Zhou Ming had settled back into his seat at the desk, the unfinished math paper spread out before him, but his mind was no longer on studying at all.
Wen Ning suddenly asked him a question.
"There's a space museum downtown. Have you ever been?"
Wen Ning had stirred something in Zhou Ming again, but the boy remained stubborn.
"No, and I don't want to go anymore. It doesn't sound that interesting."
He did not even dare look at Wen Ning as he spoke, afraid Wen Ning would spot the anticipation in his eyes.
But who was Wen Ning? A seasoned broker and a big shot in the bathhouse business. The boy's reaction only proved he did not mean what he said.
Wen Ning walked over to Zhou Ming, patted him on the shoulder, and said,
"Don't be so stubborn, kid. If you want to go, then go."
Zhou Ming finally put down his pen.
"My mom won't let me. Just drop it."
"What if I could convince your mom?"
Wen Ning was neither goading him nor making a bet. He sounded as though he were stating something he had already thought through, and in fact, he had already worked out how to handle it.
Zhou Ming finally raised his head and looked at Wen Ning.
Behind those black-framed glasses, his eyes held disbelief and hesitation, but above all, a longing that had been suppressed for far too long.
He bit his lip.
"If you can convince my mom, I guess there's no harm in taking a look. I'll just treat it as a break."
With Zhou Ming on board, Wen Ning moved straight on to the next step.
He headed toward the kitchen.
Ma Lanlan was washing dishes at the sink. When she saw Wen Ning enter, she quickly