Chapter 1342: Chapter 1342: Worries on My Mind

Before New Year’s Day, the major case Lu Yichen and his colleagues were handling was finally solved. They had promised the kids that they’d take them to the amusement park during the holiday.

The children were overjoyed, eagerly looking forward to the break.

At the same time, Luo Qiao received news that Luo Haotian and Gu Qianru were set to get engaged after New Year’s, with the date set for the Sunday following the holiday.

Luo Qiao sincerely gave them her blessings.

Lu Yichen also felt happy for his aunt, though it was a little strange for him to think about his aunt turning into his mother-in-law.

That night, lying in bed, Luo Qiao suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Ji Lin a few days earlier. She snuggled into a comfortable position against Lu Yichen’s chest and said, "Brother Chen, I need to ask you something."

Lu Yichen wrapped her in his arms and said, "Go ahead, what do you want to ask?"

"If back when I was pregnant with Xiao Rui and the other two kids, there hadn’t been that task cooperation that helped us get the second-child permit, what would you have done?"

Lu Yichen hadn’t expected such a question from Luo Qiao but quickly gave an answer: "Then I would’ve had no choice but to come home and let you support me."

Moved by his response, Luo Qiao couldn’t help but tighten her hold around Lu Yichen’s neck. "Brother Chen, I love you..."

******

The New Year’s Eve gala at Beijing Medical University took place the night before the holiday. Luo Qiao’s program was different from the others right from the start. Thanks to her adjustments, the program was refreshing and provided a stunning visual experience for the audience. Her piano accompaniment, in particular, earned praise from professionals. When the performance ended, applause lasted for a long time.

As everyone walked out of the venue after the gala, conversations filled the air: "This year’s New Year’s Eve gala was way better than the previous ones."

"First of all, the costumes were much better than before—how could it not look good?"

"I never expected Associate Professor Luo to play the piano so well. Truly a hidden talent."

"Their program is sure to win an award. It was innovative and eye-catching. Those performers danced wonderfully too."

"Just look at the group of dancers—none of them have bad figures. With their moves, how could the performance possibly be poor?"

"Alright, that’s something we can only envy."

Luo Qiao stepped out of the hall and immediately spotted Lu Yichen standing tall not far away.

Clearly, Lu Yichen had also seen Luo Qiao. The two exchanged a smile from across the distance.

Lu Yichen quickly walked over. "Are you cold?"

Luo Qiao smiled and said, "Not too bad. What brings you here?"

Lu Yichen grabbed her hand. "I watched your performance. It was excellent! I even recorded it so the kids can watch it later."

Luo Qiao chuckled. "You all gathered together this morning, didn’t you? Was this part of the plan?"

Lu Yichen laughed. "Well, it looks like you’ve figured it out."

Luo Qiao released his hand and looped her arm through his. "So, is there a reward for me?"

Lu Yichen leaned down to whisper in her ear, "There is—I’ll give it to you back in our bedroom."

Thinking he was joking, Luo Qiao playfully punched him. "Seriously, behave."

Lu Yichen knew her thoughts were drifting but chose not to explain.

Once they were in the car, Lu Yichen said, "Tomorrow, we’re taking the family to the amusement park. You’ve cleared your schedule, right?"

Luo Qiao nodded. "Yes, everything’s sorted. We can relax tomorrow and have fun with the kids."

Thinking of her father’s engagement with the Gu family’s aunt next Sunday, she added, "On the way back, let’s stop by the Mechanical Factory Residential Compound and check how the house is coming along."

Lu Yichen glanced at her. "Is there something on your mind?"

Luo Qiao asked, "Is it that obvious?"

Lu Yichen reached out and held her hand resting to the side. "Don’t worry. You and Aunt Qianru have known each other for so long—you know what kind of person she is. You’re sure to get along well in the future."

Luo Qiao gazed out the window. "I was thinking about what I should call them after they get married."

After a long pause, she continued, "If it were anyone else, I’d call them ’Aunt,’ but Aunt Qianru is different. She’s never had children of her own and has been so good to us. I don’t know how to address her in the future."

Lu Yichen gently patted her hand. "Sometimes it’s no use overthinking things—just let it happen naturally."

Luo Qiao shot him a side-eye glare. "By then, I won’t be calling her ’Aunt,’ but it feels weird to switch from ’Aunt’ to ’Step-Aunt.’ Or if I were to call her ’Mom,’ I don’t think I could say it."

Lu Yichen pondered for a moment and agreed that it was a unique situation. He suggested, "How about asking Grandma?"

Luo Qiao pouted. "What a useless idea—that’d just be putting Grandma in a tough spot."

Lu Yichen chuckled. "Alright, it’s not like you need to change how you address her immediately. Stop worrying too much."

As they were chatting, Luo Qiao’s phone rang. "Hello?"

As soon as she answered, Ji Lin’s voice came through the line: "Qiaoqiao, Ji Wei and I have made a decision. I’m going abroad for a while, just for the peace of mind. But we’re not planning to pass the child to his brother."

Ji Wei said once the baby is born, he will quit his job and start a small business. Whatever fines we need to pay, we’ll pay them. The most important thing is that we can register the child properly."

Luo Qiao laughed. "That’s the right approach. It indirectly shows you’ve married the right person."

Ji Lin laughed as well. "Yeah, I thought hard about it after coming back that day. This baby is mine, and I can’t bear to let it go. I cried for a long time. Later, Ji Lin called home and said we planned to keep the baby and raise it ourselves.

My mother-in-law kept quiet for a while and told us, as adults, this is no small matter—think carefully about it. But she also said she’d support whatever decision we made.

Ji Wei flat-out told her we’d already decided. He didn’t want me to feel heartbroken or have regrets later. So, Qiaoqiao, once I sort out my work arrangements, I’ll head overseas."

Luo Qiao laughed. "Great! If you haven’t decided where to go yet, why not head to Boston? The environment there is nice. You can borrow my place and even get someone to help you apply for an auditing pass at Harvard. You’ll have a chance to attend some lectures—sounds good, right?"

Ji Lin was thrilled. "Wow, that’s amazing—where else could I find such a great deal? Thanks, Qiaoqiao, I’m counting on you."

After hanging up, Luo Qiao smiled and said, "What a lively one."

On New Year’s Day, they originally wanted to invite Elder Rong and Rong Daniang to join them for an outing, but the elderly couple resolutely declined.

Luo Qiao gave Qi Ling a day off so he could visit home and also prepared a generous care package for him to take back.

The seven of them, after breakfast, gathered their belongings and headed straight for the newly opened indoor amusement park.

Because of the holiday, many families were taking their kids out to play. Inside the amusement park, while it wasn’t as crowded as in later years, it was lively and bustling.

Before leaving the house, Luo Qiao had already talked to the kids, reminding them not to run around in the crowd. The little ones were obedient and decided on their first stop: bumper cars.