Chapter 201: Chapter 86: Top Star of the ’60s Song and Dance Troupe (25)

Huo Tianhao raised an eyebrow. "What if I’m worried you won’t be motivated and just slack off?"

Xia Zhaoyun pressed her lips together. "Every year in August, there’s a large-scale city-wide artistic performance for all the work units. If I can secure the position of team leader and perform exceptionally well on stage, I might get an offer from one of the city’s other units."

"And because of the Song Family, I don’t really want to stay at the Zhaoyang Clothing Factory for too long anyway."

"Even if I don’t get a chance in August, the various work units’ song and dance troupes will be recruiting in the fall, and I’ll just go and audition then. I have a solid foundation, I’m not old, and I have some talent for dance. There’s no reason I should have to switch careers just because I’m leaving the Zhaoyang Clothing Factory."

"Besides, Brother Hao, if you hang around the Zhaoyang Clothing Factory, won’t you constantly be running into people you know?"

Huo Tianhao sighed softly. "Then it’s settled. If you can’t get transferred by October, I’ll apply for a transfer away from the main factory!"

Xia Zhaoyun stared at him. She simply couldn’t reconcile this man in front of her, who only seemed to think about having a wife, kids, and a warm home, with the celebrated hero everyone praised—or with the cold, taciturn Brother Hao she’d met before.

It was as if nothing mattered to him. He did as he pleased, and everything—even his job and marriage—was something he could decide with a single word.

"I can only say I’ll do my best," she huffed, her tone no longer as formal with him as before.

Neither Huo Tianhao nor Liu Mingkun went upstairs. After dropping off the things, they waited until the light on the third floor turned on before leaving side-by-side.

After such a long day, everyone was exhausted and sleepy. They washed up quickly and fell into a deep sleep.

There wasn’t much for entertainment at night, so everyone was used to sleeping early and waking up early. Although they hadn’t gone to bed early last night, their eyes still popped open right on time in the morning.

Xia Zhaoyun had just pulled open the curtains when she froze for a moment, remembering what the man had said yesterday.

A light chuckle escaped her as she pushed open the window and leaned out to look. An army-green jeep—she wasn’t sure when it had arrived—was parked in front of the family housing building. The man was leaning over, lifting breakfast out of the vehicle and striding toward her building.

He had just taken a step when he suddenly looked up, his gaze meeting Xia Zhaoyun’s brilliant smile, so dazzling it almost hurt to look. Her jet-black hair billowed in the morning breeze, tugging at his heartstrings.

He lifted the arm holding the breakfast, smiled, and took the stairs two at a time.

Xia Zhaoyun gathered her loose hair and went to open the door for Huo Tianhao.

"Donkey meat sandwiches, tea eggs, and millet congee. They’re all fresh from the pot and still steaming. It’s still early, so you can eat before we get in the car," he said, naturally setting the breakfast out as he came inside.

The children wandered out, their eyes still hazy with sleep.

Huo Tianhao crossed his arms and watched Xia Zhaoyun lead the children to wash up. His expression was relaxed, the corners of his lips curved into a slight arc, giving him a charming, roguishly handsome look.

Xia Zhaoyun felt uncomfortable under his gaze and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. I wanted to eat with you," Huo Tianhao said with a smile.

He Qingran, who was drinking water in the living room, heard this and choked, letting out a series of coughs. "COUGH, COUGH! I say, Brother Hao, Yunyun, have you two forgotten about me?"

’She was a hundred percent certain that Brother Hao’s ’you’ definitely did not include her...’

Huo Tianhao pulled a few tickets from his pocket and handed them to Xia Zhaoyun. "It’s the end of the month, so Kun is pretty busy and couldn’t find the time to come. Here, he traded for these theater tickets. It’s a new play, for next weekend."

"My ticket and Kun’s are in there too."

A glint appeared in Xia Zhaoyun’s eyes as she smiled and put the tickets away.

After breakfast, they tidied up a bit, then got in the car and headed for the Zhaoyang Clothing Factory.

Xia Zhaoyun sat in the front passenger seat, while He Qingran sat in the back with the two children.

"Brother Hao, why don’t you tell us about Brother Kun?" she asked, casually starting a new topic.

Huo Tianhao glanced at her. He saw her smiling with her eyes squinted, enjoying the cool summer morning breeze like a little fox lazily basking in the sun, radiating comfort and contentment from head to toe.

How could he not know what she meant? As it happened, a certain someone had already repeatedly urged him to help build a good impression.

So, he looked ahead and said with a smile, "Kun’s family lives very close to my maternal grandparents’ house, so we pretty much grew up together. He’s a righteous guy and has a lot of friends—the kind you can always borrow money from."

"His family situation is also quite simple. His parents are both retired workers. According to him, the old Liu Family has always had a hard time having children—they’ve had a single heir for five generations. He just has one sister, who’s ten years older than him."

"His family is well-off. They have an ancestral home, and everyone in the family earns a salary, so there’s no financial pressure at all. The Liu Family doesn’t care much about social status, either. His parents don’t have high standards for a daughter-in-law—as long as their son is happy, that’s enough."

Xia Zhaoyun couldn’t help but ask, "But there’s more to it, right? The Liu Family has had a single heir for five generations. Are you telling me Mr. and Mrs. Liu don’t care about having grandchildren?"

In the back seat, He Qingran had been listening with growing satisfaction, her face filled with shy delight. But as soon as she heard this question, she instantly grew tense.

True, people rarely talked to her about the messy details of family life, but she could still count on her fingers the young people at the factory who had been married for years without having children.

Some couples were genuinely in love and didn’t have the pressure of carrying on the family line; they would face the stress and let nature take its course, or perhaps adopt. Some parted amicably, but others caused a huge scandal that swept through the entire factory!

You couldn’t just have a child because you wanted one; it all depended on fate, and no one could make any guarantees.

He Qingran had heard stories about families desperate for a son, who ended up with ten daughters and still no boy in sight...

Huo Tianhao let out a low chuckle. "Kun isn’t particularly hung up on having kids. In his own words, the Liu family’s flame has always been flickering, and it could go out at any time."

"He hasn’t even found a wife yet, but he’s already laid the groundwork with his parents. He told them to let nature take its course when it comes to children. If they have one, great—boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. If they don’t, his parents aren’t allowed to pressure them. He said if that happens, it must be because the son they raised isn’t capable, so if they’re that concerned, the old couple can go and try making one themselves."

"Kun says it’s not easy to find a wife you’re happy with, so you can’t just cause a huge fuss over children and make everyone miserable."

Xia Zhaoyun was quite surprised. "Brother Hao, you’re not just deliberately saying nice things on Brother Kun’s behalf, are you?"

"Does he really not have a single flaw?"

"A man that great, and he’s really never met anyone he wanted to marry?"

With an arm around each child, He Qingran couldn’t clutch the hem of her clothes, so she curled her toes so hard inside her shoes it felt like she was about to dig right through the soles!

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