Yanling didn't turn down Gu Yun's kindness. The man looked rough and careless on the surface, but his nerves were actually quite sensitive; he could notice a lot of details most men wouldn't.
"I miss my mommy."
This was the first time Gu Yun had heard him say he missed his mom. He bent down and picked him up. "Mm, that's a normal human emotion. You don't have to suppress it. If you miss her, just say it. I can understand."
Yanling sniffled. He kind of wanted to cry, but he didn't want to lose face in public. "But I'm already a big kid."
Gu Yun smiled. "Xiaoling, the first time I left home I was fifteen, came to the Imperial Capital for high school. My parents brought me. They just stood in the dorm nagging nonstop, telling me to take care of my health, to get along with my classmates and all that. I was annoyed to death and shooed them away."
