Peng Kai was stunned as well, at a loss for how to respond.
Lan Hui was so anxious she could hardly bear it: “If my mother finds out I’m co-renting with a guy, she’ll probably skin me alive.”
She blamed her own carelessness. After transmigrating into this body, she’d been so focused on completing her tasks that she’d neglected her parents at home.
Actually, the main reason she hadn’t contacted her parents was out of fear of giving herself away. After all, she wasn’t the original owner of this body.
No matter how well she pretended, parents—being family, bound by blood—could always sense something was off.
Her original plan had been to send a message home to let them know she was safe, then wait another month or two before calling, and finally go home for New Year’s after a year.
A girl changes a lot as she grows up. She’d been working outside for so long, any changes wouldn’t seem suspicious.
She never expected her mother would actually come all this way to see her.
But she could understand. The original Lan Hui had left home to work right after graduating high school, and it had already been two years.
At that time, she’d left after a huge argument with her parents, and never went back.
It wasn’t until this year that her parents softened and reached out to her, and only then did things improve between the three of them.
With New Year’s coming up, her mother had recently asked if she was coming home for the holiday, but she refused. Lately, she’d only sent messages and hadn’t called. Of course her mother would be worried.
That’s why she insisted on coming to see her.
Peng Kai said, “Don’t worry. When is your mom arriving tomorrow?”
Lan Hui checked her phone for the train ticket: “She’ll get here a little after three in the afternoon tomorrow.”
Peng Kai nodded. “That’s enough time.”
“What do you mean?” Lan Hui was confused.
Peng Kai shared his idea:
“Tomorrow, I’ll move to the auto repair shop for a few days. If your mom asks about your roommate, just say you’re living with a female roommate who’s away on a business trip and won’t be back for a while.”
“That should put her mind at ease. Once your mom goes home, I’ll move back.”
Lan Hui was incredibly grateful, but then thought of a practical problem: “Does your auto repair shop even have a place to sleep?”
Peng Kai nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll just make a bed on the floor.”
Lan Hui immediately felt guilty:
“It’s the middle of winter, how can you sleep on the floor? You’ll catch a cold from the damp. How about this, I’ll book you a hotel. Once my mom leaves, you can come back. I’ll pay for the hotel.”
Peng Kai refused: “No need for a hotel. If it comes to it, I’ll just sleep in the car. Recline the seat and it’s a little bed—no need to waste money on a hotel.”
Lan Hui was still conflicted.
Peng Kai said bluntly, “Even if you book a hotel, I won’t stay there. I’ll just cancel it, so don’t bother.”
Lan Hui knew Peng Kai was the kind of person who always did what he said. If she really booked it, he definitely wouldn’t go.
“Alright then, sorry to trouble you these next few days, Kai-ge. I’ll make sure my mom goes home as soon as possible.”
“It’s nothing. Auntie rarely gets a chance to come over—take her out and show her around, let her have some fun,” Peng Kai said. “It’s getting late, I’ll head back to sleep.”
“Alright, Kai-ge, good night.”
“Good night.”
Peng Kai left quickly, closing the door for her as he went.
***
The next day at noon, Lan Hui asked the manager for a half-day off to pick her mother up at the train station.
Before heading to the station, Lan Hui made a special trip back to the Xiangrun Community, carefully inspecting the whole house to make sure there were no traces of Peng Kai having lived there.
Peng Kai had already moved out that morning, taking all his toiletries into his room. He was very careful. After Lan Hui checked for ages, she didn’t find a single clue.
Only then did she feel at ease, taking the subway to the train station to pick up her mother.
A little after four o’clock, her mother emerged from the station, travel-worn, carrying two baskets of eggs.
With the original owner’s memories, Lan Hui recognized her mother at once and hurried forward, sweetly calling out, “Mom.”
She quickly took one of the baskets from her mother’s hand.
After more than two years apart, Zhang’s eyes instantly turned red when she saw her precious daughter: “You little brat, you look skinnier than before.”
Lan Hui was moved by her mother’s genuine emotion, her own eyes turning red as well: “No way, I’m actually three pounds heavier than before.”
She naturally linked arms with her mother: “Wasn’t the journey tiring?”
“Not at all.” Zhang, seeing her daughter still so dependent on her, felt her heart melt into tenderness.
She felt like she had endless energy and didn’t feel tired at all: “It’s been more than two years, you look much more sensible now.
You must have had a tough time out here, huh? You never used to help me carry things, would just pretend you didn’t see.”
Lan Hui smiled, “I have had a tough time, and I’ve realized it’s not easy for Mom and Dad to earn money. I was too immature before and made you both worry.”
Hearing this, Zhang couldn’t help but wipe her tears again: “If you can think like this, all the love we’ve given you hasn’t been wasted.”
Lan Hui asked, “Why didn’t Dad come?”
Zhang replied, “Your dad gets carsick, so I didn’t let him come.”
“When I start earning money, I’ll buy you both plane tickets. Then Dad can come out and see the big city too.”
Zhang was so moved, she kept wiping her tears.
Her mother was easily moved to tears, so Lan Hui didn’t dare say more—she was really afraid her mom would cry her eyes swollen.
She took her mother back home the same way they’d come, by subway.
An hour later, mother and daughter arrived home.
When the door opened, Zhang looked around the house in surprise: “Didn’t expect your roommate to be so tidy. You picked a good one this time.”
Lan Hui couldn’t help but laugh: “Mom, I’m tidy too!”
Zhang shot her a look: “Do I not know what you’re like? Did you ever sweep the floor at home?”
Lan Hui said, “Now that I’m working, I not only sweep the floor, I wipe the tables too. The workplace has to stay clean at all times. I’ve already gotten rid of those bad habits.”
Hearing how much her daughter had to do at work, Zhang started wiping her tears again, feeling sorry for her.
Lan Hui comforted her: “Mom, it’s all stuff I can handle, it’s not tiring at all, don’t worry about me. I’ve changed a lot now, and the manager and my coworkers all recognize my efforts. The manager even said I’ll get a raise next month. That’s a good thing.”
She then took Zhang’s arm: “Mom, let me show you my room.”
“Alright.” Zhang was full of pride—her daughter had really grown up.
Lan Hui’s room was very clean, with a faint rose fragrance in the air. Everything was tidy and organized.
Zhang was deeply moved: “Looks really nice. Your dad can rest easy now.” She took out her phone and snapped a few photos of the room to send to the old man back home.
“By the way, when does your roommate get off work? I’ll go buy some groceries later and make a few good dishes tonight. I want to treat your roommate to a meal, let her try my cooking,” Zhang said.
“Mom, it’s no trouble, but my roommate’s on a business trip—she probably won’t be back for a week. Once I finish up tomorrow, I’ll take two days off to show you around, try some local specialties, and buy some things for Dad.”
“Then I’ll get you a train ticket home, how does that sound?” Lan Hui apologized, “Mom, I really want you to stay longer, but it’s hard for me to get time off. I’m sorry.”
Zhang had only come to check on her daughter anyway. Seeing that she was doing well, she was relieved and hadn’t planned to stay in S City for long: “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say, Fufu.”
Lan Hui grinned: “Mom, are you hungry? I’ll make you some dumplings—I wrapped them myself!”
Zhang nodded: “Alright, I’ll have a bowl then.”
“You rest for a while, I’ll do the cooking. After you eat, I have to go to school for class. You can just watch TV at home.”
“Alright,” Zhang agreed, “School is important. Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”
Soon, Lan Hui boiled a pot of scallion pork dumplings. Zhang ate while tears streamed down her face—it was the first time she’d tasted food made by her daughter, and she was deeply moved.
Before leaving for class, Lan Hui gave Zhang the house key. If she got bored at home, she could go out for a walk.
Peng Kai arrived very early that day. As soon as Lan Hui entered the classroom, she saw his back and hurried over to sit down.
“Kai-ge, good evening!”
Peng Kai nodded, “Picked up your mom?”
“She’s already settled in at home. She’ll probably be in S City for three days, so I’ll have to trouble you for three days, Kai-ge.”
“No big deal.”
Peng Kai didn’t mind at all.
After class, Lan Hui and Peng Kai walked out of the school together. Noticing that Peng Kai was following her, Lan Hui asked curiously, “Kai-ge, isn’t the auto repair shop in the other direction?”
Peng Kai nodded, “I’ll walk you home.” It was dark on the way back to the Xiangrun Community, and he didn’t want her going alone.
Lan Hui felt a wave of warmth in her heart: “Kai-ge, you’re so chivalrous.”
Peng Kai didn’t reply. He wasn’t doing it out of chivalry.
He only turned back toward the auto repair shop after seeing her to the community gate.
Lan Hui didn’t have a key, so she knocked on the door: “Dong dong dong……………dong dong dong…………………”
The door opened, and Zhang stepped aside: “Come in.”
Lan Hui noticed Zhang didn’t look too happy: “Mom, what’s wrong? Is it uncomfortable staying here?”
Zhang got straight to the point: “Are you dating someone?”
Lan Hui was shocked: “Mom, who told you that? I’m not dating anyone!”
There was a faint anger in Zhang’s eyes: “Still denying it? The neighbors were asking me if I came to discuss your marriage!”
After Lan Hui went to school, Zhang had been bored at home, so she went for a walk around the community.
When she came back and opened the door, she happened to run into a neighbor returning from grocery shopping and greeted her.
The neighbor smiled and asked, “Miss, where are you from? Are you here to arrange the young couple’s wedding?”
Zhang was stunned: “Ah? Sister, I’m here to see my daughter, not to arrange a wedding.”
The neighbor laughed, “Oh, my mistake. I thought, with New Year’s coming up, the two young people were about to settle down. I see them come home together every night—they look like a perfect match, really seem like a couple.”
Zhang felt like she’d been struck by lightning. Not only was her daughter dating, but the two of them were living together!
Just thinking about her daughter being taken advantage of made her heart ache. She sat in the living room for over two hours, waiting for her daughter to return.
Lan Hui thought, This is bad. She hadn’t expected to get exposed so quickly, and hurried to explain: “Mom, I really haven’t been dating anyone. Peng Kai is my roommate, and there’s nothing between us.”
“We each have our own rooms. If you don’t believe me, go check his room and his bed—there’s not a single long hair. My hair is so long, if I’d ever been in his room or slept there, there’d definitely be traces.”
Zhang immediately went to check Peng Kai’s room, inspecting it thoroughly for half an hour before finally, only half-believing, accepting that nothing irreversible had happened between them.
But with the two of them renting together, she still didn’t quite believe there was nothing between them.
Sitting back down on the sofa, Zhang asked her daughter, “What does your roommate do? How old is he? Does he have any family?”
Lan Hui answered honestly: “His name is Peng Kai. He owns an auto repair shop. He’s about twenty-six or twenty-seven, an orphan who grew up in an orphanage.”
“Owns an auto repair shop? Where is it?” Zhang asked.
Lan Hui replied, “Not far from here. It’s called Peng Kai Auto Repair Shop.”
Zhang nodded, “He’s not coming home tonight?”
“He’s not. He’s sleeping at the auto repair shop tonight,” Lan Hui said truthfully.
“Tell him to come home for dinner tomorrow. I want to meet him,” Zhang said, stating her wish.