Luo Binhan was discussing with Yu Qingshu in the study the latest campaign platform released by the Green Party. They started talking about the getting hotter weather and the difficulties in installing air conditioners. In the end, just like any boring middle-aged drinking party, the topic inevitably turned to politics and elections. He has always known that his mother's political stance swings between the red party and the yellow party, but sometimes she trusts the candidates of the black party more. But no matter who is in the limelight, the Green Party's style may never be appreciated by his mother.
"I heard that the current situation is a 'traffic light'?" he said with interest. "When I left, they seemed to have just emerged, but now they have the power. So how is the performance? Their support rate continues to rise? "
"They are just fooling around." Yu Qingshu said, pursed his lips tightly in annoyance.
"Environmental issues are in the spotlight, but I do think it's much hotter this year. If this happens every year in the future, many people will definitely not be able to stand it. Besides, there are also sanctions... Fortunately, their attitude towards immigrants is not bad. , I saw someone online proposing to protect government jobs.”
Yu Qingshu immediately rejected his optimistic assessment and began to analyze one by one how much trouble those policies that superficially tended to help immigrants would cause at the implementation level. When she talks about the rising crime rate, she always has many vivid and cruel examples to cite, and her professional eloquence makes Luo Binhan unable to refute. However, Luo Binhan didn't originally want to refute. When talking about local politics, he just played a role in taking up the topic. Who else could it be but him? It was impossible for his mother to find another person in this house who could talk about "vulgar matters" such as the political situation. Yu Xiaorong would run away in three minutes, and there was no evidence that Malcolm knew about their current prime minister. name.
In fact, Luo Binhan didn't know much more than these two people. He was just a foreigner who came here regularly to visit relatives. What connected him to this place was not the complicated public life, but just a small house and the family members it accommodated. But he has his own set of chatting skills that avoid the important and take the easy. He can push his mother to talk on her own, while he only needs to cooperate and be silly. He did enjoy talking like this, and it had nothing to do with the specific content of the conversation, it was just that when his mother talked about something incessantly, she seemed so bright and energetic. He can even completely filter out the specific content of the conversation while observing his mother's changes in mood and anger. Those subtleties were completely inherited by Yu Xiaorong, who could almost simulate a younger version of Yu Qingshu.
"It's impossible for them to calculate how many refugees there will be," Yu Qingshu said a little bit harshly, "Climate refugees! How did they come up with it? How are they reviewed and managed? Who will be responsible for welfare security? They have to manage environmental changes in the entire world. , and want to shut down all nuclear power plants. I hope they really calculate the costs here."
"A beautiful vision for all mankind." Luo Binhan said perfunctorily, "How is the development of wind and photovoltaic power now? I think it can replace at least part of it?"
"No, they still mainly use fossil energy."
"It seems that everyone was frightened by the exploding nuclear power plant." Luo Binhan murmured, "I want to take a look at fossil energy stocks again."
"You're already late."
"I can't study stock prices in the tropical rain forest, Mom. Give me some new ideas."
"Look at new energy storage - it depends on whether there will be a breakthrough in technology. You know, wind and photovoltaic are not stable. If you want to make them more useful, you have to see how they are stored."
"Sounds promising."
"But it could also be a scam." Yu Qingshu warned, "Don't invest too much in industries you don't understand."
"What are you doing?" Luo Binhan said, "Just treat me as a sacrifice for the beautiful vision of all mankind."
Yu Qingshu glared at him and finally smiled, completely forgetting her many dissatisfaction with emerging political parties and radical reforms. The impact of these policies on Reigenberg is indirect and not significant for the time being, and no one can accurately say what the future will hold. It's still possible that things will get better...even if the general trend is not that way.
Luo Binhan thought of Momolo again. He didn't know Momolo's exact location now or what he was doing because the latter didn't want to tell him. In the early morning in the wetland, the Yongguang tribe woke him up from the nightmare in Liyuan, which made Luo Binhan think that he would really stay in Lihai City. But when he started the car, Momolo opened the door and slowly backed out.
"Mr. Luo, I also have to leave for a while."
Luo Binhan looked at him questioningly. At that time, there was a look on the face of the Yongguang clan that made him feel doubtful, mixed with determination and... He felt that it was guilt. In short, it was something that symbolized bad news. He asked Momolo what was going on, but Momolo just said: "It is something that I must do independently."
"Then...you will leave this planet?"
"No, Mr. Luo, I will always be here. If you encounter any danger, please inform me immediately."
At that time Luo Binhan just shook his head. He should have said something to persuade him to stay, but he was so annoyed at the time - it seemed like everyone was hiding something from him, and it wasn't a birthday surprise-style concealment, but a critical illness notice-style concealment.
He spent a lot of effort to restrain himself and did not vent his irritation into rude and harsh words. Instead, he calmly asked the other party if he needed something else - money? Documents? Personal connections? Momolo shook his head in denial. He doesn't need anything Luo Binhan can provide, unless Luo Binhan himself is in trouble.
"Okay," Luo Binhan said at last, "So, have a nice trip?"
Something in his tone must have unsettled Momolo. The Yongguang tribe looked at him hesitantly, but Luo Binhan just waved to him. So Momolo turned around and walked away - walking through the grass towards the morning sun, until his back was completely dissolved in the orange-gold morning light. That scene was as dramatic as a film and television scene, and he almost doubted that Momolo really disappeared out of thin air.
But now he began to regret it. No matter what, Momolo is probably the person on the Silence who has concealed him the least, and has saved his life many times. He really shouldn't blame Momolo for all his bad things. So just last night, he took the initiative to contact Momolo and wanted to know the other party's situation. As a result, Momolo sent him a photo, an interior photo of a sleeper train.
He still didn't reveal the specific itinerary to Luo Binhan, but once he thought about the Yongguang clan sitting by the car window, showing loving and novel eyes to every passenger, this scene was enough to make Luo Binhan feel funny. He also sent a large series of tokusatsu drama-themed emoticons to Momolo, and finally he could no longer be angry about the things that were hidden from him - just pretend that Momolo was traveling to Buddhist temples around the world, he said to himself. . It's no big deal. When Momolo gets tired of taking the train, he might suddenly appear outside his apartment one day, with a smiling face sticking out from the door.
There really was a face peeking out from the door, with an innocent smile that fit Luo Binhan's imagination. But when Luo Binhan took a closer look, he immediately recognized the head of a girl with shoulder-length blond hair and thin gold-rimmed glasses. Her emerald eyes revealed alertness and curiosity, and the flat bangs on her forehead fell to one side, looking quite playful.
Luo Binhan met her eyes, but failed to recognize her immediately. He smiled at her in confusion until Yu Qingshu turned around following his gaze and spotted their guest.
"Hannah!" she said.
The person next to the door walked out, wearing a white mid-sleeve shirt and a dark gray knee-length skirt. She had shiny black leather shoes with a pearl-embedded bow on the front, making her look like a college lady. She is about half a head shorter than Yu Xiaorong, but looks plumper and slimmer. The shoulder-length blond hair is carefully taken care of, and the roots are smooth and neat. She stood here, it was obvious that only two and a half years had passed, and Luo Binhan could hardly recognize her as the Hannah Zahn of the past wearing black-rimmed glasses.
"Hello, handsome guy." She said to Luo Binhan in English, "Did I disturb you?"
Luo Binhan greeted her with a polite smile, but he didn't know how to respond. Hannah Zahn does not speak Chinese, and his English is not good enough to argue with others casually. And from the other person's sweet smile, he vaguely felt that something was wrong.
He had always had this impression of her, and believed that a girl who could associate with Yu Xiaorong was definitely not a kind person. She was full of weirdness hidden under the surface of her well-behaved appearance. Sometimes he is more wary of her than Yu Xiaorong, because the former is just a beast who sniffs with intuition, while this girl has never been bad.
"Hello, Hannah." He said, looking out the door. He couldn't find Yu Xiaorong, but Hannah Zahn was still smiling at him. Luo Binhan felt a little scared.
"Jennia invited me to do group work together," Hannah said in an innocent yet wistful tone. "She said we could sleep together tonight. Is that okay? Our group work is really urgent!"
Yu Qingshu said in her most cordial tone: "Of course, dear. As long as your parents agree."
"They have agreed."
Hannah Zahn turned her face happily and faced Luo Binhan again. Her enthusiasm and attention further aggravated Luo Binhan's suspicion.
"How is Africa?" She opened her bright green eyes, "What do you think?"
"Interesting." Luo Binhan said.
"Be more specific?"
Luo Binhan smiled at her: "It's so interesting."
Hannah Zahn blinked twice, showing no disappointment at all. She continued the topic smoothly: "I think it is also a charming place. I have read a lot of introductions about it! The tropical rainforest is magical, isn't it? There are all kinds of trees, such as rosewood And curare wood—they say the sap of the curare tree seals your throat when you see blood? Is that true?”
"Maybe." Luo Binhan replied kindly, "I haven't tried it myself."
"So what do you eat when you're stuck in the woods? Wild plantains? Baobab fruit? Insects?"
"Biscuits and dried meat. I have been following the guide's instructions and never left."
Hannah sighed in disappointment.
"Have you never tried it at all?" she asked, almost pitifully. "I heard the baobab fruit tastes like real bread."
"Actually, it's not that similar." Luo Binhan said, "Zhannia raised a lobster in the basement. Do you want her to take you to see it?"
"I heard Jania talk about the lobster, but she is busy entertaining guests now. In fact, she asked me to call you."
"guest?"
Luo Binhan stood up from his chair. He was surprised that Malcolm arrived on the first day. Depending on the artist's temperament, it would be Wednesday or Thursday, but as a father who loves his daughter eagerly, it is not impossible to make an exception and board the flight early. He glanced at Yu Qingshu, whose expression was a bit intriguing. But there was no need to dwell on it at the moment. He quickly walked out of the study and stood on the second floor corridor overlooking the living room.
There were indeed two people in the living room. They must have been very quiet when they came in, so Luo Binhan didn't hear them at all. And if Malcolm really comes, let alone the artist who will take the initiative to hug people everywhere, Leo alone will be shocked.
At this moment, there were two people sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, looking at each other without saying a word. From Luo Binhan's position, he could see Yu Xiaorong's tense face, Leo was lying at her feet, and the person opposite her only had the back of his head exposed. Yet that was enough. Just by looking at the back of his head, Luo Binhan already opened his mouth. He was sure to be unmistakable.
"Yeah!" Yu Qingshu said, "Zhou Yu!"
The guests on the sofa looked back. Now even the possibility of having the same shape on the back of the head has completely disappeared. Luo Binhan definitely saw Zhou Yu sitting on the sofa in the living room of Yu Xiaorong's house, with two distinct dark circles under his eyes, greeting Yu Qingshu with a haggard look on his face.
"Aunt Yu, long time no see."
"Why didn't you call me before you came? I could drive to the airport to pick you up."
Yu Qingshu had already walked quickly to the ground floor. She held Zhou Yu's shoulders before he stood up: "Why are you so polite? Let Auntie take a good look at it. Oh, you have grown so big in a blink of an eye. Why do you have circles under your eyes at such a young age? What's wrong with your hands?" Are you wearing such thick gloves in this weather?”
"It's okay, I got burned accidentally..."
"Why are you so careless?" Yu Qingshu said reproachfully, "I see you used to play with your father's scalpel when you were a child. The blade was thin and sharp, and it would cause bleeding if you were not careful. You are exposed to dangerous items in your daily work. More, you should pay attention to yourself."
Zhou Yu agreed with a bit of confusion and began to look around, as if looking for someone who could save him from the care of his elders. He caught Luo Binhan who was still in a daze in the corridor on the second floor, and the latter also realized that it was his duty to do so.
"Uh, Mom." He walked downstairs and said, "Did you already know that Zhou Yu was coming?"
Yu Qingshu giggled like a little girl again: "I found out last Friday. Zhou Yu suddenly contacted me and said he was coming to our place for a business trip. At that time, I didn't know you were back! I thought that Rongrong would still be here. I haven’t seen him before, so I’m still worried…”
"I've seen you now." Yu Xiaorong interrupted, "You should have told me you had guests, Mom."
"I want to give your brother a surprise." Yu Qingshu said, "Zhou Yu, why didn't you tell me that Hanhan has arrived in Lihai City?"
Zhou Yu had been completely defeated by Yu Qingshu's long-trained speaking speed. He still said blankly: "I thought..."
"He thought I had already told you." Luo Binhan took over, "And I thought he was on a business trip somewhere else!"
"Originally, the project schedule was full, so it was inconvenient to disturb us." Zhou Yu explained, "But there were temporary changes. I wanted to stay here for a few more days, so I thought of coming to visit."
"What a coincidence." Yu Xiaorong said.
Luo Binhan glanced at her in confusion. For some reason, her voice sounded a little gunpowder. He felt that he might be paranoid because Yu Xiaorong had never been very polite when speaking. But he found that Yu Xiaorong was not staring at Zhou Yu, but kept looking at him. What else had he done to annoy her? He couldn't figure it out at all. Maybe Yu Xiaorong just doesn't like strangers living in her home. She has had this sense of territoriality since she was a child.
"Are you planning to live here?" He asked Zhou Yu directly, "Is it convenient to commute to work?"
"There is no problem in traveling back and forth, but there may be temporary work at night. I have already asked about nearby hotels and B&Bs..."
"What are you talking about!" Yu Qingshu interrupted him, "You've already come to Auntie's place, how can I let you go out to live? You don't speak German, what should you do if something happens when you live alone? It just so happens that Auntie is on annual leave this week. , if you have something urgent to go to the city, I can just drive you."
"Then...thank you Aunt Yu."
"It's still the same as when I was a child." Yu Qingshu said. She was already preparing to move Zhou Yu's luggage, and Luo Binhan quickly took over.
"Mom, I'll just come."
"You have to tidy up the guest room upstairs." Yu Qingshu warned, "I think the sunshine there is good, so I can use it as a fitness room. Move all the debris away, and then remove the old bed from it later. Find it in the basement."
"There's no need to go to such trouble." Luo Binhan said, "Zhou Yu can just share a room with me and make a bunk on the floor. He is not an ordinary guest."
Zhou Yu seemed to have grabbed a telegraph pole in Yu Qingshu's whirlwind greetings, and immediately held on tightly: "That's good, don't worry about it."
"Okay, you can figure it out yourself."
Yu Qingshu looked around at everyone in the living room. She seemed to be thinking about something, and finally nodded, saying with a hint of surprise and joy: "It's rare that so many people come to the house."
"And there's Mal." Yu Xiaorong said.
“The whole cast is on stage,” Hannah Zahn concluded playfully, “and the climax of the drama is about to begin.”
