For Chen Jin's birthday, Lin Wan decided to give him a "small gift."
Early that morning, he dragged her excitedly to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register their marriage. When they came out, he tucked the little red booklet into his chest and sighed in relief. "Now I finally feel at ease."
Before getting into the car, he lifted the trunk lid. Lin Wan gasped—inside was a sea of red, packed full of roses. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, "Three hundred and sixty-five of them." Then he pulled one out and handed it to her, grinning. "Mrs. Chen, may our days ahead be just as bright and blooming."
Chen Jin remained euphoric all day. While Lin Wan busied herself decorating their new home, she kept receiving his calls. No real reason—just "wife," "sweetheart," "darling," on a loop. It was ridiculously mushy.
Watching him float around like he was walking in the clouds, she couldn't resist reminding him, "Your birthday is the day your mom suffered. You should go spend it with her."
Chen Jin said, "Sure, let's go together. Time to introduce the 'ugly daughter-in-law' to her in-laws."
When Madam Yuan heard her son was coming home for dinner, she was overjoyed. She personally cooked a lavish meal and told the old man to come home early. At dinner, when they learned their son had already registered the marriage, the elderly couple were a bit annoyed. But looking at the cheerful little family of three, they told themselves this was already the best possible outcome. What more could they ask for?
Taking advantage of the relaxed mood at the table, Chen Jin nudged Lin Wan to start calling them Mom and Dad. The two elders accepted happily. After dinner, Madam Yuan solemnly took out the family heirloom gold ring and handed it to Lin Wan, saying, "If A Jin ever bullies you, just tell me. I'll beat him with the rolling pin."
Chen Jin exclaimed, "Mom, you've upgraded? No more slippers?"
As for the wedding, Chen Jin went along with Lin Wan's idea: keep it simple. So simple, in fact, there was no wedding at all.
Still, some formalities had to be done—like an official meeting between both families, showing off Lin Wan in front of relatives and friends, and serving tea to the old general.
At a gathering with his old buddies, the number of people had doubled—everyone had brought their partners. Even Chen Xi showed up with a gentle, soft-spoken boyfriend, calling him a "prospective family member."
The mood was lively. Everyone congratulated them on their marriage, praising Chen Jin for his long-awaited happiness. "You made it through the storm and finally saw the moon."
Ironically, Lin Wan was seated next to Fang Zheng. He joked, "Fate really is something. The first time I met you, I had a feeling you'd be the one sitting next to A Jin one day. He's never treated any woman so seriously. We were all floored."
Lin Wan replied calmly, "Is that so? I just remember you asking me for help back then."
Fang Zheng quickly shushed her. "My boss is sitting right here."
On the way home, Chen Jin eagerly shared the romantic backstories of his friends.
Xiang Yang was a childhood sweetheart from elementary school. Too young to understand love back then, they broke up and reunited multiple times. She eventually moved abroad, and they lost contact—until years later when they met again. One night of rekindled passion led to many more, and eventually, a shotgun wedding. As Mrs. Xiang put it, "Your first time and your last time both belong to me."
Fang Zheng's was an arranged match. He didn't want it at first, buried himself in womanizing to scare her off, but she stuck around. She watched him flirt, waited next door when he booked hotel rooms, reminded him to bring condoms beforehand, and offered herbal tonic afterward… It nearly gave him performance anxiety. In the end, he surrendered and started dating her properly.
The most outrageous was Tan Xizhe. He fell for a friend's fiancée—at her grandmother's funeral. Said she looked like a celestial maiden in mourning white and decided to play Yang Guo to her Xiaolongnü. Somehow, he sweet-talked her into leaving the fiancé. No one knows how he wasn't struck down by divine wrath.
Lin Wan was speechless. What a group of people.
Chen Jin said proudly, "I was the last one to 'strip.'"
"Strip?"
"Leave the bachelor ranks. But I was the first to have a son."
He nodded smugly. "Which means—I'm the best."
Married life officially began. A cute son, a sweet wife—Chen Jin was very satisfied. The only downside was… their bedroom life.
Xiao Bao was like a high-powered little lightbulb. The couple could only sneak off to the guest room after he fell asleep. Even though they were legally married, it felt like having an affair. Once, they were caught. Xiao Bao rushed in, terrified, and started hitting his dad, shouting, "Don't bully my mommy!"
Lin Wan had to reassure him repeatedly that it wasn't what he thought. Still, the boy was only half-convinced. From then on, he became hyper-vigilant. Every time Chen Jin tried something, Xiao Bao would leap out to "protect" his mom. Chen Jin was crushed. With no other choice, he took cold showers in the dead of winter to cool off.
Eventually, Madam Yuan took pity—mainly because she missed her grandson. She often invited Xiao Bao to stay over for a few nights. With the lightbulb out of the way, Chen Jin finally got his chance.
The result? One morning, a shriek came from the bathroom.
Chen Jin rushed over. "What happened, honey?" He saw her holding something slender and white. "What's this?"
Lin Wan glared at him. "No idea."
He picked it up, examined it, then broke into a grin. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he whispered, "Impressive, right?"
She ignored him in annoyance. He whispered in her ear, "Let's keep it."
"I think it's a girl," he added. "Don't you like daughters?"
Her throat tightened. "How did you know?"
He smiled softly. "I just do."
If he couldn't even sense that—how could he claim to love her deeply?
With Lin Wan pregnant, she was off-limits. Xiao Bao, meanwhile, had moved back to his own bed after his grandma told him that sleeping with grown-ups interfered with their "bonding." And if their bond broke, they might divorce, and then he wouldn't see Daddy anymore…
Lin Wan said, "Your mom's good."
Chen Jin said, "I'm just curious whether she explained how we 'bond.'"
Lin Wan glared. "Want me to ask her for you?"
Then came the killer blow from Xiao Bao: "Daddy, can you be gentler when you and Mommy bond? Mommy always cries from pain = ="
With one pregnancy under her belt, Lin Wan was calm this time. Chen Jin, however, was a nervous wreck. He carried around a maternity guide, worried over every little thing. At checkups, his ears were sharper than a rabbit's. Even the doctor teased, "Didn't you already have one kid?"
Lin Wan joked, "Why don't you carry this one for me?"
Chen Jin replied, "Sure, once medical science catches up."
Madam Yuan was equally anxious. She sent nourishing soups almost daily. Lin Wan felt ridiculously pampered. When both parents were busy, they'd take Xiao Bao. His grandfather canceled all engagements just to spend time with him—playing games, teaching him to write and recite poems. Chen Jin couldn't help grumbling, "If only the old man treated us brothers half as well back then…"
By the fifth month, Lin Wan's legs began to swell. At night, Chen Jin massaged them for her. She complained, "I have barely started my new job, and now I'm off on maternity leave. You've ruined my career."
Chen Jin looked up and smiled. "I'll make it up to you. How about starting your own studio? Be your own boss. You've got the skills."
Lin Wan raised an eyebrow. "How would you know? Can you even understand my work?"
"Of course," he said. "You're my wife, aren't you?"
Seeing her glare, he added, "Didn't you win an award?"
She touched the hair falling over his forehead. "You knew that too?"
He grinned. "Anything related to you—I know."
She curled up in his arms, yawned. "You need a haircut."
"Go with me tomorrow," he said.
The next day, after getting his haircut, Chen Jin dragged her to the mall to buy maternity clothes. While she lazed around, he held up piece after piece, comparing them to her frame. She got mischievous and pointed at a ridiculously colorful rainbow dress. "This one's nice."
Back home, she picked up the rainbow dress. "Put it on for me."
"No way," he said.
"Will you or won't you?"
She was pregnant—no point arguing. Chen Jin gave in. "Fine, I'll wear it."
The result was predictably awful—ill-fitting and absurd. Lin Wan sat on the bed, laughing so hard she nearly fell over. Chen Jin thought, Anything for my wife's smile is worth it.
Striking a pose, he placed a hand on his hip, flipped imaginary long hair, and squeaked, "How do I look?"
Lin Wan beckoned. "Come here, sweetie. Sing me a song."
Chen Jin minced over. "What would my lord like to hear?"
She winked. "How about 'Tan Te'?"
So, Chen Jin struck a pose and started singing that ridiculous viral song, rolling his eyes dramatically. Lin Wan laughed so hard she nearly triggered contractions. She even recorded the whole thing on her phone and threatened, "If you ever treat me badly, I'll post this online for all your employees to see the other side of their mighty President Chen."
In the following spring, little Chen Xiaobei was born.
During labor, Chen Jin stood by Lin Wan's side, holding her hand and cheering her on. It still hurt, of course, but it was smoother than her first delivery. In less than an hour, the room echoed with a loud newborn cry.
The nurse handed the freshly cleaned baby to Chen Jin. He held her carefully and brought her close to Lin Wan's face, beaming. "Look at our daughter—she's an angel."
In reality, she was a red, wrinkled little creature flailing her limbs. But in his eyes, nothing could be more beautiful. Gently holding her tiny hand, he asked, "Was Xiao Bao like this when he was born?"
Lin Wan gave a weak smile and nodded. Noticing the red marks on his hand from her grip, she asked, "Does it hurt?"
"No," he replied, kissing her forehead. "It's nothing compared to what you went through."
A few days later, the baby began to change. Her skin turned rosy, her eyes were bright and black, her lashes long, and her lips perpetually moist. Chen Jin called her "little beauty." Xiao Bao introduced the family to others like this: "There are four of us—two beauties and two handsome guys."
Chen Jin threw himself into the role of full-time dad. Unless it was a major meeting or unavoidable event, he worked from home. Whenever the baby cried, he dropped everything, no matter how important. Feeding her, bathing her, applying powder, changing diapers—he did it all like a pro. The first time Madam Yuan saw him, bustling around like a little wife, she was speechless. Was this really her son?
Compared to Xiao Bao's infancy, little Bei was much quieter. She only cried softly when hungry or uncomfortable. As she grew and learned to smile, she'd beam politely at anything new—or when Daddy called her "little beauty." Later, when she learned to crawl, she'd scoot across the floor with pride—passing her mom doing yoga, her brother playing games, until she reached her dad reading the newspaper. When teething, she'd stuff everything into her mouth—most often, the fingers of her mom, dad, and brother. Occasionally, even her brother's chubby toes got a nibble.
By winter, at eight months, she had picked up a new skill—walking with an adult's help. That morning, Lin Wan was helping her practice in the living room. The little girl had just recovered from a cold and was ecstatic to be roaming again.
She looked up at the newly hung wind chime by the window and reached out. Lin Wan picked her up. When her tiny hand brushed the chime, and it made a crisp sound, she clapped and giggled. Then she turned her head and casually said, "Daddy."
Chen Jin had been up all night in the baby's room and only just dozed off. When he heard the word, he thought he was dreaming. He hurried over. "Did you hear that?" he asked Lin Wan.
"I think… she just called you," she murmured.
Both stared at their daughter. Little Bei, meanwhile, was absorbed in playing with the chime. After a long moment, she turned to Chen Jin, smiled, and clearly said, "Daddy."
Chen Jin nearly leapt into the air. "You heard that? She called me! My daughter can talk now!"
He scooped both mother and daughter into his arms, kissed the baby, then Lin Wan, overwhelmed. "Wanwan, thank you. I'm just… so happy."
Tears welled in Lin Wan's eyes as she leaned against his chest, overcome with emotion and joy.
As the three of them embraced, a crisp voice came from the doorway. "Daddy, your phone is ringing."
Chen Jin let go and went over to pick up Xiao Bao, giving him a kiss. "Your sister just spoke! Aren't you excited?"
"Can she call me 'big brother' yet?" he asked eagerly.
"Soon," Chen Jin smiled. "Very soon."
Xiao Bao sighed and, holding out the buzzing phone like a little old man, said, "You'd better answer it before the caller gets tired of waiting."
Chen Jin stepped onto the balcony and answered—it was Chen Zui.
His voice was excited. "Bro! I've got great news—I landed a job as a field photographer for a geography magazine. Cool, right?"
"Oh? Congrats! But… isn't it dangerous?"
"Don't worry. I'm starting as an assistant. Once I get more experience, I can take on more. I love it—it's challenging, meaningful. I've wasted too much time. Now I just want to do something I truly care about."
"Good. I support you."
There was a happy laugh at the other end, followed by a hesitant question: "So… how's sis-in-law? And the kids?"
Chen Jin glanced toward the dining room. Lin Wan was setting out breakfast. The two little ones sat quietly, waiting. He smiled, voice softening. "They're all great."
Then he remembered to ask, "By the way… how are things with that lady doctor?"
Chen Zui had met a prison doctor during his sentence, and they'd seemed to hit it off. At the mention, his tone turned wistful. "It's… okay. But I need more time. I want to prove myself before I tell her how I feel."
After hanging up, Chen Jin took a deep breath as he looked out the window.
His little brother… had finally grown up.
The cost had been steep.
But as he looked at the clear blue sky, Chen Jin thought: Fate has still been kind to us. So from now on, every day, every hour—we'll live well, love deeply, and cherish everything life gives us.
—— End of Story ——