Chapter 41

Chapter 41 Pregnancy “I miss you so much”

As Zhao Jichuan expected, Han Rao had a fever again that night, and her temperature rose to over 38 degrees in the middle of the night, accompanied by vomiting.

That night, Han Rao knelt in front of the toilet, despairing as she vomited. She knew there was no way she could go to the film set in this condition.

That night, Auntie wasn’t there. Zhao Jichuan, feeling sorry for her, personally cooked porridge and fed it to her.

As soon as Han Rao took two sips, she immediately felt nauseous again. She ran barefoot to the bathroom and almost threw up her bile.

Zhao Jichuan stood behind her, patting her back, and suddenly thought of something, asking her, “Have you had your period this month?”

The moment he asked the question, the bathroom, which had been bustling with activity, immediately fell into a dead silence. Han Rao was already feeling unwell, and being led by the nose like that, she was scared out of her wits.

What does he mean by that question?

Is he suspecting she’s pregnant?

She remembered his previous warning not to do anything clever. Every time they were together, he used protection, yet now he suspected she was pregnant. Wasn’t that implying she had done something behind his back?

Han Rao clutched the fabric at her chest and turned to look at him, tears still welling in her eyes, the corners red.

She quietly watched Zhao Jichuan, waiting for his words of doubt or accusation. But the man’s eyes were deep, his facial expression unreadable, and he simply gently patted her back.

However, once the crack in this topic opened, the atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

It was as if they had touched upon some taboo, and they remained in a stalemate.

Zhao Jichuan couldn’t really say what he was feeling, or why he suddenly asked such a question. Perhaps he thought her constant vomiting and nausea at the sight of food strongly resembled pregnancy. And he spoke without thinking, so he just blurted out the question as he thought it.

After a two-second pause, the nausea in her mouth subsided. Han Rao rinsed her mouth and said with downcast eyes, “It’s already been here.”

She actually wanted to add a few more harsh words, to tell him that she truly didn’t have such convoluted ulterior motives, and that she would never allow her child to be illegitimate.

But these words were stuck in her throat, and with a choke, she couldn’t utter them no matter what.

She had no strength, so she leaned against the wall to stand up and told him, “Don’t worry, there’s no way I’m pregnant.”

Zhao Jichuan couldn’t describe the feeling in that instant; looking at her frail back, he only felt heartache. Of course, he realized he had misspoken; he had known it the moment the words left his mouth. He had remained silent, simply curious about her reaction.

Her performance was excellent, perfectly aligning with his definition of “sensible,” yet he felt uncomfortable, even a hint of irritation clouding his brow.

Seeing Han Rao about to leave the restroom, Zhao Jichuan immediately stood up and picked her up.

Han Rao felt weak all over, severely dehydrated, and couldn’t even struggle. She had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and heard him explain, “I just thought your symptoms just now were very similar to my mom’s when she was pregnant with Yueyue, so I just casually asked. Raorao, I didn’t mean anything else, don’t overthink it.”

Han Rao heard his words and nodded slowly, not bothering to dwell on it or pursue it further.

He had already explained, so it would be meaningless for her to dwell on it further. Han Rao was always very clear-headed; she knew what to fuss about and what not to. Pregnancy was a landmine in this relationship, and it was best not to mention it.

Zhao Jichuan placed her on the sofa, then turned to get one of his jackets to put over her. He said, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

This time, Han Rao didn’t refuse, because she thought Zhao Jichuan was taking her to the hospital to check if she was pregnant, and if so, when to abort the child.

Unexpectedly, he took her to the hospital simply to give her an IV drip.

As Han Rao lay on the hospital bed, receiving the IV, she still felt like she was dreaming. She looked dully at Zhao Jichuan, who was sitting beside her, and her lips moved, but she didn’t know how to ask.

The man seemed to guess what she was thinking. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, “Raorao, I didn’t doubt you, and I’m willing to believe what you say. What I need to explain is that my original intention in asking you that was out of concern.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded gently at her.

Han Rao fell asleep soon after the IV drip began. Zhao Jichuan watched her IV bag while pondering his thoughts. In truth, he wasn’t that malicious; even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. If she were truly pregnant, it wouldn’t be bad to let her keep the child.

But in a flash, he dismissed this absurd idea; it was simply too ridiculous.

First, he’s from a prestigious family, so wouldn’t it be a joke if he had an illegitimate child before marriage?

Secondly, he knew that given Han Rao’s fiery temperament, even if there were something, she wouldn’t keep it.

Fortunately, this was just a hypothesis, with no possibility of becoming a reality.

The man rubbed her cheek with his fingertips again, and gently let out a sigh.

It’s just that if someone were to look at him from behind, they would only feel a sense of desolation in his back and movements at that very moment.

The sorrow of a fleeting dream.

　　-

The pregnancy was just a small interlude, and for a long time afterward, they tacitly agreed not to mention it again.

Han Rao was hospitalized for two days due to illness, and then detained at home by Zhao Jichuan for another two days. She only returned to the film crew after she had fully recovered.

When she joined the crew this time, Han Rao clearly felt that her status within the crew had changed.

It was as if she was no longer a nobody, without works or connections, and even the director and other actors she was working with for the first time showed her more care. They didn’t make her the center of everything or pay excessive attention to her, but rather, their attitude towards her was gentle, even somewhat awestruck, during their interactions.

This subtle change was caught by Han Rao.

Han Rao didn’t need to guess to know that all of this wasn’t due to the successful portrayal of Princess Yueyang in the drama she had just aired. Instead, it was because ever since she and Su Wan caused a stir on the hot search, everyone in the industry vaguely knew that she had a powerful backer.

Han Rao knew that perhaps the fact that she was kept by Zhao Jichuan would never be exposed online, but people in the industry would definitely spread the word like wildfire

Wen. Besides, she understood Su Wan’s personality; having suffered a silent loss at the dinner party, she would definitely exaggerate and badmouth her to others.

Those in the industry might not know the identity of her powerful backer, so they treated her with humility and friendliness.

Han Rao thought this feeling was quite strange, like when a new student joined the class in junior high who happened to be the child of a school leader, and was always given special attention by the homeroom teacher.

She couldn’t quite tell if she liked or disliked this feeling.

If it were before, she would definitely be disliked, because she was aloof, arrogant, and extremely self-respecting.

In recent years, life has, on the contrary, worn down my edges, and my spine has gradually bent.

Fortunately, Han Rao had a good mindset. She didn’t care what others thought of her, as long as they didn’t deliberately bully or target her. She treated the actors she worked with in the crew like colleagues, only communicating during work and returning to the hotel to attend to her own matters as soon as filming wrapped.

Mutually undisturbed.

Finally, one day, Qin Yunqian couldn’t help but ask her during dinner after work.

Qin Yunqian plays the second male lead in this drama and is the actor most familiar to the entire crew and Han Rao. After all, the two had collaborated before, and both were their debut works, so they had a revolutionary friendship. Moreover, Qin Yunqian is a decent guy; the last time her drama aired, he even silently helped her repost on Weibo to promote it.

Caption: Support Little Iris’s play!

“Little Iris” is the character played by Han Rao in “The Sea of First Love,” and the male lead, played by Qin Yunqian, liked to call her that in the show.

Because of Qin Yunqian’s actions, many of his former CP fans started shipping them again.

Han Rao saw the Weibo two days late, so she specifically sent him a WeChat message to thank him. Qin Yunqian sent two cute dog emojis at the first time, one saying “You’re welcome” and the other saying “Keep up the good work.”

Qin Yunqian was such a sincere person; everything he did came from the heart, without seeking personal gain.

This time, Han Rao was truly happy to be able to collaborate with Qin Yunqian again on set.

Han Rao remembered that day they were eating hot pot, each with their assistants, sitting around the wooden table.

Vivi had a good personality and quickly hit it off with Qin Yunqian’s assistant. While they were having hotpot, they somehow brought up wanting to mix some drinks. They immediately agreed and decided to go to the supermarket downstairs to buy some Jiang Xiaobai, Water Soluble C, and ice.

Vivi said that she often drank like this with her roommates when she was in college, and this time she was determined to show off her skills and mix two drinks for everyone to try.

And so, only Han Rao and Qin Yunqian were left at the table.

Qin Yunqian added meat to the pot with serving chopsticks while chatting idly with Han Rao. Their conversation mostly revolved around reminiscing about the past: their first play, embarrassing moments during movie promotions, and then their first time trending on Weibo.

Qin Yunqian said with emotion, “We were all pretty silly back then, glued to Weibo, refreshing it every now and then to see if the trending topics had moved up a spot.”

Han Rao also smiled and said, “Indeed, he’s a bit silly.”

Following up on this topic, Qin Yunqian naturally brought up the trending topic involving her and Su Wan, jokingly asking, “Everyone says you have a backer. How much truth is there to that?”

The steam from the hotpot swirled before her eyes, Han Rao’s eyelashes fluttered, and the piece of涮肉 she was holding slipped into her bowl.

She lowered her eyes, feeling a little uneasy. It was uncomfortable to be exposed, and she was a little embarrassed, but then she hid her emotions and smiled.

Han Rao wasn’t at all harsh about Qin Yunqian’s rashness and abruptness. She could tell it was just a joke by looking at the smile on the man’s lips.

Qin Yunqian most likely didn’t believe the rumors within the industry; otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked in front of Han Rao, directly going for a full-frontal assault, making both of them awkward.

But it was clearly just a joke, yet it still unexpectedly tugged at her heart.

She knew that her strong self-esteem and ill-timed arrogance were acting up again.

Han Rao put down her chopsticks, her elbows resting on the table. Her expression was a mix of nonchalance as she raised an eyebrow and said, “Then how much truth do you think there is to this matter?”

Qin Yunqian chuckled, disdainfully saying, “Zero percent.”

He spoke with such certainty, digging a bottomless pit in her heart, leaving only dust. If one looked closely, there was nothing left but ruins.

Qin Yunqian shook his head and told her, “Our circle is just like this, full of gossip. A single drop of water can be exaggerated into a huge storm.” He added some of Han Rao’s favorite vegetables to the pot and continued, “I know you’re not that kind of person. If you were, you wouldn’t have been treated like that by Lin Siliang back then…”

Qian Yunqian was too straightforward and blurted out the name. Annoyed, he slapped his left cheek and said, “Well, I’m drunk before I even started drinking. Just pretend I’m talking nonsense.”

Han Rao smiled very freely, picked up her chopsticks to get some food, and told him to eat more, which would shut him up.

Qin Yunqian agreed with her, picking up a lot of meat for his own bowl.

During that meal, Han Rao ate as usual, not revealing anything out of the ordinary.

The hotpot was still boiling, and the weather was so hot that a thin layer of sweat beaded on the tip of her nose.

After Vivi and the others returned with their purchases, they started mixing drinks. Han Rao initially thought their mysterious talk was about some advanced cocktail-making method, but it turned out to be just mixing Jiangxiaobai with soluble vitamin C and adding a few ice cubes.

Vivi pouted, “Sis, don’t be so quick to judge. This requires skill, mainly in getting the degree just right.”

Her thumb and index finger pinched together, leaving a thin gap.

Han Rao shook her head, lamenting to Qin Yunqian, “We’re really old. When we were in college, these ‘high-class’ things weren’t popular.” She deliberately emphasized the word “high-class.”

Qin Yunqian let out a soft “ah” and said playfully, “I drank it when I was in school too, were you the only one who didn’t?”

Everyone burst out laughing, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

That day, Han Rao truly felt that the cocktails Vivi mixed were good, and she drank several glasses in a row.

As a result, her period came that night, and she lay in bed, writhing in pain.

Vivi quickly apologized, saying it was all her fault for forgetting about Han Rao’s period and adding so many ice cubes to her drink.

Han Rao naturally knew that Vivi wasn’t to blame for this, but her emotions were a bit volatile, so she greedily wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

That night, she huddled in bed with a hot water bottle, and suddenly remembered Zhao Jichuan asking her if she had her period last time. So, on an impulse, she made a video call to Zhao Jichuan.

Perhaps she wanted to prove something, or maybe she was feeling unwell and sought some comfort.

Han Rao thought again that although they were very affectionate when they were together, it was normal for them to not contact each other for ten days or half a month when they were truly apart. Zhao Jichuan had his work to be busy with, and she had her scripts to memorize; they actually had very few common topics.

Both of them had rather aloof personalities, so sharing daily life was out of the question. As a result, their chat history usually consisted of him informing her and asking if she was free on a certain day because he wanted to come over.

Typically, in such situations, the two would spend the night together in his room, and the next morning, she would get dressed and return to the film set, while he would fly back to Beicheng.

This was the mode of interaction they had established, embodying the term “friends with benefits” to its fullest.

The more this continued, the less Han Rao could fathom Zhao Jichuan’s thoughts. She felt that when they weren’t together, all the meticulous care and concern he had shown her were nothing but an illusion.

While Han Rao was still lost in thought, the video call suddenly connected.

At this hour, Zhao Jichuan’s office was still brightly lit, clearly indicating he was busy with work.

He rubbed his temples, his deep eyes looking at the camera, asking her what was wrong.

Han Rao was huddled in bed, her entire face visible on the screen. She shook her head, suddenly unsure what to say or how to answer his question.

After a long pause, she finally blurted out, “Nothing much, just finished work early today, so I was bored and thought I’d bother you.”

Zhao Jichuan glanced at the time; it was already past 9 PM Beijing time. He asked, “Just finished work? Did you have a night shoot today?”

Having been with her for a long time, he understood her work well enough to occasionally drop a professional term or two.

Han Rao said no, “I went to eat hotpot with friends tonight. I just got back, showered, and got into bed.”

“Friends?”

The man just repeated a sentence, without asking for details. It was a long time later that he realized the friend she mentioned was Qin Yunqian.

“No need to memorize lines anymore?” he asked.

Because this drama was taken on at the last minute, Han Rao had no time to memorize lines in advance. So, ever since she joined the crew, she had to memorize lines every day after work.

Zhao Jichuan had heard her talk about this.

Han Rao smiled triumphantly, casually picked up the script lying beside her, showed it to him, and said, “I’ve memorized it all.”

She deliberately drew out the end of her words.

Zhao Jichuan was amused by her, and said, “Since you’ve memorized it all, why don’t you come back and find me tomorrow?”

Han Rao had to admit that at that moment, she was truly captivated by him and was tempted to buy a plane ticket back to Beicheng to find him. She didn’t know why she had this thought, and why it was so strong.

Was it because she was more vulnerable today due to menstrual pain?

Or was it because she unintentionally talked about him with Qin Yunqian today, and she was a bit unsure about the direction of their relationship?

Han Rao froze, and after a few seconds, Zhao Jichuan said, “Just kidding, I’m on a business trip now, not in Beicheng.”

Han Rao felt a little disappointed and nodded dejectedly, convincing herself to just forget it. Even if he were in Beicheng, she couldn’t go anyway, as she wasn’t feeling well.

She suddenly said, “Zhao Jichuan, actually, my period just started.”

She hadn’t gotten checked last time, and now that her period had arrived, she finally wanted to tell him to reassure him that she wasn’t pregnant at all.

“Are you feeling unwell again?” he asked.

Han Rao’s heart was struck by something, and she suddenly laughed, speaking truthfully: “It’s a little bit.”

She didn’t expect that not only did he not understand her subtext, but his first reaction was still to care about her.

She was very touched and talked a lot more with him.

And from beginning to end, Zhao Jichuan seemed to not understand what she was implying, and didn’t mention pregnancy at all.

It was unclear whether he genuinely didn’t understand her underlying meaning, or if he was playing dumb.

The two chatted idly, not knowing what they talked about, and in a blink of an eye, the video duration on the phone showed that it had exceeded forty minutes.

It was quite long, longer than his meeting.

The two probably realized at the same time that the call was made too late.

Han Rao’s phone showed a low battery, so she had to tell him, “Let’s talk another time, I need to hang up now.”

<p>She said she was hanging up, but her body was very honest. With her other hand holding the hot water bottle, she didn’t even touch the hang-up button.</p>

Zhao Jichuan didn’t hang up either; he seemed to be waiting for her to hang up.

A few seconds later, the man broke the silence again, asking her why she didn’t hang up. She didn’t answer, instead looking at the moon outside and playfully asking him why he didn’t hang up.

Zhao Jichuan stood up and walked to the French window, looking at the dazzling lights downstairs. He said, “Raorao, I miss you so much.”

The warm water bottle in Han Rao’s hand slipped, leaving her feeling a bit helpless, yet also a little secretly pleased, because of his words “I miss you.”

This was the first time he said he missed her. Before, when she was in bed, she had coerced and cajoled him into saying it, even feigning coyness to make him say he missed her.

But he just didn’t say it.

Now, he was the active one, completely disarming her, the passive one.

She wondered, how could there be someone who so perfectly matched her sexual preferences?

He was both good and bad, refined and crude, gentle and violent..

Han Rao blinked at the moon and whispered, “I miss you very much too.”

That night, Han Rao suffered from insomnia.

She wanted to know how she could be so greedy, so greedy as to want him to love her.

If in the past Han Rao only dared to express her feelings with “like,” today her heart was completely torn apart, because she realized she wanted him to love her.

But she cared about Qin Yunqian’s question tonight: did she have a backer?

Why the word “patron”? It’s precisely because this relationship is illicit.

Han Rao sighed. She knew this was an unsolvable problem and could only warn herself to stay sober and not truly fall in love with him.

That year she was twenty-four, and had naively thought she could see through the mortal world, but now that idea was falling apart.

Because love itself is an unsolvable mystery, the instantaneous flutter of her heart when she thought of him was a physiological phenomenon she couldn’t control.

Han Rao raised her hand and slapped herself, muttering, “Don’t be so damn stupid and cheap.”

　　-

This play isn’t a large production; it only took over sixty days to film.

When Han Rao finished filming, it was mid-September, and the weather hadn’t really turned cold yet.

This time, she didn’t go straight back to Beicheng, but returned to her old home in Suzhou. Somehow, being alone while filming always made her homesick, so as soon as filming wrapped, she got a high-speed train ticket to go back and visit.

Later, Han Rao was especially, especially glad about this decision, returning home without any hesitation to see her grandmother and mother.

Han Rao didn’t tell anyone in advance about her coming home. She packed the gold bracelets she had bought for Xu Lianqiu and Su Zhiyu during a previous shopping trip, and then dragged her suitcase home.

When Su Zhiyu heard the doorbell and opened the door, she saw Han Rao, whose eyes widened in shock. The old lady, while scolding her for not giving notice and not saying anything about her return in advance, held her hand and doted on her, saying how she looked thinner again.

Every time she returned home, Su Zhiyu would say she had lost weight. Han Rao knew this wasn’t very credible, so she just laughed it off.

Han Rao pulled her suitcase into her bedroom, then sat down with Su Zhiyu to watch Hebei Bangzi. Su Zhiyu was getting on in years, and besides going out for walks, she loved watching operas. When she was young, she loved listening to Kunqu and Peking Opera, and occasionally Huangmei Opera. Hebei Bangzi was a recent fascination, and the one playing on TV was “Baolian Deng,” which tells the story of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to rescue his mother.

Han Rao asked her why she was listening to Hebei Bangzi. Su Zhiyu patted her hand and, mimicking the younger generation, said, “You have to keep trying new things.”

Han Rao teased her, deliberately saying, “Then I’ll put on a cartoon for you.”

The old lady quickly shook her head and said, “I can’t make heads or tails of this thing.”

Han Rao smiled, went back to her room, opened her suitcase, took out the bracelet she bought, then sat mysteriously on the sofa, and told her grandma to close her eyes.

Su Zhiyu pouted, then tapped her forehead. “What’s with the mystery?”

Han Rao took her right hand and put the gold bracelet on her wrist.

Grandma wore a gold bracelet on her left hand, one that Grandpa bought for her when he was still alive. At that time, their family wasn’t particularly wealthy, but Grandpa saved up some money and bought it for her. Han Rao remembered this scene vividly; she was still young then, Grandma’s hair hadn’t turned white yet, and she was as happy as a child when she put the gold bracelet on her wrist.

Su Zhiyu opened her eyes and looked at the gold bracelet on her wrist in surprise, then suddenly froze.

After a while, she lowered her head and bit the bracelet, saying with a smile, “It’s real.” The old lady weighed it and said, “It’s even heavier than the one your grandpa bought.”

At that moment, Han Rao suddenly found the value of earning money. Wasn’t her going out to film and work precisely for this moment?

She actually bought this bracelet when she finished filming her last drama, but she hadn’t been home, so she only now had the chance to give it to Su Zhiyu.

I don’t know if it was psychological, but Zhao Jichuan once gave her a card. She could brazenly use that card to buy clothes and bags for herself, but she didn’t want to use the money in it to buy things for her family.

The pure gold bracelet now on her grandmother’s wrist, though only a little over forty thousand yuan, was less than a fraction of the cost of a single bag Zhao Jichuan casually gave her. But this money was all earned by herself, and it was very clean.

Su Zhiyu was only happy for a moment before she started to scold her again, “It’s not easy to earn some money, and you’ve spent it all on me, an old woman.”

Han Rao smiled softly and snuggled into her arms, “I also bought one for my mom, for the two of you to spend.”

“Then your mom will definitely be overjoyed when she gets off work and comes back.”

Han Rao’s nose felt a little sore. She quietly listened to the babbling singing on the TV, but she didn’t understand a single line of what was being sung.

Han Rao always felt that it was not easy for Xu Lianqiu to raise her without taking a penny of child support from Old Han. Over the years, as an orphan and a widow, they had been bullied a lot, but Xu Lianqiu still raised her very, very well. When she was a child, she liked to dance, and her dance classes were never interrupted. Xu Lianqiu never hesitated when it was time to pay.

She always felt guilty all these years, and would slowly repay her in the future.

Xu Lianqiu and Su Zhiyu cherished her as a treasure, protecting her very, very well, hoping she would suffer less.

But her naive self, upon entering society, was immediately beaten down, experienced the wickedness of human nature, and was no longer herself.

They also taught her well, teaching her to be a kind and upright person.

But if they knew about her illicit relationship with Zhao Jichuan, what would they think?

Han Rao closed her eyes and hugged Su Zhiyu even tighter, vowing that she absolutely could not let her grandmother and mother know about the bad things she had done outside.

In the evening, Xu Lianqiu got off work, and the three of them went to a restaurant, ordering several authentic Suzhou dishes.

Not long after dinner started, Zhao Jichuan sent her a WeChat message, asking her why she suddenly thought of returning to Suzhou.

Han Rao explained to him that she suddenly felt a bit homesick and planned to stay for a week before returning. Zhao Jichuan said that was perfect, as he would also be returning to Beicheng in about ten days to half a month, and they could meet again then.

The two gradually started chatting more after Han Rao impulsively video-called him last time. For example, he told her in advance about his trip to New York this time.

Han Rao felt this was similar to reporting itineraries to each other, a rather strange feeling.

Just like that, she held her phone and chatted a few more words with Zhao Jichuan, her lips curving upwards uncontrollably during the conversation.

Su Zhiyu caught her micro-expression, nudged Xu Lianqiu with her elbow, then cleared her throat and said, “Yingying, who are you chatting with?”

Han Rao immediately turned off the screen and placed her phone face down on the table. “No one? Let’s eat.”

Su Zhiyu blinked, keenly remarking, “A-Ying isn’t going to bring me back a grandson-in-law, is she? My four generations under one roof will soon be a reality.”

Of everyone in the family, Su Zhiyu was the most concerned about Han Rao’s relationships and marriage. When Han Rao and Xie Yaochen got together, it was because Su Zhiyu accidentally let it slip to her grandmother.

Although Su Zhiyu was older, she had progressive ideas. She encouraged Han Rao to date more when she was young, and to only date handsome men. But if she were to marry, she must find someone with good character and who was also handsome.

Han Rao quickly denied it, raising her cup and taking a sip of water to calm her nerves, “No way, Mom, look outside.”

“Grandma, you’re talking nonsense again. There’s no sign of that happening for me yet. Besides, I’m in the rising period of my career right now, and I want to focus on filming for a few more years. I don’t have any plans for that at the moment.”

Su Zhiyu put some food on her plate, not knowing whether she believed it or not, and just said, “Then you still have to hurry, it’s not easy to have a cute baby when you’re older.”

Han Rao was amused by her absurd remarks, telling her to read less of such content in the future, as it was full of alarmist statements.

Halfway through the meal, Han Rao’s phone rang again; this time it was Han Ting.

As soon as Han Rao answered the phone, Han Ting immediately scolded her for not telling him she was home. “You, my own sister, are as good as useless; you’re not even as good as my Sister Vivi.”

Han Ting only knew Han Rao was home through Vivi’s WeChat Moments. Vivi had posted two train tickets with the caption: “One to Suzhou, one to Harbin.”

“You didn’t come back half a month ago, you didn’t come back half a month later, but you chose to come back at this time. What are your intentions?” Han Ting unleashed a barrage of words.

Because he started school at the end of August, and it had only been half a month since school began. In another half a month, it would be National Day, and he would have a holiday again.

Han Rao disdainfully moved her phone further away and said, “We’re eating. Soon your spit will be all over the food.”

Han Ting’s face alternated between green and red, and he yelled, “Grandma!” at the top of his lungs, “Grandma, help me beat her up.”

Han Ting only stopped when Su Zhiyu raised her hand and patted Han Rao’s arm.

Han Rao outwardly looked disgusted, but she actually loved the atmosphere today, especially the atmosphere at home. She thought, next time she comes back it will be New Year’s, and then Han Ting and the others can play mahjong all night again.

　　-

Han Rao planned to stay in Suzhou for a week, but actually stayed for a full twelve days.

This time, she was eager to return to Beicheng, not because she had work to do, but because the agent contacted her to view a house.

When the last play wrapped, Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan casually mentioned it. Later, she thought about it and realized she really should find a place in advance. Although her current apartment wouldn’t be available until the end of the year, it would take some time to find a satisfactory one.

A while ago, the agent sent her a lot of property listings, but she wasn’t satisfied with any of them. This time, she fell in love with this one at first sight, so she decisively decided to return to Beicheng.

On the second day of Han Rao’s arrival in Beicheng, she went to see the apartment with the agent and signed the contract that very day. She was a decisive person; after signing the contract, she immediately started arranging the move.

Han Rao never in her wildest dreams imagined that this move would bring Zhao Jichuan and Han Ting together.

Everything was completely out of her control.

And Zhao Jichuan actually joked openly with Han Ting, saying, “Then by seniority, you really should call me brother-in-law.”