Chapter 21 - Grandmother, Empress Mother is the noble mother of a nation–please think thrice!
Song Haiping was truly dumbstruck. One reason was the slap, and the second was the vicious scolding.
When he could finally react, he looked at Chen Linjing in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about ah!"
He had no idea about the whirlwind of rumors at the company–the employees naturally wouldn't bring up gossip in front of the main subject. The relatives of the Song family had wanted to warn Song Haiping, but seeing that he was determined to recognize that child, they all dropped the idea.
Song Haiping's reputation in the Song family was not very good. The cheating affair alone was considered a big stain on his life.
If nothing else, Chen Linjing had a very good relationship with the Song family. Both Grandpa Song and Grandma Song liked this daughter-in-law very much. Even after her divorce from Song Haiping, it was Chen Linjing who had helped out when Grandma Song had an operation one year.
At that time, many people joked about Song Haiping, saying that he had an affair and also didn't know how to cover his tracks, and that he divorced because of a woman outside–how very capable.
In many men's minds, it wasn't a big deal to have an affair–wasn't it a mistake that men all over the world made? But to divorce with the original spouse because of it? That was stupidity on top of stupidity. Who didn't know that Song Haiping was dirt-poor when he was young? He and Chen Linjing could be considered a couple who had borne hardships together. It was a pity to divorce just like this.
After the divorce, Song Haiping let himself go wild–changing girlfriends twice in three days, as if to make the image of a 'successful boss' a reality. His private life was truly debauched, so it came to no surprise that he had an illegitimate child.
Chen Linjing looked at the person in front of her and was disgusted enough to retch. "Hurry up and take that son of yours and leave!"
"What, my child? When did I have a child and why didn't I know?" Just when Song Haiping finished speaking, he realized that he had missed the point. "No, how did I get sidetracked–that's not even my son! That's your grandson!"
Chen Linjing wanted to slap him again, but just as she raised her hand, it was grabbed by Song Haiping.
A man's strength was still greater, after all. Song Haiping said, his teeth gnashing in anger: "What I'm saying is true. I don't hit women, especially since you're my child's mother, but if you provoke me like this again without asking about the truth behind the matter, don't blame me for having a bad temper."
Song Haiping threw her hand aside and returned to the house with a calm and collected expression.
Chen Linjing's anger morphed into confusion. She and Song Haiping were university classmates–their understanding of the other's temper couldn't be clearer.
Why didn't she heed others' advice to block her daughter from staying in touch with him ne? First, no matter what disgusting thing Song Haiping did, he was still Yuanyuan's father–their father-daughter blood relation couldn't be changed. Even if they had divorced, he still had the responsibility of being a father. Second, Song Haiping was simply not human–it was not exaggerated to say he was not a man–but he had his good points; he was truly very good to Yuanyuan.
But what did Song Haiping just say? Not his son, but her grandson? Listen, what kind of blatant lie was this?
Chen Linjing followed him inside.
Song Yuan looked at her dad's appearance. Although she couldn't figure out what had happened, she knew that her father was in trouble with her mother again.
Song Haiping knew that it wasn't good to irritate his ex-wife, but he didn't expect her to be so violent. He came in and sat on the sofa, seething in anger. Seeing Chen Linjing come in, he snorted twice and said to Song Yuan: "Yuanyuan, Dad took a slap for you."
Saying this, he looked back at Chen Linjing. "I'm telling you right now, you can hit me, but just try going against my daughter."
Chen Linjing didn't say anything, but she stared at Rong Ting.
Rong Ting was extremely sly. Seeing the handprint on Grandfather's face, he immediately and obediently called out: "Grandmother."
Chen Linjing's eyelids twitched, and she felt a sudden throb in her temple. She looked at Rong Ting, then at Song Haiping, and finally her gaze stopped on Song Yuan. "You've got to be joking!"
Song Yuan didn't think that things would turn out this way. Her plan was just to sit down and eat a meal as a family, then seize the chance while the atmosphere was good to tell her mom the whole story. She didn't expect her mom to call her dad out as soon as she entered the house. She didn't know what the two people discussed, but the situation didn't seem very good.
She didn't think that anyone would be in the mood to eat at this moment.
Song Yuan was very afraid of handling this matter, but she looked at Rong Ting's wordless appearance and said: "Gugu, go back to your room ba, I have to talk to Grandma and Grandpa. Let's eat after we finish talking."
Grandma and Grandpa... Chen Linjing's brows furrowed. This was all too unbelievable!
What? Not Song Haiping's son, but her grandson?
What was all this about?
But Rong Ting shook his head. Mother Empress was always treating him like a child. Fine ba, he was indeed a child, but he was different from the children here. He had seen the darkest hearts of people, and he had come across the most sinister schemes.
Scenes like these were nothing.
It was just that Empress Mother always treated him like a little child who didn't know anything. Before, he would follow along with her, but today's spectacle was clearly not something that Empress Mother could handle on her own.
"Empress Mother, how could gu remain removed from matters related to himself?" Rong Ting said earnestly, "Gu will not let Empress Mother face it alone."
Song Yuan felt comforted when she heard Rong Ting say this.
She felt that she had done nothing wrong.
If she had eaten the forbidden fruit and had Rong Ting at the age of fifteen or sixteen, then she would have felt very guilty facing her parents, but she did not. She didn't do anything wrong in her time as a student except for an unsuccessful attempt at a young romance.
"Mom, let me introduce you. This is Rong Ting. He is five years old this year, and he will be six in the spring of next year. He is my son." It took great effort for Song Yuan to say this. "Didn't I tell you before, when I disappeared for a week? I told you that I didn't sneak out with my friends and that I didn't really know what happened. Now, I think that I transmigrated to ancient times, and I've forgotten what happened during that time. Some time ago, Rong Ting managed to cross over from the ancient times to modern times to look for me, and he told me that he was my son. I've taken him to go get a DNA test, and the results showed that he's really my child."
Song Yuan didn't know what to say.
Chen Linjing stood motionlessly and stared at Song Yuan.
The atmosphere was too strange. Song Haiping, who had just suffered a slap on the face, stepped forward to lighten the mood. He still understood his ex-wife very well. This moment of silence... was oddly terrifying.
"Chen Linjing, I can confirm this. Rong Ting is definitely Yuanyuan's child. Look at him–doesn't he look like Yuanyuan when she was a child?"
After Song Haiping said this, he realized that nobody had responded to him, so he stood up again and said solemnly: "You don't need to remember. I've thought about it–Yuanyuan is not the kind of person who makes those kinds of mistakes. It's not possible for her to make that kind of mistake when she was fifteen to seventeen. When she was in college, she didn't study abroad and stayed here right where we could see her. We see her several times a month, and every year either you or I take her to get a medical examination. She couldn't have hidden it from us."
Seeing that his ex-wife still didn't speak, Song Haiping gritted his teeth. "What I'm saying is that Yuanyuan did nothing wrong. Even if you hit me to vent your anger, you can't hit her! I have just this one daughter–if you really dare to lay a hand on her, I won't let you off."
Rong Ting heard this and lifted his head to look at Chen Linjing. He couldn't resist clicking his tongue inside; Grandmother was truly majestic.
Chen Linjing approached Song Yuan with a wooden face. She raised a hand.
Rong Ting, who had been constantly watching her, felt his heart drop with a thud. He rushed out in front of Song Yuan without thinking.
He only came up to one meter; Song Yuan was 1.56 meters. He couldn't really block anything, but he still had his demeanor.
"Grandmother, Empress Mother is the noble mother of a nation–please think thrice!"
Empress Mother was, in actual fact, the mother of a nation. Even if it were Grandfather and Grandmother who wanted to see her, they still had to be summoned. The hierarchy in the palace was strict; Grandfather and Grandmother were Empress Mother's biological mother and father, but to be quite honest, they had to salute after seeing Empress Mother. Rebuking her was already quite inappropriate, but it didn't matter if people turned a blind eye [4]. To raise a hand against the empress was a great act of disrespect to one's superiors.
And as her son, he couldn't just watch with eyes wide open and remain indifferent as others hit Empress Mother, even if that person was his grandmother.
It was just that he knew that Empress Mother deeply respected and loved Grandfather and Grandmother.
Grandmother was also fuming in anger.
Rong Ting stood in front of Song Yuan in a protective gesture. He stared at Chen Linjing and said, word by word: "If Grandmother is angry, then hit gu!"
Nobody would accept such a declaration, and that included Chen Linjing. She had fought in the business world for many years, and she'd gone through wind and rain. She had asked herself to be an enlightened parent, yet when she heard all this nonsense from her daughter, her first reaction was to not believe it. Yes ah! Who would believe it! It was too ridiculous. What 'crossing through time and space', what 'this little child is her daughter's son'? She truly felt that all three of the people in this room were crazy and made up this lie to deceive her.
Chen Linjing wasn't an unreasonable person. Even if she believed that Rong Ting was Song Haiping's illegitimate son, she also didn't think to vent her anger out on a child. If she really had been psychologically repulsed by the child, she wouldn't have called Song Haiping out earlier.
As for her daughter, Chen Linjing understood her all too well. Her daughter had been clever and sensible since childhood until now and had never let people worry. Something like plucking and eating the forbidden fruit could happen to anyone, but it would never happen to her daughter.
Thus, Chen Linjing looked at the three people in the room. Finally, her gaze settled on Song Haiping. She smiled coldly. "How capable you are; you really let people open their eyes. In order to pave the way for your son, you've come up with all sorts of tricks."
"???"
Song Haiping was stunned for a moment. He knew that it was very difficult for his ex-wife to accept such a thing. He had also stewed over it for a long time before accepting it. But if she couldn't accept it, then she couldn't accept it; why was she cursing him?
Chapter 22 - Although your arrival was unexpected, you are welcome here.
Song Yuan didn't dare to entertain the idea that her mom would instantly accept it.
Her mom was different from her dad. It was like this since she was a child: her dad would go wild with her. When she was in college, her dad learned to play games in order to get closer with her. He joined her in playing Honor of Kings, joined her in playing PUBG–whatever she wanted to do, as long as it wasn't too deviant, her dad would support it with both hands.
Her dad had a saying: a dad can't hit his daughter, nor could he hurt his daughter; otherwise, the daughter would grow distant from the dad.
She had asked her father once: if she was a son, would he also be afraid that she wouldn't like him?
Her dad said, he would be fine even if his son didn't like him.
In short, her father's doting toward her was gentle, careful, and had no bottom line.
Her mom was not the same. Although her mom was usually extremely busy and basically had no time to accompany her, she was still a strict mother. Song Yuan was also afraid of her mom.
In the past, Song Yuan would always try to smooth things over in this sort of hostile atmosphere. Their family also had to face the Rong Ting who had appeared out of thin air.
But it was different this time. This matter had to be cleared up eventually.
She quickly returned to her room and found the DNA test results in her nightstand drawer.
In the living room, Chen Linjing was still glaring furiously at Song Haiping.
It was impossible for her to easily believe Song Haiping's claims of crossing through space and time, transmigrating from ancient times to modern times, and so on. Few people with their IQ online would believe this sort of absurdity. She could only assume that Song Haiping was picking a fight.
Song Haiping was both helpless and despairing. "Do you not have a brain? What 'paving the way for my son'? I don't even have an illegitimate child, but even if I did, would I harm my daughter for him? Chen Linjing, won't you use your brain?"
Chen Linjing was intent on eating Song Haiping's heart at the moment. How could she listen to him explain?
Fortunately, Song Yuan came out at an opportune time and presented the DNA test report in her hands. "Mom, read this. I didn't lie to you, and neither did Dad. Rong Ting really is my son."
Upon hearing the latter sentence, Chen Linjing couldn't calm down, but looking at her daughter's face, she could only take the DNA test report and read through it. When she finished reading, she calmly and evenly said to Song Yuan, "Yuanyuan, do you know what you're doing? Even if you have a good relationship with your father, how can you get involved in these kinds of matters? A report like this can be made with a bit of money. Yuanyuan, you know Mom can't stand being lied to the most."
Song Yuan raised her head, looking her mom straight in the eyes. There wasn't even a hint of evasion in her gaze. "Mom, every word I've said is true."
Chen Linjing looked into her daughter's eyes.
The mother and daughter pair were silent.
Song Haiping sighed in his heart. "There's no Yakult at home. Rong Ting was making a fuss about wanting to drink it, and there's no fruit in the fridge, so I'll take him out for a stroll. You two have a good talk."
He took Rong Ting by the hand and went out. When he reached the door, he stopped again, turned his head toward Chen Linjing, and said: "Chen Linjing, I'm that kind of person in your heart. Let me tell you, in this world, there's no one more important to me than Yuanyuan. I'll say it again–Yuanyuan did nothing wrong. Even if you get made, you shouldn't lay a hand on her. She's not a little kid anymore."
Song Haiping and Rong Ting left the house and entered the elevator.
For a while, the grandfather and grandson were silent.
It was Rong Ting who broke the silence first. He asked worriedly: "Would Grandmother lay a hand on Empress Mother?"
Song Haiping smiled. "She won't. I was just saying that. In her heart, your grandma loves Yuanyuan very much. She's never been fierce towards her, let alone lay a hand on her."
Rong Ting was somewhat doubtful. "But from gu's observations, Empress Mother seems to fear Grandmother."
"Don't you feel that your grandma looks very serious?" Song Haiping said with a smile, "Not to mention, I haven't been afraid of many people for so many years, but she can be considered one of them."
"Grandfather was actually henpecked." Rong Ting was astonished.
Song Haiping's complexion changed. "She's no longer my hen."
"Why?"
"We've long divorced." Song Haiping knew that Rong Ting was now interested in his affairs and held the attitude of doggedly pursuing the answer. This was a dangerous topic. He didn't want to tell the child about the disgraceful things he had done in the past. Losing face was one thing; not wanting to be a bad example was another. "Okay, let's not talk about this. Do you want anything else besides Yakult? Your mom probably won't have the mind to pay attention to what you're doing. You can indulge for one day."
Rong Ting's attention was diverted as planned.
The grandfather and grandson duo happily headed toward the supermarket outside the community.
It was getting dark by the time the two emerged with a bountiful harvest. It was early winter, and days were growing shorter. Song Haiping hurriedly led Rong Ting back to the community. Their time in the supermarket had gone by too quickly; almost an hour had passed in the blink of an eye.
Song Haiping originally thought that it would take a week for Chen Linjing to accept the situation. What he didn't expect was that, when he brought Rong Ting inside the house, his ex-wife would step forward and crouch down, staring fixedly at Rong Ting. Rong Ting had very rarely been scrutinized with such intense focus, but he wasn't embarrassed.
Chen Linjing stared at Rong Ting. In face, the last time when she had seen the photo sent by her former sister-in-law, she had thought that the child looked very similar to Yuanyuan when she was younger. It was also precisely the reason why she had come today–she had firmly believed that Rong Ting was Song Haiping's son.
Thinking about it now, it was said that the son resembles the mother. Rong Ting truly looked like Yuanyuan.
"You're called Rong TIng?" Chen Linjing's attitude seemed calm, but looking closer, there was a cautious smile in her eyes.
She wasn't good at dealing with children, but thinking about how this child with fair skin as smooth as polished jade was actually Yuanyuan's child, her heart softened.
Rong Ting hesitantly looked at Song Yuan.
Song Yuan shot him an encouraging smile.
Rong Ting nodded. "Yes."
"Song Yuan said that you'll be six next spring. You've grown very well." Chen Linjing paused, then asked, "Can Grandma hug you?"
Rong Ting's eyelids drooped, and he gave a soft 'en.'
He had already gotten used to it. Grandfather would often hug him, as would Empress Mother.
Chen Linjing wrapped her arms around Rong Ting and patted his back. "Although your arrival was unexpected, you are welcome here."
As the winter nights approached, the temperature also dropped. Song Haiping reheated the food, and the four people sat down at the dinner table. Song Yuan was overjoyed inside! She loved having the family sit down and eat together! Her dad was here, her mom was here, Rong Ting was here–she felt that this winter was quite wonderful.
Only, when the food was almost finished, Song Haiping set down his chopsticks and said somewhat seriously: "Since everyone is here, I think we can discuss the issue of Rong Ting's registered residence. He should go to school. It's not good for him to follow me around all the time every day, or else we'll delay his development."
Song Yuan naturally had no complaints. She also felt that Rong Ting should go to school.
"It's not easy to get a registration now, but I can find someone around here." Chen Linjing didn't think it was a big problem. She had been involved in the business world for so many years, and she knew so many people in the city. It was all too easy for her to settle the matter of the household registration.
Song Haiping shook his head. "I'm not talking about that–getting a registration isn't hard. What I mean is, under whose name should it be?"
Song Yuan's complexion changed. She looked at Rong Ting, who was absorbed in eating, then shot a look at Song Haiping. "Dad, didn't we already talk about this? Of course it'll be under my name."
Chen Linjing proved that she had been a couple with Song Haiping for several years. She couldn't be clearer on the meaning of the other's stance. She snorted. "What are you trying to say? Just say it straight."
"Rong Ting, go help Grandpa grab a can of beer." Song Haiping wanted to send Rong Ting away.
Rong Ting had not heard the conversation among themselves. He let out an 'oh,' got down from his chair, and went to the kitchen.
"Yuanyuan is still young. She's only twenty-two," Song Haiping lowered his voice and said.
Just as he said this, he added, "Her life has only just started, and her future is long. What I mean is that Rong Ting can be registered under my name. It wouldn't have much impact, would it?"
Chen Linjing frowned and looked at Song Yuan. "Yuanyuan, what do you think?"
Song Yuan was helpless. "It has a great impact on me and Rong Ting. I still want to register him under my name. I'm obviously his mom; if I told outsiders that I'm his sister, he would be very hurt."
Chen Linjing 'en'd. "Then let's go along with Yuanyuan's wishes ba."
Song Haiping was anxious. "What about Yuanyuan's future?"
"What future? Her marriage?" Chen Linjing had put up with Song Haiping for long enough. "No matter what, if Yuanyuan wants to shirk her responsibility as a mother, then what will happen to Rong Ting? Don't you know that this will have a great impact on the child? Yuanyuan is his mom, so she has the responsibility and obligation to take care of him. Moreover, if Yuanyuan meets someone suitable in the future and hides such an important matter from him, it'll be a deceptive marriage. Put yourself in others' shoes–no one wants to be deceived like a fool by others."
Chen Linjing looked again at Song Yuan. Her tone was calmer than before. "Yuanyuan, Mom doesn't want her daughter to be such a person. Be honest. Yes, Mom also knows that if you recognize Rong Ting as your own, your life will be much harder than others', but this is not a reason or excuse for you to avoid your responsibility. He was brought into this world by you."
"Mom and Dad can help you share the pressure of raising a child, such as helping you take care of the child when you're busy with work, or giving a hand when you're financially struggling. But we can't take your place as his mom."
Song Yuan nodded. "Mom, I know. I didn't want to run away."
Chen Linjing was greatly relieved, but she still couldn't help glaring fiercely at Song Haiping.
She always felt that her scum ex-husband was teaching their daughter a bad lesson in the name of being good to her.
"In other words, your future does not lie with others." Chen Linjingn's tone eased again. "As for Rong Ting's living and education expenses, don't worry about it. I, your mother, am still breathing."
Song Haiping felt that this ex-wife of his was truly a schemer. But although he thought this, he didn't forget to promise his daughter, "Yuanyuan, don't be afraid. Dad is still here. All of Dad's possessions are for you. Don't be afraid and don't worry; Dad will do his best to help you."
Rong Ting stood not far away, holding a beer can. He leaned against the wall, listening to this conversation, and he couldn't help laughing.
Both Grandfather and Grandmother cherished their beloved daughter in their hearts, just in different ways.
He could rest easy. Empress Mother was right. She was truly very happy here.
Chapter 23 - Not once had he imagined that when she saw him, her eyes would hold no despair, nor pain or grief.
Since her parents now knew of Rong Ting's existence, Song Yuan could put down the heavy weight in her heart. She had lost her memories, and for her to accept that she had had a child, and that that child had once again appeared before her, was very difficult. She wasn't as optimistic and calm as she appeared on the surface. She was terrified–unsure of what to do, and unsure of the road ahead. It was just that her inner turmoil couldn't be expressed in front of Rong Ting. He was still too young, too sensitive.
Now that her parents knew and expressed that they would help her and stand by her side to support her, she was finally, truly optimistic.
Although Chen Linjing and Song Haiping had divorced and nearly become sworn enemies, and after all these years it was for the sake of their daughter's face that their conflict didn't get too ugly, they were both people who had gone through trials and tribulations in the business world, and they wouldn't go so far as to mix up their priorities. The two had a clear division of labor–Chen Linjing's extensive network to deal with the matter of his registered household, and Song Haiping's buddies to settle the matter of kindergarten.
They also had a heated discussion over Rong Ting's going to school. Rong Ting, upon understanding what kindergarten was, vehemently insisted on going straight to elementary school. Song Haiping felt the same way.
But Chen Linjing and Song Yuan thought about it more thoroughly. Rong Ting should first adapt to kindergarten for a semester, and then go to elementary school in September once he was ready.
It was said that an arm cannot twist a thigh. In the end, Chen Linjing and Song Yuan's opinion prevailed.
Considering that it was getting colder now, and school had already started, the family decided to wait until after winter vacation to send Rong Ting to school. Rong Ting was extremely diligent, and he focused on reciting texts and practicing his characters. His favorites were the Art of War graphic novel and the collection of Tang and Song poetry. He would get very excited every time he read them.
While Song Yuan went to work during the day, Chen Linjing and Song Haiping divided up the labor. The two would trade off bringing their work over for a week.
Song Haiping secretly asked Rong Ting on the sly whether he liked his grandfather or his grandmother more.
It put Rong Ting in a very awkward position, but to be honest, he liked his grandfather a bit more.
Although his grandmother treated him very well, he still felt that there should be propriety between men and women, and he was unwilling to get too close.
Song Haiping was extremely delighted after hearing this, and he proudly bought Rong Ting many snacks. Of course, snacks were also one aspect. Chen Linjing believed that children couldn't eat too many snacks; if they ate too much, they would become picky eaters, and it wouldn't be good for their health. Rong Ting was slightly afraid of her, and normally he wouldn't dare to make any requests. So when he followed Chen Linjing, apart from the three daily meals, he could only drink milk and eat fruit. Yakult? Don't even think about it.
Chen Linjing also complained to Song Yuan more than once, "That father of yours is really unfit to raise children. Fortunately, I was given custody of you; otherwise, you would have gone with him. I'm worried that he won't have a limit in spoiling the child and won't care whether it's good or bad for the child."
The days could be said to be relatively quiet and peaceful.
Rong Ting was also becoming more integrated into this time period day by day. He already knew how to play on the iPad and watch TV. But he was also a very self-disciplined child; even if he was curious and wanted to watch more, he wouldn't watch for more than half an hour a day. The majority of the time, he read books, soaking up everything this era had to offer.
In the blink of an eye, Christmas was approaching. There was still more than half a month until Christmas, but many stores had already put up their decorations. The air was full of festive cheer.
Song Yuan had also hung up a penguin at work. She had just sat down with a freshly made cup of hot chocolate when a notification window popped up.
She froze for a moment.
Ji Junpei: [Yuanyuan, I'm coming back from abroad on New Year's. I'm bringing some small gifts for you. Let's eat together and hang out when you're free.]
Song Yuan had had no shortage of suitors since she was young. In her twenty-two years of life, with the exception of a failed attempt at an early romance, the only one she had ever had a semblance of a relationship with was this one Ji Junpei.
Ji Junpei was a senior in her university. He was extremely popular at school–he was nice to others, he had good grades, and his reputation was excellent. She heard that he was the top science student in his province's college entrance examination, and all the junior brothers and sisters called him the study god.
Song Yuan had never been a study tyrant. In high school, her parents had hired a very famous tutor, and she herself had studied desperately through the nights, using every possible method to keep herself awake.. She had just barely gotten accepted into the university by the skin of her teeth, scoring just above the admission score. People like her basically had nothing to do with a study god, but there was one time that her parents weren't free to pick her up, and she had to stay with her grandfather and grandmother for a bit during her winter break. She had asked for a carpool to get to the train station. Who would have known that Ji Junpei had also called for a carpool to the same station?
She had the feeling that Ji Junpei had a crush on her. Based on the direction things were going, it should have been a pure campus romance. But Ji Junpei was a few grades above her, and there was no spark. Then, Ji Junpei was admitted into a prestigious school overseas and won a scholarship... there weren't many long-distance relationships that bore fruit, not to mention a relationship across countries. They had kept in touch for the past few years, but neither had pierced through the paper screen.
She felt like this sort of international affair made her quite prideful. She certainly had a favorable impression of Ji Junpei, but not enough for her to confess first.
As for Ji Junpei, she guessed that he probably had the same thoughts as her.
If Rong Ting hadn't transmigrated, if she didn't find out that she had had a child, then according to logic and the flow of the story, after Ji Junpei came back, and if the two of them had the intention, there was a good chance that they would have hit it off right away and fallen in love.
[Thank you, xuezhang.] Song Yuan only returned the message in a distant and polite manner.
She didn't think she was ready for a relationship at this time, nor did she believe that Ji Junpei would accept Rong Ting.
So be it, then.
Although she had thought things through, she still felt a sense of loss.
She gradually began to realize that she could no longer like someone and start a relationship with them as freely as she used to, and that she had the biggest responsibility.
After work, Song Yuan drove home. On a whim, she pulled into a parking spot on the roadside and headed to a bakery.
She was in an inexplicably low mood. She wanted to eat sweet duck!
Song Yuan was a regular customer at this bakery, and the clerk was already very familiar with her. Upon seeing her come in, the clerk very happily invited her to try out their new products.
"Miss Song, I had a hunch that you would come in today, so I kept a taro cheese dumpling for you. Give it a try." The clerk was a young girl in her early twenties, and she was very cute and enthusiastic.
Song Yuan picked up that cute little dumpling and gave it a taste. Her eyes lit up, and she gave a thumbs up. "It has my favorite flavor, so delicious."
She bent over, inspecting the display case, and pointed to a cake with a beautiful color. "Could you please pack up this strawberry cake? With two forks."
The cake wasn't very big–just enough for two people to eat.
"Alright."
Rong Ting's favorite fruit was strawberries.
The clerk packed up the cake for Song Yuan and gifted her a small box of cookies. "Shifu made them for me, but I've recently gone on a diet, so I'll give them to you."
Their relationship was that of mutual kindness. One time, Song Yuan had come to the bakery and saw that the clerk had a pale face. She asked a few questions and found that the clerk was very uncomfortable due to her period, but there were too many things to do in the store, so she could only bear with it. After Song Yuan picked up the bread and left, she turned the corner and stopped by a pharmacy, bought ibuprofen and bags of ginger and brown sugar. When she returned to the shop and handed these items to the clerk, this lovely young woman was so moved that the corners of her eyes were red.
"Thank you." Song Yuan accepted the box of cookies and winked. "Actually, I'm also on a diet."
"You're on a diet, but you're still eating cake," the clerk laughed. "You're so thin, you don't even need to go on a diet."
The two chatted for a moment, taking advantage of the empty shop. Then, hearing the sound of the bell as the door opened, she picked up her cake box and prepared to leave.
She looked up and accidentally met eyes with the person who came in.
The man wore an ash-gray coat. He was tall and lean, looking to be over 1.8 meters tall. What was surprising was his hair.
His hair wasn't long–it was a little bit longer than a buzz cut–but it was a sort of beautiful white color.
He was truly very good-looking, extremely handsome.
With just a glance, one could feel the powerful aura, the calm atmosphere around him.
All in all, Song Yuan had reached this age, and it wasn't like she had never seen anyone more good-looking than this man. It was just that this man's temperament was unique. Even if one didn't know who this man was, one could still guess from his elegant air that he was either extremely rich or had status.
A senior member of the good-looks club, Song Yuan felt her legs grow weak with just a glance.
However, she still had her moral integrity. No matter how turbulent her heart was, she seemed calm on the surface. She withdrew her gaze and headed for the door, brushing past the handsome man with the white hair.
There were many youths who liked to dye their hair white nowadays. One of her friends had dyed her hair and said that dyeing one's hair white was complicated and damaged the hair follicles. The process of dyeing was also very painful on the scalp.
As she pushed the glass door open, a cold wind rushed in. Song Yuan quickly walked over to the parking space.
Rong Heng's pupils contracted, and he froze in place. He had wondered hundreds of thousands of times what it would be like to reunite with her one day.
Not once had he imagined that when she saw him, her eyes would hold no despair, nor pain or grief.
Just like when they first met. It had been during the rainy spring season. She held an umbrella and walked through a bamboo forest in a moon-white dress. She had a bright smile on her face, and her eyes were like stars, bright and clear.
At that time, he had concealed his name and identity and was good friends with her brother. That day, he had just happened to run into his good friend and was talking within their residence when he looked up and inadvertently saw her.
When their gazes met, he saw astonishment in her eyes.
Truthfully, she was different from what he had expected. She came to his good friend's side and didn't avoid him. She even looked at him in curiosity.
At that time, he was not as perceptive, and he didn't notice the affection and indulgence hidden in his good friend's gaze as he looked at her. "Ziheng, this is the younger sister I mentioned in my letter to you."
She had been rescued by chance by the general's wife, who had once lost her beloved daughter. He had heard from his good friend that the general and his wife treated her like their daughter and deeply cherished her.
During their first meeting, when she looked at him, her eyes were full of amazement. Her eyes were clear, and one could see their depths with a glance–this was an innocent woman without a shred of shrewdness.
He appeared gentle and elegant on the surface, but in his heart, he was calculating her worth as he looked at her.
The general was highly respected in the army, and his friend was also capable. He had no confidants in the army, and he knew that the court he was set to inherit was riddled with danger.
He formulated plans. He had calculated everything. He had calculated everyone's hearts, but he hadn't taken his own into account.
"Sir, what would you like? We have an event today," the clerk came forward and asked with a smile.
Rong Heng returned to his senses, a rarely-seen dazed look on his face.
Once he could react, he had rushed out of the store with long strides and stood outside, but he could no longer see her.
Chapter 24 - She had actually forgotten about him
Today, both Chen Linjing and Song Haiping had social obligations, and it was difficult to bring Rong Ting. When Song Yuan returned home with the cake, Rong Ting was practicing calligraphy.
Night fell earlier in the winter. She got off work at half-past five, and it was already dark by the time she came home.
Her parents knew that she was busy at work, and it would be too difficult for her to also have to cook, so they had hired an auntie. The auntie didn't live in the house, and she was usually in charge of cleaning and cooking. The auntie had already left by this time, but the food on the table was still hot.
Rong Ting wanted to wait to eat together with her.
There were two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup, but as they ate, Rong Ting kept his eyes trained on the delectable strawberry cake.
"Finish your dinner first," Song Yuan reminded him. "If you still have room after eating, then you can eat the cake. If not, we can keep it in the fridge and eat it tomorrow."
Rong Ting let out an 'oh.'
Every day, Song Yuan would tell Rong Ting about how her day went, and today was no exception. After her usual complaint about a certain troublesome client, she recalled the man she had encountered at the bakery and said: "I ran into a man while buying the cake today. He was very good-looking, but I think his looks were secondary la. He had an air about him, and he didn't feel like the average guy."
Rong Ting was somewhat unhappy after hearing these words.
Before, he hadn't known what it meant to be good-looking or not good-looking. Now, after all this time learning, he understood everything.
Deep down, he thought it was inappropriate for Empress Mother to praise another man's good looks like that.
Song Yuan was still immersed in her own world. Some time ago, she had spotted a youth with white hair out on the streets. At that time, she had thought of His Majesty the emperor Gugu had spoken of.
This year, dyeing one's hair all sorts of different colors seemed to be all the rage–she had already come across white hair several times. When she saw it the first time, she thought of the emperor, but after several times, she wouldn't continue to think of him.
"This bakery is near our community. Does he also live here?" Song Yuan was part of the good-looks club. It wasn't that she liked the man she had just seen–she was just curious. "But if he really lived around here, why have I never seen him?"
Rong Ting couldn't bear it anymore. He lowered his spoon and said to Song Yuan, very seriously: "Empress Mother, one must eat and sleep in silence."
Such a rule like "eating and sleeping in silence" was basically obsolete.
Song Yuan lifted her head to look at him. Only then did she notice his mood. "What's wrong? You don't seem very happy."
He had clearly been quite happy when she had come home.
Song Yuan thought about it, then understood what was going on. She asked probingly, "Are you unhappy that I'm praising other people for being good-looking? How can you drink so much vinegar? I praise you for being good-looking every day."
Rong Ting humphed. "Gu is not such a narrow-minded person. But Empress Mother is the noble mother of a nation and already has a son and husband, so to praise other men is truly...heng."
In truth, Rong Ting was no different from other children. The most, most, most loved one in his heart was his mother, but his second-favorite was his father. Although he didn't know what had happened between his mother and father, in his heart, they were forever a pair.
Song Yuan felt somewhat uncomfortable after hearing this. She set down her chopsticks. "I acknowledged my son, but I didn't acknowledge my husband."
"Without Emperor Father, gu would not exist." At this moment, Rong Ting continued to fight for his family's Emperor Father.
"Even if we don't consider that an engagement from the ancient times means nothing in modern times, if your Emperor Father were to stand in front of me right now, I wouldn't even recognize him." Song Yuan was also very solemn. "Or, you can consider me as divorced from your Emperor Father."
Rong Ting was dumbstruck, a "this way was also possible?" expression on his face. "Empress Mother, be cautious with your words!"
"Divorce should have been possible in the ancient times, too, right? Anyways, your Emperor Father has three thousand beauties in his harem, and maybe he'd be happier without me. You said yourself that your Emperor Father is open-minded; he wouldn't mind if I one-sidedly divorced him ba?" The more Song Yuan thought about it, the more she felt she was correct. "Gugu, I know it's hard for you to accept right now that your mom and dad have separated, but you still have to learn to accept it. Look at me. I was about the same age as you when my parents divorced, and I learned to accept it."
"You, you are forcing logic!"
"How is this forcing logic? There's clearly reason and evidence. Gugu, you have to be fair. Think about it. Other than me, your Emperor Father had this concubine and that concubine, and didn't you accept it?"
Rong Ting froze. "That is different."
Song Yuan shot him a glance. "How is it different? Oh, it's normal for men to have three wives and four concubines. Gugu, it's very dangerous to have such thoughts. Now I'm worried you won't be able to find a girlfriend in the future."
Rong Ting understood that he couldn't win an argument against Empress Mother.
What was more, he was already showing faint signs of being brainwashed. He was really starting to believe that men having three wives and four concubines was excessive.
"Emperor Father has never stepped foot in the rear palace." Rong Ting was still very proud. No matter what he thought in his heart, his mouth was unyielding.
"I'm also just looking at good-looking guys. I didn't do anything ah."
Rong Ting became desperate and finally smashed the broken pot. "Enough, it has nothing to do with gu!"
Song Yuan was satisfied. "That's great. Come, Your Highness, let's go eat cake~"
Late at night, Rong Heng sat on a sofa with a stack of data lying on the desk.
He flipped through the data. Included inside was the DNA test result for Song Yuan and Rong Ting.
Thinking back to the unfamiliar gaze with which she had looked at him, Rong Heng's expression was unfathomable.
He had thought of thousands of possibilities, but he had never expected that she had actually forgotten about him.
Song Yuan drove to work in the mornings. She knew that her commute wasn't long, so she always strictly abided by the rules and regulations. It was no exaggeration to say that, in the two years she had had her license, the number of traffic violations she had committed was particularly low.
She was driving to work as usual when she ran into an unusual traffic jam, and she encountered a car that was trying to cut in front of her. Unable to brake in time, she crashed into its rear end.
Truthfully speaking, she didn't normally encounter cars cutting in line, but in such a situation, there basically were no drivers who would try. In the past she would let it be, and today she wanted to, too, but the other party had been too abrupt, and she had run into them before she could react.
Song Yuan felt apologetic. This would make the originally congested road even worse, and everyone was an office worker trying to get to work.
She hurriedly got out of the car, wanting to quickly deal with the situation so as to free up the road and not delay others from going to work.
Who could have known that a woman would come out of the car and, upon seeing Song Yuan hurrying over, snap, "Do you know how to drive? Can you drive or not! If you can't drive then why are you on the road!"
Song Yuan was confused.
It was truly the first time she had seen someone who was obviously in the wrong acting so self-righteous.
Everybody knew that if you wanted to cut in line and ended up being rear-ended by the other party, the traffic police would deem you fully responsible.
The woman noticed that Song Yuan wasn't speaking, and seeing that her car's rear bumper had caved in, became even angrier. "What rotten luck. Do you know how expensive my car is? I could buy three or four of your run-down car with that money. If you can't drive, you should take the subway or the bus. Isn't your driving putting other people in danger?"
Song Yuan knew that this was a person who couldn't be reasoned with. She couldn't be bothered to talk with the other party, so she grabbed her phone and called the traffic police.
The woman was the driver. At this time, a young man also got out of the car. Originally, he had had an impatient look on his face, but upon seeing Song Yuan, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he hurried over to Song Yuan and smiled. "Miss, I'm sorry. It was our fault, alright, so let's not bring in the traffic police. Let's settle the matter privately; we'll compensate you with however much we need to pay."
Song Yuan took a step back, her brows wrinkling further. The woman had been unreasonable, and this man was not much better. His way of speaking and his gaze were both sleazy.
"Excuse me." Song Yuan had already contacted the traffic police. She didn't want to privately settle with these two because she felt she would give herself unnecessary trouble. Let the police come.
The woman, seeing her boyfriend behaving so shamefully, was even more agitated.
Her boyfriend could be considered to be a local rich second generation who relied on his family having a bit of money to play around. She had also snatched him away from her best friend.
Now, seeing her boyfriend showing interest in and acting very attentive to Song Yuan, the woman was furious. Her temper wasn't very good, and at this moment, she couldn't be bothered to cover it up. "What 'settle it privately,' huh, I've seen many people like her. They see a luxury-brand car, rear-end it, then use the opportunity to leave behind their phone number."
Song Yuan was speaking on the phone with her back turned.
"Clearly, you're the one who cut in. I told you not to, but you insisted. Have some manners. Also, this is my car," the young man said impatiently. "What nonsense are you saying?"
"Chen Hao, what do you mean, you! You're the one who told me to get out of the car and deal with the problem. Did you forget that you were calling the other person in the car a stupid fuck?! Now that you see the other person's young and pretty, you want to get together with her!"
The woman's anger grew the more she spoke. She was feeling very aggrieved, and seeing that her boyfriend was staring at Song Yuan the entire time, her anger burst, and she rushed over to pummel her boyfriend.
The young man ducked, cursing. Song Yuan turned around and saw the woman's hand coming towards her.
Song Yuan was just an innocent bystander. The woman could stop at any time–she was, after all, about to hit Song Yuan. But she didn't want to stop. Deciding to make the best out of a mistake and use it for personal gain, she wanted to hit Song Yuan. Afterwards, she would apologize for her slip of the hand.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed the woman's wrist.
The owner of that hand stood in front of Song Yuan.
Rong Heng expressionlessly looked at the woman.
The woman felt guilty, but she had always been arrogant and willful. She wanted to scold the person to cover up her guilt, but when she met Rong Heng's gaze, she was shocked.
She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt like the man in front of her wanted to kill her...
Rong Heng was of the imperial family, and the Son of Heaven was imposing even when he wasn't angry. Moreover, this woman insulted his wife in front of him and even wanted to take advantage of the chaos to hit her. This was the modern times, but if it were the ancient times, this person would have spilled blood on the spot.
Song Yuan was also stunned. She realized that this person was the handsome, white-haired ge she had seen at the bakery.
Chapter 25 - He could clearly talk! Why was he playing mute!
Song Yuan didn't know if it was her imagination, but as soon as the white-haired handsome ge appeared, the shrewish woman who had just been cursing instantly became much quieter.
Song Yuan knew that it was the middle of rush hour right now. She really didn't want to hold up other people from going to work because of this accident.
"Thank you." Song Yuan placed her phone back in her back and watched the cars crawl along the road, as slow as snails. She felt apologetic in her heart, but she also didn't forget to express her gratitude to the white-haired handsome ge. If it weren't for his timely assistance, she really might have been hit by that woman in that chaotic incident.
Rong Heng looked at Song Yuan and said mildly: "No need to thank me. I can't tolerate seeing such things happen."
The expressions of the people around Rong Heng turned strange upon hearing his words.
Rong Heng's driver had followed him out of the car. Hearing him open his mouth and speak, he looked shocked, as though he had seen a ghost.
The woman was also astonished. She had been so sure she was right. She thought these two were a couple, but they were only strangers? No, since they were strangers, why did this man look at her just now like he desperately wished he could kill her?
"I'm truly very sorry."
Song Yuan was not that thick-skinned. She saw the drivers passing by rolling down their windows, looking very irritable. She understood them very well.
One time, she had been driving to work and encountered a rear-end collision that held her up for ten minutes and nearly made her late. She considered herself as normally having a good temper, but she had been quite upset that day.
"I'm very sorry, I'm very sorry." Song Yuan apologized to the drivers passing by.
Someone else's lack of basic decency was their own business. Although this incident wasn't her fault, she was also an involved party.
Rong Heng watched her apologize to other people. He lowered his eyelids, covering up his true emotions. By the time he looked again at Song Yuan, he had recovered his previous gentleness. "This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to apologize."
Song Yuan was stunned, then laughed unconcernedly. "Right now, it's my car that's in the way."
She tucked her hair behind her ear. The temperature in the early winter morning was quite low. She wore a white down jacket that made her skin look even fairer.
"Do you need any help?" Rong Heng looked towards her, his hands in his coat pockets. To be honest, his hands were trembling as he spoke to her, but he kept a gentle and tranquil expression on his face.
"Ah, I don't need it." Song Yuan waved her hand. "The traffic police are coming soon. Shouldn't you be getting to work, too?"
Rong Heng let out an 'en.'
"Then I'll be leaving first."
Song Yuan waved in farewell, her eyes curved into crescents. "Goodbye. Thank you for today."
When Rong Heng saw her smiling expression, he was momentarily stunned.
His face changed the second his body turned. His mild and elegant face in front of Song Yuan became an expressionless one–serious and indifferent, one that gave others a feeling of great pressure.
The driver followed behind him and opened the back door.
The driver was now breaking into a sweat over his situation. Just when he settled in the driver's seat, fastened his seat belt, and prepared to depart, he heard his boss, sitting in the back seat, say in a cold voice: "I don't want my family to know about what happened today."
???
The driver wanted to cry without tears. He never expected that his boss had never lost his voice in the first place. He could clearly talk! Why was he playing mute!
As the saying went, curiosity killed the cat. He didn't want to know the boss's secret.
He knew how deep the waters ran amongst the rich and powerful. The Xie family was one of the best of the best in B City-it was no exaggeration for the outside world to call the boss the Crown Prince.
The driver didn't dare to think too deeply into it and just nodded repeatedly.
He knew what the boss was referring to. It seemed that the boss had to pretend to be mute for a while. If other people in the Lu family knew that the boss hadn't lost his voice, then the boss would suspect him. He had worked with other people, and in the worse-case scenario he could resign. But he had been with the Xie family for several years now, and he was well-aware that it was all too simple and easy for these second-generation giants to kill off a person. Although his pay for driving his boss around was quite high, he didn't expect that the risks were also so high.
"If you don't do it and you don't say it, then I also won't go looking for you."
The driver, hearing his boss say this, was even more afraid to lower his guard. He didn't expect his boss to know what he was thinking in his heart.
The driver muttered to himself. He felt that the boss was completely different from before. If not for that face, he would think that the two were totally different people–the boss from before was very gentle and was very good to his drivers. He was unlike the average rich second generation. But then again, wouldn't anyone who had undergone such a life-threatening situation have a change in temperament?
As winter approached, Rong Ting, contrary to what his mouth said, very obediently substituted his traditional clothes for the down jacket and jeans that Song Yuan bought him. But he vehemently insisted on not cutting his hair, and Song Yuan didn't want to force him. In any case, there were still a few months left before he went to school.
Song Yuan originally wanted to tell Rong Ting about today's traffic accident, but she swallowed the words back.
Gugu hadn't yet adjusted to the matter of his parents already being "divorced." If she talked too often about other men in front of him, even if they were strangers, he wouldn't be too happy.
"Christmas is coming soon. Since we're free now, why don't we go out and buy some things to decorate the house?" Song Yuan suggested. "It also happens to be Saturday that day. Grandma and Grandpa will come over, and I also want to invite my good friends over. We can have a little Christmas spirit in our house. What do you think?"
Rong Ting naturally had no objections.
After the mother and son pair finished eating, they happily went out to go shopping.
Song Yuan originally wasn't particularly interested in this sort of holiday. From the perspective of a forever single, anything that wasn't New Years wasn't considered a holiday. But she had seen several people in the owners' group chat buying Christmas trees as a group, saying that they wanted to give their child an unforgettable memory. One of the mothers said that nowadays, the holidays were all for the children! Otherwise, who would want to waste their money and effort?
Song Yuan thought it made sense.
Rong Ting had never celebrated Christmas. The day before yesterday, he had spotted the neighbor decorating their Christmas tree and was very curious.
She didn't want Gugu to envy others.
The two went to the nearby market. The household goods section had long been selling Christmas items. Song Yuan had Rong Ting go pick a Christmas tree as well as a Santa hat. Rong Ting was very excited. Although he hadn't yet figured out what sort of holiday Christmas was or what a Christmas tree was, it didn't dampen his enthusiasm.
Seeing Rong Ting looking so happy, Song Yuan thought a bit, then pretended to casually ask, "Gugu, do you know Santa Claus? If there's any present you want, Santa Claus will help you get it. When you wake up, you'll get the present you wanted."
Rong Ting frowned at Song Yuan. "How could Empress Mother believe such rumors? No such thing exists in this world."
Song Yuan was convinced.
She wanted to give Gugu a surprise. While there was still some time left before Christmas, she wanted to feel out for what he wanted, secretly go buy it, then place it next to his bed when he fell asleep the night before. When he woke up the next day, he would definitely be very happy.
"Ei, we're just chatting, don't be so serious. I see all the other kids want presents. What about you?"
"The crown prince must not reveal his preferences to the outside."
"...You said outsiders. Am I an outsider?"
Rong Ting sighed. "Empress Mother need not spend money."
Song Yuan didn't expect it to be so difficult to give a gift. "I said Santa Claus is the one giving you a present. How am I spending money?"
"Santa Claus does not exist." Rong Ting very seriously taught Song Yuan. "If Santa Claus did exist, would he not be very busy? So many people ask for presents. Rather than placing one's hopes on others, it is better to rely on oneself to fulfill one's wishes. If gu does receive a gift, then Santa Claus must be Empress Mother, or else Grandmother or Grandfather."
Song Yuan stared at Rong Ting.
He wore a beanie hat and a black down jacket paired with dark jeans and snow boots. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt as though he looked better in traditional clothing.
"I really want to be your Santa Claus," Song Yuan let out a sigh. "Other children get presents–I wanted to surprise you."
Rong Ting looked at her, then finally shook his head. "Gu's wishes have already been granted."
"And Empress Mother?" Rong Ting asked her, as well. "What present does Empress Mother want?"
"What, you want to buy me a gift?" Song Yuan laughed at him again. "I'm twenty-two this year–oh, no, maybe it's more than that. Anyways, I'm not a child anymore. I don't need presents."
"Gu wishes to be Empress Mother's Santa Claus."
The five-year-old boy said this in complete earnest. Song Yuan looked at him with a softened expression, her heart feeling very warm.
She stretched out a hand and gently pinched Rong Ting's face. "You're so good at talking. Your mother is no longer worried that you won't be able to find a girlfriend."
Rong Ting used to be embarrassed when he heard Song Yuan say things like these, but now he was already immune to it. "Empress Mother need not worry. Gu watched TV with Grandfather, and there was a saying: 'The emperor's daughter does not worry about marriage.' Gu is the crown prince–there are many daughters of noble families who wish to enter the Eastern Palace."
He paused. "However, the crown prince consort candidate is selected by Emperor Father and Empress Mother."
Song Yuan followed along with his words. She touched her chin in thought and asked seriously: "So what is your type?"
"One must marry a virtuous woman when marrying a wife."
Song Yuan's eyebrows rose. "What, from what I'm hearing, you still want to take in concubines?"
She couldn't control matters in ancient times, but this way of thinking needed to change in modern times. Otherwise, wouldn't she be watching a good child grow up into a scumbag man?
Rong Ting noticed that Empress Mother seemed to be abnormally sensitive towards the idea of taking in concubines.
How careless. He shouldn't be discussing such matters with Empress Mother.
"Empress Mother, gu feels dizzy. "Rong Ting put on an act of pressing his temple.
Song Yuan was distracted just as planned. She hurriedly put down the potato chips in her hand and placed a hand on his forehead. "You're dizzy? There's no fever, and you don't have a cold. Is the air in here not circulating? There are quite a lot of people here today. Go, go, go, let's go back first. It's definitely stuffy in here."
Rong Ting secretly let out a sigh of relief.
He was only five. Such discussions were a long way off...
The mother and son pair left the supermarket. Although it was cold outside, the air flowed better than inside the store. They were exposed to the cold wind, but it was more comfortable.
Song Yuan held a shopping bag in one hand and held Rong Ting's hand in another. The two walked in the direction of their neighborhood community.
A black car was parked outside the community. Rong Heng was sitting in the back seat, staring out the window.
The driver didn't dare to make a peep. He could vaguely sense that the boss was not out here to relax. He should be–looked like–seemed to be chasing after a girl...