"Xiao Jin, do you have time to go out for a meal together? Mommy will apologize to you in person, okay?"
Ren Jin was eating takeout on speakerphone while listening to his mother's heartfelt sobs on the phone.
To be honest, he felt nothing, because he no longer remembered what his mother looked like, only that her name was Huang Qiuyan.
He was less than three years old when she divorced his father, Ren Yayong. The divorce was swift and decisive, and she abandoned him without hesitation. On the day of the divorce, his father sent him back to his grandparents' home in their hometown. Soon after, both of them remarried and started new families, each with their own children. Ren Yayong would visit his grandparents once a year, but Huang Qiuyan never came back to see him, as if she didn't have this son at all.
From the time he was old enough to understand, Ren Jin considered himself an orphan without parents, without love or rules. He grew up with a free and unrestrained spirit. So even now, when facing his own mother, he is very casual in his attitude, showing no affection or respect for her because of blood ties, and he doesn't even politely call her "Mom."
He didn't know why Huang Qiuyan suddenly proposed to meet him after so many years and apologize. Perhaps she was getting old and remembered that she had a son, or perhaps she really felt a little guilty. But Ren Jin felt it was unnecessary and wanted to refuse as soon as he opened his mouth.
But then his mind went blank for a moment, and he suddenly became curious about what Huang Qiuyan looked like. After all, he really had no recollection of her, and besides delivering takeout lately, he had nothing else to do but be a bit idle. So, he changed his mind about refusing, "Okay, when and where do we eat?"
The person on the phone immediately perked up, their voice rising an octave, "Tonight it is! I've decided on the location and will send it to you."
"Okay, no problem."
That evening, Ren Jin changed into a thin suit jacket and black trousers that he hadn't worn in a long time, and drove his Land Rover, which hadn't been driven for just as long, to the restaurant. For the past month or so, he had been delivering food every day, always wearing his delivery uniform and riding his electric scooter; he hadn't used the clothes or the scooter even once.
Ren Jin entered the hotel, thinking Huang Qiuyan must be doing well. He knew this hotel well; he often entertained real estate developers here, and the food was notoriously expensive. Standing at the door of the private room, he wondered why two people needed to book one—it had a minimum charge and a large table. But as the waiter pushed open the door, Ren Jin realized he had been mistaken; there was more than one person inside.
"Xiao Jin, you're here! Come in quickly." The only woman inside, a middle-aged woman, was waving at him.
She must be his mother, Huang Qiuyan, whom he had no recollection of. She had a plump, round face, short, curly hair typical for her age, and wore a dark red dress adorned with concentric circles of sequined patterns. Her figure was as plump as her face. Ren Jin examined Huang Qiuyan's face again, trying to find any resemblance between them, but almost none. He had clearly defined double eyelids, Huang Qiuyan had single eyelids; he had a high, straight nose, Huang Qiuyan had a flat nose. If he had to find a similarity, perhaps it was that they both had thin lips.
To Huang Qiuyan's left sat a bald man, not completely bald, with hair behind his ears and on the back of his head, but the top of his head was bald and thin, unlike Huang Qiuyan who was plump. Next to the man sat two other men, one older and one younger. The older one was probably an adult, either in university or working, but it was unclear; the younger one was probably still in elementary school.
"Xiao Jin, why are you standing here instead of coming in? Come on, come sit here with Mom." Huang Qiuyan patted the empty seat next to her and beckoned Ren Jin over.
Huang Qiuyan stared at Ren Jin, momentarily mistaking him for a younger version of Ren Yayong. Back then, Ren Yayong was a renowned handsome man at school. Although his grades were poor and his family was poor, his good looks attracted a constant stream of girls who sent him love letters. She too was captivated by Ren Yayong's good looks, which is why she insisted on marrying him despite her parents' objections.
With thick, dark eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and sharply defined facial features, Ren Jin and Ren Yayong really look alike.
However, upon closer inspection, Ren Jin is different from Ren Yayong. Ren Jin is more upright and robust, with a height of over 180 cm, a broad and straight body, and a clean-cut forehead under his short hair. Although their facial features are similar, Ren Jin lacks Ren Yayong's slick and roguish air and has more of a sharp and tough masculine aura.
Ren Jin strolled over to Huang Qiuyan. The four of them sat on one side of the round table, while he sat alone on the other side.
"Xiao Jin, let me introduce you. This is Uncle Zhu Xingchang, this is your younger brother Zhu Yifan, and this is your younger brother Zhu Yifeng." After introducing them one by one, Huang Qiuyan turned to her two sons and urged, "Yifan, Yifeng, hurry up and call them 'brother'!"
The eldest son, somewhat woodenly, called out "Brother" expressionlessly. The younger son, however, was much more animated, making a face at Ren Jin before playfully dragging out a distorted "Brother~ Brother~"
It's obvious they just don't want to shout.
Ren Jin couldn't understand why she would bring her current husband and child along when meeting her ex-husband's son. Was she trying to improve their relationship and have a happy family reunion? But wasn't that a zero chance?
Huang Qiuyan scolded Zhu Yifeng, glared at him with a stern face, then turned to Ren Jin with a polite and ingratiating smile, "Xiao Jin, have some tea. This is Huangshan Maofeng tea that your Uncle Zhu specially had brought back. Try it and see if you like it."
Ren Jin picked up his teacup and, seeing the tea was no longer hot, drank it all in one gulp. "I'm just a rough man; I don't know anything about whether it tastes good or not. It's all the same to me."
Huang Qiuyan, ever quick-witted, immediately chimed in, "That's true, all teas are for drinking, they're all the same."
Huang Qiuyan looked at him intently, with the loving expression of a mother, "In the blink of an eye, you've grown so much. You're 30 years old this year."
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