Chapter 55 Going Home "I rushed here, from beginning to end, simply because..."

Wen Hong lowered his eyes and watched Qiao Yunzheng solemnly recount his past "crimes," his eyes involuntarily curving downwards.

The summer morning sun wasn't scorching or dazzling; its clear light slanted across her, as if bathing his beloved girl in a holy glow, illuminating every subtle expression of hers.

Wen Hong suddenly felt a sense of unreality, as if this scene was in a dream.

He had indeed dreamed of such a scene more than once.

That happened back in Luyao Town.

When Wen Hong first confessed his feelings to Qiao Yunzheng, he didn't think about the distant future. Perhaps it was just that the weather in the small town was just right that day, and the wind that brushed through her hair was just right. He gazed at the gentle yet impulsive girl and was caught off guard by his heart fluttering.

He heard his own heart pounding, and without thinking too much, he uttered those words:

"Hey! Qiao Yunzheng."

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"I mean, the adult kind."

He knew very well then that he did not belong to Luyao Town, and she was destined to leave. He and she were travelers who met by chance, and only briefly wove a beautiful dream together in that beautiful town.

But he never expected that the sudden, impulsive love would take root in his heart and grow wildly with the sunlight and mountain breeze of Luyao Town.

For the first time in his life, Wen Hong had the thought of settling down.

As the agreed-upon date of separation approached, he began to plan for the future.

In the many nights that followed, he dreamt that a luxury car from distant Kunming was parked in front of the gate of the neighboring courtyard, and his girlfriend was holding his hand, introducing him to the couple who got out of the car: "This is my boyfriend."

He began to change his attitude towards Uncle Zhang next door, who always disliked him. He treated him with utmost respect, and like her, he called him "Uncle Zhang" properly. Even though Uncle Zhang still ignored him, he was not annoyed.

He invited a few close friends to a mountaintop covered in blooming purple flowers to prepare a grand confession for her.

At the very least, he had to let her know how he felt.

He wanted to be with her, not just today, not just for three months, and not just for three years.

For the first time in his life, he wanted someone, wanted to be with her, and for a long, long time.

However, the sea of ​​flowers in Zishan did not welcome its owner, the dazzling fireworks did not have time to bloom, and the courtyard next door was empty.

It seemed as if God took pity on his loneliness and bestowed upon him a beautiful dream.

And to punish his greed, everything was taken away unexpectedly.

He searched frantically, riding his bike all over town, but couldn't find a trace of her.

Later, he received a call from her.

She ignored his concern and coldly asked him, "Wen Hong, do you know the Wen family of Kuncheng?"

He thought she had heard something, and the sting in his heart made him instinctively erect a high wall of defense:

"Don't know"

"Never heard of it."

Just when he thought he was about to reach out and touch the sunlight, she didn't hesitate to stomp him back into the mud:

"The three-month period has ended, and it's over."

Before he could react, the call was abruptly ended.

Later, Wen Hong called that number many more times. At first, no one answered. Later, the call was connected, but a strange woman answered. The woman was timid and couldn't say anything clearly. She only said, "Don't call again. Miss has already gone abroad."

Wen Hong seemed to be doing well after the breakup.

His life returned to normal.

He sings at bars during the day and takes walks with his grandmother at night, occasionally making the old lady so angry that she jumps up and down.

Even Fatty, who hung out with him all day, didn't notice anything amiss.

When Qiao Yunzheng was mentioned very occasionally, Fatty said to him meaningfully, "Are you just planning to spend your days like this in this little tavern?"

He raised an eyebrow, still looking nonchalant: "What's wrong with not always doing it this way?"

Fatty sighed, "Why hasn't your girlfriend, the girl who lives in the villa next door, come over lately?"

Wen Hong looked away and casually replied, "She has some family matters to attend to and needs to leave for a while."

Fatty didn't notice his unusual behavior. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "I heard that the Qiao family's younger sister is a pampered young lady from Kuncheng. You..." He looked at him and quickly changed his words, "I don't mean to say that you're bad, but in your current state, how long can you stay with her, and what can you give her?"

Wen Hong's casual smile froze.

“If you’re just looking for momentary pleasure, then I won’t say this as your older brother, but if you’re thinking about the long term, then…” Fatty patted his shoulder, leaving him with no further words.

Later, Wen Hong also left that small town. She didn't return to Kunming, nor did she go to the Wen family. Instead, she went to a very, very far away, unfamiliar city.

During his lonely years in a foreign land, he would inevitably dream of her.

In his dream, she shone with light, like a deity descending from the heavens. She took his hand, pulled him out of the mire, and merged him into the light he had longed for.

But more often than not, in her dreams, she is cold and ruthless. Ignoring his pleas, without a trace of love in her eyes, she decisively lets go of his hand: "Wen Hong, it's over."

He began to hate her, to hate her ruthlessness and decisiveness.

After Junyu achieved some success, Wen Hong returned to Luyao Town. Time seemed to have been paused in Luyao Town, and everything was still the same as when he left, except for the increasingly dilapidated courtyard next door.

He took over the tavern and handed it over to Fatty to manage.

After a few rounds of drinks, Fatty asked him, "How are you and the Wen family girl doing these days?"

He spoke vaguely, but as he finished his drink, his eyes welled up with tears.

He also returned to Kunming and overheard others mentioning the Qiao family, but he never heard from her again.

He simply stopped listening and stopped looking. He even thought that if he saw her again, he would tie her up and make sure she couldn't go anywhere. He wanted her to experience all the grievances and pain he had suffered.

Two years later, Junyu began to take shape.

The company has put the suggestion of setting up a branch office on the agenda, but the location of the branch office has not yet been decided.

Quite by chance, during a break in the break room, a colleague who had just returned from a business trip to Kuncheng said that Qiaoshi, a leading enterprise in Kuncheng, had encountered a major safety accident, and the company was in complete chaos.

When he heard this, he stopped in his tracks and, as if possessed, asked, "Who's in trouble?"

"The former chairman of the Qiao family in Kuncheng, what was his name? Qiao Zhende."

During a later meeting, when the parties were arguing about the location of the branch office, Wen Hong, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up.

He pointed to a point in the center of the map: "Shencheng, perhaps."

It's a city not far from Kuncheng, only a few hundred kilometers away.

Fortunately, fate wasn't too cruel to him; after many twists and turns, they finally met.

Qiao Yunzheng was talking animatedly on her fingers, but when she didn't hear a response from him for a long time, she turned her head and saw Wen Hong staring at her intently. His expression was neither happy nor sad, as if he was looking through her into a place she couldn't see.

She held out her hand and waved it in front of him: "Wen Hong?"

"Huh?" He snapped back to reality. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him with a playful glint in her eyes: "Really? Even Attorney Wen has moments of fear?"

Wen Hong bent down slightly and looked into her eyes: "I am indeed afraid."

His frank admission of his cowardice made Qiao Yunzheng lose all interest in joking.

She subtly hooked her finger around his, her voice tinged with seriousness: "Don't worry, I'm here for you!"

“Yes,” Wen Hong nodded with a smile, “Then you must be careful.”

"What?" she asked, confused.

He nuzzled her nose: "Be careful, don't lose me again."

Before she could fully process the meaning behind his words, Wen Hong had already stood up.

Instead of ringing the doorbell, he flicked his fingers and knocked three times on the door.

Yao Jing seemed to have been waiting there for a while. As soon as he put his hand down, the door opened from the inside.

"You're finally back!" Yao Jing said with a smile, taking the things from Wen Hong's hands. "Come inside quickly."

Wen Hong's prepared opening remarks were useless; instead, she was stunned for a couple of seconds by Yao Jing's words, "Come back."

Qiao Yunzheng seemed oblivious, holding his hand tightly and leading him inside.

Two pairs of brand-new slippers were already placed in the entryway.

One is black, one is purple; one is large, one is small; they are exactly the same cute design.

He naturally assumed it was Qiao Yunzheng's work, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

When Yao Jing saw him looking at the shoes, she explained, "I bought them according to Xiao Zheng's preferences. I didn't know your size, so just wear them for now. I'll get you a proper pair later."

She spoke so naturally that Wen Hong froze on the spot upon hearing it.

Qiao Yunzheng nudged him: "Mom is talking to you!"

Wen Hong's throat was dry, she pursed her lips, and her shoulders stiffened for a moment.

When he turned around, his expression had returned to normal. He smiled at Yao Jing, his lips trembling almost imperceptibly, before he whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

Yao Jing's smile widened, and she brushed a stray hair behind her ear: "You all sit for a while, I'll go check on the kitchen."

Qiao Yunzheng looked Yao Jing up and down, who was wearing an apron, with a playful expression: "When did my fairy-like mother start cooking?"

Ms. Yao Jing, who lives a life of luxury, rarely cooks. In Qiao Yunzheng's memory, she has cooked no more than twice in all these years.

Yao Jing gave her a reproachful look: "I gave Auntie the day off. It's just the three of us today, so let Ahong try Mom's cooking." She paused, then looked at Wen Hong, "Is it okay to call you that?"

Wen Hong smiled and nodded: "Sure."

Yao Jing hummed a little tune and happily went into the kitchen.

Qiao Yunzheng tugged at Wen Hong, wanting to lead him to sit on the sofa, but found that the tall man did not move.

He looked up, his gaze still following Ms. Yao Jing, looking towards the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" She waved her hand in front of his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

Wen Hong reluctantly looked away, lowered his eyes, and ruffled her hair: "I just suddenly realized that I've missed out on a lot of things."

Qiao Yunzheng was puzzled: "Missed what?"

“If I had come sooner,” he said, his throat bobbing slightly, with a barely perceptible tremor, “would I have had a mother sooner?”

She felt a pang of sadness at his words and pulled him to sit down on the sofa.

Qiao Yunzheng poured him a glass of water and noticed that he kept staring at her. She was a little annoyed: "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Wen Hong reached out and pulled the person to sit down next to him: "Look how beautiful my wife is."

Since those few days alone together, she had gotten used to his occasional sweet nothings and could now say them without blushing or her heart skipping a beat: "Well, you have good taste."

Wen Hong was amused by her smug look and pinched her cheek.

The faint sound of cups and plates rubbing together could be heard coming from the direction of the kitchen.

This kind of everyday life, which is commonplace for ordinary people, is something Wen Hong has rarely experienced.

He held her hand in his palm: "We originally agreed that I would apologize first, but I didn't expect that none of the prepared remarks I had made would be used."

Wen Hong never imagined that she would be so easily accepted by Yao Jing without saying or doing anything. She knew without a doubt what Qiao Yunzheng had done before that.

He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead: "A-Zheng, thank you."

Afraid that Yao Jing would discover their intimate behavior, Qiao Yunzheng guiltily pushed him away, glanced at the kitchen, and whispered, "That's because you're good enough that Mom will see for herself."

The matter between Qiao and Wen's companies has caused quite a stir, and it would be difficult for Ms. Yao Jing not to know about it.

Wen Hong smiled slightly after receiving the praise, then remembered something and asked, "I'm a little curious, when did you tell her about our marriage?"

"That's a bit of a long time," Qiao Yunzheng said, resting her chin on her hand as if thinking. "Probably before we get married!"

Upon hearing this answer, Wen Hong's pupils dilated: "You mean..."

Qiao Yunzheng nodded: "I wanted to tell you before I left home for Shencheng, but you kept interrupting me, so I didn't have a chance to say it. Later, when we arrived in Shencheng, my mother called me and I told her about it."

He stared at her, his eyes swirling with emotion: "I thought you didn't want to."

He used despicable means to blackmail her, and was prepared to be her secret partner. He never expected that she would be as happy as he was to introduce him to her loved ones.

“I also thought I was unwilling, but the truth is, I was happy every single second back then,” Qiao Yunzheng turned his face and said to him very seriously, “Su Ran asked me a question before: if it were someone else, would I be willing to exchange three months of marriage for a possibility with Qiao’s Group? I think I would probably not be willing.”

Her eyes were deep, and she spoke slowly and deliberately: "Between us, there has never been any interest or contract. I came here, from beginning to end, only because of you." Her eyes welled up with tears, and Qiao Yunzheng sniffed. "You said that meeting me was your greatest fortune, but for me, it was just as good."

Ms. Yao Jing prepared six dishes, and they tasted surprisingly good.

During the meal, Wen Hong generously served Yao Jing two extra bowls of rice and showered her with compliments, making Yao Jing beam with joy.

After dinner, Yao Jing refused their offer to wash the dishes and insisted that they go upstairs to rest.

Qiao Yunzheng noticed her expression and felt something was off, but didn't think much of it.

She had indeed been through a lot these past few days, so she stopped refusing and led Wen Hong upstairs.

There are many rooms on the second floor, but only Yao Jing and Qiao Yunzheng's rooms are in use. The other rooms are locked, and the housekeeper only needs to go in and clean them once a week.

The two stood in front of Qiao Yunzheng's door, turning the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

Qiao Yunzheng let out a soft "Eh," assuming that the door lock was broken and had accidentally locked itself, and was about to go downstairs to get the key from Yao Jing.

As I passed by a large master bedroom next door, my eyes were momentarily blinded by the bright red.

The door to the master bedroom was ajar, leaving a gap about half a person's width.

Qiao Yunzheng pushed open the door, and then froze.

Everywhere you look, there is joy and celebration.

The room was meticulously decorated, with brand-new, eye-catching red bedding. In the center of the bed were two rag dolls that looked like they were made of towels.

Her brow twitched a few times as she suddenly remembered what Ms. Yao Jing had been rambling on during the phone call, which was basically about some of the customs of the wedding month in Kunming.

Qiao Yunzheng wasn't interested in those things and only listened to them casually, but she didn't expect that Ms. Yao Jing would implement the model room exactly as it was.

She instantly understood why Ms. Yao Jing had that expression earlier.

"What's wrong?" Wen Hong asked, noticing that she hadn't moved for a while. He leaned over to look.

Qiao Yunzheng quickly reached out to cover his eyes: "Don't look, let's go downstairs and get the keys first."

But it was too late. Wen Hong had already pulled her hand away and taken in Ms. Yao Jing's "masterpiece".

Unlike Qiao Yunzheng's exasperated reaction, Wen Hong looked around the room with interest and smiled, "Our mom is quite particular."

In no time, he had already gotten the nickname "our mom" quite fluent.

Wen Hong pushed open the door and went inside.

Like a curious child, he touched this and poked that, until finally his gaze settled on the pair of rag dolls on the bed.

He reached out and scooped them up, examining them for a long time, as if he suddenly understood something.

Wen Hong lowered his eyes and saw Qiao Yunzheng's face turn red at a visible speed, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

Author's Note: Thank you "Sunshine" for the nutrient solution! Sending love! [heart emoji]