Huangfu Jue flipped through the materials handed over to him, his face showing little expression. He closed the materials and handed them back to Will as he stood up from the sofa.
"It’s time to go running."
The little guy immediately grabbed his towel and slung it over his shoulder.
Father and son descended the steps together, stretched on the grass, and then began to jog across the field at a slow pace.
Of course, to accommodate his son’s short legs, Huangfu Jue ran very slowly.
Watching from the floor-to-ceiling window, as the figures of the father and son grew distant, Will’s lips curled up slightly.
Gan Yuan climbed out of bed, didn’t see Huangfu Jue, draped on a garment, walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and saw two figures—one large, one small—heading toward the garden.
The same grey and black sports attire, the same white sneakers, the same rhythmic steps... even the way the two men swung their arms while jogging was exactly the same.
She smiled, quickly walked into the wardrobe, and in no time had changed into her sports outfit before hurrying down the steps, chasing after the pair on the grass.
Hearing her footsteps, Huangfu Jue turned around, and upon seeing her, immediately switched to jogging in place.
"Xiaotang, wait for Mommy."
Gan Tang turned around and, like him, stopped to jog in place while waiting for her.
When she caught up with the two, father and son then continued forward with her.
The trio jogged to the edge of the park’s fountain, where Huangfu Jue slowed to a stop.
"Let’s rest for a moment."
The little guy, panting, walked over to the stone bench, ready to sit down, when he was immediately stopped by his arm.
"Xiaotang, you can’t sit down just yet. You need to walk slowly for a while to let your heartbeat gradually slow down. That’s the proper way."
The little guy nodded and walked in place for a while longer until Huangfu Jue sat down on the stone bench and patted his own leg.
Walking over and sitting on his father’s lap, the little guy revealed a contented smile.
"Daddy, what do you think is the most important thing about being a king?"
Gan Yuan also walked over, took a towel, and wiped the thin sweat from their foreheads. The man’s free hand reached out and pulled her toward his other leg.
She struggled awkwardly, but the man’s hand tightened around her waist.
Gan Yuan stopped struggling, her cheeks flushed with a hint of pink.
Used to being strong-willed, she was somewhat unaccustomed to such girlish behavior.
"I don’t have an answer to that question at the moment," Huangfu Jue thought for a moment and then added, "I remember when I was a child, I asked my grandfather the same question. He told me that wisdom and kindness are very important qualities of a person."
The little guy nodded and then fell into deep thought.
"You don’t have to rush to think about these things." Seeing his little expression, Huangfu Jue laughed and pulled him into his embrace, "What you should do now is to learn, to acquire knowledge and the ability to survive. Everything else will come gradually. Don’t rush."
He certainly didn’t want to put too much pressure on the child; he was still young and should be enjoying the pleasures of life.
Listening to the father and son chatting, Gan Yuan’s previously taut waist relaxed bit by bit, and she nestled into Huangfu Jue’s side just like Gan Tang.
She had never been held before, but today she realized how comfortable it felt to lean on someone else.
Noticing the beads of sweat by his ear, she took a towel to wipe it for him, while her peripheral vision caught a fleeting shadow in the distance.