“Jiang Da—!” Han Yunru called out his name loudly.
The man froze, then suddenly turned his back on her.
“I’ve thought it over,” he said. “The day you leave… I won’t see you off after all…”
As he spoke, he abruptly lifted his hand.
From Han Yunru’s angle, all she could see was his hand raised to his chest. It took her over ten seconds to realize—he was wiping away tears!
This time, she really panicked!
She tried several times to circle around to face him and explain.
But the man kept dodging, showing her nothing but his back.
“Don’t look…”
His throat caught, betraying a hint of sobbing.
Jiang Da’s face flushed red—he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole from the embarrassment!
Men don’t cry easily… It wasn’t that he meant to cry—he just couldn’t help it.
“Jiang Da—!” Han Yunru was a little angry now. “Turn around and look at me!”
He didn’t move.
“Fine, if you won’t listen, I’m leaving right now!”
In a flash, the man turned around—his eyes were indeed red.
Han Yunru took a deep breath, staring at him and enunciating clearly: “Now can you hear me?”
Jiang Da nodded hesitantly.
“Then listen carefully, I’ll only say it once—I’m not going to the Imperial Capital! Not going!”
“…Huh?”
“I was messing with you earlier. My brother said he wouldn’t force me, and I could take my time.”
“But the old man…”
Han Yunru pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor, her lashes trembling: “Ignore him.”
“R-Really? You’re not leaving? For real?”
“I never planned to leave… You were just overthinking it…”
“That’s great! I-I’m so happy—” As he said this, he picked her up and started spinning around in place.
“What are you doing? Put me down! Ah—!”
“Wifey, I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life! I’ll listen to everything you say—I swear!”
“Put me down first!”
“Nope, I’m too happy.”
“Jiang Da—!”
So much for saying he’d listen…
——
On this end, the couple had finally cleared things up and were sweet as honey. But on the other end, tension filled the room like a storm waiting to break.
“Who told you to make that decision on your own?!” Han Qishan struck the floor repeatedly with his cane, fuming with nowhere to vent his rage.
Han Shen replied calmly, “I only acted to salvage things before they got worse.”
“You call that salvaging? Don’t you realize, by doing this you’ve completely handed Little Ru over to that Jiang guy!”
“Dad, how many times do I have to say it? They’re already husband and wife.”
“Bullsh*t—Jiang Da isn’t worthy of my Little Ru!”
“They have children together. Little Ru genuinely loves him. Why are you still making a fuss?”
The old man’s jaw tightened harshly.
Han Shen sighed. “Little sister is over forty now—not fourteen, not even twenty-four. In the past twenty years, she’s gotten married, had a family, and even gave birth to two kids. You insist she go to the Imperial Capital—do you think she’d be willing?”
“She can take the kids with her! It’s not like the Han family can’t afford it!”
“Is that fair to Jiang Da?”
The old man muttered, “What’s fair to a d*mn cook…”
Even he seemed to realize how out-of-line that sounded and said it under his breath.
Han Shen’s brow twitched. “Anyway, if you still want Little Ru to recognize us—call you ‘Dad,’ call me ‘Brother’—stop forcing her to do things she doesn’t want. You’ll only push her farther away.”
With that, he turned and went back to his room.
The old man slumped on the couch, fuming like a balloon about to pop.
He’d only just reunited with his daughter, and yet couldn’t bring the family together—what kind of joke was this?
As for Jiang Da… Other than being good at cooking and having a bigger build, what was so great about him?
But those grandkids—one was beautiful, the other clever and adorable.
The more he thought about it, the more suffocated he felt. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
The other end picked up quickly: “Chairman, what are your orders?”
“Do something for me—don’t tell Han Shen…”
——
“Going back?” Early next morning, when Han Shen heard the old man’s words, he thought he was still dreaming.
Han Qishan nodded. “Yes.”
“Today?”
“Mm. I already had my assistant book the tickets.”
Han Shen frowned. “Why the sudden decision to return to the capital? You’re giving up on little sister?”
“Hey! You brat! Weren’t you the one who told me not to force her and give her time? Now that I’m doing just that, you’re doubting me again? What do you want me to do, huh?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Enough talk. Get up, pack, and get to the airport.”
“So rushed?” Han Shen felt something was off.
The old man had no patience left. “Go or don’t, up to you. I don’t care!”
With that, he left to pack.
Han Shen rubbed his temples. The old man returning might be for the best—less chance for trouble here.
As for Little Ru…
They’d have to take things slow and let time handle it.
With that thought, Han Shen stopped hesitating and got up to pack.
Before they left for the airport, Han Qishan made two mysterious phone calls.
Han Shen asked who it was, but the old man brushed him off.
——
That day, Jiang Da went about his usual routine: after serving the first wave of customers, he carried fresh vegetables home to cook for his wife.
“Wifey—I’m home!”
The house was eerily quiet.
Jiang Da changed into slippers and walked in. No one in the living room. Thinking she might be upstairs, he went to the bedroom.
Five minutes later, he rushed down in a panic and checked the garden—still nothing.
Where was she…?
It wasn’t until he spotted a broken glass cup on the dining room floor that it hit him.
His hands shook as he pulled out his phone and dialed his daughter’s number.
“Yueyue—your mom is gone!”
——
At the airport, three hours remained until the flight.
Han Shen thought they were too early, but Han Qishan insisted—so he didn’t argue.
“Let’s go to the lounge and wait.”
The old man’s eyes flickered. “You go ahead—I’ll sit out here for a bit.”
Han Shen looked at him suspiciously. “The lobby? You sure?”
“What are you nagging for? The lounge has bad ventilation. I feel suffocated! The lobby’s open and bright. Can’t I sit here for a while?”
Han Shen frowned. The old man was really acting weird today.
He nodded slowly. “Alright, then I’ll stay with you.”
“Who said I need company? Go, go, go. You finished all the company paperwork? Old Zhang called me yesterday complaining about you! Don’t let those old geezers catch any dirt on you. I won’t be able to cover for you!”
Han Shen thought about it. “Fine. I’ll head to the lounge and work. Call me if you need anything.”
“Yeah, go.”
Once Han Shen left, the old man no longer bothered hiding. He stretched his neck, peeking at the entrance. Occasionally, he raised his wrist to check the time.
Why isn’t she here yet…
Suddenly, a familiar figure rushed over. “Chairman!”
“Where is she?”
“On the way. About ten minutes out. Here’s the young lady’s boarding pass.”
Han Qishan glanced at it. The passenger info clearly read: Han Yunru. He nodded in satisfaction. “Well done.”
“I’ll go meet her.”
“I’m coming with you.”
The two headed outside.
But just as they stepped out, Han Shen suddenly reappeared, snatching the boarding pass right out of the old man’s hands.
Seeing Han Yunru’s name in bold print, Han Shen immediately understood the old man’s plan.
“Hey—you were going to the lounge, weren’t you?”
“So I could let you abduct Little Ru to the airport and force her on a plane?”
The old man’s face darkened. “What abduction? Don’t be so crude! I just sent someone to pick her up!”
“What’s the difference?!”
“Ah Shen, your sister’s almost here. Let’s all go back to the capital together.”
Han Shen nearly fainted from anger. “Have you even considered the consequences?!”
“Consequences? What consequences?”
“Is Little Ru willing? What about Jiang Da and the kids—how do you expect them to feel? You’re being way too reckless! Absolutely absurd!”
“Call them now. Call it off. Take Little Ru home.”
The old man’s face turned to stone. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? She’s nearly here, and you want me to send her back?”
“Dad, even if she arrives—you still have to keep her.”
“Why wouldn’t I? Once we’re back in the capital, everything will be fine. Maybe she’s just a little hesitant right now, but her real home isn’t here. Sooner or later, she has to return.”
Han Shen couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. He directly held out his hand to the assistant. “Phone.”
The man shrank back, nervous but forced himself to pull out his phone.
Han Qishan roared, “You dare—?!”
The assistant looked like he was about to cry. He was just an errand runner—why did he have to suffer this?
Han Shen said, “Hand it over!”
In the end, the pressure was too much. The assistant shakily handed over the phone.
The old man was livid. “You traitor!”
“Chairman, the young master’s not really an outsider… right?”
Han Qishan: “!”
Just as Han Shen dialed the number, a burst of static crackled through, followed by a panicked man’s voice—
“Assistant Qin! Something’s wrong! Our car was blocked at the airport entrance—Miss… she’s gone!”
Did Han Mama lose her memory?
A. Yes
B. She lost it, but regained it
C. Never lost it in the first place
Single-choice. Answer in the comments.
