Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

"Mom, I've booked a hotel. Go and rest first," Ling Luo said frankly.

"What hotel are you staying in?" Ling's mother waved her hand. "I'll just sleep on the sofa. I'll go look at apartments tomorrow after you leave!"

"Ah? No, no!" Gu Yang was so startled he almost jumped off the sofa. "Auntie, how can that be! The sofa is so hard, your back will hurt if you sleep on it."

If word gets out that his future mother-in-law slept on the sofa on her first day at his home, how would he face anyone?

"It's okay, I'm not picky."

"Mom." Ling Luo pressed her hand down, her tone both helpless and firm, "The hotel is already booked. It can't be refunded after 8 p.m., and it's not far, just a five-minute walk. It's very convenient."

After thinking about it, Ling's mother agreed. She might stay here for ten days or half a month, and it wouldn't be good to keep squeezing onto the sofa.

"Okay then. Yangyang, wait for me, Auntie will come over first thing tomorrow morning to make you breakfast! What do you want to eat? Wonton or noodles?"

"Auntie, I like whatever you make," Gu Yang replied obediently.

"Okay," said Ling's mother, taking out a large red envelope from her handbag and handing it to Gu Yang: "Here, take this. Buy it if you like it."

Gu Yang was startled by this scene and quickly pushed the red envelope back, saying, "Auntie, this...this won't do..."

"No, that won't do. This is the custom, it's called a greeting gift. Hurry up and get it."

Without a word, Ling's mother stuffed the red envelope into Gu Yang's trench coat pocket. Gu Yang glanced at Ling Luo upon seeing this; "Say something, will you?"

Ling Luo smiled and said, "Take it. This is my mother's gift. There's another one when I see my father, and my eldest and youngest uncles will also give some."

Gu Yang: ...Are people all this extravagant over there?

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Mom, let's go," Ling Luo said, carrying her mother's luggage in one hand and supporting her mother's arm with the other, finally leading her out the door.

The door clicked shut.

  

Just a second ago, Gu Yang was sitting upright with a proper smile, but the moment the door lock closed, it was as if all the bones in his body had been removed. He collapsed onto the sofa with a "thud," burying his face deeply in the cushions.

I squeezed the red envelope in my pocket. Hehe, my grandma and the grandpas and grandmas downstairs in the neighborhood said that giving a red envelope means they are satisfied.

But this scene was even more breathtaking than when he first faced tens of thousands of spectators.

The lingering scent of Ling's mother's perfume in the living room, along with the two enormous suitcases, all reminded him that this was not a dream.

Meanwhile, Ling Luo was on her way to the hotel with her mother.

Ling's mother, holding Ling Luo's arm, was still grumbling, "You silly child, why did you book a hotel? It's such a waste of money."

"It's not far, it's just ahead." Ling Luo let her recite it, her pace neither fast nor slow.

The evening breeze was a bit cool, rustling the leaves of the sycamore trees along the roadside.

Ling's mother wrapped her coat tighter around herself and then changed the subject to Ling Luo's work.

"What's wrong with you, kid?" She stopped and turned to face Ling Luo. The streetlights cast a shadow on his face. "Why did you quit your good job at the research institute to become... a celebrity?"

Ling Luo's gaze remained calm and unwavering: "I didn't refuse."

"You still say you won't stop!" Ling's mother's voice suddenly rose. "Do you think I'm stupid? You've been on TV, recording programs with Yangyang every day. Do you think the research institute would let you be so free?"

Ling Luo remained silent for a moment.

He couldn't say that his hand, which once performed the most precise operations, now trembles uncontrollably even when holding a pen for a long time.

His mother was the first person to help him when he came into this world.

He didn't want to see the worry or even the breakdown in her eyes.

"The research institute gave me a long vacation."

"A long holiday?" Ling's mother clearly didn't believe it. She reached out to take Ling Luo's hand. "You have long holidays in places like yours? Are you working too hard? Or are you feeling unwell? You've always been stubborn, always bearing things on your own. Tell your mother the truth."

"A project just finished, and the institute gave me a leave of absence, so I'm taking a break." His tone was flat, revealing no emotion. "And I'll spend some time with Yangbao."

Upon hearing the name "Yangbao," Ling's mother's attention was indeed diverted somewhat. The sharpness on her face faded, replaced by a worried expression.

"You'll stay with him, but what about after that?" She sighed. "How long can you be a celebrity? I saw on TV that this industry is very chaotic. If you don't have the ability, you won't be able to protect people. Yangyang is a good kid, don't hold him back."

"Mom, I know what I'm doing." Ling Luo looked at the brightly lit hotel sign ahead. "It won't hold him back."

Ling's mother stared at him for a long time, seemingly trying to discern something from his expressionless face.

In the end, she gave up, muttering, "It's good that you know what's going on. Have you met Yangyang's parents yet?"

"I've met him. I even spent the National Day holiday at his home, and his parents didn't object."

"That's fine, Mom will talk to them about the rest."

As she spoke, she took Ling Luo's arm again and walked towards the hotel.

"This hotel looks alright... How much is it per night?"

"It's not expensive, there's a discount."

"Hmph, you should save your money. You'll need it for many things in the future! A house, a car—Yangyang would still be with you if you didn't have these things. You're too kind."

Ling Luo's temples throbbed. Besides the money he donated to the research institute, he also received a share of the profits from his company and the copyright revenue from his published songs. He was far from poor.

But Ling's mother was still worried that he might not have enough to eat.

Upon arriving at the hotel reception, Ling Luo presented her ID card to check in.

Ling's mother stood aside, watching him sign with one hand. After signing, he put his hand in his pocket, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

This child didn't have this habit before.

Once inside the room, Ling's mother tossed her bag aside and began to wander around.

"It's alright, pretty clean." She drew back the curtains to look at the night view outside, then sat on the bed to feel its firmness. "Better than sleeping on the sofa."

Ling Luo placed her suitcase against the wall: "You should get some rest. I'm going back now."

Ling's mother instructed, "You're leaving tomorrow, so leave Yangyang in my care. Tell him that I'll cook him delicious food and fatten him up. Look how thin he is, he looks like he'll fall over in the wind."

"Also, be careful when you go to that beautiful country. It's not like home, so be cautious in everything you do. Come back soon; Yangyang will definitely miss you if he's home alone."

Throughout the entire conversation, she kept mentioning Gu Yang, but her tone was full of reluctance to part with him.

A certain part of Ling Luo's heart felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, soft and warm.

"understood."

He poured his mother a glass of water and placed it on her bedside table. He then checked the doors and windows before turning to leave.

"Mom, I'm leaving."

"Okay, let's go back now, drive carefully."