"Aunt Wenyin, you're here! I heard you've been looking for this jadeite." Gu Yuning subtly pushed Secretary Zhang out of the chat group, while simultaneously taking out her phone. Wenyin's attention was immediately drawn to the pair of exquisitely crafted bracelets in the photo.
"Hey, it looks pretty good. Our Xiaoyu has good taste. Only you could pick this quality." Wen Yin has met quite a few girls, but among this generation, Gu Yuning is her favorite. Since her child works at her company, she always shows the most focus and patience when Gu Yuning talks to her.
"Aunt Wen, where are Chengcheng and President Wen? I've looked all over here but haven't seen them. I need to talk to them about something." My cousin, who had been wronged by me, suddenly appeared. Her eyes were slightly swollen, and her voice was strained from crying.
Gu Yuning: ......
I don't even know how to describe my speechless feelings.
Now, even the most beautiful jade couldn't attract Wen Yin's attention. Wen Yin frowned, and her face quickly turned pale. However, in this situation, Wen Yongwang's status as his wife did not allow her to reveal her unease and anger. She pretended to be calm, took out her phone from her bag, and led the two of them to an empty courtyard.
Before dialing, she handed Yu Wanran a tissue with an elegant smile and comforted her for a while before making the call.
Yu Wanran finally calmed down a bit and looked up to see her cousin, only to find her cousin looking at her with a pained expression, as if she had gone too far with her cousin.
Yu Wanran: Is it wrong for me to just apologize?
Yu Wanran suddenly panicked and desperately wanted her cousin to give her some hints, but the phone call had already been connected by some strange twist of fate!
Wen Cheng stared nervously at her phone, unsure whether she should answer.
"Chengcheng, give me your phone," Wen Qi said, holding out his hand.
Wen Cheng vaguely realized something, and her heart suddenly became very uneasy.
Wen Qi paused for three seconds, then said, "If you're scared,"
Wen Cheng gritted his teeth and handed it over. Although he was very scared, he knew that his parents would find out sooner or later. The difference might be that he confessed on his own initiative or that they found out.
If these are the only two options, Wen Chengning would choose the former.
Wen Qi took the phone, answered it, and put it on speakerphone.
"Wen Cheng, where are you now?" Wen Yin's tone was more serious than it had been a few months since she last spoke to Wen Cheng, and she even called Wen Cheng by her full name!
Author's Note:
Good night
Chapter 113 Confession
Wen Cheng shuddered in fright and dared not utter a sound. Wen Qi comforted her by pulling her close and stroking her fur gently. Wen Cheng buried her face in Wen Qi's chest, revealing only a quarter of her face as she nervously looked at the phone in Wen Qi's hand.
“Auntie,” Wen Qi replied calmly.
But this answer was enough to shatter Wen Yin's hopes. Her mind quickly processed the unusual behavior of her two children these past few days.
They go in and out together, and even live together. The aftereffects of the escape room incident three months ago mean they still sleep together. She hasn't been to Wen Qi's room for quite some time now, and considering their relationship, Wen Yin doesn't dare imagine what his room looks like.
Anger, fear, and distress surged up all at once, along with a feeling of betrayal.
Wen Yin took a deep breath, her voice trembling. But it was precisely at times like these that she had to be patient. Even if this had happened, she had to hold onto every whisper of it, preventing the unvarnished details of the children's relationship from being spread unchecked by outsiders. Otherwise, who knew what would become of their future lives?
Wen Yin gripped her skirt tightly, trying to raise her voice, "Is that A-Qi? You're with Chengcheng? Xiao Ran was looking for you everywhere just now, probably wanting to talk to you about something. Where are you now?"
As Wen Yin spoke, she looked at Yu Wanran with a reassuring gaze. Gu Yuning couldn't help but show admiration in her eyes. Aunt Wen must know, but even if she does, she has to keep quiet, otherwise outsiders will notice something amiss.
Yu Wanran sniffed, looking nervously at Wen Yin.
Wen Cheng looked up in confusion and saw Qi Ge's Adam's apple bob.
"I brought Chengcheng out for a walk, and also to give him his birthday present," Wen Qi said, and he was telling the truth.
But for Wen Yin, the meaning of those words was definitely more than just that.
"Oh, okay. You'll be back tonight, right? Mom's going to cook noodles for Chengcheng. This is her first birthday at home, so as her older brother, you can't monopolize her little sister's time. Also, remember to call Xiaoran when you get back, don't let her, a little girl, worry about you here, okay?" Wen Yin's gentle tone now revealed no trace of her usual awkwardness.
Wen Cheng, who thought his mother hadn't noticed, knew from the implied meaning of those words that his mother had guessed everything. Eating noodles was just a casual suggestion he made a few days ago when he was just talking nonsense. He never expected that the wife of the Wen Group, who rarely cooked, would make noodles for him.
Wen Cheng sadly took Wen Qi's hand.
Wen Qi glanced at his lover, and the selfish thought that had instantly surfaced in his mind vanished instantly. As long as Chengcheng still loved this family, he couldn't selfishly take her away.
"Yes, I'll be back. Don't worry." Even though Wen Qi's voice was not very fluent, he still agreed. At this moment, even Wen Yin, who was the mother of the two, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The night wind blew, and Wen Yin almost burst into tears.
Seeing that Aunt Wen was about to give up, Gu Yuning quickly pulled Yu Wanran over, "Aunt Wen, let's go inside first. It's getting a bit cold outside, and Xiaoran is shivering from the cold."
Wen Yin had her back to them at the moment, and after several seconds she turned around with a smile, "Okay, Xiao Yu, take your sister inside first. Aunt Wen will rest here for a bit. I just had a little to drink, so I'll sober up a bit and wait for the two children to come back."
"Ah, Auntie," Yu Wanran wanted to call Wen Yin to go in together, but before she could finish speaking, Gu Yuning pulled her in rather forcefully.
Wen Yin's strength vanished instantly. A black wind swept over her frail body, and she felt as if she would be swallowed by the night at any moment. There was a bench next to her, but Wen Yin refused to sit down. She stood alone, her gaze fixed on the iron gate in front of her. Her eyes were red, and after a long while, she finally reached out and wiped her eyes.
After hanging up the phone, the two didn't linger. It was 10 PM, and by the time they got back, the banquet would be almost over.
Wen Qi drove exceptionally slowly the whole way, and Wen Cheng asked him if he was also scared.
Wen Qi gave a negative answer.
"When I decided to love you, I abandoned this emotion. I'm not afraid, I just want more free time now. Chengcheng, you see many things and many people too superficially, including me." The streetlights flashed by, casting alternating shadows on Wen Qi's delicate profile. His imposing aura made his words carry great weight.
Wen Cheng only thought about it briefly. The book's description of Wen Qi was actually quite one-sided. It said he had a great business mind and was a genius at game design, but these things could also be seen in his resume. As for his personality and his inner self, even after spending several months with him, Wen Cheng couldn't say she fully understood him.
But,
“But, Brother Qi, you’re willing to bring me back now, just like the brother I understand.”
Wen Qi didn't say anything more, but sped up and drove back to the Wen family home after all the guests had left.
He originally intended to drive straight into his garage, but as soon as he entered, he saw Wen Yin standing by the roadside, wearing only a shoulder-length dress.
Wen Qi slammed on the brakes, and Wen Cheng leaned forward instinctively, but Wen Qi caught her firmly with one hand. The dry palm of his hand made Wen Cheng feel very safe.
Wen Yin witnessed all of this.
She walked slowly over, looking at her two sons, whom she was incredibly proud of, through the car.
The cold night wind made her voice hoarse, but the pain in her voice was still clearly audible: "How long has it been?"
Wen Cheng unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly got out of the car, followed by Wen Qi. Both of them stood in front of Wen Yin, and were significantly taller than her.
"Mom," Wen Cheng called out guiltily. Seeing that her mother was only wearing so little, she obediently tried to give Wen Yin her coat, but Wen Qi put his coat on Wen Yin first and stopped Wen Cheng from unbuttoning it.
Wen Yin's eyes reddened; she looked at Wen Qi with a mixture of anger and distress, but ultimately refused to go against her son's wishes.
"Answer my question!" Wen Yin insisted!
"During the time when Chengcheng was discharged from the hospital," Wen Qi did not hide anything.
"So, the person you said you liked back then, was it just someone you randomly picked as a cover, or...?"
“It’s always been him.” Wen Qi’s eyes were full of seriousness.
Wen Cheng's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. No matter how passionate her usual declarations of love were, they couldn't compare to Wen Qi's current determination. Wen Cheng wanted to take Wen Qi's hand, but she gave up in the face of her strict mother. She shouldn't upset her at a time like this.
"Me too, it's always been him!" Wen Cheng retorted defiantly.
Wen Yin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand. Wen Qi subconsciously pulled Wen Cheng behind him, but Wen Yin never intended to hit the child. Instead, she rubbed her eyes, but the more she rubbed, the redder they became.
Tears streamed down her face; it was unbecoming in front of her child, but Wen Yin couldn't control herself.
"You guys are really united against a common enemy!" Wen Yin said through gritted teeth, but her words, spoken while crying, had no deterrent effect whatsoever. Instead, Wen Cheng quickly took out tissues to wipe her tears, while constantly comforting herself not to cry.
Faced with these two children, Wen Yin couldn't blame them at all; she could only keep blaming herself in her heart.
She lost her unborn child, leaving him to stumble and struggle in an orphanage, an environment devoid of love. She always thought her eldest son was exceptional enough, rarely considering that he lost his parents at eight, and that his warmest childhood moments were spent with his father in the countryside. How could she be such a failure as a mother? Now that her two children are together, what right does she have to blame anyone?
But she was scared.
"Do you know what people will say about you two after you get together?" Wen Yin asked in a hoarse voice.
Wen Cheng paused in wiping Wen Yin's tears.
And Wen Qi,
"If it really comes to that, I will distance myself from my family and make sure it doesn't affect the Wen family,"
Wen Yin stared wide-eyed, completely stunned by those words, followed by a surge of anger that overwhelmed her. Uncontrollably, she shoved her eldest son hard with both hands.
"You're quite the tough one!" Wen Yin's emotions surged uncontrollably. "You're really tough!" Wen Yin said, pushing Wen Qi forcefully. Wen Cheng tried to stop her but couldn't, and the key point was that Brother Qi didn't resist at all!
"At a time like this, you don't want any help from home. You don't treat this place as your real home at all. You've called me 'Mom' for so many years, and now that you're eighteen, you have to change how you address me. You're so independent, you're so..." Wen Yin hit her several times, but choked up at the end, no longer having the strength to hit her.
"Mom!" Wen Cheng quickly helped Wen Yin up, not knowing what to say for a moment.
A hint of surprise flashed across Wen Qi's usually calm eyes.
"Chengcheng! What are you standing there for? Is your mother here too? Come back quickly, it's so cold outside!" The gate of the villa not far away opened at this moment, and Wen Yongwang stood at the door calling to them.
Wen Cheng hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should go in, and stood there awkwardly.
Wen Qi stepped forward and supported Wen Yin, his strong body providing her with enough support. "Let's go inside," he said.
As Wen Qi spoke, he half-supported Wen Yin and led Wen Cheng inside.
The house was still a bit messy, but Aunt Li quickly cleaned the dining table and made a hangover soup for the whole family, since everyone had drunk a little alcohol that evening.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Seeing Wen Yin's face, the husband was startled. He then took his wife from Wen Qi's arms, helping her sit down in a chair.
Wen Yin remained silent for a long time, so Wen Yongwang looked at his two sons and asked, "Chengcheng, what's wrong with your mother?"
“Because we’re together,” Wen Qi said.
Wen Yongwang nodded and repeated, "Oh, because you two are together."
Um?
!!
"Pfft—!" Wen Yunyi had just taken a sip of soup when he indiscriminately spat it out. Luckily, no one was sitting opposite him.
Grandpa slowly sipping his soup: ...Hmm, hmm?
The three family members who were the last to learn the truth all had the same expression: surprise, anger, astonishment, and disbelief!
Wen Yongwang reacted the most strongly; he could hardly believe his ears. "You two are together?"
"It means, the kind where you can get a marriage certificate and be together." Wen Cheng tried to explain it in simple terms so her father could understand. As she spoke, she gently patted Wen Yin's back, trying to make the atmosphere a little more peaceful.
However, after saying these words, Wen Yin started wiping away tears again.
Grandpa fell into deep thought, and Wen Yongwang's wide eyes never closed.