"You're so adorably naive!" Tang Yu muttered, then followed Song Hao with a sigh.
The woman walking ahead vaguely heard their conversation and her face beamed with a happy smile.
Upon entering the dining car, Song Hao and Tang Yu were taken aback. The empty car contained only a table laden with lavish food; no other passengers were present. Several restaurant staff waited there, their eyes wide with surprise as they scrutinized the woman who had just entered. At either end of the car stood several young men in suits, guarding against outsiders; these were presumably the woman's entourage. Clearly, the woman had reserved the entire dining car for herself.
"Who is this Aunt Du? Such a grand entrance!" Song Hao wondered in surprise.
Tang Yu glanced at the group of young people and felt somewhat relieved, realizing she could handle things should anything happen. Although she didn't think the woman meant any harm, she still went on high alert.
"Song Hao, Tang Yu, please sit here," the woman greeted them warmly.
Song Hao walked to the table, looked at the food and wine spread out on it, then glanced around and asked in surprise, "Aunt Du, what's going on here...?"
"It's just a nice environment for dining. I'm very happy to have the two of you with me," the woman said with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, right, Song Hao, I specially ordered a few desserts. These are things you... you should like to eat, right? I didn't know, I just ordered randomly." The woman paused for a moment, then continued.
"Thank you, Auntie. I've loved these sweet treats since I was little. My grandpa always makes me rinse my mouth after eating them because he's worried I'll get bad teeth from them," Song Hao said.
"You have a good grandfather!" the woman sighed softly.
The three sat down, and a restaurant waiter came forward to pour wine. The woman raised her hand to stop him, took the bottle of red wine, and said, "I'll do it myself. We want to talk quietly for a while."
The waiter understood and turned to tell the other waiters to leave.
"Song Hao, this red wine is good for your stomach. You and Tang Yu should both have some." The woman actually got up and poured wine for the two of them herself.
"Thank you so much, Aunt Du. We are truly flattered by your hospitality!" Song Hao said.
"Don't be so polite. We get along very well, which means we're destined to be together. This is the happiest day I've had in many years," the woman said with satisfaction. She couldn't help but get excited again, spilling the wine outside her glass.
"I'm sorry, this train is too unstable," the woman said with an apologetic smile.
Chapter Ten: The Mysterious Woman (2)
Tang Yu frowned; she realized it was the woman's agitation that caused the problem. Since the woman appeared, she had displayed a series of unruly behaviors in front of Song Hao, and even seemed to want to say something to him several times, but hesitated to speak, leading Tang Yu to suspect that the woman must have some kind of special relationship with Song Hao.
"Could it be that Song Hao's mother has come looking for him?" Tang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and a bold guess popped into her head, which surprised her greatly.
"Aunt Du, you must have just returned from overseas, right?" Tang Yu suddenly asked.
"Yes! How did you know?" the woman asked, slightly surprised.
“Your temperament is different from others.” Tang Yu responded, lowered her head to eat, and stopped talking. She already understood what was going on.
"You little rascal, you really know how to talk," the woman said with a smile.
“The environment shapes the people, especially those of you who have returned from overseas and achieved success. Your outward demeanor is very confident, which is truly different from the arrogant people in China,” Song Hao said.
Upon hearing this, the woman smiled and said, "Would you be interested in developing your career abroad in the future? You could also cultivate a confident demeanor."
Song Hao shook his head and said, "That depends on what kind of work I do. My career is rooted in China; foreign countries are not suitable for me."
"Oh! This means you're quite confident!" the woman exclaimed in delight.
Tang Yu, standing to the side, glanced at Song Hao, then at the woman, pursed her lips, but remained silent, letting the two of them talk.
“Strength emboldens one, and ability allows one to display power; money can demonstrate influence. People say and do what they are in a certain situation, and they have no control over it,” Song Hao said.
"It seems you have a very thorough understanding of people!" the woman said with a smile.
“My major is studying people, their good and their bad,” Song Hao said with a smile.
"You have a good sense of humor!" the woman said happily.
The woman kept piling food into Song Hao's bowl, making him feel embarrassed but unable to refuse. After repeatedly saying "thank you," he ate haphazardly. The woman, however, seemed to enjoy watching Song Hao eat, sitting there smiling and looking blissfully happy.
"Aunt Du, what did you study abroad?" Song Hao asked. He felt that this woman was very kind, and he didn't feel any awkwardness when talking to her.
"To make medicine!" the woman replied with a smile.
"Oh! We're in the same line of work now!" Song Hao said happily.
"You big fool! Even at a time like this, how can you still not understand? She's your mother!" Tang Yu sat to the side, secretly shaking her head. She couldn't point it out herself, afraid that Song Hao wouldn't be able to accept the fact right away.
The woman was none other than Du Qingmiao, Song Hao's biological mother. For months, she had been unable to bear her longing for her son any longer and decided to come and see him. Qi Yannian had no choice but to agree. However, to avoid disrupting Song Hao's studies, he asked her to promise to find an excuse to get to know him without formally acknowledging him. This was a way to pave the way for a future family reunion.
The mother and son sat chatting and laughing in the train's dining car. Unaware of the situation, Song Hao felt a growing sense of closeness and respect for this "auntie." Du Qingmiao repeatedly wanted to acknowledge Song Hao on the spot, but she restrained herself. This moment, which she had longed for day and night for fifteen years, already filled her with contentment. Facing her grown-up son, she felt not only guilt but also immense pride and happiness as a mother.
Before we knew it, the train had arrived at Penglai Station.
As they exited the platform, Du Qingmiao pulled Tang Yu to her side and whispered as they walked, "You're a smart girl, and you should understand some things by now. Please take good care of Song Hao; I'll need your help in the future."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu was startled and exclaimed, "What a formidable woman! She actually knew that I had already discovered her identity!"
As they exited the station, Song Hao said with some reluctance, "Aunt Du! Thank you for your warm hospitality along the way. Goodbye!"
"It's a pleasure to travel with you! We'll meet again," Du Qingmiao said with a smile.
Watching Song Hao and Tang Yu's departing figures, Du Qingmiao stood there motionless for a long time. Her entourage and two high-end luxury cars waited quietly to the side.
After exiting the train station, Song Hao tried to hail a taxi. Tang Yu stopped him and said, "Song Hao, I've been on the train all day, I want to walk for a while."
Song Hao said, "That's fine, we just need to get back before dinner. Grandpa said on the phone last night that he's waiting for us to have dinner at home."
"Song Hao, what's your impression of this Aunt Du?" Tang Yu hesitated for a moment before asking.
"She's such a cheerful auntie! And judging from her appearance, she must be someone of high status, yet she's sitting and talking with us. That's quite something!" Song Hao said admiringly.