The days were quite gloomy and serious ever since everyone came to know about Han Zongying's existence and her relationship with An Guoting. The past had a deep connection with everybody's present but amidst the investigations going on, today Xinyi and Zhiyuan didn't want to think about the past.
Because today was a really special day for them.
They tip-toed towards the bed and stood on either side of it. Their adorable prince was quietly sleeping, tucked inside the duvet. The peaceful expression on Siying's chubby little face melted their hearts.
Zhiyuan quickly snapped a picture and immediately set it as his phone's wallpaper. He grinned.
Zhiyuan whispered, "Are you ready?"
Xinyi excitedly nodded. "Yes! I cannot wait for him to wake up!"
A few minutes later, Siying yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and got up.
"Surprise!"
They popped some crackers over him and said, "Happy Birthday Siying!"
Siying's beautiful eyes widened and as the colorful confetti rained upon him, his gaze sparkled in excitement.
"Pretty!"
Xinyi and Zhiyuan hugged him hard. Zhiyuan chuckled. "Yes they are really pretty, right birthday boy?"
Siying jumped on the bed and eagerly hopped from one foot to another. "It's my birthday today!"
He remembered how he couldn't wait for the day to come.
Xinyi laughed. "Yes. It's your birthday. So tell me. How many years are you now?"
Siying seriously thought about and counted on his fingers. "Four!"
As evidence, he stretched out all five fingers.
Zhiyuan pressed his thumb and said, "That was five. This is four. You are four years old."
Siying sheepishly grinned in embarrassment. "Mama! Dada!" He kept jumping up and down, "I am four now!" He proudly said, "So that means I am an adult now?"
They widened their eyes and laughed at his cute question.
"Aiya…" Xinyi caught his warm body and squished it in her embrace. "You have a long way to go until you become an adult."
Siying pouted. "But I am four now! It's more than three!"
"Yes. But you are an adult when you turn eighteen."
Siying frowned. "How many years I have to wait?"
"Fourteen more years," Zhiyuan pinched his cheeks.
His brows furrowed in dissatisfaction. "That is so long."
Xinyi pouted. "Yes. But why does my Siying want to grow up so soon?"
"So that I can take care of Mama and Dada when I grow up!" He raised his arms in the air.
Xinyi and Zhiyuan widened their eyes. "Take care of us?"
"Yes! Mama and Dada work hard and love me the most. So I also want to become adult soon and take care of Mama and Dada!"
Aiyaaa…
Warmth gushed in their hearts. Even though he was still a kid himself, he was still thinking about taking care of his parents.
"My friend in school said that I will take over Dada at work when I grow up. Then Dada will rest!"
Zhiyuan smiled. "Do you want to take over Han Corps in the future?"
Siying nodded hard. "En!"
"But you don't need to think that it's the only option you have. You are always welcomed to become the future CEO. But if you feel that you have other dreams or if you want to do something else in your life, you can always choose that path. Your career is an important decision. You don't have to necessarily do what I did."
Siying tilted his head. "Really? But I still want to take over Dada and let Dada rest with Mama!"
A bright smile lit on his lips. "Well of course if that's what you really want. I just want to let you know that you are free to pursue anything you want even if it's not business."
Xinyi nodded. "Dada is right. And also! I don't want my Siying to grow up so soon," she puffed up her cheeks, "I still want you to be my cute, little prince," she hugged him.
Siying giggled. "Mama acting like a kid!"
Then he jumped in her arms, his eyes shining with expectations. "Mama! Dada! Where is my gift! It's my birthday!"
Zhiyuan laughed. "Hoho! There are lots of presents we have bought for you."
Siying drooled, thinking of all the beautiful gifts he will unwrap.
"All your presents are in your toy room. Why don't you check it out?"
"Yay Yayyyy!!!"
Siying didn't wait a second longer and dashed away with the speed of lightning to dive into his treasures.
Zhiyuan glanced at Xinyi and smiled. He gently wiped the corner of her eyes. "He will grow up to become a good man."
She sniffled, feeling emotional. "En. I still cannot believe that Siying is four now. Time flies so fast," she chuckled, "Now he is even talking about taking care of us."
"Yeah…"
Xinyi looked at at him and asked, "What are you thinking?"
He slightly trembled and lowered his gaze. For a moment, he curled his fist but he soon released it.
"Xinyi."
"Hm?"
With his gaze slightly blurred with tears, he faced her and bowed. Xinyi widened her eyes, taken aback.
"I know that today is a special day, and I shouldn't talk about the past and affect the mood. But I don't want to be cruel as if I am ignoring and pretending that it didn't happen. Thank you for giving birth to Siying," his voice choked.
Xinyi trembled.
"Even if you forgive me for what I did to you that night, I will never be able to forgive myself. It will always be a thorn in my heart. With all my sincerity, I want to apologize to you for... for forcing you to question Siying's birth. For making you go through the pain that no woman should ever go through. Thank you for not giving up on him…and...and I am sorry for being such a terrible husband. I have hurt you a lot, but you still stayed by my side. Thank you for everything, Xinyi."
As he let the tears flow, he felt himself enveloped in a warm embrace.