Even with rebirth, experiencing the separation from Han Tao, watching him alone go through the gate to board the flight to the US still left Wang Qiqi with a persistent ache in her heart every time she stepped into the airport. So many people bustled past, most of them radiating joy or a distinct air of triumph—clearly travelers setting off on holiday. Those heading abroad for business around the Lunar New Year, or people in the same boat as Han Tao, were few, making their small group stand out all the more conspicuously.

Luo Hongjuan also felt a profound sadness. She had already convinced herself that staying home instead of seeing her son off at the train or plane was difficult enough, but standing at the airport, she was overcome by the urge to physically restrain him, to clutch her son and forbid him from leaving. Perhaps in the past, she would have been jealous that Qiqi got to see her son off at the airport, but now Luo Hongjuan felt no envy. To stand there and watch the man who was her son strap on his backpack and vanish before her eyes must be unbearably painful.

All Luo Hongjuan could do now was continually fuss with Han Tao’s already tidy clothes, all while incessantly reminding him of things to watch out for while living alone in the US. Han Tao, however, was no longer annoyed by the words his mother had repeated countless times; instead, he quietly stayed by her side, nodding consistently. "I know, I know, Mom. Don't worry. And about the Han family matters, don't get too involved. Don't go back to see them often either. The more frequently you visit, the more they’ll feel we are compromising, and they will only push harder. Not to mention how much debt they’ve racked up for Han Jun’s wedding—that’s bound to become an issue eventually. And Han Jun’s wife is no saint either..."

Luo Hongjuan nodded. She knew what to do even if her son hadn't said it. Earlier, the elder Mrs. Han had called, suggesting they all gather for a proper meal before Han Tao left for the US. But Luo Hongjuan had declined. She knew any meeting with them would be pointless—either showing off how successful their grandson was and reminding him of the Han family’s ‘goodness,’ or gossiping about how unreasonable Han Jun’s in-laws were. Regardless of their intent, Luo Hongjuan refused to let her son endure any more frustration or let irrelevant people spoil his mood. But she hadn't expected her son to still be worrying about her right before leaving. This made Luo Hongjuan reflect: perhaps she had been too weak in her previous actions, otherwise why would her son look so uneasy? "Don't worry, I will cut back on my visits. I had originally hoped to mend fences so that when you got married, there would be more people to attend the wedding. Since neither of you plans to hold the reception locally anyway, I won't overthink things."

Han Tao mumbled under his breath, "That’s how it should be." In Han Tao’s view, having fewer family members was a good thing; then he could have the wedding he actually wanted, like a casual lawn buffet, which would be much livelier and feel more genuinely familial than Han Jun’s ceremony, which had devolved into a drunken contest.

Luo Hongjuan certainly heard her son. She snorted, dismissing the thought of lecturing him. Her son was about to fly away; there was no time for instruction. It was better to focus on giving him last-minute advice.

Han Tao watched his mother slip back into her endless monologue. The same familiar words cycled through again. He sighed inwardly, then glanced over at Wang Qiqi and Taotao, who were playing with such energy. He knew Qiqi wouldn't back him up. Han Tao could only pinch the bridge of his nose. He understood that even if Wang Qiqi hadn't been distracted by Taotao, she wouldn't have intervened to save him; she worried her mother-in-law would simply turn her scrutiny onto her instead.

Just as Han Tao was reaching the limit of his patience, he finally heard the voice he most longed for: "Mom, I need to go in now."

Hearing the announcement, Luo Hongjuan, who had been bravely holding back her tears, finally let them fall. She pulled Han Tao into a fierce hug. "Son, when you get to the US, you must take good care of yourself. Mom will come to Jingcheng to see you in March."

Han Tao found this utterly strange—why was his mother suddenly planning a trip to Jingcheng? But he truly had no time; he needed to rush to the gate or risk missing his flight. He gestured for Wang Qiqi to ask his mother why the sudden idea to go to Jingcheng and email him about it later. After hugging everyone present, he turned and strode away.

The moment Han Tao turned, a glint of moisture appeared in the corner of his eye. He cursed himself internally for being so weak. He had traveled to the US alone before; why did today feel so sentimental? He had intended to turn back and wave farewell to everyone at the gate, but Han Tao knew if he did, his mother, already weeping behind him, would only cry louder. And so, he disappeared beyond the barrier.

Luo Hongjuan watched Han Tao's figure vanish from sight, then clutched Wang Qiqi tightly. "Tao Tao is gone, he’s gone." Luo Hongjuan knew she must look dreadful, but she couldn't help it.

Wang Qiqi patted the hysterical Luo Hongjuan’s back repeatedly. "Mom, Tao Tao will be back in just over a month. Besides, aren't you going to Jingcheng in March?" Wang Qiqi was inwardly startled too. Why was Luo Hongjuan going to Jingcheng? Was she dissatisfied that Qiqi hadn't taken good care of Han Tao, making him too thin, or perhaps...

Luo Hongjuan remained silent for a long time, not answering Wang Qiqi's question. She knew if she spoke now, her voice would be choked with sobs. After a long pause, she slowly managed to stop crying and composed herself. "Tao Tao studied in Jingcheng for three years, and I never went to see where he lived. And... and..." Luo Hongjuan’s gaze drifted towards Song Yao. Though this idea had been Song Yao's suggestion, and she knew it had little to do with Qiqi, she hadn't discussed it with Qiqi and the others beforehand.

And what else? Wang Qiqi only caught the fuzzy remnants of the sentence. She felt that Luo Hongjuan’s initial mention of seeing where Han Tao studied and lived was only half the story; the vague part must be the key point.

Song Yao had intended to discuss this privately with her cousin later, but she hadn't expected Luo Hongjuan to be so quick to spill the beans. "Qiqi, well, I was planning to open my shop in Jingcheng in the second half of the year," Song Yao said tentatively.

Wang Qiqi hummed in response. This was something she already knew. After all, Yang Jing had just given birth and needed time to recover before taking over. In Wang Qiqi's estimation, Song Yao’s family wouldn't relocate to Jingcheng until the end of the year, possibly not until after the New Year. But then Wang Qiqi connected the dots: could her mother-in-law have persuaded this Song Yao to rush to Jingcheng to start managing things early?

Wang Qiqi didn't look down on Luo Hongjuan; her thinking was somewhat traditional, not quite keeping up with the times. Running a purchasing agent business required more than just noting down customer orders; it demanded sharing usage experiences and, at the very least, understanding the brands customers mentioned. Song Yao had clearly mastered the business over this recent period. As for Luo Hongjuan, Wang Qiqi suspected she might struggle. But could she say this right in front of her mother-in-law? Wouldn't that be intentionally offending her? Qiqi wasn't foolish; she could only shoot the person next to her a few sharp glares.

Seeing the murderous look her cousin shot her way, Song Yao felt a bit wronged. She understood Qiqi's worries and admitted that her plan was somewhat risky. However, Song Yao was confident she could train Luo Hongjuan. After doing business for so long, Song Yao had noticed that while many customers were young women or newly married housewives, the most generous payers were often successful, financially secure middle-aged women in their forties or fifties. Song Yao felt she lacked the right conversational approach for this demographic. It was then she noticed Luo Hongjuan. When Song Yao tentatively brought up the idea, Luo Hongjuan hesitated briefly but quickly agreed, though she did mention that if she found it too difficult, she might quit. But how could Song Yao allow Luo Hongjuan to back out? "Auntie is actually quite capable. When we went shopping yesterday, her taste was quite good, she's just too preoccupied with money." It was Luo Hongjuan's performance during yesterday’s shopping trip that solidified Song Yao's quick decision.

Luo Hongjuan knew Wang Qiqi was likely worried about her. Honestly, she wasn't entirely confident in herself either. But seeing her daughter-in-law view her this way made Luo Hongjuan feel quite uncomfortable.

Wang Qiqi knew this wasn't the right venue to discuss the issue; they would have plenty of time to talk when they got home. "Sister, don't worry, I certainly have no objection. But you absolutely cannot overwork my mom, or I won't let you off the hook. You’re a career woman, spending ten hours a day at the shop, but you can't treat my mom that way. And you can't lose your temper with her..."

Song Yao understood that Wang Qiqi was trying to cover for her earlier moment of distraction. But as she listened to Wang Qiqi list off her concerns, Song Yao’s face fell. She looked at Luo Hongjuan, sitting in the passenger seat, with an exaggeratedly miserable expression. "Auntie, I dare not hire you now. Look, the moment I proposed an idea, Qiqi started worrying about this and that. Sigh, why is it so frustrating just trying to hire a reliable family member?"

Seeing how well Song Yao played along to support her, Wang Qiqi felt quite smug. "You can trust my mom to handle things, but you better not mistreat her, or I won't let you off the hook..."

"Don't worry, Yaoyao, I promise I will study hard," Luo Hongjuan guaranteed from the front seat. The reason she agreed to go to Jingcheng wasn't just to spend more time with her son; another factor was to avoid the issues back home, preventing herself from being dragged into any future trouble if the Han family collapsed. If she were in Jingcheng, whatever chaos erupted within the Han family would be irrelevant to her.