The Sweetest Marriage Ch.311

Chapter 311 – Two Small Teeth

With the evidence firmly in the hands of the authorities regarding the Changfeng Group’s dr*g trafficking within their chain of interests, within just a week, everyone involved in this chain was under police control.

This network of interests spanned from the directors of the Changfeng Group to even an ordinary employee in the Transportation department, totaling over a hundred people initially! And this count didn’t even include employees from other subsidiary companies.

The sudden removal of these hundred-plus individuals caused significant ripples within the Changfeng Group. However, these waves didn’t create much disturbance visible to the ordinary employees; some of their colleagues inexplicably resigned, but the majority were oblivious to what was happening.

Some higher-ups might have had an inkling of what was going on, but they maintained a quiet, cautious demeanor, afraid to accidentally trigger a series of troubles.

On the day following Chen Yunzeng’s surrender, Wei Chen was swiftly reinstated to his position as the Deputy General Manager. Not only did he oversee the Marketing Department, but he also temporarily acted as the company’s General Manager.

Everything remained within the control of Sheng Jiaqi and Wei Chen. Despite the extraction of so many “decayed teeth,” the Changfeng Group continued to operate smoothly.

After F-country silently destroyed the dr*gs in the seized goods, the goods were released. Although they returned a few days later than expected, they still reached the customers within the designated time.

In theory, this dr*g trafficking incident should have caused an uproar across the whole of China. Strangely, not a single wave was stirred up. No media covered the incident, and everything was quietly resolved.

Despite the turbulent undercurrent, the surface of the capital city remained calm. It appeared as though nothing had happened. The Chen family seemed unchanged, but in reality, they had severed the lines they had been operating for over a decade.

After years of operation, all their efforts had gone down the drain in an instant. How could the members of the Chen family be happy? They wished to punish those responsible for stirring up this storm, but in this crucial moment, they couldn’t afford to act recklessly. They had cleaned up their mess painstakingly; they couldn’t afford to create further trouble out of anger.

In this situation, the members of the Chen family could only swallow their anger and let go of the Transportation Department line, even abandoning all recent transactions to secure their escape.

After walking this path for so many years, being unscathed wasn’t just due to the Chen family’s immense power but also because of their caution. They knew when to lay low and when to advance boldly.

The Chen family understood that in the coming time, more and more dr*g trafficking organizations would fall into the hands of the police. Therefore, at this time, they couldn’t afford to do anything!

As the Chen family had anticipated, the police extracted valuable information from Chen Yunzeng. Although some forces had caught wind of this and went into hiding, many dr*g trafficking organizations or individuals were arrested due to the police’s unexpected actions.

A top-down crackdown on dr*gs swept the entire country, with even more intensity in provinces along the border.

Under this intensified crackdown, the effects were naturally significant.

Consequently, the losses for the Chen family were enormous. However, given their current power, these losses couldn’t harm their fundamental position.

As the saying goes, a centipede may die, but it doesn’t perish. The Chen family hadn’t perished yet. Even if their dr*g operations were stopped for over a decade, how many lines did the Chen family secretly hold that the police hadn’t discovered?

As long as the Chen family persisted, this wicked chain of interests wouldn’t break.

Wei Chen and Jiang Ye understood this well. So, after severing all the evil threads they had uncovered, they didn’t let their guard down. They knew that the Chen family would come back one day, and after learning from this lesson, they’d be even harder to deal with.

But at least, things had come to a pause. Wei Chen, aside from family matters, threw himself entirely into work. Suddenly short-staffed, the workload burdened Wei Chen, and Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng didn’t escape the pressure of work either.

Time passed in the midst of intensive work, and before Wei Chen knew it, autumn had slipped away. When he finally realized it, the year’s first snowfall had gracefully descended, and tomorrow would be New Year’s Day. Finally, amidst the weighty workload, Wei Chen welcomed the first holiday of the new year.

At this time, Qiuqiu was over five months old, thriving and chubby. Bundled up in winter clothes, he embodied his nickname, resembling a round and plump ball.

Wei Chen, despite being busy with work, didn’t neglect his family affairs. He disliked overtime and always managed to complete his tasks within working hours. As soon as he finished work, he rushed home to be with Chen Li and Qiuqiu. He avoided social engagements unless absolutely necessary, only attending them if it was unavoidable.

In the business district of the capital, Wei Chen had gained a reputation as a good man who didn’t smoke, drank sparingly, and went home punctually every day to be with his partner and child. Quietly, some had given him the nickname of a “henpecked husband.”

Once, while discussing a business deal at another company, Wei Chen overheard people gossiping about him behind his back, saying he appeared serious but was actually a henpecked husband who was so afraid of his wife that he didn’t even attend social gatherings. Wei Chen overheard and approached without taking it to heart. The project manager at the other company felt awkward and didn’t say much in the end.

Wei Chen didn’t feel the need to explain his family-oriented nature to outsiders. He cherished the warmth of his family—his beloved partner and the adorable Qiuqiu. His home was filled with love, and he wished to be enveloped in that warmth at all times. How could he sacrifice his time at home to attend social events?

While there were rumors about Wei Chen being a devoted husband, those who circulated them understood that Wei Chen had the confidence not to participate in social events.

While others toiled in business and endless social events to make their work stand out, Wei Chen didn’t need that. He could secure the projects he desired without the need for social engagements, as his capabilities were evident to everyone.

It was the last day of the year. The first snowfall arrived late, with snowflakes gently descending from the sky on the final day of the year. Accumulating strength for a year, they fell like goose feathers, decorating the entire world in a silver sheen.

After work, it took Wei Chen fifteen minutes to wrap up his tasks. Shutting down his computer, he prepared to leave, thinking about the three-day holiday ahead and what he could do with Chen Li.

Returning home with this thought, the cold air outside made him shiver the moment he stepped out of the car. The temperature had dropped significantly. Away from the warmth of indoor heating, the chilly wind made him tremble. He adjusted his coat and pressed the elevator button.

Today, Wei Chen would be later than usual coming home. Chen Li didn’t call or text to ask why. He knew Wei Chen might be driving when he intended to reach out, and he also understood that if he were going to be late, he would inform him beforehand. No message meant he was delayed by something unexpected.

Despite this, Chen Li would occasionally cast his gaze toward the door around the time when Wei Chen typically returned home from work, hoping to see him arrive.

“Ah… Ah…” Qiuqiu, now over five months old, could make some single sounds and could sit. At that moment, sitting on the floor, Qiuqiu held a rabbit-shaped teether in hand, joyfully nibbling on its ears. Noticing that Chen Li wasn’t looking, Qiuqiu stopped chewing and raised a hand towards him, making sounds to catch his attention.

Chen Li, still looking toward the door, didn’t respond to Qiuqiu. The little one continued to vocalize in an attempt to attract Chen Li’s notice.

Only when he turned his head did Chen Li notice Qiuqiu. It seemed Qiuqiu was a bit upset about being ignored, so he pursed his lips, making an amusing “pu-pu” sound, his fair face quivering with the movement, yet showing no signs of sadness.

“Pu-pu-pu.” Chen Li, not knowing why, followed suit, mimicking Qiuqiu’s lip movements and gently patting his face.

Qiuqiu let go of the teether, instead reaching out with chubby little fingers to grip Chen Li’s hand, assuming he was joining in the play. His “pu-pu” sounds became more energetic.

Not to be outdone, Chen Li leaned closer, making “pu-pu” sounds towards Qiuqiu and lifted him up, gently rubbing Qiuqiu’s soft belly against his forehead. Then, in a playful manner, he imitated Qiuqiu’s “pu-pu” sounds a few more times.

Tickled by the gentle rubbing, Qiuqiu giggled, revealing two tiny incisors on his lower gums, his eyes sparkling brightly.

Qiuqiu’s teething had come a bit early. At just five months old, two tiny incisors had emerged on his lower gums, breaking through and marking the end of his toothless phase.

It was Wei Chen who noticed Qiuqiu’s teething. During that time, Qiuqiu tried to put everything into his mouth, prompting Wei Chen to pay attention. He immediately put on sterilized gloves and gently pressed the area on Qiuqiu’s lower gums, indeed feeling the emerging teeth.

The couple rejoiced for a long time upon discovering Qiuqiu’s first teeth. The next day, they purchased a rabbit-shaped teether for Qiuqiu, which he loved. However, he only chewed on the ears of the toy.

Chen Li loved seeing Qiuqiu’s two tiny teeth that had just emerged. He always made him giggle, and he, in turn, smiled brightly. Qiuqiu wasn’t fond of crying but loved to laugh. He’d smile when seeing anyone but stopped giggling after his teeth grew, perhaps feeling self-conscious about his only two teeth and not wanting others to see them.

Only occasionally, when the two dads teased him, would he politely smile, showing his newly formed little teeth to them.

But back to the present.

As Qiuqiu was smiling, he noticed Chen Li making “pu-pu” sounds again and he became a bit upset. He pursed his lips and made “pu-pu” sounds back at him.

It seemed like father and son were genuinely communicating—making sounds back and forth, as if understanding each other’s cues.

When Wei Chen entered the room, he saw Chen Li and Qiuqiu exchanging these “pu-pu” sounds, a form of communication that he couldn’t quite comprehend.

Upon hearing the movement at the door, Chen Li immediately turned his head, his eyes lighting up as he saw Wei Chen return. “Achen, you’re back!”

Wei Chen hung his coat on the rack by the door, adjusted his tie, and despite his usually serious demeanor outside, at that moment, he became incredibly gentle.

Approaching Chen Li, he first crouched down and exchanged a warm, wet kiss. “The work today took a bit longer, sorry,” he said, not as an excuse but to spare Chen Li any worry.

Chen Li nodded, gently pecking Wei Chen’s lips and replied with a soft smile, “Hmm, you’ve worked hard.”

The couple gazed affectionately at each other, completely forgetting about the large Qiuqiu sitting beside them.

Seeing that both dads were preoccupied, Qiuqiu made some “pu-pu” sounds toward them and then turned his eyes around, mouth open, seemingly trying to say something: “Ah… ah… da… da…”

Immersed in their own affectionate moments, the couple unmistakably heard a sound coming from Xiao Qiuqiu. Though the pronunciation wasn’t quite accurate, Qiuqiu was distinctly calling for “Dad”!

Surprised, the couple turned to see Qiuqiu reaching out towards Wei Chen, asking to be picked up.

Wei Chen immediately gathered Qiuqiu in his arms, pleasantly surprised. “Qiuqiu, say ‘Dad’ again.”

Chen Li held Qiuqiu’s tiny hand, his eyes sparkling as he looked at him and echoed, “Qiuqiu, say ‘Dad’… Da… Dad!”

However, despite the couple’s coaxing, Qiuqiu remained silent, only chuckling and proudly showing the two small teeth he usually kept hidden from them.

Alright, he must have thought that the two dads wanted to see his two tiny little teeth!

The moment Qiuqiu called “Dad” seemed fleeting, as it didn’t happen again afterward. When Chen Yunlan entered the room, Wei Chen and Chen Li were still trying to teach Qiuqiu to say “Dad.” But Qiuqiu continued to make other sounds, seemingly unable to say “da da” again.

Chen Yunlan watched for a while and couldn’t help but intervene, “You’re just too eager. Qiuqiu is just over five months old. How could he speak so quickly?”

Qiuqiu seemed to respond to Chen Yunlan’s words by making some sounds.

Chen Yunlan happily took Qiuqiu from Wei Chen’s arms, gently patting his chubby cheeks, delighted. Qiuqiu once again valued his two little teeth, maintaining a reserved smile in Chen Yunlan’s embrace, not revealing his two tiny teeth.

Wei Chen and Chen Li exchanged glances, suggesting they should let things unfold naturally. Today, Qiuqiu might not say “Dad,” but eventually, he definitely would. They couldn’t be too impatient.

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