Give You the World

Strictly speaking, Luo Qiu should have been well aware of Ren Ziling's tricks.

For example, from the tone she used on the phone, Luo Qiu knew that this woman was definitely scheming something strange.

But why did I still come here?

Luo Qiu couldn't make sense of this question at all. From a distance, he saw Ren Ziling waving at him. As for the woman standing beside her in sunglasses and a hat, Luo Qiu didn't care in the slightest who she was.

Similar things had occasionally happened before.

"Luo Qiu! This is my new intern. Cute, right?"

"She's studying piano! I met her while gathering material! Doesn't she look like a delicate, refined young lady?"

"Hmm... a woman three years older is like a treasure! Her age is actually suitable! Most importantly, she and I can get along perfectly! There definitely won't be any mother-in-law conflicts, so go ahead and give it a shot!"

That was more or less how it went: the face of a matchmaker with a nauseating smile plastered across it.

"Luo Qiu, hurry up, hurry up! Come over here!"

Luo Qiu eventually walked up to Ren Ziling. She hurriedly grabbed his hand and said, "Come, come, come. Today, I'll introduce you to one of my best friends from university!"

There was really nothing left to say, and he had no intention of leaving the other woman with a good impression that might give Ren Ziling the illusion that there was room for development. Boss Luo sighed and said, "...You don't even spare your own classmates?"

Ren Ziling froze, then immediately understood. She clicked her tongue and said, "What are you thinking, you brat? Even if I had that intention, she might not even like you!"

The woman beside her suddenly lowered her sunglasses a little. "Zi Ling, this is?"

"I told you, I'm letting you meet my son!" Ren Ziling said proudly. "Ta-da! This is my son, Luo Qiu. How is he? Handsome, right?"

"Your... son?!!"

"Oh, I see... He's your husband's son."

Tu Jiaya shook her head and looked at the young man being left to one side. In fact, she had pulled Ren Ziling aside to ask about it so she could get a clear understanding of the situation.

"I only knew that you suddenly got married, but I didn't know it was..." Tu Jiaya trailed off.

Ren Ziling waved it off. "In a lifetime, you'll always meet one or two people worth making sacrifices for, right? I don't regret it, and I don't feel miserable now. I told you just now, too. These days, I just want to work hard and raise my son."

"...Your son is already grown."

"That's different!" Ren Ziling said earnestly. "Raise a child for a hundred years, and worry for ninety-nine! His real mother can worry for ninety-nine years, but I've missed more than a decade! What a loss!"

Tu Jiaya was stunned, then laughed. "Forget it. I knew you weren't the sort of person who could settle down and behave. Rather, the you now is still the same you."

Ren Ziling smiled slyly. "What did I do? But... didn't someone happen to say she wanted to hug my son? Would you like to hold him?"

Tu Jiaya rarely blushed. If he had really been a child, naturally there would have been no problem. But he was clearly already a grown man.

She spat, "You already have a child and you're still his mother, yet you still love teasing people like this?"

"Be reasonable! I haven't even crossed the age of thirty yet. What's wrong with me being mischievous and adorable?"

Perhaps it was precisely that explosive, vigorous personality that had attracted her back then. Under Ren Ziling's encouragement, perhaps that was even what had led her onto the path of music.

The two women chatted and laughed.

Although Boss Luo didn't feel any displeasure at being left out—in fact, he happened to be under the shade of a tree, so he was enjoying the coolness—he watched with interest as the two women basked beneath the sun.

Come to think of it, aside from the girls who occasionally appeared beside Ren Ziling and whom she tried to set him up with, Luo Qiu had never met any of Ren Ziling's old friends.

Even regarding her family situation, all he knew was that she was an orphan.

She had said that because she was an orphan, she hoped to have a family of her own.

The words "family" carried a great weight for Luo Qiu.

Yet this woman had ultimately managed to move him and make him regard her as true family.

Boss Luo couldn't help recalling that day of endless drizzle. Even now, he couldn't understand why the rain had fallen so appropriately.

It was the day his father was buried.

From the moment they learned of his death to the handling of the funeral arrangements, Ren Ziling had taken care of practically everything alone. During that period, Luo Qiu had essentially locked himself in his room. When he was hungry, he ate the food left outside the door; when he was tired, he lay down and slept. He had no idea whether it was day or night.

He hadn't shed a tear. His father had said that a true man shed blood, not tears.

After the funeral ended and he had said farewell to everyone who came to pay their respects, Luo Qiu felt as though all his strength had been drained. He wandered aimlessly through the streets.

He didn't know where he should go, but simply and mechanically moved his legs forward... not toward anywhere his father had once taken him, nor anywhere that held beautiful memories. Simply... forward.

Yet from beginning to end, Ren Ziling followed behind him.

He walked through the park, and Ren Ziling walked through the park as well. He crossed the pedestrian overpass, and she crossed it too. He stopped by the river, and Ren Ziling stopped with him.

Until he could no longer walk and collapsed onto the ground.

At that time, Luo Qiu thought, If I fall like this, it will probably hurt a lot, right? Father said that a man sheds blood, not tears. So if I could bleed now, maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

But the expected pain never came. Ren Ziling embraced him from behind.

That embrace gave him everything.

"Are you tired? I'll take you home, all right?"

Luo Qiu said yes. His nose stung, and in Ren Ziling's arms, he finally cried.

"Didn't you fall seriously ill afterward and make me take care of you?"

The memory ended, and the warmth in his heart made Luo Qiu smile unconsciously.

Just then, Ren Ziling finally brought Tu Jiaya over by the hand. The moment she arrived, she asked, "Brat! What are you smiling about?"

Luo Qiu shook his head. "Nothing... I've come here. Can I leave now?"

Ren Ziling planted her hands on her hips. "No! My old friend is here. Can't you show me some respect?"

Luo Qiu sighed, then suddenly looked at the woman beside her. "Please don't take it personally."

Ren Ziling froze. Luo Qiu's parental tone had thoroughly irritated her, and she was just about to explode. Unexpectedly, Tu Jiaya suddenly let out a laugh and said, "It's fine. I should get used to it before you do."

Luo Qiu nodded. "That's good."

Tu Jiaya nodded lightly.

Ren Ziling couldn't let it go. She immediately shouted, "Damn... What do you two mean, acting like parents meeting each other?"

Luo Qiu simply exchanged a smile with the woman whose name he still didn't know.

"Sis! So you're here!"

At that moment, a young woman came running over. She grabbed Tu Jiaya's hand and panted, "Honestly, I asked KingKong, and he said you told him not to follow you! How could you be so reckless? What if something happened... Who are these two?"

Tu Jiaya had no choice but to look at Ren Ziling. "This is my younger sister, Tu Jiaqing. She means no harm; she's just a little worried about me. Mm... Jiaqing, this is my old classmate. We happened to run into each other here, so we're catching up."

Tu Jiaqing nodded. "Oh, I see... By the way, the director said we can start filming!"

Tu Jiaya nodded. "Zi Ling, let's find some time to have a proper meal together soon. I have to get to work now."

"Go ahead," Ren Ziling said casually.

Tu Jiaya nodded and looked at her sister. "Did you bring the script? I want to read it again."

Tu Jiaqing hurriedly took the script from her bag. The two of them walked away, one reading the script and the other bustling around taking care of things.

"Jiaya's sister is so sensible. Ah, if only someone else were this sensible too~" Ren Ziling muttered, waving both hands.

Luo Qiu rolled his eyes. "Someone who's already thirty shouldn't act cute."

"Damn!"

Luo Qiu shook his head. "Besides, just because something looks good doesn't mean it's good."

"What are you even talking about? Why does this sound like the sour stench of someone comparing himself to another family's child?" Ren Ziling asked with a sly smile.

Luo Qiu checked the time. "Tu Jiaya is about to start filming. Don't you need to take photos?"

"Huh? I just remembered. I don't think I ever introduced her to you..." Ren Ziling had barely finished speaking when she suddenly realized. "Her sister is Tu Jiaqing, the director, the script... Hmm, you've got pretty good observational skills, brat!"

She shook her head. "I wasn't actually planning to report on any of that. I only heard that she had recently come back and suddenly felt like seeing her, so I came over."

Luo Qiu nodded. "There's a restaurant nearby. We could also go to the canteen."

"The canteen!"

"Then let's go."

Ren Ziling was never lacking in enthusiasm. She pushed Luo Qiu from behind and started running. "Let's go! Oh, right! What do you think of Jiaya's sister?"

Luo Qiu... Boss Luo felt that things might have been better if he hadn't once cried in this woman's arms.

"Master, what are you listening to?"

You Ye brought a freshly brewed pot of fruit jam tea to Luo Qiu.

Luo Qiu removed his earphones and handed them to You Ye. ""Give You the World," Tu Jiaya's song. Do you know it?"

You Ye shook her head, but still put on the earphones and closed her eyes, listening intently. Before long, the Maid doll began softly humming the melody she heard.

Luo Qiu took a sip of tea. Amid You Ye's humming, the tranquil club became even more peaceful.

That tranquility was shattered the instant the bell rang.

With You Ye's assistance, Luo Qiu put on his mask. "Welcome to the Trafford Buyers Club."

But the person he saw was Tu Jiaya's younger sister... Tu Jiaqing.

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P.S. Give me your recommendation votes =.=