked, "These are from our interns?"

Xia Rou sighed inwardly when she didn't see the satisfied look on Shu Yan. Their boss never studied designs formally but she sure had good eyes and was always spot on when it came to the latest trend.

"No. They were recommended to me by my teacher. There are four of them but I think these three are the better ones," replied Xia Rou honestly.

Neither one of their two bosses were easy to muddle through so it was best for her just to be honest.

"You should know that our company's plan is to bring our women's clothing onto the international stage. Our bar is set very high. These individuals might have potentials but they might not meet our needs." Shu Yan did not make the exception for Xia Rou even though she was their top designer.

Besides, they couldn't start going down this path. Yes, one should be objective when it came to true talents. "Talent" being the keyword. Had these people even be half as talented as Xia Rou, she would take them.

Xia Rou's heart tightened a little. "I get it."

She had crossed the line this time. Their company had always focused on one's ability. That was why she liked the company so much. They were fairer than most other companies. And now she was the one who tried to bend the rules.

Seeing that Xia Rou had gotten her meaning, Shu Yan smiled and said, "If you find anyone from your school that is truly talented and has potential, do recommend them. The more the merrier."

They didn't need mediocre. Their bar would only become higher and higher as time went on. Talented ones like Xia Rou were rare.

Shu Yan had promised Feng Zeyu that she would have dinner would him tonight. She left early after giving Hu Ruixue a heads up.

Aunty was cleaning around the house when Shu Yan went home. She was surprised when she saw Shu Yan. "Oh, I didn't know that you will be home earlier. I don't have lunch ready."

Now that the children were having lunch at school and Shu Yan, too, felt that it was a hassle to go home so she would usually have lunch at work. Aunty would usually have leftover congee from breakfast or buns or dumplings for lunch.

"I had somethings to tend to today. You should make lunch for yourself as well. Those aren't enough." Shu Yan had said that to Aunty a few times but she never listened to Shu Yan.

"Sure those are enough." A bun with meat inside was like a new year treat back in the village. She would be struck down by lightning if she complained that that wasn't good enough.

Aunty went to make Shu Yan a bowl of noodles. She had marinated some beef the day before and that worked out perfectly.

"You can just make dinner for yourself tonight, Aunty. I will be going over to Feng Zeyu's for dinner with the two children," said Shu Yan after lunch.

"You won't be home for dinner?" Aunty hesitated a bit and asked, "Then is it okay if I go eat dinner with my daughter?"

After being in City Nan for a while, Aunty knew that girls in the city were not the same as girls in the village. What she had given her daughter in the past was just enough for food, not even better food or clothes.

Her daughter was a mature one and never complained about that. That made Aunty's heart ached even more. She would normally take two days off a year to take her daughter out for some good food.

"Of course. You can head out now if you like. I can take care of the dishes." Relationship is a two-way street. Aunty was nice to her and the two children; as such, Shu Yan was nice to her as well.

"I can't do that." Aunty shook her head. She was one with principles. Shu Yan hired her to cook and clean. She couldn't just take off and leave her work behind for personal reasons.

Shu Yan lost that battle and decided against saying more. She packed a box of marinated beef and some snacks for Aunty to take to her daughter.

Shu Yan started making a cake after she had washed her hands. She knew how to make basic ones from the past and had also paid for some classes a while back. She could successfully make a cake now.

Shu Yan went to take a bath after the cake was ready. She applied some nice makeup, pulled out a box from her drawer and put it inside of her purse and left for Xiazhuang Village with the cake.

The door to the old lady's house next door was opened. Shu Yan recalled Feng Zeyu telling her that he had bought the place.

She walked over and saw Feng Zeyu there cleaning up a chicken.

"You've cleaned the place up? Are you going to stay here from now on?"

A bright smile appeared on Feng Zeyu after he saw that it was Shu Yan. "We have always kept this place tidy. I just cleaned it up this time so I can stay here. I'll just open up a door in the yard so it will be even more convenient taking care of grandma."

Grandma strongly insisted on staying over on this side. In her opinion, Feng Zeyu was already seeing someone and might be getting married soon. She wasn't his real grandmother and they should not be living together.

Feng Zeyu had to take care of his comrade's grandmother and Shu Yan was not related with her, he couldn't possibly ask her to take care of grandmother with him. Since his house was right next door, he figured he could take care of grandma and Shu Yan...... should they get married, could stay over on this side herself.

"What's that in your hand?" Feng Zeyu took it from her and put It down.

Shu Yan chuckled lightly and pulled out the box that she had prepared a while ago and handed it over to him. "Happy birthday."

"How did you know that?" He never told anyone that it was his birthday today. He only planned to have dinner with Shu Yan today and had no intention of telling her that.

Shu Yan glanced over at him. "I saw your identification card when we went on a trip together last time. I wasn't sure if you are going to celebrate it but I figured you are going to when you called me yesterday."

Feng Zeyu's lips curved upward uncontrollably. She had it memorized from just seeing it. She was paying attention to him.

"My mother's place only goes by the lunar calendar so that was the one that she put down for me on my household register. That is what's on my identification card. She used to celebrate it with me at our home town."

Feng Zeyu couldn't help but recalled his birthdays when he was a child. His mother would fry him an egg along with a bowl of noodles. That would be his best meal of the year. He could still remember the taste of it even now. His grandmother also celebrated his birthdays with him after he came to City Nan. Nobody else remembered his birthdays since his grandparents had passed away.

"I celebrate my lunar calendar birthday as well." Shu Yan smiled and said, "What did you buy for dinner? Let me go help."

"No, I get it. I asked you over as a guest." Feng Zeyu shook his head.

"You are the birthday boy today. You shouldn't be the one cooking. Go and have a seat."

Even though she said that Feng Zeyu wasn't allowed to help out but he still helped with rinsing and preparing the vegetables. That sped Shu Yan up a lot.

Shu Yan phoned the chauffeur and had him drop the children off at Xiazhuang directly.

When dinner was almost ready, Shu Yan went over to invite the grandmother over to join them.

Old grandmother was particularly happy when she saw Shu Yan. "I've already eaten. You should enjoy yourself tonight. Yu never told me his birthday. I would have celebrated with him otherwise all these years. Okay, hurry back now. I really had already eaten."

The old lady barely had any teeth left and couldn't really eat. She was, however, glad that Shu Yan had asked.

"You can always eat a little more. At least sit with us." Shu Yan extended her invitation sincerely.

The old lady was adamant about not joining them so Shu Yan had to have Feng Zeyu come and invite her.

"I'm old and I eat early and go to bed early. I'll pass. You hurry back and be nice to her." The old lady chased Feng Zeyu away with a big smile.

The two kids had come and, even though JingJing still referred to Feng Zeyu as Uncle, Tianbao was already referring to him as Dad.

"Daddy, I got another little red flower today." Tianbao pulled out his little red flower and showed it to Feng Zeyu.

"Oh yeah? What is it for?" Feng Zeyu asked him tenderly as he took Tianbao's backpack from him.

"Because I was the best kid in class. All the other kids were chatting in class and I was the only one who didn't. So the teacher gave me a little red flower. Only three of us got it and I was one of them." Tianbao was particularly proud of himself.

"Our Tianbao is getting mightier and mightier. Our wall is running out of room to put up Tianbao's little red flowers," said Shu Yan as she walked out with the dishes.

Everybody sat around and Shu Yan picked up the glass. "Let's toast for Uncle Fang's birthday."

"Thank you." Feng Zeyu was particularly touched.

They were half way through eating when Shu Yan went into the kitchen to prepare the noodles, one strand per bowl. "Come and get your longevity noodle. Remember to not bite on it!"

After dinner was finished bustling with noise, Shu Yan and Feng Zeyu cleaned up the living room and kitchen. Feng Zeyu would look over at Shu Yan from time to time and his heart bubbled.

"What are you looking at?" Shu Yan gave him a crossed eye.

After dropping Shu Yan off their place, Feng Zeyu couldn't wait to go back home and open up the present that Shu Yan had given to him. He unwrapped it and it was a watch.

If he remembered it correctly, the one that Shu Yan had on was a matching one to this. He had no idea exactly how much it cost but it looked expensive. Granted, by the time they got to where they were, the cost really was not an issue. What mattered was the thought behind it.

This watch made a matching pair with Shu Yan's one. Feng Zeyu laughed like fool as he stroked the watch on his wrist.*

"Hi, this this...... Shu Yan?"

Shu Yan received an unexpected call today.

___

Translator's rambling:

This ML is so cute. =)