Chapter 2: The Years He Tried

Wei Yeban disliked being touched and couldn’t stand being held for too long, so Gu Qingnan had barely said a few words before the little boy began to frown.

Gu Qingnan had no choice but to hurry upstairs with him in his arms.

Once they reached the bedroom, Gu Qingnan put him down on the bed.

Perhaps he was unhappy, because Wei Yeban spent the entire evening with a frown on his little face.

Fortunately, children his age needed plenty of sleep, and since he hadn’t napped that afternoon, he began to feel drowsy after playing for a short while.

Gu Qingnan didn’t disturb him, staying quietly by his side until he fell asleep on his own.

Once he was certain the little boy was sound asleep, Gu Qingnan skillfully took off his clothes, wiped his body clean, and changed him into a softer, more comfortable pair of pajamas decorated with little bears.

Finally, he covered him with his special little blanket.

After finishing everything, Gu Qingnan grabbed a change of clothes and hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower.

A child this young couldn’t be left alone, even for a moment.

When Gu Qingnan came out, Wei Yeban was sleeping soundly.

His expression softened.

Gu Qingnan checked his phone and replied to a few work messages before inspecting the formula dispenser.

Wei Yeban still needed a bottle during the night.

There was enough formula and water, and the bottle had already been washed and sterilized, so the machine could dispense milk whenever it was needed.

Wei Nianxi had bought the machine, and it was quite convenient to use.

He had always been generous when it came to spending money on such things.

Wei Yeban would turn three in another three months.

At his age, most children had already switched to rice and other solid foods as their main source of nutrition, with formula serving only as a supplement.

Wei Yeban had more or less stopped drinking formula half a year ago, too, but after the incident, he had become averse to being touched and refused to communicate with others, making mealtimes a problem.

On top of that, children his age were naturally picky eaters.

Worried that he might become malnourished, Gu Qingnan had no choice but to continue giving him formula.

Once everything was taken care of, Gu Qingnan lay down on the bed.

He had just turned off the lights and was preparing to sleep when someone knocked on the door.

In their three years of marriage, Wei Nianxi had never once visited his room, except for the time he had gotten drunk and mistakenly entered it.

The other servants in the mansion treated Gu Qingnan much the same way Fu Lichun and the others at his workplace did.

The only person who ever came to see him was Shen Qing.

To make it easier to care for Wei Yeban, Shen Qing had been hired as a live-in doctor.

Gu Qingnan hurriedly got up.

As expected, it was Shen Qing standing outside.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Qingnan asked, puzzled.

Shen Qing rarely came to see him at this hour, since he usually took care of Wei Yeban during the night, and she was a woman.

Shen Qing looked embarrassed, but she still spoke up.

“Mr. Wei just said that he’s going to look for a new doctor…”

Gu Qingnan froze for a moment.

Was Wei Nianxi planning to dismiss Shen Qing?

“Why?” Gu Qingnan asked, bewildered.

Wei Nianxi hadn’t mentioned anything about this to him.

“I’ve been here for half a year already…”

Gu Qingnan immediately understood what was going on.

Shen Qing had been there for six months, yet Wei Yeban’s condition had barely improved.

“I’ll talk to him,” Gu Qingnan said.

Shen Qing hesitated, wanting to say something.

She knew very well what Gu Qingnan’s position in the Wei family was like.

Even if he spoke up, it probably wouldn’t make much difference.

Gu Qingnan reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

It was true that Wei Yeban’s condition hadn’t changed much, but Gu Qingnan could tell that Shen Qing genuinely cared about the little boy and had been constantly trying to find ways to help him.

During this time, Gu Qingnan had also read quite a bit of relevant material himself.

Wei Yeban’s condition wasn’t something that could improve in just a few days.

More importantly, Wei Yeban was already afraid of strangers and uncomfortable around other people.

Changing his caregiver would only put more pressure on him.

Shen Qing studied Gu Qingnan for a while.

When she saw no sign of displeasure on his face, she finally relaxed a little.

“All right.”

Gu Qingnan smiled and saw her out.

After closing the door, he turned to look at Wei Yeban, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

The Wei family business had been inherited from Wei Nianxi’s father’s side of the family.

His father had no siblings, and neither did Wei Nianxi.

With his parents having passed away early and his grandparents having died one after another, Wei Nianxi was now the only person left in the Wei family.

The problem was that Wei Nianxi was a ge’er.

Gu Qingnan didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.

After all, this was no longer ancient times, and the old-fashioned notion that a ge’er shouldn’t appear in public or participate in business had long since become outdated.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared his views.

In particular, those companies and families that coveted the Wei family’s assets, as well as those Wei Nianxi had suppressed over the years, loved to use this against him.

Some of the things they said were downright vicious.

Before Wei Nianxi married, everyone in the city had been watching him like a pack of hungry wolves, waiting for an opportunity to send someone into his life and swallow up the Wei family’s enormous fortune.

Having a child had been Wei Nianxi’s own decision, but it had also been a reluctant choice forced upon him by the circumstances.

Therefore, when Gu Qingnan learned that Wei Nianxi was pregnant, his first reaction had been worry.

He had known all along that this day would eventually come, but the thought that Wei Nianxi might resent the child made him uneasy.

After all, the child was his, too.

Like Wei Nianxi, Gu Qingnan had no family left in this world, apart from his uncle’s family.

After thinking it over for a long time, he took the initiative to change his approach.

He set aside all his reservations and did his best to be a good husband throughout Wei Nianxi’s pregnancy, hoping they could live the rest of their lives like a normal family.

He drove Wei Nianxi to work in the mornings and picked him up in the evenings.

He kept a close eye on the weather, bringing an umbrella when it rained and reminding Wei Nianxi to stay cool when it was hot.

He worried about Wei Nianxi suffering from morning sickness, not liking the food in the company cafeteria, or failing to get enough nutrition for himself and the baby.

He studied recipes and personally prepared meals to bring to him every day.

His behavior during that period had probably been rather ridiculous, which was why everyone treated him like a clown.

And a clown was exactly what he had been.

After more than a year of persistence, he still hadn’t managed to warm Wei Nianxi’s heart, which was as cold and hard as a stone.

Still, his efforts hadn’t been entirely in vain.

At the very least, Wei Nianxi didn’t dislike Wei Yeban.

In fact, he cared about the child quite a lot.

Even while Wei Yeban was still in his womb, Wei Nianxi had already begun making all sorts of preparations for him.

As soon as Wei Yeban learned to speak, Wei Nianxi began his early education.

Music, painting, languages, logic, social skills…

The little boy could barely pronounce his words properly, yet he already had six or seven hours of lessons every day.

Wei Yeban had inherited Wei Nianxi’s genes perfectly.

He was exceptionally intelligent and learned things quickly.

Because of this, Gu Qingnan had repeatedly been forced to negotiate with Wei Nianxi to reduce the child’s workload.

Wei Yeban might have been clever, but such an intense schedule went completely against a child’s nature.

At his age, he should have been playing, eating, sleeping, and then eating and sleeping some more.

Returning to the bed, Gu Qingnan kissed Wei Yeban’s cheek.

“Good night…”

He understood that Wei Nianxi’s path had been full of thorns, and he hoped his son would have an easier road ahead of him.

But Wei Yeban was different from Wei Nianxi.

Wei Yeban had Wei Nianxi as his father.

After being kissed, the little boy rolled toward Gu Qingnan, tucking his tiny hands and feet into his embrace.

Only when he was asleep did Wei Yeban seem like an ordinary child.

Gu Qingnan gently drew him closer, gathering the little boy into his arms and holding him protectively before lying down himself.

The next morning, Gu Qingnan got up early.

While Wei Yeban was still asleep, he changed the little boy’s clothes, then hurriedly asked Shen Qing to keep an eye on him while he went downstairs for breakfast.

Wei Nianxi was nowhere to be seen.

Gu Qingnan was already used to it.

By the time Gu Qingnan finished breakfast and returned upstairs, Wei Yeban had just woken up and was lying on the bed in a sleepy daze.

“You little sleepyhead, time to get up.”

Gu Qingnan stepped forward and picked him up.

Shen Qing approached with a toothbrush.

“Mm…”

Wei Yeban’s delicate brows immediately furrowed, and his clear black-and-white eyes filled with resistance.

A three-year-old child would already have all his baby teeth.

At this stage, however, the enamel was still thin and the teeth were not fully mineralized, making them particularly vulnerable to bacterial attacks.

If he didn’t brush his teeth now, tooth decay and inflammation would be the least of his worries.

In severe cases, it could even affect the growth and alignment of his permanent teeth later on.

For an ordinary child, brushing their teeth was already an unpleasant chore.

For Wei Yeban, it was an outright battle.

By the time they finished brushing his teeth, more than half an hour had passed.

Gu Qingnan hurriedly fed him breakfast.

By the time the meal was over, it was already past ten.

Wei Nianxi was still away from home at lunchtime.

The afternoons were easier.

Wei Yeban would take a nap, and after he woke up, Shen Qing would guide him through some rehabilitation exercises.

That left Gu Qingnan relatively free, so he went to the company.

The weather was even hotter than it had been the day before.

By the time Gu Qingnan reached his office, his clothes were already soaked with sweat.

The first thing he did after entering was turn on the air conditioner.

It still didn’t work.

With no other choice, Gu Qingnan opened the door and windows.

He had more work to do than the previous day, so he tried his best to concentrate, hoping to finish early and return home as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the office was unbearably hot, and the cicadas kept shrilling outside.

He simply couldn’t focus.

By the time Gu Qingnan finally finished his work, it was already half past five.

He hurried downstairs.

As he passed the reception desk, he saw Fu Lichun chatting with several people from a distance.

He thought about going over, but ultimately decided against it.

Once outside, Gu Qingnan took out his phone as he walked and searched for Ji Wen’s number.

He had obtained Ji Wen’s number half a year ago, when Wei Yeban had gone missing.

Wei Nianxi was entirely absorbed in his work.

When he got busy, it was perfectly normal for him to go ten days or even half a month without coming home.

He had been extremely busy on the day of the incident, too.

When Gu Qingnan discovered that Wei Yeban was missing, he immediately called Wei Nianxi.

However, he called more than ten times in succession, and Wei Nianxi didn’t answer a single call.

In the end, Gu Qingnan had to obtain Ji Wen’s number through the company before he could finally get in touch with someone.

After the incident was resolved, he and Wei Nianxi had a huge argument over it.

More accurately, Gu Qingnan had been the only one doing the arguing, while Wei Nianxi hadn’t said a single word throughout.

That had been the only argument they had ever had in their three years of marriage.

After that, Gu Qingnan gave up trying to win Wei Nianxi over and devoted all his attention to their child instead.

From then on, afraid that the same thing might happen again, he saved Ji Wen’s number despite knowing that the man disliked him.

Looking at Ji Wen’s number, Gu Qingnan rubbed his thumb along the edge of his phone for a moment.

In the end, he made the call.

“Beep… Beep…”

The call went through quickly.

After two rings, the other party hung up.

Gu Qingnan stared at his phone for a while before putting it away.

Wei Nianxi was busy, and as his secretary, Ji Wen was naturally even busier.

When Gu Qingnan returned home, Shen Qing was watching Wei Yeban play by himself.

The little boy’s mood had been stable over the past two days.

Aside from refusing to interact with others, he was doing quite well.

Wei Nianxi didn’t come home that evening, either, so Gu Qingnan ate dinner alone.

A little later, after making sure Wei Yeban was asleep, Gu Qingnan checked his phone.

There were only a few work messages.

Ji Wen still hadn’t called him back.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qingnan went out to the balcony and called again through the glass door.

This time, the call was answered almost immediately.

Faint piano music could be heard in the background, along with the clinking of knives and forks against plates.

Ji Wen seemed to be having dinner at a restaurant.

Gu Qingnan waited for a while, but when the other party didn’t speak, he took the initiative.

“This is Gu Qingnan.”

“I know.”

Ji Wen’s response was anything but polite.

Gu Qingnan lowered his eyes and said, “There’s something I’d like to ask you for help with. The air conditioner in my office is broken. Could you please notify the facilities department on my side and ask them to arrange a repair?”

“What?”

Ji Wen was so exasperated that he actually laughed.

He was Wei Nianxi’s secretary, yes, but even Wei Nianxi left such mundane matters to other people.

Why should he have to deal with something like this for Gu Qingnan?

Gu Qingnan repeated his request.

“Can’t you handle such a trivial matter yourself?”

“Sorry to trouble you.”

Gu Qingnan smiled patiently.

If all he needed was to get the air conditioner repaired, he could certainly handle it himself.

If necessary, he could even take his team over and fix it personally.

No one would dare say anything to his face.

But this wasn’t just about an air conditioner.

His attention was focused on Wei Yeban now, and he simply didn’t have the energy to spend every day dealing with those people.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

After a while, Ji Wen finally spoke.

“All right. I’ll take care of it.”

Gu Qingnan breathed a sigh of relief.

He was just about to thank him when a familiar voice came faintly through the phone.

The next moment, the call was disconnected.

Gu Qingnan looked down at his phone.

If he hadn’t misheard, that voice had belonged to Wei Nianxi.

It wasn’t strange for Wei Nianxi and Ji Wen to have dinner together.

After all, once they got busy with work, they often worked endlessly, and eating together was hardly unusual.

But Wei Nianxi seemed to have just asked Ji Wen something about a hotel…

The Wei family’s headquarters was nearby.

There was no reason for Wei Nianxi to stay in a hotel.

Was he about to go on another business trip somewhere else?

Gu Qingnan suddenly remembered the rumors he had heard about Wei Nianxi and Ji Wen.

As someone who had managed to secure his position as head of the Wei family despite being a ge’er, Wei Nianxi was certainly not known for his gentle temperament.

As a result, none of the people who worked for him had ever lasted more than two years.

Ji Wen was the exception.

He had been working by Wei Nianxi’s side for eight years.

Gu Qingnan shook his head, driving the absurd thought out of his mind.

Wei Nianxi wasn’t the sort of person who would fool around behind someone’s back.

Besides, if there really had been something between Wei Nianxi and Ji Wen, there would have been no need for Wei Nianxi to marry him in the first place.

Ji Wen had been by Wei Nianxi’s side long before Gu Qingnan ever came along.

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