Disappointment

"Don't worry about the wedding arrangements either. I'll have someone take care of all that. When the time comes, you two just need to have a splendid ceremony and get married."

Chen's Father spoke, taking a deep look at Ye Shuang, as if in awe or reflection.

"My little girl is all grown up and ready to be married."

"Still, it's good that you've grown up together and ended up with a happy outcome."

Chen Qin couldn't help but chime in from the side, "Daddy."

"In the blink of an eye, I remember when you were no bigger than a little bean," Chen's Father continued, while Chen's Mother also showed a nostalgic expression.

At this point, Chen Qin was a bit embarrassed, her ears tinged with pink. She hugged Ye Shuang's arm and hid behind him. Seeing this, Chen's Father shook his head with a smile and pressed a button on the remote control.

The wall-mounted TV in the living room flickered to life. Chen's Father opened a folder, still the familiar [Sweet Daughter] folder, which contained over twenty files arranged by sequence number.

Chen's Father seemed to think for a moment, then clicked on the folder for age five.

Inside were quite a few videos. Once he opened one, a little girl was seen giggling while splashing water in the swimming pool before suddenly saying, "Daddy, I need to pee."

"Daddy?!" Upon seeing this video, Chen Qin's eyes widened, and she tried to turn off the TV.

"Ahem, wrong one, wrong one," Chen's Father quickly exited the video. He thought for a moment before clicking on the folder for age six.

Each folder contained at least a dozen videos. Chen's Father squinted for a few seconds, then finally picked one.

In the video, the little girl sat on the sofa, looking mysterious as she said to the camera, "Daddy, let me tell you something."

"Hmm?"

"Aye said that when we grow up, he wants to marry me. He wants me to be his wife."

"Really? Said that before you even started elementary school?" A much younger-sounding Chen's Father could be heard in the video, his voice laced with amusement.

"Really! He said, 'Chen Qin, when we grow up, let's get married,'" the little girl said with big, round eyes.

"And do you want to marry him?" Chen's Father laughed.

The little girl's eyes darted. She seemed shy, covering her face as she flopped down on the sofa, then sat up again. "Yes."

"Getting married so young? Don't you want your daddy anymore?" Chen's Father asked, feigning sadness.

"We can still live together after getting married," the little girl quickly replied.

"So you really want to marry him?"

"Yes." This time, the little girl's voice was a bit more determined.

"Then I'll ask him about it tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Really. Okay?"

"Okay!" The little girl seemed a little happy.

The video ended there. Ye Shuang watched it silently, while Chen Qin beside him had already turned beet red. Having such an embarrassing piece of childhood history exposed, she wished she could sink into a hole in the ground.

"People say daughters grow up and leave home, but for me, my daughter wanted to leave home when she was little," Chen's Father grumbled with a sigh. Still, he glanced at Ye Shuang.

"Shuang, how about giving us your take?"

At this, Ye Shuang felt a bit awkward and scratched his cheek with his finger. To be honest, his memories of being around six were pretty fuzzy, let alone knowing that Chen Qin had said things like that at home. The earnest little expression on her face in the video was indescribably adorable.

"You dared to say that to your dad back then?" Ye Shuang asked Chen Qin beside him. "And with a camera pointed at you?"

"My dad was always filming videos. How was I supposed to remember all that?" Chen Qin muttered. Her father loved recording her life, so having a camera pointed at her during moments like that was completely normal.

"Actually, there are a lot more photos. The videos are just a small part; the photos outnumber them," Chen's Mother added.

She picked up the remote and started scrolling through photos for Ye Shuang and the others. The images were densely packed, spanning nearly every single day. They covered every stage of Chen Qin's life—birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—until work gradually thinned them out.

But among these photos, a considerable number featured other people. Some were of Chen Hai, but the majority were of a boy with a sunny smile.

Ye Shuang took a glance.

That was him.

He really had grown up alongside Chen Qin; up until college, this little shadow had seemed to never leave his side.

"It looks like, from now on, my photo album can have more pictures of the two of you getting married," Chen's Father said slowly. "That's wonderful, truly wonderful."

"These photos trace the footsteps of your lives and also mark the passage of our time."

"In a flash, you've both grown up."

As he spoke, Chen's Father sniffled, while Chen's Mother just smiled with affection.

"Alright, that got a bit sentimental," Chen's Father said, turning to Ye Shuang. "You want to take over the group's affairs in place of Qin?"

"Yeah," Ye Shuang nodded.

"Do you understand what that means?" Chen's Father asked.

Even though Chen's Father could easily secure Ye Shuang's position, it still involved conflicts of interest among many shareholders, especially questions about Ye Shuang's own capabilities. Even Chen Qin, as the old chairman's daughter, hadn't reached her current position with just a nod.

And Ye Shuang had spent too little time in the group—there would definitely be plenty of people who objected.

"I know, but I should still do it," Ye Shuang said after thinking for a moment. "Qin is pregnant now. I don't want her running all over the place, and sitting in that position isn't exactly conducive to a good night's sleep."

"I feel like I need to take on that responsibility."

Hearing this, Chen's Father thought it over and ultimately didn't say much. "And after she gives birth?"

"I can step down anytime, even leave the company," Ye Shuang said with a smile, showing remarkable detachment. He knew just how massive the group was, and how tempting its top position could be.

Under normal circumstances, a company this big wouldn't hand that seat to someone outside the family, unless Chen Qin temporarily stepped back and someone was selected from the shareholders.

"To be able to take it up and let it go—very good." Ye Shuang's decisive answer pleased Chen's Father greatly.

"There's one more thing," Chen's Father said after a pause.

"What?"

"That girl." Chen's Father didn't say a name out loud, but with that one simple phrase, he made his meaning perfectly clear. He really wanted to know how Ye Shuang planned to handle the matter with Bai Yuyou.

Chen Qin, sensing the change in atmosphere, quickly tried to say, "Daddy..."

"Be quiet." Chen's Father cut her off bluntly.

Under Chen's Father's almost scrutinizing gaze, Ye Shuang hesitated for a few seconds, but he didn't try to hide or lie. "We'll live together. I'm sorry, Uncle Chen, for disappointing you."

As soon as he said it, the air seemed to freeze solid.