Mr. Qin registered the two children into his household registration. Not only the family of three were happy, but also Uncle Fu. The housekeeper expressed his happiness by preparing a feast for Mr. Qin and the twins.
"Xiaobei, Xiaobao, drink your soup before going upstairs." Seeing the twins were ready to go back to their room after dinner, Uncle Fu stopped them.
Qin Yue and Qin Yu were their new names. However, the twins were already long accustomed to the names' Xiaobao' and 'Xiaobei,' and calling them with the old names also sounded more intimate. Thus, the name that Grandma Wang gave to the siblings became their nicknames instead. Inside the home, they were still called by this nickname.
Su Bei: But they are already full.
However, looking at the old housekeeper's caring face, Su Bei took the bowls of soup from his hand and passed one to Su Xiaobao.
"The children had grown much healthier than when they just arrived." Uncle Fu murmured after the siblings went upstairs. His face was filled with emotion and relief.
Mr. Qin's mouth seemed to move slightly, but he agreed with Uncle Fu's words—the girl indeed had become a lot more beautiful.
"They go up at this hour every day?" Qin Shao asked. He rarely came back in time for dinner, so he didn't know much about the twins' routine at night.
"Yes, children probably need their own space." Uncle Fu answered with a smile. It's just that when Mr. Qin was away, Xiaobei and Xiaobao would stay downstairs after dinner to chat with him.
"What are they doing?" Qin Shao asked again.
This question made Uncle Fu secretly wanted to laugh—Mr. Qin was starting to care about the two children.
"Xiaobao usually doing school works. Occasionally, he will play some kind of online games with his classmates. Xiaobei is currently taking piano lessons. When she isn't practicing the piano, she should be playing a computer." Uncle Fu answered truthfully.
Playing games? Computer? Mr. Qin frowned deeply.
Should he limit the gadget time for those two children?
—
Upstairs, the twins' bedroom.
Su Xiaobao was indeed playing a game, or to be precise, he one-sidedly crushed others. After the match, Chen Zian and Du Yiming's wailing came from the headset.
[Chen Zian: Fuck, my star ranking is falling again!]
[Du Yiming: Falling your fucking star, I already doubt my own life!]
[Liu Kai: Next time I want to team up with my brother Bao again, it was such a wise decision!]
[Wang Weixi: Agree! ]
......
Of course the boys knew that brother Xuan had the intention to 'teach the new guy a lesson' when he invited Su Xiaobao into their game group. In the beginning, Su Xiaobao was indeed suppressed by Chen Zian and the others. But only after a few days, the relationship changed from suppressing into being suppressed.
When brother Xuan was here, it was still okay. But when brother Xuan was not online, they were completely abused by Su Xiaobao!
[Su Xiaobao: Still want to continue?]
[Liu Kai: Continue! But this time, add me to your team!]
[Chen Zian: Yes! Brother Bao, take me to fly with you!]
[Du Yiming: Add me too.]
......
Xie Minxuan, who happened to look at his mobile phone while attending the R&D meeting in his family's company: "..."
Why did he feel that his brothers were abducted by Su Xiaobao? What kind of skill that guy had?
—
Su Xiaobao and Liu Kai started another match.
At the same time, in another corner of the room, Su Bei was also focusing on the monitor. But instead of playing a game, she was competing. Su Bei opened the 'Red Hacker Challenge' webpage. The competition's homepage was displaying the latest ranking. Yesterday, Su Bei cleared a total of twelve levels. Among those, three levels were done with a shortcut in order to save time. She barely passed and finally only got four points. Her total score yesterday was 45 points, ranking seven in the latest list.
Originally she could aim a little higher—Su Bei mused. Without wasting time, she directly started today's challenges. One and half an hour later, the [upper limit] prompt popped up again. From twelve levels, Su Bei got a total of 47 points. After reaching the level cap, she saw that time was still early, so she went to browse the competition's forum.
At this time, [Q] has become a hot topic in the forum. Some people were betting on [Q] 's identity—which great god was this mysterious [Q]? Others were displaying the record of [Q] 's level clearance yesterday for analysis.
That was still quite normal, but some were not:
[KIVIN: @Q, God Q, please look at me! I am your future underling.]
[Roa Ark: Does god Q still need a leg pendant? The kind that will warm your bed.]
(T/N: A person who holds someone else thigh aka clinging/depend on others. Leg pendant is like an ornament hanging on the leg, just like holding the thigh and not letting go.)
[Handsome Yang: I one-sidedly announced that god Q is my elder brother! ]
......
Su Bei was amused by these wonderful comments and clicked on her personal profile. The two huge red dots were very eye-catching: She had hundreds of private messages, and also more than one hundred friend requests.
Su Bei didn't bother to open all the messages. She only read a few from the high-ranking participants whose names were familiar. The majority of the messages were asking if she was willing to form a team together for the second round. Su Bei replied all the messages with the same sentence: "For the time being, I'm still not considering forming a team, thank you."
However, Su Bei also read the message from [Handsome Yang]. The sender's dialog box was filled with rainbow fart for [Q].
Su Bei's eyes twitched. She opened his message, simply because she recognized that it was Xu Yangyang. His user avatar was a bust selfie of Xu Yangyang holding a pen, tilting his head. Too recognizable and difficult for Su Bei to pretend to not know. After all, the relationship between Xu Yangyang and her family's Xiaobao was very good.
Su Bei considered a bit and sent a friend request to Xu Yangyang. As for the others, she directly clicked [reject]. Most people who sent her friend request were participants who ranked around 2000. Their aim must be soliciting a strong player to pave their way through the second round of the competition. Not only [Q], all the big figures in the top rank must have received a similar amount of friend request.
There was one exception: ["vvvv" sends you a friend request.]
Su Bei glanced at the sender's data. This user was ranked third. After that, she simply clicked [reject].
~
On the other side, Xu family's villa.
Looking at the pop-up on the monitor that said: ['Q' sends you a friend request], Xu Yangyang simply felt that he was hallucinating.
God Q actually added him as a friend?!
Xu Yangyang rubbed his eyes and repeatedly shook the monitor to confirm that he was not mistaken. After seeing [Q] 's record, Xu Yangyang has regarded the other party as his 'male god'. Unfortunately, his own ranking was too shameful that he didn't dare to send a friend request to [Q].
Unexpectedly, he had given up, but god Q actually took the initiative to add him as a friend! Was he the legendary 'Children of Men'?! He never dared to imagine this kind of extreme luck before!
Xu Yangyang typed a message to [Q] with his shaking fingers.
[Handsome Yang: Hello god Q.]
[Q: Good evening *smile*]
Xu Yangyang: "Mom, ah, god Q is so gentle!"
[Handsome Yang: I watch your level clearing video today, it is really amazing! ]
[Q: Thank you~]
[Q: I can't talk anymore, I'm going to sleep~] Su Bei heard Mr. Qin's footsteps at the door, telling them to go to bed.
[Handsome Yang: Oh-oh, okay, don't let me disturb your rest.]
Xu Yangyang: god Q is not only gentle but also cute!
[Q: Good night, see you tomorrow. ]
Xu Yang Yang: God Q said good night to him? Also 'see you tomorrow'?!
Su Bei meant 'see you tomorrow at school', but Xu Yangyang naturally translated it as: 'god Q was willing to talk to him again tomorrow'!
Xu Yangyang: Ah! I am the happiest person in the world!
—
The next morning, Mr. Qin rarely did not leave early and had the time to eat breakfast at home. He saw Su Bei and Su Xiaobao came down from the upstairs. The girl helped her brother tidying the edge of his shirt and neatly tucked it into his school pants.
At first, Mr. Qin thought that this scene was quite harmonious. But soon afterward, his eyebrows frowned, and finally he realized what seemed to be wrong.
***
Qin Shao called Uncle Fu and asked with a dark tone: "Are Xiaobei and Xiaobao living in the same room?"
"Yes." Uncle Fu replied. After seeing Mr. Qin's frown, he finally realized his mistake.
"This..." Uncle Fu lowered his gaze.
When Chen De brought the two children to Jingyuan, the assistant only said to temporarily let them stay at the villa. Uncle Fu couldn't possibly decide by himself, so he simply arranged a guest room for the children first. Later, many things happened one after another. Uncle Fu properly arranged for other things, but forgot only about their room.
Uncle Fu: "It's my neglect, Sir."
Although the two children were brother and sister, after all, one was a boy, and the other was a girl. If they were younger, it wouldn't be a matter. However, Su Bei and Su Xiaobao already a teenager, it wasn't proper for them to keep sharing a bedroom.
Hearing Uncle Fu's words, Qin Shao's face still looked gloomy.
"Clean up two rooms. After they come back from school, let them clean up their current bedroom and move out to live separately." Qin Shao instructed with a heavy tone.
Uncle Fu replied: "Yes, Mr. Qin. I will arrange it immediately."
At this moment, Su Xiaobao was walking out from the kitchen and happened to hear their conversation. His eyes instantly sank.
"My sister and I are living well now. No need to move us." Su Xiaobao walked towards Qin Shao and spoke with a dark tone.
"You think you have the final say?" Qin Shao's sharp eyes fell on the teen boy standing in front of him.
Su Xiaobao: "Nonsense."
Qin Shao: "I have the final say in this house." Was he too soft to these children before that this boy dared to talk to him like this?
Su Xiaobao: "..." If it was not for Su Bei, he did not want to live here at all.
Seeing the stubbornness in Su Xiaobao's face, Mr. Qin suddenly felt a headache.
"Letting you move out and live separately is also for your own sake. Xiaobei is a girl, it's not suitable for you two to live in the same bedroom." Mr. Qin held the urge to beat the boy and patiently persuading.
Su Xiaobao lowered his head slightly, the expression on his face was still full of unwillingness: "We always live together."
Ever since he could remember, Su Xiaobao has always been together with Su Bei. In their house in the countryside, apart from the toilet and earthen stove next to the door, there was only one room to live. When Grandma Wang was still living, three people were staying in the same room!
It was good that Su Xiaobao didn't say this, because it would only make Mr. Qin's face even darker. Mr. Qin looked at Su Xiaobao coldly. His sharp eyes were as if the stinky boy was taking advantage of his daughter, completely ignoring the fact that the two children were already together since in their mother's womb.
"Go and clean the rooms." Qin Shao ordered Uncle Fu.
"..." Su Xiaobao did not rebuke anymore, but his whole expression was filled with protest and confrontation.
Father and son confronting each other, neither was willing to give an inch. Facing this situation, Uncle Fu was anxious: Their father-son relationship hasn't been cultivated for long, how could now they already in conflict.
Fortunately at this time, Su Bei was coming out from the kitchen. She walked to sit next to the sullen Su Xiaobao. Mr. Qin temporarily withdrew his gaze.
"What's wrong?" Noticing the strange atmosphere, Su Bei asked.
"This... Mr. Qin was talking about preparing separate rooms for you and Xiaobao." Uncle Fu answered. He tried to persuade Su Bei: "The room you use now is the guest room. It is too small for two people, and it isn't convenient for the two of you to keep sharing a room...."
"Okay." After listening to Uncle Fu's explanation, Su Bei didn't have any objections. In the past, it was simply their economic condition that forced them to stay in the same room. But originally, at this age, she and Su Xiaobao should already live separately.
Seeing Su Bei agreed, Qin Shao's expression also softened a lot. Secretly he thought: His daughter was still the most sensible.
~
At the company, after Chen De heard about the conflict that almost ensued when Mr. Qin wanted to give the two children separate bedrooms, the assistant knew that it was partly his negligence that let them shared the same guest room. Before waiting for his boss to 'call' him, Chen De took the initiative to go to Mr. Qin for a self-introspection.
Regarding whether it was proper or not for two children to live together, Chen De was a single man and not a sensitive one. He never had this consideration before. But Mr. Qin was different. After the children's identity changed and he became a father, Mr. Qin naturally started to see things from a different angle.
Chen De laughed inwardly, he was deeply moved.
"How many meetings scheduled for this week?" When Chen De still busy with his inner thought, Qin Shao suddenly asked.
Chen De quickly put away his thoughts, opened the newly bought mobile phone, and checked Mr. Qin's work schedule. The assistant dutifully answered: "Sir, you have no other meetings scheduled this week except for Friday's regular meeting."
Qin Shao: "Cancel this friday's regular meeting. Also, go to Su Bei and that boy's school, ask for one day absent for this Friday."
For a moment, Chen De was surprised. He soon guessed Mr. Qin's intention and asked: "Sir, are you going to take care of Xiaobei and Xiaobao school transfer this Friday?"
"Mm, arrange a trip to N city."
"Okay, Sir. I'll arrange it immediately." "
—
At noon, Uncle Fu received a call from Mr. Qin with instructions about the children's bedroom arrangement.
Qin Shao: "Prepare the second room on the west side for Xiaobei and the first room on the east for that boy."
Uncle Fu: "..." Are you sure, Sir?
According to this arrangement, Xiaobei's room was next to Mr. Qin's while Xiaobao's room was on the opposite end of the corridor. Although Xiaobao's room was indeed based on the layout for the 'future master', but wasn't the two children separated too far?
—
When Su Bei and Su Xiaobao returned home from school, Uncle Fu already finished arranging their new rooms.
One on the east and one on the west.
Seeing the pink and cute room with a row of stuffed dolls on the bed, Su Bei instantly froze. "Is this room specially prepared for me?" She asked. Prior to her arrival, there was no way for such a room to exist in Mr. Qin's house.
Uncle Fu nodded with a smile: "Sir especially choose it for you."
Su Bei: "..."
Actually, she was already fourteen years old, ah.
......
On the first night after moving to his new room, Su Xiaobao couldn't sleep. It wasn't because he still hasn't accustomed to the new bed, but because Su Bei was suddenly not sleeping by his side. For Su Xiaobao, it seemed like something very important was missing.
For example, someone who had a habit of putting their mobile phone next to the bed. One day, if the mobile phone was put on the place where their hand couldn't reach, they would feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
Su Bei's situation was not much better than Su Xiaobao. In the years when her consciousness transmigrated into another world, Su Bei had nightmares almost every night. Sometimes it was the scene of that campus violence, but mostly was because she missed Su Xiaobao, so she was dreamed of being trapped inside an empty space, unable to find Su Xiaobao everywhere.
In his new bedroom, Su Xiaobao was pulling Du Yiming and some other friends to play two rounds of game. Suddenly he heard a movement from outside. Su Xiaobao jumped out of bed and went to the door to check.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Su Bei coming out from her own new bedroom at the opposite end of the corridor. Su Bei looked at Su Xiaobao for a moment, then deliberately teased him while smiling: "Su Xiaobao, are you too afraid to sleep without your older sister by your side?"
Su Xiaobao: "..."
"I'm just hungry. I want to see if there is anything to eat."
"What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
Su Bei tiptoed over to Su Xiaobao and held his hand. The two siblings then quietly walked downstairs.
......
The next day, when Uncle Fu got up, he first saw Su Bei and Su Xiaobao not in their new bedrooms, but in the living room downstairs. The housekeeper saw the twins nested together on the sofa, falling asleep with their heads resting on each other's shoulder. The TV was on, with a cartoon playing unwatched, probably for the entire night.
This made Mr. Qin somewhat helpless. He finally relented and ordered the servants to change Su Xiaobao's room next to Su Bei's.
Within two days, Su Xiaobao' moved home' twice.
—
That Friday, Mr. Qin, Su Bei, and Su Xiaobao departed to N city.
As soon as the family of three got off the plane, people came to receive them. The grand arrangement reminded Su Bei of the description of the domineering president male lead from the novel's latter half.
"Dad, do you also have a company in N city?" After they got on the car, Su Bei asked Qin Shao.
"Mm." Qin Shao nodded.
"Qin Group has one branch and two subsidiaries in N city," after a pause, Qin Shao continued: "The branch company mainly handles Qin Group's business around this area on behalf of the head office. The two subsidiaries are Redstone Biotech and Beining Technology."
After the brief explanation, Mr. Qin glanced sideways. He saw Su Bei's curious expression, and the boy next to her also seemed to perk up his ears, listening attentively. So Mr. Qin added a few more sentences: "The predecessor of Redstone Biotech is Redstone Pharmaceutical. Qin Group currently holds 51% of its shares. Its main business is still drug manufacturing. Beining Technology is a household electronics manufacturers..." Mr. Qin's explanation was very detailed, each of his words filled with practical business wisdom.
Even the president of Redstone Biotech, who was sitting in the front passenger seat and was in charge of welcoming Mr. Qin this time, stretched his ears and listened seriously.
After a while, the car became quiet.
Mr. Qin seemed to be closing his eyes and resting, so Su Bei tried to not disturb him. The girl quietly turned her head and looked out the window. Gradually, the scenery outside the window became more and more familiar. This was the road she and Su Xiaobao took when they departed to B city.
"Xiaobao, we almost arrive at home..." Su Bei whispered, gripping Su Xiaobao's hand tightly.
Mr. Qin's eyes slightly opened, looking at the two children silently. The closer they were to the Hongxing County, the more silent Su Bei and Su Xiaobao were. There was anxiety and uneasiness that couldn't be concealed. The twins had many memories in Hongxing County. However, those memories were obviously not a good one.