Chapter 105: Afraid, Aren’t You? Afraid Others Won’t Know

**Chapter 105: Scared, Huh? Like You Want Everyone to Know**

China’s fighter jets have grown stronger, and foreign spies operating here have taken notice. They’re after the advanced core research materials, trying to bribe local scientists and even offering them a chance to move abroad.

You won’t believe it, but some researchers actually sold out their country just to go overseas, acting like national research belonged to them without a second thought for their homeland.

If the authorities hadn’t acted fast, even non-core materials could have been taken away by these people.

A couple of years ago, some researchers used research trips abroad as an excuse to stay there permanently, refusing to return home. The government was pissed, but their hands were tied—they were already overseas.

Some ditch their families without a second thought, only caring about their own comfort.

Song Fenglan has no plans to go abroad. She’d already been abroad in her past life and doesn’t feel the need to do so again. She doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of her uncle, Song Xingyun. Staying in China is much safer.

After the meeting, Song Fenglan returned to her office. The director held the meeting in the large conference room, and Ding Wenbo and others attended.

Ding Wenbo never expected he’d run into a spy. He had even chatted with one. Fortunately, he kept his mouth shut—just because they worked at the same institute didn’t mean he would spill classified information. Before becoming Song Fenglan’s graduate student, he signed a confidentiality agreement that clearly stated that even if questioned by members of other departments, he must not disclose anything.

So Ding Wenbo followed the rules strictly, never saying more than necessary. When asked questions, he’d shrug and say, “Just a student—what would I know?” After all, what could a student possibly understand beyond following along?

Once people realized Ding Wenbo wasn’t going to talk, they stopped asking him.

There was a big box of apples in Song Fenglan’s office—way more than she needed—so she told Ding Wenbo to take some back.

On the way home, Ding Wenbo carried nearly half the box. When Duan Yue saw him lugging such a heavy load, he thought something serious had happened. But then he caught the scent of fresh apples.

“Your advisor gave those to you?” Duan Yue asked.

“Not just me—some are for my juniors too,” Ding Wenbo replied. “The female junior doesn’t live in our building, so she took hers already. The male junior lives here, so I’m just grabbing his share.”

“So your junior made *you* carry his stuff?” Duan Yue asked, thinking of how his own seniors always made him do things, claiming it was “for his own good.”

Duan Yue didn’t buy that act. Most of them just wanted to offload work onto him. But since they’d been with the professor longer, he couldn’t afford to rock the boat.

Today, Duan Yue envied Ding Wenbo again.

“It’s just a small favor, no big deal,” Ding Wenbo said. “That’s what labmates do—it’s just carrying a box.”

It’s not like he handed over co-authorship!

He didn’t say that last part, but Duan Yue got the message. Ding Wenbo continued working under Song Fenglan as her PhD student, while Duan Yue stayed with his own advisor.

At the same university, switching advisors was a bad idea, especially when they still had so much to learn. Duan Yue feared offending his current advisor or, worse, ending up with the advisor’s rival—something he definitely wanted to avoid.

Originally, Duan Yue hadn’t planned on pursuing a doctorate. But seeing Ding Wenbo doing it, he decided he had to keep up. At first, he even wanted to join the same advisor, secretly hoping to compete with Ding Wenbo and prove he wasn’t falling behind.

“This apple tastes great,” Duan Yue said, taking a bite.

“Huge and sweet,” Ding Wenbo agreed.

When Song Fenglan got home, Zhang Xiaohu and the others had already finished dinner and were watching TV. She came back a bit late, but with everything going on, it couldn’t be helped.

Because of the spy incident, the institute was cracking down, and some staff had even been questioned.

Song Fenglan wasn’t among them, but the institute told her to watch her back, fearing she might become a target. She figured she was still young—if anything, older professors who studied overseas were more likely to be in danger.

“Mom,” Qin Zihang called out as soon as she walked in. “Mom, Xiao Hu’s here.”

"Auntie Fenglan," Zhang Xiaohu said quickly, standing up.

Zhang Xiaohu felt a bit awkward. He hadn't expected Qin Zihang's house to be so nice—far nicer than his own. It was much better than their home in Nancheng.

"Sit down, sit down. Did you call your mom yet?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Not yet," Zhang Xiaohu replied.

"Then hurry and call her," Song Fenglan said. "Tell your mom you've arrived safely so she won't worry, okay?"

After saying this, she looked at Qin Yizhou. "The child might not know better, but you should. Didn't you think to have him call home first?"

"We were unpacking other things, and then we had dinner. I totally forgot," Qin Yizhou explained.

"Hurry and call. Don't let Auntie Fatty worry," Song Fenglan said. "You all had an easy few hours, but a mother worries endlessly."

Qin Zihang took Zhang Xiaohu to call Auntie Fatty. The home phone was right by the sofa. Auntie Fatty went to a payphone to answer. When she heard Zhang Xiaohu's voice, she felt relieved. Though his voice sounded slightly different over the phone, she could tell it was definitely her son.

"Mom, I'm already at Uncle and Auntie's place. We already ate. I just took a shower and unpacked," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Auntie's house is huge—much bigger than ours. It's really nice here, super awesome."

"Mind your uncle and auntie," Auntie Fatty said. "Don't go causing trouble."

After Zhang Xiaohu spoke a few more words with his mom, Song Fenglan took the phone.

"Auntie Fatty, don't worry. Let Xiaohu stay here comfortably," Song Fenglan said. "From now on, if you miss him, feel free to call. If he's home, he can pick up. If not, when he gets back, he'll call you."

"But won't that cost a lot in phone charges?" Auntie Fatty asked.

"It's nothing," Song Fenglan said. "A mother's heart follows her child a thousand miles away. When I travel for work, I worry about Zihang too, let alone Xiaohu traveling alone without either of you with him. Of course you'd worry. If you miss him, just call. It's our home number. The only expense is on your end—payphones cost more."

"I don't mind the cost," Auntie Fatty said. Spending her own money instead of Song Fenglan and her husband's was no problem.

After hanging up, Song Fenglan turned to Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang.

"Tomorrow, you two can go out and play," she said. "Play for a couple days, then study. After studying for a few days, take a break again."

Summer vacation was still long, and Song Fenglan didn't think Zhang Xiaohu needed to go out every day.

"We'll keep each other on track and study together," Qin Zihang said.

"Have your dad take you out tomorrow," Song Fenglan said. "Stick close and don't wander off. Xiaohu, since you're new here, if you get lost, ask a cop. Tell them where you live—they'll bring you back."

She wasn't worried about her own son getting lost. Qin Zihang knew how to find his way home, and he also knew how to ask for help from the police. If Qin Zihang went somewhere far, Song Fenglan would send someone along to accompany him, just to be safe.

"Got it," Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

Since Zhang Xiaohu had been on the train for a while, he went to bed early, around 8 p.m.

He didn't share a room with Qin Zihang, sleeping in his own room instead. Qin Zihang had wanted to chat with Zhang Xiaohu in bed, but he knew Xiaohu was tired, so he didn't go over.

Wrapped in a light blanket, Zhang Xiaohu found it surprisingly comfortable—not too warm, but nicely cool. He couldn't help tugging at it a couple times, thinking how great it was.

When Auntie Fatty learned that Zhang Xiaohu had reached the capital safely, she could finally relax. Before the call came through, she had been waiting anxiously, thinking he should have arrived by now. If he hadn't called yet, it must mean the train was delayed.

"Did he make it?" Zhang Chenghai asked when Auntie Fatty returned.

"Yeah, Xiaohu's at Zihang's place," Auntie Fatty said. "He told me on the phone their house is huge and full of great things. Well, Fenglan's family has always been well-off anyway—some of her relatives are in business, so of course their house is nice. But I've never seen their place in the capital, so I don't know exactly how good it is."

"Nancheng has single-family homes too," Zhang Chenghai said. "Colonel Qin's home must be even better."

"Of course it would be better—they deserve a house that nice," said Auntie Fatty. "Ya Ni always says knowledge is priceless. Feng Lan does well for herself because she’s sharp, because she knows so much. I hope Xiao Hu can rely on his brains too, not end up like us. And you—still in the army, but it’s hard to move up with your education level. It holds you back in a lot of ways."

"Let Xiao Hu study more, make him the best in our family," said Zhang Chenghai. "Isn’t that the way to go?"

"I still envy Feng Lan. Zi Hang’s even sharper," said Auntie Fatty. "Our Xiao Hu’s just riding on Zi Hang’s coattails. Feng Lan also said we can call anytime if we miss them—it's their own phone, so we don’t have to worry about extra charges on their end. As long as I don’t mind footing the bill on my end, I can call."

"Then just call," said Zhang Chenghai.

"Feng Lan’s place is great. I hope Xiao Hu gets to see more and comes back ready to study harder," said Auntie Fatty. "He’s gotta step it up. The way he is now, I’m worried he might not pass the high school entrance exam—it’s touch-and-go."

"If he doesn’t make it, that’s just how it goes," said Zhang Chenghai. "Look at me—I can still do other things. I—"

"Isn’t your job tough? Studying’s always better than not studying," said Auntie Fatty. "What era are we in now? Stop thinking like that. Back then, there weren’t many educated people around. Now there are plenty."

"Sure, sure, you know everything," Zhang Chenghai thought to himself, resigned to let Auntie Fatty handle things her way.

Zhang Chenghai wasn’t opposed to his son doing better, but given his own limits, the best he could do was push the kid to run and exercise more.

The next day, Qin Yizhou and his son took Zhang Xiaohu to the Forbidden City. Zhang Xiaohu had never been anywhere like this before. He couldn’t stop gushing—the capital was nothing like Nan City.

"Wow," Zhang Xiaohu exclaimed. "This is unreal!"

He kept marveling as he walked beside Qin Zihang, careful not to wander off. He remembered his mom’s words: don’t get lost, don’t make others look for you.

"You’re so lucky living here, seeing all this," said Zhang Xiaohu. "Nothing like this back in Nan City."

"That’s why this is the capital," said Qin Zihang. "We brought you here to see it with your own eyes. You can’t imagine it just by thinking. Now that you’ve come, you’ll know more. When you come back for college, I’ll already be here—my hukou’s here, so I’ll take the gaokao in the capital. Mom says if I put in the work, I can get into a top school. You should work hard too, and we’ll meet here again."

"I’m gonna get into a school here, no doubt," Zhang Xiaohu declared. Before, he hadn’t seen the capital—now that he had, he was determined to come back.

Qin Yizhou listened to their conversation, chiming in only occasionally.

At noon, Qin Yizhou took Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang out for lunch at a restaurant.

"This is good, try this one too," Qin Zihang urged. "If you want more, just say the word. My dad can order more—he’s paying."

"Okay," Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

Qin Yizhou had ordered plenty—no chance Zhang Xiaohu would leave hungry. Being a guest, he wouldn’t speak up even if he was still hungry.

"Eat more," said Qin Zihang.

"You two, eat more," said Qin Yizhou. "It’s baking out at noon. Let’s check out an indoor museum later."

"Okay," Qin Zihang nodded, turning to Zhang Xiaohu. "Museums are packed with old stuff—ancient things from all over. Have you ever been to one?"

"No," said Zhang Xiaohu. "Our teacher took us to a martyrs’ cemetery once. Dad said we shouldn’t pick on martyrs’ kids—some who did got their butts kicked."

In the neighborhood compound, there were children of martyrs—fatherless kids raised by their mothers, often targets of bullying. Fortunately, most parents told their kids not to mess with them, though a few troublemakers still went after them.

Of course, sometimes the martyrs’ kids were in the wrong, but most parents taught their own kids not to bully. Even if their kid had an excuse, they’d still get scolded.

Back in Nan City, Qin Zihang never picked on martyrs’ kids. He’d even slip them treats from home. In that sense, he’d been raised well.

"Exactly—don’t start anything," said Qin Zihang. "If you don’t like someone, just keep your distance. No point asking for trouble."

"Eat," Qin Yizhou cut in, ending the topic.

In the evening, Qin Yizhou and the others returned home. He didn’t take them out to play that night but had them go back home for dinner.

Zhang Xiaohu didn’t see Song Fenglan and asked, “Should we wait for Auntie to eat?”

“No need,” Qin Yizhou said. “She’s busy and isn’t coming back for dinner. When she returns, there’ll still be food at home, so don’t worry.”

“Right, my mom comes back a bit late. It’s farther from here to my school and her workplace compared to when we were in Nancheng, where everything was nearby,” Qin Zihang said. “The capital’s huge.”

“Yeah.” Zhang Xiaohu nodded vigorously.

A couple of days later, Tang Lu was going to return to Nancheng. Though her father and Tang Shaotao claimed they wouldn’t force her into marriage, they still brought a man home for her to meet. The moment Tang Lu saw him, she understood their intentions—they wanted her to compromise. But she wouldn’t.

Before the man could leave, Tang Lu spoke up.

“I’m a soldier. If you marry me, it’ll be a military marriage (which carries legal consequences). Could you move with me?”

“I’m stationed in Nancheng, not the capital. If you come with me, you’ll have to handle all the housework and manage everything at home.”

“I don’t do romance. This is a military marriage—you can’t betray me. If you cheat, under military law, you’d both be committing a crime.”

“Even if I’m rarely home, you’ll have to take care of everything.”

...

Tang Lu barreled on until it gave her mother a headache.

Her father and Tang Shaotao weren’t present—they had asked her mother to keep an eye on things. Who knew it’d turn out like this? Her mother thought no woman would say such things during a matchmaking session. Tang Lu clearly had no intention of being with this man.

The man’s face darkened, his mood sour. The Tang family had praised Tang Lu—saying she was a university graduate, a pilot, with good genes. If she bore his children, they’d surely be smart.

But the man saw her just as a breeding tool, never treated her as an equal. He had even made some unpleasant remarks earlier.

“Women shouldn’t be too career-driven.”

“Women end up focusing on husbands and kids.”

“No woman stays unmarried forever. Work’s not that important.”

“The capital’s so much better than Nancheng. If you come back, having a job is fine, but if not, you can just stay home and raise kids.”

...

He meant: Tang Lu had already been a pilot—she should just return now and forget about so-called dreams.

What dreams? Women don’t need dreams—that’s for men.

A woman belongs at home, supporting her man, not chasing fantasies. A man will always provide for her.

His words stomped all over Tang Lu’s boundaries. There was no way she could like a man like this—he was fucking disgusting. She wanted him gone.

Since he showed her no respect, she wouldn’t either.

Tang Lu knew her father and Tang Shaotao were after the man’s family connections, which was why he acted so arrogantly.

The man left in a rage. At the door, he ran into Tang Shaotao and snarled, “Your sister? She’ll die alone. She shouldn’t even get married.”

Hearing this, Tang Shaotao rushed to confront Tang Lu.

“What the fuck was that?” Tang Shaotao demanded.

"What did I do wrong? I should be asking how you're doing!" Tang Lu snapped. "I’ve said it before—I don’t want to go on blind dates. But you still pull these sneaky tricks and bring someone over anyway. You’re dead set on marrying me off. Well, give it up. I shouldn’t have moved in here, shouldn’t have tried to save a bit on rent."

"You—"

"I’m moving out. No need to tell me to get out." Tang Lu understood their intentions. If she stayed, they’d never stop nagging.

She’d thought she was clear enough last time—that they wouldn’t try anything else. Who could’ve guessed they’d still push her around like this? If that’s how it was, she wouldn’t bother giving them face either.

These people were downright awful. Just the thought of it made her blood boil.

"Aren’t you leaving soon anyway?" Tang’s mother asked, feeling obliged to say something since she was standing there.

"Nope," Tang Lu replied, heading off to pack.

Tang Lu decided to stop by Third Aunt Song’s place first. Since she clearly wasn’t welcome in the capital anymore, she figured she might as well head back to Nan City sooner rather than later.

When Third Aunt Song heard that Tang Lu was leaving, she didn’t even let her in—just had someone hand her a box of pastries. Tang Lu didn’t get to see her mother. She took the snacks and left. She knew what her mother was thinking—she didn’t want to see her or any of the Tang family.

Fine by me, Tang Lu figured. She wasn’t all that eager to see the Tangs either. She didn’t throw a tantrum at Third Aunt Song’s door, didn’t demand to see her aunt, didn’t complain about how the Tangs had treated her.

She didn’t have to say a word. Third Aunt Song could figure it out for herself. She wasn’t stupid—she knew exactly what kind of trash the Tangs were.

That very night, Tang Lu hopped on a train and got out of the capital.

After two days off, Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang started studying with their tutor. Song Fenglan and her husband had already worked out the payment and mentioned that Zhang Xiaohu would also be joining. The tutor didn’t need much explanation—he knew his main job was to help Qin Zihang.

Since Zhang Xiaohu wasn’t as sharp academically, Song Fenglan and her husband asked the tutor to keep things simple so Zhang Xiaohu could follow along. That way, the tutor wouldn’t leave Zhang Xiaohu in the dust while focusing only on Qin Zihang.

Song’s mom came over to Song Fenglan’s house with some homemade treats for the kids.

Zhang Xiaohu greeted her politely when he saw her.

"Feel free to come visit us sometime," Song’s mom smiled.

Over at the Qin house, Qin’s mom was fuming when she found out Song Fenglan and her husband had brought the child of an old neighbor from Nan City to the capital.

Right in front of Qin’s eldest aunt, she started badmouthing them.

"Who’s actually blood here?" Qin’s mom complained. "How could they do this? Li An is Zihang’s own flesh and blood!"

"If they get along, and it’s Song Fenglan’s money, she can do whatever she wants," Qin’s eldest aunt reasoned. "That kid is just keeping Zihang company—it’s not like Zihang has to wait on him hand and foot. If Li An went, it’d be different. You’d expect Zihang to serve him. Do you really think Song Fenglan and her husband would agree to that?"

Qin’s eldest aunt couldn’t understand why Qin’s mom always expected the best without ever giving anything in return. It was unrealistic.

"Always scheming like this—didn’t you already give most of your stuff to your oldest son?" Qin’s eldest aunt added.

"We bought Yizhou a house too," Qin’s mom argued.

"And what kind of house was that? You know full well," Qin’s eldest aunt shot back. "You keep shouting about buying him a house, as if people are blind. You give the bare minimum and never shut up about it—like no one notices."

"This is just... too much," Qin’s mom muttered. "Li An’s such a sweet kid."

"If you’ve got the cash, hire a tutor for Li An yourself. Take him out, treat him to things," Qin’s eldest aunt suggested. "Stop expecting Zihang to carry him. That’s not realistic."

She was tired of hearing Qin’s mom badmouth Qin Yizhou’s family every time she visited. She wouldn’t join in now either.

"No way. I’m going to have words with them," Qin’s mom insisted.

"If you go to them, it will only make them dislike Qin Lian even more," said Qin's elder aunt.

"How could that be?" Mother Qin still wanted to give it a try.

Then, instead of going to Mrs. Song or Song Fenglan, Mother Qin sought out Auntie Yu. She believed Auntie Yu's family wasn’t doing well financially, as the Jiang family was worse off. Mother Qin wanted Auntie Yu to persuade Song Fenglan—after all, Auntie Yu also had grandchildren, so why was Song Fenglan so biased toward outsiders?

"This isn't bias; it's returning a favor," said Auntie Yu, who had been stopped by Mother Qin while out grocery shopping.

Hearing Mother Qin’s words, Auntie Yu felt disgusted.

"My grandchildren—whether they’re doing well or need tutoring—we’ll arrange that ourselves. Fenglan doesn’t need to handle it," Auntie Yu said. "Stop always coveting what’s in others’ homes."

In the past, Auntie Yu had been polite to Mother Qin because, during those difficult years, the Song family’s background was politically tainted, and Auntie Yu had to tread carefully to survive. But now, she no longer had to be so gentle with Mother Qin.

Mother Qin had run the Qin family into the ground herself, yet she still wanted others to join her in targeting Song Fenglan.

In your dreams!

Auntie Yu had always known her boundaries—you don’t cross the line.

"You helped Song Fenglan so much—didn’t you ever expect her to repay you?" Mother Qin said.

"How do you know she hasn’t?" Auntie Yu retorted. "She has repaid us!"

It was already a square deal—the Song family had given them plenty of benefits. As relatives, that should be enough. One shouldn’t keep using past favors to threaten others.

"She’s my niece. Helping her was only right," Auntie Yu said. "Your family made her life miserable for so long, and now you still want to make her life miserable?"

"No, she—"

"Don’t even think about sending your kids to Fenglan’s place. If your children had been a bit more sensible, things wouldn’t have turned out this way." Auntie Yu thought to herself that while she shouldn’t criticize others, she could certainly speak her mind about Tian Keshu’s children. "Your grandson’s background is politically tainted—stop trying to drag others down. Don’t wait until one day your precious eldest grandson ends up a petty informant before you regret it. Is Fenglan’s home a place he should be?"

"You—"

"If you don’t believe me, go ask your eldest son. Ask him whether your eldest grandson should be going to Fenglan’s house," Auntie Yu said. "Don’t make these decisions without consulting him first. Your eldest son’s stalled career has something to do with you too."

"You—you—" Mother Qin shook with rage.

She felt that everyone’s attitude toward her had worsened—nothing like before. In the past, Mother Qin had always prided herself on her good political status, acting high and mighty. She wasn’t educated, but her political status was spotless, allowing her to do many things and even oppress Song Fenglan.

Sometimes, ignorance is a scary thing—just like Mother Qin.

"Go ask your eldest son," Auntie Yu said. "I’m sure he’ll understand."

Mother Qin had thought Auntie Yu might still listen to her, but Auntie Yu wouldn’t hear a word of it. Not only did she ignore Mother Qin, but she also warned her own family not to be greedy or assume that just because they were Song Fenglan’s relatives, she owed them more help.

Song Fenglan had only had Zhang Xiaohu stay for the summer—it wasn’t like he was living there permanently. She was being kind to her former neighbors as a way of repaying their past kindness. She had done right by the Jiangs already.

"Mom, don’t worry. We aren’t thinking like that," said Sister Jiang.

Auntie Jiang had even fewer such ideas now. She just focused on making and selling tofu—no need for fancy skills. With one solid trade, life could go on just fine. There was no need to rely on others for help.

When Song Fenglan learned of Mother Qin’s nonsense, she found it laughable.

Mother Qin was useless but loved to stir the pot. When she was doing well, she acted high and mighty. When she wasn’t, she had to make waves. Did others deserve to suffer because of her?

Song Fenglan still disliked Mother Qin as much as ever. She didn’t mention the Qins to Zhang Xiaohu, only telling him to just enjoy his stay. If any of the Qins dared to say anything unpleasant to Zhang Xiaohu, Qin Zihang would deal with them.

While strolling in the yard with Qin Yizhou, Song Fenglan told him about Mother Qin’s actions. He had nothing to say.

"Your mother really wants to stir up trouble," Song Fenglan said. "By her reasoning, I shouldn’t let anyone else into my home or make any other arrangements."

"Don’t mind her. She’s just got too much time on her hands," Qin Yizhou replied.

"She doesn’t have too much time—she’s obsessed with spoiling her golden grandson. To her, only that precious boy counts as her real grandchild. Your older brother's kids are the only ones she sees as her true grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Everyone else doesn’t count as family to her," Song Fenglan said. "I don’t understand why she went to my aunt. Does she think my aunt is a pushover who’ll listen to her?"

"Probably," Qin Yizhou nodded.

"That’s outrageous," Song Fenglan said. "Why can’t she just leave everyone in peace?"

At the Qin household, Qin’s mother had brought up sending Li An to study at Song Fenglan’s house—the tutor Song Fenglan hired for Qin Zihang was exceptional.

"They’re not even in the same grade. Li An doesn’t belong there," Eldest Brother Qin said bluntly. "Mom, don’t even think about sending him over. Sister-in-law works in a secure department, and Li An comes from a spy family. Do you want to ruin our lives?"

"No, I—"

"You’re not just causing trouble for Yi Zhou and his wife—you’re setting me up," Eldest Brother Qin said. "Mom, I’ve told you a hundred times: stay away from them. Why won’t you listen?"

"I didn’t go to your brother or Song Fenglan. I went to Song Fenglan’s aunt," Qin’s mother insisted. "Song Fenglan treats the neighbor’s child like gold but looks down on relatives’ kids. What kind of person is she? Doesn’t she know how to be kind to family? All she does is—"

"Mom," Eldest Brother Qin interrupted. "Maybe those people helped her before, so she’s paying it back. Just imagine… imagine that kid is like a royal tutor’s pupil."

Eldest Brother Qin thought this analogy worked well enough. He really didn’t want his mother picking fights with Song Fenglan. He felt frustrated—his own mother acted like a drama queen, and no matter what he said, she wouldn’t change.

Again and again, Eldest Brother Qin feared that his mother would become his downfall.

"Mom, if you really care about me and Li An, stop meddling. Don’t go looking for trouble," he said. "We still have to live our lives. We don’t want to end up behind bars. Sister-in-law works in a secure department. If Li An goes there and she accuses him of messing with her files, what then?"

"Li An’s just a child. How could he—"

"How couldn’t he? He could pass the documents to someone else—he doesn’t need to understand them himself," Eldest Brother Qin said. "If that happens, will he be safe? Will I be safe? Or do you think Sister-in-law wouldn’t do something like that? Even a cornered rabbit bites. If you keep provoking her, she won’t stay quiet forever."

Eldest Brother Qin worked within the system. He wasn’t naive—sometimes doing less was better than doing more. Avoiding trouble was always safer.

"Next time, before you do anything like this, tell us first. Don’t just decide on your own," he said. "You’re not helping me—you’re setting me up."

His heart was pounding. He had no interest in whatever secrets Song Fenglan held.

"They executed a spy!" he added. "Our unit even discussed it—it came out they stole documents from Sister-in-law’s workplace."

"Ex… executed?" Qin’s mother gasped.

"Yes, executed," he said. "Not prison—prison means you might get out someday. Even if you don’t, you’re still alive. Execution means you’re dead and buried."

"I…" Qin’s mother’s voice trembled.

"Sister-in-law hasn’t come after us yet, so we should stay far away," Eldest Brother Qin said. "If we serve ourselves up to them, they could crush us easily."

"I… I had no idea," Qin’s mother whispered. "I just thought since you and Yi Zhou are brothers, you two…"

"Yi Zhou’s life isn’t just about him," Eldest Brother Qin frowned. "Mom, stop making me repeat this. The moment I look away, you run right to them. Look at Dad—he’s fine, going fishing or reading the paper when he has free time. You should do the same—chat with neighbors, take Li An for walks. Just stay away from my brother and sister-in-law."

Eldest Brother Qin kept pushing, but Qin’s mother still believed her biological son wouldn’t act so harshly. Still, she felt uneasy—her golden grandson’s background was definitely an issue. Maybe it was best not to drag him into this mess.

"I… fine. Since you put it that way, I won’t drag Li An over there," she finally said. "You and Yi Zhou used to be thick as thieves. Now, does he even treat you like a brother anymore?"

"If he didn’t see me as his brother, he wouldn’t act like this," Eldest Brother Qin said. "Mom, just let it go. We don’t do things like your generation. We’ll handle it ourselves."

He told himself: she’s still my mom.

At this moment, Eldest Brother Qin was starting to resent supporting his mother. She only kept causing him trouble, yet claimed it was for his good. Qin Yizhou, on the other hand, didn’t have to take care of Qin’s mother. She did badmouth Qin Yizhou sometimes, but she didn’t confront him often, so Qin Yizhou had an easier time.

Song Fenglan had no idea how Eldest Brother Qin had spoken to his mother. If she knew, she’d be completely fed up. Song Fenglan wouldn’t stoop so low as to frame someone else—no matter how difficult Qin’s mother was, she was still Qin Yizhou’s real mother. Qin Li’an was just a minor, and Song Fenglan wouldn’t go so far as to harm a child.

Recently, because of the spy incident, security at the research institute had indeed become stricter. It wasn’t just the institute—other related departments had tightened controls too.

After all, foreign countries already had many excellent scientists. If those scientists got hold of the materials, they might even grasp the key points faster than domestic researchers.

Song Fenglan didn’t keep any highly sensitive documents at home—there were children around, and they often brought friends over. She did have some materials in her study, but locked it when she wasn’t using it, so there was no worry about a child accidentally going inside.

Zhang Xiaohu’s clothes were carefully chosen by Auntie Fatty, who brought over some of the better ones from home. But those clothes still looked a bit worn, so Song Fenglan bought him new ones. Her nephew had some hand-me-downs still in good shape, but since the kids played together, it wouldn’t look right for Zhang Xiaohu to wear them.

Song Fenglan worried others might talk about Zhang Xiaohu, so she thought it better to buy him new clothes. When he was ready to return, she’d pack the still-good old clothes for him to take back. Then someone could help him board the train and let the attendants know to help unload the things when they reached the final stop in Nancheng.

When Zhang Xiaohu saw the new clothes Song Fenglan had bought him, he was thrilled. “Wow! Are these new clothes for me?”

“Yes, I bought them when I passed by the mall,” Song Fenglan replied. “You and Zi Han both have some. Try ’em on—see if they fit and look nice.”