The next morning, Zhao Ran was woken by his alarm clock. Picking up his phone and seeing that it was time, he gently moved aside the fair, slender arm that was draped over him, got up, tucked the covers back around her, then washed up and headed out.
Zhao Ran stood at the agreed-upon spot waiting for Zheng Yao. He had made sure to arrive a bit early—after all, he couldn’t keep his future mother-in-law waiting. It was already late August, and the morning air was quite cool, especially right after waking up. Zhao Ran tightened the collar of his tracksuit.
After a short while, Zhao Ran saw Zheng Yao approaching. She spotted him and waved.
Zheng Yao had her hair tied in a ponytail and wore a black workout outfit. Though it wasn’t form-fitting, her excellent figure still made her look tall and stylish.
“Xiao Zhao, how long have you been waiting?” “Mom, good morning. I just got here.” “Alright then, let’s go. One lap around the lake is just over five kilometers. Should take about half an hour,” Zheng Yao said as she warmed up.
Zhao Ran agreed, “Okay, no problem.”
Since she ran often, Zheng Yao was only slightly out of breath after one lap. Zhao Ran was naturally in good shape and exercised regularly, so he didn’t feel particularly tired either. After finishing their run, the two walked together toward the park exit.
“The weather’s cooler now, so there are fewer people out for morning runs. There were more a few days ago,” Zheng Yao remarked as they walked.
“Xiao Zhao, Yueyue’s father mentioned last night that you should get married soon and start having children. I actually agree with that,” she suddenly added.
Zhao Ran glanced at Zheng Yao. Her expression was serious, as if she were discussing work, without any hint of awkwardness. Zhao Ran thought this kind of topic would be more appropriate to discuss with her daughter rather than him, her not-yet-official son-in-law.
Nevertheless, Zhao Ran replied, “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. We’ll just let things happen naturally.”
Zheng Yao paused for a moment, then understood what he meant. “Well, that’s good. It’s not that we’re pressuring you, but at our age, we don’t have many other hopes left. Given my position, my political career is pretty much over. Although I still hold a title, I’m hardly involved in major decisions anymore. As for her father, well, he might as well be waiting at home for retirement—no one bothers with him anymore. He’s just looking forward to helping you two with childcare. Pick a good date soon, and get married early.”
Zhao Ran nodded and said lightly, “We understand. Yueyue is actually willing too. She said if she completes the task early, you won’t bother her anymore. Then she’ll be free.”
Zheng Yao laughed hearing this. “That silly girl, acting like having a child is just checking a box for us. Well, fine—that way she can focus on what she loves sooner.”
Zhao Ran chimed in, “She loves design, creating perfect plans for others. She also wants to travel and see the works of great designers around the world.”
“Mm, she has her dreams. But that means you’ll have to work harder,” Zheng Yao said, looking at Zhao Ran.
“Not at all. I really like our life as it is now.”
“Good, then. Let’s continue tomorrow.”
“Okay, sure. Tomorrow again.”
“I’ll head straight back now,” Zheng Yao said as they reached the park entrance.
“Alright, I’ll go buy some breakfast and take it back for Yueyue.” “Okay, be careful.” With that, Zheng Yao turned and walked toward the residential area.
Watching Zheng Yao’s graceful figure recede into the distance, Zhao Ran thought, being an official sure has its perks—living right next to a park. Meanwhile, he still had to drive back. But then he turned and headed to his car.