Meanwhile, as Ren Shuangmei, who had taken Huo Miao out, was enjoying her triumphs in the business world, she also vaguely noticed a change.

The main manifestation was that the little boy, who usually ate well and slept soundly at night after a particularly fun day, had started having trouble sleeping these past two days.

Even though he had met his most admired teacher, played guitar with several top-level folk guitarists, and had been taken to a music festival for a blast by a senior musician—based on past experience, no matter how instinctively wary he was of the outside world, he should have been exhausted enough to fall asleep the moment he hit the bed.

But when they returned to the hotel at night, the little boy still tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In the middle of the night, he got out of bed, put on his clothes, and quietly left the room.

Ren Shuangmei observed carefully for two days and found that Huo Miao seemed to be missing his good friend, whom he hadn’t seen for exactly two days, ten hours, and thirty-six minutes.

…After all, this was already the seventh time Huo Miao had sighed while leaning on the balcony railing, regretting not reminding the Ming family’s child to get a new phone card.

Ren Shuangmei finished her work for the day, closed her laptop, and set it aside. She tiptoed up behind the little boy and, with lightning speed, covered Huo Miao’s eyes.

Luo Chi had actually already sensed the movement behind him and immediately let go and leaned back. “Mom!”

Ren Shuangmei often played this game with him. Laughing, she would call out “Huo Miao” while picking him up, spinning him around like a windmill for a few circles, and then they would lie down on the bed together.

Huo Miao had a great time, coughing and rubbing his ears in his mother’s arms, his eyes still sparkling with laughter.

“Is it ringing again?” Ren Shuangmei covered the little boy’s ears and touched his forehead. “Did you not sleep well?”

Luo Chi subconsciously wanted to shake his head, but after a moment’s hesitation, he admitted in a small voice, “I didn’t sleep very well.”

He felt a little guilty and proactively raised his hand to promise, “I’ll definitely sleep well tonight.”

Ren Shuangmei raised an eyebrow slightly, ruffling his head. “Did you not have fun during the day?”

Luo Chi immediately shook his head vigorously. “It was super fun.”

He had had a blast these past few days. The music festival here was different from other places, more open and free, with stages everywhere. As long as you had a guitar, you could jump up and play. It was like a huge party where everyone sang and danced together.

Luo Chi had been to many music festivals with his mother, but this was the first time he had encountered an environment where he didn’t have to worry about stage fright at all.

Everyone here seemed to know how to sing and dance. Several folk musicians taught him to play the dutar and dombra. He learned many local fingerings and techniques and even memorized a bunch of ethnic-style music sheets.

Luo Chi was both excited and had a great time. The only regret seemed to be that his good friend wasn’t here with him.

…It was fine during the day when it was lively, but when he lay in bed at night, he couldn’t help but want to tell Ming Weiting about his daily experiences, about the interesting people and things he had encountered.

But Young Master Ming’s destroyed phone card had not yet been replaced. After a full day of happy play, Huo Miao lay in bed with his phone only to remember that he still didn’t have his good friend’s contact information.

“You miss him already,” Ren Shuangmei had actually already guessed most of it and couldn’t help but laugh, ruffling the little boy’s head. “What will you do if you can’t see him in the future?”

Huo Miao had clearly never considered this question before. He was stunned by the question and looked at his mother without speaking.

“Except for family in the truest sense, people will always part after they meet.”

Ren Shuangmei slowly explained to the little boy, “Last time you made friends with Xiao Ming, wasn’t there a month before he came again?”

Luo Chi nodded. “I didn’t miss him that much then.”

He could understand what his mother meant by “family in the truest sense.” Although he had also agreed to become a Ming family member, the Ming family’s connections were loose. Even Mr. Ming and his son didn’t see each other often. Ming Weiting had said they usually communicated by radio, signal lights, message in a bottle, and sky lanterns.

The kind of family his mother was talking about was one where a new relationship had been established between people, like his mother and him, or Aunt Yan, Uncle Ming, and Ming Weiting.

Last time he met Ming Weiting, they talked for a whole night. When he woke up the next day, the other had already left, and Luo Chi had been secretly upset for several days.

But at that time, he could still sleep every day. He wrote in his diary with the pen he received, and when he painted on the balcony, he would look at the lights of the ships on the sea, and he felt like he could wait for a long time.

But this time, after they came out together and played together for so long, suddenly being apart and not seeing each other, he didn’t know why he always felt unaccustomed to it.

“Because you know each other better, you’re more familiar with each other, and you’re more used to having each other in your lives.”

Ren Shuangmei could completely understand this. After hearing Huo Miao’s confusion, she sat up with the little boy.

Luo Chi thought for a moment. “Is it like you and Aunt Yan?”

“Not exactly.” Ren Shuangmei thought carefully for a while. “Mommy and Aunt Yan are super good friends, pen pals. We have a great time together when we meet, but we’re also very happy just corresponding when we’re apart.”

However, after thinking for a long time, Ren Shuangmei couldn’t seem to think of a more fitting analogy.

Strictly speaking, Ren Shuangmei was a semi-celibate. She didn’t believe that everyone had to get married and have children at a certain age, to do what was expected of them at that age, and live a standard life.

If one day she got married, it would be because she had met a soulmate who was a perfect match in every way.

“Mommy hasn’t met such a person yet,” Ren Shuangmei said. “But because I have Huo Miao, I’ve thought about it more clearly.”

Luo Chi’s eyes widened as he looked up at her.

Ren Shuangmei smiled and ruffled the little boy’s head. “Thank goodness for Huo Miao.”

When Huo Miao was first brought back to the Ren family by her, he had actually heard some gossip like “Auntie is holding off on getting married because of him” and “Auntie isn’t getting married out of consideration for him,” and he had been quite troubled by these words.

Ren Shuangmei rolled up her sleeves and taught those gossips a lesson one by one, making them suffer quite a bit.

“In the past, I also used to think that since my family was pressuring me, it wouldn’t be a big deal to find someone to make do with.”

The topic had strayed a bit, but since they were on it, Ren Shuangmei also told Huo Miao, “You must never have such a thought.”

“It was only after becoming a family with Huo Miao that Mommy found the lifestyle she likes best and is most comfortable with.”

Ren Shuangmei told him, “Mommy likes this state the most. Free yet with someone to care about. When I want to go out and play, I can just go and play. When I miss home, I can immediately think of someone at home, and I can see them right away if I want to.”

Mommy said this with great solemnity, so Luo Chi nodded vigorously and committed it to memory. “Everyone likes a different state.”

“Some people are born to wander, while others like to stay in the most familiar and stable places. Some people want to build their own careers and be powerful in the future, while others prefer freedom and not being tied down, and how much they achieve is not so important.”

Ren Shuangmei taught him to remember, “There’s nothing wrong with any lifestyle. As long as it doesn’t bother others and it’s the way you like best, you must walk it with great determination.”

She saw Huo Miao nod emphatically with a serious face and couldn’t help but laugh, pinching the little boy’s ear. “We’ve gotten off track.”

“Weren’t we just talking about the Ming family’s child? Mommy likes him a lot too.”

Ren Shuangmei said, “You two have naturally compatible personalities, so you feel very comfortable when you’re together. But we are not a real family, after all, so we will always face the possibility of separation.”

Luo Chi nodded. “He is a family with Uncle Ming and Aunt Yan.”

“Families can also be separated.” At this point, he suddenly understood. “But as long as you always keep them in your heart, you will see each other again sooner or later. Such a family is a real family.”

Ren Shuangmei smiled, met his eyes, and nodded seriously.

She hadn’t taught Huo Miao how to adapt to separation yet and was about to take this opportunity to explain in detail when she suddenly saw fireworks exploding outside the window and looked up in surprise.

This place was not in the city center and was not a fireworks-free zone. The music festival these past two days had indeed set off a lot of fireworks. But today’s music festival had already ended. Setting off fireworks at this time, she didn’t know which fireworks stall was having a bad day.

Huo Miao’s reaction, for some reason, was also quite strong. He immediately jumped out of bed and ran to the balcony, standing on tiptoe and leaning on the railing, staring until the burst of fireworks ended.

Ren Shuangmei was a little surprised and followed him to the balcony, stroking the little boy’s head. “What’s going on?”

“Mom, it’s a signal light code. I just learned it.”

Huo Miao looked up excitedly. “It’s Ming Weiting’s coordinates. He can’t find me and is asking where I am.”

Ren Shuangmei had never expected this possibility. She looked up, quite shocked, at the fireworks that had just dissipated in the night sky.

The little boy’s movements suddenly became as fast as the wind. He bounced around getting dressed, then pulled out the Yengisar knife and small hand drum he had bought for his good friend, as well as a large pile of snacks, and stuffed them all into his hiking bag. “Mom.”

“Mommy will take you,” Ren Shuangmei had just come back to her senses. “Huo Miao, are you sure that’s a signal light?”

Before she left this time, she had actually specifically talked to Yan Yu about some mysterious phenomena she had observed. They had always suspected that the two little guys had some special means of communication, or perhaps telepathy, and could always exchange information in ways that only they could understand. As for what information was exchanged, only they themselves could figure it out.

Ren Shuangmei shaded her eyes with her hand and carefully watched the fireworks show outside the window for a long time. “This is a secret code?”

Huo Miao turned his head and watched intently for a while, then nodded. “It’s cold at night, he’s telling me to wear more clothes.”

Ren Shuangmei got dressed, found Huo Miao’s coat, and looked out the window thoughtfully.

Luo Chi quickly packed his things and wrote down what his mother had said in his notebook.

Everything his mother said was right.

He and Ming Weiting did know each other better, were more familiar with each other, and were more used to having each other in their lives.

Even if they were separated for a short while, because they were both thinking of each other, they would be able to see each other again quickly.

He was overjoyed as soon as he saw the fireworks and wished he could grow wings and fly over immediately.

“It would be great if we could never be separated.”

Huo Miao was led out by his mother. He looked up with sparkling eyes and applied what he had learned. “Mom, can we be a real family with Ming Weiting?”