Counting all the members of the Gu family, the ten protective talismans rewarded by the system were far from enough.
In the end, Gu Jianing still had to purchase more from the system for her mother to take back.
After Gu Jianing’s repeated reminders, Yao Chunhua responded, “Ah, I know. I’ve never forgotten anything you’ve told me to do.”
Truthfully, seeing Gu Jianing so insistent, Yao Chunhua vaguely guessed something.
After all, her daughter’s extraordinary nature had been evident since childhood—though her daughter herself had forgotten.
But Yao Chunhua knew that whatever her daughter emphasized must be important.
At that moment, the train station’s broadcast began reminding passengers to board.
No matter how reluctant they were, the time for parting had come.
Carrying large and small bags, Yao Chunhua finally boarded the train under her daughter’s wistful gaze.
“Mom…”
Gu Jianing called out, but all she could see was the train chugging away.
“Wife, let’s go back. Don’t worry—as long as there’s a chance, I’ll definitely take you, Xingxing, and Yueyue back to Huaihua Village,” Sheng Zexi reassured her, wrapping an arm around Gu Jianing’s shoulders.
“Mm.”
Meanwhile, on the train, Yao Chunhua gazed out the window at her daughter’s figure until it disappeared from sight, then finally withdrew her gaze.
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, she rearranged the large and small bags she carried.
Though she had arrived with just as many bags, their contents were entirely different now.
When she came, she had brought the love and care of herself and the entire family for Ningning.
Now, as she left, she carried Ningning’s love for her and the whole family.
…
Yao Chunhua’s departure left Gu Jianing in low spirits for a full three days before she recovered.
After that, life grew busy again for Gu Jianing.
She didn’t have to worry much about the twins, Xingxing and Yueyue, at home—the two little ones were exceptionally well-behaved.
During the day, Grandma Sang looked after them.
At night, they slept on the same heated bed as Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi.
Since the children were still small, they often woke up in the middle of the night—sometimes to nurse, other times because they were wet or had soiled themselves.
Whenever Sheng Zexi was home, he took care of all these matters.
If the children needed milk and Gu Jianing happened to wake up, they would nurse. But if she was still asleep, Sheng Zexi would prepare formula instead.
There was no question of waking Gu Jianing just to breastfeed the children.
To Sheng Zexi, the children were his flesh and blood, and they mattered greatly.
But Gu Jianing mattered more than the children.
Fortunately, both children had easygoing temperaments. Though they preferred breastmilk, they didn’t reject formula either, so they drank whatever Sheng Zexi gave them without complaint.
That night, Sheng Zexi was roused from sleep by the sound of a baby fussing softly on the bed.
He opened his eyes immediately.
Glancing at Gu Jianing beside him and confirming she was still sound asleep, he moved even more carefully.
He looked over and saw both little ones awake.
Their large, round eyes stared curiously at him.
The one who had been fussing was the older brother, Xingxing.
Sheng Zexi gently picked him up and whispered, “Shh, be quiet. Don’t wake Mommy.”
Xingxing seemed to understand his words and immediately stopped fussing, though his phoenix-like eyes—identical to Sheng Zexi’s—gazed at his father with curiosity.
Relieved, Sheng Zexi checked his diaper and found it dry and clean.
He must be hungry, then.
“Lie here for a bit. Daddy will make your bottle—it’ll be ready soon.”
With that, Sheng Zexi set to work preparing the formula.
He was quick and efficient.
After more than a month of practice, he had long since mastered everything—from holding the babies to mixing their formula.
Soon, the formula was ready.
He cradled Xingxing in his arms and gently placed the bottle in his mouth.
Xingxing was indeed hungry—the moment the nipple touched his lips, he began gulping down the milk eagerly.
In just a few minutes, he had finished the entire bottle.
And soon, drowsiness overtook him.
Sheng Zexi carefully laid Xingxing back on the heated bed and tucked him in.
Then, he turned his attention to Yueyue.
Yueyue seemed to have been waiting patiently for her father all this time.
Now, as Sheng Zexi looked at her, she responded with a sweet smile.
The sight melted Sheng Zexi’s heart.
He thought to himself: Between my son and my daughter, I do prefer my daughter a little more.
Just look at how much she resembles Ningning—even her smile is just as sweet.
As for Xingxing…
He always wears such a serious expression, like a little old man.
Still…
Both of them are good kids.
“Daddy’s precious girl, are you hungry?”
“Daddy will make your bottle right away.”
With practiced ease, Sheng Zexi prepared another bottle of formula, then gathered Yueyue into his arms to feed her.
Yueyue drank much more delicately than her brother, and at a slower pace.
But Sheng Zexi, ever the patient father, didn’t mind at all.
Just as Yueyue finished her milk, Sheng Zexi caught a faint whiff of something unpleasant.
He quickly checked her diaper.
Sure enough, she had soiled herself.
Sheng Zexi hurriedly poured hot water from the thermos, grabbed the special towel reserved for cleaning Yueyue’s bottom, and gently washed her before patting her dry.
Finally, he wrapped her in a fresh diaper and dressed her again.
Throughout the entire process, Sheng Zexi’s movements were tender and careful.
Yueyue seemed perfectly at ease—so much so that she grew drowsy.
By the time Sheng Zexi finished dressing her, Yueyue had already drifted into a deep sleep.
He placed her beside Xingxing and tucked her in as well.
After tidying up briefly, he finally climbed back onto the heated bed to sleep.
Since Sheng Zexi had moved quietly the entire time, and neither child had cried loudly—coupled with Gu Jianing’s naturally sound sleep—she remained completely unaware of the night’s events.
Nights like this had become routine for Sheng Zexi ever since the twins were born.
But he never complained.
In fact, he was more than willing.
He had always kept the promise he made to Gu Jianing:
If she bore the children, he would take on the responsibility of raising and educating them.
…
Lately, Gu Jianing had indeed been busy.
Aside from her regular work, she was preparing for an upcoming lecture on PTSD at the Northwest Military Region.
The report she had submitted earlier had received official approval, paving the way for this lecture.
The event would span three consecutive days, requiring extensive preparation.
Fortunately, having previously delivered a similar lecture in the capital, she already had experience.
Finally, in mid-June, the lecture commenced.
…
Li Tingxuan stepped into the Northwest Military Region, a backpack slung over his shoulder and luggage in hand.
As he gazed at the military base before him, his emotions were complicated.
After the incident involving Li Shuyao, both he and his grandfather had been placed under restrictions—only recently had their movements been restored to normal.
But Li Shuyao was, after all, a member of the Li family, and her previous leaks of classified information had cast a shadow over them all.
Though the rest of the family was uninvolved, the repercussions were inevitable.
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