Luo Hongjuan opened the door and found a large backpack and two suitcases in the living room. She found it very strange. Wasn't Qiqi supposed to leave the night after tomorrow? Why were the bags already packed and sitting in the living room? "Whose luggage is this?"

Wang Qiqi saw Luo Hongjuan return. She turned on the gas stove to reheat the chicken soup; this was stock Wang Qiqi had retrieved from the fridge when she woke up around six. "Auntie, Han Tao just got back."

Luo Hongjuan hadn't expected her son to rush back to the country on the Lantern Festival. She immediately grew emotional. Luo Hongjuan had assumed her son would go straight to Beijing, so seeing him here was a complete surprise. "Is that so? Xiao Tao is back? Is he looking alright? How is his condition?" What Luo Hongjuan truly meant to say was why her son hadn't even bothered to report his return to his father. Ah, sons really did forget their parents once they got a wife; raising sons was just infuriating for parents.

Wang Qiqi saw from the glass of the kitchen door that although Luo Hongjuan looked excited, there seemed to be a slight disharmony in her expression. Only then did Wang Qiqi recall that Han Tao had gone straight to their place after returning, showered, sorted out the ingredients needed for the evening, and then proceeded to roll around in bed with her. He hadn't even stopped by home, let alone informing his father of his arrival or paying respects. It was bound to create an issue in Luo Hongjuan's heart.

Wang Qiqi could only give a brief and quick answer to Luo Hongjuan's question. "Han Tao seems quite tired. I was planning to let him eat something after he finished his bath and then go to sleep, but he actually fell asleep right in the bathtub." Wang Qiqi hoped her words would distract Luo Hongjuan from dwelling on Han Tao's lack of protocol.

Luo Hongjuan was shocked to hear that her son was so exhausted. Knowing he must have slept in Wang Qiqi's room, she hurried toward Wang Qiqi's room. Wang Qiqi was nearly scared to death by her future mother-in-law's swift movement. The scent in her room right now wasn't exactly pleasant. If her mother-in-law pushed the door open and caught that smell, Wang Qiqi wouldn't know what to say. She had just told her that Han Tao was utterly exhausted, yet he had engaged in an activity that was undeniably draining.

Wang Qiqi couldn't stop Luo Hongjuan; she didn't dare tell a mother eager to see her son not to go in immediately.

Just as Wang Qiqi was feeling extremely uneasy, the door to her room opened, and Han Tao emerged, yawning. Han Tao had actually woken up not long after Wang Qiqi did, but the comfort of the covers had made him linger. Now, hearing his mother's voice, Han Tao couldn't possibly stay in bed. At that moment, he suddenly remembered: he had rushed back to see Qiqi without even stepping inside his own home. Furthermore, he sniffed the air in the room—a lingering, dissipated scent. If his mother walked in and smelled it, she would definitely form an opinion about Wang Qiqi.

With that thought, Han Tao scrambled to get dressed. When he opened the door, he saw his mother was only two steps away from Wang Qiqi’s room. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Mom, you're back. Qiqi told me you were working overtime?" Han Tao said while letting out another yawn.

Seeing Han Tao's fatigued expression, Luo Hongjuan couldn't bring herself to blame him. "You must be tired from the journey? And son, why do you have dark circles under your eyes..." Being a mother, she was meticulous; the moment she saw her son, she noticed something was amiss and quickly helped Han Tao sit on the edge of the sofa.

Han Tao knew about his dark circles. After being away in the States for so long, there were hardly any days without overtime. "Mom, it's fine, really. But I only realized at my doorstep that I forgot to bring my house keys." Han Tao wasn't lying; he had assumed he would head straight to Beijing upon his return, so he hadn't brought his old house keys.

Luo Hongjuan had considered many reasons why her son hadn't gone home immediately—perhaps Qiqi's shower was more comfortable, or Qiqi would take better care of him. She never imagined the reason he hadn't gone home first was the lack of a key. She stopped pressing the issue. "Sit on the sofa and rest a bit, then we'll eat."

"Qiqi, is there anything I can help with?" Luo Hongjuan entered the room and found Wang Qiqi preparing Longjing Shrimp. Upon seeing this dish, Luo Hongjuan nodded repeatedly because it was her son's favorite.

Wang Qiqi had initially planned to make Braised Spare Ribs or Cola Chicken Wings, but she worried that by the time she finished, Han Tao would still be asleep. Although the microwave could reheat it, Wang Qiqi felt freshly made food tasted better, so she decided to make those dishes for lunch the next day. "No need, Auntie, we can eat very soon."

"Cheers." *3. The three of them—Wang Qiqi, Han Tao, and Luo Hongjuan—clinked their beverage glasses, celebrating their reunion.

"Time to eat, time to eat." Luo Hongjuan looked at her son and future daughter-in-law sitting across from her, then at the brightly simmering hotpot. Only then did she feel that this was truly the New Year; the festival felt right only when family was gathered. "Xiao Tao, Qiqi specifically made this Longjing Shrimp for you. Eat more." Luo Hongjuan spooned several helpings into Han Tao's bowl, but she made sure not to forget putting several spoonfuls into her future daughter-in-law Wang Qiqi’s bowl as well. "Qiqi has worked hard today, too, making such a lavish Lantern Festival dinner."

As Wang Qiqi and Luo Hongjuan ate the hotpot, they listened to Han Tao recount his experiences with work and life in the US. Luo Hongjuan was more concerned about whether her son was adapting to the diet there. When she heard that he mostly ate hotdogs, pizza, or sandwiches, her heart ached.

If Han Tao hadn't been sitting opposite Luo Hongjuan, Wang Qiqi could guarantee her mother-in-law would have been fondling him, checking if he had lost weight. However, Wang Qiqi could confidently assert that Han Tao hadn't lost weight; he had actually gained a little. It made sense: despite the intense workload and frequent late nights, for someone used to a Chinese diet, suddenly being fed beef constantly with very few vegetables would naturally lead to weight gain.

Han Tao, having been in the States for so long, also found the diet difficult to get used to, but he absolutely would not express any sense of grievance in front of Luo Hongjuan. "Mom, don't worry. Your son is eating plenty of beef and things like that; nutrition is definitely sufficient."

Luo Hongjuan pouted. "If I go visit in the summer, Qiqi will come too, right?" If her son couldn't take care of himself, surely his daughter-in-law could. Not many young women these days were skilled cooks; the daughters of several of Luo Hongjuan's colleagues only knew how to eat, and the most advanced dish they could manage was scrambled eggs with tomatoes. But her own future daughter-in-law was capable in every respect.

When Han Tao heard his mother suggest that, he knew she was viewing Wang Qiqi as a personal cook. He glanced over and saw Qiqi quietly eating with her head down; he knew Qiqi was unhappy. "Mom, I can take care of myself, and Qiqi has her own things to do." Even as his fiancé, Han Tao knew he had no standing to demand Qiqi do this or that; doing so would only push Wang Qiqi further away.

Han Tao noticed the cautious tone in his mother's voice, and Wang Qiqi remained silent when asked about her plans. Luo Hongjuan pouted again. Ah, her son was so protective of his wife, just like his father. Fine. "As long as you two are happy, that's what matters."

Although Wang Qiqi had mentioned going to the US to take care of Han Tao long ago, she was deeply dissatisfied with Luo Hongjuan's attitude. Previously, she thought her mother-in-law was just speaking casually, but after hearing the suggestion repeatedly, Wang Qiqi couldn't just ignore it. She used to hide her feelings, but Wang Qiqi felt that if she didn't express her own thoughts now, Luo Hongjuan would truly see her as a pushover—especially saying it in front of Han Tao. Did she think Wang Qiqi was that easy to bully? Fortunately, Han Tao had spoken up for her.

Han Tao noticed that Wang Qiqi’s mood had soured since his mother made those remarks. He desperately wanted to say something to her, to tell her not to mind his mother’s words, but in front of his mother, how could he, as a son, say such a thing?

Wang Qiqi knew Han Tao was constantly glancing at her, and she recognized that her current state wasn't ideal, but she genuinely lacked the energy to put on a polite facade and try to liven up the atmosphere. "Eat more. Get a good rest tonight."

Wang Qiqi shifted her weight, trying to find a more comfortable position, but found she couldn't turn over. She was startled. What was happening? The bed was so large; why couldn't she move? Had a burglar broken in?

That thought startled Wang Qiqi, and she immediately tried to sit up. "Sleep, sleep." Wang Qiqi tried to get up, but the person beside her pulled her back down.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Han Tao to be lying next to her in bed. She came to her senses. "When did you get here?" Didn't this man leave yesterday? How did he get back in? And how did he get in? Wang Qiqi didn't believe Luo Hongjuan would have given Han Tao a key.

"I took your key when I left yesterday," Han Tao explained why he had her key. "Don't worry, I only came back after seeing Mom off."

Han Tao had originally intended to check on Wang Qiqi’s sleep. He knew she often stayed up late emailing just to stay connected with him recently. He figured Wang Qiqi wouldn't have slept early yesterday either, and her mood hadn't been great. So, he had wanted to come over and talk with her properly. However, he hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to be sleeping so soundly, wrapped snugly in the covers. Han Tao recalled tossing and turning all night after getting home yesterday, yet the main subject of his concern was sleeping blissfully. Looking at Wang Qiqi's contented sleeping face, Han Tao suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to sleep too, so he stripped off his clothes, climbed under the covers with Wang Qiqi, and went back to sleep. Han Tao hadn't anticipated waking Wang Qiqi so soon.