Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

After finishing the chicken leg, Tongtong ran back to find the chef, standing on tiptoe to look at the roast chicken on the grill, her little nose twitching.

"Master, do you have chicken wings too?"

The chef was delighted. He used scissors to cut off the wing of the other chicken, wrapped it in a tissue, and handed it to her.

Tongtong ran back with chicken wings in her arms and started another round of munching away, her face covered in grease.

The chef chopped the other roast chicken into pieces, put them on a plate, and brought it to Mo Ye and the others.

Mo Ye put on disposable gloves, took a chicken leg and put it in He Wanqing's bowl.

He Wanqing looked at the golden chicken leg in the bowl, feeling a little embarrassed, and pushed it away, saying, "Why don't you give it to Tongtong? She's just a child."

Mo Ye lowered his head, his lips close to her ear, his voice soft, carrying a tenderness only she could understand: "You're a child too."

He Wanqing's face flushed red instantly. She glared at him with a fierce look, but because of the blush on her face, it had no intimidating power at all. Instead, it looked like she was flirting.

Shen Qing rolled her eyes, then followed suit, picked up disposable gloves, put them on, grabbed a chicken leg from the plate, and placed it in front of Qin Yue.

His movements were a bit clumsy; when he put it down, his fingers touched the rim of the bowl, making a soft "ding" sound.

Qin Yue looked down at the chicken leg in her bowl, then looked up at Shen Qing. Her eyes held a hint of surprise, a hint of amusement, and a hint of an indescribable emotion.

Other couples are married, but he...

She hesitated for a moment, then picked up the chicken leg and took a bite. "Thank you."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

Shen Qing was a little excited; the tips of her ears turned red. She quickly waved her hands, saying, "No need, no need!"

He Wanqing ate her chicken leg while watching the two of them. Shen Qing handed Qin Yue a chicken leg, and Qin Yue lowered her head and ate it in small bites. The two of them were at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but there was a sweet and ambiguous atmosphere in the air.

She found the chicken leg increasingly delicious, taking a bite, glancing at it, taking another bite, glancing at it again, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

Mo Ye looked up at the big tree not far away, where Pang Siyi and Su Qianyue were sitting side by side on the grass, shoulder to shoulder, heads close together, whispering something. Su Qianyue's face was slightly red, and Pang Siyi's ears were also red.

Mo Ye raised his voice and shouted, "Roast chicken is ready!"

The two looked up at the same time, and Pang Siyi stood up and pulled Su Qianyue up as well.

Pang Siyi picked up a disposable glove and handed it to Su Qianyue. Su Qianyue took it and put it on, then picked up a chicken wing from the plate, took a bite, and her eyes lit up slightly. "Not bad," she said.

Mo Ye nodded, chewing on the chicken leg meat in his mouth: "The taste is indeed not bad, we can order it for future gatherings. I just don't know how the lamb tastes."

He Wanqing looked at the whole roasted lamb that was still slowly rotating on the grill. The skin had been roasted to a golden brown, and the aroma wafted over in waves. She swallowed and said softly, "It looks pretty good. It smells delicious."

........

Happy times always seem to pass too quickly.

The whole roasted lamb was eaten down to just a skeleton, lying forlornly on the iron rack.

Everyone sat around the charcoal fire, drinking the last pot of tea in silence, as if the weekend would end prematurely if anyone spoke first.

But what must end will eventually end.

After the tea was finished and the charcoal fire went out, everyone stood up and began to dismantle the tents, pack their belongings, and clean up the trash.

The three cars drove back along the same route they came from, with the Wuling Hongguang in the lead, Mo Ye's car in the middle, and the chopped pepper fish head at the rear.

The car window rolled down, and the lake breeze rushed into the car, blowing He Wanqing's hair everywhere.

Qin Yue sat in the back seat, turning her head to look out the window at the farmland and houses rushing by, lost in thought.

Her hand rested on the car window, her fingers tapping lightly on the car door, one tap at a time, without any rhythm.

Back in S City, everyone stopped at an intersection to say goodbye.

Shen Qing leaned out of the car window, waved to everyone, and smiled like a fool.

Wang Jie patted him on the back of the head, telling him to watch where he was going.

Su Qianyue and Pang Siyi's chopped pepper fish head turned into another road. Su Qianyue leaned out of the passenger seat, waved to the car behind, then pulled back in and closed the door.

Mo Ye drove up to Qin Yue's apartment building.

Qin Yue unbuckled her seatbelt, picked up her bag, and pushed open the car door very quietly.

She stood outside the car, bent down, waved to He Wanqing, said "I'm leaving," then closed the car door, turned around, and walked into the building.

He Wanqing watched her figure disappear behind the glass door before turning her gaze away.

Back home, Tongtong's battery finally ran out completely.

The little girl's eyes were still open when she was taken off the car, but as soon as she entered the house, it was as if something had taken away her breath. She went limp, leaned on He Wanqing's shoulder, her little mouth slightly open, and her eyes half-open and half-closed.

He Wanqing helped her take a bath, adjusting the water temperature a little lower than usual, so she wouldn't catch a cold.

Tongtong sat in the bathtub, still holding the little yellow duck in her hand, but she no longer had the strength to squeeze it. The duck slipped in her hand and floated on the water, swaying back and forth.

After He Wanqing helped her take a bath, dried her off, changed her into bunny pajamas, and dried her hair with a hairdryer.

The hot wind was blowing, and Tongtong's head was nodding off like a chick pecking at rice.

As soon as the hairdryer stopped, her eyes closed completely, her eyelashes drooping down like two quiet little fans.

Mo Ye picked her up and gently placed her on the small bed in the children's room.

Tongtong rolled over, hugged the little pink pig to her chest, rubbed her face against the pink fur, made a muffled "Mmm...", and then fell silent.

Mo Ye pulled the small blanket over her round little belly, kissed her forehead, and quietly withdrew, closing the door behind him.

He Wanqing leaned against the wall in the corridor, crossed her arms, and looked at him with her head turned to the side.

Mo Ye was also looking at her.

"Shall we go for a run together?" He Wanqing suggested.

Mo Ye wouldn't refuse anything He Wanqing asked for, so he nodded and said gently, "Let's do it together."

He Wanqing went back to her bedroom to change her clothes.

She took off her shirt, put on a sports bra, and then slipped on a loose, quick-drying T-shirt.

She stood in front of the wardrobe, her fingers gliding across the pants rack. After hesitating for a moment, she picked up a pair of black athletic shorts.

The shorts were very short, barely covering the mid-thighs, and the legs were loose, fluttering slightly as they moved.

Her two long, white legs were exposed, straight and slender, with smooth lines in her calves and delicate ankles. The curve from her thighs to her calves looked as if it had been drawn in one stroke with a paintbrush.

Mo Ye watched her change her clothes and come out, his gaze sweeping over her legs, his brows furrowing slightly.

The vinegar jar overturned, and the sour smell filled the entire corridor. He walked over, stood in front of her, and blocked her way.

"You can't wear this." His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.

He Wanqing looked down at her shorts, then looked up at him, her face blank: "What's wrong?"

Mo Ye pointed to her legs, his tone carrying a self-righteous possessiveness: "Aren't you just giving other men a treat? No way."

He Wanqing paused for a moment, then the corners of her mouth slowly curled up, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and her voice carried a hint of mischievous laughter: "Jealous?"

Mo Ye nodded, quite frankly.

He Wanqing's lips curved into a wider smile, and her voice softened: "Then you'll give me a massage tonight."