When the rooftops were wrapped in a layer of pure white, Song Ci knocked on Cen Jin’s door, bringing her daughter along. Mother and daughter each held an umbrella, one large and one small, similar in color. After shaking off the snow and placing them in the umbrella stand side by side, they created an endearing sight.
Li Wu took their slippers for them. Song Ci expressed her thanks and urged her daughter to greet everyone.
The little girl first called out “Auntie Cen,” but when her gaze landed on Li Wu’s young face, she hesitated slightly before finally calling out “Uncle” in a clear, bright voice.
Li Wu’s lips quirked up as he responded.
Cen Jin teased from the side, “Why not call him brother? I was hoping to claim seniority here.”
Song Ci replied, “Children are more sensible than you.”
She crouched down to help her daughter remove her scarf and down jacket, then patted her arm, telling her to go inside first.
Only then did Cen Jin truly see Song Ci’s daughter’s face. She was very pretty, with soft long hair and features that combined the best genes from both parents. She was delicately beautiful like a snow doll from outside had come to life and walked in.
Li Wu led the little girl to sit on the sofa, pointing at the snacks on the coffee table and asking which ones she’d like.
Song Ci glanced over and gently reminded her, “Xiao Cao, don’t eat too much. We’ll be having dinner later.”
When interacting with her daughter, Song Ci’s demeanor was completely different from her workplace persona. The sharp edge in her eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a warm maternal gentleness.
Cen Jin, having never experienced motherhood herself, wasn’t sure what kind of chemical transformation this was, so she just asked, “Is she called Xiao Cao? How old is she?”
“Six years old,” Song Ci said as she walked inside with her. “Xiao Cao is her nickname. Her full name is Zhou Yi, the ‘yi’ meaning ‘meaning.'”
“Xiao Cao,” Cen Jin called out to the girl sitting on the sofa, who was intently waiting for Li Wu to open a package for her.
Xiao Cao looked up, her voice sweet as milk candy: “I’m here!”
Cen Jin stared at her chubby cheeks and smiled, “You’re so cute!”
Li Wu handed Xiao Cao a chocolate-covered Pocky stick, lifting his eyelids slightly: “Why don’t you call me that?”
Cen Jin made a face of disgust and replied coldly, “Xiao Wu.”
Li Wu’s eyes sparkled as he responded with equal conviction: “Mm, I’m here.”
Song Ci shook her head with a slight sigh: “I can’t handle you two.”
Cen Jin exhaled in agreement: “See what I mean? Dating someone younger is like raising a son.”
However, this “son” was an excellent cook. He prepared a table full of delicious dishes, and even the typically picky Xiao Cao exclaimed three times at the dining table: “The food at your house is so delicious! It’s even better than grandma’s cooking. I’ve never had such tasty food before!”
Cen Jin’s eyes curved in a smile as she pushed the sweet and sour pineapple pork, which was Xiao Cao’s favorite, towards her: “Then eat more.”
Song Ci held her chopsticks, glancing at her daughter who had started to clean her plate, and brought up business matters: “The name you sent me on WeChat today, I feel it’s still missing something.”
Li Wu asked curiously, “What name?”
Song Ci replied, “The name for my and Cen Jin’s company.”
Cen Jin lifted her cup and took a sip of fruit beer: “It’s too difficult. I was about to ask my parents to recommend some feng shui masters to help me think of something.”
Li Wu absentmindedly picked at his food, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and put down his chopsticks: “I have an idea.”
Cen Jin propped up her chin, ready to listen: “Let’s hear it.”
Li Wu asked, “Do you know the mass-energy equivalence equation?”
The two women with liberal arts backgrounds looked at each other blankly, not understanding.
Li Wu thought for a moment, organizing his thoughts: “It’s a formula, E=mc², that last C squared, I think it’s perfect for you two.”
Cen Jin showed some interest, propping up her chin: “What’s the specific concept?”
“It’s not complicated.” He dipped the end of his chopsticks in some wine and casually wrote a “C” on the table, then added a small “2” in the upper right corner: “Your name is Cen Jin, and Sister Song is Song Ci. You both have the letter C in your name. In physics, C represents the speed of the light unit, which is the fastest speed visible to the naked eye, symbolizing powerful joint development and swift progress.”
Cen Jin pondered: “So it’s C squared?”
Li Wu: “Mm.”
Song Ci was quite delighted: “As expected of family members. Your boyfriend might have potential in creative work.”
Cen Jin smiled knowingly: “He certainly does. Back when I first started learning to make proposals at Ao Xing, I had him help me review them.”
Song Ci approved: “The name he suggested is good, we can add it to the shortlist.”
Cen Jin agreed: “I think so too.”
Li Wu’s cheeks grew warm from the praise, and he became humble and low-key, silently lowering his head to eat.
“What are you all talking about? I can’t understand a word,” Xiao Cao, who had been listening to what seemed like gibberish for a while, complained loudly.
Song Ci took a tissue to wipe her daughter’s mouth: “We’re talking about the name of the castle mommy’s going to build in the future. When it’s built, Mommy will bring Xiao Cao back to be a real princess, okay?”
Xiao Cao nodded vigorously: “Okay!”
―
In the following days, the two female partners would set aside some time to discuss and select their future company’s name. In the end, Li Wu’s suggestion won out for its simplicity, directness, and memorability. Cen Jin quickly passed it to Chun Chang, who would be responsible for designing the logo. They also created a group chat named “Three Cobblers Surpass Zhuge Liang,” specifically for discussing startup matters.
Meanwhile, Cen Jin received other good news: her house on Qingping Road sold successfully at her expected price, and she learned from the same real estate agent that a small securities company on Nanhuai Road was relocating, leaving vacant an office space of over 300 square meters.
Over two weekends, Cen Jin and Song Ci went together to inspect the office building in person. The space was indeed good, with conditions and facilities that matched their needs perfectly, so the two didn’t hesitate much before making their decisive move.
The end of the year was both busy and fulfilling.
With Spring Festival approaching, on New Year’s Eve, Cen Jin decided to test her mother’s mood.