Han Tao hadn't expected Wang Qiqi not to cook; something felt off. He gently caught her as she was about to search for food for him. "Qiqi, did something unhappy happen to you today?" He recalled seeing her computer on when he entered the house, suggesting she had been working on it earlier or during the day.

Wang Qiqi was unprepared for Han Tao to ask her that question. How could she answer? Yet, the more she hesitated, the more it suggested to Han Tao that his wife might have encountered some difficulty. "What happened? What is it?"

Han Tao's tone grew slightly anxious toward the end. Seeing the flustered look on his face, Wang Qiqi decided that being embarrassed was better than hiding it. She quietly recounted what she had seen. However, the thoughts she truly harbored about the future, she kept to herself, feeling too ashamed to share them.

Han Tao couldn't believe his wife had become so engrossed watching the neighbor's children play in the yard that she forgot to cook and lost track of time, standing there mesmerized on the balcony. This didn't seem aligned with his wife's usual disposition. Han Tao's first thought was that his wife might be concealing some important news. But then, another possibility quickly crossed his mind, though he wasn't entirely certain. He fixed his gaze on Wang Qiqi's eyes, pressing her, "Is it really just about that?"

After several repeated questions, Han Tao noticed Wang Qiqi's face flush bright red. "Is there something else you haven't told me? For example...?"

Wang Qiqi assumed Han Tao had guessed the part she was deliberately leaving out. She shook off his hand and scurried in a panic toward the kitchen. "I won't talk about it, I won't! It’s already seven o'clock; if I don't cook now, it’ll be too late. Your mother will say I’m a wife who doesn't know how to take care of people."

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi flee, stroking his chin. "Could it really be what I suspect? But for Qiqi at her age to have such a thought is quite normal." Previously, Han Tao had seen Wang Qiqi playing with Taotao, but he hadn't sensed how deeply she loved children. She often said children were a mixture of devils and angels. Whenever Taotao threw a tantrum, Qiqi's expression would sour. If Taotao cried for too long, she would constantly rub her forehead—a gesture Han Tao knew indicated a headache. Back then, he wondered if Qiqi disliked children, but now it seemed she actually quite liked them. Furthermore, Luo Hongjuan had once remarked to Han Tao that since there was no rigid family planning policy abroad, as long as the finances were sound, they should have as many children as they could manage. Han Tao had initially thought his mother was overthinking things; he hadn't married to specifically produce heirs for the Han family line. However, if Qiqi liked the idea, having a few more children seemed like a pleasant prospect.

With a flushed face, Wang Qiqi stood at the counter, incessantly trimming, chopping, and washing vegetables, all the while internally scolding herself for daydreaming at such a moment—why now, of all times, did Han Tao have to catch her? It was so embarrassing! Still, those neighboring children were genuinely adorable: fair skin, large eyes, and golden hair. They were as cute as could be. But she thought, unless she married a foreigner, she couldn't possibly give birth to such beautiful children.

Han Tao approached Wang Qiqi and noticed her face was still red, and she hadn't even registered his presence. This struck him as odd. He wrapped an arm around her waist. "What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about how cute our future children would be?"

Wang Qiqi didn't overthink it and immediately countered, "No way! Our children won't be mixed-race unless I marry a foreigner..." She thought to herself that blue eyes and golden hair were simply impossible for her to produce.

Han Tao felt a surge of happiness; his guess was correct—Qiqi really was thinking about children. But the issue was why her thoughts drifted elsewhere, mentioning mixed-race offspring and needing a foreigner. He pulled Wang Qiqi close, hugging her tightly, making it difficult for her to breathe. "Marry a foreigner? Hmm? Are you thinking of...?"

Hearing the displeasure in Han Tao's voice, Wang Qiqi snapped back to reality. Oh dear, her brain must have malfunctioned. What should she do? She had actually said those words out loud; she was asking for trouble. "Th-that's not what I meant! I was just sighing in admiration of the foreign children. Besides, I don't like foreigners; they're all so hairy..." Although some people claimed that look was sexy, to Wang Qiqi, it was repulsive, like an unevolved animal.

"You mean foreigners aren't hairy?" Han Tao knew exactly what she was implying, but a flicker of panic ignited within him. Yesterday's BBQ with so many colleagues—Qiqi had managed everyone flawlessly, speaking fluent English with such a delicate demeanor. Han Tao had noticed several colleagues looking at Qiqi with an unmistakable interest. Today at work, they had even found subtle ways to inquire about Chinese women. While they might have only meant admiration, Han Tao felt deeply uneasy. Qiqi's current comment, suggesting mixed-race children were prettier, offered him a different explanation: she thought the children she'd have with him might not be as attractive. "Qiqi, you're not going to take back your words now that the issue is settled, are you?"

Wang Qiqi was stunned by Han Tao’s last remark, ceasing her work entirely. Heavens, was her husband actually pouting? "Han Tao, you are seriously overthinking things. Whether foreigners have body hair or not, I don't like it. I only like you, the man I grew up with and weathered so many storms alongside." Besides, even if she married a foreigner, would he necessarily be better than Han Tao? Wang Qiqi reasoned that someone like her, who wanted to travel abroad for a month or two at a time, would give even the most open-minded foreigner reasons to stray. As for Han Tao, Wang Qiqi believed he wasn't that type of man; he was highly self-disciplined and wouldn't do such a thing.

"I was just remarking on appearances. And what if they look beautiful? It still depends on their brains. I don't believe our future children's intellect will fall short of a foreigner's child's, do you agree?" Wang Qiqi mused that compared to outer beauty, their children wouldn't be celebrities; as long as they were presentable, that was enough. The key factor was intelligence.

Han Tao believed her. He kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, our genes are superb. Our children will certainly be both beautiful and intelligent."

Of course, children are always best when they are your own. However, "If you keep hugging me, we won't eat until eight o'clock." Wang Qiqi glanced at the clock; it was genuinely late. If she didn't speed up, their dinner would turn into a late-night snack.

Han Tao always listened to his wife. He reluctantly released her, but he didn't want to leave her side. He sat down at the dining table opposite her, propping his chin in his hand, just watching her work.

Wang Qiqi glared at the idle Han Tao. "Aren't you going to get to work? Don't pull an all-nighter." Working late was taxing on the body; he couldn't rely on his youth indefinitely. "Oh, right, where did I put the dried jujubes and lotus seeds I bought yesterday?" Wang Qiqi remembered she needed to prepare some late-night snacks just in case hunger struck. "And wake me up tomorrow when you leave for work." Today was an exception; starting tomorrow, Wang Qiqi intended to prepare breakfast so her husband wouldn't go to work on an empty stomach.

"Okay." Han Tao agreed to everything Wang Qiqi said. "But don't get up to make me breakfast. The company has pastries." Although pastries weren't as wholesome as a traditional Chinese breakfast, Han Tao hated the thought of his wife waking up early just for him.

"It's fine; I can sleep in the afternoon." Wang Qiqi saw Han Tao already opening his laptop to get busy, so she quickened her pace. "By the way, I ran into Manman online today. She said Feng Xuanxiang plans to check out the stock market in the next few days..."

Han Tao opened his computer and immersed himself in work, though not entirely—he kept a small portion of his attention on Qiqi. Hearing this, he asked, "Do you also want to try stock trading?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yes. You know, although your money looks plentiful, what with all the things I buy through proxy shopping, the expenses really pile up." Especially since Qiqi's expenditures in the US were drawn from that specific card. She fully intended to repay that money to Han Tao once they returned to China, though she suspected repaying him wouldn't be easy. "I was just thinking of setting aside some money to give to Feng Xuanxiang—money making money." Also, foreigners here often got paid weekly, with more money coming in every week than just their salary, so Wang Qiqi wasn't worried about day-to-day expenses.

Han Tao understood that Wang Qiqi was explaining herself extensively because she worried he might feel slighted. He looked up at her, speaking very seriously, "My money is your money, and your money is still your money—your personal savings. Even if I don't have a fortune, I have enough to support my wife. You don't need to inform me about how you manage the funds in your account." Honestly, up to this point, their financial interactions had been minimal. Even when they ate out, it was often one person treating the other in turn. While many people outside might be jealous—since in many relationships, girls rarely offered to pay, with the man covering most expenses—Han Tao always felt uncomfortable with Wang Qiqi’s insistence on parity. It made him feel as though Qiqi was preparing for the future. She had once mentioned that minimal financial entanglement was important; if they broke up, they wouldn't end up like Wang Rui and Gao Kai. That thought always left Han Tao deeply uneasy.