Chapter 1 One
Ren Yi forgot to heat up Ren Yunyou's lunchbox again.
She sat blankly at her desk, staring at the computer screensaver, lost in thought.
"Mom, the food is still cold." Ren Yunyou nudged her. "I'll go heat it up."
The little girl put two lunchboxes into the microwave.
"Mom forgot, thank you Yunyun."
He snapped out of his reverie and stroked the ring on his ring finger.
She was thinking of Ruan Mianmian.
She hasn't been home for two months.
The day before Lunar New Year's Eve, he inexplicably said he was going on a trip, and so far he has only sent a few messages to Renyi.
Her words implied that Renyi shouldn't think about her, and that even if she wasn't there, he should take good care of himself and Yunyun.
Is Mianmian in danger?
Renyi was very nervous and even reported the incident to the police, but after understanding the situation, they told her that everything was normal.
She went to the tutoring center where Ruan Mianmian worked to ask, and the teacher in charge said that Ms. Ruan had taken a long leave and would be back in about two or three months.
The microwave oven makes a "ding" sound, indicating the timer has ended.
Ren Yunyou placed the lunchbox in front of Ren Yi.
"You can eat now, Mom." The little girl handed her the chopsticks.
"Yunyun is so good~" Teacher Li, who works in the same office, praised Ren Yunyou for being sensible when she saw this scene.
He casually patted his daughter's head.
She really suffered a lot.
Lately, she hasn't even had the energy to cook, so after get off work she can only take her daughter to her mother's house for dinner.
Ren's mother asked why Ruan Mianmian hadn't come.
"Mommy, she..."
"She's away on a business trip," came the casual reply.
"Do they also have to go on business trips there?" Although Mrs. Ren was puzzled, she didn't think much of it.
Where did Ruan Mianmian go and what happened to her?
She simply couldn't control her wild thoughts.
Of the thirty-odd years of my life so far, thirty have been spent with Ruan Mianmian.
The two went from being close friends to lovers, and they entered society together from their student days. They had rarely been apart for so long.
I'm used to sleeping next to her. When she's not around, I often lie awake in bed until my alarm clock rings.
Aside from teaching students, I spend most of my daytime daydreaming.
"I'm sorry, Yunyun, Mommy has been forgetting a lot of things lately."
"It's okay, Mom. Even though Mommy isn't here, I can still take care of you." Ren Yunyou put a fried egg from the lunchbox on Ren Yi's plate. "Mom, have an extra egg."
Take a bite of the fried egg, and the sour taste melts in your heart.
During the time Ruan Mianmian was away, Ren Yunyou seemed to have grown up.
She shook her head vigorously, deciding to remove Ruan Mianmian from her mind.
"Yunyun, what do you want to eat tonight? Let's go grocery shopping together. Mom will cook when we get home tonight."
Aren't you going to Grandma's house?
"Yes, let Grandma rest."
"Then I want to eat shredded pork with garlic sauce."
"Okay." A faint smile appeared on Renyi's lips.
Fortunately, Ren Yunyou was by her side.
*
Ren Yi was going to take her students home from school today, so she asked Ren Yunyou to wait for her at the school gate after school.
Ren Yunyou skipped and hopped to his post, where he saw a familiar figure among the parents waiting for their children outside the school gate.
"Mommy!" she cried, trying to get the man to stop and wait for her, but he didn't slow down. Ren Yunyou took a step forward and caught up with the figure.
"Mommy!"
"Yunyun?" Ruan Mianmian looked down and saw a pair of small hands hugging her thighs.
"Mommy! Come home with me!" Ren Yunyou grabbed her trouser leg and pulled her towards him.
"Mom misses you so much!"
Ruan Mianmian nervously looked around and hurriedly led her into a small alley next to the school.
"Yunyun, be good. Mommy can't come home for now." Ruan Mianmian squatted down and straightened the backpack strap that had slipped off Ren Yunyou's shoulder. Her well-defined fingers were adorned with the same style of ring as Ren's.
The little girl has grown taller in the two months since we last saw her.
"Why!" Ren Yunyou burst into tears after holding them back for so long, and held onto his mother's hand, unwilling to let go.
Ruan Mianmian tenderly helped her catch her breath and gently wiped away her tear-stained face, but she refused to give her a reassuring answer.
"I want...I want Mommy to come...home..." The little girl cried so hard she could barely breathe. If her mother and mother divorced, she really didn't know who to choose.
Not yet.
Ruan Mianmian bit her back molars.
"If Yunyun misses Mommy, come here after school, okay? Mommy will wait for you here."
"But...Mom, she..."
"Mianmian." A soft female voice interrupted the mother and daughter's conversation.
He stood quietly at the alley entrance, neither moving forward, nor showing any sign of life or questioning.
Her soft hair was gently blown by the wind, and her sparkling earrings swayed.
"Let's go home, okay?"
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