The footsteps on the wooden stairs made quite a noise, but at this moment, they seemed to fall completely silent. Qi Shi'an turned his head to look at Grandpa Huo, his left hand holding Grandpa Huo's wrist was tightly gripped in return.

"In a hurry?" Grandpa Huo looked down at his feet, "If not, accompany me to the terrace for a while."

Qi Shi'an nodded: "Alright, I'll keep you company for a chat."

On the second-floor terrace, there was a long hammock, with a pear wood rack beside it. The rack was decorated with scattered pothos and spider plants, along with four or five birdcages. The cage doors were all open, and the parrot, Peony, could enter whichever cage it pleased.

Qi Shi'an helped Grandpa Huo sit in the hammock, then reached out his hand and whistled. The parrot flew out of its cage and grabbed his index finger, staring at him with its bright round eyes.

"Peony only likes your whistling, it ignores everyone else's," Grandpa Huo tapped the parrot's head with his fan handle, "Get back to your cage, don't listen to our conversation."

Qi Shi'an raised his hand, and Peony flew back. He rubbed his fingertip: "Grandfather, you weren't deceiving me earlier, were you?"

"Why would I deceive you?" Grandpa Huo patted his belly, "Didn't you claim you knew you were different since middle school? To be honest, I knew it back then too."

"Really?" After all, Qi Shi'an had never told anyone, and he hadn't done anything unusual in middle school that would make people think about that aspect. Besides, Grandpa Huo was an elderly man - could his mindset be that inclusive?

Grandpa Huo said: "I was a reconnaissance soldier, you know."

Qi Shi'an figured if he kept questioning, he might get hit with a military stick, so he asked: "How did you detect it then?"

Grandpa Huo answered: "When you were in ninth grade, I went to your parent-teacher conference, some high school entrance exam pledge ceremony. Oh my, your homeroom teacher talked too much, and mostly nonsense. I went there excited to hear praise about my grandson, who wanted to listen to her lecture about exam preparation?"

Qi Shi'an interrupted: "Grandfather, how much longer is this backstory? I still have a pile of work to handle when I get back."

"Fine, I'll make it brief, you troublesome thing." Grandpa Huo glared at him, "I was bored, so I took a workbook from your desk drawer, and when I flipped through it, several small notes fell out. Things like 'I like you,' 'Let's drink soda after school,' 'Which high school are you going to?'"

Having lived most of his life, Grandpa Huo had seen everything, but discovering his grandson's early romance through a parent-teacher conference was quite unexpected. Besides being surprised, he was also pleased. He stopped listening to the teacher and couldn't help but daydream.

"I thought, if you really liked that girl, you should date her properly, go to the same high school, and later join the military together." Grandpa Huo was delighted, "I even imagined your promotion, marriage, that building in the military compound could be your newlywed home. If you didn't like it, living elsewhere would be fine too. I was already thinking about holding my great-grandchild! But then..."

"Then what?" Qi Shi'an asked.

"Then the conference ended, and it was time to leave." Grandpa Huo spoke as if telling an amusing story, "After that, I observed you, but no matter how I watched, I couldn't detect any emotional changes. I wondered if you had broken up? I investigated a bit and found out that child wasn't a girl, but a boy."

Qi Shi'an really wanted to laugh: "How did you feel then?"

Grandpa Huo said: "Like sitting in this hammock - dizzy. Actually, I'd seen such things in the military before, but I never thought it would happen in my own family. Later when you went to high school and separated from that child, I comforted myself thinking you were just young and curious, otherwise why would you be so indifferent to him, not at all like dating."

"All these years, through your graduation, studying abroad, selling the apartment to start a company, you stayed single. I wondered if you were confused yourself? I even had Xiao Zhang make a big fuss about his love life and breakups to stimulate you, but that didn't work either." Grandpa Huo suddenly patted Qi Shi'an's hand, "Until you came back for dinner last time and mentioned your friend's wedding, then I knew."

Qi Shi'an held Grandpa Huo's hand: "Grandfather, are you upset?"

Grandpa Huo looked up at the sky: "Not upset, quite relieved actually."

"Really?"

"Really." Grandpa Huo seemed to be looking at the stars, otherwise his aged, cloudy eyes wouldn't be so bright, "You're already twenty-eight or nine, and you've never said anything all these years. I know you've been very repressed in this aspect. Now that you've finally said it, I don't have to worry about you anymore."

Back then, when Qi Jingtang was divorced with a son, Huo Xin insisted on marrying him. Grandpa Huo didn't say much, just met Qi Jingtang once and agreed. He respected his daughter's choice and trusted his own eyes.

He had been fierce and stern all his life, but he wasn't a stubborn old fool.

Qi Shi'an asked: "Grandpa, what do you think of Duoyi?"

Grandpa Huo answered: "Kind-faced and gentle-hearted. If he had been born into a good family and grown up without worries, he might have been even more accomplished. He's accomplished enough now, though my grandson isn't bad either - you're worthy of him."

Qi Shi'an had many words in his stomach that he wanted to say, yet they seemed unnecessary. In the end, he only said two words - "Thank you."

The night had fallen, but the summer heat could last all night. Shen Duoyi was washing Grandpa Shen's tricycle downstairs in the community, and after squatting for a while, he was drenched in sweat. He looked like he had been fished out of a lake, and his hair could splash out sweat droplets with just a shake.

When he returned home, he happened to meet Maomao and Maomao's grandfather. He reached out to touch Maomao's face and asked: "Maomao, can you take the elevator by yourself?"

"I can, but I can't reach the buttons up there." Maomao was also covered in sweat, "Grandpa Shen said he'd take me to ride the carousel in the park on his tricycle, which day are we going?"

Shen Duoyi squatted down: "I'll ask him for you, but Grandpa Shen is old now and can't ride fast. You won't mind if he's slow, will you? Let's make a pinky promise?"

Maomao reached out his little hand and hooked Shen Duoyi's finger: "If Grandpa Shen gets tired riding, I'll get off and help him push!"

Back home surrounded by air conditioning, Shen Duoyi sighed in comfort, finally feeling his exhaustion and weariness. He took a shower, then lay down in bed, but wasn't sleepy yet, so he started reading the "Local Chronicles Collection" that he hadn't touched for a long time.

The night passed in an instant, and the book lay open beside his pillow for several hours. Shen Duoyi got up and pulled open the curtains. August was stuffy hot; he really wanted to wear shorts to work.

Fortunately, the Ming'an Building was very cool inside. Male colleagues weren't allowed to wear shorts, female colleagues weren't allowed to wear short skirts, and nobody had any objections.

Qi Shi'an, in his suit and tie, was already seated in the conference room, with Zhang Yiming organizing documents beside him. He had passed all social engagements to Zhang Yiming, and moved the afternoon meeting to the morning. Zhang Yiming finished organizing and cursed once before leaving. As soon as work hours began, meeting attendees gradually entered. Shen Duoyi wore a pure white T-shirt, looking like a college student attending class.

Qi Shi'an sat at the front and started casually: "Did anyone follow the polyethylene situation last night? A large batch was wiped out, and there will be second and third batches next. Today we'll discuss emergency measures for the investment market regarding this incident."

Nobody below thought Qi Shi'an was any different from usual. No one could imagine that the boss eloquently discussing emergency responses had just come out to his family last night.

Shen Duoyi listened with great interest, naturally knowing nothing about this. He noted down several points Qi Shi'an mentioned, then processed them according to the consulting department's work principles to form an emergency plan that could directly address client needs.

After the meeting, Qi Shi'an seemed to have X-ray vision as he said: "This theory set of mine was developed bit by bit over the years, integrating experience and lessons learned, but it leans towards the technical aspect, so the consulting department needs to polish it a bit."

He looked between Shen Duoyi and Team Leader Qi while speaking: "Make a complete proposal, then add it to the training content."

Team Leader Qi nodded but didn't immediately respond. Shen Duoyi understood and volunteered: "Team Leader Qi has many contracts to follow up on recently, I'll handle this proposal and show it to you for review when it's done."

Qi Shi'an asked without mercy: "Do you have few contracts?"

He continued without waiting for an answer: "Discuss when you need to discuss, divide work when you need to divide. After the meeting, Team Leader Shen, come to my office for materials."

Team Leader Shen felt like a student kept behind by the teacher, quite embarrassed. After the meeting, he dawdled while packing up, and when following Qi Shi'an to the thirtieth floor, he wouldn't even look at him. Entering the office, he went straight to the sofa and sat down, starting to sulk.

Qi Shi'an went to the pantry's refrigerator and took out a drink, offering peace: "Team Leader Shen, care to cool down?"

Shen Duoyi's mood switched from cloudy to sunny too quickly: "A smoothie?"

"Bought it this morning." Qi Shi'an sat down beside him, "You and Team Leader Qi are at the same level, you shouldn't always help him like this. Rather than having that extra time, why not chat with me?"

Shen Duoyi accepted the drink and started drinking: "We're all colleagues, he often needs to accompany his wife for prenatal checkups recently, so I just help out. If I ever have something come up at home in the future, others will help me too."

Qi Shi'an said: "It's different, when you help people there must be limits, you can't exceed them."

"Is it that serious? Are we doing investments?" Shen Duoyi smiled, having already reached the bottom of the smoothie, "I'll take the materials and go back to work, no other instructions, right?"

Qi Shi'an answered: "No more."

After saying this, he suddenly took Shen Duoyi's hand: "I went to the military compound yesterday, spent some time talking with my parents and grandpa. I hope soon, you can come back with me, chat with them together."

Shen Duoyi didn't think too deeply about it. He pulled his hand free to cup Qi Shi'an's face, then gave him a light kiss: "The fishing rod your grandpa gave is very useful, and the ginseng is very nourishing. If you want me to accompany you home for dinner, I'll go shopping after work and buy a gift as a return gesture for Grandpa."

After all, Huo Xuechuan no longer needed tutoring, so going to their home without reason wouldn't be appropriate.

Qi Shi'an looked at him: "I want a gift too."

Shen Duoyi granted permission: "Then I'll buy one for you too."

After work, Qi Shi'an and Zhang Yiming went to the Tokyo Bar for drinks. They hadn't been there for a while, but the bartender's skills hadn't improved at all. Zhang Yiming laid out documents and recounted the content discussed during business socializing, while Qi Shi'an listened and finished a glass of beer.

Zhang Yiming kicked his chair: "Are you even listening to me?"

Qi Shi'an nodded, while internally continuing to guess what gift Shen Duoyi would buy him.

Actually, Shen Duoyi's birthday was coming up soon, he should be the one buying gifts.

After finishing the discussion with Zhang Yiming and the drinks, Qi Shi'an returned to Ming'an to work overtime, and brought supper for several traders in the Foreign Exchange Department. He stayed busy until eight or nine o'clock before calling his driver to take him home.

Shen Duoyi, who had finished dinner, drove to the mall to browse. Like most men, he got sleepy while shopping. To prevent himself from yawning too much, he bought a large ice cream cone to stuff his mouth, eating while looking around.

After a round of shopping, he bought a thin sweater for Grandpa Huo, which could be worn when autumn came. He always bought Grandpa Shen's clothes himself, so he was quite familiar with elderly people's tastes in both fabric and style.