Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âUncle, itâs nothing valuable, please donât worry about it,â He Ming looked at the kind-hearted Father Ye, feeling a pang of sadness.
A fatherâs heartfelt concern, he could understand.
âWait a moment, Iâll ask Auntie to make a delicious meal for you, letâs have a simple lunch together,â Father Ye said warmly.
âNo need, Uncle, Iâll be leaving soon,â He Ming replied. He had no appetite for food now; all he wanted was to hurry and find Xiaomeng.
He felt extremely anxious, wondering where Xiaomeng could be.
He blamed himself deeply; he had been neglecting Xiaomeng lately, leading her to the idea of running away from home.
In the vast sea of people, he didnât even know where to start looking for her.
âDonât say such nonsense; itâs a rare occasion for you to visit. How can you leave without eating?â Father Yeâs warmth was truly hard to resist.
Just then, Mother Ye happened to return from buying groceries. Her eyes lit up when she saw He Ming.
âHe Ming, youâre here?â Mother Ye looked at her son-in-law with increasing fondness. Then she turned to Father Ye and said, âOld man, why didnât you call me? I could have bought more groceries.â
âAuntie, Iâm just passing by on a business trip and decided to drop by to see you both. Iâll be leaving soon, so thereâs no need to go to any trouble,â He Ming said, genuinely wanting to avoid inconveniencing the elderly couple.
âAuntie is nimble, it wonât take long,â Mother Ye said as she entered the kitchen.
âHe Ming, have you been busy lately?â Father Ye engaged him in conversation.
âItâs been alright,â He Ming nodded.
âHe Ming, Xiaomeng can be a bit stubborn sometimes. I hope you can be more patient with her. Sheâs kind-hearted, but she can be a bit impulsive at times,â Father Ye said, mixing praise and criticism.
Truly, the concerns of parents know no bounds.
Father Ye only had this one precious daughter, and he definitely wished for her happiness and joy.
âUncle, Xiaomeng is wonderful. Meeting her has been my blessing. I should thank you for raising such a great daughter,â He Ming said sincerely.
âThatâs wonderful to hear,â Father Ye replied, visibly relieved, finally letting go of a big worry.
âUncle, you can rest assured, Iâm serious about this,â He Ming assured him.
âAlright,â Father Ye seemed to choke up a bit.
Soon, Mother Ye came over, announcing that dinner was ready.
Father Ye and He Ming walked over to the dining table. âWould you like some wine?â Father Ye asked.
âNo, Uncle, Iâll be driving later,â He Ming waved his hand to decline.
âYes, driving safely is the priority,â Mother Ye insisted.
âHe Ming, has Mengmeng been busy lately?â Mother Ye asked with a furrowed brow.
âWell, sheâs been okay. Why, is something wrong?â He Ming inquired.
âShe hasnât been back for a while, and sheâs been calling home less often,â Mother Ye missed her daughter.
âOh, when she has time, weâll come back more often,â He Ming also felt a pang of regret; he had been neglecting the two elders too much.
âItâs okay, you both are busy with your careers. Just call us when you have time,â Mother Ye was understanding.
âAlright,â He Ming replied, but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Xiaomeng. Even though the table was filled with delicious dishes, he couldnât taste any of them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
After hastily finishing the meal, He Ming made an excuse and left.
Father Ye and Mother Ye didnât dare to keep him when he said he had something to attend to, fearing that it might be an urgent matter.
The first thing He Ming did after leaving was to call Xiaomeng, but the call went unanswered. He was truly frantic.
With no one picking up the phone, it automatically disconnected.
He Ming sent a text message to Xiaomeng, asking her to contact him as soon as possible.
Feeling like a headless fly, he had no choice but to head home for now.