"Mum, what are you doing?"
The video connected and Gao Man watched her mother in the video, who looked very young and at the moment, her face was flushed with a healthy glow.
"Where else could I be but at the shop? Where could I go?"
Shu Feifei was holding a cup of coffee, looking at some books; this was her everyday habit.
"Oh, I just suddenly remembered something I wanted to share with you... I’ve got a boyfriend!"
Gao Man tentatively started the conversation and, hearing this, Shu Feifei immediately revealed a motherly smile.
"That’s wonderful! You all keep saying you won’t marry and nearly worry me to death. Now knowing that you all have boyfriends, the weight is lifted from my heart."
"We... could it be... my sister also has a boyfriend?"
Gao Man looked at Shu Feifei in surprise, while her mother smiled proudly and said, "What, you sisters claim to tell each other everything, don’t you? Don’t tell me you don’t even know about this?"
"I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had much contact with my sister... Have you met her boyfriend?"
Gao Man asked curiously.
"Well, I suppose I’ve seen him. Last time I went to your sister’s company, I caught a glimpse of a man hiding under her desk, so I guess she’s already started hiding a man. It’s probably because the situation isn’t stable yet, so she hasn’t gone public. But you’re calling to share good news; could it be that you’re planning to bring the boyfriend home? Then I should tidy up the house well."
Shu Feifei finally told Gao Man about the incident with the hand she saw last time.
"It’s not that quick; we’re just still communicating. I have a slight fondness for him, so I wanted to ask for your opinion whether to continue developing our relationship."
Afraid that her suspicion was true, Gao Man had to hide the fact that she had already been intimate with him. If her mother had indeed been physically involved with Lin Fan, she needed to leave herself some room to maneuver.
"Love is a matter between the two of you. How can I make any judgement when I haven’t even met him? But good or bad, you need to experience it for yourself to know. If it feels right, keep seeing each other; if you find he’s unreliable, then cut your losses sooner rather than later."
Shu Feifei had always maintained an open-minded view of her daughter’s relationships.
"His name is Lin Fan... he’s a civil servant."
Gao Man mustered up the courage to reveal Lin Fan’s name, closely watching her mother’s expressions to see if they changed, but she merely asked considerately, "A civil servant, that’s also good. Is he a colleague of yours?"
"No, we met by chance... Mum... I have a meeting to attend, so I have to go!"
Relieved, Gao Man didn’t want to continue the topic and tried to end the video call.
"So when can you come back?"
No matter how grown her daughter was, in Shu Feifei’s eyes she was still a child, so she asked with some concern.
"It might take three or five days. The suspect we’re after is a major businessman, constantly guarded, and he’s been a thorn in Red Flag County for many years, with numerous informants. It won’t be easy to catch him, so we’ve started surveillance and we’ll head back as soon as we get the chance to take him in. I’ve got to go now, bye."
Not being able to say much, Gao Man heaved a sigh of relief and fell back on to the bed. From her mother’s expression, she didn’t seem to recognize Lin Fan; maybe she was just overthinking last night’s incident.
"You fickle heartbreaker, you give me a fright every single day. If you really seduced my mum too, us sisters will really have to start calling you dad."
When Lin Fan’s car stopped at the exit of the high-speed railway station, there stood Zhu Dan in a long dress, who had taken the high-speed train back, immediately pulling her luggage with a cheerful smile as she walked over.
"What’s in such a big suitcase?"
Lin Fan quickly got out of the car and took the suitcase from her, placing it in the trunk, while Zhu Dan had already opened the door and taken a seat in the passenger side.
"It’s instruments needed for sampling and a few sets of clothes to change into."
Zhu Dan gazed at Lin Fan with adoration; it had been a week since they last saw each other.
"Shall we head straight to Lotus Town now?"
Lin Fan reached out and took Zhu Dan’s tender hand. The upcoming fieldwork trip was a battle for him in more ways than one.
"Not today... my mom asked me to come home and stay the night; we can set off tomorrow morning."
Zhu Dan bit her lip; although she would have loved to fly away with Lin Fan that very moment, her mother had already made plans, and as a dutiful daughter, how could she refuse?
"That’s okay then. How much time have you prepared for me?"
Lin Fan looked at Zhu Dan with a smile and her face turned red in an instant.
"I told my mom it’s a three o’clock train... we still have two and a half hours now. Is that okay for you to decide how we spend it?"
"I knew you cared about me."
Lin Fan pinched Zhu Dan’s cheek and then slid his hand down her neckline, gripping the firm and round flesh of her breast in his hand, which felt exceptionally good.
"Yes, yes, if I don’t care about you, then who will?"
Watching Lin Fan step on the gas, Zhu Dan didn’t know where they were heading next, but she knew one thing for sure: the welcoming fireworks were inevitable.