Following the address, they found their way to the Military District Courtyard.

But they were stopped by the guards at the entrance.

"Who are you looking for?"

"We’re here to see Commander Qin."

The guards knew all the commanders in the Military District Courtyard, and there was only one family with the surname Qin. He gave Xue Yue and the others a scrutinizing look.

"Wait a moment. I need to make a phone call."

After a few minutes, an aide from the Qin Family came running out of the courtyard.

"Sorry about that. I forgot about the guards at the gate. I’ll take you in."

He Lang said, "It’s all right, no problem."

Inside the Military District Courtyard, a wide road stretched ahead, lined on both sides with tall poplar trees. After a short distance, houses began to appear.

"This way, please."

The aide led them to a small villa.

’It’s practically a villa,’ Xue Yue thought. It had its own private gate and yard. From the outside, the building was three stories tall, looking even bigger than Uncle Zheng’s place.

Just as the aide opened the courtyard gate, Qin Haize came running out from inside.

"Xiao Luoluo, you’re here!"

"Qin Haize, your house is huge!"

Qin Haize chuckled.

Then he turned to Xue Yue and the others. "Hello, Uncle and Auntie. Welcome to my home."

Xue Yue smiled at him.

Qin Haize had already taken Ruanruan’s hand and was leading her inside.

"Come on, I’ll show you my new toy. It’s so cool."

Shiyi followed behind them. "Big Sis, Brother Xiao Hao, wait for me!"

Xue Yue and He Lang followed the aide into the house.

There was a wooden sofa, a relatively new cabinet, and an interior staircase. Portraits of national leaders and a map of the country hung on the walls. The furnishings were very simple and clean.

The aide said to them, "Please have a seat. I’ll go get the commander."

"Okay."

The aide strode up the stairs. Xue Yue glanced at He Lang, and the two of them sat down next to each other.

Just then, a middle-aged woman came out of the kitchen carrying several glasses of water.

She slowly placed them on the table and said, "Please have some tea."

"Thank you!"

As the woman stood up, she glanced at them. Her eyes met Xue Yue’s, and she gave a slight smile before turning and going back into the kitchen.

Soon, Qin Honghai came down the stairs.

Xue Yue and He Lang stood up from the sofa and called out a little tentatively.

"Commander Qin."

Qin Honghai smiled and waved them down. "Sit, sit. No need to be so formal."

Then he asked, "Where are the children? Didn’t they come?"

The aide said, "Xiao Hao already took them to his room."

Qin Honghai paused for a moment, then smiled and sat down on the sofa to their side.

He Lang said to Qin Honghai, "Commander Qin, thank you so much for your help last time. My wife and I are truly grateful."

Qin Honghai patted the armrest of the sofa. "It was a small matter. Xiao Mo told me all about it when he got back. A police station chief, letting his relatives bully ordinary people right here in the Imperial City... once I learned of it, I certainly couldn’t sit by and do nothing. Besides, my grandson has troubled you all quite a bit. To be honest, my grandson and I used to just stare blankly at each other all day. That boy was a bit withdrawn. Over the past two years, though, Xiao Hao has been running over to your place all the time, and his personality has brightened up a lot. I’m sure he’s caused you plenty of trouble."

Xue Yue smiled and said, "He’s no trouble at all. I have a lot of children at home, so it’s always lively. Besides, our whole family is very fond of him."

"HAHAHA, that boy is much more likable now. I’ve heard you two are very capable. You only came to Beijing City a few years ago, and you’ve already opened a store. I hear that supermarket of yours gets a lot of foot traffic. Excellent. And you, working at the Ministry of Commerce after graduating from university, that’s also very impressive. I have acquaintances there; I know they don’t keep idle people on the payroll."

He Lang said humbly, "We’re just running a small operation. It’s nothing compared to you, sir."

Qin Honghai said, "Ah, we just have different roles. There’s no comparison. We’re all working for the country. The nation is now encouraging the development of private businesses, so your contributions are significant as well."

As they chatted, Qin Honghai began to speak about Qin Haize’s parents.

"I spent the first half of my life fighting in wars. Even Xiao Hao’s grandmother was sacrificed on the eve of victory, leaving me with his father. It wasn’t easy raising Xiao Hao’s father all by myself. I waited for him to get married and have a child, but Xiao Hao’s father and mother are both researchers. There was no other way; they had to leave the child with this old man. The last time they met was a few years ago. Xiao Hao was too young to remember. Now, I rarely even hear Xiao Hao mention his parents. He probably wouldn’t even recognize them if they met. I can honestly say I’ve never let this child want for anything material, but emotionally, I still feel I’ve failed him."

Xue Yue understood what Mr. Qin was trying to say. "Please don’t worry, sir. Just let him come over to our home often. My daughter gets along so well with Qin Haize, and we consider him one of our own."

Qin Honghai nodded. "That’s good. Our two families should visit each other more often from now on."

Xue Yue and He Lang nodded. "We will."

Just then, the children came out of the room.

Ruanruan ran up to Xue Yue and showed her the model tank in her hand. "Mom, look, this is called a tank. Isn’t it cool?"

Xue Yue glanced down at the very detailed model tank. "Cool."

"Xiao Luoluo, do you still remember Grandpa?" Qin Honghai asked with a smile.

"Grandpa Qin."

Qin Honghai nodded happily, then looked at Shiyi, who had been staring at him.

"And this must be Shiyi, right?"

Xue Yue was surprised. "You know him, Commander?"

Qin Honghai nodded. "I’ve heard plenty about him from Xiao Hao. He said Xiao Luoluo has a younger brother named Shiyi. Is that his formal name or a nickname? It’s an interesting name."

Xue Yue replied, "His formal name is He Ziqian. Shiyi is his nickname; his birthday is on October first."

Qin Honghai nodded. "Good."

Then he reached a hand out to Shiyi. "Come over to Grandpa Qin, let me have a look at you."

Shiyi blinked, then walked over.

When he was close, Qin Honghai patted his head. "You’re a handsome boy. You two children both inherited your parents’ good looks. Shiyi, do you want to be a soldier when you grow up?"

Shiyi tilted his head and asked, "Can soldiers fly airplanes?"

Shiyi really liked the model airplanes in Qin Haize’s room.

Qin Honghai laughed loudly. "The ones who fly airplanes are pilots."

Shiyi quickly said, "Then can I be a pilot?"

"Of course you can. That’s very ambitious! Your big brother Xiao Hao wants to be a pilot, too. But you’ll have to wait until you grow up. For now, you have to study hard, and you’ll have your chance in the future."

Shiyi nodded. "I’ll definitely study hard so I can fly airplanes when I grow up."

"HAHAHA."

「At noon」 Mr. Qin insisted they stay for lunch, so they did.

However, Xue Yue personally went into the kitchen and cooked a few dishes.

They earned high praise from Mr. Qin. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

After lunch, they left the Qin Family’s home.

The aide once again escorted them to the gate of the courtyard.

"You don’t have to see us out. We’ll be catching a ride back soon."

"All right. Take care."

On the way back, Xue Yue was still reflecting with emotion. "The Qin Family’s house is so big, but only Commander Qin and Qin Haize live there. It must be terribly lonely. Every time Commander Qin sees me, he says the same things, as if he’s afraid we’ll reject Qin Haize. He’s really going to great lengths for him."

He Lang could understand. "It’s because he’s so lonely that he cherishes this warmth all the more."