Chapter 31 - This matter must not be known to outsiders!
Chen Linjing and Song Haiping arrived when the mother-son pair finished their meal. Song Haiping absolutely loved beef chow fun and ate a large plate of it by himself.
Just like the saying "the merging of strengths," Song Yuan's good looks were due to both of her parents, who were also amazingly good-looking. Chen Linjing was now in her forties, but because she was rich and single, she was willing to spend money on her face and body. The young Song Haiping was handsomer than idols, and this person did not let himself go even until he was middle-aged–he wasn't bald, and he didn't have a beer belly. He had the looks of a rather handsome uncle. It was no exaggeration to say that when Song Yuan went out together with Chen Linjing, others would mistake them for sisters. There was also a time when Song Yuan took Song Haiping to a medical examination, and the nurse had thought that they were brother and sister. After all, their last names were both Song.
Four people–all of whom were highly attractive in appearance–sitting at a table would naturally attract other people's attention.
Song Yuan was going to pay the bill when she was stopped by Song Haiping. He said with a stern face, "With Dad here, how can you still be allowed to pay?"
"Leaving out Rong Ting, this meal comes out to be for three people. I'll pay for my portion," Chen Linjing said calmly, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Song Haiping: "..."
Fine, he understood his ex-wife's temperament. If it weren't for their daughter, his ex-wife would have wanted nothing to do with him.
From the hotel, Song Haiping drove them to the supermarket to buy groceries.
Song Haiping wasn't bad at cooking, but the number of people who could eat his cooking was low. There were many people out and about on Christmas, including in the supermarket.
In the snack aisle, the four were split into two factions.
"I've never seen such harshness on a child. What little kid doesn't eat snacks?" Song Haiping's voice grew heated. "Rong Ting is so pitiful; he's never eaten snacks in the past!"
He grabbed several bags of potato chips, seaweed snacks, and milk candy from the shelves.
"You too, Yuanyuan. When you were little, you always pestered me to buy you malt balls, wahaha. How did you forget? You would gulp them down all at once, wahaha, but Dad would buy you boxes and boxes."
Hearing these words about Song Yuan, Rong Ting looked at her accusingly.
Song Yuan was backed into a corner. It was useless for her to madly study up on parenting methods. Other people were new moms, while she was a newbie who didn't have a transition period and couldn't educate children at all, not to mention that in front of Rong Ting, she felt as though she had no credibility as a parent.
Chen Linjing sneered. "So it was you. Yuanyuan used to like eating meals, but because you would buy her snacks, she doesn't like to have meals anymore. Can't you see that she's as thin as a bamboo pole now?"
Song Haiping was speechless.
He also thought that his precious daughter was too thin.
In the end, they compromised. Rong Ting was allowed to eat snacks, but not too many. Only one back of potato chips, one bag of seaweed snacks, and two bags of White Rabbit candy were left in the cart.
Song Yuan followed Chen Linjing to go choose coconuts. Song Haiping pushed the shopping cart, helplessly saying to Rong Ting: "Rong Ting, don't blame Grandpa. Grandpa tried very hard, but the enemy is too overbearing."
Rong Ting nodded with a grim expression. "Gu understands. The enemy is not only domineering, but also powerful."
Rong Ting originally wasn't all that interested in Christmas. But after a day of eating hot pot with Empress Mother and his grandfather and grandmother; going out again in the afternoon to watch a movie; watching businesses have people dressed as Santa give out presents, and seeing Empress Mother become even happier than him when he received a gift, he felt that this holiday with dubious origins wasn't so bad.
Perhaps people just needed a pretext to have a meal with the people they loved.
On Sunday, Song Yuan took Rong Ting out to the bakery to buy cake. When they passed by the bus stop, she couldn't resist looking over, but she didn't see that white-haired handsome ge. She didn't see him at the bakery, either. She couldn't tell if the emotion she was feeling was disappointment.
But Rong Ting was keenly observant. He tugged on her hand and asked in a low voice, "Is Empress Mother looking for someone?"
Song Yuan was startled. Rong Ting's question made her realize. Was she actually looking for him? But they had only met a few times.
"No, no!" Song Yuan decisively shook her head.
Rong Ting carefully measured her up.
"What are you looking at me for?"
"No reason. It's just that gu feels that Empress Mother is acting a bit strange today."
If Gugu found out that she was unconsciously looking for a man, he would roll his eyes and ask her with a stern expression how she could behave in that manner when she was the empress and the mother of a nation.
Song Yuan shook off the thoughts that she shouldn't be having and pointed to a display case to shift Rong Ting's attention. "Come pick. Do you want strawberry cake or chocolate cake? You can only choose one."
As planned, Rong Ting's attention was easily diverted. He came over to the display case and looked at the beautiful cakes, sinking into an agonizing dilemma.
Song Yuan was supposed to go to work on Monday, but she remembered she had someone important to do, so she asked her supervisor for a half-day off.
She had seen some mothers complaining on the owners' group chat, saying that recently there was a wave of influenza cases. They didn't dare to take their children out to play, lest they accidentally catch it.
Song Yuan came to a sudden realization. It had been several months! She had actually forgotten to take Rong Ting to get his vaccines!
Although she had never been a mother before, she had heard from colleagues that children had to receive some vaccines at one's own expense on top of the ones received for free. It would be difficult to go to school without them.
Rong Ting had been living in ancient times in the past; he definitely wouldn't have received any vaccines.
Fortunately, he already had his residence registration, and it wasn't difficult to get his vaccinations, but he had already lost at the starting line. She heard that most babies nowadays were vaccinated when they were born.
"Vaccination?" Rong Ting was clearly unfamiliar with this term.
Song Yuan nodded her head, serious. "It's my fault. I can't believe I forgot. We're going to go get the flu vaccine today. Nowadays, many children are getting the flu. Although getting the vaccine doesn't protect you fully, I'll feel more reassured if you have it."
Rong Ting didn't have any objections. "Oh, alright then."
If Empress Mother could rest assured, then he would get vaccinated. But what was a vaccine?
Song Yuan gave Rong Ting a brief explanation of vaccines.
Given Rong Ting's cleverness, he naturally understood very quickly. He sighed deeply in admiration. "A deed that greatly benefits the country and its people. How praiseworthy."
The snow hadn't completely melted, so Song Yuan didn't drive. She called a taxi and brought Rong Ting to the local disease prevention center. As soon as they entered, they heard the sound of heartbreaking cries.
Rong Ting retreated two steps in fright, not knowing what had happened.
"Some children are very afraid of getting shots. They're still young." Song Yuan led Rong Ting back inside and took a number slip at the entrance. The slip of paper indicated that there were four people waiting in front of her.
Essentially all the children coming to get their shots were babies. They went in smiling and came out crying shortly after.
While Song Yuan took her account book to go pay the fee, Rong Ting went over to the vaccination area. He spotted a tiny baby being undressed by its parents, revealing an arm as white as lotus root. Immediately after, a nurse came over with a syringe and expressionlessly plunged the needle into that tofu-like arm. As the solution was injected, the baby, who was originally confused and had no idea what was going on, suddenly began bawling.
Next to the baby, an adult, who should be the baby's parent, even took out their phone to film.
Rong Ting: "..."
Song Yuan took the receipt and waited for the vaccination area to call her number.
Rong Ting pointed to the baby and asked Song Yuan: "Must gu also undress?"
Song Yuan nodded. "Of course. Otherwise, how could you get a shot? Don't be scared. It's only for an instant, so it's not very painful."
"Gu does not fear pain." Rong Ting's expression was stern. "How can gu expose himself to outsiders?! Gu will not receive a vaccine."
Song Yuan was quite helpless. "Everything else can be up to you, but not this one. Obviously you need to get your shot. Besides, no one will stare at you. Be good, it's just for a split second."
But Rong Ting stubbornly refused to speak.
Fortunately, this was the vaccination area. Babies were crying, and parents were coaxing, so nobody was paying attention to them. Otherwise, Song Yuan didn't know what she would do.
Song Yuan began to earnestly persuade him–
"How is it immoral? Other babies are doing it. And besides, it's just exposing a bit of your shoulder–you can barely see anything. Moreover, aren't you a boy?"
"Be good. There are no civil or military officials here; I promise that everyone here will keep your secret. No one will know!"
"Gugu, be good, I really don't want you to catch the flu. You'd suffer a lot."
It was only when their number was called and Song Yuan's mouth was dry from talking that Rong Ting reluctantly followed her to the vaccine area. He couldn't help emphasizing, "This matter must not be known to outsiders! Empress Mother must keep it concealed for gu!"
"Okay okay okay!"
Song Yuan helped Rong Ting take off his downy jacket, then his sweater, layer by layer, under Rong Ting's expression of utmost endurance. The nurse, seeing his expression like that of a hero in the face of adversity, couldn't hold back a smile. She whispered: "Little boy doesn't need to be nervous or scared, it doesn't hurt."
Rong Ting didn't bother to explain that he wasn't afraid of pain.
When the needle went in, Rong Ting was stunned.
Liar! Who said it didn't hurt? It clearly hurt! This was no ordinary pain. But he only furrowed his brows and didn't howl and bawl or want to roll on the ground like the two-year-olds before him.
"He must be monitored for thirty minutes," the nurse reminded Song Yuan.
"Okay."
The disease control and prevention center also had an observation area. This community was quite good; it had a lactation room, and the observation center had a slide and swings for children to play on.
Song Yuan took the booklet given by the disease control center and brought Rong Ting to sit over there. "I don't know if you can get the five-in-one vaccine right now, but no matter what, you need to get a lot of vaccines besides the flu shot. There's hepatitis A and hepatitis B and DPT and chickenpox–anyways, there are so many vaccines you need!"
"Which means, gu must bare his skin many times in front of the common people?"
"...You could say that." Song Yuan couldn't bear to say it: what's this little thing? When summer comes, you have to wear shorts and short sleeves...
Rong Ting suddenly had a soulless expression.
He must not acquiesce to something he was not willing to agree to. Once he acquiesced, once he compromised, he could no longer firmly refuse. Emperor Father truly didn't lie to him!
Chapter 32 - The initial stirrings of the heart died under the following years of doubt.
Song Yuan's colleagues were quite happy lately. It was because of nothing else but that after working the five day week after Christmas, they could have three days off.
It was truly wonderful this time. New Year's was on Monday, so they could have a three-day weekend.
Song Yuan had already submitted a resignation. She was a bit reluctant. After all, her uncle was the company's boss, so no one dared to give her a hard time. None of her colleagues were demons who liked to make trouble, so everyone got along extremely well. And since her uncle was the boss, her salary was a bit higher.
She was just a bit reluctant to resign. Due to the household registration issue, the family of four had had a meeting. In the end, they decided to take Rong Ting to B City.
Although this city was also a first-tier city, when it came to the educational and medical aspects, B City was still better.
Song Yuan was a local, but her permanent residence was registered as B City. B City and S City registrations were always popular. This was all thanks to the foresight of Grandfather Song. Grandfather Song had been assigned to work in B City when he was young. Even though he was just an ordinary employee, he also received relocation compensation. Grandfather Song then settled down in B City, bringing along the entire family. Later, when Grandfather Song retired, he returned to his hometown, but his registration remained listed as B City. At the time of Song Haiping and Chen Linjing's divorce, the court had given custody of Song Yuan to Chen Linjing. For the sake of her daughter's future, this woman who didn't tolerate the slightest discomfort did not change her daughter's registered household.
Song Yuan used to think that it was a pain to go to school in her hometown while her residence was registered as B City. Her best friend Xie Ya told her that those who was blessed did not appreciate the blessing.
Now that she had graduated from university, she suddenly rejoiced that her permanent residence was registered as B City. At least it solved the issue of Rong Ting's enrollment.
Song Haiping had made the correct decision in purchasing two houses in B City several years earlier. It solved their issue of housing. Practically everything was ready.
Rong Ting had no opinion regarding where he was to study, but during the family meeting he made a small suggestion that had nothing to do with the topic at hand. "Gu does not wish to attend kindergarten. Gu has seen it; everyone is a child, and it is noisy and bothersome."
This suggestion was disregarded and shot down by the entire family.
The break would begin tomorrow. Song Yuan cleared up her desk and found a box to hold her things.
"Yuanyuan, no get-together for your last day? The financial manager gave the OK to use the company card."
Song Yuan shook her head. "No need. I know that Old Liu and some others were anxious to return home for the three-day break, so they definitely won't be there at the get-together. How's this? I'm not going to B City right away, so let's wait until next week and find a day when everyone is free, and I'll treat you all to a meal. Why don't we all go karaoke again?"
Even if Song Yuan was usually low-key and didn't flaunt her wealth, her colleagues at the company knew that she was a rich second generation from a wealthy family.
But they also didn't have faces as thick-skinned as city walls. "How can we do that? We've all agreed that everyone will go Dutch and treat you to a meal and karaoke."
"Okay, I'll treat everyone to afternoon tea!"
This was Song Yuan's first job after graduating from college. Her work days would be considered peaceful, nothing like the schemes and trickeries seen in workplace TV shows. She had told Rong Ting that she would be coming home late, mainly because she wanted to wait until everyone in the office left, so she could put little gifts on her colleagues' desks to thank them for their care during her time at the company.
It wasn't a very expensive gift. Seeing that this year was especially cold, she bought some super cute hand warmers online.
After finishing this little errand, Song Yuan picked up her box and got ready to head home.
She didn't drive today, either, but she didn't know that when she stepped out of the elevator, she would spot a familiar figure in the lobby.
Although Ji Junpei had been studying abroad the last few years, he would come back once a year, and they would meet up. The last time they had met seemed to be a year ago. He wore a black down jacket and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. When Song Yuan first met him, he had still been a cheerful and straightforward student. After several years abroad, he now seemed a lot more mature and stable.
Song Yuan hadn't expected Ji Junpei to come looking for her. It seemed that he was more interested in her than she had imagined.
She was very self-aware about many things. She didn't delude herself about how much Ji Junpei liked her; if he really did like her, they would have been together during the past few years.
No matter what the reason for him being interested but not confessing was, there was no avoiding the point that he didn't like her that much.
"Yuanyuan, I'm back." There was a smile on Ji Junpei's face as he walked up to her. "I wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow, but I changed my flight."
Song Yuan felt that the biggest reason why she didn't resent Ji Junpei was that she didn't like him that much, either.
Otherwise, how could she not feel anything for him after not seeing him for only a year?
The initial stirrings of the heart died under the following years of doubt.
"Welcome back." Song Yuan smiled.
Ji Junpei reached out to help her with the box, but she moved away, smoothly laughing, "It's not much."
"Yuanyuan, I have some things I wanted to consult you about. You haven't eaten dinner yet, right? I'll treat you." Ji Junpei didn't seem to notice her movement.
He had stopped her at the company. Song Yuan thought back on their previous friendship–even if they hadn't become a couple, they still used to have friendly sentiments–and found it rather difficult to refuse, so she hesitated and said, "I should be the one treating you to a meal for returning. It's just that my boyfriend is on a business trip."
Ji Junpei didn't take these words to heart. He and Song Yuan had mutual friends. Although her post from before was suspicious, he also knew that she didn't have a boyfriend at all.
"That's all right. I don't plan on leaving anymore, so there will be plenty more opportunities in the future. It's my treat today." Ji Junpei smiled. "I missed hotpot while I was abroad."
Since he said this, Song Yuan felt it would be impolite to refuse, so she agreed. There were many restaurants near the company, and the two of them went to a nearby hotpot restaurant. Song Yuan was absentminded, her mind still on the child at home. Ji Junpei saying that he wanted to ask her for some advice was just a pretense; both of them were well aware.
The two of them chatted for a bit. Ji Junpei was no fool; he wouldn't formally ask her out when she used the excuse of having a boyfriend.
He also had his pride. His family background was ordinary, and he had accidentally found out that Song Yuan's family was rich. At the same time he found out, someone had deliberately said something unpleasant to his face. He held in his anger and decided to wait until he made some achievements before confessing to Song Yuan. He also wanted to prove that he was not some phoenix man who wanted to find a rich girlfriend in an attempt to lessen his struggles by twenty years.
During the time he was abroad, he worked hard to find profitable projects outside of his studying. Only after gaining a few achievements did he dare to express his intentions.
"Xuezhang, when my boyfriend comes back from his business trip, we'll invite you out to dinner again," Song Yuan politely spoke as the two emerged from the hotpot restaurant.
Ji Junpei placed his hands in his pockets, his posture casual. "I can do that. Yuanyuan, it's pretty late, let me send you back."
Of course, Song Yuan wouldn't let him do that.
The meal could be considered a meeting between alumni and friends. Allowing him to send her home would change the mood.
And regardless of whether her boyfriend was real or not, supposing that she really did have a boyfriend, would it be appropriate to be walked home by a man with whom she'd had an ambiguous relationship? How was that appropriate!
Ji Junpei didn't force her, and he watched her leave for a nearby bus stop.
Song Yuan finally released a sigh of relief and headed toward the bus stop. When she was a few meters away, she saw Rong Heng standing at the bus stop.
Spotting the white-haired handsome ge with whom she had had several encounters, Song Yuan quickened her pace to reach him. She took the initiative to greet him. "Hi!"
Rong Heng seemed to have just spotted her. He looked surprised. "Overtime today again?"
Song Yuan felt as though she truly had some fate with this white-haired handsome ge. She seemed to have run into him nearly every day during the work week. Why hadn't she met him before?
"No overtime today. I had dinner with a friend. And you? Why haven't you gone home yet?" They had run into each other and sat together on the bus a few times, which made them familiar with one another. Even if they didn't know each other's names, they could chat as comfortably as friends.
"Something came up last minute. I was eating with a client." Rong Heng shrugged in helplessness. "Clients are hard to deal with."
Song Yuan deeply empathized with his complaints about clients. "Yes, clients are really hard to deal with these days. One of my former clients would call me every day at 11 or 12 at night to ask me to respond to their emails. Every single one of them is like an uncle."
Rong Heng gave a slight smile, amused by her words. "It's been hard on you."
Just as Song Yuan was getting ready to continue complaining about customers, a man's voice came from behind her. "Yuanyuan!"
She turned her head. It was Ji Junpei, who had chased after her. He jogged up to her and handed her a paper bag, smiling. "I forgot to give this to you until just now. It's a gift for you. I didn't know what you'd like, but I got you some cosmetics. I also bought some perfume for Auntie. Please give it to her."
Ji Junpei was considerably thoughtful, buying a gift not only for Song Yuan, but also for Song Yuan's mother.
Not waiting for Song Yuan to open her mouth to politely refuse, Ji Junpei added, "Don't refuse. Given our friendship, it's only right for me to get you a gift. I also got one for Xie Ya."
"...Alright, then, thank you." Song Yuan accepted the paper bag and placed it in her cardboard box.
Ji Junpei was not a relentless stalker, but even if he was, he wouldn't show it. "Then Yuanyuan, see you. Let's meet again."
"En, goodbye." Song Yuan smiled at him.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Rong Heng standing next to her. Seeing the other's excellent features and temperament, as well as the eye-catching white hair, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
Of course, what surprised him the most was that the other party seemed to be sizing him up. Those eyes made him feel uncomfortable, like being watched by a viper. His entire body felt cold. When he took a closer look, the other party smiled politely at him.
But he was sure that the chill that had run down his back was not his imagination.
Did they know each other? Was there bad blood between them?
Chapter 33 - It should have been her "ex-husband," His Majesty the emperor, who taught him.
The bus that Song Yuan was waiting for had arrived. She said goodbye to Ji Junpei and hurriedly boarded the bus, and Rong Heng followed suit.
Ji Junpei stood at the bus station. He was still thinking about the gaze the white-haired man had given him just now.
There weren't many people here by this point. Song Yuan sat by the window, and Rong Heng sat next to her. As before, he smiled and asked her if she would mind him sitting there.
This person was truly very gentlemanly and polite. He must be very considerate in his life.
After settling in his seat, Rong Heng inadvertently looked outside the window, as though watching Ji Junpei. As the car drove steadily, Rong Heng asked, "Was that your boyfriend?"
As Song Yuan tried to figure out how to answer, Rong Heng thoughtfully said, "Sorry, I was just a little curious. I didn't mean to pry."
"No, I just didn't know what to say." Song Yuan set the cardboard box on her lap and stared at the bag placed inside. She was silent for a moment before turning to smile at Rong Heng. "He's not a boyfriend. I'm the mother of a child."
"Then your husband must be very good," Rong Heng said.
Song Yuan shook her head. "I'm not married."
This was the saddest thing. She had a child, but no husband. No, not to mention a husband, there was no boyfriend in sight.
If she thought about it, she might shed a tear for herself.
Her statement could be very misleading. Other people might think that she had gotten pregnant before marriage and was a single, unmarried mother. But she didn't intend to explain herself. After all, what she was saying was true.
Rong Heng's expression didn't change. It could even be considered mild as he said, "I think you'll definitely have a good life in the future."
Everyone liked to hear nice things. Song Yuan was no exception. She laughed, "I think so, too. Although my luck with marriage isn't very good, I'm blessed to have my child. My child is especially good and wonderful."
This was something she could say to strangers, but she couldn't talk about the matter of Rong Ting with friends or acquaintances. The main reason was that it was too unbelievable.
Rong Heng smiled even more happily. "That's because his parents have taught him well."
Uh...
Song Yuan froze for a moment. Rong Ting was definitely very, very good, but she wasn't the one who taught him. It should have been her "ex-husband," His Majesty the emperor, who taught him.
She had forgotten many things, and it wasn't easy to say what kind of person His Majesty the emperor was, but based on Rong Ting's behavior, he was rather good at teaching children–at least, he was better at it than her.
"En, his dad taught him." Song Yuan didn't avoid the topic. "His dad is good at teaching children. If the child had grown up under me, he definitely wouldn't be as good as he is now."
Rong Heng smiled lightly, as though he were happy, but he always had a smile on his face. Song Yuan couldn't explain it. She only felt that this person had a gentle temper and was easy to get along with.
"What's the box for?" Rong Heng asked her another question. "Is it heavy? Do you need help?"
"Not heavy, they're all office supplies. I resigned, so today I'm taking all my cups and books and things back from the company." The computer was returned to the company, but she was especially fond of putting little trinkets on her desk, which meant that her desk was always a little messier than others'.
Rong Heng was astonished. "Resigned? Why?"
Song Yuan often heard Rong Ting's scholarly way of speaking, so at this moment, she didn't notice that anything was off when Rong Heng spoke.
"My household registration is in B City, and my son will be going to school next year. Although this place is also very good, the medical and educational environment there is much better." Song Yuan shrugged. "Everything is for the sake of the child, so I can only resign from my job and take him to B City."
When she was young, her parents had planned to have her study in B City, but both her mother and her father's careers were based in this city, and they didn't feel assured leaving her alone in B City.
"What a coincidence," Rong Heng said, "I was getting ready to return to B City after finishing my affairs here. You might find the new environment unfamiliar. If you need help in the future, you can come find me." He paused. "We've met a few times, but I still don't know your name."
Song Yuan also just came to the same conclusion. They'd been chatting with each other for such a long time, yet they still didn't know each other's names...
"Umm, my name is Song Yuan. The Song from Song dynasty, the Yuan from garden. And you?" Song Yuan had always felt that her name was too ordinary, but being ordinary had its perks. Introducing herself was fairly simple.
"Me?" Rong Heng smiled. "My name is Xie Heng. The Xie from gratitude, the Heng from..."
Seeming to not know how to explain it in a way she could understand, he simply reached past her and wrote the character "Heng" on the misty window.
He leaned over, and the distance between them narrowed.
Once again, Song Yuan caught the unfamiliar scent on his body.
"This character is a bit familiar." Song Yuan contemplated for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered. Hadn't Gugu written this character before? The emperor's name was Rong Heng!
This character seemed to be uncommon in her daily life. At the very least, she didn't notice any of her classmates using it, so it had given her a deep impression.
Rong Heng's expression sank slightly, and the smile on his lips faded. He asked her in a seemingly casual manner, "Is there someone else with this name?"
"En." Song Yuan nodded. "My son's dad seems to use Heng in his name."
Seems...
It was a strange thing for her to say, but Rong Heng didn't even ask.
The topic was very easily skipped over. Based on the fact that the two got along quite well, when Rong Heng asked for her phone number, Song Yuan was very happy to exchange contact information with him.
If he had asked for her contact information a few days ago, when they had just met, she definitely would have thought that he was interested in her. Now, she wouldn't make such a speculation. The other person knew that she was the mother of a child and probably thought that she was a single, unmarried mother. He definitely just wanted to make a friend, so Song Yuan had no qualms.
After learning each other's names and exchanging numbers, they were no longer strangers, but friends.
Before she got off the bus, Song Yuan rummaged through her box before finally taking out a Christmas-themed mug and handing it to Rong Heng. "For you, since you gave me two apples last time. It's brand-new, and it was sent by a supplier of our company. I think it's pretty nice, so I'll give it to you."
The mug was Christmas themed. The body was red, and there was a 3-D cartoon Santa Claus at the bottom of the interior of the mug. It was extremely cute.
Rong Heng was startled. He accepted the cup and said, "Thank you. I really like it."
"That's good."
Song Yuan didn't like to owe others. He had only given her two apples, but they weren't familiar with each other. Now that she had gifted him the mug, she finally felt that they were even.
It was only after she got off the bus, said farewell to Rong Heng, and carried the box to the entrance of the community that she thought of something: was it inappropriate to give a mug?
It was definitely very inappropriate, especially now that many words were used as punny marketing by businesses.
At least, when she was in high school, giving someone a mug was equivalent to giving someone a lifetime. It was an extremely ambiguous gift. It was also very popular for lovers to gift each other mugs, scarves, and the like.
She stopped in her tracks, shaking her head again. Don't think too much. She felt that, given Mr. Xie's excellent upbringing, he wouldn't overthink it, nor would he misunderstand her intentions.
It was just an ordinary mug, and she had given it away in passing.
Rong Heng stood at the bus stop, holding the mug in his hand while laughing.
He suddenly recalled something. It had been his birthday. It was originally supposed to be very lively, but that day he'd had no desire to deal with people, so he'd snuck out of the palace to find her. She was not skilled in the Four Arts, but the general's madam had been determined to cultivate her into a noble lady and had invited someone to teach her. She had been sitting in the pavilion in the heart of the lake, plucking the zither strings as though it were the most painful thing in the world.
Seeing him come over, she was extremely happy, and she very naturally asked him to help her produce a painting. That way, she could return upon finishing her task.
She was not skilled at painting, and the things she did paint had no sense of beauty. But when he took a closer look, he found them to be charmingly naive, and he grew to like them over time.
Seeing how pitiful she was, he could only begrudgingly help her "cheat." Of course, he didn't reveal even a tenth of his true skill, fearing that the general's madam would become suspicious.
When she heard it was his birthday, she gifted him a cup. That cup had no aesthetic beauty to speak of. It should have been her masterpiece on the face of the cup, a... bear, supposedly.
She said it was a cup she had made herself.
He outwardly showed dislike, but he accepted it, and upon his return to the palace, he hid it in his bookcase, unwilling to show it to others.
A few days later, he had gone to visit his friend for a matter. When he arrived, he saw a silly looking cup on his desk. His heart full of suspicion, he asked what had happened to the cup.
His friend chuckled, unable to let go of the cup. "Yuanyuan made a set when she had nothing to do. My parents also received one."
So everyone had one?
His expression had been cold. He returned to the palace and made a move to throw the cup. Then he thought again. It was the fault of the person, not the object. Why implicate the object?
Now it seemed that she had truly forgotten the past. She was able to heartlessly give away a cup.
It was good she had forgotten. He had not seen her so content in a very, very long time.
Rong Heng sighed.
Back at the hotel, Sun Qiming was already waiting. The suite was very quiet, and he grumbled in his heart, wondering what the boss wanted to see him for.
Rong Heng sat at the desk. It had been several months since his arrival. He loved to read books, and fortunately he remembered all the things she had told him. Thus, he was able to quickly accept the current situation. But it wasn't enough. The Xie family was not peaceful. Although it was not as riddled with danger as the palace, he still could not let down his guard. Until he had a thorough understanding of the current era, he would continue to play mute.
Being mute was quite good. The more one spoke, the more one erred. The less one spoke, the less one erred. If one didn't speak at all, then one could not err.
He recalled the person standing at the bus stop today, as well as the look in his eyes when he looked at her. Rong Heng turned a page. Without lifting an eyelid, he said quietly: investigate someone over the next few days."
Chapter 34 - Ha, men!
The formally resigned Song Yuan now had plenty of time to accompany Rong Ting.
She was still much more relaxed than other mothers because Rong Ting was very sensible, and her parents had helped her hire a dependable auntie. Now, she didn't need to cook three meals a day, nor did she need to clean–her day was very free. While Rong Ting practiced his calligraphy, she did not disturb him. After all, she wasn't a teacher, and she was unable to give him any pointers. Therefore, she was very free during this time. She could browse the Internet, catch up on dramas and variety shows, or have a cup of soda. It was quite a happy time.
Of course, Song Yuan wasn't preparing to become a full-time mother. After they moved to B City, and Rong Ting adjusted, she would report to her father's company.
This made Chen Linjing extremely disgruntled. She had hoped that her daughter would inherit her clothing company. But she couldn't do anything about it, as her company hadn't expanded into B City yet.
As time passed, Song Yuan grew more influenced by the mothers in the owners' group chat. She began to feel that Rong Ting should learn something outside of his academics. Otherwise, with so many babies starting to take early lessons nowadays, wouldn't Rong Ting have already lost at the starting line?
And so Song Yuan signed Rong Ting up for many trial classes to see what Rong Ting was more suited to learning.
When she was young, she had thought that she would be a very progressive mother who would play games with her child. But after having a child, she changed.
She was no different from other mothers. Seeing that there were mothers in the owners' group chat flaunting awards and trophies, she was actually beginning to worry!
The weather was clear, and there was no ice on the road, so Song Yuan drove Rong Ting to the trial class. The center she had found was very popular in the city. Yesterday, she had taken Rong Ting to the bike-riding course. When Rong Ting saw that the course was full of two- and three-year-old babies, he became angry and changed to the ice-skating course last-minute. After tumbling face-first, his ears flushed red, and he told Song Yuan, he was a prince, and he didn't need to learn ice sports.
Song Yuan simply ignored it.
The child hadn't realized yet that it was impossible for him to return to the ancient times. Song Yuan didn't want to stimulate him, so she didn't bring it up.
The child's plan was to boil a frog in warm water–cultivate their mother-son bond, and then let her willingly follow him back to the palace.
Although he didn't say it outright, Song Yuan was aware of his thoughts. Thinking about his previous words, she scoffed twice. Ha, men! Too young, too simple.
Today, she took Rong Ting to a piano trial class. Afterwards, they would go to another center for a different trial class. Their schedule was a bit tight.
On the way there, in order to prevent any unnecessary situations from occurring, Song Yuan decided to entice him. "Gugu, there's something I regret a lot now. When I was young, my mom had me learn piano. Afterwards, my dad bought me a piano to help me cultivate my interest, but I couldn't keep going, so I stopped learning. But everyone needs to have a special talent these days. Our school used to welcome freshmen and host talent shows, and all the students would go on stage to play the violin or piano. My college classmates can play the piano, and they occasionally go to the mall or a coffee shop to pick up work, and they earn a lot.
"Of course, I'm not saying I want you to learn these things to earn money in the future. You people from the ancient times should have this saying, right? 'Having many skills does not weigh down the body.'
"And Gugu, as soon as I imagine you going on stage and playing the piano and violin, I get so excited! Maybe I'll take a plunge in the SLR pit to take pictures of you."
Rong Ting finally gave a reaction. Although he was almost six years old, Song Yuan bought him a booster seat for safety. From his position in the booster seat, he lifted his head and said discontentedly, "Performing on stage? I don't want to!"
Look at how much he loathed the idea. He even used "I."
"Don't say that. Nowadays many children learn a skill they can perform. When you enter a village, you must follow the local customs, right?" Song Yuan added, "And all those children's moms and dads feel so proud. I want to be proud, too."
"Gu refuses. Gu will not go!" Rong Ting was vehemently against it.
"Alright, let's not talk about performing on stage. Just try it. Maybe you'll like it? I'm not that unreasonable; if you don't like it, I won't force you." Song Yuan thought for a moment. "I've already paid the money. Just think of it as going to play, okay?"
In actuality, she couldn't bear to force him. If he wasn't willing, she wouldn't press the issue.
Rong Ting nodded reluctantly. "Alright."
He wasn't adverse to learning things, as he was at the age where he was curious about everything, but everything in this modern age conflicted strongly with the education he had received. Thankfully, Empress Mother understood him and tried to find a balance.
When they arrived at the learning center, there were other children who had come to take the trial class this time. This was one of Song Yuan's secret motives; she hoped for Rong Ting to come into more contact with children his own age. After all, all the people around him were adults. Although adults had also gone through that age, they couldn't truly understand the world of children. She hoped Rong Ting could make friends.
The wall of the classroom that was facing the corridor had floor-to-ceiling windows. These windows were rather interesting; people could see what was going on from outside–probably so that parents could observe the child's learning process–but they could not see outside from within. In case the children would be distracted by the people standing outside, the sound insulation was extremely good.
In addition to Rong Ting, there was a little girl and a little boy. The three children were about the same age, so they should have a common language.
While the teacher taught the little girl to play, the little boy quietly chatted with Rong Ting. "What do you learn every day?"
Rong Ting was much more down-to-earth than he had been when he first transmigrated. Before, he had been indifferent to other children's attempt to strike a conversation. Now, he would respond to some questions. "Learned to skate yesterday."
"Oh, I'm sick of it. My parents are devils!" The young boy whispered in complaint. "I have to learn English and Taekwondo, and now they're planning to enroll me in piano classes. Yesterday, they even discussed having me learn painting. I'm simply not being treated like a human being!"
Rong Ting had been titled the crown prince since birth, and the requirements of the imperial family were stricter and more severe, so the little boy's misfortune would not be met with sympathy.
"Oh, really." Rong Ting remembered that Empress Mother said to be polite and to not be cold and indifferent to others. He hadn't wanted to pay attention to this kid, so he could only say this sentence.
"Yeah! I bet you're like me. Parents nowadays are crazy!"
Rong Ting gave an 'oh' in response.
He didn't feel sorry for the kids these days. This much was nothing.
"What have you learned?" The young boy asked Rong Ting again.
Rong Ting thought, then replied, "Painting, calligraphy, horse riding, archery, poetry..."
He also said some things that the little boy didn't understand, but in short, they all sounded like very difficult and advanced skills.
The little boy gaped in astonishment. Clenching his little fist, he whispered, "You're so pitiful. Suddenly I feel like my mom and dad are very good to me."
Song Yuan stood outside. Seeing that Rong Ting was chatting away quite happily with the little boy, she also smiled.
Yes, that's it! Gugu, make more friends, and I hope you have a happy childhood!
One could not do without friends while growing up. Song Yuan even considered exchanging contact information with that boy's mother so that they could meet up and have playdates together later. This way, Rong Ting's life would become a lot more rich and colorful!
As Song Yuan imagined scenes of Rong Ting making friends in the future, a gentle male voice spoke. "Miss Song, what a coincidence."
Song Yuan turned in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Rong Heng. She was extremely surprised. "Mr. Xie, why are you here?"
Rong Heng smiled. "I have a friend who works here, and I made an appointment to eat with him today. He's still in a meeting, so I was just walking around. I thought I was seeing things when I saw you. Why are you here?"
He followed her previous line of sight into the classroom and smiled in understanding. "Was it to accompany your son to class? Which one is your son?"
"En." Song Yuan pointed to Rong Ting, who was standing not far from the piano. "The one with the hat."
Rong Ting refused to cut his hair. Now, when he wore modern clothes, it wasn't good to have a traditional hairstyle, so if he went out, he would wear a hat.
Rong Heng laughed. "So big. I feel like he strongly resembles you."
"Really? That phrase 'the son takes after the mother, and the daughter takes after the father' probably has some truth to it."
"Is he taking piano lessons?"
Song Yuan nodded. "Yes. He's actually quite excellent and learned a little bit of everything. I don't know what he's interested in learning, so I brought him to a few trial classes to see what he likes."
"He's definitely different from other children," Rong Heng evaluated after some careful consideration.
Other people were evaluating her child; Song Yuan was naturally interested in this topic. She asked, "How is he different?"
"You see, his back is straight when he stands, and he also doesn't look around. This is very good." Rong Heng paused. "Although I've never interacted with your son, I can tell that he's been taught well and that he is an excellent child."
"Yes." Song Yuan was delighted to hear him say this. Perhaps, as a mother, she was a hundred times happier to hear someone praise her child than to hear praise about herself. "But I can't take credit–it's thanks to his father. His father is quite excellent, but I think that my son is too obedient. Sometimes, I wish that he could be noisy and behave like other children."
Rong Heng smiled. "He must be much happier being with you right now. Children still prefer to be with their mothers, rather than have nothing to speak about with their fathers."
"Probably. Since his dad taught him so well, now that he's with me, I want to do a little better, at least so that I don't hold him back."
This was the reason why Song Yuan was so anxious. Rong Ting was too outstanding–if he followed her and became an ordinary person in the end, she would feel guilty.
"How could that be." Rong Heng watched Rong Ting standing straight. His gaze was profound. "Some people are not destined to be mediocre."
Chapter 35 - He was a warm and kind-hearted man
Song Yuan inadvertently looked down and noticed a bag in Rong Heng's grasp. It was from the People's Hospital in this city and looked to be a prescription list.
The two could already be considered friends, so Song Yuan wouldn't be stingy with her concern. She pointed to the prescription list and asked, "Is someone in your family sick?"
Rong Heng was frozen for a moment before he lowered his head to look at the prescription in his hand. He smiled and shook his head. "Not a family member. It's for me."
It was Song Yuan's turn to be stunned. She let out an 'a' and followed up with, "You're sick? You don't seem like a patient."
She was telling the truth; she thought this Mr. Xie didn't look like a patient. He clearly looked very healthy.
"I'm not really sick." Rong Heng seemed to be afraid of disturbing others. He couldn't help lowering his voice with a slight smile on his face. "I had an accident this year and narrowly escaped death. I suffered a serious injury and nearly died. Luckily, some kind-hearted people sent me to the hospital, and I was brought back from the brink of death. But it might be that I suffered a brain injury; I can't remember a lot of things after waking up. I came here because I heard that a specialist was here, and my family wanted me to come here to relax."
He spoke lightly of his experience.
But Song Yuan felt her heart leap as she listened.
It all felt very thrilling, but for something like amnesia, it was difficult for her to believe it could happen in her life if she hadn't experienced it herself. After all, amnesia scenarios were only seen in TV shows.
Seeing the sense of loss on Rong Heng's gentle face, she felt sympathetic. "I can understand. Losing your memories must not feel pleasant."
"I just feel guilty for making my family worry. After all, I forgot everything after I woke up, even my relatives. My mother suffered for a long time." Rong Heng added, "Miss Song, it seems that in front of you, I can freely speak my mind without fearing you would laugh at me. The feeling of losing my memories is quite awful. For example, when facing my parents, I feel estranged, as though they are not related to me."
Was that what happened with amnesia?
This was something Song Yuan couldn't relate to. The first time she saw Rong Ting, although it felt very odd, she would feel uncomfortable when she saw Rong Ting feel uncomfortable. To like an unknown child from the bottom of her heart... this was probably the bond between a mother and child.
Song Yuan couldn't help but comfort Rong Heng. "Mr. Xie, it's okay. Modern medicine is so advanced; maybe it won't take long for you to remember."
Rong Heng chuckled. "After these few months, I've come to accept it. Of course, it's best to remember, and it's okay if I don't, but the most important thing is to make the best of it. There are times when I think that it might not be a bad thing to forget some unhappy things."
"It's best if you think this way." Seeing that Rong Heng was so open and transparent, Song Yuan didn't continue to worry for him.
"That's true." Rong Heng still held the bag in his hand. He smiled and handed the bag to her. "This is a gift from a friend, but I don't think I'll have much use for it. I don't know if your son is learning calligraphy, but this copybook isn't too bad. If your son has some interest, you can let him practice with this."
Song Yuan received the gift. Judging from the packaging and the texture of the copybook, she knew that it was quite valuable. Naturally, she was embarrassed to accept it.
But Rong Heng smilingly said: "I have no children, and there are no children in the house who are learning calligraphy. It'd be a waste for me to have it. Just keep it. Consider it a meeting gift from me to your son."
Since he said this, Song Yuan didn't refuse. "Thank you. It really is a coincidence. My son likes to write calligraphy with a brush. Not that I'm boasting, but he really does write very well. I took him to a class here, and he said that the instructors here were not qualified enough and refused. My father is in contact with people in B City, and he heard that there was an excellent calligrapher there. When he sees them, maybe he will walk through the door and worship them as his master?"
Rong Heng considered it. "The child definitely can't be delayed. If you need any help, I can say that my family knows some people over in B City."
Song Yuan felt that, although the two of them hadn't known each other for long, she truly had a good impression of him. He was warm-hearted without being rude.
"Thank you."
"No need to be polite." Rong Heng glanced at the time on his watch. "My friend should have clocked out. I'll be leaving first."
Song Yuan waved to him. "Bye. And thanks for the copybook."
After watching Rong Heng leave, Song Yuan focused her attention on what Rong Ting was doing in the classroom.
Rong Ting came out of the piano class, and judging from his expression, he didn't seem that interested in the piano.
Song Yuan led Rong Ting downstairs and asked him, "Gugu, do you like playing the piano?"
"Cannot say like." Rong Ting answered very honestly.
"Alright." Song Yuan didn't feel disappointed. After all, after these few days of going to trial classes, she could see that her son wasn't very interested in musical instruments, but he was interested in things like ice skating and taekwondo.
"By the way, this copybook is for you." After getting on the bus, Song Yuan handed the copybook to Rong Ting. "It seems to be a copybook for practicing calligraphy. It's a gift from a friend of mine. You should use it."
Rong Ting lovingly held it. After flipping through the copybook, he sighed in admiration. "This is quite good. Gu likes it very much."
"That's good. I'll buy you a new one once you've finished using it for practice."
"Thank you, Empress Mother."
After returning home, Rong Ting used this copybook, which meant that he was rather absorbed in his task. After this period of observation, Song Yuan finally decided to wait until they were in B City before temporarily enrolling him in three classes–ice skating, Taekwondo, and English.
It sounded like a packed schedule, but in fact, Rong Ting had to wait until winter vacation before he could enroll in kindergarten. Moreover, kindergarten ended early every day, so he had enough time.
Originally, Song Yuan couldn't bear to do it. After all, she hadn't learned this much stuff when she was a child. But then there was one mom in the group chat she had just joined who shared her daughter's schedule. There were classes from Monday to Friday and piano in the afternoon after school. Then on Saturday, she learned English in the morning and practiced Latin dance in the afternoon. And on Sunday, she had writing class in the morning and Taekwondo in the afternoon. After Song Yuan saw this schedule, her reluctance immediately vanished...
Ji Junpei used to be in the same club as Song Yuan. For his return this time, the club members organized a dinner party and said that it was to celebrate his return to his motherland. The other students took the time out of their busy schedule, making Song Yuan, who had already resigned and was staying at home, unable to think of an excuse, so she could only go to eat.
At the time when Song Yuan joined the club, Ji Junpei was already preparing to study abroad. On the surface, they didn't seem to have much interaction, but their mutual friends knew that there was something going on between them.
Later on, a continuous stream of new people joined the club, but their group was the closest. Song Yuan was the youngest, so her upperclassmen took very good care of her and gave her a lot of help.
The snow had already melted, so Song Yuan drove to the meeting spot. By the time she arrived, everyone else was already present. Ji Junpei had reserved a large room.
Song Yuan sat next to a female upperclassman. Because she was the last to get there, she was penalized with a glass of juice.
Everyone present had already graduated.
Song Yuan had come because she knew these people's personalities. They were not the type to love teasing others, and no matter what they thought in their minds, they wouldn't publicly embarrass her. Last year, when they'd held a reunion, and she and Ji Junpei had had an ambiguous relationship, they hadn't made any jokes, which made Song Yuan feel safe.
Halfway through the meal, Ji Junpei suddenly asked: "Yuanyuan, I remember that your dad seemed to have bought you a house. What community is it in?"
"I know, it's Fairview Garden!" an upperclassman said happily. "I'd asked her once whether it was easy to get around there and nearly bought a house there."
"En, it's Fairview Garden."
Fairview Garden was a community that had been established in the city just a few years ago. At the time, since the location and unit layouts were good, the real estate was sold out as soon as it was launched.
"Why, Junpei, you want to rent, or buy?" the female upperclassman sitting next to Song Yuan asked.
Ji Junpei, intentionally or unintentionally, glanced at Song Yuan, then he quickly averted his gaze and laughed. "I'm thinking of buying a house. I've made some money doing projects while abroad these past few years, and my parents can provide some support, so there should be no problem to pay the down payment. I just don't know which communities are good?"
The other people offered suggestions to Ji Junpei.
For a while, the discussion was quite intense. Some of them were already married, but none of them had children, so a house was one of the most important considerations.
Ji Junpei suddenly asked: "Yuanyuan, what do you think? Do you have any recommendations?"
Song Yuan was startled. She'd been in the middle of eating when she was suddenly called out at this moment. Seeing Ji Junpei's eager gaze, she subconsciously lowered her head and said, "I don't pay attention to this area, so I don't know which communities are popular right now, either."
She didn't know if she was being too sensitive, but the meal was suddenly not so enjoyable.
Ji Junpei fought with an upperclassman to pay the bill. In the end, Ji Junpei seized the opportunity to pay on the grounds that he would need more help now that he had returned from abroad. He called the waiter to pay the bill, and the waiter came in and told them that someone had already paid.
"Paid the bill? Who did it?" The people in the box looked at each other and shook their heads, indicating that it wasn't them.
The waiter looked at the billing machine in his hand and said confidently, "Someone did indeed pay the bill. I just confirmed with the front desk, and they said it was Miss Song's friend."
Song Yuan was the only one in the compartment surnamed Song. Everyone looked at her.
Song Yuan was also at a loss. "My friend? Who?"
The waiter used the intercom and confirmed with the front desk again. "It was indeed a friend of Miss Song's, a gentleman. The front desk said that his hair was dyed white, so I had a strong impression."
Song Yuan's first reaction was that it was Rong Heng.
Rong Heng seemed to be the only one of her friends with white hair.
Ji Junpei also had a deep impression of the man. After all, only a few days had passed, and the look in the man's eyes was still fresh in his memory. And now he came to pay the bill...