Eating Melons in the Police Station-Chapter 123

After Little Tong finished the "warmth delivery" activity at her father's place, she returned to the villa and made her rounds, checking every room.0

When she saw her grandmother sleeping, the elderly woman lay flat on her back, perfectly straight, with her hands crossed over her navel, looking peaceful. Little Tong walked over, reached out to check her grandmother’s breathing, and only after confirming she was still alive did she turn and leave.0

After wandering around the house, Little Tong grew hungry. She returned to the living room, knelt in front of a small cart, and rummaged through it until she found a pack of thumb-sized biscuits. Clamping the packaging between her teeth, she tried to tear it open with sheer determination.0

As Little Tong sat alone in the dark, disheveled and gnawing at the wrapper, Qiu Chen returned from the postpartum care center. The moment he opened the door, he was met with this sight.0

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Startled, Qiu Chen spun on his heel, shut the door, and stepped back outside.0

He stood there for a long while, chilled by the late autumn breeze, until his mind cleared enough to realize that the wild-haired figure might have been Little Tong. He pushed the door open again and walked back in.0

Little Tong held up the biscuit packet. "Uncle, help me open it."0

Pressing a hand to his racing heart, Qiu Chen changed into slippers, walked over, and opened the packet for her.0

"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" he asked.0

Little Tong crunched on the crisp biscuits, her big dark eyes fixed on him. "Uncle, I want milk. Please make some for me. Thank you."0

Qiu Chen went into the kitchen, prepared half a bottle of warm milk, and handed it to her.0

Little Tong clutched the bottle and gulped it down in one go before returning the empty bottle to Qiu Chen. By the time he washed it, dried it, and returned to the living room, she had already vanished.0

His heart began pounding again.0

Tiptoeing upstairs, he pushed open Qiu Sheng’s bedroom door and saw Little Tong already fast asleep beside her. Only then did Qiu Chen exhale in relief.0

After tossing and turning in his own bed, Qiu Chen finally fell asleep. Meanwhile, not far from their villa, Zhong Jin—an early riser—opened his eyes.0

Their villa community had independent heating systems, allowing residents to control their own temperature and schedule.0

The heating system in Zhong Jin’s villa had broken down years ago, and he never bothered to fix it. When it got cold, he simply endured it. On particularly freezing nights, he lit the fireplace in the living room and slept on the sofa.0

No matter how well-maintained, a villa this large felt desolate with only one person living in it. He let things slide, spending most of his time at the office anyway—the villa was just a place to sleep.0

Zhong Jin reached for the sweater by his bed, tucking the cold fabric under the covers to warm it up before pulling it on and sitting up.0

After a quick wash in the master bathroom, the hot water left his skin feeling slightly warmer. He went to the walk-in closet, picked out a black tracksuit, and changed into it for his morning run.0

As he stepped out of the bedroom, his soft-soled slipper landed on something, producing a faint crunching sound.0

Zhong Jin looked down, baffled.0

Neatly arranged outside his bedroom door were snacks—cake, chips, jelly pouches, cheese sticks, and the like. He didn’t remember buying any of this, and even if he had, he certainly wouldn’t have laid them out like an offering.0

Zhong Jin stepped around the snacks and immediately pulled out his phone to call his assistant, Fang Weiyi—the only other person with access to the villa, who occasionally dropped off supplies.0

His first thought was that Fang Weiyi must have been drunk and done this unconsciously.0

But seeing the time—6:06 a.m.—he dismissed the idea. No need to wake someone up over this; he could ask at the office later.0

Bending down, he gathered the snacks and carried them to the living room, placing them on the square marble coffee table before heading out for his run.0

Having patrolled the house the night before, Little Tong slept in until past 10 a.m. After washing up, she settled into her high chair, where a staff member promptly served her a nutritious breakfast.0

Watching her sip from a milk bottle with one hand while nibbling on a meat bun with the other, Qiu Chen couldn’t help but remark to Qiu Sheng:0

"I’ve compared several kindergartens, and there’s an international one with excellent faculty. I’ll send you the details later. If you approve, we should enroll her soon."0

Qiu Sheng sat by the window, sipping coffee and flipping through a magazine. The golden leaves of a white ash tree framed her silhouette, the autumn sunlight casting a warm glow on her face—still as radiant as it had been in her twenties.0

She glanced up at Qiu Chen. "She hasn’t had enough time to explore the world yet. I don’t want to rush her into school."0

Qiu Chen looked outside, where Little Tong, now fed and content, was happily riding a rocking horse.0

Exasperated, he asked, "She’s three years old. Are you just going to let her fool around all day?"0

Qiu Sheng shrugged. "So what if she’s three? Even at thirty, she can play if she wants. It’s not like I can’t afford it."0

"You can’t spoil her without limits," Qiu Chen said sternly.0

Before their argument escalated, Tao Siyuan stepped in with a compromise:0

"Let her play for another year. Starting kindergarten at four isn’t too late. Besides, the school year’s already begun—she might struggle to adjust if she joins mid-term."0

Qiu Chen looked out the window again.0

A small crowd of children had gathered around the rocking horse, where Little Tong was earnestly explaining the rules:0

"Each person gets one song. When the music stops, it’s the next kid’s turn."0

The children happily agreed, and under Little Tong’s orderly direction, they quickly bonded.0

Qiu Chen wanted to argue—this natural-born social butterfly was hardly the type to struggle fitting in.0

But since Qiu Sheng insisted on letting her child enjoy her freedom a little longer, he dropped the subject. He’d tolerate her carefree year—but after that, it was time for her to taste the hardships of education.0

By the time Qiu Chen left for work, the kids were still playing outside.0

A little boy with a spiky haircut leaned down from the rocking horse, bargaining with Little Tong: "Can I have one more turn, little sis?"0

Briefcase in hand, Qiu Chen marched over and glared at the boy. "No. Get down."0

The boy was startled and quickly jumped off the rocking horse.0

Qiu Chen’s deep eyes swept over the children as he spoke in a low voice, "This is Little Tong’s cart. If you want to play here, you have to listen to her. If anyone dares to bully her, they won’t be allowed to come back."0

The little kids nodded obediently, and the bolder ones even piped up, "We’ll behave."0

"Good." Qiu Chen turned and walked away.0

One of the children whispered to Little Tong, "Your uncle is so scary."0

Little Tong replied loudly, "My uncle isn’t scary! He’s the best uncle, and I love him so much."0

Qiu Chen’s hand rested on the handle of his Maybach, his lips curling unconsciously. Such an adorable child. Maybe letting her stay happy for another year wouldn’t be so bad.0

Little Tong played outside with her friends for a while until, one by one, the children were called home by their parents. She then ran back inside.0

Qiu Sheng had been sitting by the window the whole time, occasionally glancing up from her book to watch the kids play. Little Tong, her short legs pumping, dashed straight toward her.0

She held out her hands to Qiu Sheng. "Mommy, my hands are turning into ice candy!"0

Qiu Sheng touched them—they were indeed icy from the cold wind. She pulled Little Tong’s hands into the warmth of her sweater, cradling them against her stomach.0

With her hands tucked inside her mother’s clothes, Little Tong buried her face against Qiu Sheng’s belly, breathing in her sweet scent. Soon, she dozed off.0

When she woke up, she was lying on the living room couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket. The afternoon sun bathed the room in golden warmth.0

Qiu Sheng sat on the rug beside her, knitting.0

Little Tong reached out, twirling a strand of her mother’s long hair around her fingers. Qiu Sheng turned to her with a soft smile. "Awake, my little Tong? Did you sleep well?"0

"I slept so comfy," Little Tong murmured in her sleepy, raspy voice. "Mommy, what are you doing?"0

Qiu Sheng showed her the knitting. "I’m making you a pair of gloves. When you wear them, your hands won’t get cold while playing outside."0

Still groggy, Little Tong replied in a sweet, drowsy tone, "Thank you, Mommy."0

It had been years since Qiu Sheng last did any handicrafts.0

Back when Qiu Zhengrui was alive, he despised her hobby, calling it a waste of time. Even those who didn’t criticize her saw it as just a passing phase—something she’d eventually outgrow.0

Truthfully, Qiu Sheng often watched skilled crafters online and thought, I could do that too—maybe even better. But the idea of filming tutorials, putting herself out there, always made her hesitate.0

Without support and unable to push past her own doubts, she slowly abandoned the craft she once loved.0

Now, picking up the needles again, the muscle memory was still there, though a bit rusty. She made a few mistakes here and there, but a pair of gloves should be no problem.0

Seeing Little Tong awake, Qiu Sheng gathered the yarn into a bamboo basket.0

She cupped Little Tong’s face, giving her cheeks a playful squeeze. "Mommy’s going to a friend’s house for dinner this afternoon. Want to come with me?"0

Little Tong let her mother squish her face into funny shapes, giggling as she nodded. "Yes! I wanna eat too!"0

The friends Qiu Sheng mentioned were a childfree couple.0

The husband, Ming Yan, was a photographer. The wife, Bi Ying, a designer. They lived a quiet life in a small wooded area on the outskirts of Jing City, where they’d built a few cozy cabins.0

When Qiu Sheng and Little Tong arrived, the couple had already gathered a pile of fallen leaves, planning to roast sweet potatoes and chestnuts over them later.0

At the sound of Qiu Sheng’s voice, a plump orange cat came trotting over, meowing loudly. The cat stood on its hind legs, resting its front paws on Qiu Sheng’s thigh, rubbing its fluffy head insistently against her palm.0

Little Tong watched for a moment before suddenly darting over and hugging Qiu Sheng’s other leg—deliberately shoving the cat aside with her hip.0

The cat yowled in protest, but Little Tong wriggled closer, refusing to let it near her mother.0

Qiu Sheng crouched down, letting Little Tong lean against her knee as she held out a hand to the cat. "Come here, Tuanzi."0

The cat immediately bounded over, nuzzling into her palm.0

Qiu Sheng explained to Little Tong, "Sweetheart, this is Tuanzi. Mommy brought him here."0

"Why do you know him?" Little Tong asked, fiddling with her fingers.0

"Last winter, Tuanzi was just a tiny kitten. He was so cold that he crawled into Mommy’s car engine. Just as I was about to drive, I heard him meowing from inside and rescued him."0

Little Tong side-eyed the chubby cat. "Then why’d you send him here?"0

"Because he kept trying to run away in the city. So I contacted Uncle Ming and Auntie Bi online and asked them to take care of him."0

Just then, Ming Yan—dressed in a loose sweater—walked over to greet them. "Qiu Sheng! Is this your daughter?"0

Little Tong turned, beaming up at him. "Hello! My name is Zhong Yun Tong."0

Ming Yan chuckled. "Zhong Yun Tong, you’re adorable. Want to help us gather more leaves?"0

Little Tong solemnly took his hand. "Uncle, please take very good care of that cat."0

What a tender-hearted kid, Ming Yan thought.0

Then Little Tong added, "Don’t let him steal my mommy."0

Ming Yan: "...Hah."0

Little Tong was given a tiny rake, and Ming Yan taught her how to pile up the scattered leaves.0

At first, the little girl focused hard, raking diligently. But then she glanced over and saw Qiu Sheng feeding Tuanzi bits of jerky—the cat standing on its hind legs, begging with its paws.0

Immediately, Little Tong threw down the rake and charged over, leaves crunching underfoot.0

She skidded to a stop in front of Qiu Sheng, copying the cat’s pose—tiptoeing, hands clasped together. "Mommy! I can beg too! I want some!"0

Laughing, Qiu Sheng popped a small piece into her mouth.0

Tuanzi, realizing this chubby little human was competition, promptly flopped onto the leaves and rolled around, showing off his newest trick.0

Little Tong was also rolling around on the ground, calling out to Qiu Sheng, "Mom, look at me! Mom, look at me!"0

The orange cat let out a "meow," then stood up disinterestedly and walked away.0

Soon after, Little Tong was called over by Bi Ying, the lady of the land. Bi Ying pointed at something resembling a manhole cover and said, "Little Tong, sweetheart, this is where we compost fertilizer. You must never step on it, okay?"0

A while later, Bi Ying noticed the chubby child standing near the cover, looking eager to test it. She walked back over, lifted a corner of the lid, and let Little Tong peek inside.0

"See that? It’s full of sheep droppings. If you step on it and fall in, you’ll be covered in poop."0

Little Tong’s mouth fell open in horror.0

From then on, whenever she wandered through the woods, she made sure to steer clear of that spot, terrified of tumbling into the dung.0

As she walked away, Little Tong noticed the orange cat had gone back to Qiu Sheng. She immediately dashed over, legs pumping, to resume her rivalry with the cat for Qiu Sheng’s attention.0

But even as she competed, Little Tong raised a finger and solemnly warned the feline, "You must never walk on that lid, because it’s full of poop inside."0

By dusk, the temperature had dropped, and the small woods were enveloped in a cool mist.0

The sweet potatoes and chestnuts buried in the fallen leaves had roasted to perfection, filling the air with a rich, sweet aroma. Everyone gathered around the bonfire at a low table for dinner, where grilled meat and pizza fresh from the oven were also served.0

While the adults chatted, Little Tong sat on a small stool, stretching her neck to reach the meat skewered on a bamboo stick.0

Qiu Sheng noticed and immediately slid the meat off for her, placing it on a small plate. She then pulled out a pair of child-sized chopsticks from her bag and handed them to Little Tong so she could eat on her own.0

Seeing that Little Tong was only eating meat, Qiu Sheng peeled the sweet potatoes and chestnuts, broke them into small pieces, and arranged them on her plate along with some torn-up pizza, encouraging her to try a bit of everything.0

But Little Tong ignored the plate. Instead, she hugged a whole sweet potato and gnawed on it, her lips and cheeks smeared black from the skin. Qiu Sheng gave her an exasperated look, to which Little Tong responded with a cheeky grin.0

After dinner, as Qiu Sheng helped clean up, she noticed the food she’d portioned on Little Tong’s plate was gone.0

She shook the empty plate and asked, "Little Tong, did you eat all this?"0

When Little Tong hesitated, Qiu Sheng assumed she was afraid of being scolded for eating too much, so she reassured her,0

"If you overate, just take a longer walk in the woods to help digest it."0

On the drive back home that night, they passed through a stretch of rural road so dark that the car’s headlights barely illuminated a small patch ahead.0

Little Tong had been quiet in her car seat, and Qiu Sheng thought she’d fallen asleep—until the child suddenly sighed, "Mom, it’s so dark outside."0

"Yeah, are you scared?" Qiu Sheng asked.0

Little Tong shook her head. "I’m not scared, Mom."0

"Wow, you’re so brave, sweetheart."0

Little Tong declared loudly, "Because you’re here! As long as Mom’s here, I won’t be afraid."0

The words struck Qiu Sheng’s heart, leaving it tender yet strangely stronger. She had always been a quiet, unassuming person, never the center of attention—no one had ever relied on her like this before.0

Little Tong added, "Mom, if there’s a next life, will you still be my mom?"0

Qiu Sheng asked hesitantly, "Sweetheart, do you think I’m a good mom?"0

The chubby child kicked her feet and nodded firmly.0

"You make amazing things, you always smile, and you take such good care of stray kittens. That’s why you’re the best mom."0

Qiu Sheng’s throat tightened, her eyes brimming with tears.0

For years, the only thing she’d heard from Qiu Zhengrui was that she was too soft, that she’d never achieve anything, that she wasn’t cut out for business. Her only worth, he said, lay in an arranged marriage—and if she refused even that, she’d be nothing but a complete failure.0

During the most formative years of her life, Qiu Zhengrui’s constant belittlement had left her deeply insecure.0

Later, Zhong Jin had pulled her forward, giving her confidence and walking a long road with her—until they drifted apart, leaving Qiu Sheng lonelier and more disheartened than before.0

And yet, this child—this little angel—saw her as someone amazing, as the best mom.0

Not long after Qiu Sheng and Little Tong arrived home, a silver-gray Bentley pulled into the villa’s gates.0

Zhong Jin parked in the garage and stepped out, thoroughly annoyed.0

Earlier that morning, he’d found a pile of snacks outside his bedroom door. At the office, he’d questioned his assistant about it.0

The assistant swore up and down that he hadn’t been drinking, hadn’t left snacks at his boss’s door in the middle of the night—even going so far as to vow that if he’d done it, he’d willingly take a pay cut and forfeit his year-end bonus.0

Convinced by his sincerity, Zhong Jin believed him.0

He’d checked the security footage with the property management, but none of the cameras showed anyone entering his home.0

The property manager suggested calling the police.0

But from the manager’s meaningful look, Zhong Jin could tell he suspected something like sleepwalking.0

In the end, Zhong Jin didn’t report it. After all, the intruder had only left snacks—nothing stolen, no harm done. It didn’t seem serious enough for the police.0

As for sleepwalking? Impossible. Even if he had sleepwalked, where would the snacks have come from? They weren’t even in his house to begin with.0

That night, Zhong Jin decided to sleep on the living room couch. He was determined to find out whether this prankster was human or ghost.0

The living room was spacious, making it feel colder, and the couch wasn’t as warm as his bed. Around midnight, Zhong Jin woke up shivering, got up to light the fireplace, and huddled by it until he was warm enough to return to the couch.0

For the first half of the night, he drifted in and out of sleep, startling awake at the slightest sound to scan the room.0

But by the second half, exhaustion and the warmth from the fireplace pulled him into a deep slumber. He didn’t wake again until morning.0

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he did was check the floor beside the couch—no mysterious snacks this time.0

He let out half a sigh of relief before noticing a crumpled ball of tinfoil on the coffee table.0

Zhong Jin bent down to take a careful look, cautiously refraining from touching it with his hands at first. He fetched a pair of chopsticks and poked at the object, making sure it wouldn’t explode. Then, using the chopsticks, he pried open the crumpled ball of foil.0

The foil unfolded, revealing what appeared to be leftover food inside.0

Zhong Jin examined it closely. There seemed to be grilled meat, flatbread, chestnuts, and a yellow, mushy substance that smelled suspiciously like mashed sweet potato.0

Frustrated, he tossed the chopsticks aside, seething with anger.0

After pacing back and forth across the living room twice, Zhong Jin grabbed his phone and dialed his assistant. "Get someone to install surveillance cameras in my house—full coverage, high-definition, no blind spots."0

"Yes, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‍it’s about that same issue. Today was even worse—they actually sent me a pile of scraps."0