Evening Time
After the little girl had returned home from school and the meal was set on the table, her mother still hadn't come back.
However, they didn't start eating at that moment.
After all, the little girl wanted to wait for her mother to have dinner together.
Ren looked at his eager little daughter, and said, "Why don't you eat first, Yueyue?"
"No!" Even though Yuta was hungry, she insisted on waiting for her mother to eat together.
Seeing the determined little girl, Ren shook his head helplessly and took out some drawing materials, saying to Yuta, "Let's draw together, then."
"Okay!" So, the father and daughter sat on the sofa and started drawing.
After some time, a knock came at the door.
"I'm back."
It was Jada's voice, but she sounded rather weary.
"Mama!!" Upon hearing Jada's voice, the little girl dropped her paintbrush and ran to greet her, with Ren following closely.
At that moment, Jada's tired appearance was evident, with faint dark circles around her eyes.
"You look tired. What happened at work?" Ren asked in a concerned tone.
They didn't have a close relationship, but Jada was the mother of his child.
"It's nothing." Jada seemed hesitant to discuss her work matters. She shook her head, then walked into the living room and was surprised to find several dishes on the table. "You haven't eaten?"
"We were waiting for you to join us," replied Ren with a smile. "Yueyue also said she wanted to wait for you."
"Did you make these?" After a brief silence, Jada asked.
"Of course."
Words of gratitude don't always require grand gestures — good women are emotional and can be touched by the smallest gestures. Jada was currently in such a state.
The company had recently faced a major crisis. Coming home to someone preparing dinner and waiting to eat together made Jada feel that this might truly be a family of three.
Ren pulled out a chair and said, "Sit down, you've had a long day. The food has cooled a bit, so wait a moment while I reheat it for you."
Saying that, he handed Jada a towel.
After a few minutes, Ren brought the reheated food to the table and served both Yuta and Jada, saying, "Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you, Dad!" The little girl cheerfully picked up her spoon and started eating.
"Dad, Dad, let me tell you something! Today, in school, the teacher praised me a lot!" Yuta happily recounted her day at kindergarten to her quiet and attentive father.
Hearing her tales, Ren praised her from time to time.
This heartwarming scene left Jada feeling somewhat dazed as she watched the father and daughter.
Noticing Jada's gaze, Ren guessed that she might feel left out in their conversation, so he asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, I can handle it." Jada pursed her lips and shook her head. "Just take care of Yueyue for me."
"If you need help, don't hesitate to ask," Ren replied, taking a few more bites of his food.
At this point, Jada added, "I'll be coming back very late tomorrow, so don't wait for me like today."
Ren was taken aback, realizing that Jada must be dealing with some serious trouble for her to work so hard.
After dinner, Jada returned to her study to work.
Ren glanced at the closed door and then at Yuta, who was still eating, and asked her quietly, "Yueyue, do you know what kind of work your mother does? Where is her office?"
"I do! Mama's office is..."
...Next Evening, 8 PM
Picca Comics Company
This company is one of the top comic companies in the country, alongside the five major comic companies. It once seemed poised to become the sixth major comic company.
Unfortunately, due to a joint attack by the five major companies, this comic company's ambition was dashed, and now it had to obediently follow behind the five major companies.
At the moment, Jada was sitting in her office, reviewing the reports brought in by her secretary.
Ten minutes later, after giving her orders, the secretary left for home, leaving Jada to lean back in her chair, close her eyes, and let out a sigh.
She felt utterly exhausted. Her company was facing another crisis after the failed attempt to challenge the six major companies.
This time, it seemed that her company wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
A real estate company had entered the comics industry, poaching a large number of her editors and comic artists. The editors were okay to find replacements if needed.
However, it was somewhat troublesome with the comic artists. They could find those whose works were featured in their magazine, but the quality wasn't as high as before, and the pillar of their team had been poached!
Although the real estate company paid a hefty breach of contract fee, compared to the hidden losses, the company was still in a predicament. Especially with their main support pillar being taken away, the comic sales were likely to decrease significantly, as many people primarily bought the comics for his works.
At that moment, she couldn't help but compare the current state of the company with its past, and she suddenly felt more exhausted.
When her parents were alive, the company had the ability to challenge the top six.
And now? Not only did they lose that ability, but even the main comic artists had been poached.
Should she just give up? Giving up would still leave her with a considerable sum of money, enough to live with Yueyue.
These thoughts crossed Jada's mind. However, she quickly shook her head and muttered to herself, "What are you thinking, Jada? This is one of the few things left by Mom and Dad. How can you give up?"
Suddenly, her stomach grumbled.
It reminded her that she had forgotten to eat dinner, which added a touch of bitterness to her heart.
Fortunately, at least she didn't have to worry about her daughter. She decided to stay a bit longer at the office, trying to find more comic artists.
With that in mind, she took out her phone to order some takeout.
However, at that moment, a new message came in: