To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

After the family had lunch, Lin Qingping began packing Zhiyuan's things.

Needless to say, various seafood specialties filled half a suitcase. In addition, Lin Qingping prepared about ten dishes, vacuum-packed them, and told Zhiyuan that these were cooked, packaged in portions, and frozen at home. When he wanted to eat them, he could just take out a portion and heat it up—she was worried that he would be too busy with hospital work to cook properly.

"Mom," Zhiyuan joked, "what will we do after we finish eating all this?"

Lin Qingping thought for a moment, "Indeed, this won't last for many days."

Gu Juncheng then turned on Xiong Zhiyuan, "That's all? Your mother has been busy since last night! Aren't you satisfied?"

"No!" Zhiyuan said, "I can't bear to see Mom suffer, so I still miss the days when I was at home. Mom, I wish you could be with me in the capital."

Seeing that Gu Juncheng was about to tease him again, he quickly said, "I don't need my mom to cook for me. When my mom is around, the house feels warm, and I'm motivated to go home. I won't have to stay in the dormitory every day like I do now. I'll even cook with my mom, just like when I was little."

Lin Qingping smiled upon hearing this. Indeed, although she spoiled the child, Zhiyuan always worked with her. When it came to being considerate, Zhiyuan was undoubtedly the best.

When Gu Juncheng saw Lin Qingping smile, his tiger eyes widened even more, and he wished he could knock Zhiyuan on the head: Your mother went to the capital to give you family warmth, so what am I supposed to do?

Having finally finished her notes, Zhangzhu said, "Yeah, Mom, I'm in the capital too. Other students in the capital take time off to go home on their days off, but I don't want to go back. There's no one at home, so what's the point of going back? It's better to have classmates at school to keep me company!"

Lin Qingping started packing box after box of fruit, smiling as she said, "Okay, I understand. When the company isn't so busy anymore, I'll go to the capital to spend some time with you."

Gu Juncheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Why are you going again? You just got back and you're going again?"

Lin Qingping glanced at him and said, "Why are you so agitated? My child is homesick, so I'm going to visit him. Why are you getting all worked up?"

“Even your own children have grown up!” Gu Juncheng said, feeling wronged. “Even fledglings learn to fly out and find their own food when they grow up. Why are you two still clinging to your mother when you’re so old?”

"A child isn't a bird, is it? Why are you saying that? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were trying to kick the child out!" Lin Qingping scolded him.

Zhangzhu looked aggrieved. "So what? You've all been lying to me! You said I was the person my dad loved most, but that's not true! He even kicked me out! The person he loved most was clearly my mom!"

Gu Juncheng: ...

Lin Qingping: ...

Zhiyuan burst out laughing.

What a child! How can she just blurt out words like "I love you" so sweetly?

Gu Juncheng was a little embarrassed, but Lin Qingping had already packed the fruit and put it in Zhiyuan's bag, telling him, "These are for you to eat on the road."

Zhiyuan looked and saw boxes and boxes of cut fruit: mangoes, watermelons, bananas, dragon fruit, kiwis...

"Mom, that's too much. I'll just take one box."

“Take them all with you. Eat whichever box you want. If you can’t finish them, you can eat the unopened ones together when you eat at your aunt’s house. As for the opened ones…” Lin Qingping thought for a moment, “Your aunt won’t mind. She’ll probably eat them all.”

We agreed tonight that Zhiyuan would go to Gu Youlian's house for dinner as soon as he got home.

Zhangzhu glanced at it and clicked her tongue in admiration, "My brother is so lucky!"

"Do you think I'm missing yours?" Lin Qingping tapped Zhangzhu's head. Zhangzhu wouldn't be back until the 7th, so naturally, she would prepare the same things when she returned.

"Okay, thank you, Mom." Zhiyuan accepted everything with a smile.

When he first entered university, he was considerate of Lin Qingping's hard work and always refused to let her prepare anything for him. Even when she did prepare something, he would always put it off. Gradually, he came to understand that a mother worries when her son travels far away, and that Lin Qingping was also happy during the preparation process. So, no matter how much Lin Qingping prepared for him, he would pack it all up and take it with him.

"Mom, take care of yourself." Zhiyuan stood among a pile of luggage and hugged Lin Qingping.

"I know!" Lin Qingping patted his back. "When I retire, I'll be waiting for you to treat me to a world tour! Don't worry."

Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Okay. Remember, come to the capital for a physical examination at the end of the year."

"Alright, you're even more nagging than your aunt! Let's go, Mom will take you to the airport."

There is already a civilian airport on the island with direct flights to the capital, so there is no need to take a ferry to a certain airport.

Zhiyuan agreed, thinking that he would just listen to his mother and do whatever she told him to do.

Upon hearing that Lin Qingping was going to see Zhiyuan off, Zhangzhu, who was always following along, was also going, leaving Gu Juncheng alone again. Gu Juncheng snorted several times.

Lin Qingping was exasperated. "You're in your forties, competing with a child for attention. Can't you be a little more mature?"

Gu Juncheng was speechless. Not only was he speechless, he also helped Zhiyuan carry the luggage into the car.

“Dad, I can do it myself,” Zhiyuan said.

"Why should a little kid like you carry luggage!" Gu Juncheng blurted out.

Zhiyuan: ...

He's almost thirty...

This is home, this is Dad and Mom. In their eyes, he will always be a child, never knowing how to take care of himself...

As he got into the car, Zhiyuan turned around and hugged Gu Juncheng, saying, "Dad, take care of yourself too."

"Alright, ever since you became a doctor, you've developed an occupational hazard; you're getting more and more long-winded every day," Gu Juncheng said with disdain.

Zhiyuan smiled. He had been bickering with his father, Gu, for over twenty years, and he had also loved him for over twenty years...

In the afternoon, Lin Qingping and Zhangzhu took Zhiyuan to the airport. The evening flight carried Zhiyuan to the capital. By the time they arrived in the capital, it was already night. It was even later when they took a car back to Youlian's place.

But Gu Youlian was still waiting for him to eat.

What Zhiyuan didn't expect was that there was another person waiting at Gu Youlian's house: Wan Xuening.

"Zhiyuan, you're back!" Wan Xuening stood gracefully in the room, her face beaming with smiles.

Gu Youlian and Xiaomai watched him from the side, their eyes also full of questions.

Zhiyuan did not smile.

“Zhiyuan…” Wan Xuening’s smile gradually froze.

"It's getting late, let me take you home," Zhiyuan said casually.

Gu Youlian hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Otherwise... why don't you eat first?" Wan Xuening hesitated.

Zhiyuan said to Gu Youlian, "Aunt, you and Xiaomai eat first, I'll be back soon."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Seeing this, Wan Xuening had no choice but to follow them out.

Zhiyuan drove his car out and invited her to get in.

Wan Xuening wanted to keep dawdling, but it was clearly unlikely. She knew Zhiyuan's personality well; the fact that he was willing to take her home was already a favor. If she lingered any longer, Zhiyuan might just get out of the car and go upstairs, ignoring her completely…