Chapter Twenty-Five: When Children Grow Up, They Cannot Be Kept

That was true enough; Song Chengyi knew a little about it, after all, the Luo Yixia family lived right next door to his own, and their rooms were separated by nothing more than a single wall. He often heard Luo Yixia's mother scolding her when he was at home.

As the car entered the villa complex and reached the front of his house, Song Chengyi pulled into his own driveway.

Luo Yixia was still confused when Song Chengyi got out of the car. "Wait here for a moment," he said.

What was he up to? Luo Yixia was baffled. Weren't they supposed to go to her house? Why had he stopped at his own?

Then she saw Aunt Zhou coming out with Song Chengyi, who was carrying something in his hand.

Luo Yixia could no longer sit still. She immediately opened the car door and saw Aunt Song approaching.

She was about to call out, "Aunt Zhou..." but suddenly remembered the slap she'd received from her own mother the other day, and quickly changed it to, "Mom."

"Yixia, you're back too?" Aunt Song was as kind as ever, always smiling, gentle and warm.

Luo Yixia often thought how wonderful it would be if her own mother were even half as gentle as Aunt Zhou. What a pity.

"I just heard Chengyi say he was taking you to see your mother. That's good. Your mom was just talking about you yesterday," Zhou Yun said with a smile.

Although Luo Yixia smiled outwardly, inwardly she thought, talking about how useless I am, no doubt.

She glanced at the supplements and tea Song Chengyi was carrying and immediately understood—they had come back to fetch these things.

Without hesitation, Luo Yixia reached out and handed Zhou Yun the fruit Chengyi had bought for her mother.

"Mom, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just got a few things at random." She successfully offered someone else's gift as her own.

But her eyes kept darting to Song Chengyi, who stood beside Zhou Yun.

Song Chengyi was surprised. When had this little girl become so clever, even knowing how to present someone else's flowers as her own?

He didn't expose her.

"Why all this fuss? Haven't I said this is your home too? Why bring anything when you come home?" Zhou Yun chided gently.

"I usually bring fruit for Mom when I go home. It's right to show respect to elders, so it's only proper to bring some fruit for Mom and Dad," Luo Yixia said, amazed at her own ability to be so agreeable, inwardly admiring herself.

"What a sweet mouth you have. I see having a daughter is truly a blessing," Zhou Yun said, casting an exasperated glance at her son.

She hadn't even gotten any filial gestures from him yet, but now he was already honoring someone else's mother. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous, but at least now she had a daughter-in-law to care for her.

"Alright, enough chatting. Go on, see your mother," Zhou Yun urged, not wanting to delay them.

"Yes, Mom, we'll go now," Luo Yixia said with a smile.

Song Chengyi placed the gifts in the trunk and got back into the car.

Luo Yixia thought he was being lazy—just a few steps and he still insisted on driving.

But she obediently got in.

Zhou Yun watched her son drive away and then into the neighboring yard, feeling both happy and a little sad.

She was pleased that her son, who normally seemed as if uttering one extra word would kill him, was finally learning to be thoughtful—driving into the neighbor's yard so it would appear he was headed straight to his mother-in-law's house.

Yet she was saddened that this awareness and attention had never been shown to his own mother.

He had just come home, barely exchanged a few words, and though he stood beside her, all his attention was on Luo Yixia.

Ah... her son had grown up.

They say daughters are hard to keep once they're grown, but it seemed to her that having a daughter next door was even better—it came with a ready-made son as well.