“Alright, don’t overthink it. There’s nothing between Comrade Li and me. Since you don’t like me interacting with him much, I won’t initiate contact with him from now on.”
Gu Jianing didn’t see anything wrong with this arrangement, nor did she feel that Sheng Zexi was restricting her freedom to make friends.
To be honest, Gu Jianing had a somewhat obsessive streak deep down.
In her heart, she categorized people as either important or unimportant. She always made sure to distinguish who mattered most to her.
As for those who didn’t matter, she couldn’t care less.
To Gu Jianing, Sheng Zexi was important, while Li Tingxuan—someone she’d only met a few times and had no real connection with—was unimportant.
So, if she had to choose between the two, the answer was obvious: Li Tingxuan would be the one to let go of.
And she certainly wouldn’t let an unimportant person upset someone who was important to her.
People can’t have their cake and eat it too. The key is to recognize what truly matters, hold onto it tightly, and that’s enough to live a good life.
“Wife, thank you,” Sheng Zexi said, knowing he was being a bit domineering.
But he just felt that Li Tingxuan had ulterior motives and didn’t want his wife interacting with him.
“Alright, let’s go out now, or Grandma might start worrying.”
“Okay.”
The two stepped out of the room, and sure enough, Grandma Sang, holding the baby, looked over with concern.
Seeing that the couple was still harmonious, she immediately relaxed.
Elderly people always worried most about conflicts between the younger generation.
Now that she saw the two of them getting along well, she could finally breathe easy.
After dinner, Sheng Zexi started carving wood in the yard.
The log had been hauled back from the mountains.
Following Gu Jianing’s instructions, he planned to make a baby stroller that could hold both children at once, allowing them to take the twins out for walks.
Whenever he had time, Sheng Zexi would carve the wood.
Since he had never made one before, it took him a full week to complete the stroller.
But he still felt it wasn’t good enough.
Whenever he had a spare moment, he would carefully sand down every corner, smoothing out any sharp edges or rough spots, afraid they might hurt the babies.
While Sheng Zexi worked on the stroller, Gu Jianing and Grandma Sang would often bring the twins over to watch.
Even Amber and her four pups would come by to observe.
“Xingxing, Yueyue, look—Daddy’s making a stroller for you!”
“Once it’s done, we can take you out for walks!”
“Aren’t you excited?”
Xingxing and Yueyue peeked out from their swaddling clothes, their curious eyes fixed on the scene before them.
Whether they could actually see clearly or not, the two little ones watched with great interest.
They even clapped their hands occasionally, babbling happily as if cheering their dad on.
Finally, after a few more days, the stroller was fully polished and ready.
Gu Jianing even exchanged two strings of bells from the system store. These bells didn’t have any special function—they were just meant to stimulate the babies’ vision when moved, and their pleasant chime could lift people’s moods.
Once the stroller was ready, Gu Jianing placed the two little ones inside.
The babies were very pleased with their new mode of transportation.
They also loved the bells hanging in front of them, reaching out to touch them repeatedly.
Whenever the bells jingled, they would clap their hands and giggle with joy.
However, since the twins were still small, even though the stroller was finished, they wouldn’t be taken out in it just yet.
Gu Jianing made another suggestion: she asked Sheng Zexi to add two layers of fabric to the front of the stroller—one layer of gauze to keep out dust and sand, and a thicker layer to block rain.
Sheng Zexi thought it was a great idea, so whenever he had time, he continued making adjustments to the stroller.
…
After the babies turned one month old, they seemed to grow faster with each passing day.
In the blink of an eye, Xingxing and Yueyue were already three months old.
Today, Sheng Zexi was on rare leave.
The twins were placed in the stroller, pushed by Sheng Zexi, while Gu Jianing and Grandma Sang walked alongside.
This was the first time Xingxing and Yueyue had gone out since their birth.
The family drove to town, planning to take photos—mainly of the two babies, as well as a family portrait.
They intended to send the pictures to Grandpa Sang in Beijing and Gu Jianing’s family in Huaihua Village.
Once they parked in town, the stroller was set down with the babies inside. Sheng Zexi pushed it as they walked toward the photo studio with Gu Jianing and Grandma Sang.
It was October, and the weather had started cooling since the end of last month. But today was sunny, and the temperature was pleasant.
As the family strolled through town, they drew many curious glances.
Sheng Zexi, for once, wasn’t wearing his military uniform, but his posture and bearing made it obvious he was a soldier.
Tall and strikingly handsome, he naturally attracted attention.
Yet, the faint air of arrogance between his brows gave off an unapproachable vibe.
But here was this seemingly tough man pushing a baby stroller—inside which sat two chubby, fair-skinned, adorable infants.
The contrast only made the scene more charming.
Many elderly passersby couldn’t help but stare at the babies in the stroller.
They were just too cute—people couldn’t resist the urge to cuddle and kiss them.
Of course, the one who drew the most attention was Gu Jianing.
After all, her beauty was undeniable—the kind that made both men and women turn their heads for a second look.
Some even found her face strangely familiar.
Gu Jianing had previously appeared in newspapers, and many had read about her, which explained the sense of recognition.
For Xingxing and Yueyue, this was their first time outside, and they were thrilled to see so many people.
Their curious eyes darted around, as if they couldn’t take in enough of the world.
They babbled happily, clapping their hands from time to time.
Soon, the family arrived at the photo studio.
The photographer was amazed by their striking looks—even Grandma Sang, though older, still carried an elegant charm.
In her youth, she had been a great beauty herself.
First, they took a family portrait.
Then, Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing each held one of the babies for a few more shots.
“Wife, how about we take photos like this every year from now on?” Sheng Zexi asked.
“Of course,” Gu Jianing agreed readily.
Photos were a way to document life and growth.
Since the pictures couldn’t be collected immediately, the family headed to a state-run restaurant for lunch.
They spent the rest of the day exploring the town before driving home in the afternoon.
Three days later, the photos were ready.
Gu Jianing packed them along with some other items she had bought earlier into a parcel, then handed it over to the soldiers at the base to be mailed out.
The package was sent the same day.
Since Beijing was closer, Grandpa Sang was the first to receive it.
However, just as he was opening it, he didn’t expect that old fox Sheng Xinhào to show up!
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