Chapter 34. The withered tree in her heart blossomed. ...

This dinner was planned by Chen Jianjin a long time ago. He asked Ding Shao to help bring Song Qinsu's family to Beijing as well.

Coincidentally, today is also the day Song Qinru is discharged from the hospital.

In a private room at a restaurant on Chaohui Road, Song Wan followed Song Qinru. When Chen Jianjin pushed the door open, he found that his aunt Song Qinsu's family and Chen Jianjin's uncle Feng Wei's family had already arrived.

Song Qinru was no stranger to Feng Wei and Qiao Xirong. Qiao Xirong was the director of the hospital where she was staying and usually took good care of her. Feng Wei had also visited her a few times.

After everyone was seated, there were still two empty seats left at the round table.

Chen Jianjin didn't intend to wait for anyone. After all the dishes were served, he helped pour wine and drinks, saying, "Auntie, please try it. Their Beijing cuisine is quite good."

Song Qinru stopped him, "How about... we wait until everyone arrives before we talk about it?"

Feng Wei, who was standing nearby, quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "There might be traffic congestion during Beijing's evening rush hour. I'll call and ask."

"No need," Chen Jianjin interrupted. "They can come if they want, and if they can't, that's fine too."

As he spoke, Chen Jianjin used serving chopsticks to put the first bite on Song Qinru's plate, saying, "Let's eat our own food."

However, just as everyone picked up their chopsticks, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside, and Feng Jing and Chen Zhanyue arrived late.

Feng Jing glanced around, then chuckled as she sat down, "Truly from a humble background, they don't know the proper etiquette."

She was implying that the person started eating before everyone was present.

Feng Wei opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he was startled by the sound of Chen Jianjin putting down his chopsticks.

"I let you use the chopsticks, do you have a problem with that?" He raised his eyes slightly, saying coldly without any emotion, "Some people have good manners, but they don't know how to apologize for being late?"

Zhao Shu glanced leisurely at the imposing middle-aged woman, then looked at the person next to her.

Song Qinsu had a stern face, clearly displeased, while Song Qinru had a gentle expression, showing no sign of unhappiness.

The atmosphere became tense, but soon a casual "sorry" broke the awkward silence.

The man speaking was next to the woman.

Chen Zhanyue nodded slightly and explained, "There was a small mishap at the company, so I'm late."

"Oh, it's alright, it's alright." As the only man on the woman's side, Zhang Huaiyu forced himself to sit down and said, "Please sit down."

After everyone was seated, Zhao Shu couldn't help but secretly give her husband a thumbs up.

Hmph, some people tried to intimidate others by being arrogant, but ended up shooting themselves in the foot. The Song family, on the other hand, is magnanimous and doesn't bother with petty people.

That was a beautiful win.

The situation started so tensely that Song Wan couldn't help but sigh.

Song Qinru keenly noticed her soft sigh and gently patted the back of her hand that was resting under the table.

After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Jianjin brought up the topic of marriage, saying, "I plan to hold the wedding on Wanwan's twentieth birthday."

"Chen Jianjin! Are you crazy?!"

Before anyone could voice their opinion, Feng Jing was the first to raise the objection: "I don't care if you date, but marriage... especially with such a commoner like him, don't even think about it!"

Chen Jianjin ignored her and turned to look at Song Qinru. His knuckles, which were gripping the cup, were so tense that they turned slightly white. He asked nervously, "Auntie, what do you think?"

Song Qinru glanced at Song Wan, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and asked, "Aren't you... a little too hasty?"

“Wanwan is still young and hasn’t graduated yet. If she wants to, she may continue her studies. I originally planned not to let her think about getting married while she is in school, including within two years of graduation.” Song Qinru met Chen Jianjin’s gaze gently. “I know you two have a good relationship, but there’s no need to rush into marriage. Take it slow and let things happen naturally.”

Song Qinsu, who was standing to the side, glared at Feng Jing and nodded in agreement.

"No rush, Auntie." Chen Jianjin quickly took out the prepared tablet and showed her the wedding plan. "I've prepared everything. Don't worry, I won't let time constraints cause any shortcomings in our wedding, and I certainly won't let Wanwan suffer any grievances."

Song Qinru couldn't understand it and didn't really want to look at it, but Zhao Shu, who was standing next to her, took the things and carefully looked through them.

"My goodness, it must have taken a lot of effort for Mizu to prepare all this, right?"

This isn't something that can be done in a month or two.

"It took a year to prepare."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at him.

Even Song Wan's almond-shaped eyes were filled with astonishment.

"Auntie, I sincerely want to marry Wanwan."

"Chen Jianjin! Let me tell you, I don't agree! You can forget about letting this woman into the Feng family!"

Chen Jianjin was already annoyed by Song Qinru's refusal to budge, and Feng Jing kept adding fuel to the fire. He closed his eyes briefly, his patience completely gone. "Ms. Feng, I don't need your permission to get married. If you don't mind, I can also have a good talk with you about the reasons for my retirement back then."

"What's the reason?" Upon hearing this, Feng Wei immediately put down his chopsticks. "Wasn't Jianjin injured and forced to retire?"

When he asked this question, his eyes were on Feng Jing, but Feng Jing didn't dare to look at him. She stammered and went to eat her food, saying, "There's no reason, I just had to retire due to injury."

Feng Wei looked at the tall, slender boy again, "Jian Jin?"

Chen Jianjin, in a fit of despair, said, "I'm suspended because doping was found in my drinking water."

"sister!"

Feng Wei was so angry that his chest heaved. Seeing this, Qiao Xirong patted his back to help him catch his breath and said with concern, "Take it easy."

Chen Zhanyue, who had been sitting at the table without responding for a long time, raised his eyebrows upon hearing this and said with a mix of sarcasm and mockery, "Even tigers don't eat their cubs. Ms. Feng has truly opened my eyes today."

"Who am I doing all this for?!" Feng Jing retorted indignantly. "What future is there in shooting? At best, you'll just become an instructor. I paved a bright future for you, and you insisted on ruining it. Who's to blame? Me?!"

"And you too!" Feng Jing then turned her attention to Chen Zhanyue, "Your son has given away all the family's wealth. After you pass away, the Chen Group might very well be under the Song family name, and you're not going to care?!"

“I would like to intervene, but I’ve never been a father, so how can I intervene?” Chen Zhanyue was not swayed by provocation and spread his hands with a smile. “You’re not allowing your two children to get married, which is basically just an attempt to use your son’s marriage to gain benefits. Unfortunately, the Chen family isn’t so poor that we have to rely on the person in power to sell themselves to survive.”

"Good, good, good, what a touching father-son relationship! Since you love your son so much, why did you give up custody back then?"

As she spoke, Feng Jing glared at the person opposite her, "Chen Jianjin, don't forget, when you were kicked away like a ball back then, it was your mother who took you in!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhanyue's expression darkened. He tapped the table lightly with his knuckles to remind her, "Feng Jing, there should be a limit to your nonsense. Back then, you were greedy for those shares in the Chen Group and insisted on fighting for custody. You took the child away but didn't raise him properly. In the end, my mother helped you take care of him."

What a farce!

Zhao Shu and Zhang Huaiyu, who were standing to the side, were both stunned.

Finally, Chen Jianjin spoke up to stop this absurd drama. He pinched his brow, utterly exhausted, and said, "You two, if you want to argue, you can do it outside."

Chen Jianjin regretted it.

Inviting these two people tonight was the worst decision he'd ever made.

After these words were spoken, the table fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Song Wan once thought that compared to Chen Jianjin, Chen Jianjin had always been the luckiest one.

Today, it seems she has uncovered a little-known aspect of him.

The boy's fingertips, hanging down by his trouser seam, were trembling slightly.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Song Wan raised her hand and grasped that spot.

His fingertips were slightly cooler than her palms, icy cold.

In an instant, a soothing and comfortable feeling welled up in my heart, like a clear spring washing over me.

Chen Jianjin gripped her hand tightly and gently stroked the girl's smooth hand.

Song Qinru saw all of this.

This was a fruitless and chaotic meeting.

As she left, Song Qinru quietly tugged at Song Wan's arm.

Song Wan understood and followed her to the restroom.

"Wanwan, Mom is asking you, what are you thinking?"

The hotel is upscale, and even the restrooms are decorated in a luxurious and stylish manner.

A faint rose scent lingered around her nose. Song Wan bit her lip, lowered her head, and her eyelashes fluttered incessantly.

Moreover, not to mention that she had already agreed to Chen Jianjin's marriage deal, it would be unethical to abandon him after using him.

He gave her all his money, and now she's going back on her word. Wouldn't that be... not a good thing?

"Wanwan?"

Song Qinru lowered her head to find her gaze.

Song Wan lowered her head even further and stammered, "I...I don't know...I had no choice, Mom, please don't ask me anymore."

"Fine, since you're unwilling and you're too shy, I'll go talk to Jianjin."

Song Qinru made a move to leave, but Song Wan quickly grabbed her arm. "Mom, Mom! I, I didn't mean that!"

"Then what do you mean?" Song Qinru frowned. "Wanwan, if you don't have feelings for Jianjin, you should make it clear as soon as possible so that we can end this ill-fated relationship."

Song Qinru's gaze was direct and intense, leaving Song Wan nowhere to hide. She panicked and tearfully shook her head, pleading, "Mom, please don't ask me anymore. I really don't know. I only know... in the end, it was him."

She couldn't escape Chen Jianjin.

Having been passionately loved by someone like him, Song Wan knew that her standards had been raised to be high. What she wanted was unwavering love, lots and lots of love, love that could completely envelop her.

Only Chen Jianjin could give such love.

The girl's face was streaked with tears.

Song Qinru hugged her tightly, stroking her head and gently comforting her, "Wanwan, all I want is for you to be happy."

Song Qinru has regressed because of Song Wan.

On the day Chen Jianjin saw Song Qinru and Song Qinsu's family off, he learned the good news that Song Qinru had relented. At that moment, the woman's eyes, weathered by time, were both firm and gentle. She said, "Jianjin, Wanwan is my only daughter. I hope you can treat her well and not let her down. Also, I must warn you that Wanwan absolutely cannot get pregnant while she is in school."

Chen Jianjin smiled and readily agreed, "Auntie, don't worry, I had my tubal ligation done a long time ago."

After saying that, he realized he had misspoke and called out softly, "Mom."

In an instant, Song Qinru's eyes welled up with tears.

Not wanting to show her vulnerability in front of others, she turned and boarded the plane, warning, "Take good care of my daughter, and don't bully her."

Song Qinru is gone.

On the busy road, Song Wan peered out the window at the airplanes soaring in the azure sky.

well--

What should I do? She's already starting to miss her mom right after we separated.

"Auntie will be back next month, around the time of our wedding."

Song Wan turned around in surprise, "My mom agreed to it?"

Chen Jianjin raised an eyebrow as he drove, "Of course."

He became arrogant, saying, "Don't you even know who made the move?"

Song Wan gave him a disdainful look.

"Oh right, honey, you still owe me a meal from last time." Chen Jianjin was in a good mood today and decided to start collecting the debt. "Let's do it tonight."

So the two of them first went to the supermarket to buy groceries before carrying large bags of things home.

Chen Jianjin didn't use his fingerprint; Song Wan opened the door.

“How can two people eat so much food? I told you to buy less, why are you so wasteful?”

While changing into her slippers, Song Wan complained about his extravagant spending.

Chen Jianjin wasn't upset by the criticism; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy these trivial troubles of life.

Because it was Song Wan, even these ordinary days began to have color.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you next time and not buy so much, alright?"

Chen Jianjin begged for forgiveness, and given his decent attitude in admitting his mistake, Song Wan muttered a couple more words before washing her hands and preparing dinner.

The apartment had a temperature-controlled room where Chen Jianjin kept his wine, and he chose a bottle of low-alcohol, sweet white wine.

When Song Wan brought out the dishes, Chen Jianjin had already set the table.

When Song Wan saw the bouquet, candles, and Western liquor he had carefully prepared, her lips twitched slightly, because she had only prepared one dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, one dish of hot and sour shredded potatoes, one dish of cola chicken wings, and one dish of corn and pork rib soup.

Chen Jianjin meticulously pulled out a chair for her and poured her some sake.

"You look very different today."

Song Wan looked at him strangely.

"What's different?"

This question really stumped Song Wan.

What's different? Is it that he meticulously prepared these things differently?

But he used to cook and plate food, and would occasionally create little surprises for her.

Before Song Wan could figure out the reason, Chen Jianjin gave her the answer: "It's because you're different today that you see me differently."

In the past, Song Wan only had prejudice against him and treated him with disdain. But today, she cooked a meal herself to celebrate the arrival of an ordinary night.

Yeah?

Song Wan took a sip of sake.

A rare harmonious meal.

After cleaning up after the meal, Chen Jianjin prepared a fruit platter.

The moon is big and round tonight, and Song Wan is nestled in a semi-circular hanging chair on the balcony.

With one leg on the ground, she gently swayed her body, and the sake in the wine glass in her hand swayed gently along with it.

My head is a little dizzy, not the unpleasant kind of dizziness, but a slightly tipsy, pleasant kind of dizziness.

"Want some fruit?"

The hanging chair was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate two people. Chen Jianjin sat down next to Song Wan and handed her the fruit plate.

The girl was a little slow to react, opening her eyes a beat later and parting her lips slightly, waiting for the other person to feed her.

Chen Jianjin raised an eyebrow, used a fork to pick up a piece of orange and put it in her mouth, asking gently with a smile, "Why are you being so sweet today?"

Song Wan ignored his words and slowly chewed her food.

The orange juice was very sweet, leaving a refreshing scent on my lips.

After being fed three or four pieces in a row, Chen Jianjin finally realized that something was wrong.

When did she become so well-behaved?

Chen Jianjin looked at the white wine bottle on the small table next to him.

Sure enough, it was empty at some point.

Song Wan seems to be drunk.

"Wanwan?"

Chen Jianjin helped her up by the shoulder, but the next second, the girl slumped back into the hammock as if she had no bones.

"Chen Jianjin, there are stars."

Chen Jianjin looked out the floor-to-ceiling window in the direction she was pointing.

Where are the stars?

The air quality in Beijing is poor; currently, only a bright moon hangs under the deep blue sky.

"How about I take you upstairs to sleep?" Chen Jianjin suggested, pinching her cheek.

Song Wan shook her head and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Chen Jianjin could only lie still and let her do whatever made her comfortable.

Song Wan played with his hand again, "Chen Jianjin, why does your mother hate you so much?"

Chen Jianjin's heart skipped a beat, and he chuckled, asking, "Song Wan, are you drunk or not?"

Song Wan shook her head and then nodded.

Chen Jianjin placed his palm on her face, lifted the girl's chin from behind, and whispered, "Baby, kiss me."

Song Wan obediently tilted her head back and pressed her lips to his.

A lingering but not deep kiss was quickly broken by Song Wan because the action of pulling her neck back was too uncomfortable.

It is almost certain that Chen Jianjin is involved.

Song Wan is drunk.

As the swing chair swayed gently on the ground, Chen Jianjin pulled her back into his arms and answered her question softly.

"Because I wasn't the product of my parents' love; their marriage was a product of a business-political alliance. My mother had a first love she deeply loved, and their relationship was stable, even reaching the point of discussing marriage. However, my maternal grandfather wouldn't allow his outstanding daughter to marry a bookish scholar. So, he used a misunderstanding to break them up. And so, my mother married my father. This marriage without a foundation of love made my mother's life miserable. She began to yearn for her love again, and coincidentally, the person she loved had to stay in Beijing for a year for work. Thus, their paths crossed again, and their rekindled love was stronger than ever before." Deduly, my mother once again harbored thoughts of rebelling against my maternal grandfather. She wanted a divorce; she wanted to pursue her own happiness. But unfortunately, she became pregnant. This time, my grandfather used a little trick to drive the man away again. But my mother was unwilling to accept this. She resented my untimely arrival for hindering her progress. Thus, she hated me to the core, and she also hated my father to the core. My father was an emotionally detached man. He didn't like my mother and only had the duties of a husband to his wife. But that didn't mean he could tolerate his wife's infidelity. So, when I was six years old, their relationship finally broke down.

Chen Jianjin's tone was flat, without any emotional fluctuation, as if he were simply recounting a story, a story that had nothing to do with him.

A pang of sadness welled up in Song Wan's heart. She raised her arm and wrapped it around his lean waist, gently nuzzling her head against his chest.

"It's okay, from now on... I'll like you."

Chen Jianjin's heart tightened, and he cupped the girl's flushed cheeks in his hands.

The moonlight was gentle, like a thin veil enveloping the earth.

At this moment, their two heartbeats resonated in unison.

Through the girl's clear almond-shaped eyes, Chen Jianjin saw her lucidity.

Song Wan was not drunk.

She was very clear-headed, clearly aware of—

Tonight, the withered tree in her heart has blossomed.

—End of text—

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Author's Note: The main story is finished! [Sprinkling flowers] I currently have four side stories I want to write: our first encounter in childhood, our reunion in high school, our reunion in college, and our wedding night (this one probably won't be here). The first two are from the male lead's perspective, and I'll write about his entire emotional journey in falling for the female lead. Below is just some rambling from a struggling author; feel free to click the X if you don't like it~

This was the most passionate story I ever wrote, even more so than my first novel. I only had about 20,000 words saved up, and I wrote the synopsis and posted the first chapter on the same day. It started with zero pre-orders (by the way, if you're into older woman/younger man romance, please add my new novel to your favorites for pre-orders [crying emoji]). It's been over two years since I last wrote, and Jinjiang (a Chinese online literature platform) feels very unfamiliar to me. This book probably has the worst stats of all my works, but it's also the one I've enjoyed writing the most so far. Although I broke down many times because of the stats, every time I immersed myself in writing, I felt so relieved. Before, I always wanted to write something valuable, something long, but my writing skills weren't good enough, and I could never quite grasp the core message. Maybe it's because of the harsh realities of life, but my mindset has changed a lot in the last two years. Now I feel that happiness is priceless, so I want to write what makes me happy. Food earned through self-sacrifice is the most delicious. Thank you to everyone who has read this far, thank you for your support and love, thank you [heart emoji]