Chapter 148: Where’s the Surprise

Chapter 148

On Monday evening during dinner, Nian Suian said to Gu Junxing, "Come home early from work tomorrow, okay?"

Gu Junxing smiled and replied, "Oh? Do you have a surprise for me?"

"You'll have to guess! There's no point in telling you now." In truth, Nian Suian hadn't actually planned anything yet, but since Gu Junxing had put her on the spot, she had to go along with it. Surprise or not, she had the final say on how to interpret it.

"Then I'll look forward to the surprise tomorrow."

Regardless of what she was thinking inside, Nian Suian maintained an outward appearance of confidence, as if the surprise had been planned all along.

Before preparing the "surprise," Nian Suian decided to chat with little Gu Zhijing when he returned home from school that evening.

"What kind of strong medicine did your dad give you? You seem a bit off!"

Nian Suian felt that Gu Zhijing's current demeanor was somewhat incongruous, as if Gu Junxing's soul had suddenly inhabited the boy's body. The little rascal had become oddly pensive all of a sudden.

Instead of answering her question, Gu Zhijing posed one of his own.

"Step-mom, what do you think I'd be like if I didn't have my dad? I feel like I'm not good at anything." He couldn't even handle assembly line work. Without his dad, he figured he'd probably starve to death.

"Why assume that scenario? The circumstances of one's birth are inherently unfair." Nian Suian paused for a moment, considering how to address this issue with Gu Zhijing.

"Let me put it this way: it's impossible to predict what kind of person you'd become in a different environment. You are Gu Zhijing, and you've grown up without want, with a strict but loving father. That's why you've become the cheerful, kind, and happy boy you are now."

"Dad took me to the factory and had me work the night shift in the workshop. I was so tired, I couldn't keep up at all. So I got to come home the next day, but what about the others? They have to go there every day."

"You feel sorry for them?"

Gu Zhijing's face contorted with uncertainty, as if he didn't know how to respond.

So Nian Suian tried a different approach.

"You feel some sympathy for them, but you also think that given your own circumstances, you don't have the right to feel sorry for them?"

Gu Zhijing nodded, looking troubled. He felt like he was being hypocritical.

"They're amazing. If it were me, I couldn't do those jobs."

Knowing that Nian Suian wanted to make a cake for Gu Junxing, Nanny Zhang smiled and replied, "Of course, madam. You make the cake, and I'll prepare dinner."

It took two to three hours to make the cake, and Nian Suian was still hurriedly finishing up when it was almost time for Gu Junxing to return home from work.

As for the cake itself, well...

It had sentiment, that's for sure.

It had looks, that's also true.

If one could overlook the deadly color combination, the crooked "Happy Birthday" writing, and the smudged "Gu" character, this cake could be considered quite excellent.

After finishing, Nian Suian took a look and consoled herself that it didn't matter how it looked since it would all end up in their stomachs anyway.

As soon as Gu Junxing got home, he was informed that Nian Suian was waiting for him at the dining table.

"Did you cook the meal?" Gu Junxing silently wondered. A home-cooked meal would indeed be a nice surprise. Though the dishes did look oddly familiar.

"No, Nanny Zhang cooked the meal."

Gu Junxing went to wash his hands without a word, then returned to the table, still silent.

After picking up his chopsticks, he couldn't help but ask, "You really didn't make any of this?"

"No, I really didn't," Nian Suian confirmed, but added, "Don't be impatient. The main event is still to come, after Zhijing gets home."

-- Side Scene --

"Assistant Li, what's my schedule for this afternoon?"

"Mr. Gu, you have a meeting from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. At 4:00 PM, you're meeting with President Kang from Huasheng, which should take about an hour."

"Alright. If there are any last-minute arrangements, please try to reschedule them if possible. I want to leave work half an hour early today."

"Mr. Gu, if I'm not mistaken, today is your birthday, right? Happy birthday to you."

"Thank you. My wife specifically asked me to come home early today, so unless there's something extremely urgent, please don't schedule anything after my meeting with President Kang this afternoon."

Assistant Li's inner monologue: Thanks, I didn't ask for all that information.