If we swapped lives, I'd be the CEO and you'd take care of the kids.

"You finish speaking first!"

Shen Yanqiu's voice carried a hint of urgency and stubbornness. His deep eyes were fixed on Zhu Tingyue, as if afraid of missing a single word she was about to say.

Zhu Tingyue refused, shouting, "No, let's talk about it later, someone's knocking on the door!"

However, Shen Yanqiu remained unmoved, instead holding on even tighter and shouting, "No! Say it now! I've waited so long, and it wasn't easy for you to confess your feelings to me like this. How can I let go so easily!"

"Yanqiu, open the door, it's your father!"

Without him saying it, the two of them guessed it.

Shen Yanqiu didn't care whether he was her father or not; all he wanted to hear was for Zhu Tingyue to finish speaking.

Zhu Tingyue looked at him mischievously: "Your dad! Aren't you going to open the door?"

Shen Yanqiu shook her head firmly, no matter who it was, she wouldn't open it!

Seeing his firm attitude, Zhu Tingyue gave up and quickly said, "I love you!" before running to open the door.

Just as Shen Yingchu was about to leave, the door opened.

The "father" and "son" stared at each other for a while before Shen Yingchu said, "Today is your birthday. I didn't prepare anything for you, just this. Take it."

As he spoke, he handed over a small box decorated with red silk, about the size of a palm, which looked quite old.

Zhu Tingyue held it in her hand, thinking that since it was a birthday gift from Shen Yingchu to Shen Yanqiu, she should indeed take it. She just didn't know what this seemingly ancient object was.

As if sensing her confusion, Shen Yingchu explained, "This is the first gift I bought for your mother. I was poor back then and couldn't afford anything. I saved up for a long time to buy this pair of bracelets. Your mother was so happy for a long time that she didn't want to wear them."

Looking at Shen Yanqiu's features, he suddenly felt sentimental: "Back then, she said that she would pass it on to her daughter-in-law after you got married. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much!"

He didn't say the rest, but Zhu Tingyue already understood: you've grown up, but she's no longer here.

Zhu Tingyue listened to his seemingly prodigal son's confession without any emotional fluctuation.

I am not Zhou Ruxin, so I don't know what she thought back then when the man who swore eternal love to her became someone else's husband.

They can't possibly understand how she felt about giving birth to an illegitimate child after nine months of pregnancy.

But judging from her later departure with her child to another place, it's not hard to see her attitude; she understood and knew what she was doing.

Zhu Tingyue didn't want to hear him continue. Shen Yanqiu was still there; how heartbroken he would be if he heard this!

"Are you okay?"

Before Shen Yingchu could finish recounting her memories, her "son" coldly interrupted her, admitting that she had indeed mistreated him.

His once handsome face was now filled with guilt, as if shrouded in an invisible gloom.

He slowly raised his hands and rubbed them together awkwardly, his movements clumsy and stiff.

He remained in that sorrowful state, head bowed: "Yanqiu, I know I've wronged you, and it's understandable that you hate me. But, but I really never imagined that things would turn out like this between your mother and me."

"Your name was chosen by your mother and me together. We met in September, and September has a nice nickname, Yanqiu, so that's why you're called Yanqiu!"

He hadn't mentioned it, and Zhu Tingyue had never expected it. However, there was a very important issue: when she first met Shen Yanqiu, his name was Zhou Qinghui! Not Shen Yanqiu at all!

Therefore, from beginning to end, the only one who was trapped in the same place was Shen Yingchu!

Zhu Tingyue suddenly felt that the birthday gift in her hand was a bit disgusting. Perhaps, what was annoying was not the gift itself, but the person who had been unfaithful back then, but now acted as if he was full of remorse.

Zhu Tingyue handed him the things in her hand: "Take your things back, I don't want them."

Shen Yingchu thought she could sense his feelings to some extent, but she didn't expect him to not even want the things: "Take them, this is your mother's wish. After you get married, then..."

"Hmph! I don't need your things. I'll buy them for my spouse when I get married. I won't keep saying I'm too poor to afford them and then treat my promises like a joke."

“I wouldn’t be so deeply in love with him one moment and then turn around and discard him like trash the next; I certainly wouldn’t be fickle after getting married and having children, ignoring him and my children for over twenty years, and now reminiscing about the past!”

After Zhu Tingyue finished speaking in one breath, she felt much better. No wonder she got angry when she saw Shen Yingchu; he really was infuriating!

After being ridiculed, Shen Yingchu looked at the face that resembled her own and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

His lips trembled, but he couldn't open his mouth several times. His face was ashen, as if he had suddenly suffered a heavy blow.

Zhu Tingyue casually tossed aside the box she had been handing over for so long. She didn't care what was inside; Shen Yanqiu deserved the best!

The box was thrown and landed on the ground with a "bang." Zhu Tingyue only saw a bright yellow edge. Shen Yingchu quickly picked it up, carefully wiped it, and put it back.

It's just a gold bracelet! Zhu Tingyue will buy as many as Shen Yanqiu wants!

No longer looking at him, Zhu Tingyue turned around and closed the door. As soon as she entered, she met a pair of eyes.

Shen Yanqiu gave a somewhat forced smile. Zhu Tingyue felt uncomfortable seeing this, so she quickly took a few steps forward, hugged him, and rested her chin on his head in silent comfort.

The two remained silent for a few moments, and there was no sound from outside the door, so Shen Yingchu must have already left.

"Zhu Tingyue, are you already deeply in love with me? When are you going to say your vows of eternal love? Have you thought of a gift for your wife? And the child! When are you going to give me the child?"

Zhu Tingyue was still immersed in the atmosphere of sadness for him when he asked her a series of questions, leaving her bewildered.

With blank stares, Zhu Tingyue asked, "What?"

Shen Yanqiu suddenly wriggled out of her arms, her face even more distressed than before: "Are you going to treat your promises like a joke? Waiting to look back on the past when you're old?"

Zhu Tingyue understood; he was using the words she had just used to berate Shen Yingchu to ask for a promise from her!

Zhu Tingyue turned his face towards her and said solemnly, "Shen Yanqiu, I have always been a single-minded person. With such a family tradition of learning, do you still have anything to worry about?"

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned her family's scholarly background; the more she did, the more worried Shen Yanqiu became.

Shen Yanqiu might have believed it before, but she had seen how Zhu's mother had lost her appetite these past few days because Zhu Mingchuan was having an affair.

With Zhu Mingchuan as an example, how could I trust Zhu Tingyue?

"You don't believe me?" Zhu Tingyue found it hard to believe. Her parents had such a good relationship, she couldn't believe he hadn't noticed!

Shen Yanqiu shook her head: "I don't believe it!"

Zhu Tingyue didn't know what to say about his anxious and uncertain appearance, but then she thought about his upbringing and understood.

Zhu Tingyue said seriously again, "I will only say this once, so listen carefully! Shen Yanqiu, I may not be deeply in love with you now, but we have a long life ahead of us, and I hope you can feel my unwavering love for you."