Zhou Qingyun had been busy socializing non-stop.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sicheng—the main star of the engagement banquet—was nowhere to be seen. Zhou Qingyun felt utterly helpless; every senior executive who bumped into him wore a look of shock and admiration that practically screamed, “I can’t believe you actually approved of this marriage!”

Since Mr. Zhou himself had agreed, the executives had zero standing to object to Zhou Sicheng making Xiang Zhen a shareholder.

Mr. Zhou and his wife truly were deeply in love. Moreover, seeing the President’s wife standing beside the spirited and high-flying Zhou Sicheng gave the shareholders a sense of confidence—a belief that, for his wife’s sake, Zhou Sicheng would happily work his heart out for the next hundred years.

Xiang Zhen looked at Zhou Sicheng with sparkling eyes, looking just like the kind of spouse who would sit at home counting her husband’s medals of honor. Whoever had a wife like this would have all the motivation in the world to go to work.

As for the fact that two men couldn’t carry on the family line—that was none of the shareholders’ business. As long as Zhou Sicheng could keep leading the team with boundless energy, that was all that mattered.

……

After finishing her meeting with the two little spirits, Xiang Zhen turned her head to look for her husband.

Zhou Sicheng instantly ditched his two useless teammates and appeared in Xiang Zhen’s line of sight right on cue. Adjusting his collar, he couldn’t help but ponder: Is a sunflower’s aesthetic taste the same as a human’s? What kind of men does Xiang Zhen prefer?

For the very first time in his life, Zhou Sicheng felt a wave of self-doubt. Cutting a small piece from the engagement cake, he felt as though he held a heavy bargaining chip in his hand once more. Walking up to Xiang Zhen, he scooped up a bite and fed it to her: “Wife, have a bit more.”

If she really was a spirit, she certainly didn’t need to control her diet.

Li Guihua had mentioned that when it came to pregnancy, he should simply defer to his wife.

Xiang Zhen opened her mouth, took a bite of the cake, and licked the cream off her red lips. Looking at Zhou Sicheng, she asked, “Husband, are you a firm materialist?”

Zhou Sicheng: “No.”

Xiang Zhen: “Do you believe there are spirits in this world?”

Zhou Sicheng: “I do.”

Xiang Zhen: “If you saw a spirit, would you call the police?”

Zhou Sicheng suppressed his slightly flustered breathing. Was Xiang Zhen about to confess everything? He was the very first husband to gain his wife’s absolute trust—he could brag about this to Chu Ren and Shen Ku for the rest of his life: “No, I’d be honored.”

Xiang Zhen looked up: “Husband, have you been drinking? I feel like you’re not very clear-headed right now.”

Her husband was supposed to be a clear-headed, wise, and staunch atheist. He must have had a few drinks while socializing just now. Xiang Zhen wanted to find a time when Zhou Sicheng was completely sober to confess, and then use her intelligence and wisdom to persuade him.

Zhou Sicheng: “……”

Xiang Zhen leaned in, sniffing around Zhou Sicheng’s collar. Catching a faint trace of alcohol, she muttered, “You really did drink.”

Zhou Sicheng: “Someone else’s alcohol scent rubbed off on me. If you don’t believe me, sniff the air—isn’t there a smell of alcohol in the air too?”

Xiang Zhen closed her eyes and felt the atmosphere for a moment. A faint mix of red wine, white wine, and beer mingled together. Just this tiny bit of alcohol in the air had managed to get her husband drunk.

Xiang Zhen made up her mind: “Husband, from now on, you have to bring me with you whenever you go out to socialize.”

Husband is simply in too much danger out there in the world.

Zhou Sicheng looked at her. “Okay.” Xiang Zhen probably didn’t plan on confessing right now; he’d gently guide it out of her tonight instead.

The executives reunited with their respective wives as the engagement banquet drew to a close. Harboring their own thoughts, they came over with their spirits to say their goodbyes.

“It was so crowded today, sorry I couldn’t take better care of you all. Manning, Baiqi, let’s chat in the group chat tonight,” Xiang Zhen said.

Zhou Sicheng: “I want to join the group.”

Xiang Zhen: “This… how about I create another group for the six of us?”

Zhou Sicheng: “Forget it.”

Zhou Sicheng and Xiang Zhen stood at the door seeing off the guests.

The butler arranged private cars to drive Yu Yueyue, Liu Xiaofang, and Sun Youzhi home.

Zhou Qingyun was getting up in years. As soon as his grandson showed up, he went upstairs to rest.

As for the senior executives from Zhou Sicheng’s company, they had to figure out their own way back just as they had arrived. Zhou Sicheng was in no mood to arrange transport for them; all he wanted now was a quiet late-night moment to confirm the truth with his wife.

Xiang Zhen bade farewell to each executive with a beaming smile: “Thank you for coming! Have a wonderful day!”

Executives: A gracious and open President’s wife, a cold and distant President.

Xiang Zhen: “Thank you for your support, I wish you all the best!”

Executives: Alright, I fully support the Madam running the show over Mr. Zhou.

Xiang Zhen: “So wonderful to meet you, feel free to reach out to me anytime if you have any questions!”

Executives: This household is definitely ruled by the Madam.

Fan Hao was quite familiar with the executives from headquarters. Back when he tricked them into buying Mr. Zhou’s coffee, he never expected Zhou Sicheng to introduce Xiang Zhen publicly so soon. Hadn’t he vowed to play poor? Where was the fun in watching the ‘chauffeur’ drama now?

His colleagues expressed envy one after another, praising him for holding Mr. Zhou’s deep trust—so much so that Xiang Zhen had been entrusted to his care early on.

Fan Hao was floating on air. Naturally! What was his relationship with Zhou Sicheng? It was what Zhou Sicheng called a life-and-death bond!

After playing the social butterfly all evening, he was the last to leave. Seeing his boss and the Madam holding hands, a match made in heaven, he thought back to the other two male-male couples. He felt a pang of envy that they all had partners and were paired up nicely… Oh well, straight guys shouldn’t force their way into circles where they don’t belong.

Fan Hao asked dutifully, “Will Madam still be returning to work at the bank? The internship period is over, so we can pretty much assign a permanent post now.”

Even though Madam hadn’t really been at her post during the internship, that didn’t matter.

Zhou Sicheng: “Zhenzhen, what are your thoughts?”

Xiang Zhen: “I want to work.”

Zhou Sicheng lowered his gaze, motioning toward her belly with his eyes, and asked softly, “Just one more month?”

Sunflowers had a short seed-bearing cycle. Would her belly grow really big after a month?

Xiang Zhen didn’t quite understand either. Being pregnant for the first time, who knew how long a hybrid baby of a sunflower and a human would need to stay inside? Hesitantly cradling her belly, she asked, “Two months?”

Zhou Sicheng: “Let’s make it one month. Fan Hao, arrange for someone to handle the handover in a month.”

Having had a bit to drink, Fan Hao’s train of thought was unusually active. From the expressions on the couple’s faces, he instantly deduced the story: one was a male chauvinist with intense possessiveness, while the other was a runaway who got caught and was now suffering under oppression, losing her freedom.

He knew Zhou Sicheng. After going through a scare like this, Zhou Sicheng probably wished he could lock Xiang Zhen up, standing guard with his eyes open even while sleeping at night.

On the surface, Zhou Sicheng acted calm and refined, but in reality, he was probably gritting his teeth in fury at the thought of his wife going out to work.

Xiang Zhen was wrapping her arms around her stomach—a gesture proving her lack of security.

Analyzing the situation, Fan Hao felt that as an insider who had witnessed it all, he ought to timely persuade Zhou Sicheng to abide by the law and let his wife go out to work, lest he scare her away again.

Fan Hao: “Mr. Zhou, working for just one month can hardly be called working! Don’t worry, as long as Madam is with me, I guarantee she won’t lose a single strand of hair.”

Deep down, Fan Hao also felt a bit relieved. Given Xiang Zhen’s absurd ability to flee, it was fortunate that Madam was kind enough to slip away right under Zhou Sicheng’s nose, making Zhou Sicheng fully responsible—otherwise, no one would have been able to give Zhou Sicheng an explanation.

Zhou Sicheng narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the unusually enthusiastic Fan Hao: “Manager Fan, you—”

Hmm?

Zhou Sicheng’s gaze turned probing: “Your surname is Fan? Do you have any relation to Van Gogh (Fan Gao)?”

Does he also happen to love sunflowers—aka my wife?

Fan Hao was completely baffled: “What relation could I possibly have with Van Gogh?!”

Zhou Sicheng, now fully embracing spiritualism, suspected everything: “Van Gogh was Dutch, and you’ve been to the Netherlands.”

Fan Hao: How is that even a connection?! That was a business trip to the Netherlands that YOU arranged for me!

Zhou Sicheng: “Stay away from my wife.”

Fan Hao: ???

Kicking the ladder down after climbing up!

Fan Hao huffed away in annoyance. Upon getting into his car and checking his phone, he saw that Zhou Sicheng had sent him a 1-million-yuan bonus.

A man in love is more fickle than the weather!

Xiang Zhen asked Zhou Sicheng innocently, “Who is Van Gogh? Is he Fan Hao’s relative?”

Zhou Sicheng kissed his adorably illiterate wife: “He has already passed away, you don’t need to know him.”

Once the guests had all departed, quiet settled over the villa. Unnoticed, the lights in the garden had flickered on, and a grand piano stood quietly before the patch of sunflowers.

Zhou Sicheng grew flowers and knew that plant growth followed the natural rhythm of sunrise and sunset; he wouldn’t easily turn on bright lights around the villa at night to confuse day and night.

Besides, the resort’s night-market-style colorful lights felt overly plain and grounded—not a choice suitable for decor.

The butler had decorated the villa’s perimeter walls like a starry night sky, emitting faint blue glimmers like fireflies, resembling radiant stars millions of light-years away.

Those were bright, too, but never quite as bright as the sun.

Zhou Sicheng held Xiang Zhen’s hand as they walked over, pulling her down to sit beside him: “I learned this before I was twelve, so I’m a bit rusty. I’m playing this for your ears only.”

There was no one else around.

As the piano notes sounded, Xiang Zhen’s gaze rested on Zhou Sicheng’s long, slender fingers. Glancing up slightly, her eyes met his sharp jawline, high nose bridge, and deep, dark eyes.

Husband is so handsome.

Xiang Zhen stroked her lower abdomen. No wonder you were scared, little baby—your dad is just too handsome.

So handsome that a sunflower spirit couldn’t protect herself and would indulge Zhou Sicheng in everything he did.

“Husband, I have a secret to tell you.”

Zhou Sicheng stopped playing immediately, listening intently.

Xiang Zhen opened her hands: “Husband, would you like all the sunflowers in front of us to turn their heads to look at you? To be your audience?”

Zhou Sicheng: “No.”

That sounds terrifying.

However, it reminded him of the time Xiang Zhen took him to Tianxing Bay Park to see the water lilies. Even though the security guard at the gate had explicitly said they were late and the water lilies had closed up, by the time he walked in, a whole pond of water lilies was blooming brilliantly.

He had thought it was luck. Was it actually a surprise crafted by a spirit?

That was an even grander gesture than anything Zhou Sicheng had pulled off.

Xiang Zhen froze. Sure enough, once the cool night breeze blew over, her husband had sobered up.

No matter, she was going to tell him while he was sober anyway.

Xiang Zhen: “Husband, actually… Manning, Baiqi, and I were all orphans picked up by my grandfather. We grew up practicing cultivation with him.”

Zhou Sicheng missed the point entirely: “Your grandfather is…?”

Xiang Zhen stood on tiptoe to kiss her poor, clueless husband: “He has already passed away, you don’t need to know him.”

Zhou Sicheng: “……” Using my own words against me.

Zhou Sicheng feigned confusion: “Cultivation? Practicing bicycle chain repair?”

Xiang Zhen: “No! Absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, cultivating spiritual power! Cultivating magic! Right now, I have magic that can make all these sunflowers turn their heads to look at you. Do you want to see?”

Zhou Sicheng coaxed: “Can you transform into a sunflower for me to see?”

“No! I’m a human, how could I transform into a plant?” Xiang Zhen refuted with a guilty yet firm voice. “I’m just a human who acquired a little bit of magic later on! I was born human!”

Zhou Sicheng understood now—Xiang Zhen was borrowing a fantasy cultivation setup because she didn’t want to admit she was a spirit.

Zhou Sicheng didn’t push his wife, continuing his role as an Oscar-worthy actor: “That sounds rather unscientific. Wife, I need some time to digest this.”

Xiang Zhen tried hard to convince her husband: “It’s true! It’s only because I have extraordinary natural talent that I can get pregnant and practice cultivation. Manning and Baiqi aren’t as gifted as I am, so they can’t do it, nor can they easily get pregnant.”

That’s because their husbands aren’t up to par, Zhou Sicheng compared them mockingly in his head. “Wife, as you know, I’ve grown up watching Approaching Science.”

Just as the words left his mouth, Xiang Zhen raised an index finger and rubbed a cluster of light onto her fingertip, casting a shadow over Zhou Sicheng’s brow ridge: “Husband, look! This is the sunlight I absorbed during the day!”

Zhou Sicheng instantly stood up to shield her. The little spirit really had zero defensiveness against humans! He reached out to enclose that speck of light, cupping it securely in his palm: “I believe you. Don’t take it out for others to see in the future.”

Xiang Zhen: “You believe me? I haven’t even performed more for you yet.”

Zhou Sicheng pondered: What else is she going to perform? Transforming into a giant sunflower? He actually wanted to see that.

“Zhenzhen, let’s go back to the room to perform.”

“No,” Xiang Zhen said. “What I want to perform is running from here to Manning’s house in one minute to grab a cup of coffee for you.”

???

Performing a disappearing act right in front of him, huh?

Zhou Sicheng’s face turned stern: “The state prohibits animal and plant performances.”

Xiang Zhen shut her mouth tightly. There’s even a rule like that?!

Wait, no! He hadn’t said he was a plant or animal spirit. Did Zhou Sicheng misunderstand something?

“Husband, I’m not a spirit.”

Zhou Sicheng: “I know, I didn’t say you were a spirit.”

Xiang Zhen scratched her cheek. “Husband, now you believe that there’s no risk in my pregnancy, right? When the time comes, I can just have Manning deliver the baby.”

Zhou Sicheng scooped her up to head inside, afraid she would insist on performing the coffee retrieval act: “From now on, I’ll listen to you on this matter.”

Carrying her into the room, he set Xiang Zhen down on a chair, unbuttoned her suit jacket and belt, undressed her, and went to fetch her pajamas and underwear: “Take a bath first. Do you want me to bathe you?”

Xiang Zhen stared at her husband, knowing his tricks all too well: “If you really wanted to bathe me, you wouldn’t even ask.”

Zhou Sicheng chuckled softly: “Sorry, baby. I have an important email to reply to. How about you wait for me a bit?”

Xiang Zhen walked into the bathroom: “It’s fine, husband. Go make money to support the baby.”

Zhou Sicheng followed her into the bathroom, helping her into the bathtub, and said: “Call me when you’re done washing up. Don’t come out by yourself.”

He left the bathroom door open, standing right at the entrance while connecting his Bluetooth earphones. Watching his fair, glistening wife take a bath, he opened his search app.

It wasn’t that he was turning down intimacy; he had research to do.

Zhou Sicheng typed in: “The harvesting process of mature sunflower seeds.”

He had harvested them as a child, but it had been too long. He wanted to look up the latest agricultural research.

The app instantly pulled up three botany papers and a playlist of sunflower farm harvesting videos for him.

Zhou Sicheng clicked on a video and saw farmers hauling mature flower heads home to stack into mountains. Then, in a large open space, they used wooden sticks to hit the flower heads with force—causing the sunflower seeds to burst out frantically and cascade all over the ground.

Zhou Sicheng’s breath hitched instantly, a sharp tug pulling at his chest. He knitted his brows tightly.

Xiang Zhen had said she didn’t need a C-section surgery.

Wait a second.

Could the delivery method of these three illiterate spirits literally be beating his wife’s belly with a stick?!

Zhou Sicheng broke into a cold sweat, his face turning pale.

He couldn’t trust illiterate spirits even one bit.

Xiang Zhen suddenly stood up from the water with a splash, her glowing white skin practically luminous in front of him. She frowned: “Husband, why do you look so pale?”

How did reading an email turn his face this color? Is the company going bankrupt?

Nervously, Xiang Zhen glanced at her husband’s phone screen, only to see the video title: “Bumper Harvest of Melon Seeds: Picking 5,000 Catties a Day.”

Uh.

“Husband, why are you watching this?”

Zhou Sicheng took a deep breath, lifting his dripping wet wife back into the bathtub: “Just casually browsing… feeling the joy of a farmer’s harvest.”

“Husband, do you want a… harvest too?” Xiang Zhen nervously pressed her fair, slender legs together, her hands instinctively covering her rear. D-does he want to have a few more babies?!