Chapter 262 Deadlock

She changed into slippers and walked into the restaurant, immediately noticing Song Yazhi eating with her head down—her expression was indifferent, her movements mechanical, as if she were completing a task.

The oppressive atmosphere made her instinctively alert.

what happened?

She didn't know, but she could feel an indescribable heaviness in the air.

At the dinner table, Song Yazhi simply said, "Let's eat."

He didn't say another word after that.

The voice was as soft as the wind blowing through a windowpane, devoid of warmth or emotion.

She brought the dishes to the table and set out the bowls and chopsticks, without glancing at anyone the entire time.

Even when Fu Lian accidentally bumped her bowl while picking up food, she simply turned slightly to avoid it without any reaction.

This almost cold restraint is what makes it even more unbearable.

Fu Lian wanted to speak, but he opened his mouth, looked at his wife, then at his mother, and finally lowered his head to eat his rice without saying a word.

He tried several times to break the silence, his throat moved, but he swallowed the words back.

He knew that saying anything at this moment would be inappropriate.

If I say too much, I'm afraid it will upset my mother; if I don't say anything, the whole dinner will become an ordeal.

He could only chew his food mechanically, finding it tasteless and bland.

He glanced at the two of them out of the corner of his eye, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

After dinner, he pulled Qiao Wanyin into the room: "Qingqing, Mom heard you talking to Zishu yesterday. She cried."

He closed the door, his voice very low, as if afraid that people outside would hear.

He stared into Qiao Wanyin's eyes and said those words, one by one.

He knew this was a sensitive matter, but he could no longer keep it a secret.

If Wan Yin doesn't know that her mother was crying like that, the misunderstanding will only deepen.

Qiao Wanyin was taken aback, her heart tightened, but she still spoke firmly: "I'm telling the truth. I'm not cold-blooded, I've seen the changes in her. But some things can't be turned over just like that."

She did see the changes in Song Yazhi—she stopped being picky about food, took the initiative to pick her up and drop her off for prenatal checkups, and even secretly remembered the snacks she liked to eat.

She is neither blind nor heartless.

But those past hurts are like thorns buried in the flesh, impossible to pull out, and painful to even touch.

She can try to get along with them and accept care, but she really can't call out "Mom" immediately or let her guard down completely.

"I understand."

Fu Lian slowly reached out and gently grasped her wrist, feeling a slightly cool touch in his palm. "But she really is changing. You don't know, she has never bowed her head or given in her entire life. When she was bullied as a child, she would rather be beaten than beg for mercy; when she grew up, she would refuse to admit her mistakes even if they were wrong. That's just the kind of person she is."

He paused, his voice low but firm: "But what about now? She's taken the initiative to apologize, to humble herself and do these things; she's already done everything she can. Do you know what that means? It means she's changing for you, tearing away her hard shell little by little."

"Could you... could you..."

He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as if the words to come were too heavy to bear.

"Can you do what?"

Qiao Wanyin suddenly raised her head, her voice rising abruptly. Then, realizing something, she forcefully suppressed her emotions, but her eyes pierced him like knives. "Pretend nothing happened? Call her 'Mom' like before? Fu Li'an, I can't do that."

Her eyes quickly reddened, as if some invisible force had struck her most vulnerable spot.

She bit her lip, trying hard not to let the tears fall, and her voice was so low that it was almost a whisper: "I've thought about it too, about living a good life with her, I really have. I also hope that this family can be complete, and that there will be laughter and warmth in the home."

"But she and Fang Wanyu..."

As she spoke, her chest heaved, as if old memories were choking her breath. "They tricked me time and time again, hurting me again and again. Not once, not twice, but over and over again. Every time I thought it was over, they would do something even worse. Tell me, how can I still trust them?"

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, as if afraid that she would break down if she said too much, or as if she was unwilling to reopen those bloody wounds.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her gaze had regained its composure, but was now filled with a deep weariness.

Fu Li'an looked at her, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed tightly by a hand.

He didn't say anything more, but slowly reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.

Her body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't struggle or respond; she just leaned against him quietly.

"I didn't ask you to forgive me right away."

He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice as gentle as an evening breeze through a window, "I just want to give you both a chance to catch your breath. It's not about making up immediately, nor is it about forcing one of you to back down. I just hope that you can try to sit down, even without saying a word, and live a little more easily under the same roof."

He paused, his voice softening further: "Mom went too far before. Her favoritism, her stubbornness, her obstinacy... I saw it all. Otherwise... I wouldn't have let her go on that last night."

He said slowly, “Right? If she hadn’t hurt you so much, would I have kept her? Would I have kicked her out? No. It was precisely because I knew how deeply she hurt you that I made that decision.”

Qiao Wanyin remained silent.

The room was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window.

She leaned against him, feeling his steady heartbeat, but her thoughts were churning like a surging tide.

yes.

She suddenly remembered the most difficult period—she was framed by Fang Wanyu, gossiped about by the neighbors, and even lost her job.

When everyone was criticizing her for being unfilial and cold-blooded, who stood up for her?

It's Fu Li'an.

He withstood the pressure and said in front of all the relatives, "She did nothing wrong."

He stood firmly by her side when she was most isolated and helpless, giving her confidence and a way out.

At that time, he could have chosen to remain silent for the sake of family harmony, or even advised her to be patient.

But he didn't.

Maybe……

I really should try to loosen that knot in my heart for his sake.

But as the days went by, Song Yazhi still got up early every day to cook porridge and heat milk for her, and washed her clothes clean, folded them neatly, and put them on the bed.

On the surface, everything seemed normal, with a loving mother and filial son.

But that initial warmth was gone.

In the past, when Song Yazhi cooked, she would ask her what she liked to eat, and would nag with a smile, "Eat more." She would also peek out from the kitchen while wiping her hands to see if she had returned.

Now, the food is on the table, but the people have already left, and even the door is tightly closed.

When the two met, they didn't even dare to make eye contact.

One was looking down at their phone, the other pretending to tidy up the closet; neither of them mentioned the past, nor dared to talk about the future.

Even Fu Xianxiu noticed that something was wrong.

The child, who used to be lively and cheerful, now always carefully observes the expressions of the two people when he comes home, and he has to think carefully before saying a word.

He wanted to be close to his grandmother, but he was afraid of upsetting his mother; he wanted to act spoiled with his mother, but he was afraid of hurting his grandmother's feelings.