Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

"Let's go." Song Tingting strode towards the other side of the lobby.

The two found a quiet spot by the window and sat down.

The waiter handed over the menu, and Lei Li ordered a roast duck, a plate of tripe, a hot and sour shredded potato dish, duck carcass bones for salt and pepper, and a pork rib soup.

Hot tea was served.

Song Tingting rested her chin on her hands, looking the man opposite her up and down.

Lei Li took off his coat, revealing a dark green turtleneck sweater underneath.

He sat upright in the chair, his back still ramrod straight.

"What are you looking at?"

"It's up to you."

Song Tingting smiled, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "I always thought you were a man of few words. Today has truly opened my eyes. Your fighting power is indeed astonishing."

Lei Li poured a full cup of hot tea.

"Use different words for different types of people. I was stating facts, not insulting anyone."

The roast duck was served. The chef sliced ​​the meat right in front of him, the fat dripping down the cuts.

The flatbread was steaming hot.

Lei Li picked up a flatbread, added shredded scallions and cucumber, sandwiched two slices of duck meat with sweet bean sauce, rolled it up, and placed it on Song Tingting's plate.

"I can do it myself." Song Tingting picked up the wrap and took a bite.

It smells delicious.

I enjoyed the meal very much.

Lei Li listened most of the time.

Song Tingting talked about the store's business, the new models that were about to be released, and how the data in the laboratory was wrong even after running it several times.

Lei Li listened attentively, occasionally picking up some food with his chopsticks.

The awkwardness between the two of them, who hadn't seen each other for six months, dissipated completely in the steaming hot meal.

8 PM.

The snow started falling heavily.

Lei Li drove his jeep and dropped Song Tingting off at the entrance of the alley.

The car came to a stop on the side of the road.

The streetlights emitted a faint yellow glow, and the snowflakes quickly melted into water against the glass, flowing down the car window.

"Let's stop here. The road inside is narrow and it's hard to turn around." Song Tingting unbuckled her seatbelt.

Lei Li kept his hands on the steering wheel and didn't move.

Eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.

"Aunt Song lived here for a while before," Lei Li suddenly said. "I haven't seen her in a long time. I haven't seen your brother in a long time either."

Song Tingting's hand holding the bag froze in mid-air.

She turned her head to the side.

He stared straight at Lei Li.

"I don't believe you haven't contacted my brother," Song Tingting said, exposing his lie without any mercy.

Lei Li chuckled.

There was no rebuttal.

Song Tingting is an extremely intelligent person with a natural sensitivity to political situations.

My older brother, Song Xiangdong, was transferred to civilian work years ago.

Logically speaking, they shouldn't be able to be assigned to core positions of real power.

It was Old Man Lei who relayed the message and went along with it, lending a helping hand.

Song Xiangdong had long been labeled as belonging to the Lei family faction.

Lei Li is in the military, and Song Xiangdong is in politics.

How could the two have lost contact?

"He just called me last week," Lei Li confessed when he couldn't hide it any longer.

"Hmph, I knew it." Song Tingting pushed open the car door.

A gust of cold wind carrying snow rushed in, making her shrink her neck.

"What time is the train tomorrow?" Lei Li asked, turning his head.

Nine o'clock in the morning.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow and take you to the train station."

"No need to bother." Song Tingting, with one foot in the snow, turned and refused, "The roads are too slippery in this heavy snow. I can just take the bus myself; there's a direct bus right outside."

Winters in Beijing are really cold.

Song Tingting couldn't help but miss the winters in Qingyang, where even the coldest winters were always above freezing.

Lei Li placed his hand on the gear shift.

I'll come see you tomorrow.

Lei Li made his statement definitive, and before Song Tingting could reply, he deftly shifted gears and released the clutch.

The black jeep skidded on the snow, then roared off at lightning speed.

The taillights flickered in the wind and snow, and disappeared completely around the street corner in just a few seconds.

Song Tingting stood in the wind and snow, clutching her bag.

She stared in astonishment at the empty road.

What happened to the usually composed Brother Lei?

Why are you running so fast?

She shook her head, tightened her military overcoat, and turned to walk into the alley through the snow.

Lei Li drove his car at breakneck speed.

He rolled down the car window a crack, and the cold wind brushed against his face, which finally calmed the fever in his head.

He felt that what he had just done was absolutely stupid.

In front of his soldiers, he was an iron-faced tyrant.

Why is it that when he ran into Song Tingting, he couldn't say a word he wanted to say and could only flee in panic?

The jeep drove into the military compound.

It stopped in front of the Lei family's two-story building.

Lei Li pushed open the door and got out of the car, then took a few steps up the stairs and took out his key to open the door.

The room was warm and cozy.

The TV in the living room is on, playing a TV series.

Lei's mother was wearing a navy blue wool sweater and reading glasses, sitting on the sofa knitting.

Hearing the door open, she immediately looked up.

"Why are you so late coming back?" Mrs. Lei put down her knitting needles.

Lei Li took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, then kicked off his leather boots and put on slippers.

"I treated a friend to a meal." Lei Li strode towards the stairs.

Lei's mother's eyes lit up. She threw her reading glasses on the coffee table, stood up, and went to greet them.

"A friend?" Lei's mother looked her son up and down. "A man or a woman? You're not inviting a girl to dinner, are you? Is my family's ancient iron tree finally blooming?"

"Is there any hope that I'll ever have a grandson? I'm usually too embarrassed to go out, and all the people my age in the compound are taking care of their grandchildren."

"If someone your age can't find a wife in the countryside, he'll be a bachelor for life."

Lei Li's facial muscles were taut, and he didn't turn his head.

"No. A man," Lei Li replied curtly.

Lei's mother took two steps to catch up and grabbed her son's arm to stop him.

"Don't try to fool me." Lei's mother stared at his face. "You came out of my belly. This is clearly a girl."

"You're blushing and still won't admit it?"

Lei Li frowned.

"It's really not true," Lei Li insisted, refusing to admit it.

Lei's mother snorted coldly, released his hand, and circled him halfway.

"When do you ever wash your hair and shave before going out to see those rough-around-the-edges comrades? Do you ever spend more than ten minutes looking in the mirror? And do you even spray on your father's perfume before you leave?" Lei's mother hit the nail on the head.

Lei Li's ears suddenly flared up.

"Mom, I'm tired. I have things to do tomorrow." Lei Li strode up the stairs to the second floor in a few steps.

"Why are you hiding?" Lei's mother stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at him. "What's so shameful about dating? You're almost thirty. The third son of the Li family in the compound is your age, and his son is already old enough to run errands. Why don't you bring him home for a meal sometime?"

"It's all still up in the air, don't worry about it." Lei Li pushed open the bedroom door.

"Then something's wrong!" Lei's mother shouted from downstairs.

She was really afraid that her son wouldn't get married.

The older folks in his family are all prepared to take a hard line and have him paired up with someone.

With a bang, Lei Li slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside, completely shutting out the old lady's questioning.

Lei Li let out a long breath. "Bring it back for dinner?"

That girl's mind is filled with nothing but making money and lab data.

He didn't even know how to confess his feelings; the relationship was still far from over.

He walked to the window, opened it, and took a look.

How should I confess my feelings?