The car cruised along the road to the restaurant.
Tang Yan remained quiet the entire way, silently watching the nightscape flash past outside the window. This wasn’t where she grew up—it still felt unfamiliar.
As the conversation in the car died down, the atmosphere gradually turned a little awkward. As the host for the evening, Tang Huiyi decided to break the silence.
“Yan Yan, how many days off did your company give you this time?”
Tang Yan blinked, realizing the question was directed at her. She quickly answered, “Seven days… the standard public holiday.”
“Our kindergarten gave us seven days off too!” Wang Yixuan suddenly exclaimed in his tiny, excited voice.
Tang Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “Did your teacher assign any homework?”
“No… no homework. The teacher said we have to draw a family portrait,” the boy answered seriously.
“A family portrait, huh? Are you going to draw your big sister in it too?” Tang Huiyi asked, clearly amused. Sitting in the front seat, Tang Yan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
Wang Yixuan pouted. “I guess I have to… The teacher said we have to draw everyone.”
The car erupted in laughter. For that fleeting moment, thanks to the child’s innocent words, Tang Yan felt genuinely happy. She smiled at the window, catching a glimpse of Aunt Ji’s gentle profile in the rearview mirror. She was smiling too, warm and serene.
Please, let moments like this last a little longer. Just a little longer.
Tang Yan silently prayed, hoping Aunt Ji could always smile like this.
With laughter still echoing, the group arrived at the restaurant. A server led them to a large round table inside.
“See what you want to eat—order anything. Uncle Wang’s treating tonight,” Tang Huiyi said, handing the menu to Tang Yan.
Instinctively, the moment Tang Yan got the menu, she turned to Aunt Ji to ask what she wanted to eat, but Ji Yuqing quickly waved her off. “You choose. We’ll eat whatever you pick.”
So Tang Yan ordered some of her own favorites, along with dishes she knew Aunt Ji liked. Then she passed the menu across to her little brother. “Anything you want to eat?”
Wang Yixuan couldn’t read much of the menu, so he tilted his head and looked at their mother. “I want shrimp! I want shrimp!”
“Alright, alright, we’ll order shrimp. Lao Wang!” she called out, handing the menu over.
Tang Yan watched the scene from across the table, and a strange wave of envy washed over her. As a child, she never had the chance to whine and beg like that to her mom. And there was certainly no father to pamper her.
While waiting for the food, Tang Yan glanced around the restaurant. Judging by the decor, it was probably one of the fancier places in the county. Her gaze drifted aimlessly—until she accidentally locked eyes with someone unexpected.
Chen Yuyan looked just as surprised. Then, with practiced calm, she smiled and leaned toward her friend to continue chatting.
Tang Yan immediately looked away and straightened up. Why did it feel like Chen Yuyan might come over any second? Please let it be her imagination. Not now. Things were complicated enough already.
“Wow, Tang Yan! What a coincidence!” A voice suddenly called out from above.
Everyone at the table turned toward them. Especially Tang Huiyi, who looked puzzled, clearly waiting for an explanation with her eyes: Who’s this?
Tang Yan felt a wave of embarrassment crash over her. She turned and responded, “What a coincidence, Director Chen. I didn’t expect to see you here too.”
Not only was she here, she happened to be in the same restaurant, at the same time, as Tang Yan’s entire family. What were the odds? Tang Yan silently cursed her luck.
“Oh, so you’re here too,” Chen Yuyan added, glancing over at Ji Yuqing.
Now thoroughly confused, Tang Huiyi pressed, “Yan Yan, aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Tang Yan turned back around. “Mom, this is my boss, Director Chen. She’s from around here too.”
Her mom looked stunned. “Wow, what a surprise! So nice to meet you.” She stood up quickly and extended her hand. “I’m Yan Yan’s mother. I didn’t know you were from County A too.”
Chen Yuyan smiled and waved her hand modestly. “I’m actually from County B. Just here visiting some friends today.”
“We just ordered—why don’t you sit and join us?” Tang Huiyi offered warmly.
In Tang Yan’s mind: NO. NO. NO. They’d already had one rough patch because of Chen Yuyan. The last thing she wanted was a repeat.
“Oh? Tang Yan doesn’t seem too thrilled to have me here,” Chen Yuyan said lightly, sounding a bit hurt.
“Yan Yan, that’s rude!” her mom scolded. She walked over, pulled out a chair for Chen Yuyan, and poured her a drink. “She’s still young. If she said anything wrong, please forgive her.”
Tang Yan was ready to melt into the floor. She turned to Aunt Ji with a silent SOS look. Ji Yuqing sat upright, calm and composed, giving her a subtle glance that said: Hang in there.
Somehow, the conversation shifted from work to—of all things—Tang Yan’s love life. A subject that couldn’t have come at a worse time. Tang Yan’s hand holding her chopsticks froze mid-air. One wrong word and dinner could turn into disaster.
“She’s doing well at work, stable now. I just wonder when she’ll finally bring someone home,” Tang Huiyi teased. “It’s about time, don’t you think?”
Tang Yan silently screamed. Wasn’t it you who told me on a video call from the States to focus on work and not let romance distract me? What, did you just forget all that?!
Chen Yuyan took a sip of wine, pretending to be surprised. “She hasn’t mentioned anyone to you?”
Tang Yan nearly dropped her bowl, eyes snapping to her with panic. But Chen Yuyan didn’t even look her way—just kept chatting with her mom. Tang Yan’s heart was racing harder than during her college entrance exams.
“What? Yan Yan has someone?” her mom’s voice was sharp and suspicious.
“Yes,” Chen Yuyan replied, sweeping her gaze briefly over Ji Yuqing before quickly looking away. “Strange though—she didn’t bring them home for the holiday.”
Tang Yan could finally breathe again. Barely. The emotional whiplash nearly gave her heart failure.
Even Ji Yuqing had mentally prepared herself for their relationship to be exposed—only to find Chen Yuyan had taken a completely different approach. Now she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
Tang Huiyi beamed. “Why didn’t you tell me, sweetheart? You’ve got someone now? What are they like?”
“Okay, okay, let’s eat,” Tang Yan muttered, head down as she shoveled food into her mouth, clearly trying to kill the conversation.
“Hahaha, look at her! So shy. Alright, alright, we won’t press. You can tell me later. Let’s eat before the food gets cold,” her mom said cheerfully.
“I should get going. My friends are still waiting,” Chen Yuyan said as she stood, smiling politely. Before leaving, she leaned toward Tang Yan. “Enjoy the holiday. See you at work.”
Only after she was gone did Tang Yan dare to lift her head, only to be greeted by another scolding.
“You were so rude. You didn’t even say goodbye properly. That’s not how I raised you! Your boss seems like a decent person—stick close and learn from her.”
“Got it,” Tang Yan muttered.
What a nerve-wracking dinner.
Afterwards, Tang Yan had wanted to pay, but Uncle Wang beat her to it. What he said stayed with her.
“If I can’t even afford this meal, your mother would look down on me.”
Tang Yan didn’t argue after that. The five of them headed to her mom and Uncle Wang’s home—a decent apartment in a complex near a lake. A real lakeside home. Simple, around 120 square meters, a bit messy from the little boy’s toys, but it felt warm and lived-in.
At the doorway, Ji Yuqing hesitated. “Senior, I won’t stay here tonight. I saw a chain hotel nearby earlier—I’ll just stay there.”
“Oh, no way! Our place might not be fancy, but there’s definitely space for you. Come on in, don’t be so polite,” Tang Huiyi insisted and pulled her inside.
Later, Tang Yan popped out of the guest room and asked, “Mom, can I share a bed with Aunt Ji tonight?”
Her boldness took Ji Yuqing by surprise.
Tang Huiyi froze for a moment. Then said, “That’s probably not a good idea. The bed in the guest room isn’t very big—two people would be uncomfortable. Let’s have Yuqing sleep in the guest room, and you take the sofa.”
She then walked over to the living room and pulled out the sofa bed. “This turns into a bed. Whenever your uncle’s relatives visit, they sleep here.”
Tang Yan scratched her head. “Alright then…”
Even though she still really wanted to sleep next to Aunt Ji, she couldn’t be too obvious about it.