The two agreed on a time and place, then hung up their respective calls.
Su Banxia arrived early at the meeting spot, taking a seat by the window. She propped her cheek on one hand while idly stirring the coffee in front of her with the other.
"Banxia."
Lin Tongze spotted her the moment he walked in and couldn't help but smile softly as he approached.
Hearing his voice, Su Banxia snapped back to reality, straightened up, and smiled at him. "Have a seat."
Lin Tongze glanced at her, then sat down calmly across from her. "In a bad mood?"
From the moment he entered, he'd noticed Su Banxia spacing out. He knew her well—she only acted like that when she was upset.
"Even that's obvious to you? Guess I'm an open book in front of you."
Su Banxia said it half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Lin Tongze shrugged it off. "You're someone who always wears your heart on your sleeve. If I didn't pick up on that, I'd be a pretty lousy friend after all these years, wouldn't I?"
"Thank you for always being by my side all these years, Tongze. Actually, I—"
"Banxia, there's no need for thanks between us. Honestly, I'm grateful for the joy you brought me in France. Whenever I hit a snag at work, you were always the first to offer advice. If anyone should be saying thanks, it's me—you've helped me the most."
Lin Tongze cut her off with a faint smile.
Su Banxia was taken aback. "With my amateur skills, I could actually help you out?"
"Sometimes, you underestimate yourself too much. Banxia, in my eyes, you're outstanding."
Lin Tongze's eyes seemed to hold stars, sparkling as he looked at Su Banxia.
"I'm not as great as you say."
Su Banxia turned her face away awkwardly, trying to avoid his gaze.
Lin Tongze said calmly, "You didn't ask me out today just for this coffee, did you?"
"Tongze..."
"Come on, what's going on?"
Lin Tongze smiled faintly at her.
Su Banxia sighed inwardly, cleared her throat, and spoke slowly. "Can you arrange a flight to France for me? The sooner, the better."
Hearing this, Lin Tongze was slightly surprised. "You've really made up your mind?"
"Do I have the right to refuse this time?"
Su Banxia gave a bitter smile, all her helplessness unspoken.
Lin Tongze felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy. He said calmly, "There's a flight tomorrow afternoon. I'll take care of it for you. Once I've settled things here, I'll come find you in France as soon as I can."
"Thank you."
Su Banxia was genuinely grateful.
"I don't repeat myself."
Lin Tongze smiled.
They chatted for a while longer before parting ways.
That night, Su Banxia secretly packed her bags. To avoid tipping her hand and letting Pei Shaoze catch on, she went to work as usual. When the time was right, she slipped out under the pretext of delivering documents.
At the children's school, Su Banxia tried to pick up the two kids, only to find out with shock that they'd been taken just moments earlier.
Her heart sank. She quickly dialed Lin Tongze's number.
"All packed?"
Lin Tongze asked with a light smile.
"Did you pick up Guoguo and Haohao?"
Su Banxia's voice was laced with obvious anxiety.
Lin Tongze was startled. "The kids are missing?"
"I asked the teacher here. She said a man took them. I thought it was you."
Su Banxia was frantic, her voice trembling with tears.
"Don't panic. If they were just taken, they can't have gone far. Check the area—look for the places Guoguo and Haohao like best."
Lin Tongze tried to calm her down.
Su Banxia didn't dare waste a second. She searched frantically nearby, her heart racing with worry.
As the flight time drew closer, her panic grew. To her, those two children meant more than anything!
"Guoguo! Haohao!"
Su Banxia searched street after street, her voice nearly hoarse from shouting, but there was still no sign of the kids.
As the sky darkened, she felt defeated, her legs barely holding her up. Just as she was at her wit's end, Su Guoguo's childish voice suddenly rang in her ears.
"Mom."
Hearing this, Su Banxia looked up at the child standing before her. A mix of emotions swirled inside her, too complicated to describe. She stepped forward and hugged Su Guoguo tightly.
"Mom."
Su Guoguo was confused.
Su Banxia let her go and examined her thoroughly, making sure she was unharmed before finally relaxing. Then a flicker of anger crept onto her face. "Why weren't you at school during class time? Running off with a stranger—what if you got lost?"
"Mom..."
Su Guoguo watched Su Banxia lose her temper, her face full of bewildered hurt.
"Did you both forget everything I've told you before?"
Su Banxia's expression was stern.
"Mom, Uncle Pei picked us up. Today's your birthday, and my brother and I wanted to surprise you."
Feeling Su Banxia's anger, Su Guoguo burst into tears with a loud "Wah!"
Su Banxia froze. She straightened up and saw Pei Shaoze and Su Hao standing not far away.
Su Hao was holding an elegant cake box, looking at Su Banxia with clear confusion in his eyes.
"Pei... Pei Shaoze..."
Su Banxia's lips trembled, her eyes a tangle of complex emotions.
"Guoguo said today's your birthday."
Pei Shaoze glanced at her coolly, his tone as indifferent as ever.
"I..."
"Mom, we made this cake together, the three of us. Back in France, my brother and I messed up a cake once. This time, we worked really hard to make it up to you."
Su Guoguo wiped the tears from her face and spoke in a sweet, childish voice.
Su Banxia furrowed her brows, her face clouded with obvious distress.
Pei Shaoze kept a straight face, stepped forward, and picked up Su Guoguo, completely ignoring Su Banxia.
Watching the backs of the tall figure and the two little ones, Su Banxia felt even more unsettled.
Lin Tongze called to check on the situation. Su Banxia stammered through an explanation, but even without her saying much, he could understand what was on her mind.
After hanging up, a flicker of deep meaning crossed Lin Tongze's eyes. He felt an inexplicable sense of loss, as if the most important place in his heart had gone empty.
Su Banxia followed the trio ahead and awkwardly made her way home.
Su Guoguo enthusiastically grabbed a knife and fork, cut a small slice of cake, and handed it to Su Banxia. "Happy birthday, Mom! Hope you stay young and beautiful forever."
"You little rascal."
Su Banxia let out a helpless chuckle. These two children were the treasures of her heart and her eternal source of joy.