Chapter 68: Mom

Qiu Wuji was happy, but Chu Ge was not happy at all.

While others bring their dates home and have wonderful things happen, Chu Ge didn’t do anything but ended up in a fight and got stabbed. When he got home, the girl had already run away, and she ran really far.

Chu Ge absentmindedly placed a durian on his head, sat there with his hands in his pockets, and stared blankly at the roses on the coffee table. He didn’t know if he could take a shower with this injury, especially on such a hot day…

By the way, this rose that caused Qiu Wuji to use her powers does have a certain charm if you look at it for a long time…

There’s a picture of Zhuang Zhou’s Butterfly Dream on the wall, without any framing, just directly pasted. The writing is elegant and beautiful, with a high level of sophistication and a strong cultural vibe.

The room is clean and tidy, filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants. The rented room of a man has completely changed its appearance without him even realizing it.

Almost every corner of this room bears evidence of her presence.

“Ring, ring..” Suddenly, the phone rang.

In the past, Chu Ge was used to receiving calls that were abruptly disconnected after just a sound. But this time, Chu Ge sensed something different. He listened to the entire ringtone before leisurely answering the call, “Mom, why aren’t you sleeping so late? Oh, by the way, how was your Qixi Festival?”

“At my age, what Qixi Festival? Your Qixi Festival is what matters.”

“I had a happy Qixi Festival.”

His mom didn’t believe a word he said, “You’re happy typing away, right?”

“…”

“I saw Gu Ruoyan today. She said you’re a good person, but unfortunately not suitable. Why does that sound like an excuse?”

“Well, it is an excuse. Speaking of which, I have an excuse as well. If it’s not suitable, it’s not suitable. Your department is always so busy, you don’t even have time for your son, and I won’t look for a wife like that either.”

“Are you implying that your dad made a mistake in choosing me?”

Chu Ge hurriedly smiled and apologized, “No, no… Dad, he’s not good in many ways, but his taste is impeccable…”

His mom wasn’t buying it, “What about your taste? When are you going to introduce a girlfriend to me?”

“Soon, soon. Did Gu Ruoyan not tell you? That i do I have a woman I like?”

“No, Gu Ruoyan keeps things secret. She won’t casually reveal other people’s business.” His mom sounded skeptical “You have a girlfriend? You wouldn’t find someone to pretend just to save face, right? I remember reading about this kind of scenario in your books… But I guess you’re capable of pulling off such things. Usually, the pretender ends up being tricked by the protagonist.”

“Read fewer online novels, especially the kind where the author is named Chu Ge.” Chu Ge said, “I didn’t say I have a girlfriend. She’s just a woman I like, not a girlfriend. Do I need someone to pretend for me when it comes to liking someone?”

Qiu Wuji indeed wasn’t his girlfriend yet; she hadn’t admitted it. It’s not appropriate to make such announcements hastily… Additionally, Chu Ge had another layer of meaning when he spoke to his mom… He was afraid his mom would want to meet her future daughter-in-law without knowing where she was.

She might never know where she was, not even in the end. Since the mention of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, Chu Ge hadn’t continued expressing this concern verbally, but it had taken root in his heart.

When everything settles down, he will tell his mom at that time.

His mom was now interested, “Is she real? What does she look like? Send me a photo, let me see how good you are at pursuing girls. Do you want your mom to give you some advice?”

“Uh, let’s forget about it. The methods from your generation are not the same as now…”

“At the very least, dress neatly, look energetic, keep your place clean and tidy. These things are universally applicable! Do you dare to turn on the video and let mom take a look? Let me see what kind of dog’s nest you’re living in…”

This hit Chu Ge’s pride directly. He hung up the phone and initiated a WeChat video call.

In the video, the room was clean and tidy, with the roses looking vibrant and beautiful.

His mom was dumbfounded, “Did you hire a maid? How much does she cost per month?”

Chu Ge replied irritably, “Which maid would arrange roses for you?”

“…” His mom said, “Turn the video around, let me see your face. How long has it been since you shaved off that stubble?”

Chu Ge proudly turned the camera towards himself. He had just shaved before going out today, hmph.

But his mom took one look and immediately ended the video call, “This child is hopeless. He’s already putting durians on his head before getting married.”

Chu Ge: “…”

Damn, how could I forget about that…

A funny picture was sent through WeChat: “You deserve a punch.jpg”

Chu Ge covered his face, “Stop looking at these random pictures on the internet. It’s not what you think…”

“You’re concerned about the meaning of the picture? Do you still care about your family status in the future?”

“…Actually, the durian didn’t mean that.”

“Is it performance art, then?”

“If I say I’m practicing a martial arts move, do you believe me or not?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and after a while, a message came through: “Gu Ruoyan said that you have a good friend who’s involved in something shady, although it has nothing to do with you… You’re an honest child, alone in Nanjiang. Mom is worried that you’ll suffer.”

The familiar old words “Honest Child.” Warmth welled up in Chu Ge’s heart as he replied. “It’s alright, Mom.”

“You also know that our department is quite special. It’s currently not suitable for you to be exposed to official matters. If you have any concerns, you can contact our off-the-record contacts… I’ll send you a business card, just give them your name, and they’ll know you. But… it’s better to avoid getting involved in these things.”

Chu Ge speculated that Gu Ruoyan might be with the National Security Bureau, and by extension, his mom might be as well. However, Gu Ruoyan had initially referred to it as “colleagues,” which was ambiguous and he wasn’t sure how to interpret it. Logically speaking, even with the National Security Bureau, they wouldn’t necessarily hide their work unit from their own son. There might be something else special about it…

With this thought, it seemed that the ones who should be more concerned about safety were not himself, the “honest child,” but his parents. Their so-called “secrecy” was largely to avoid implicating their family.

Therefore, they didn’t want their child to be involved in these things. The best thing was for the child to live a safe and peaceful life.

But it seemed that the world was changing, and it wasn’t something that could be avoided just by saying you wouldn’t get involved. Did the business card sent by his mom represent that his parents had finally made some new decisions?

Chu Ge looked at the ID on the business card his mom sent: Zhong Li.

Could it be a Genshin Impact player?

Chu Ge thought for a moment but didn’t immediately add the ID. He simply bid his mom goodnight, saying, “It’s late, Mom. Rest early, and I should sleep too.”

His mom was quite shocked in response, “It’s only one o’clock.”

Chu Ge crossed his arms, “This is already the latest I’ve stayed up in a while.”

His mom instantly became delighted, “You’re really becoming responsible. Good, go to bed early.”

Chu Ge didn’t know how to respond to that. Wasn’t I responsible before?

He slept soundly that night.

However, he noticed that he was having more and more dreams now. After the tragic durian-stabbing dream, tonight’s dream was a replay of the various scenes from the day.

Qiu Wujin walking beside him, eating ice cream and cotton candy, with a smiling face.

Her perfect profile at the moment the fireworks bloomed.

The sound of footsteps in the haunted house, holding hands in the movie theater, her long hair fluttering in the wind on the backseat of a bicycle.

She stood in front of him, twisting all the daggers into scraps. “You dare hurt him?!”

“I’m truly in love, Mom.” Chu Ge mumbled unconsciously in his dream. “She is the person I’ve imagined and anticipated with all my heart. The most perfect person.”

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