"Stupid Xuxu, big brother has known for a long time that Dad is Uncle Yin," Yuan Xiaoxuan said. "Mommy said Uncle Yin did something bad and even wanted to snatch us away from Mommy. Have you forgotten?"
Yuan Xuxu would never admit that he had forgotten. He said, "I haven't! Xuxu remembers!"
After a pause, Yuan Xuxu added, "Big brother, what should we do? Xuxu... Xuxu likes Uncle. I miss Uncle so much. Knowing that Uncle is my dad, Xuxu is so happy here." He held the position of his little heart and smiled cutely. "But Mommy said Dad did something bad to her. Xuxu feels so sad here."
After he finished speaking, his little head drooped again. He looked so pitiful.
Yuan Xiaoxuan took his younger brother's hand. There was a wise glint in his eyes. "Brother has a secret to tell you, too. Actually, Mommy misses Uncle Yin very much, too. When Mommy mentions Uncle Yin, her eyes shine brightly."
"Big brother is lying. Mommy hates Uncle," Yuan Xuxu wrinkled his nose.
"Big brother isn't lying. Mommy said the adult world is very complicated. We can miss Uncle, but Mommy is an adult, so she can't," Yuan Xiaoxuan said seriously. "Because Uncle did something wrong and made Mommy sad, although Mommy misses him very much, she can't forgive him."
"Teacher Chen said that if you do something wrong, you should say sorry. Be an honest good kid. Admit your mistakes and apologize, and Mommy will forgive the kid," Yuan Xuxu frowned and sighed. "Why doesn't Uncle Yin understand this truth? Hasn't he ever been to school? Why is he so stupid?"
This was beyond the kids' knowledge.
"Brother, do you want a dad?" Yuan Xiaoxuan asked.
Yuan Xuxu quickly shook his head. "Xuxu promised Mommy that I don't want a dad and won't go with him!"
"Stupid Xuxu, as long as Mommy forgives Uncle and is with Uncle, we don't have to go with Dad," Yuan Xiaoxuan said.
Yuan Xuxu was dissatisfied. "Big brother, don't call Xuxu stupid. Xuxu can recite twenty Tang poems! Big brother can recite one less than Xuxu. Big brother is the stupid one."
Yuan Xiaoxuan resisted the urge to spank his younger brother and asked again, "Brother, do you want a dad?"
Yuan Xuxu's eyes flickered. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "I do."
Yuan Xiaoxuan said, "Mommy suddenly mentioned Uncle Yin today. Uncle Yin must have found Mommy! Maybe he will come to find us in a few days! When that time comes, Xuxu must listen to big brother!"
Yuan Xuxu nodded vigorously. "Okay, big brother, Xuxu will listen to you!"
When Xu Zixi finished modifying the design drawing overtime and returned to the room, she found a lump under the quilt, but the two kids were nowhere to be seen. She lifted the quilt and saw the two kids sleeping soundly in each other's arms like conjoined twins. There were faint smiles on their almost identical little faces, as if they were dreaming of something happy.
If it weren't for the tear mole at the corner of Yuan Xiaoxuan's eye, even Xu Zixi wouldn't be able to tell who was the older brother and who was the younger brother for a moment.
Bending down to kiss the kids, Xu Zixi lay down beside them and fell asleep.
The mother and her two sons didn't know that in a room opposite the apartment building they lived in, a person had moved in overnight. On the night of moving into this new room, a figure sat by the window, facing the window of their bedroom, staying awake all night.
Another person who stayed awake all night was Pei Mingyuan, who was sitting on the seashore, blowing the cold wind and being rejected once again.
The next day.
With a crisp "bang", the streamers exploded in the air and fluttered down, scaring Cui Jiandong, who had just walked out of the elevator.
Huang Zhenzhen, who was lined up on both sides, took the lead in clapping. "Congratulations, Manager Cui, on your recovery and welcome back to the company!"
Dai Sha pointed to the small brazier on the ground. "Come and step over it to get rid of the bad luck. From now on, everything will go smoothly!"
Cui Jiandong had recovered from his injury, and today was the day he returned to work at Pei's. After learning this news, Dai Sha organized Huang Zhenzhen, Xu Zixi, Zhou Yaru and a few close colleagues from the Bay Project Design Team. They lined up early next to the elevator, planning to give Cui Jiandong a surprise.
Sure enough, what they gave him was not only a surprise but also a shock.
Cui Jiandong came to his senses, scratched his head shyly, and grinned at everyone. Then he lifted his foot and stepped over the brazier.
Xu Zixi stood at the back of the line. She reached out her hand to him and said with a smile, "Welcome back. Please give me more advice in the future."
Since Xu Zixi took over the position of project manager, Pei Mingyuan had been hesitant about Cui Jiandong's future. Although a very idle position was suitable for his current situation, the salary and benefits would definitely be very different from before. Transferring him there might chill the hearts of the employees. However, positions with similar treatment to the project manager had a heavy workload, which was not very suitable for him.
Finally, Xu Zixi came up with a suggestion. She said that Cui Jiandong could be both the deputy project manager and the assistant to the chief designer, just like her. She would be in charge of and assign work tasks to him. In this way, she could not only control his workload, but Cui Jiandong could also share some of her pressure. At the same time, holding two positions meant there was no need to adjust his salary. When his injury healed, he could be promoted to project manager again according to his work performance. It was a win-win situation.
Pei Mingyuan thought about it and finally agreed to her suggestion. Therefore, the day before Cui Jiandong was discharged from the hospital, the transfer order had already been sent to his hands. He had no objections to this result.
Cui Jiandong held Xu Zixi's hand and said with a smile, "From now on, I'll have to call you Manager Yuan or Chief Designer Yuan."
Xu Zixi blinked. "It's okay if you call me Young Lady."
Everyone laughed in unison. But in this rather festive scene, only one person's expression was obviously disappointed.
Cui Jiandong saved Huang Zhenzhen, and Huang Zhenzhen often went to the hospital to take care of him. As time passed, their relationship became a bit ambiguous. Now that he was discharged from the hospital, Huang Zhenzhen no longer had a reason to "repay his kindness". Although she was smiling to welcome him, she was actually a little disappointed in her heart.
This meant that they would become ordinary colleagues again.
Xu Zixi saw her mood at a glance. Her eyes lit up, and she proposed, "To celebrate Manager Cui's safe discharge from the hospital, how about we have dinner together tonight to welcome Manager Cui back?"
Huang Zhenzhen's eyes lit up. She looked up and happened to meet Xu Zixi's mischievous gaze. Her cheeks flushed red, and she said, "I'm okay with it. I don't have any other arrangements tonight."
Dai Sha pretended to sigh. "Alas, I originally wanted to go to yoga tonight, but thinking that Manager Cui was injured because he risked his life to save our Zhenzhen, I definitely can't miss Manager Cui's welcome dinner."
Cui Jiandong's eyes accidentally met Huang Zhenzhen's, and then he quickly looked away shyly. He said, "I don't have any arrangements either. I'll follow whatever Yuan Xi says."
Then the group happily got together to choose a place for dinner tonight. The secretary group leader who passed by curled her lips and said half enviously and half jealously, "I don't know what charm Yuan Xi has that can make both men and women revolve around her. Humph."