Tu Tu heard the sound and ran over. Seeing the three cats, he was completely smitten.
"So cute." He almost rushed to hug the Devon Rex in the corner, but suddenly stopped himself. "I don't like cute things, it doesn't match my vibe."
But seeing Miao Miao holding the kitten and meowing, he couldn't help himself. "Boys should like cool things." Then he ran to the corner and picked up the shivering Devon Rex. "This is so cool." He rubbed it against his face.
The little Devon Rex, perhaps sensing no ill will, struggled a bit before obediently closing its eyes and purring contentedly.
Seeing the two children happy, Chu Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to make dinner.
...
Quan Jiu arrived home at 7:30 PM. Knowing the children were being looked after, she felt less anxious.
After changing her clothes and shoes, she was about to message Miao Miao when the door opened, and the two children entered with lunchbox bags.
"Mom, guess what dishes we made today?" Tu Tu said with a grin. "There's a prize if you guess correctly."
Quan Jiu felt both sad and touched. "You've worked hard, my little darlings. It must be heavy." She quickly took the lunchbox bags and placed them on the dining table.
"It's not heavy at all," Miao Miao stated earnestly.
Tu Tu held down the bag. "Guess first."
Quan Jiu chuckled, sniffed the air, and pretended to think. "Hmm... I smell seaweed, taro, and braised pork balls, right?"
Tu Tu's mouth fell open. "Mom, how did you guess? I asked... Grandpa said he didn't tell you what he made. Can you really smell it? It's sealed so tightly." As he spoke, he opened the lunchbox.
Quan Jiu didn't keep him waiting and explained with a smile, "It's Grandpa's first time cooking for you, so he definitely asked what you like to eat. Miao Miao must have said Mom likes seaweed, and for you, braised pork balls are a must, and Miao Miao's taro too."
"As expected of my mom." Tu Tu gave a thumbs-up in admiration. Then, he said mysteriously, "Wait, I'll go get the reward." With that, he dashed out.
Miao Miao thoughtfully handed Quan Jiu a pair of chopsticks. "Mom, you've worked hard all day."
Quan Jiu's heart warmed, feeling as comfortable as sleeping in a warm bed.
Tu Tu returned very quickly. He seemed to be holding something, backing into the room. "Mom, are you ready to welcome... Gu Lu." He suddenly turned, revealing the adorable creature in his arms.
An extremely cute Devon Rex with big, flapping ears, almost melting with cuteness.
Although Quan Jiu was twenty-seven, she couldn't help but get excited when faced with her favorite small animals.
"A cat? Where did the cat come from?" She ran over and took the kitten from Tu Tu's arms.
The timid Gu Lu made no sound, only trying to burrow into her embrace.
"It's from the neighbors. What do you think? Isn't it handsome? I named it Gu Lu because it purrs whenever I pet it. It's a sign that it likes me." Tu Tu stroked Gu Lu's soft, curly head, reluctant to let go.
Quan Jiu was a little surprised. "Does Grandpa also have cats? Why haven't you mentioned it before?"
"They just arrived today," Miao Miao explained. "There's also a Ragdoll and a Norwegian Forest cat. Its tail is super big and fluffy. They're all so cute."
Quan Jiu knew that the children, like her, loved cats. However, she was already busy enough taking care of two children by herself, let alone raising a few cats. Cat litter, cat food, and cat hair were not trivial matters, which was why she hadn't gotten any.
"Then you can have your fill of fun from now on," she said with a smile, handing the cat back to Tu Tu. "Take it back. The cat just arrived and is getting used to the environment. Let it adapt on its own."
Tu Tu nodded repeatedly, holding the cat and returning to the opposite apartment.
Miao Miao urged, "Mom, try the food quickly. It's as delicious as what you make."
Quan Jiu took a bite of the braised pork ball and praised it with surprise, "It's truly delicious. I'll thank Grandpa next door." Then she took out her phone, composed a message, and sent it: [Grandpa, the food was delicious. Thank you for your hard work. The cat is also very cute.]
Chu Rong, gently holding the kitten, replied, [I'm glad you like it. I'll make it for you every day from now on.]
Quan Jiu let out a soft sigh, feeling an indescribable sense of peace. This was the warmth of home.
[Tomorrow is the weekend, do you have any plans?] another message arrived.
Quan Jiu replied while eating: [A friend's film crew is wrapping up. They invited me to dinner. I'll bring the children to the gathering tomorrow night.]
Chu Rong's brows furrowed slightly, and he asked Tu Tu, who was still petting the cat and reluctant to leave, "Mom's friend from the film crew, is that the Uncle Nan Chen you mentioned?"
"Ah?" Tu Tu looked up, blinked, and thought for a moment. "Oh, right, it's him. Mom said before that she would take us to a gathering, it should be tomorrow."
"His surname is Nan? That's an unusual surname."
"His surname is Jiang. Jiang Nan Chen. My sister and I call him Uncle Nan Chen," Tu Tu replied honestly.
Chu Rong smiled and stroked Tu Tu's head. "Do you like the cat? How do you like this gift? No one has ever given you something like this, have they?"
Tu Tu hugged Gu Lu and laughed. "I like it. I like this house, and I like Gu Lu."
Chu Rong stood up, his gaze darkening.
Jiang Nan Chen, if he remembered correctly, was from the Jiang family. Chu Corporation had also invested three hundred million in Jiang Nan Chen's new movie.
"I'm going back," Tu Tu said, not wanting to play alone for too long, and put down the cat.
Chu Rong smiled warmly and affectionately pinched Tu Tu's cheek. "What time do you usually wake up on weekends?"
"Mom makes breakfast for us, so we wake up at seven and eat breakfast at eight," Tu Tu said.
"Okay. What do you want to eat tomorrow morning? Do you like steamed buns?"
Tu Tu's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "I like them, I like them. Mom likes pickled bean buns, Sister likes preserved vegetable buns, and I like soy sauce meat buns."
"Okay." Chu Rong stroked Tu Tu's soft, chubby cheek again. "Hurry back, don't make Mom worry. And..."
Chu Rong whispered something in Tu Tu's ear. Tu Tu's eyes widened, and he nodded with a giggle. "Leave it to me." Then he dashed away.
Only after Tu Tu left did the smile on Chu Rong's face turn cold.
He went to the bedroom and took out a photo from the bedside table. It was the photo he had intercepted from Gu Zhong. Now, it seemed, the background in the photo was likely Jiang Nan Chen's film set.
Chu Rong took out his phone, found the number saved as "Mom," and dialed it.
Yuan Zijun was watching TV with the elder gentleman when she received her son's call. Surprised and delighted, she held the phone up to Chu Zhenhua. "Look, this brat actually called me proactively for the first time. He must want to ask about Jiu'er."
As she spoke, she answered the phone, putting on the airs of a distinguished lady. "Hello, may I ask who is calling?"
"Among the people you know, are there any unmarried women between twenty and thirty who are gentle and virtuous?"
"Ah?" Yuan Zijun was stunned and instinctively replied, "The Yun family's daughter should fit your description. The Yun family, a prominent wine merchant family. I saw that child at your grandfather's ninetieth birthday banquet three years ago. Although she's not as refined as our Jiu'er, she's still quite good. What's wrong?"
"It'll be her. At Grandpa's birthday banquet next week, you can connect the Jiang and Yun families," Chu Rong said calmly.
"Ah?" Yuan Zijun looked bewildered. "The Jiang family... the scholarly Jiang family? These two children are quite suitable. I remember the Jiang family's child is called Nan Chen or Bei Chen, anyway, he's very handsome. I heard he's a director, with a bright future... Hey, I haven't finished speaking... This brat, hanging up on his old mother again." Yuan Zijun looked at Chu Zhenhua.
"What did he say?" Chu Zhenhua asked curiously.
"I don't know. He wants me to connect the Jiang and Yun families at Dad's birthday banquet and try to get them together."
"It's probably a business tactic. No matter the reason, if he wants you to connect them, then do it. When it comes to business, it's always right to listen to your son," Chu Zhenhua analyzed seriously.