The atmosphere in the villa was tense and heavy. Little Yu followed Qiu Tong nervously and fearfully, refusing to let go of her fingers.
Qiu Tong sensed their emotions and comforted the children gently. “It’s alright, Mommy will accompany you here.”
“Even if bad people dare to come here, Mommy will beat them back!”
Qiu Tong picked up two fairy tale books from the bookshelf and pointed to the bedroom. “Now, all good children should be in bed now. Mommy will read you a story, okay? Who wants to hear a fairy tale?”
Little Yu immediately raised her hand. Qiu Xingqiao said in a low voice, “We don’t want to hear stories about princesses and princes anymore. We want to hear stories about heroes…”
Qiu Tong burst out laughing. She was moved by the children’s innocence and carried them back to the bedroom. She coaxed them, “Alright, as you please.”
Half an hour later, Qiu Tong came out of the bedroom quietly and closed the door.
She wanted to go to the kitchen to have a drink of water, but realized that Ye Luan was sitting on the sofa in the darkness. In the dim light, his small figure looked a little lonely.
Qiu Tong noticed his envy and took the initiative to sit beside him. She asked, “Do you want Auntie Qiu to read you a story too?”
“Are you afraid too?”
Ye Luan frowned awkwardly and rejected coldly, “I’m not a child.”
Qiu Tong raised her eyebrows and deliberately slowed her movements as she stood up. “In that case, I’ll go back to my room first. Goodnight…”
The moment her figure brushed past Ye Luan, Ye Luan suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the corner of her clothes. He bit his thin lips and didn’t say anything.
Ye Luan lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes blocking his eyes. No one could tell what he was feeling.
Qiu Tong gave a small smile and sighed as she sat beside him. She hugged Ye Luan and whispered, “Auntie Qiu won’t read you any stories then. I’ll just sit with you for a while. You don’t have to be afraid. In Auntie Qiu’s heart, you’re also my child just like Qiu Xingyuan and the rest. You’re a very good child.”
Ye Luan’s emotions surged when he heard this.
The estrangement between the two of them dissolved that night, and their hearts became even closer.
…
Early next morning, the sounds of glass being smashed outside could be heard. The ear-piercing noise woke Qiu Tong from her sleep.
She quickly got up to take a look and realized that there were refugees gathered outside. They were attacking the guards of the villa in an organized manner, picking up stones and smashing them against glass. They even tried to break through the fences and barge into the guards’ area with ferocious momentum.
Qiu Tong narrowed her eyes. She noticed that there seemed to be many gangsters from the city mixed among these refugees…
“The unrest has begun!”
Qiu Tong drew the curtains and asked Ke Le and the others to gather in the room. “From now on, your priority is to protect the children!”
Qiu Tong looked at Qiu Xingyuan and Ye Luan and instructed, “You two are the big brothers, you have to protect your younger siblings.”
“All of you have to stay obediently in the villa. Don’t run around and don’t go out, understand?”
Qiu Tong stared at the situation outside and said with a calm and solemn expression, “According to the intensity of their attacks now, the electric fence around the villa should be able to hold on for a while. They won’t be able to break in for the time being, but we still have to make preparations and take early precautions!”