It’s Just the Right Time for Deliciousness.

At the airport.

Tang's mother regretted it.

Yesterday afternoon.

When she learned that Lin Yu had chased after her precious daughter all the way to N City—and had apparently enrolled in a university not far from Tang Manman's—

Tang's mother had been as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.

She wished she could awaken some kind of superpower straight out of a movie, teleport to N City in an instant, and shield her daughter behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks from an eagle.

Though, to be fair, the name of that game had never made much sense.

After all, if a hungry eagle really saw a hen huddled together with two chicks—

it would definitely grab one in each talon and carry the third in its beak.

It would scoop up the whole family of three in one go and take them all back to its nest...

But Tang's mother had no mind to worry about whether the name of a children's game made sense or not.

The moment she realized one of her chicks might be in danger,

her first instinct had been to send the other chick over too—have two chicks keep watch over the eagle...

Pah!

What she meant was, having one more person around Lin Yu might make him behave himself!

And that was indeed what Tang's mother had done.

But once she arrived at the airport,

and the wave of panic that had clouded her mind receded,

Tang's mother's reason returned to high ground.

She suddenly realized that Tang Manman and Lin Yu were a perfect match, a wolf and a—

...

No.

They were in love with each other!

Tang's mother used the four-word phrase with considerable reluctance.

Then she began thinking again.

If that was the case, then sending Tang Qinqin over as a spy would be useless!

Even if Qinqin could keep an eye on her sister for a while, could she watch her for all four years of college?

She still had to come back and go to school herself!

Besides,

Lin Yu and Tang Manman were one willing to fight, the other willing to take the beating.

When both sides wanted it,

there was no way anyone could stop them.

Rather than that,

Tang's mother felt that she might as well give them her blessing.

Lin Yu did seem somewhat unreliable, both in appearance and in the impression he gave people.

But judging from everything he had done,

he was actually not bad.

He was not someone unworthy of entrusting her daughter's life to.

At that thought,

a sudden melancholy welled up inside Tang's mother.

It was both the reluctant act of letting go and the feeling of a stone finally falling from her heart.

For all these years, Tang's mother had been both father and mother to her daughter.

She had painstakingly raised her into a graceful, beautiful young woman.

And now, handing her over just like that—

Tang's mother truly found it hard to accept.

But...

...

Young people's affairs should be left for young people to resolve.

Tang's mother let out a long, silent sigh.

After all, people had to go through things in order to grow, didn't they?

She couldn't keep her daughter by her side for the rest of her life.

Her daughter had to live her own life, in the end...

With that thought,

Tang's mother finally let go completely.

She loosened one of the two ropes tied around her heart,

and watched the treasure who had lived beside her for eighteen years walk, step by step, toward a man she did not know would be her final destination...

...

Having loosened one rope,

Tang's mother followed the other, still tied around her heart, and looked at the younger daughter beside her—the one who had never been particularly worry-free since childhood.

Tang Qinqin was carrying the white backpack her sister had passed down to her,

one hand gripping the handle of a suitcase that came up to her waist.

Tang Qinqin wore a pink baseball cap.

The brim was tilted high.

Beneath the brim of that pink cap was a pair of peach-blossom eyes identical to her sister’s.

At that moment, those clear eyes sparkled like two black-and-white gemstones.

Together with the undisguised excitement and joy on her fair little face,

they made Tang Qinqin look like a middle schooler about to set off on a school outing.

Tang's mother looked at Tang Qinqin, who was so happy she seemed ready to wag her tail.

She hesitated, as if she had something to say.

Originally, Tang's mother had intended to send Tang Qinqin to Tang Manman and Lin Yu’s side as an undercover agent to gather information.

But now, she had changed her mind.

She no longer intended to interfere with the development of their relationship.

And just like that,

Tang Qinqin had lost her value as a spy.

All at once, Tang's mother felt a little reluctant to spend the money on her trip...

A round-trip flight from H City to N City

cost more than fifteen hundred yuan alone.

And that did not include her food and other expenses while she was there.

Although the family’s finances were no longer as tight as they had once been,

Tang's mother had only just emerged from those difficult days.

Looking at such a large expense that now seemed unnecessary,

she could not help but feel a pang of pain.

She stared at Tang Qinqin’s radiant little face for a long while.

In the end, Tang's mother let out a breath, as though laying down some burden.

Forget it.

Money was meant to be spent.

For most of these past years, Tang Qinqin had been confined to that little room in the hospital.

It was time for her to go out, take a walk, and see the world.

Tang's mother took a deep breath.

She raised a hand and pinched Tang Qinqin’s cheek.

When her daughter turned those bright eyes toward her, Tang's mother opened her mouth.

At first, she had wanted to remind her not to stay there too long and to come home quickly,

so she would not spend money as though it were flowing water.

But on second thought,

with the round-trip tickets being so expensive,

it would be even less worthwhile to go there for only a few days before coming back...

After turning it over in her mind,

all that eventually came out of Tang's mother’s mouth was, “Be careful. Once you meet up with your sister over there, let me know you’re safe.”

Tang Qinqin had no idea that her mother had just gone through such a dramatic change of heart.

She lifted one hand and straightened her chest.

Then she snapped off a crisp, proper salute.

“Don’t worry, Mom!”

“This time, I’ll definitely complete the mission successfully!”

“I’ll keep an eye on my sister!”

Tang Qinqin’s voice was not quiet.

In the bustling airport terminal, it drew quite a few curious glances.

When most people saw the mother and daughter, whose features were so alike,

they could not help but sympathize with the woman.

Really—how could such a young and beautiful mother be called “Mom” in that way?

It made her sound so old!

But after taking a closer look at the girl’s appearance and build,

the onlookers realized that she was not actually that young.

Even if she was not fifteen or sixteen, she had to be at least fourteen!

Still, the daughter’s age did nothing to make the passersby view the beautiful mother any differently.

They all came to the same conclusion without saying a word:

this mother must have married young—and had a child young, too.

Anyone with eyes could tell

that the word “old” was still far from this beautiful woman.

The air she gave off was one of maturity and gentleness.

Like a peach hanging from a tree—so soft that a press of the thumb would leave a hollow brimming with juice.

Perfectly ripe.