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However, to avoid embarrassing Ye Wenyu, Lin Tingfeng had no choice but to pick up the newspaper he had been looking at, unfold it in front of him like an umbrella, and then laugh behind the newspaper. The laugh first burst out of his eyes little by little, and then spread across his face like ripples.

He didn't want her to see him blush with sadness, so he tried to force a smile off his face as soon as possible, but he failed despite his efforts.

So he kept holding up the newspaper, pretending to read it.

Ye Wenyu stared at him from the shadows, feeling the newspaper he was holding tremble. She thought he was laughing! Her face flushed even more, and even her neck and shoulders felt hot.

She said in a huff, "Don't talk about my mother anymore, I want to study." After saying that, she went back to her desk, sat down in her chair, and started to read. But the printed words on the pages were like little resurrected people dancing in front of her, and she couldn't concentrate on reading them no matter how hard she tried.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Tingfeng's voice finally came through steadily: "Xiaoyu, haven't you heard this saying before?"

"Hmm?" Ye Wenyu looked up at him. He put down his newspaper and looked at her with particularly gentle eyes. There was no smile on his face, which meant that he hadn't been mocking her from behind the newspaper.

She really wanted to talk to him, to tell him about her irresponsible mother, so that she wouldn't feel so bad.

Lin Tingfeng said softly, "God cannot be everywhere, so He created Mother."

Ye Wenyu was stunned. God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers. Are mothers beings greater than God? But why wasn't her mother?

She pondered for a moment, then said sarcastically, "For others, a mother is an omnipresent love, but my mother completely disappeared when I was in college. I don't need her anymore, so it's no use for her to contact me!" Her expression remained resentful, indicating that she could never forgive her.

Lin Tingfeng said slowly, "Everyone needs family affection. I think you should answer this call and take the initiative to improve your relationship with your mother."

"What?" Ye Wenyu looked up at Lin Tingfeng in confusion.

Lin Tingfeng stood up, walked to her, and said gently, "When I have time, how about I invite her to my home so we can have a meal together?" Her face was as white as ivory, shining in the dim room. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

Ye Wenyu shook her head, then shook her head again. She couldn't imagine the scene when she introduced Lin Tingfeng to her mother. What would her mother's expression be? Would she be happy or angry? Would she scold her for willingly becoming a rich man's mistress, or...?

She dared not think about it.

She gritted her teeth and said, "Although my mother is poor, she has very upright values, is very traditional, and very decent. If she knew my true identity, she would scold me mercilessly, so it's better not to meet her."

“Well then—” Lin Tingfeng was a little embarrassed, but after a moment he composed himself and suggested to her, “I won’t show up, you can receive them.”

Ye Wenyu looked up and asked Lin Tingfeng with a puzzled look, "Why are you doing this? I don't need family ties now. You are enough for me. My mother and stepfather have no money. If they knew that I have you and money now, they would keep bothering me. My money is all your money anyway. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

She frowned in annoyance, repeatedly stating that her mother and stepfather were difficult, lower-class people to deal with. Their desires were endless; once they gave her money, they became a bottomless pit.

Lin Tingfeng smiled, took one of her hands and shook it, saying softly, "It's okay, that little bit of money is nothing. I just want you to be happy. Adults have many unspeakable hardships. Your mother is just an ordinary woman. She wants to find some happiness, which is forgivable. Think about it carefully."

Ye Wenyu shook her head, indicating that she could not accept his idea.

Lin Tingfeng was silent for a moment, then sat down opposite her. He looked at her for a while before saying, "My mother has also made me angry—"

What? Ye Wenyu looked up at Lin Tingfeng. In an attempt to persuade her to forgive her mother, he actually began to talk about his own mother. Lin Tingfeng was a man of few words, always believing that "the wise do not speak, and those who speak are not wise." Therefore, he rarely revealed information about himself. But at this moment, he took the initiative to talk about his mother.

Lin Tingfeng said in a reminiscing tone, "She once caused me a lot of pain and shame, and she also made me the laughingstock of others. But she loved me very much. When I was angry with her, I would think of all the things she had done for me. I forgave her. Of course, after forgiving her, I found that I was much happier."

"Really?" Ye Wenyu stared at Lin Tingfeng, still somewhat doubtful.

"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you? If you listen to my advice, I guarantee you'll be happier than you are now."

Ye Wenyu looked at Lin Tingfeng, his handsome face seemingly reflected across the water, and she mustered her courage to ask, "What did your mother do that caused you so much pain?"

If I don't tell everything and provide evidence, it seems like my argument isn't strong enough to convince her.

In Ye Wenyu's heart, no mother had ever done anything as outrageous as her own, causing her to lose her family and love on the eve of her university registration, turning her into a homeless child.

She couldn't believe that Lin Tingfeng's mother would do anything worse than her own.

Lin Tingfeng's expression stiffened for a moment before he slowly said, "There are some things I can't say now, it's not the right time, but I can assure you that everything your mother did to you wasn't excessive. She was just a little selfish, wanting to find her own happiness. I even think she's a woman with her own sense of self. You know, there are many mothers in China who dedicate their entire lives to their children, but your mother didn't. She has her own ideas, she's pursuing her own life, and I think that kind of mother is also very good."

Ye Wenyu scoffed. This was just a fancy way of saying selfishness. Does pursuing one's own life and being a self-centered mother mean one can disregard a child who hasn't even grown up yet?

Lin Tingfeng said, "Xiaoyu, everyone needs family. Sometimes, forgiving others is making peace with yourself."

He gently patted her shoulder and left. Ye Wenyu sat at her desk, lost in thought for a long time.

Lin Tingfeng said that forgiving others is making peace with oneself. Indeed, since her mother sold the house and remarried, although she appeared unharmed, deep down she was still angry about her mother's actions. Moreover, in the subsequent life of hardship, her resentment towards her mother grew stronger and stronger.