Chapter 56

【PS: Thank you to Wangmo from Jiulong Island for your generous donation. I will update the third chapter at an undetermined time tonight. Thank you all for your support with recommendations, and I hope for your continued enthusiasm!】

Song Xiancheng swore that if he had known his daughter would come home for lunch today, he definitely wouldn't have invited Tong Yan back for a meal. If he couldn't eat at the school cafeteria, he would have just eaten instant noodles. After all, they were all junk food anyway!

Tong Yan swore that if he had known Song Rao would come back for lunch, he wouldn't have hesitated and would have agreed right away. He secretly felt lucky that he hadn't stubbornly insisted on going back to school to eat instant noodles.

Instant noodles: What did I do to deserve this!?

Song Rao usually didn't come home for lunch, and both Tong Yan and Old Song knew this. However, today Song Rao unexpectedly returned. After the initial surprise, Song Xiancheng frowned and asked, "Why are you back?"

The tone and expression clearly showed how much he didn't want his daughter to come home!

The situation at home was different from what Song Rao had expected. Seeing Tong Yan, she felt a bit uncomfortable. "I, this is my home, can't I come back?"

Then she pointed at Tong Yan, "What is he doing here?"

"Today, Tong Yan is having lunch at our place. Since you're back, you can cook. The food I make isn't suitable for guests." Old Song was very self-aware. Although he had been both a father and a mother for many years, he hadn't developed good cooking skills. On the contrary, his delicate daughter's cooking was quite delicious, which was one of Song Rao's more commendable strengths besides her beauty and kindness.

Song Rao, with her arms crossed, said stubbornly, "Who makes a high school student responsible for housework? I won't cook; I'll just wait for the ready-made food!"

Song Xiancheng thought of something and said to Tong Yan, "Then I'll do it. Don't laugh if it's not good." His idea was to absolutely not let his daughter's few strengths be exposed in front of Tong Yan, otherwise, it would be even more dangerous for her. It was like not showing off one's wealth.

Old Song went into the kitchen, leaving Song Rao and Tong Yan in the living room. Song Rao immediately approached Tong Yan, "Tell me, why did you come to my house?"

Although Song Rao had a stern interrogating demeanor, she was actually very happy. Seeing Tong Yan at home was a pleasant surprise for her.

"I, I am..." The close proximity of Song Rao put a lot of pressure on Tong Yan. He didn't know how to fully narrate the touching and sad story of his mother's illness, her treatment in the hospital, Old Song and him visiting her, and finally, Old Song inviting him back for a meal.

"Rao Rao, come here!" Just as Tong Yan was organizing his words, Song Xiancheng, worried, poked his head out and called.

"What?" Song Rao replied impatiently.

"Come and see, is this much salt enough?"

"I really can't stand you, wait a moment." Song Rao lazily ran into the kitchen to help, as she was also worried about leaving the kitchen to her father alone.

With only himself left, Tong Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Now he had the leisure to look around the home of Old Song and his daughter. This was where Song Rao had grown up.

From the living room, the house didn't seem too large, but it was neat and clean, with simple and tasteful decor. There were a few plants on the balcony, adding a touch of greenery, fitting the image Tong Yan had of Old Song, a Chinese teacher.

He saw doors in the east, south, and north directions, which should be Old Song's, Song Rao's bedroom, and Old Song's study.

Song Rao's bedroom was obvious; the door with a Hello Kitty poster was definitely the girl's room. From the outside, it looked like a pink and cute room, but girls can be very different inside and out. For example, Tian Xiaoni, who had a wild appearance and personality, had a very pink and girly bedroom, making it hard to associate the room with the real person. So, Tong Yan couldn't be sure if Song Rao's bedroom would match her personality.

Sitting idly was boring, and Tong Yan wanted to help in the kitchen, but he thought three people in the kitchen would be too crowded, so he put aside his polite intentions. He stood up and walked around, gradually approaching the door guarded by Hello Kitty.

The door had a magical allure; Tong Yan wanted to get closer but didn't dare to get too close. Fortunately, a photo frame nearby caught his attention.

The photo frame contained about a dozen photos, with Song Rao as the main subject. Old Song occasionally appeared, but there was no mother.

These photos recorded Song Rao's growth from her babbling infancy to her current graceful appearance. If Tong Yan's guess was correct, there should be one photo per year, as there were eighteen in total. These photos were a condensed version of Song Rao's life, very precious visual records. Looking at them felt like watching Song Rao grow up, which was a rather advantageous feeling. Just as Tong Yan was staring at a photo of Song Rao at six or seven years old with braids, a light cough sounded behind him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing, uh, just looking at the photos."

Song Rao's sudden appearance made Tong Yan momentarily flustered. Then, a tomato was thrust into his hand by Song Rao, who was also holding one.

After entering the kitchen, Song Rao not only helped her father with the salt problem but also learned from him that he had invited Tong Yan to have lunch because his mother was in the hospital, and they had just come from there.

Because on the first day of school, Tong Yan and Ye Qingzhu had ridden the same bike, which made Song Rao, Tong Yan's dedicated driver, very unhappy, she didn't plan to show him a good face when she saw him at her house, even though she was secretly happy.

But upon hearing about Tong Yan's mother's serious illness, Song Rao couldn't bear to be cold-hearted. She picked the reddest and largest tomato and gave it to him. When she came out, she found him looking at her photos, which made her face turn red. Without a word, she thrust the tomato into his hand.

Tong Yan, feeling embarrassed, obediently sat back on the sofa. Song Rao sat beside him, not continuing their previous conversation or offering any words of comfort, but instead asked, "How's your novel? Was it selected?"

Song Rao chose the right topic. This was the only good news in Tong Yan's recent life. "Yes, it was selected, and the magazine has already been published. The editor sent me a copy, which should arrive soon. The payment isn't bad, over a thousand yuan."

"Really!" Song Rao couldn't suppress her joy, but she lowered her voice, fearing her father would hear. "Really? Do you remember what you said to me back then?"

"Of course, I remember. I'll treat you to a meal once I get the payment. I've always remembered that," Tong Yan affirmed.

Song Rao, however, said, "I don't really want to eat right now. Can I think long-term?"

"Think long-term? What do you mean?" Tong Yan didn't understand.

"I'll skip this meal. When you earn more payment, you can treat me to a bigger meal, okay?" Song Rao had heard from her father that even if Tong Yan's mother's illness could be cured, it would definitely cost a lot of money, which would be a heavy burden for a family like Tong Yan's.

Tong Yan didn't understand the deeper meaning of Song Rao's words but instinctively nodded in agreement. However, he later wondered if he would have the opportunity to earn more payment.