7

The man in front of her wore a crisp white shirt and a Hu City–brand tourbillon watch. From his appearance to his aura, everything about him screamed not your average guy.

Whether or not he was a viable target, scoring some goodwill points with a man like this was absolutely necessary.

Instant face change—Peking opera level.

Tong Xuelu immediately clutched her head and hissed in pain, while apologizing in a sweet flurry: “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to push you! Are you okay?”

“I should be the one apologizing. Is your head alright?”

Wen Rugui had steadied himself and taken a step back to put some space between them.

His voice was low and rich, with a pleasant texture to it—though his tone was so flat, it was impossible to read his emotions.

Tong Xuelu shook her head. “I’m fine, really. You looked like you were in a hurry, probably had something important to do. Don’t worry about me—I promise it’s nothing.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, like cotton candy, the last note honeyed and light. Her words were the very image of empathy and understanding.

Wen Rugui instinctively looked down.

His gaze traveled lower—from the crown of her head, past her smooth forehead, finally landing on a pair of misty almond eyes.

Behind her, a grey wall caught the sunlight, casting a faint glow around her like a spotlight. Her skin was fair and delicate, almost porcelain-like. A loose strand of hair fell beside her temple, and just beneath her eye sat a small beauty mark, glowing red against the light—like a drop of dew on a petal.

Wen Rugui’s eyelashes trembled faintly as he looked away.

“I truly apologize. I do have something urgent to take care of, so I won’t be able to accompany you to the hospital. But I can give you my number—if there are any medical expenses, I’ll take care of them. How does that sound?”

Tong Xuelu was thrilled—that was surprisingly easy. He just handed over his contact information without a fight!

She hadn’t even had the chance to refuse all delicate and demure, when suddenly—

Tong Mianmian ran over and clung tightly to her leg.

The little dumpling’s eyes were brimming with tears. She was clearly terrified, but still tried to comfort her sister with a trembling voice: “Sister’s not hurt, right? Mianmian will blow on it for you!”

Tong Xuelu quickly scooped her up and gently patted her back. “Sister’s okay. It doesn’t hurt one bit, promise.”

Mianmian’s big eyes shimmered with tears. She pressed her tiny hand to her chest and sighed like a little adult. “If Sister’s not hurting, then Mianmian can finally relax.”

What a sweet little angel.

Tong Xuelu’s heart practically melted. She looked up again, green tea-energy at full blast. “Comrade, it really was just a minor bump. There’s no need for compensation.”

Behind her, the tall wall blocked part of the sun, casting long shadows—but a ray of light still hit his face just right. His thick, dark lashes stood out one by one, their shadows falling delicately across his lower lids.

He had stood there the whole time, patiently waiting in the summer heat as she comforted the child.

But it seemed the man had already made up his mind. Without a word, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and began to write.

His hand was elegant and steady, fingers long and well-proportioned. His nails were neatly trimmed, with a faint healthy pink. Hands like that—he had to be either a pianist or a doctor.

Tong Xuelu silently tried to guess his profession.

The man finished writing, tore off the sheet of paper, and handed it to her. “Please—take this.”

This time, Tong Xuelu didn’t pretend to be reserved. She accepted the note without hesitation.

A quick glance revealed a string of numbers and a name. Her gaze landed on the three characters: Wen Rugui.

The handwriting was bold and controlled, exuding strength and poise. Refined, but not showy.

Tong Xuelu held the slip between her fingers and looked up with a soft smile. “Well then, I’ll be sure to contact Comrade Wen if anything comes up.”

“I truly apologize again.”

Wen Rugui gave one last apology before turning and striding away.

Tong Xuelu turned as well, her eyes drifting down to his long legs as he walked off.

Whistle. Now those were some legs.

Just then, Tong Mianmian tugged on her sleeve, her wide eyes fixed on the ground.

“Sister, look!”

Tong Xuelu followed her line of sight and glanced down—there, lying on the ground, was a small red booklet, no bigger than a palm.

She set the little dumpling down and bent to pick it up. Flipping it open, her eyes widened—

It was an entry pass.

The information on the pass read:

Organization: Base Research Center
Name: Wen Rugui
Age: 25
Position: Research Staff
Hometown: Beijing
ID No.: 1-3177

Next to it was a black-and-white photo. Wen Rugui looked a bit younger in it, with a trace of youthful awkwardness—but those eyes were as deep as ink.

Tong Xuelu’s eyes paused on two lines: Base Research Center and Research Staff.

She’d guessed he wasn’t just some average guy… but she hadn’t expected this level of not-average.

Thinking of how rushed he had seemed earlier, she wondered if losing this entry pass would get him into trouble. She quickly stood up and ran after him—but she was a step too late.

Wen Rugui had already gotten into a sleek black sedan and disappeared down the road.

In 1976, a car like that was flashier than a modern-day supercar.

Yup. Certified rich, smart, and handsome.

She slipped the pass into her bag, deciding she’d figure out how to return it after handling her own business.

Mother Tong was in the middle of sighing and pouring out her woes to the deputy director of the Women’s Federation when a knock came at the office door.

A clerk stepped in. “Director Tong, your daughter’s here—she’s waiting outside.”

Mother Tong blinked, caught off guard. “Which daughter?”

The clerk scratched under his eye awkwardly. “The first one—Comrade Tong Xuelu.”

Mother Tong let out a surprised “Ah?” and didn’t move until the deputy director nudged her. Only then did she bolt out the door.

When she saw her daughter, she finally believed it. “Xuelu! You’re really here? Where did you come from? Child, you didn’t even say a word before leaving yesterday—your father and I were worried sick all night!”

Then her eyes drifted to the little girl standing beside her. “And this child is…?”

Tong Mianmian, hiding behind Tong Xuelu’s legs, peeked out with just half her tiny head. But the moment her eyes met Mother Tong’s, she shrank back like a startled bunny.

Tong Xuelu chuckled. “This is my little sister. Mianmian, say hi to Auntie.”

Technically, Tong’s eldest grandson was older than Mianmian by half a year. Based on age alone, Mianmian could have called her grandma—but that would’ve made the family tree a complete mess.

Mianmian slowly peeked out again, her big eyes sparkling. In a soft, shy voice, she said, “Hello, Auntie~”

“Oh, what a sweet girl! So well-behaved! Auntie’s got candy for you.”

Her milky little voice was soft and sugary-sweet, instantly melting Mother Tong’s heart. She pulled two candies out of her pocket and handed them over.

Mianmian didn’t dare take them until Tong Xuelu gently told her it was okay. Only then did she accept them with both hands.

Tong Xuelu handed over the pastries she brought, then linked arms with her mother.
“Mom, I came back to see you, and also to transfer my household registration.”

“You’re already here—no need to bring anything.” But when she heard the second part, Mother Tong’s smile faded. “You’re really moving your registration?”

Tong Xuelu nodded. “Mom, I know you don’t want me to go. I don’t want to leave you and Dad either. But I really can’t live under the same roof as Tong Zhenzhen.”

Mother Tong let out a long, heavy sigh.

Tong Xuelu leaned against her mother’s shoulder, acting playfully clingy.

“Mom, don’t be like this. Even if we’re not living together anymore, you’ll always be my mom. I’ll still come visit you and Dad whenever I can.”

“You said it—you better keep your word and visit us often,” her mother replied.

Tong Xuelu nodded quickly, then shifted the topic.

“Mom, I’m in a bit of a rush to get my household registration sorted. I’ll come back and chat with you later, otherwise they’ll be off work soon and I’ll have to make another trip tomorrow.”

Seeing how anxious she was, Mother Tong offered, “Let me call your second sister-in-law. I’ll have her get everything ready, so when you arrive, you can handle it right away.”

“Thanks, Mom!”

Besides reconnecting, Tong Xuelu had also come hoping her mom could help move things along with the registration.

Cai Chunlan, her second sister-in-law, worked in the Public Security Bureau doing administrative work—specifically dealing with household registrations.

It wasn’t that Tong Xuelu thought Cai Chunlan wouldn’t process it, but given their past friction, some petty delays and passive resistance were almost guaranteed. And time was running out—things at the Tong household couldn’t be stalled any longer.

Once her mom finished the call, Tong Xuelu got ready to head to the police bureau with Tong Mianmian, only to be stopped again.

“You’re not planning on bringing the child all that way, are you? It’s a long walk, and it’ll be hard to manage her. Why not leave her here? I’ll look after her.”

Tong Xuelu paused. Her mother had a point.

The walk to the Public Security Bureau would take over an hour, and Mianmian was still little—she wouldn’t be able to walk that far, and carrying her the whole way wasn’t realistic either.

If she didn’t bring Mianmian, she could borrow a bicycle and ride there, saving a lot of time.

Still, she turned and asked the little dumpling gently, “Mianmian, Sister has to go handle some things. Do you want to come with me, or would you rather stay here and wait for me?”

Mianmian blinked her big eyes and tilted her head. “Mianmian will wait here like a good girl for Sister to come back.”

She had understood what Auntie said earlier. She was a good kid—she wouldn’t make things harder for her sister.

Tong Xuelu reached out and gently tousled her little pigtails.

“Mianmian is such a good girl. Stay with Auntie and don’t run off, okay? Sister will be back very soon.”

The little dumpling nodded obediently.

Tong Xuelu asked her mom to borrow a bicycle from the Women’s Federation, then sped off toward the Public Security Bureau like a whirlwind.

Tong Xuelu arrived at the bureau twenty minutes later.

Thanks to her mother’s advance phone call, even though Cai Chunlan wasn’t thrilled to see her, she didn’t dare give her any trouble.

The only hitch was that the department head wasn’t in, so she had to wait nearly half an hour to get the approval slip.

With that slip, she could officially transfer her registration into the Tong family household.

She folded the document carefully and slipped it into her pocket, then hopped back on the bike and headed home.

Meanwhile, Tong Zhenzhen was on her way to the Women’s Federation office, her face so dark it looked like a scorched pancake.

Tong Xuelu had only gotten into the performing arts troupe because of her connections. Now that she was back, there was no way Tong Zhenzhen was going to let her keep that spot.

What infuriated her most was that the people in the performing arts troupe actually thought she wasn’t as pretty as Tong Xuelu!

They even said her singing was mediocre and her dancing stiff as a board.

She was livid!

As she turned a corner, her eyes widened in shock—then, like a startled chicken, she shrieked, “Tong Mianmian?! What are you doing here?!”

Tong Mianmian jumped in fright. When she saw who it was, her little face went pale.
“Sister Z-Zhen… Zhen …”

“Who are you calling ‘sister’?!” Tong Zhenzhen stormed over and yanked the little girl’s arm.

“Tell me—who brought you here? Was it that bitch Tong Xuelu?!”

Tong Mianmian winced from the pain, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Don’t call my sister that! You’re a bad person!”

Seeing the little brat actually defend Tong Xuelu made Tong Zhenzhen explode like a pufferfish.

That woman—she knew it. There was no way she’d just walk away from the Tong family so easily. She’d just left yesterday, and today she was back with a little burden in tow?

What was she planning?

Whatever it was, Tong Zhenzhen wasn’t going to let her get away with it.

Without another word, she clamped her hand over Tong Mianmian’s mouth and dragged her down a deserted path.

Back at the Women’s Federation, Tong Xuelu spotted her mother pacing anxiously with two staff members, clearly looking for something.

“Mom? What’s going on?”

Mother Tong was so panicked her lips were dry and chapped.

“Xuelu, thank goodness you’re back! Your little sister—Mianmian’s gone missing!”

Tong Xuelu slammed the brakes on her bike and asked sharply, “What happened? How did she go missing?!”

Eyes red and voice shaking, her mother explained everything.

After Tong Xuelu left, she’d noticed Mianmian’s clothes were washed so thin they were almost white. Thinking the child must have it rough at home, she went around borrowing money and ration tickets to buy her something new.

When she left, Mianmian had still been playing by the door. But by the time she returned—she was gone.

They asked the gatekeeper, but he swore he hadn’t seen the little girl leave.

In other words, Mianmian should still be somewhere inside the courtyard.

Tong Xuelu’s face turned grim. There was no point blaming anyone now.

“We split up and search.”

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Tong Xuelu: Tong Zhenzhen, you’re so done for.