Eating Melons in the Police Station

The city had completely banned fireworks and firecrackers, leaving only handheld sparklers available for purchase. Qiu Chen bought every type of small firework that could be set off in the yard, filling the trunk of his car to the brim.

The fireworks were piled near the entrance after he brought them home. The children from his uncle’s family peeked around curiously, wanting to play, but a sharp glance from Qiu Chen made them hesitate.

Little Tong took out a few boxes of sparklers from the pile and toddled over, generously sharing them with the kids, cheerfully inviting them, "Let’s play together!"

Qiu Chen watched from the side, thinking how kind-hearted the child was—just like Qiu Sheng when she was little.

He remembered when Qiu Sheng was around Little Tong’s age, her kindergarten had assigned homework where the children were to run errands for their parents alone, using cash.

Tao Siyuan gave Qiu Sheng 10 yuan to buy a pack of rock sugar, with the nanny following discreetly behind.

But at the store, Qiu Sheng saw a child being scolded by their mother for begging for snacks. Without hesitation, she handed over her 10 yuan to the kid so they could buy what they wanted.

When Qiu Zhengrui found out, he scolded Qiu Sheng harshly, saying she had no principles, was too soft-hearted, and that such a personality would never make her a strong person.

Qiu Sheng didn’t seem bothered at all. Later, she privately told Qiu Chen, "That kid got to buy their favorite snack—they must be so happy today."

Aside from her kindness, Qiu Sheng had another defining trait: an extraordinary tolerance for hardship.

Both Qiu Chen and Qiu Sheng had often been scolded by Qiu Zhengrui growing up. While Qiu Chen would react with anger and defiance, Qiu Sheng never talked back or lost her temper.

In Qiu Chen’s memory, no matter how harsh Qiu Zhengrui’s words were—even when he pressured Qiu Sheng into an arranged marriage, calling her unwanted, past her prime, or barren—Qiu Sheng would at most ignore him, never engaging in arguments.

When Qiu Sheng was in high school, she often went out with Zhong Jin. Once, she came back and told Qiu Chen, laughing, "Zhong Jin’s friends call me ‘Qiu Peanut’ or ‘Peanut the Endurer.’"

Qiu Chen thought the nickname "Peanut the Endurer" suited her perfectly.

Lost in these scattered memories while watching the children, Qiu Chen was startled when Qiu Sheng came running over in her slippers, exclaiming excitedly, "Wow, so many fireworks! Sweetheart, can Mom join in?"

Little Tong, arms full of fireworks, nodded at the doorway. "Mom and Uncle can both play!"

Qiu Chen and Qiu Sheng followed the child outside.

"Where’s Zhong Jin?" Qiu Chen asked.

"Dad’s talking to him," Qiu Sheng replied. "Asking about his work in Haishan and such. He’ll come down soon."

Qiu Chen said nothing else, crouching to light Little Tong’s sparklers with a lighter.

After playing for a while, Little Tong kept glancing toward the villa, asking repeatedly, "Why isn’t Daddy out yet?"

Qiu Sheng knew she was worried Zhong Jin would miss the fun if all the fireworks were gone. "Sweetheart, let’s go upstairs and call Daddy to join us," she suggested.

Little Tong immediately put down her sparklers and grabbed Qiu Sheng’s hand. At the steps, she covered her mouth conspiratorially and pointed at the snow piled on the stone railing, whispering,

"Mom, let’s make a snowball and put it down Daddy’s collar."

She scrunched up her round little face. "Then he’ll get all cold and scrunch up like this—it’ll be so funny!"

"Alright, let’s make one then."

Seeing Qiu Sheng wasn’t wearing gloves, Little Tong stopped her from touching the snow. Instead, she used her own tiny mittened hands to scoop up a handful and shape it into a snowball no bigger than a thumb.

"Enough, just a little bit," she muttered, cradling the tiny snowball. "Or he’ll get too cold."

Qiu Sheng smiled. "Then we’d better hurry, baby. This snowball might melt before we even reach the study."

By the time they reached the second floor, most of the snowball had indeed melted, leaving only a fingernail-sized ice speck on Little Tong’s mitten.

But the little girl remained undeterred, still imagining the hilarious sight of her dad jumping from the cold.

At the study door, Little Tong blinked at Qiu Sheng, signaling for silence, then tiptoed forward and nudged the door open with her head.

Qiu Sheng followed with a smile, but as soon as she heard the voices inside, she gently pulled Little Tong back a couple of steps.

Just then, Qiu Zhengrui’s voice came through clearly:

"Zhong Jin, what are your plans with Qiu Sheng? Are you two getting back together or splitting for good? You can’t just keep my daughter in this vague, undefined relationship."

Zhong Jin’s voice was calm and cool as ever. "Qiu Sheng is living with me mainly for the child’s sake. As for anything else, we haven’t thought that far ahead. If we do remarry, we’ll inform the family beforehand."

"This isn’t something you can decide on a whim," Qiu Zhengrui said coldly. "If you want to remarry Qiu Sheng, I have one condition: you must resign from your government position and take back control of the Zhong family business."

A long silence followed.

Qiu Sheng carried Little Tong downstairs and set her down. "Sweetheart, Daddy’s busy talking right now. Go find Uncle for a bit, okay?"

Little Tong looked down at her now-empty mitten and nodded obediently, clomping off in her little boots to find Qiu Chen.

Qiu Sheng turned and headed back upstairs.

She couldn’t understand why Qiu Zhengrui would make such an unreasonable demand. Even if she and Zhong Jin did reconcile someday, she would never ask him to quit his job.

Whether Zhong Jin wanted to stay in the police force or return to his family’s business was his choice alone—why interfere?

As she climbed the stairs, it suddenly struck her: Qiu Zhengrui had always wanted her to marry into wealth, to form alliances that would benefit the Qiu family’s business.

Qiu Sheng had always ignored these demands, so now he had shifted tactics. If he couldn’t change Qiu Sheng, he would try to change Zhong Jin instead.

The Zhong family’s fortune still existed. If Zhong Jin took over the business, he could support the Qiu family’s interests—Qiu Zhengrui’s goal would be achieved either way.

Now with Little Tong in the picture, if Zhong Jin were willing to step into the business world, it would be a win-win for Qiu Zhengrui. He could keep his granddaughter close while also elevating the family business to new heights.

The thought sent a chill down Qiu Sheng's spine. At his core, he was still a businessman—her marriage had been nothing more than a bargaining chip for profit from the very beginning.

When Little Tong first appeared, Qiu Zhengrui had shown unprecedented tenderness. The moment he laid eyes on her, he even shed tears, and for a fleeting moment, Qiu Sheng had dared to hope he might change.

But now it was clear—human nature wasn’t so easily altered.

Qiu Sheng’s chest tightened. She gripped the stair railing, bending over as she exhaled sharply.

She walked to the study and pushed the door open. In the short time she’d been gone, she didn’t know what had been said, but the conversation clearly hadn’t gone well.

The moment she stepped inside, Qiu Zhengrui’s furious voice lashed out:

"So, you weren’t content with getting your own family killed—now you want to drag Qiu Sheng and Little Tong down with you? Don’t feed me that nonsense about serving the country. The police force won’t collapse without you. You’re not some noble hero."

In stark contrast to Qiu Zhengrui’s rage, Zhong Jin’s voice remained calm:

"My family’s deaths had nothing to do with my work. The city bureau’s investigation never concluded that. I’d advise you not to spread baseless accusations—defamation carries legal consequences."

Qiu Zhengrui pressed, "Zhong Jin, do you honestly believe in such a coincidence? Do you even believe it yourself?"

Qiu Sheng’s hand trembled violently on the doorknob. She shoved the door open with such force that it slammed against the wall with a deafening crash.

The argument inside came to an abrupt halt.

Zhong Jin stood. "Qiu Sheng."

She ignored him, striding straight to Qiu Zhengrui. Gripping the edge of his desk, she locked eyes with him. "How could you say that? How could you be so cruel?"

It was the first time in her life she had ever spoken to him like this.

His veins bulged with fury. "Everything I’ve done is for your own good—because I’m your father!"

Qiu Sheng: "Are you?"

Qiu Zhengrui’s glare sharpened. "What do you mean?"

Qiu Sheng: "Not anymore."

She turned and walked out. Qiu Zhengrui erupted, snatching a pen holder and hurling it at her retreating figure. Zhong Jin moved swiftly, deflecting it with his arm. The holder grazed him before smashing into a nearby window, shattering the glass into a spiderweb of cracks.

Qiu Sheng clutched the railing, her entire body shaking. She looked down the stairs, the steps blurring as if they were spinning beneath her.

Distantly, she mused—no wonder there was a phrase like "seeing red." Rage really did make your head spin.

Zhong Jin rushed over, gripping her shoulders as he called her name.

His ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍voice sounded far away. She lifted her head, staring blankly at him.

He pulled her into his arms, one hand gently rubbing her back. "It’s okay. I’m here."

The commotion drew the rest of the household. No one understood what had happened, only that Zhong Jin was holding Qiu Sheng at the foot of the stairs.

The cousins who had played with Little Tong’s fireworks earlier now regarded her differently. Giggling behind their hands, they teased in broken Mandarin:

"Your daddy and mommy are in love! They’re gonna kiss!"

Little Tong waddled up the stairs on her short legs, squeezing between Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng. She wrapped her arms around Qiu Sheng’s leg, wedging herself between them like an uninvited guest.

Once Qiu Sheng had steadied herself, she retreated to her room, slipping on her coat and grabbing her bag. "Let’s go," she told Zhong Jin.

He scooped up Little Tong, eyeing Qiu Sheng. "Can you walk?"

"I’m fine." She descended the stairs, hand trailing the railing.

As they reached the villa’s entrance, a bewildered Tao Siyuan and Qiu Chen chased after them. "Qiu Sheng! Zhong Jin! What happened? Where are you going?"

Qiu Sheng paused, turning back to exchange a few hushed words with them. Zhong Jin couldn’t make out the details, but he caught fragments—enough to know she was explaining the study incident.

Then Tao Siyuan’s voice cracked with emotion: "How could he say that? If Zhong Jin’s parents were watching from above, their hearts would break. He’s gone too far."

After a few more words, Qiu Sheng strode back to Zhong Jin and Little Tong.

Qiu Chen stood frozen for a moment before jogging after them. "I’ll drive you home."

Back in their city apartment, Qiu Sheng sat on the floor of the living room, cocooned in a blanket like a silent, human-shaped mountain.

Neither Zhong Jin nor Qiu Chen could get a response from her.

Little Tong dug out the stickers Qiu Chen had bought her from her backpack, plastering them one by one over the blanket until the entire "mountain" was covered. Still, Qiu Sheng didn’t move.

The little girl crawled under the blanket’s edge, wriggling inside until she was nestled against her mother. The space smelled sweet, like Qiu Sheng’s perfume.

Peering up in the darkness, she asked, "Mommy, are you sad? Mommy?"

A hand reached out, gently stroking her round head. "Mm. A little. But it’s okay. Mommy just needs some time alone."

Little Tong squirmed deeper, her legs still sticking out. She bent her knees, swinging her feet as she declared brightly,

"Then let’s go back to the police station! The police station is the happiest place in the world!"

Qiu Sheng sat in silence for a moment before suddenly calling out, "Zhong Big-Head, I want to go back to Haishan."

No response.

After a beat, she threw off the blanket, glaring at him. "I said I want to go back to Haishan."

Zhong Jin glanced up from his phone. "Just booked the tickets. Flight at 6 PM. Get up and pack—we’re going home."

Little Tong knelt on the blanket, arms raised in triumph. "Yay! Back to the police station!"

Qiu Chen, who had been lost in thought at the other end of the sofa, suddenly snapped back to reality and called out to Zhong Jin, "Get me a ticket too—I'm going back to Haishan."