After a three-second silence, Tang Yutao said "bye-bye" and decisively hung up the phone.
Standing in the elevator, Chen Yunqi suddenly realized he hadn't had a chance to ask about the three Sheng siblings. After some consideration, he decided not to tell them for the time being. The first semester of their senior year was coming to an end, and the academic atmosphere was becoming increasingly intense. Besides doing homework, San San also had to attend tutoring classes, leaving her with almost no free time. At this crucial juncture, he couldn't afford to distract her.
After the typhoon passed, the weather suddenly turned cold. Winter in the south arrives without warning. After a rainstorm, a cold front suddenly invaded. Everywhere you look, you can see people wearing short sleeves under cotton-padded coats, barefoot in slippers, and holding hot coffee, using incongruous attire to cope with the unpredictable weather.
When San San arrived in the south, he encountered the changing seasons and experienced some symptoms of acclimatization problems. One day after school, he called Chen Yunqi in a daze, saying that he was not feeling well and wanted to go home early. Chen Yunqi quickly finished his work, bought some common cold medicine, and rushed home to find that San San's forehead was burning hot and he was already asleep wrapped in a blanket.
He was sick for many days. Chen Yunqi asked Aunt Li to stay at home to take care of San San and tried to go home early every day to be with him. San San didn't dare to miss his studies and only took two days off before going back to school. Chen Yunqi was worried that he wasn't getting enough nutrition, so he bought a lot of books on nutrition. Every night after San San fell asleep, he would lie down and flip through them, writing down all the foods that San San was used to eating and instructing Aunt Li to cook them for him.
Xue Meng adored the boy, who was about the same age as her daughter. Knowing he was ill, she visited him every few days, always bringing snacks that San San loved. Chen Yunqi was too busy with work, so Xue Meng bought him many winter clothes tailored to San San's size. She had excellent taste; the clothes she bought were not only the right size but also very suitable for San San, who loved them all.
With everyone's careful care, San San recovered quickly. His grades improved, and to commend him for his progress in the monthly exam, Chen Yunqi promised to take him to visit the wildlife specimen exhibition at the city museum this weekend.
San San usually works very hard as a day student, and he always sleeps in on weekends. This day, Chen Yunqi got up early, wore his sportswear, went downstairs to buy a hot breakfast, and coaxed and tricked San San into getting up. He pushed him into the bathroom to wash up and then went to the balcony to hang up the clothes he had just washed.
After he finished cooling them, he looked back and saw that San San had fallen back onto the bed at some point. Seeing that the soy milk and steamed buns were getting cold, he had no choice but to bring them to the bedside and patiently feed San San her breakfast.
San San's phone, which was on the bedside table, rang. The caller ID showed it was the class monitor. He answered the phone with a steamed bun in his mouth. Chen Yunqi, alert, pricked up his ears and, while pretending to casually eat the meat filling in his bowl, eavesdropped.
Since the last parent-teacher meeting, Chen Yunqi has been paying extra attention to this class monitor. If it weren't for Yu Xiaosong's sudden appearance, he would have wanted to ask San San that day why the class monitor was being so attentive.
The class monitor told San San that his family had made chive and shrimp dumplings, and invited her over if no one was home. San San politely declined, saying she was going to the museum with her brother. Hearing the monitor's slightly disappointed tone, he felt a little guilty and asked softly, "Um...would you like to come with us?"
"Sure, is that convenient? I've been wanting to see that exhibition for a while, but...why don't you want to ask your brother first? I feel like he doesn't really like me..."
San San looked up at Chen Yunqi and saw that he was frowning and staring at the steamed buns in his bowl with a very strange expression. Thinking that he was jealous of the buns, she replied to the class monitor, "No, my brother is super generous."
San San only recently learned the word "super." His classmates use "super" to describe everything—super amazing, super delicious, super annoying, super hard to write, and so on. Having heard it so many times, San San often tells Chen Yunqi things like "I love you so much" and "I miss you so much" when he gets home. Chen Yunqi lamented how today's children are poisoned by the fast-paced culture of the internet, resulting in such a limited vocabulary. At the same time, he hugged San San tightly, kissing him repeatedly and pressing him to explain just how many "super" words there are.
The usually "generous" Chen Yunqi hung up the phone, put down her bowl, pounced on him, and pushed him over. Contrary to her usual self, she shouted without any regard for appearances, "Who said I'm generous! I'm the stingiest man in the world! I want to go on a date with you, and you're not allowed to bring anyone else!"
"Ah..." San San was startled by his angry appearance and quickly explained, "I... I'm just too embarrassed to keep refusing him. He's invited me several times already..."
"He definitely likes you!" Chen Yunqi said indignantly, "Before any female classmates came knocking on our door, a male classmate showed up instead! It's true what they say, you can guard against anything, but even the class monitor can't guard against everything!"
"Why did he have to take you home? Ugh... I'm so angry, so angry!" Chen Yunqi said, leaning to the side, clutching his chest as if he were having a heart attack, staring at the ceiling and muttering, "He rode his bike with you after school, letting the breeze blow all the way home, and when we hit bumpy roads, you had to hold onto his waist... I never did anything like that when I was young, kids these days are something else... I'm so angry... San San, do you even know your boyfriend is going to be furious..."
San San remembered Chen Yunqi's sullen expression after the parent-teacher meeting and realized he was jealous. She quickly tried to soothe him while explaining, "Don't be angry, I didn't mean it... The teacher said there were robberies at the subway entrance during the first few days of school, and told us to be careful on our way home... The class monitor meant well... Besides..."
San San buried her face in his chest, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Besides, the subway is so expensive, I was a little reluctant to spend the money, so... he offered to give me a ride, and I agreed..."
"It's really not what you think... Brother, please don't be angry... I was wrong, I'll never do it again..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunqi sat bolt upright, asking anxiously, "What? Stealing? Why didn't you say so sooner! That's so dangerous! I won't ride in it again! I'll hire a car to pick you up from school!"
"Hiring a car would cost so much!" San San thought to herself as she hurriedly said, "No need, no need! Who robs people every day? There are patrols at the subway entrance now, it's very safe! Really, no need! Don't waste your money!"
Chen Yunqi knew perfectly well that San San was devoted to him without a second thought, but he still couldn't help but say pitifully, "San San, I'm much older than you. You'll still be young while I'm old. I'm not a romantic person; if it weren't for you, there are many things I might never have done. You'll meet many more people in the future, better people, more interesting people. I... I might be overthinking it... But if one day you really meet someone you like even more... you can tell me... I..."
San San heard him talking more and more outrageously, so she quickly covered his mouth to interrupt him and said anxiously, "Don't talk nonsense! I only love you in this life! Without you, how could I be where I am today! Even when you're old, I'll stay with you! If you don't have any teeth, I'll feed you; if you can't walk, I'll carry you! No matter how good others are, they can't compare to you. No matter how many flaws you have, I will still love you!"
San San's words were straightforward and simple. As Chen Yunqi listened, he imagined himself sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by San San to the park to bask in the sun. He was immediately moved to tears and hugged San San, saying, "Okay, okay, I know. I will definitely exercise properly and never let myself be left sitting on the sidelines, watching you dance in the square with other old men!"
The two embraced, each savoring the other's words, lost in a strange, inexplicable emotion, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Just as Chen Yunqi was about to ask San San to come up with an excuse to keep the class monitor from coming, his cell phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was his mother calling.
Chen Yunqi hadn't received a call from his mother in a long time. When he answered, his mother said in a somewhat awkward tone, "Xiaoqi, I've arrived in S City. I just got off the plane. Do you have time today? Let's meet up."
Chen Yunqi was wondering why she had suddenly come, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, but it might be a little late, I need to go first..."
“I’ll send you the address in about an hour,” she said, her tone leaving no room for refusal. She then added, “Your dad’s here too, so let’s meet up. There are some things I’d like to discuss with you in person.”
"And bring that boy from your family with you."
Chapter Seventy-Six: Mother
The incident happened suddenly. After informing the class monitor that the visit was canceled, San San faced a dilemma in front of the wardrobe, something she had never done before.
The weather had turned cool, so Chen Yunqi put on a chunky knitted cardigan over his shirt. After washing his face, he returned to the bedroom and saw San San sitting on the edge of the bed with a worried look on her face, holding two pieces of clothing. As soon as she saw him, she asked helplessly, "What...should I wear?"
After saying that, San San looked down at the clothes in her hands and muttered to herself, "My hair has gotten a bit long again... I was thinking of having you take me to get it cut next week, but it's too late now... Maybe I should wear a shirt? A shirt makes me look more mature... but I can't pull off the same look as you... Or should I wear this sweater that Meng Jie bought me? I was planning to keep it for Chinese New Year, but the tag is still on, it's so expensive, I can't bear to wear it..."
Chen Yunqi leaned against the door and watched San San for a while with a half-smile. Suddenly, he stepped forward, raised one leg, knelt on one knee beside him, lifted his chin to make him look up, and bent down to interrupt his rambling with a kiss.
"My San San... is so beautiful... so cute... she looks good in anything..."
As Chen Yunqi kissed him, he spoke, simultaneously slipping his hands under San San's shirt and gently pushing the shirt up along his waist. San San obediently raised his arms, his dry hair rubbing against the clothes and generating tiny static electricity that crackled twice, barely touching Chen Yunqi's fingertips.
Chen Yunqi tossed his pajamas aside and casually grabbed a white T-shirt for San San to put on. His kisses didn't stop throughout the entire changing process. San San unconsciously gripped the clothes tightly, her heart pounding as fiercely as when she first kissed Chen Yunqi.
The intermittent kisses made San San's cheeks rosy. Chen Yunqi stood up and stepped back a little, looking into San San's big, watery eyes, and said with satisfaction, his hands behind his back, "Hmm, not bad, you've gained some weight."
Chen Yunqi loved seeing San San blush with embarrassment after being teased by him. Satisfied, he picked up the thin beige cashmere sweater from San San's hand and said, "Wear this. Don't be nervous, I'm here."
Wearing a sweater, San San was as gentle and obedient as a little lamb. He didn't realize the overflowing affection in Chen Yunqi's eyes and said with great concern, "Brother... I'm really scared. I don't want to be separated from you again."
“No, it won’t happen,” Chen Yunqi took his hand and led him to the door, gently comforting him, “My dad has a bad temper. When you meet him, don’t take anything he says to heart. I really can’t say anything about my mom, but don’t worry, she’s a very well-mannered person. My grandfather was a soldier and he was very strict with his children. There’s absolutely no way he would say anything rude or resort to violence.”
The previous traumatic experience left San San like a frightened bird, and even now, the memory still evokes lingering fear. Chen Yunqi, too, could not forget it, but even though he felt guilty, he didn't reveal a trace of worry. He simply told himself firmly that this time, no matter what, he would not let San San suffer any more injustice.
Despite Chen Yunqi's repeated assurances, San San remained as nervous as if she were about to be executed, repeatedly urging Chen Yunqi not to act impulsively and to speak calmly. Chen Yunqi held San San's sweaty hand, constantly reassuring her, while driving to a very private business hotel and leading San San into the top-floor executive lounge.
Zhou Jun had arrived. He and Chen Yunqi's mother sat facing each other across a coffee table, but neither paid any attention to the other. One was looking out the floor-to-ceiling window to admire the scenery, while the other was staring at his phone dealing with work.
The atmosphere was as eerie as a divorce scene at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Chen Yunqi's mother is in her fifties, and her figure, which she has always tried to maintain, is now slightly plump. The delicate foundation cannot cover the traces of time; the fine lines at the corners of her eyes are faintly visible with each blink. Her short hair is permed in a sophisticated and neat manner, fully demonstrating the shrewdness and competence of a strong woman.
Chen Yunqi gripped San San's hand, which was trying to back away, and led him forward, softly calling out, "Mom."
San San also chimed in a tiny, barely audible voice, "Auntie...Hello, Auntie..."
The mother raised her eyelids and glanced at Chen Yunqi, but didn't stop typing. She simply said, "You're here. Have a seat."
Zhou Jun, who was sitting to the side with his legs crossed, was fidgeting with his feet. Hearing the noise, he turned around, frowned, and looked at the two holding hands with a puzzled expression. He seemed to be suppressing his anger and waiting for Chen Yunqi's explanation with a superior attitude.
After Chen Yunqi and San San sat down, the mother finally put down her phone, smoothed the stray hairs behind her ear, and said in a calm tone, "I happen to have a meeting here, and I was just thinking of taking the opportunity to see you."
At this point, she turned to look at Zhou Jun, who had a stern face, and continued in a slightly sarcastic tone, "He called me and told me that I must come and see for myself the good things you've been doing behind my back."
Zhou Jun avoided her gaze with displeasure, scratched his gray hair, and crossed his arms, looking at Chen Yunqi impatiently. His mother chuckled and looked away, turning directly to San San beside Chen Yunqi. Staring at him, she said to Chen Yunqi, "Tell me, what is it that makes it necessary for me to meet with Mr. Zhou?"
Chen Yunqi let out a soft breath, pondered for a moment, then bravely looked directly into his mother's eyes and said earnestly, "Mom, I've been through a lot in the past year, and I didn't have a chance to tell you about it when I was at Grandma's last time. I didn't mean to hide it from you, including the time I went to teach in a rural area without telling you. That was wrong of me, and I made you worry. And those children in the mountains, I'm so grateful for your help..."
With an expression that seemed to say, "I'll just listen to your polite formalities first, and then we'll see what else you have to say," Mom listened with exceptional patience.
"...I know you may not be able to accept this, but it happened, and I don't want to avoid it. My biggest takeaway from the past year or so is that I've learned to face life squarely instead of running away, and I've also learned to cherish what I have."
“San San taught me all of this,” Chen Yunqi said unconsciously, squeezing San San’s fingers. “We truly love each other. I only want to be with him for the rest of my life, no matter how difficult it is.”
"Mom, I'm sorry. You raised me with so much love and sacrificed so much for me, but I can't have the peaceful life of most children, like you, to get married and have children, so you can enjoy family life and be proud of yourself. I don't dare hope you can accept this, I only ask that you understand..."
The mother's expression was complicated, neither happy nor angry. Her lips parted slightly, as if she was about to say something, when Zhou Jun suddenly slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Chen Yunqi's nose, and angrily shouted, "Listen to what you're saying!!"
"You're a highly educated person, don't you understand the principles of nature and human ethics? Do you still want to work? Do you still want to have a family? What are you going to do with how others perceive you? What are they going to do with us?!"
us?
Upon hearing those two words, Chen Yunqi's face clearly showed displeasure. San San noticed his barely concealed anger and quickly tugged at his sleeve, reminding him to control himself. Chen Yunqi understood San San's meaning, took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, and patiently said, "Dad, I call you Dad because I'm highly educated and understand basic human principles. No matter what happened in the past, I still consider you my biological father. You're also highly educated; don't you understand what equality and respect are?"
"you!"
Zhou Jun was speechless with anger. He picked up the water glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp. Then he turned his anger to his ex-wife across the table and said furiously, "This is the good son you raised? A homosexual? Hah, I thought you were so capable. You've made a lot of money, but you've raised a child like this. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, and you changed his surname. Did you get my permission?"
Before his mother could respond, Chen Yunqi retorted sharply, "Don't yell at my mother, you have no right to. Let's leave aside how you treated her back then, but since I came here, in what way have you acted like a father?"
"How many times have you drunkenly stormed into my room and smashed things without asking any questions? In order to curry favor with the hospital leaders and get them to buy your equipment, you persuaded me to pursue someone else's daughter. In order to get me to start working and earning money as soon as possible, you even didn't want me to pursue a master's degree. Have you forgotten all of this?"
Zhou Jun's face turned pale and then flushed. He never expected his usually silent son to suddenly erupt, revealing all the despicable things he had done to his ex-wife. His life had gone from high-spirited to utterly destitute, a journey fraught with the cost of his pride. He had hoped to use this incident to find fault with Chen Yunqi and regain some respect in front of his successful ex-wife, but instead, he had become a laughingstock.
As Chen Yunqi spoke, he became more and more agitated. He then proceeded to list out all the past events that he had never mentioned to anyone, not even his mother or Yu Xiaosong. He was not trying to defend himself against the lack of a father's love in his childhood, but only to vent his anger for his mother who had lost her lifelong happiness because of him.
"You don't remember when you hit me with a chair while you were drunk, or when you inexplicably pushed me out the door in the middle of the night? When you first appeared, I had countless fantasies about you, fantasizing about what you looked like, fantasizing about having a father. I thought God took pity on me and let me have a father again after losing my grandfather."
"It turns out I was overthinking it," Chen Yunqi laughed self-deprecatingly. "What's lost can't be replaced."
Hearing this so suddenly, not only was San San utterly astonished, but even Chen Yunqi's mother stared wide-eyed in disbelief. She only vaguely remembered that Chen Yunqi had inexplicably left Zhou Jun's house years ago, saying only that he wasn't used to living there, and had never mentioned these things to her. It wasn't that she didn't hate Zhou Jun; this ambitious, selfish man had ruined her life, making her suffer terribly in the prime of her life. But at the same time, she was also very grateful. If Zhou Jun hadn't driven her to such a dead end, she wouldn't have resolutely given up her stable job and plunged into the treacherous business world. No one could understand the hardships she had endured to achieve her current success. She had never vented her unhappy marriage on her children, nor had she ever complained about Zhou Jun to Chen Yunqi. Her silence and lack of complaint were her final act of mercy.
Zhou Jun was completely flustered at this point, and could only sarcastically say, "Look, no wonder he's the child you raised, Chen Xueying. How capable and eloquent he is! How come I never noticed before? Like mother, like son."
Just as Chen Yunqi was about to retort, his mother, who had been silent until now, suddenly pointed her finger at Zhou Jun's nose and said sternly, "Shut up."
"What right do you have to criticize me and my son? You have never fulfilled your responsibilities as a father for even a single day. The fatherly love he has lacked since childhood can never be repaid in his next life!"
Zhou Jun still thought of his ex-wife as the weak woman who never fought back or talked back decades ago. He never expected her to respond so directly. He was stunned and sat frozen on the sofa, looking at her questioning him in disbelief.
“Zhou Jun, you’ve lived most of your life, can’t you tell at all who the child looks like?”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunqi looked at her, bewildered. She glared at him angrily and said, word by word, "Xiaoqi has always been stubborn. His introverted and withdrawn nature is all due to your negligence. I often think of you when I see him, of how proud and stubborn you were in your youth. He has your blood in him, and is just as impulsive and willful. I'm afraid, because of my lingering fear of you, because of the shadow you cast on me. Over the years, I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a mother. I haven't spent enough time with him, haven't cared for him. Besides working tirelessly to earn money so he has no worries about food and clothing, I haven't given him anything..."
As she spoke, her mother's eyes reddened. She hadn't cried for many years. From the moment she decided to divorce, to become a single mother, and to make a name for herself in a man's world, she hadn't shed a single tear. This world offers women too little tolerance; tears are the cheapest commodity, unable to buy a full meal or restore self-respect. Only strength and courage are her sole reliance.
“If it weren’t for my father, Xiaoqi wouldn’t be who he is today. You think he’s like me because my father did everything you should have done for you. He made Xiaoqi gentle and polite despite being introverted, and kind-hearted despite being aloof. I owe Xiaoqi so much, but he has never held a grudge against me, much less against you. The fact that he’s willing to tell you his story is the greatest respect he can show you. What more could you possibly want? What gives you the right?”
Chen Yunqi was stunned. This was the first time in his life he had heard his mother speak so much in one breath, the first time she had opened up her heart and confronted her mistakes. He had always thought that his mother simply didn't care about him that much, didn't like him that much, and that no matter how outstanding his grades were, or how excellent he was in the eyes of others, it couldn't move her. He had never realized that his very existence was a torment for her, a constant reminder of the pain of the past.
“They’re just two boys, what’s wrong with that?” Mom turned to look at San San, her face softening and becoming more affectionate. “From now on, just think of me as Chen Xueying having two sons. I’m overjoyed that they’re good to me and filial to me.”
Zhou Jun sat on the sofa, staring in disbelief at everything that was happening before him. By the time he belatedly came to his senses, his mother had already stood up with her bag, extended a hand to Chen Yunqi and San San, and said with a smile, "Son, Mom supports you, as long as you are happy."
Chen Yunqi stood there on the sofa, stunned and unresponsive. San San gently nudged his shoulder and whispered, "Brother, Auntie is calling you," which brought him back to his senses. He quickly stood up, holding San San's hand in one hand and his mother's in the other, and turned to Zhou Jun, saying, "Dad, we're leaving now. Take care of yourself."
Even after leaving the lounge and entering the elevator, Chen Yunqi still couldn't believe how easily the potentially tense situation had been resolved. The arguments and chaos he had imagined had never occurred. He suddenly realized how frail his mother looked beside him. Despite possessing wealth and a career that others envied, when she stood next to her child, she appeared like many ordinary mothers—tired and aged.
The assistant waiting on the first floor saw the three of them come out of the elevator and immediately stepped forward to ask, "Mr. Chen, are you done? Shall we go straight to see the client now?"
“I don’t want to go anymore. Let’s reschedule. Go upstairs and pay for Mr. Zhou’s drinks. Don’t wait for me. Go back to the hotel first,” Mom said, taking her son’s hand affectionately and looking up at him. “I miss you, son. Can I go to your house for a visit?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Yunqi nodded hastily and said, "Okay, okay, my car is downstairs. Mom, let's have dinner together tonight."
After watching his assistant leave, Chen Yunqi took his mother and San San to the underground parking lot. He first opened the back door, helped his mother into the car, and then reached for the passenger door, intending to call San San to get in. However, his mother suddenly rolled down the window and leaned out, saying, "San San? Is that your name, San San? Come sit with me in the back. I want to chat with you."
San San had already stepped onto the car, but upon hearing this, she quickly pulled her foot back, obediently crawled into the back seat, and sat next to Chen Yunqi's mother, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, not daring to look up at her.
Standing by the car window, Chen Yunqi said worriedly, "Mom... San San... he's still young... he doesn't talk very well... um... he's also timid... if you... have any questions... um... why don't you ask me..."
Before he could finish speaking, his mother waved her hand and said, "When did you become so long-winded? I'm not going to eat you, what are you worried about? Hurry up and drive the car. Do you think I'm as idle as you? I'm very busy, so hurry up."
After saying that, she leaned over San San, reached out and closed the car window, ignoring Chen Yunqi who was standing outside looking bewildered, and said gently to San San, "Don't be nervous, Auntie just wants to talk to you for a while."
San San finally raised her head and mustered her courage to reply, "Auntie, I...you...thank you, Auntie..."
"No need to thank me. Do you think I'm so easygoing that I could just accept it like that? I had no choice. His father wanted to use this to target him and me, so of course I had to stand on my son's side. I'm old and don't understand the ways of you young people, but..."