Heart Stealer

On a sunny and breezy morning.

The warm and soft sunlight was like a golden veil, shining through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and gently falling on the carpet in the living room of the Qiu family villa.

The living room seemed to be coated with a layer of dazzling gold, shining brightly.

Mrs. Qiu sat quietly on the extremely soft sofa.

Even her well-maintained face could not hide the traces of time - a few shallow wrinkles were faintly visible on her forehead.

Mrs. Qiu's beautiful eyes were looking out the window, as if she wanted to penetrate the blue sky as pure as a gem and see the secret hidden behind it.

She sighed softly, the sigh as light as a feather falling to the ground.

Mrs. Qiu's gaze slowly withdrew from the distance and slowly moved to Qiu Rongyao, who was also sitting on the sofa next to her.

"Hey, honey, have you noticed?" Mrs. Qiu said softly, with a hint of subtle anxiety and confusion in her voice, "Tuobang hasn't been to our house for a long time."

Hearing his wife's words, Qiu Rongyao, who was originally concentrating on reading the newspaper in his hand, was stunned for a moment, and then put down the newspaper.

His broad forehead wrinkled slightly, and his deep eyes thought thoughtfully.

After a while, he nodded slowly and responded,

"Well, it seems like it's been a while since I last saw Tuobang. What on earth has this kid been up to lately? How come he just disappeared from the face of the earth all of a sudden?"

Mrs. Qiu shook her head gently, her eyes revealing a deep worry.

It's like a mother's worry and longing for her child who hasn't returned home for a long time.

"Tuobang used to come over every now and then to chat and eat with us, but lately he's nowhere to be seen. It's really worrying!"

Qiu Rongyao reached out his hand, gently patted his wife's shoulder, and comforted her,

"Maybe he's too busy at work, or he's had some troubles. He should be here soon. Don't worry too much, honey."

Mrs. Qiu could never let go of her concern for her son-in-law.

Xiao Tuobang is a filial child. If he hadn't encountered any difficulties, he would never suddenly become estranged from them.

Mrs. Qiu decided to call Xiao Tuobang to ask about his recent situation.

When the call was connected, Xiao Tuobang's tired voice immediately came from the other end of the phone.

Mrs. Qiu asked with concern, "Tuobang, are you very busy lately? Why don't you come to our house to see us?"

Xiao Tuobang seemed a little hesitant and said hesitantly,

"Uh... Mom, I'm fine. I've just been a little busy at work, so I haven't had time to come over. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Mrs. Qiu heard the perfunctory tone in Tuobang's words, and she felt even more uneasy.

"Tuobang, if you have anything on your mind, you must tell your mother. No matter what happens, we are your strongest support."

Xiao Tuobang was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and finally said, "Mom, it's nothing serious. There was a small problem in the company recently, and I have been working hard to solve it."

Mrs. Qiu knew that Xiao Tuobang was a strong-willed child and would never complain to them unless it was absolutely necessary.

Mrs. Qiu became even more worried when she thought of this. She asked anxiously, "What's this minor situation? Is it serious? Tuobang, can you handle it alone?"

Xiao Tuobang tried to make his voice sound more relaxed.

"Don't worry, Mom. It's just some business issues. I'm trying to figure it out. I'm sure everything will be fine soon."

Mrs. Qiu felt that Xiao Tuobang was comforting her, but she still couldn't help but worry.

I decided to go see Xiao Tuobang in person and help him get through this difficult time.

"Tuobang, Mom will visit your company tomorrow and bring you some delicious food. I'll also give you some advice."

Xiao Tuobang quickly refused. "Mom, no need. I really can do it. Don't run back and forth. It's tiring."

Mrs. Qiu said distressedly, "Silly child, if you need our help, just let us know. Don't worry, Mom and Dad will always support you."

Tuobang was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He promised Mrs. Qiu that he would come to see them as soon as he finished his work.

After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Qiu finally felt relieved.

She slowly sat down on the sofa, her eyes a little dazed.

My eldest daughter Qiuxue has been abroad for more than two years and there has been no news from her since.

Mrs. Qiu often took out Qiu Xue's photo silently in the dead of night, looking at it over and over again, tears sliding down her face unconsciously.

Because she missed her daughter, Mrs. Qiu was frowning and depressed all day long.

Her good friends were very worried when they saw this situation.

They often invited Mrs. Qiu to go out for walks and chat, trying to help her get over the pain of missing her daughter.

They discussed how to help Mrs. Qiu out of her predicament.

"Oh, Mrs. Qiu, you can't do this! You will get sick if you stay at home all day!" Mrs. Zhang held Mrs. Qiu's hand and said with a worried look on her face.

Mrs. Yu also agreed: "Yes, we have to find a way to get you out for a walk and stretch your legs."

"I heard that there is a famous Tai Chi master teaching Tai Chi for free in the city center square!" Mrs. Lin said excitedly.

Mrs. Qiu raised her head, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes: "I...I'm not very good at it."

"It's okay, Mrs. Qiu, we can go learn together!" Several ladies gathered around and encouraged her.

"And Tai Chi not only exercises the body, but also relaxes the mind!"

"Yeah, maybe I can make some new friends!"

Mrs. Qiu looked at the concerned eyes of the other ladies, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll try."

Several ladies cheered happily and pulled Mrs. Qiu out the door.

Along the way, they talked and laughed, as if they had seen Mrs. Qiu regain her vitality.

When she arrived at the square, Mrs. Qiu saw many people practicing Tai Chi, and the scene was very spectacular.

She was infected by the atmosphere and learned a few Tai Chi moves from the teacher.

Unexpectedly, after these few moves, she actually felt a lot more relaxed and her mood became happier.

Gradually, Mrs. Qiu developed a strong interest in Tai Chi and began to ask her teacher for advice seriously.

Every morning, she would arrive at the square on time to practice with other students.

Mrs. Qiu's health gradually recovered and her mood became cheerful.

It was a sunny Saturday morning with crisp autumn air.

Mrs. Qiu arrived at the square on time as usual.

She was wearing a loose Tai Chi suit and was ready to start a new day of practice with great energy.

Unfortunately, the Tai Chi teacher had something urgent to do and was unable to come to teach today.

Mrs. Qiu and several other ladies who were practicing boxing together practiced for a while and then dispersed.

Mrs. Qiu walked towards the parking lot, and suddenly, a familiar figure holding a little girl appeared in her sight.

Mrs. Qiu took a closer look and was shocked. She blurted out, "Sister Zhen!"

When the woman in front heard the voice, she turned around and looked around, but when she saw that it was Mrs. Qiu, a hint of surprise and uneasiness flashed in her eyes.

She seemed to be frightened, hugged the little girl in her arms tightly, and then quickly quickened her pace, wanting to escape the scene as soon as possible.

Seeing this, Mrs. Qiu felt even more puzzled.

She couldn't help but quicken her pace and follow the woman closely.

Seeing the distance between the two getting closer and closer, Mrs. Qiu finally couldn't help but shouted: "Sister Zhen, wait a minute!"

The woman didn't stop, but seemed even more panicked.

As she quickened her pace, she looked back from time to time at Mrs. Qiu who was chasing her closely, her face full of fear.

When they reached the entrance of an alley, the woman realized there was no way to escape.

She stopped, turned around, and said to Mrs. Qiu with a panicked look on her face, "Mrs....Mrs.."

Her voice was trembling so much that she seemed like she would collapse at any moment.

Mrs. Qiu suddenly stopped and stared at the little girl in Sister Zhen's arms.

She frowned, her voice filled with surprise as she asked, "Sister Zhen, when will you return home? Where is the young lady? Whose baby are you holding?"

As she spoke, she walked closer to Sister Zhen, wanting to take a closer look at the little girl.

Sister Zhen looked down at the child in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes: "Madam, my young lady and I have been back home for a while. This is Qiuxue's baby, your granddaughter Xiao Muyao..."

When Mrs. Qiu heard this, she stared at Mrs. Zhen with eyes wide open in disbelief, and asked in a voice trembling with excitement,

"Mrs. Zhen, what did you say? Did the young lady really return to her country? This... is this really my granddaughter? Hurry and let me hold the child!"

Mrs. Qiu was so excited that she was incoherent. She opened her arms and was about to hug the little girl.

Unexpectedly, the little girl was frightened by Mrs. Qiu's appearance. She turned her head away and hugged Mrs. Zhen's neck tightly.

Sister Zhen gently patted the little girl's back and said softly, "Don't be afraid, baby, this is your grandma."

The little girl still hugged Sister Zhen's neck tightly and refused to let go.

Seeing this, Mrs. Qiu wiped away her tears, forced a smile, and tried her best to make her expression look amiable.

"Little baby, grandma won't hurt you. Let grandma hold you, okay?"

Perhaps feeling Mrs. Qiu's kindness, the little girl slowly turned her head and looked at Mrs. Qiu with curiosity in her eyes.

Mrs. Qiu took the opportunity to reach out and hold the child in her arms.

She gently stroked the child's pink cheek, but tears couldn't stop flowing.

Mrs. Qiu gazed at her granddaughter in her arms, her eyes filled with endless love.

Xiao Muyao's rosy little face was filled with an innocent smile, as if an angel had fallen to earth.

Mrs. Qiu couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"This child is really cute. His features look very much like his father, but also have some of his mother's."