Belonging of Love

"What?"

She frowned, as if she had never heard of this before.

Chi Zhuo sighed softly.

"My mom got pregnant out of wedlock and gave birth to a boy. Later, that man ran away, leaving my mom behind..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If I continued to live with this boy, my mother's family said they would beat him to death so that the neighbors wouldn't gossip and it wouldn't affect my mother's remarriage. Later, my mother's family sent her abroad, and she came back after changing her name. Then she married my father. A few years later, my father passed away, and my mother never remarried."

Lin Tingyue frowned. "Then... what about that boy?"

"I've been abroad and haven't come back."

After hearing this, her brows furrowed even more, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened their grip on the teacup.

"So, that boy has been abroad all this time? Alone?"

"Well, I guess so. She said she was too young at the time and couldn't do anything. After the child was given away for adoption, she didn't even get to see him one last time. Later, when she grew up and was able to, she asked around among many people, but all her inquiries went unanswered."

Lin Tingyue finally understood why Su Jinghe always seemed melancholy and why Chi Zhuo exuded a sense of detachment and indifference; it was indeed caused by her unhappy childhood.

"But... the place you took me to last time looked a bit remote. Why is that? In my memory, you should be living in a mansion... enjoying... being taken care of..."

Lin Tingyue became increasingly guilty as she spoke, afraid that she might say something wrong and upset Chi Zhuo.

“My dad… doesn’t like my mom, so he doesn’t like me either… Although my mom lives in the Chi family, she has no say in the Chi family except for her dowry. And the old man doesn’t care about my dad, so naturally he doesn’t care about me either. So, before I was ten years old, I went to school in that place last time. I ate and lived there. There are all kinds of shops selling breakfast and snacks there. The things I make for you are what I learned from there.”

As Chi Zhuo spoke, he suddenly laughed.

"Actually, I don't think it matters if the living conditions are a bit worse, at least I have freedom. Later, my dad passed away, and I was to inherit his share, so they took me back, just like you said, to study, go abroad, and come back to take over the company."

"When did you find out?" she asked.

“The year I went to college.” Chi Zhuo turned his gaze back to her. “My mother felt that I was an adult and had the right to know. She called me to her study and told me the whole story. She said it was a debt she would carry for the rest of her life, and a scar she dared not touch.”

"Then... tell me now..." Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Chi Zhuo was silent for a moment, as if he was carefully choosing his words, "Because I feel that you are not quite the same as them."

He added, "You're very genuine. When you're angry, you're angry; when you're happy, you're happy; when you dislike something, you'll show it; when you like something... you'll also..."

“So,” she tried to keep her voice calm, “you’re telling me all this because you think I’m…real?”

"Hmm." Chi Zhuo's gaze remained fixed on her. "There are very few people around me like you. They are either after the Chi family, or afraid of me, or they want to get something from me. It's really tiring."

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint, unsatisfying smile: "Being with you, there's no need to guess."

Lin Tingyue secretly complained to herself, "They've given me a lot of trouble before."

"Then you..." she hesitated, but still asked, "Do you hate them? Your mother's family, and... the Chi family?"

“I wouldn’t say I hate them,” he finally spoke, his voice steady. “To my maternal grandmother’s side, it’s more of a… estrangement. They handled the problem in what they thought was the right way, sacrificing my mother and that brother they never met, to save face. It was cruel, but in their minds, perhaps they had no other choice. As for the Chi family…”

He paused, his tone becoming even more subdued: "My father neglected me, the old man ignored me. They took me back only because I am the only heir of the Chi family in name, and they need me to continue the bloodline and take over the business. Our relationship is more like a business deal. There is no love, so there is no hate either, just... responsibility and constraints."

He looked at Lin Tingyue, his eyes deep: "I'm telling you all this so you'll know that I might not be as...perfect as I appear to the outside world. My family is complicated, and I probably have some flaws in my personality; I'm not easy to get close to, and I'm not good at expressing myself. You..."

He stopped, not finishing his sentence, but Lin Tingyue understood.

She set down her teacup, the ceramic base making a soft, crisp sound as it touched the table. She met his gaze without flinching.

“Chi Zhuo,” she called his name, her voice soft but clear, “thank you for telling me all this.”

She paused, organizing her thoughts: "To be honest, I'm surprised, and also a little... I feel sorry for you and your mother. Those experiences sound so difficult. But..."

Her tone hardened. "This won't change my opinion of you. On the contrary, I think... you're more real now. You're not omnipotent; you're just an ordinary person who gets hurt and sad."

She noticed a slight shift in the emotion that seemed to flicker in his eyes.

“As for your personality,” Lin Tingyue even smiled slightly, “I admit that you can be quite infuriating at times, cold and hard, like a stone. But,” she changed the subject, “I know you’re not a bad person at heart. You remember what I like to eat, you take me to places you felt free in when you were a child, you stand up for me when others make things difficult for me… I remember all of these things.”

Chi Zhuo stared at her blankly, seemingly not expecting her to say such a thing.

“So,” Lin Tingyue took a deep breath and said the most crucial words, “you don’t need to think of this as some kind of unspeakable secret. It’s a part of you, and it’s your reality. I accept you as you are.”

Chi Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed, a thousand words stuck in his chest, finally culminating in a low, somber whisper: "Lin Tingyue..."

He reached out and gently covered her hand, which was resting on the table.

Lin Tingyue did not break free, letting him hold her.

"Then what about you and your mother now..." Lin Tingyue didn't finish her sentence. After all, she had witnessed their relationship firsthand. It wasn't exactly affectionate, but it was also quite distant.

"It's fine as it is." Chi Zhuo didn't offer much comment, just said it casually, but Lin Tingyue's gaze at him was not as indifferent as it seemed.

"Let's go home and see Mom after this is over."

Chi Zhuo was clearly stunned. His fingertips, which were resting on the back of her hand, twitched almost imperceptibly, and complex emotions surged in his deep eyes.

Seeing his serious expression, Lin Tingyue felt that the suggestion might not be appropriate, and immediately wanted to change her mind.

But then he suddenly heard Chi Zhuo reply, "Okay."

-

A week after Jiang Shaoyang's incident, Lin Tingyue finished her work and met up with Chi Zhuo. The two went back to the old house together.

Su Jinghe had already received the news, but she still couldn't help but come out to greet them.

"You're back? Come in quickly." She hurriedly stepped aside to let the two of them in, her gaze lingering briefly on Chi Zhuo's face before quickly looking away.

The atmosphere in the living room remained somewhat awkward and stagnant.

Lin Tingyue broke the silence and handed over the gift box she was carrying: "Mom, I heard you haven't been sleeping well lately, so I brought some calming tea."

Su Jinghe accepted it, and although she didn't seem happy, she still thanked her.

"You're back, so what? What did you bring? There's nothing at home."

Chi Zhuo stood to the side, his posture upright but slightly stiff.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only uttered one sentence.

"Listen to their feelings."

Su Jinghe's eyes were filled with excitement, and she quickly lowered her head to hide it. "Oh, the sentiment is important too. Please sit down, I'll have someone prepare a few more dishes."

Lin Tingyue casually mentioned some interesting things that Chi Zhuo had been up to at work recently. Su Jinghe listened attentively and occasionally asked a question or two. Although Chi Zhuo didn't talk much, he would give brief answers.

“You loved eating this when you were little too.” Su Jinghe picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, hesitated for a moment, and put it into Chi Zhuo’s bowl.

Chi Zhuo paused, looked at the ribs in the bowl, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said softly, "Thank you, Mom."

Su Jinghe's lips curved slightly upward, and the fine lines around her eyes smoothed out.

After dinner, Chi Zhuo was called to the study by the old man to discuss matters. Lin Tingyue accompanied Su Jinghe for a walk in the garden.

"It seems you've been getting along quite well with Xiao Zhuo lately."

Lin Tingyue said softly, "Mom, actually, Chi Zhuo... still cares about you quite a bit. He came back to see you this time especially."

Su Jinghe sighed, her voice slightly choked with emotion: "I'm sorry for him... I couldn't protect him when he was little, and now that he's grown up, he hates me and resents me, I know all of that..."

Lin Tingyue gently held her hand, "Mom, it's all in the past. Chi Zhuo... he actually cares about you a lot."

Su Jinghe looked somewhat surprised, as if she didn't quite believe it. "Really?"

Lin Tingyue nodded, "Yes, but Mom, listen to me, some things need a process to change, and this also takes time. So, let's not rush, let's take it one step at a time, and I believe we can definitely change the current situation."

Su Jinghe wiped her eyes, a relieved yet expectant smile appearing on her face: "Back then, I thought you weren't good enough for Xiao Zhuo, but now..."

She felt a little ashamed. "I misunderstood you. You're a good child."

Lin Tingyue squeezed her hand and said with a smile, "Mom, we're family now, so naturally I won't take this to heart. Don't worry too much. Right now, the most important thing is to stay healthy so that Chi Zhuo can rest assured and everyone can feel at ease!"

When Chi Zhuo came downstairs after finishing his conversation, he saw Lin Tingyue and Su Jinghe sitting on the living room sofa. The two were leaning their heads together, talking about something, and both had faint smiles on their faces.

He stood at the top of the stairs, his steps involuntarily halting. This scene was one of warmth he had never experienced before.

Lin Tingyue looked up and saw him, smiling and waving: "Finished talking?"

Su Jinghe also looked at him, her eyes gentle.

He walked over and sat down naturally next to Lin Tingyue.

"Yes, we've finished talking."

His gaze swept past his mother's expectant eyes and finally landed on Lin Tingyue's smiling face.

Lin Tingyue linked arms with Chi Zhuo and said with a grin, "Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. I told Mom that we're going home together for Mid-Autumn Festival this year, what do you think?"

Chi Zhuo was clearly hesitant, but when he saw Lin Tingyue's face, he softened and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, whatever you say."

Lin Tingyue looked at Su Jinghe smugly and winked at her.

Su Jinghe was stunned, then her eyes welled up with tears of joy, and she nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, then I will prepare well and wait for you to come."

It was late at night when they left the old house. After getting into the car, Chi Zhuo didn't start it immediately, but instead turned to look at Lin Tingyue.

"Thank you," he said.

Lin Tingyue tilted her head to look at him: "Thank me for what?"

“Thank you for suggesting I come back,” he paused, his voice low, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Lin Tingyue's heart stirred, and she reached out and gently covered his hand on the steering wheel: "After all, we are a family now. As long as we are together, our home is here."

He took her hand in his own, their fingers intertwined.

"Yes, with you here, there is a home."