Chapter 66 To have the best in the world…

“Once, the two of you built a huge block castle. I accidentally knocked it down, and Ah Song didn’t say a word, but you got so angry that you grabbed a broom and chased after me to hit me.”

Chu Li's eyes held a nostalgic smile. "I asked you, 'Was it really that serious?' Your face turned bright red with anger, and you yelled at me, snot and sweat streaming down your face, 'That was built with so much effort by my brother! You have to pay for it! All his hard work is gone!'"

"You also said... 'Every effort he makes deserves respect!'"

Xie Tang was slightly taken aback, a warm feeling rising in her heart.

“The funniest thing is,” Chu Li paused, his voice lowering, “that you, such a little person, patted your chest and said to him, ‘Brother, when I grow up, I will give you all the best things in the world!’ I think Asong must have always kept those words in his heart.”

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming somewhat heavy, "Because of my parents, Ah Song, who looks most like my father, became the one my father disliked the least. On the surface, he is obedient and sensible, but in his heart... he probably always feels that he is not loved."

"Your appearance, your protective actions, your innocent words... for him, it was probably the first ray of light shining into the darkness, making him feel for the first time that he was also cherished and protected."

Xie Tang listened quietly, and Chu Li's narration brought warmth to those distant and vague fragments.

She glanced at her silent phone again, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She could almost feel Chu Song's pain at this moment.

"Ah Tang, do you... like him?"

“Big brother,” her voice was soft, yet firm, “Yes.”

"So, even if he did something wrong, no matter what he did wrong, you can forgive him, right?"

Xie Tang nodded. "Mm."

Chu Li sighed softly, and after a moment of silence, said, "Ah Song has locked himself up because he can't get over his own inner turmoil. Whatever he's suffering or regretting now, the root of it must be that he feels he hurt you."

Xie Tang smiled wryly.

"He may have had other considerations when he married you; you may not have been sincere when you married him at first. But since you can be together, it means you were born to be each other's other half."

Xie Tang's heart stirred slightly. Perhaps, this destiny had been foreshadowed long ago.

The car drove into the Chu family's old residence.

Xie Tang's phone finally beeped, the screen lit up, and it was Chu Song's reply: [Okay, I'll come pick you up.]

She looked up and saw his figure standing at the gate of the courtyard in the distance.

He lowered his head, his fingers repeatedly tapping and deleting on the phone screen, as if he had a thousand words to say, but they were stuck in his fingertips.

"I've never really blamed him," Xie Tang said softly to Chu Li, looking at the anxious figure.

Chu Li glanced at her, his eyes softening: "Thank you. I hope you can always be like this."

The car slowly came to a stop.

Xie Tang got out of the car.

Chu Song seemed to sense something and suddenly raised his head.

The moment their eyes met, Xie Tang gave him a reassuring and gentle smile.

That smile seemed to have a magical power, instantly dispelling the gloom and unease in Chu Song's eyes.

He rushed forward almost immediately, his voice barely audible with hoarseness and apology: "Ah Tang, I'm sorry, I didn't see the message..."

“It’s okay,” Xie Tang’s voice was soft but firm. “Even if you don’t come to pick me up, I will come to find you myself.”

This sentence seemed to be a response to the thousands of unspoken words he wanted to say.

Chu Song's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

A surge of emotions, a mixture of guilt, heartache, and boundless relief, welled up inside me.

He reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice suppressed and trembling: "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

This apology is not only for breaking the promise today, but also for all the harm caused by "distrust" in the past, for his foolishness and belated realization.

Xie Tang leaned quietly against him, listening to his repeated apologies.

She gently hugged him back, silently conveying her forgiveness.

She never blamed him; she understood his pain and his regret.

From the second-floor balcony, Gu Chang could see the couple embracing downstairs.

It felt like my heart had been hit hard by a heavy hammer, and a dull pain spread to every part of my body.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, but he couldn't suppress the overwhelming sorrow and despair that overwhelmed him.

Why? It's obvious that Sister Xiaoyun wanted to match him up with Atang.

Why was it Chu Song who ended up standing by her side?

A sour taste rushed to his nose, and he abruptly turned his face away, fleeing from that blinding figure in a disheveled state.

-----------------

The Spring Festival will be just a short time after New Year's Day.

When Xie Tang and Chu Song accompanied Chu Yuan and his wife to pick out Spring Festival supplies and were heading home, they ran into Chu Zhi, whom they hadn't seen in a long time.

He teased Chu Xin with a blank expression.

Chu Xin kept turning her head, and when she saw Chu Song, she immediately smiled and opened her arms for him to hug her.

Chu Song put down his things and carried Chu Xin away.

Without even glancing at Chu Zhi, Master Chu turned to Xie Tang and Chu Song, his face beaming with smiles: "You're back. We've been waiting for you. Now everyone's here."

Mingwei sat up from the sofa. "Since everyone is here today, I have something to tell you all."

Chu Song looked at Ming Wei, who returned a faint smile and continued, "I plan to divorce Chu Zhi. This is a decision I have thought through carefully. From now on, we will go our separate ways."

Seeing that no one responded, Chu Zhi sneered and said sarcastically, "Now you've finally figured it out? Why didn't you divorce me back then? All these years, for the sake of the children, to annoy me, to get revenge on me, you've endured so much, haven't you? Now that the children have grown up and are in power, you want to kick me aside?"

He then started acting like a rogue on the spot, saying, "You think we can just get a divorce like that? I don't want a divorce now."

Mingwei's eyes were unusually calm: "What will it take for you to agree to a divorce?"

"Fine, give me fifty million, and I'll sign!" Chu Zhi demanded an exorbitant sum.

"Okay," Mingwei replied readily.

Chu Zhi was clearly surprised by her quick agreement. His eyes darted around, and he immediately changed his mind: "Wait! Fifty million isn't enough, I want one hundred million!"

Looking at Chu Zhi's impeccably dressed yet greedy and shameless appearance, Chu Song felt a surge of intense anger and disgust.

Old Master Chu slammed his cane heavily on the ground, his face turning ashen with rage: "You worthless wretch! The Chu family has no place for such a disgrace! You dare ask for money? This marriage isn't something you can just refuse to divorce! Tomorrow, you're going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get your divorce certificate!"

Chu Zhi pointed at himself and roared, "Dad! Look carefully! I'm your real son! She's just an outsider..."

"I don't have a son like you!" Old Master Chu roared, his neck turning red. "You two are divorced, you can go wherever you want, but you're never allowed to set foot in the Chu family again! But as long as I live, this will always be Mingwei's home!"

Chu Yi, who was standing nearby, quickly comforted him, "Grandpa, please don't get angry."

"Fine, fine! So you're all protecting her, huh!" Chu Zhi's vicious gaze shot towards Ming Wei. "For wealth, status, and your sons' future, you've really put up with this! Eighteen years! Even the Ninja Turtles would have to admit defeat! Want a divorce? Fine! See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow! You'll regret it!"

After saying that, he kicked the tea table and stormed off.

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms.

Xie Tang was thinking about Ming Wei, so he went over and chatted with her for a while.

When he returned to Chu Song's room, he had already finished washing up and was looking through a photo album.

Xie Tang leaned closer and noticed that the page he was looking at had an empty space for a photo.

Chu Song pointed to the blank space and said gently, "I remember this is where we put a group photo from when we were little."

Xie Tang felt a pang of guilt: "Really? I'm not quite sure..."

Chu Song looked up, her gaze gentle and smiling: "I remember you flipped through this photo album and even broke a vase."

Xie Tang hadn't expected him to remember so clearly, so she simply admitted frankly, "Okay, I took it. It's rare to see a photo of you and me when we were little, so I took the liberty of getting an extra copy printed, but I forgot to put it back. I'll return it to you next time, okay?"

"No need, keep it if you like." Chu Song closed the photo album, put it away, and got up to walk towards her.

Seeing her yawning repeatedly and looking tired, I said, "Go to sleep early."

"Hmm." Xie Tang climbed into bed and habitually lay down in the innermost spot. "What do you think about Mom's situation?"

Chu Song's voice was relaxed. "It's fine."

When Xie Tang saw the smile on his face and watched him lie down beside her, some romantic images flashed through her mind, and her heart began to beat faster.

She changed the subject, saying, "Have you been waiting for this day for a long time?"

"Yes, it's a bit late, but it's not too late now," Chu Song said softly, her eyes gentle in the dim light. "She has always felt guilty towards me, and so have I. She didn't have to compromise like this; she persisted for my brother and me. In her view, marriage and wealth are both things you have to hold onto. It's really good that she can understand this. She has a long life ahead of her; she should live for herself."

"Okay, goodnight." Xie Tang tried to shake off the embarrassing images in her mind and turned away.

As Chu Song watched her slender back, an uncontrollable flutter rose in his heart.

He reached out and gently pulled Xie Tang into his arms.

Xie Tang's body tensed instantly: "Brother Song?"

Chu Song did not answer immediately, but buried his chin in her hair and rubbed it affectionately, as if drawing some kind of comfort.

After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, his tone slightly hoarse: "I'm sorry..."

Xie Tang was silent for a moment.

This was not what she wanted to hear.

“You’ve apologized to me too many times,” she said softly. “I’ve stopped blaming you a long time ago.”

“But you refuse to move back in…” Chu Song’s voice was filled with disappointment, “That home… only became warm because of you. So did I.”

Xie Tang felt that those words were too harsh.

She wouldn't condemn him entirely just because he made one mistake.

But clearly, he himself remains deeply mired in that mistake and finds it difficult to let go.

She turned around, gazing at him in the dim light, and reached out, her fingertips gently stroking his face.

She gazed at him for a long time, and the certainty in her heart was crystal clear—she loved him.

This love is deep and sincere, but she will not look up to him humbly; instead, she will stand up to him openly and strive to love him as an equal.

"I'll move back after the New Year."

"Great!" Chu Song's eyes were full of joy.

But then he remembered Gu Chang's words, and his eyes dimmed slightly, "You knew that Yin Xi had given you the medicine, so why didn't you tell me? Was it... because you were afraid I wouldn't believe you?"

This question had been lingering in his mind for a long time.

"What's the essential difference between the harm caused to you by the drug my friend gave you and the drug I gave you?" Xie Tang's voice was very soft. "This is not something I'm proud of."

Chu Song pulled her into a tight embrace. "But I still hurt you... I shouldn't have doubted you in the first place, I shouldn't have had even the slightest thought of it!"

Xie Tang tilted her head up and kissed his lips, leaving with a gentle smile: "Brother Song, we are all just ordinary people, and we can make mistakes."

"I am so glad that I went to see you that night... I'm so glad that I was the one who drank that glass of water."

Recalling the harrowing experience, Chu Song still felt lingering fear.

Xie Tang felt a deep sorrow in her heart; she still couldn't accept that Yin Xi would drug her.

Chu Song took a velvet box from the bedside table, opened it, and inside lay a ring, the one she wore.

He looked at Xie Tang nervously and said, "Although our marriage started as a transaction, in the time we've spent together, I... have already fallen in love with you."

"Ah Tang, would you... stay with me, like your uncle and aunt, from youth to old age?"

Under the soft light, Xie Tang looked at his flushed cheeks and ears, a warm feeling spreading through her body.

She smiled and slowly extended her hand.

Chu Song's face revealed a relieved and incredibly radiant smile.

He took out the ring and solemnly and gently slipped it onto Xie Tang's ring finger.

He then pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head tenderly: "A-Tang, thank you."

Xie Tang looked down at the simple ring on her finger and smiled knowingly.