On this side, Grandpa Sang and Grandma Sang had already received a phone call informing them that Gu Jianing would be bringing Xingxing and Yueyue to the capital.
The elderly couple was overjoyed.
It had been quite some time since they last saw Gu Jianing and the two children after leaving the Northwest Military District. Although they occasionally spoke on the phone, it was nothing compared to meeting in person.
From the moment they learned Gu Jianing would be bringing the children, they had cleaned and prepared the rooms, eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Finally, on this day, as Grandma Sang was tidying up the toys she had prepared for Xingxing and Yueyue, she heard two sweet, childish voices calling out.
“Great-Grandma~”
Grandma Sang froze for a moment before turning around to see Gu Jianing leading two exquisitely adorable children into the house.
The two children looked to be only two or three years old, but their delicate features were truly striking.
The little boy resembled their grandson when he was young, while the little girl looked like a carbon copy of Jianing herself.
Almost instantly, Grandma Sang recognized them.
“Xingxing, Yueyue, Great-Grandma is here!”
And so, the three of them, who had missed each other dearly, embraced.
Grandma Sang was overjoyed and quickly brought out an array of snacks for Xingxing, Yueyue, and Gu Jianing. She then took the children’s hands and showed them around the small Western-style house.
By noon, Grandpa Sang had also returned from the weapons research institute. Seeing Gu Jianing and his two great-grandchildren, he was equally delighted.
Xingxing and Yueyue adapted quickly, showing no signs of unfamiliarity with Grandpa Sang and Grandma Sang.
Upon arriving at the Sang family home, Gu Jianing immediately called Sheng Zexi at Huansha Island Military Base to let him know they had arrived safely.
Because the capital’s college entrance exam question-setting team was in urgent need of her, Gu Jianing left the Sang residence the very next day, carrying her luggage to the courtyard where the team was stationed.
Her arrival was naturally met with warm enthusiasm.
They then presented her with a stack of doctoral diplomas from various universities and honorary professor appointment letters.
Gu Jianing found it both amusing and touching.
So many diplomas and appointment letters? In truth, one would have been enough for her.
But the university presidents made it clear—they all wanted to secure Gu Jianing’s affiliation.
After all, at such a young age, she had already achieved so much. In the future, her accomplishments might grow even greater, perhaps even earning her a place in history or textbooks.
If that were to happen, their universities would bask in the reflected glory.
So, a doctoral diploma and an honorary professor appointment were nothing—they could afford to give them, and they absolutely had to.
At this point, Gu Jianing was already an honorary alumna, qualified to give lectures at these universities. Her future potential was immeasurable.
These university presidents were shrewd—they wouldn’t let such a talent slip away!
Gu Jianing: It would be ungrateful to refuse, so I’ll accept.
And so, she settled in and began collaborating with the other teachers to draft the exam papers. Once she started, she wouldn’t be able to leave until the college entrance exams were over.
…
At the Sang residence, since Grandpa Sang still had to work every day, Grandma Sang was the one primarily looking after Xingxing and Yueyue.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed since Gu Jianing’s departure.
Xingxing and Yueyue hadn’t seen their mother for days.
From the moment they were born, the two little ones had never been apart from their mother for even a single day.
Now, suddenly separated and unable to contact her, they missed her terribly.
Still, they understood—Mom had left temporarily to do something very, very important.
As long as they behaved well at Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa’s house, Mom would come back once she finished her work.
That day, Grandpa Sang went to work as usual, while Grandma Sang was in the kitchen preparing desserts for the two little ones.
Only the two children were left in the living room.
Xingxing was flipping through a book—one of the many picture books Grandpa Sang had bought for him. After noticing Xingxing’s love for reading, Grandpa Sang had promptly purchased a whole stack of children’s books.
Wearing his overalls, Xingxing sat cross-legged on the sofa with the book on his lap, reading intently and turning the pages swiftly.
Yueyue, on the other hand, wasn’t fond of books. At the moment, she was playing with the doll Grandma had bought her, dressing it up in pretty clothes and styling its hair.
Just then, a sudden knock on the door startled Xingxing out of his reading.
He glanced at his sister, who was playing on the carpet, seemingly oblivious to the sound.
The little boy sighed inwardly. He knew his sister had a lazy streak—something she’d inherited from their mom.
But Xingxing firmly agreed with what his dad always said: What’s wrong with a girl being a little lazy? There’s no virtue in being overly diligent. Those who work too hard end up with rough hands. We, as the men in the family, should take on more responsibilities.
With that in mind, Xingxing set the book aside and carefully climbed down from the sofa.
The sofa was quite high for a two-year-old with short legs, and a misstep could easily lead to a fall, so he took his time.
Once on the ground, he slipped on his shoes and headed toward the courtyard.
The gate to the yard wasn’t actually closed—just slightly ajar. After all, this was a military compound, guarded at all times. Even if the door were left wide open, no intruder would dare enter.
The person outside had initially thought the gate was shut, but after knocking for a while, they realized it wasn’t locked and pushed it open.
As soon as the door swung inward, the visitor found themselves face-to-face with Xingxing—staring at each other in surprise.
The moment the man saw Xingxing, his eyes widened, and he blurted out, “Zexi?!”
The visitor was Sheng Xinhào.
His first glimpse of Xingxing genuinely shocked him—who wouldn’t be startled by a miniature version of their own son?
Over the past two years, Sheng Xinhào had been visiting the Sang family more frequently. Even though he was often met with cold indifference or outright schemes from the elderly couple, he kept coming back.
Perhaps it was the loneliness of military life, or maybe the suffocating atmosphere at the Sheng family’s ancestral home.
But lately, Sheng Xinhào truly had no way out.
Fang Wanrong had been relentless—forcing him to take fertility-boosting concoctions daily, pressuring him endlessly to have another child.
Every time he returned home, she ambushed him.
He was being drained—physically and mentally.
He understood her grievances and her desperation for a child.
But understanding didn’t mean he could endure it indefinitely.
If this continued, he feared it would cut his life short.
And that wasn’t even his only problem.
His hand injury still hadn’t healed, and it was severely affecting his position. Though he’d kept it hidden and sought discreet treatment, progress was slow.
Then, during a mission, his hand spasmed visibly in front of others—exposing his weakness.
His superiors had made it clear: if his condition didn’t improve, he might lose his current rank.
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