The bodyguard was carrying a bowl of beef dumplings and was about to pour them out when Xu Lu stopped him. He took a bite and squinted his eyes. The taste was pretty good. It shouldn't be a half-finished product. He didn't expect Uncle Zheng to know how to make dumplings. He didn't have to worry about his mother going hungry.
He put his chopsticks aside, opened the tablet on the table, and a photograph came into view. Zheng Tianming sat on a piece of wood, wearing a black shirt, his elbows resting on his knees. In the firelight, his features appeared even more rugged, and his deep eyes were bright and resolute.
This is a screenshot he took from the internet.
Xu Lu opened the camera, his brow furrowing slightly. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but the man looked a bit like... Uncle Zheng?
As soon as Zheng Tianming arrived at his doorstep, he heard two women laughing. He walked in with a sullen face.
"So Brother Zheng was quite interesting when he was little. You two really don't look like twins." Jiang Qiu held a handful of sunflower seeds, her face beaming with undisguised joy.
Xu Mengyu sat in her wheelchair, her fingertips touching Xiaoying's tender face. Seeing Zheng Tianming return, she said to Jiang Qiu, "My brother is back. You two chat. I still have some work to take care of."
Jiang Qiu knew this was an opportunity for her. She stood up, a little embarrassed, and said, "Xiao Ying kept asking for you, so I brought her over." Her meaning was so clear; surely he knew?
Xiaoying was overjoyed to see Zheng Tianming and ran straight to him, hugging his leg: "Uncle Zheng."
"Xiaoying, do you want some dumplings?" Zheng Tianming was holding back a surge of anger.
Only Xu Mengyu would do something like finding a new boyfriend for her ex-boyfriend.
Xu Mengyu closed the bedroom door. It wasn't that he disliked children, it was that he disliked the child she would give birth to...
Zheng Tianming placed a plate of dumplings on the coffee table: "Let your mom feed you." After saying that, he turned and went into the bedroom. Some things just made him angrier the more he thought about them.
Xu Mengyu was lying on the bed with her butt sticking out. Her newly bought laptop had arrived, and she was fiddling with it. When she heard the door open, she turned her head and glanced at it. Anyone who didn't know better would think that she owed him money, because she had a stern face.
Zheng Tianming walked over with a stern face and slapped her upturned buttocks: "You lost your job and became a matchmaker?"
"Hit me again!" Xu Mengyu sat up abruptly, wiping the hair from her face.
It started with bullying people. They came with their children and even gave her pear syrup. Why did she chase them away?
Zheng Tianming lowered his eyes. Xu Mengyu tried to dodge, but was pinned to the bed. She twisted her waist, her peach blossom eyes filled with anger. The next second, a slap landed on her bottom through her pajama pants...
"I'll fight you to the death!" Xu Meng said, her face flushed. She was already holding her breath, and he still dared to provoke her.
However, Xu Mengyu weighed less than 90 pounds in total, and the two had a huge size difference, so Zheng Tianming didn't even have to exert any effort to press her down.
"You told me to hit him." Zheng Tianming's voice was deep.
A fair hand landed on Zheng Tianming's inner thigh: "You bastard, you dared to bully me, I'll fight you to the death." She pinched hard.
Zheng Tianming braced himself on the bed. Seeing the little fool trembling with anger, he bent down and placed his warm lips on her collarbone.
"pain..."
Xu Mengyu let go of her hand and pressed it against Zheng Tianming's chest. He actually sucked on her collarbone, very forcefully!
"Are you still going to be a matchmaker?" Zheng Tianming asked in a hoarse voice.
He held back several times!
"snort--"
Xu Mengyu turned her head away, her lips moving slightly, clearly she was cursing, as if to say, "I did nothing wrong, and I'll do it again next time."
Zheng Tianming squinted, gripped her waist, and lowered his head again. He would never learn his lesson if he didn't suffer a little loss.
This time, Xu Mengyu didn't pinch his thigh, but what she didn't expect was: "..."
How could there be such a strong reaction? It's almost lost its elasticity.
Zheng Tianming held Xu Mengyu's wrist: "I have no such intention. Don't do anything that might cause misunderstandings."
"I'll give you a choice: either let me spank you now, or I'll send a group message complaining about you." Xu Mengyu held up two fingers, her expression even more serious than during a meeting.
You think you can spank her for free? No way!
Hearing the noise, Jiang Qiu knocked twice on the door. Xiao Ying, who was eating dumplings, pushed the bedroom door open forcefully.
Zheng Tianming lay on the bed, and Xu Mengyu sat on his lap, her hands beating like drums, but with her strength, it was more like a massage.
Xiaoying looked up at Jiang Qiu and asked, "What are Uncle Zheng and the others doing?"
Xu Mengyu quickly got off Zheng Tianming: "My brother's back hurts from carrying gas cylinders. He was too embarrassed to say anything when he saw you and your daughter here."
Who knows what Zheng Tianming is busy with all day? He made her act as his younger sister, so she has to keep up the act and not give herself away.
Jiang Qiu hesitated for a moment before nodding. Wasn't it too frivolous for a girl this age to sit on her brother's lap and massage his back...?
But thinking about it carefully, it's normal that their parents both work on construction sites and the two of them have been playing together since they were little, so no one taught them anything.
Zheng Tianming sat up, and the lie came out of his mouth without him even thinking: "I'm going out to deliver the gas right away. Don't open the door to anyone in the house."
“We’re leaving too. I work the afternoon shift, so I’ll go back and pack up.” Jiang Qiu held Xiao Ying’s hand. Although this place hasn’t been very safe in the last two years, nothing bad has happened in the last six months.
There are many patrols nearby, and she even saw several children playing in the neighborhood when she got off work yesterday, so the situation doesn't seem that serious.
Zheng Tianming bent down and picked up the trash at the door: "It's not very safe lately, so don't take the child out around."
"It's alright, I'm holding the child's hand. How could a kidnapper snatch her? If that were the case, none of the kids in this neighborhood would be able to go to school." Jiang Qiu glanced at the tall, handsome Zheng Tianming beside her: "Your sister isn't young anymore..."
Zheng Tianming didn't understand what Jiang Qiu meant. What did his sister's age have to do with her?
Seeing that Zheng Tianming didn't respond, Jiang Qiu continued, "No matter what, you're a man, and she's not married yet. It's not appropriate for her to eat and live with you." She didn't directly say that you two were too intimate, as it could easily lead to misunderstandings.
"If I think it's good, then it's fine." Zheng Tianming said, then stopped and looked at Jiang Qiu: "I don't plan to find a girlfriend, so don't waste your time bringing the child over every day." It's okay during the day, but it's not certain at night.
Now that things were out in the open, Jiang Qiu stopped beating around the bush: "Is it because I've been married before?"
"So what if you've been married? The people who love you don't care. It's my fault for not being able to love someone." Zheng Tianming saw that Jiang Qiu's eyes were red, but he ignored her and walked away.
He seems uninterested in anyone, and the people who do interest him are like idiots, constantly pushing him away.
Xiao Ying looked at her with puzzled eyes, then shook Jiang Qiu's hand: "Mom, I want a lollipop."
Jiang Qiu rubbed her eyes. People were coming and going, and two elderly women with children were watching her, muttering something to themselves. She felt ashamed of being rejected...
Zheng Tianming stood at the security booth for a while: "A new resident has moved into my building?"
"No? There were indeed a few foreigners with a child last night, but they weren't staying upstairs from you." The security guard fell into thought after saying that.
Zheng Tianming lowered his head to take a cigarette, his eyes darkening. There was actually a child living upstairs! Those foreigners did look like troublemakers.
But the more they appear to be wealthy, the more dangerous it becomes...
“I checked, there are no children. I heard a noise yesterday and thought someone came upstairs. I guess it was Lily’s mom making a fuss.” Zheng Tianming said, taking a drag of his cigarette. “You need to hurry up with your work.”
Instead of going straight back, he drove his old, beat-up van to pick up the gas cylinders...
The security guard took out his phone, made a call, and then walked towards Zheng Tianming's building. Just then, he ran into Jiang Qiu, who was pulling Xiao Ying along as they walked out.
"Where are you headed?" the security guard greeted.
Jiang Qiu's eyes were red. When she heard someone greet her, she sniffed and said, "Xiao Ying wants a lollipop."
Because she was a security guard in the community, Jiang Qiu chatted with her for a few minutes. The summer sun was strong and the sun was very uncomfortable. Xiao Ying made a fuss about leaving: "Mom, let's go, I want to eat a lollipop."
"By the way, I remember you're on the night shift today?" the security guard asked casually as he was leaving.
Jiang Qiu nodded: "Yeah, I'll be back by eight o'clock. I don't even want to work anymore. The pay is low and it's exhausting."
The security guard smiled and patted Xiaoying's head before leaving. Xiaoying disliked him and hid behind Jiang Qiu...
Xu Mengyu was afraid that Zheng Tianming might come back, so she waited a while before going out. She was wearing sneakers, and every step she took felt like being pricked with needles. She slowed her breathing, and her forehead was covered in a layer of cold sweat.
Because she was in a wheelchair and worried about Xiaolu, her legs trembled as she climbed the stairs...
Xu Lu was listening to a lecture on his tablet when he heard a knock on the door. He didn't move until the knock was light twice and then loud three times before he got up to open the door.
He practically ran. The maid, who was cleaning, saw him and guessed who it was. The bodyguards went to the balcony on their own...
After opening the door, Xu Lu suppressed his excitement and said, "Mom, come in first." He was afraid that others would see and cause her trouble.
As soon as Xu Mengyu closed the door, Xu Lu threw himself into her arms, his eyes brimming with tears, his childish voice trembling with sobs: "Mom, I missed you so much." He then snuggled against her.
Xu Mengyu's feet hurt a lot. She squatted down, cupped Xu Lu's delicate little face, and wiped away his tears with her thumb: "Don't cry. In a few days, Mom will take you home."
Xu Lu hugged Xu Mengyu's neck: "Mom, when I grow up, I'm going to kill everyone who bullies you." He was still crying as he said this, but his eyes were full of resentment.
Why do so many people bully and curse my mother, no matter how good she is?
“Baby, killing is illegal and wrong, but Mommy believes that when you grow up, you will be able to protect Mommy.” Xu Mengyu gently patted Xu Lu’s back.
There are many truths he may not understand yet, but as his mother, she cannot allow certain bad seeds to sprout in his young heart.
“But they’re bad.” Xu Lu hugged Xu Mengyu’s neck tightly. “I hope Dad’s spirit in heaven will take them all away, hmph.”
Xu Mengyu was both amused and exasperated...
I wonder what kind of expression Zheng, who is currently carrying a gas cylinder, would have if he knew.
"Mom, I brought you a cake, and some cookies that Grandma said you really like, and that... it smells really bad..." Xu Lu wiped away his tears. Time was running out, he had to hurry.
Xu Mengyu got up and followed Xu Lu. The pain in her foot made her gasp, and she walked with a limp: "My foot is numb..." she said, sitting on the sofa and rubbing her calf.
The maid fetched a glass of water: "Madam, the young master misses you very much and looks forward to seeing you every day."
Xu Mengyu accepted the cup with both hands: "Thank you for your hard work."
The maid smiled and said, "Of course, the young master is very sensible." After saying that, she stood aside. The young master was so sensible that it was heartbreaking.
When Xu Lu took out the stinky tofu, Xu Mengyu couldn't help but laugh out loud. She had just been wondering what smelled so bad that the little one was so disgusted by it.
"Grandma said you like to eat..." Xu Lu's voice trailed off, and he thought it smelled... um... stinky.
But then he thought, what if his mother liked it? It would be a shame if he didn't buy it, since he didn't know when they would meet again.
Xu Mengyu smiled and held out her hand: "I've been dreaming of eating this, but I never expected my darling to buy it for me."
Xu Lu is a bit of a germaphobe, so when she carries the bag, she pinches it with her fingertips, and she's worried about dropping it, so she's putting a lot of effort into it.
Xu Lu sat down next to Xu Mengyu: "Mom, I have a question..."
Xu Mengyu ate the now-cold stinky tofu, the taste of which was hard to describe in words: "Okay, but I might not be able to give you an answer."
“I look just like Uncle Zheng,” Xu Lu said, pressing her brow down. “Mom, look, isn’t it?”
"Ahem," Xu Mengyu patted her chest, "Where did you see Uncle Zheng? Could they have already met?"
Xu Lu tilted her head and glanced at the tablet on the table: "Isn't Zheng Tianming, who went to the deserted island with Mom, the Uncle Zheng that Mom mentioned?" Could he have misunderstood?
It feels so awkward for a younger person to call me by my full name.
“Mom is lying, listen carefully.” Xu Mengyu said, taking the water handed to her by the maid and smoothing it down. “It is indeed the same person, but you don’t look alike. When your Uncle Zheng was a child, he looked like a chocolate bean, dark and shiny, and ugly, especially ugly, unbearable to look at.”
Xu Lu's eyes gradually cleared. His mother said she was lying, so there was a lie in that statement, but he couldn't guess what it was...
"Anyway, you can't let Uncle Zheng see you, or Mom will get beaten by Dad." Xu Mengyu said, her face showing fear.
The little one is fine, but the big one is not so easy to fool.
Just as the two were chatting happily, the doorbell rang. Xu Lu held up her hand and made a "shh" sound, thinking that it might be Uncle Zheng coming to deliver something again.
The maid went to the door, looked through the peephole, and then shook her head.
The security guard stood at the door, ringing the doorbell. There was still dust at the entrance, so it probably wasn't occupied, but just in case, he still had to come and check.
Xu Mengyu blinked, and only spoke when the maid returned: "What's wrong?"
"Madam is a security guard in the community," the maid said, glancing towards the balcony.
Xu Lu leaned against Xu Mengyu and whispered, "This security guard was strange. Yesterday he asked me whose Bentley I was in, where I lived, and what my parents did. He also looked at me strangely, so I gave him a fake address and had another bodyguard move in."
Xu Mengyu held Xu Lu in her arms. He had been on his own since he was very young, so he was always careful in everything he did.
When the doorbell rang again, the bodyguard standing on the balcony came over, and the conversation just kept going on and on...
There was a gas cylinder next to Zheng Tianming. He had just seen the security guard come downstairs and was worried, so he came over to give him a few words of advice. If there really was a child here, he would send someone to keep an eye on him.
Because this building is the hideout of human traffickers!
That's why he kept telling Jiang Qiu to be careful and not to take the child out too often. He was afraid that if he told her directly, she would alert the enemy.
Jiang Qiu meant that so many children outside were fine, so what was there to be afraid of? Because she didn't know that danger was right beside her.
They can't close the net yet; there are still several children missing, and the mastermind behind it all hasn't shown up. If they don't nip it in the bud, there will be endless trouble in the future.
When the bodyguard saw that it was Zheng Tianming who opened the door, he said coldly, "No dumplings, no gas, is there anything else?"
"I heard you brought a child?" Zheng Tianming said, trying to look inside.
Upon hearing the sound, Xu Mengyu immediately collapsed onto the sofa. Oh my god, why is Zheng Tianming here? Wasn't he supposed to be carrying gas cylinders?
Xu Lu squatted on the ground, her back against the sofa, trying to avoid being seen by Uncle Zheng, otherwise her mother would get a beating...
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