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Rong Yuheng had originally planned to return to Q City; he had even booked his plane ticket. However, just before departure, he received a call from the local police station, instructing him to go to G City to claim his mother.

After hanging up the phone, Rong Yuheng sighed, “…”

Wen Zhecheng approached him and asked, “Do you want me to accompany you?”

Rong Yuheng accused him, “You can’t continue to confuse my mind!”

Wen Zhecheng expressed regret, “Oh,” as if he had suffered a significant loss.

Watching this exchange, Qu Youhe’s emotions were complex. He couldn’t decide whether to feel relieved about Rong Yuheng’s rationality or sad about Wen Zhecheng’s lack of it.

Shi Qiu accompanied Rong Yuheng in changing his flight; his flight was scheduled for just after 1 p.m., two hours later than Wen Zhecheng’s departure.

While Wen Zhecheng was going through security, there were bystanders taking photos of them. He turned back to look at Rong Yuheng, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something to him through the crowd. However, in the end, he merely raised his hand and made a phone gesture near his ear.

Rong Yuheng waved to him casually, signaling that it was okay to go, implying that people had to learn to grow up on their own.

…

After seeing Wen Zhecheng off, Rong Yuheng boarded his flight two hours later. When he boarded the plane, Wen Zhecheng had not yet reached his destination. Rong Yuheng left a message for him:

“I’m taking off~ [Sea otter.jpg]”

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The distance from C City to G City was relatively short, taking just about an hour and a half.

Upon landing, picking up his luggage, and taking a taxi, it wasn’t until Rong Yuheng got into the car that he had the chance to check his WeChat messages. Wen Zhecheng had replied over forty minutes ago:

“Missed zaizai [Rong’s takeoff.jpg]”

Rong Yuheng blushed and felt confused as he read this message. Why would he send him those weird expression stickers?

Shi Qiu didn’t notice Rong Yuheng’s unusual reaction, and she was still feeling anxious. “Yuheng, what’s the situation with your mother? Be careful. If the media sees you going to the police station, they can make up all sorts of stories.”

Rong Yuheng shook his head and looked out the window at the streets receding. He appeared deep in thought. “There was a time when a group of people wanted to secretly photograph me…”

Shi Qiu looked at Rong Yuheng warily, restraining him from reminiscing further. “Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing.”

She had a feeling that if she let him continue, she might learn something strange.

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—

Rong Yuheng got off the taxi and sent a WeChat message to the Hot Air Balloon Fairy first. After waiting for a while with no response, he decided to proceed without her reply. He then walked into the police station to explain his purpose.

Upon hearing his explanation, the duty officer fell silent. After a moment, he turned around and led Rong Yuheng inside, saying, “Follow me.”

Walking through a few corridors, they reached a small office.

Rong Yuheng hadn’t seen his mother in nearly a year, so he was feeling a bit nervous. However, this subtle tension only lasted for a few seconds before being shattered by a burst of laughter that came flying out of the office, seemingly stuck to the ceiling.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hee-hee-hee-hee-ho-ho-ho-ho-ha-ha…!”

This string of laughter vividly demonstrated the progression from “ha” to “ho,” with a lively rhythm and an infectious charm.

Rong Yuheng was nearly shaken for a second but couldn’t help but respond with a “ho-ho-ho” of laughter himself.

The duty officer leading the way stumbled for a moment, then turned to look at Rong Yuheng in astonishment, his eyes filled with fear. The horrifying sound of laughter had penetrated their ears, and the officer was terrified!

As they reached the door of the office, they saw a woman sitting with her back to the door. She had chestnut-colored hair with playful little waves, and her laughter caused her shoulders to shake.

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When she heard Rong Yuheng’s voice, she perked up, “Darling!?”

The two civilian employees sitting across from her also breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Rong Yuheng. They had clearly been on edge.

Rong Yuheng’s gaze landed on the “Happy Landlords” screen on his mother’s phone. After a moment, he moved his lips and asked, “Mom, what are you doing?”

Is this the reason you didn’t reply to my WeChat messages?

With a shy expression, Wen Qin lowered her head, “Mommy is getting along with everyone.”

“…”

Shi Qiu, who was standing behind Rong Yuheng, couldn’t help but have a complicated expression. Based on her extensive experience with people, she could tell that this explanation had a lot of hidden meaning.

The office personnel across from Rong Yuheng confirmed his identity and then led him to another area for registration.

The journey was filled with suffocating silence, and Rong Yuheng couldn’t help but break it, saying, “I’m sorry for the trouble my mom caused you. Next time you find her, you can just send her straight home. It won’t be a problem.”

He was convinced that a woman who could travel the world in a hot air balloon could easily find her way home in a taxi.

The staff member leading the way sighed deeply at Rong Yuheng’s words, “We wish we could… But your mother claims to have senile dementia and only remembers your phone number. We had no choice but to contact you.”

Rong Yuheng’s pupils contracted at the mention of senile dementia. “What a convenient case of senile dementia!”

“However, we played more than sixty rounds of Happy Landlords with her, and even just now, she maintained a winning rate of over 90%,” the staff member added, his gaze becoming even more meaningful. “I wish my old age could be as ‘senile’ as hers…”

Rong Yuheng: “…”

After signing the paperwork, Rong Yuheng left the police station with Wen Qin. As they were leaving, Wen Qin turned back to wave at the two “card-playing buddies” and said, “Let’s create a WeChat group and meet up again sometime!”

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Rong Yuheng quickly pulled her away and into a taxi.

Once in the car, Rong Yuheng turned to Wen Qin and asked, “Where to?”

Wen Qin reported an address in their city, and as the car started moving, she patted Rong Yuheng and proudly said, “A clever rabbit has three burrows. Mommy’s properties are everywhere!”

Rong Yuheng’s gaze turned serious. “So you still remember your properties. It turns out you have intermittent senile dementia.”

“!!” Wen Qin’s disguise was revealed, and she quickly changed the subject, diverting the impending disaster. She looked at Shi Qiu and said, “This girl is quite pretty; is she your daughter-in-law?”

Gasping for air! Rong Yuheng and Shi Qiu both inhaled sharply, and the statement hit them like a thunderbolt. They were paralyzed, and Shi Qiu, who had previously been thinking about Qu Youhe, was now solely focused on not getting devoured by Rong Yuheng’s mother.

Shi Qiu tried to maintain a calm demeanor and said, “Hello, Auntie. I’m Yuheng’s manager, Shi Qiu.”

Wen Qin regretfully replied with an “Oh” and then poked Rong Yuheng, “Hey, you’re already in your twenties; isn’t it time to start dating?”

Shi Qiu’s eyes gradually became wary… wary to the point of being vigilant, but then she suddenly stopped and returned to a calm state. No, given Rong Yuheng’s mother’s peculiar thought processes, she might end up imagining herself in a one-sided love affair.

Upon hearing this, Rong Yuheng’s mind conjured an image of Wen Zhecheng’s face—his cold, reserved demeanor concealing a wealth of emotions when he looked at Rong Yuheng. Rong Yuheng felt strangely uncomfortable and quickly steered the conversation back to the original point. “Don’t try to change the subject. The police officers told me that you pretended to have senile dementia and played cards with others at the police station!”

Rong Yuheng then proceeded to educate her earnestly. “Faking senile dementia is one thing, and everyone has their hobbies, but playing cards with others is not right. Gathering for gambling is illegal. You were even gambling in a police station. That’s breaking the law!”

Wen Qin, with her keen reasoning, responded, “That’s why I used my phone to play cards. It doesn’t count as gathering for gambling.”

Rong Yuheng thought for a moment and was easily convinced. “Alright.”

Shi Qiu thought to herself, “What a powerful ability to use logical fallacies!”

—

Wen Qin’s apartment in the city was located near the second ring road, and the surroundings were quite nice. It was a new residential complex, and the population density wasn’t too high.

After Shi Qiu dropped off Rong Yuheng and offered a few parting words, she prepared to take the high-speed train back home.

Rong Yuheng waved to Shi Qiu, saying, “Qiu Jie, be careful on the way back. I’ll send you some big red envelopes for the New Year!”

Shi Qiu, being practical, replied, “I only ask that you behave yourself in the coming year. You don’t need to give me big red envelopes.”

Rong Yuheng scratched his head, attempting to absolve himself of his sins. “A tree desires stillness, but the wind will never cease.”

Shi Qiu glanced at him helplessly. Well, that’s true.

Afterwards, Rong Yuheng and Wen Qin entered the apartment. Upon entering, Wen Qin went to the entrance to put on some slippers but soon wailed, “Darling, mommy didn’t buy cotton slippers!”

Rong Yuheng comforted her, “Mommy, let’s turn on the floor heating. When God closes one door, He always opens another.”

Touched, Wen Qin hugged Rong Yuheng, “You’re right, my darling!”

After she spoke, she dashed into the living room to turn on the floor heating. Just as Rong Yuheng changed into his indoor slippers, he heard her mournful cry again, “Darling, we haven’t paid the bills!”

Rong Yuheng: 

It seemed that God had assigned them to the basement. There was only a door, no windows.

Mother and son shivered as they finished tidying up the room, made the bed, and prepared to settle in. When everything was in order, Rong Yuheng finally took out his phone.

Besides messages from his silly friends, there was also a message from Rong Congyan asking when he would be coming home. Rong Yuheng replied:

【Rong Yuheng】: Mom is back, so I’ll have to spend some time with her these next few days.

【Rong Congyan】: Aunt Wen is back? When did that happen? How about you both come home together?

【Rong Yuheng】: Do you think that’s possible… [sea otter stare]

【Rong Congyan】: …

After ending his conversation with his “Pearl Big Brother,” Rong Yuheng checked his chat with Wen Zhecheng. During the time he hadn’t replied, Wen Zhecheng had been tirelessly sending messages.

【Wen Zhecheng】: I’m home [image] How’s my zaizai? Have you seen Auntie?

【Wen Zhecheng】: The big white goose asked me why I didn’t bring you home [pouting]

【Wen Zhecheng】: [sea otter peeking]

【Wen Zhecheng】: Has the little one had dinner? Please reply when you have time.

Rong Yuheng stared at that “嘛” for a long time—why did it feel like Wen Zhecheng was acting cute?

The big white goose had mentioned before that Wen Zhecheng actually liked to act cute, and it turned out to be true!

【Rong Yuheng】: Ding dong! Your frozen hamster has been delivered.

In less than half a minute, Wen Zhecheng directly called him.

“Hello, pet owner~”

“What’s up, feeling cold?” Wen Zhecheng’s voice sounded magnetic, and Rong Yuheng felt his ears tingling. “Have you arrived home?”

“I’ve arrived, at Mom’s apartment in G City.” Rong Yuheng replied, unable to hold back his tears, and sobbed, “We don’t have slippers here! No floor heating! The air conditioning is full of dust, and it’s not cleaned at all! Pet owner, the new year is so exciting, wuwuwu…”

Wen Zhecheng was both distressed and amused. “Why is it so miserable? What are you having for dinner tonight? You don’t have any food, do you?”

“Given the situation, I doubt it.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Wen Zhecheng’s voice, “Give me your address.”

“Why?” Rong Yuheng was suspicious. “Are you turning into the Snail Princess?”

“I’ll order takeout for you.”

Considering their shared procrastination and indecisiveness, Rong Yuheng didn’t hesitate to send the address. “Thanks, pet owner~”

Wen Zhecheng chuckled. “I’ll hang up first and order food for you guys.”

After ending the call, Rong Yuheng’s heart, which had been frozen by the cold, instantly thawed. He felt like a free bird and flew back to the living room. “Mommy! We have food to eat—Snail Princess is delivering food to us!”

Wen Qin, who was studying the water heater, asked, “What’s a Snail Princess?”

Rong Yuheng looked up at the ceiling and let out a satisfied burp. “She’s a philanthropist.”

“Oh,” Wen Qin said, finally getting it.

…

Today was the last day of the year.

Wen Qin had experienced too much these past few days, so she crawled into bed early, not even reaching ten o’clock. Only Rong Yuheng, who placed great importance on rituals, stood tall in the cold air like a small poplar tree.

Although he was shivering from the cold, he insisted on staying up until midnight to welcome the New Year with friends and family.

At around 11:50 PM, Rong Yuheng opened the group video chat of the Wealthy Heirs and Silly Friends group on WeChat. There were also messages from Bai Tuanzi and members of the STAR-T team sending New Year’s greetings to each other.

Fortunately, he had handed over his Weibo account to his studio, so he didn’t have to manage it himself.

At 11:59 PM, the members of the Wealthy Heirs and Silly Friends group were sitting in a warm and bright mansion, raising their champagne glasses and toasting to the camera. Meanwhile, Rong Yuheng, in a freezing little bedroom that felt like an ice cellar, raised a cup of steaming hot water and wondered about the meaning of life.

When the countdown was nearing its end—28, 27, 26…—Rong Yuheng’s WeChat suddenly received a video call from Wen Zhecheng.

The members of the Wealthy Heirs and Silly Friends group were counting down—13, 12, 11, 10…

Rong Yuheng’s breathing suddenly became rapid.

7, 6, 5…

In the video, Wen Zhecheng’s face appeared. He was wearing casual sleepwear, with his back to the pitch-black night sky outside the window. There was a gentle smile in his eyes. “Zaizai.”

The corners of Rong Yuheng’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up, and he sweetly leaned closer. “Pet owner~”

As the countdown approached its end—3, 2, 1… Zero!

Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng gazed at each other and both broke into smiles. “Happy New Year!”

Whoosh—bang! Suddenly, a magnificent and dazzling firework display exploded in the night sky behind Wen Zhecheng, and it transmitted through the screen to Rong Yuheng, dispelling all the coldness in him.

The first set of fireworks lasted for over a hundred seconds. Rong Yuheng marveled, “It’s so beautiful. I didn’t expect to see such stunning fireworks in the city.”

Wen Zhecheng replied softly, “They’re illegal fireworks. The person who set them off should be caught soon.”

Rong Yuheng’s breath hitched. “…So realistic! So down-to-earth!”

The two of them stared at each other for a while, and in the end, it was Rong Yuheng who gave in first. “Well, I’ll hang up first.”

“Okay, go to bed early. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

After hanging up the phone, Rong Yuheng re-entered the group video chat of the Wealthy Heirs and Silly Friends group. As soon as he entered, everyone exploded, “Rong Son! Where did you go just now? You disappeared at a critical moment!”

Rong Yuheng didn’t change his expression. “The village just got internet access, and my signal cut off.”

“…”

With Wen Zhecheng’s remote care, Rong Yuheng had a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, he was awakened by Wen Qin from his bed.

Wrapped in her own little blanket, Wen Qin crawled out like a mobile chrysalis and arched toward Rong Yuheng’s bed. “Darling! What are we having for breakfast this morning? Did Snail Princess deliver breakfast yesterday?”

Rong Yuheng was forced to get up, yawning and wiping his sleepy eyes. “There’s no Snail Princess today, Mom. We’re both adults now, and we need to learn to be self-reliant.”

Wen Qin, still wrapped up in her blanket, revealed her eyes and said, “I’m not an adult. I’m a little fairy!”

“… Alright, I’ll handle buying breakfast. Leave it to this big man.”

Wen Qin praised him for breakfast, albeit reluctantly. “Darling, you’re a real man!”

…

It was now ten in the morning. The sun was gradually rising, dispelling the morning dew, but the streets still seemed somewhat deserted.

Rong Yuheng exhaled visible puffs of white breath as he stepped out of the apartment. He tried to convert his kinetic energy into thermal energy by stomping his feet vigorously. However, after walking a few meters, his steps suddenly slowed down and eventually came to a halt.

About a dozen meters away, a familiar car was parked. A figure stood by the car, leaning against the door and hesitantly raising their head to look towards the eighth floor of the apartment building.

The sunrise from the front made Wen Zhecheng’s profile appear tall and handsome. He seemed to sense the movement here and turned his head.

Rong Yuheng took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Wen Zhecheng. “Why did you come here…”

Wen Zhecheng looked at Rong Yuheng, his eyes both tense and wistful, with a hint of nervousness and a bit of happiness. He pursed his lips and raised a thermal bag with his right hand.

“I steamed some shumai for you.”

Author’s Note: In case you’ve forgotten, Chapter 33 mentioned it—Rongrong mentioned his criteria for choosing a spouse: being able to get up and steam shumai for him on cold winter mornings is enough.