Chapter 66 Are You Not Capable or Something?

At four in the morning in Warsaw, the air carried a refreshing chill.

At the exit, Qu Suiwan looked at her travel-worn yet still strikingly handsome son, a relieved smile appearing on her face.

“Baby, come let Mom take a look at you.”

As she spoke, she reached out and pinched Song Jingmo’s cheek, her tone full of affection. “You’ve gotten thinner again. Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?”

“Mom,” Song Jingmo said, his voice tinged with helplessness and fatigue, “this is a public place.”

Qu Suiwan laughed, linking her arm through his as she led him toward the parking lot. “My son’s all grown up—he even knows how to be shy now.”

“Sigh, if it weren’t for Er’er being here, seeing you would probably be harder than meeting a government official!”

Song Jingmo’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, a flicker of complexity passing through his eyes.

After getting into the car, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the comfortable seat. “I’m tired. I’ll sleep for a bit.”

Clearly unable to handle her overly direct teasing, he chose to escape.

Qu Suiwan looked at his tightly shut eyes and slightly furrowed brows, smiled, and didn’t press further.

Half an hour later, at the hotel—

“Someone will bring your change of clothes later. Rest well. Be more energetic tonight—don’t let yourself be outshined.”

Her words carried a hint of implication, as if she were enjoying the drama.

Song Jingmo didn’t even lift his eyelids. His voice was muffled. “Mom, we’re just good friends.”

“He doesn’t like me at all. If you keep forcing a match, it’ll only make things awkward. We might not even be able to stay friends.”

Qu Suiwan raised her eyebrows in surprise, her tone full of undisguised disbelief. “Er’er doesn’t like you? Impossible, right?”

“My son is so outstanding—how could he not like you?”

Then she glanced at Song Jingmo. “Are you not capable or something? What a waste of my excellent genes!”

Song Jingmo: “……”

—

At noon, Lu Er woke up late after a poor night’s sleep and, starving, went downstairs to the hotel restaurant to find something to eat.

As fate would have it, just after picking up his food, he ran into the ever-persistent Gu Jinzhou again.

“Well, well, isn’t this Top Star Lu? Why are you alone? Didn’t Actor Yan come with you?” Gu Jinzhou mocked, his voice not loud but sharp enough to sting.

Already in a bad mood, Lu Er immediately shot back, “Does your family sell salt? Why are you so idle, keeping tabs on who I eat with?”

The two exchanged a few barbed remarks, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense.

A gentle voice cut in, “Alright, we’re all here to work. Let’s keep the peace.”

Yan Huaijin patted Lu Er’s shoulder, stepping between them.

Though his tone was mild, it carried undeniable authority. “Let’s sit over there.”

Holding back his anger, Lu Er shot Gu Jinzhou a fierce glare before obediently following Yan Huaijin toward the inner part of the restaurant.

However, the moment he reached a window seat and looked up, he froze as if struck by a spell.

At the table diagonally across, Qu Suiwan and Song Jingmo were seated, having their meal.

From the looks of it, they had clearly witnessed the entire confrontation between him and Gu Jinzhou.

In an instant, Lu Er felt his face burn hot, embarrassment and regret surging like a tide.

Qu Suiwan had just reminded him yesterday to mind his image and not bring bad influence—and today he had caused a scene right in front of her…

This was bad. His image in Aunt Qu’s eyes must have completely collapsed.

Yan Huaijin, however, remained composed. He nodded politely toward Qu Suiwan and Song Jingmo.

Then he pulled out a chair, gesturing for Lu Er to sit.

Lu Er felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

At that moment, Qu Suiwan smiled and waved. “Don’t sit over there—come join us.”

Yan Huaijin looked surprised for a moment, then pleased. Lu Er, on the other hand, looked terrified, his fingers clutching the hem of his clothes tightly.

“Let’s go,” Yan Huaijin reminded softly, gently tugging him.

With no choice, Lu Er forced himself to follow, moving to their table.

“Director Qu, Doctor Song, sorry to disturb,” Yan Huaijin greeted politely.

Song Jingmo glanced up, his gaze pausing briefly on Lu Er’s pale face.

He responded with a faint “Mm,” then continued cutting his food calmly, betraying no emotion.

Lu Er didn’t even dare lift his head. “Aunt Qu… Dr… Doctor Song,” he muttered softly.

The atmosphere at the table turned subtly stiff.

Qu Suiwan looked at her taciturn son, then at the nervous Lu Er, and said to Song Jingmo, “Momo, Er’er can’t reach the roast chicken over there. Help him get some.”

Song Jingmo paused.

Before he could act, Yan Huaijin smiled and spoke first. “No need to trouble Dr. Song—I’ll do it.”

He used serving chopsticks to pick a piece of roast chicken for Lu Er and asked attentively, “What else would you like? This cod fillet is good—want to try it?”

Lu Er’s mind was a mess, filled with thoughts like “My image is ruined” and “Will Aunt Qu dislike me?” He barely tasted his food.

Hearing Yan Huaijin’s question, he nodded mechanically. “Thank you, Teacher Yan.”

Thus, the entire meal almost turned into a one-man “feeding session” by Yan Huaijin.

He seemed to enjoy taking care of Lu Er, constantly serving him food and pouring water.

Lu Er, like a well-behaved doll, ate whatever was placed in front of him.

He even managed to eat vegetables he usually hated without changing his expression.

Song Jingmo watched silently, the knuckles gripping his knife and fork turning slightly pale.

To him, Lu Er’s obedience and lack of pickiness looked like submission to Yan Huaijin.

When Lu Er was with him, although timid, he still had a temper and would be picky with food. When had he ever been this compliant?

An indescribable sourness and heaviness spread through his chest, making the exquisite food in front of him taste like nothing.

Finally, the meal ended.

Yan Huaijin politely said goodbye to Qu Suiwan and Song Jingmo, taking the absent-minded Lu Er away.

Watching their departing figures, Qu Suiwan said, “You should go back and rest too. There’s a banquet tonight—get enough energy.”

The three of them happened to be heading the same way and walked toward the elevator together.

Inside the elevator, Yan Huaijin took the initiative to speak. “Dr. Song, did you come specifically for the banquet?”

Song Jingmo looked straight ahead at the elevator doors, his tone distant and calm. “No. I came to see my parents.”

Yan Huaijin smiled. “I see.”

Standing in the corner, Lu Er tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Hearing Song Jingmo say “came to see my parents,” he felt a strange sense of relief—along with an indescribable trace of disappointment.

The elevator arrived with a soft ding, breaking the brief silence.

Without looking back, Song Jingmo walked toward his room, his straight figure carrying a hint of loneliness.

Lu Er watched his figure disappear around the corner, his heart suddenly feeling hollow—as if a hole had opened inside, letting in cold wind.

Yan Huaijin gently patted his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Lu Er lowered his head and followed silently, the lingering bitterness of the vegetable he had eaten seeming to spread all the way into his heart.