Chapter 66

The next morning, Pei Ji’an woke up early and stopped Aunt Wu who was on her way to the kitchen, and asked her if anyone had come yesterday.

“That’s right,” Aunt Wu complained. “Huo Xiaoling from next door came over and said some indecent things in front of Nong Nong, trying to stir up trouble. I think she’s up to no good. And that Zhao Xin, Huo Xiaoling said that it was Zhao Xin who asked her to come this time.”

Pei Ji’an’s expression darkened as he nodded. “I understand. She slept late last night. Wait a little before waking her up.”

Aunt Wu agreed, then asked, “Aren’t you staying for breakfast?”

“No, I have something urgent to handle,” Pei Ji’an replied, striding out.

After Pei Ji’an had left, Pei Zheng got up for school. Glancing downstairs, he didn’t see Pei Ji’an. “Grandma Wu, did Dad leave?”

Aunt Wu, carrying a bowl of rice porridge, nodded, “Yes, he just left without having breakfast, saying he had something to attend to.”

Pei Zheng chuckled and, without a care, jumped onto the stair railing, sliding down with ease.

Aunt Wu was startled. “Oh my little ancestor, aren’t you afraid of falling? How could you do something so dangerous?”

Pei Zheng brushed it off with a wave. “It’s okay, Grandma Wu, don’t worry, I’ve been practicing for many years, I won’t fall.”

Still anxious, Aunt Wu shook her head in disapproval. “If you keep doing this, I’ll have to tell your dad.”

Pei Ji’an was Pei Zheng’s weakness. When he heard that Aunt Wu was going to tell Pei Ji’an, he quickly pleaded, “Please don’t, Grandma Wu. We’re allies, you can’t betray me.”

“I won’t say a word if you promise not to do dangerous things anymore,” Aunt Wu replied firmly, demanding Pei Zheng’s oath.

Reluctantly, Pei Zheng raised three fingers, vowing, “I promise never to do dangerous things in front of Grandma Wu again.” I’ll just avoid doing it when she’s watching, he thought.

But Aunt Wu wasn’t easily fooled. “You little rascal, trying to outsmart me? Repeat after me: I’ll never slide down the stair railing again. Say it now!”

Pei Zheng: “…” What’s going on? How could even an old lady be so cunning?

With a defeated sigh, Pei Zheng repeated, “I will never… slide down…”

“Pei Zheng, your letter arrived, and I’ve picked it up for you!” Zhang Kaiping’s voice rang out from outside.

“I’ll go get something.” Pei Zheng rushed out of the house as if he had been pardoned.

Aunt Wu shook her head as he ran off. “That boy.”

“Here,” Zhang Kaiping handed him the letter, curiosity piqued. “How do you have mail from the Northwest?”

“It’s from Laixi,” Pei Zheng replied as he tore open the envelope, scanning the letter quickly. His brows furrowed more with each line, his expression growing serious.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Zhang Kaiping asked.

Taking a deep breath, Pei Zheng explained, “Laixi didn’t go to the Northwest willingly. He initially planned to go to Shanghai to visit his maternal family, but someone knocked him out on the train. When he woke up, he found himself among a group of young students headed to support the Northwest. He tried to get off and return home, but they wouldn’t let him go, even calling him by someone else’s name.”

In the letter, Song Laixi went on to say that it took immense effort to clarify that he was indeed Song Laixi, not the person they thought he was. But even after clearing up the misunderstanding, they refused to let him leave, claiming they would be one person short without him and would have no way to account for it.

Moved by the resilience and commitment of these young people to help the Northwest despite hardships, Song Laixi decided to stay. He suspected his stepmother had arranged for him to be knocked out. Rather than staying in Beijing, constantly guarding against her schemes and struggling against her plots, he figured it would be more meaningful to devote himself to something worthwhile.

It seemed that his stepmother had once again schemed against him, calculating his personality and choices. There was no denying Zhao Xin’s ability to manipulate people’s emotions with extreme precision.

Song Laixi had warned Pei Zheng to be cautious of his stepmother, Zhao Xin, as she was very insidious. Enclosed in the letter was a portrait of the man who had knocked him unconscious.

After he went to the northwest, Song Laixi had constantly recalled the man’s face. Whenever he remembered a detail, he would add it to the sketch. He initially planned to return to Beijing in a few years to slowly track the man down and expose Zhao Xin’s true nature. However, when Pei Zheng mentioned in his letter that he had been attacked by a strange man, Song Laixi sent the sketch, hoping to see if it matched.

Pei Zheng quickly pulled out the portrait from the envelope. The man in the drawing had an honest, simple face—hardly the appearance of a dangerous criminal. Although the night was dark when Lu Nong was attacked, and Pei Zheng couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, he had a strong feeling that this was the man.

“You should head home first.”

Pei Zheng ignored Zhang Kaiping and rushed back inside to grab his school bag before heading out again. This clue was too important, and he needed to deliver it to his father personally.

“Hey! You haven’t eaten yet, where are you going?” Aunt Wu hurried after him and blocked the door.

“Grandma Wu, it’s urgent, really urgent,” Pei Zheng said, breaking free from her grasp, only to find an egg placed in his hand.

“Take this with you,” Aunt Wu said.

“Okay.” Pei Zheng clutched the egg tightly and dashed off.

Aunt Wu sighed and muttered as she walked back into the house, “None of them have eaten breakfast. How can this be? People need food like iron needs strength. Skipping meals just makes you weak. No matter what’s going on, you still need to eat. I’ve been busy since early morning, and now that breakfast is ready, everyone’s gone. What’s the point of all this work?”

Lu Nong came downstairs, yawning and rubbing her back.

“Godmother, what are you grumbling about? Where’s Pei Ji’an and Pei Zheng?” At this hour, both Pei Ji’an and Pei Zheng were usually at the breakfast table, but today there was only food, no people.

Aunt Wu looked up to see Lu Nong standing lazily on the staircase, her large belly in front of her, and she immediately panicked. Rushing over, Aunt Wu helped her down.

“You’re all such trouble, aren’t you? How many times have I told you—if you’re going up, hurry up, and if you’re coming down, hurry down. What are you standing halfway up the stairs for?”

“They went out early in the morning, saying they had something urgent to do.” Aunt Wu emphasized the words “urgent” to express her dissatisfaction.

“Even Pei Zheng has something urgent? What could be so pressing?” Lu Nong couldn’t help but feel curious. It probably wasn’t Pei Ji’an who said it—it was likely Pei Zheng. But what could be so urgent for him?

“I’m just an old woman who nobody listens to. I cook, and no one eats. How would I know what’s so important to them?” Aunt Wu pursed her lips. She seemed so frustrated that even Lu Nong didn’t want to argue with her anymore.

“…”

“Are you mad? Who upset you this early in the morning?” Lu Nong quickly shifted the blame, “It must’ve been Pei Zheng, that rascal. I’ll scold him when he gets back. Don’t be mad.”

Aunt Wu didn’t fall for it. “Don’t blame everything on Xiao Zheng. He’s a good boy. I’m talking about you. How many times have I told you the stairs are dangerous, but you never listen. You’re going to give this old lady a heart attack! Oh, my heart, it hurts…”

Lu Nong: “…” Weren’t you just mad at Pei Zheng for not eating breakfast? Why are you turning on me now?

“By the way, Godmother, you’re holding the wrong side. It’s your left chest,” Lu Nong pointed out.

Aunt Wu’s expression went blank for a moment, and then she quickly moved her hand to her left side. “Oh, my heart! You’ve confused your poor old godmother so much that I don’t even know where my heart is anymore.”

“Godmother, I’m sorry. I won’t upset you anymore, okay?” Lu Nong said helplessly.

“Then swear that you will never again stand halfway up the stairs, wobbling and not coming down.”

Fine, Lu Nong raised three fingers, becoming the second person that morning to make a vow at the breakfast table. “I swear, I’ll never stand halfway on the stairs again. Is that good enough?”

Aunt Wu finally let go of her chest and smiled. “That’s my good girl. Now hurry and eat breakfast, or your porridge will get cold. I’m going upstairs to wake up Huaihuai.”

“You eat first, and call him after you’re done.” Lu Nong suggested, trying to get Aunt Wu to sit down, but Aunt Wu couldn’t stay idle and insisted on going upstairs to call Huaihuai down for breakfast.

Lu Nong had no choice. She was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her, so she could only let her be.

Breakfast consisted of millet porridge, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and cold potato shreds. Each person also had an egg and a glass of milk, while Lu Nong and Huaihuai had egg custard. Aunt Wu had specially prepared a bowl of bird’s nest soup just for Lu Nong.

On the table were plates of red dates, apples, and tomatoes, along with walnuts, peanuts, candied fruits, and roasted soybeans—these were Lu Nong’s usual snacks.

As for coffee and desserts, Aunt Wu had removed them all, leaving no chance for Lu Nong to indulge. Her wardrobe and makeup were strictly managed, prioritizing warmth over style. Even her cosmetics had been confiscated, leaving her only with moisturizing lotions and creams.

Lu Nong knew it was all for the baby’s sake, so she obediently followed Aunt Wu’s instructions, though she occasionally craved sweets and coffee.

After breakfast, Aunt Wu led little Huaihuai and the small white dog downstairs. Huaihuai, as usual, walked up to Lu Nong, patted her belly, and in his sweet voice said, “Good morning, little baby. Be good and obedient today.”

Lu Nong touched Gu Xiaohuai’s soft hair and said, “Good morning, baby.”

Huaihuai answered seriously, “Good morning, Mama.”

Aunt Wu lifted Huaihuai onto the chair and tied a bib around him. “Come on, eat up. Grandma made your favorite egg custard and meat.”

Xiao Bai nudged Aunt Wu’s leg, and Aunt Wu moved aside. “Alright, alright, I know you’re hungry too. I’ll get your food from the kitchen.”

The little white dog quickly followed her into the kitchen.

“Godmother, stop working for a moment and come sit down to eat with us,” Lu Nong called out, pulling out the chair next to her.

But Aunt Wu was stubborn. She pulled out the chair next to Huaihuai instead. “Normally, Pei Ji’an sits in that seat beside you. If I sit there, it just doesn’t feel right.”

Lu Nong: “…” No wonder Pei Zheng never sits in that seat.

After breakfast, Lu Nong took Huaihuai and the little white dog upstairs.

It was rare to have a weekend off, so Lu Nong planned to spend the day painting with Huaihuai.

After Huaihuai’s upcoming birthday, he will turn three years old. He was an early bloomer, curious about everything. A few days ago, Pei Zheng showed off his basketball skills in front of him, and the little guy spent the whole day trying to dribble Pei Zheng’s basketball.

When Lu Nong came home in the evening, she found that Huaihuai’s hands were red from dribbling, but he refused to give up, insisting on mastering it just like his brother.

Pei Zheng ended up causing himself trouble. To stop his little brother from practicing too hard, Pei Zheng had to bring him along every time he went to play basketball.

After just a few days at the court, little Huaihuai could already dribble seven or eight times in a row—quite impressive for a three-year-old.

Painting was something Lu Nong enjoyed. She didn’t know if Huaihuai liked it, but she thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. After giving it a go, she realized that her son, destined to be the top villain in a novel, was indeed talented in many ways. Although his drawings weren’t perfect, they were imaginative and filled with creativity.

A saying came to Lu Nong’s mind: “In the face of talent, hard work is often futile.”

In the study, mother and son each found their own space to draw, quietly working without disturbing one another.

The warm winter sunlight spilled over the desk, illuminating a photo of Lu Nong holding Huaihuai. After drawing for a while, Huaihuai looked up, his attention caught by the photo. He picked up the frame and played with it for a moment. Then, as if remembering something, he opened a drawer, rummaged through it, and pulled out another picture of two people.

“Mama, Uncle, smile.”

“What?” Lu Nong took the photo from Huaihuai. It was the wedding photo of her and Pei Ji’an. After printing it, she had stashed it away among other pictures, never taking a close look at it.

In the photo, Lu Nong stared straight at the camera, while Pei Ji’an gazed tenderly at her from the side, his eyes filled with a silent confession.

Lu Nong froze. At that time, she hadn’t known Pei Ji’an very well.

Snapping out of her daze, she asked Huaihuai, “But no one is smiling in the photo, did Xiaohuai see it wrong?”

Huaihuai shook his head and pointed at the photo of him and his mother. “Mama is smiling, Uncle is smiling.”

Instinctively, Lu Nong looked at the mother-and-son photo, realizing that she indeed smiled at Huaihuai in that picture. But in the wedding photo, Pei Ji’an wasn’t smiling.

So why did Huaihuai say Pei Ji’an was smiling too?

Lu Nong studied the photos closely, and then it dawned on her.

It was in their eyes. The expressions were different, but the gaze in both photos was equally warm.