Chapter 74
Zhou Zifang kept calling Lu Jiyu on his way home in the evening.
But this guy refused to answer the call, and in the end I just turned off his phone.
In the elevator, the person standing next to him seemed to remind him considerately: "The signal in the elevator is not good. I think you should go out and inform him first."
Lu Lin had just stepped down from the conference table, her face still radiating the decisiveness of a business man. Zhou Zifang, always afraid of her, still dared to plead for Lu Jiyu: "Lu Jiyu hasn't been in a good mood lately, so he didn't answer your call. Auntie, please don't blame him."
But Lu Lin didn't listen at all. She came here for only one reason: "Whose idea was it for him to use Jin Jing?"
Zhou Zifang stopped talking.
"The photos have been passed to Jin Jing's father. I think he has really gone crazy. He has gone crazy for a girl!"
Lu Lin's tone was already very impatient.
The two came out of the elevator and she asked Zhou Zifang to go ahead and open the door.
Even though Zhou Zifang was extremely impatient, he still had no choice but to press his fingerprint to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, the smell of alcohol hit his nose. Lu Lin walked past him and into the house, immediately spotting Lu Jiyu sitting on the sofa in the living room. In front of him were several empty bottles of wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages. He must have drunk quite a bit, yet he looked neither disheveled nor embarrassed.
He didn't seem particularly surprised to see Lu Lin's sudden appearance.
"Looking for me?" Lu Jiyu looked quite sober, although he had drunk quite a bit from the empty bottle.
Zhou Zifang had never seen Lu Jiyu drink so much before. He walked over worriedly and asked, "Are you okay? Why did you drink so much? Did Jiang Wan come over?"
Lu Lin also came over. She didn't sit down, but just stood there condescendingly, coldly examining Lu Jiyu at this moment: "How did you convince Jin Jing to take those photos with you?"
"How did you move it?"
"Not much, maybe she's just more helpful."
"You're still in the mood to joke with me. It seems you're still not sad enough."
"Yeah." Lu Jiyu nodded, his eyes fixed on the wine glass in front of him: "You came here just to ask this, right? Can we go now?"
These words completely ignited Lu Lin's hidden anger.
She slammed her bag down on the coffee table. "What do you mean by this? Are you blaming me? What do you blame me for? There are so many girls in Nanyuan, but you chose to be with her. Didn't I try to persuade you to be with Jin Jing? If you had listened to me and stayed with Jin Jing, would you still be in this situation?"
"If I have to blame you, it's that you always refuse to listen to me. The year you took the high school entrance exam, I told you that you could apply to a university in Nanyuan, but you blew it in the blink of an eye. Do you think I don't know? With your level, even if you studied with your eyes closed, you couldn't possibly pass the German exam! So I compromised. I made all the connections for you, sent you to the best high school, and let you apply to the university you wanted! Because I know that if I make any demands on you, you will resist me in this silent but fierce way!"
"Aunt--."
Zhou Zifang on the side couldn't help but interject in a low voice.
Lu Lin's emotions got the better of him at this point. "Why did I risk my life to bring you along? Because your last name is Lu, and you and I are the closest people in the world. I knew that once you left for the capital, our relationship would be over."
"But you blame me, right?"
"I blame you for all the hardships you've endured following me. I blame you for never having a close relationship with that side because of me."
"You don't have to blame me anymore. You're grown up now, and you can go wherever you want. I won't stop you, and I can't!" She stretched out her hand and threw all the bottles on the table to the ground, spilling the wine all over the floor. Lu Jiyu was hit in the face by the bottle, but he just raised his hand and wiped the wine stain off his face without saying a word.
"That's not the case, Auntie!" Zhou Zifang was anxious. He ran over and stood between the two of them: "You can't say that about Lu Jiyu!"
"He has always respected you and loved you very much, and regarded you as a very important family member!"
Lu Lin panted slightly and sneered: "Did he tell you?"
Zhou Zifang knew she didn't believe him: "What happened during the high school entrance exam back then was not what you thought!"
"Zhou Zifang--." Lu Jiyu finally spoke.
But Zhou Zifang couldn't care less at this moment: "You don't have to stop me, I must tell you today!"
"He did deliberately mess up the high school entrance exam, but it wasn't because of what you said to him."
Zhou Zi slowed down: "It's because Chen Wulin's mother found Lu Jiyu before the high school entrance examination. She threatened Lu Jiyu to put the photos of you and his husband online. Lu Jiyu agreed to mess up his high school entrance examination to stop her! He has never blamed you. He has always protected you and loved you the most! Auntie, you can't let him down like this!"
Zhou Zifang's voice was filled with tears at the end: "Lu Jiyu has never said anything bad about you. You have disagreements and disputes, but you can't say that about him!"
Zhou Zifang didn't know why he lost control of his emotions to this extent. Maybe it was because he felt too wronged, and felt sorry for Lu Jiyu.
He'd been wronged for so many years, even though he was the most sincere. Yet, along the way, he was constantly hurt and misunderstood. He'd never been held high, only let down. But he'd made it through, whether it was through sheer force or sheer habit. But Zhou Zifang felt he shouldn't just silently endure it all. Just because he seemed to be handling it so effortlessly, all the pain and challenges shouldn't be dumped on him.
This is wrong.
He is also a human being. He just has no parents.
"Anyone can doubt Lu Jiyu, but that person shouldn't be you, auntie."
"As you said, you are his dearest person!"
Behind the revealed truth are countless emotions from the past that have been rigidly folded up.
Lu Lin spent almost twice as much time as usual thinking about what Zhou Zifang had said. After taking a few steps forward and backward, she turned her head to look at Lu Jiyu, who had been leaning against the sofa in silence, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is what he said true?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you tell me when that damn woman came looking for you?"
"You think I'm afraid of her?"
"Why!"
"You think you're a hero? If she tells you to die, would you die? Lu Jiyu, do you have a brain?" Lu Lin's emotions were completely out of control. She turned her head away, but her eyes were still red: "Why didn't you tell me!"
Lu Jiyu finally spoke: "Because there is no need."
"Then what is necessary!" Lu Lin raised his voice: "Tell me, besides you, what else is necessary!"
So proud.
They were both too proud, so they allowed the gap to grow, misunderstandings to arise, and emotions to be trampled upon for so many years.
The military training for freshmen at F University was held in their sophomore year. When Jiang Wan and Li Wan went to the school to register, they happened to meet a group of seniors who were sunburned like quails.
After completing the formalities and tidying up the dormitory, Li Wan took Jiang Wan out for dinner.
Li Wan often came here on business trips for work. She took Jiang Wan for a walk deep in an alley and found a restaurant specializing in copper stove hotpot.
The two of them sat by the window, ordered their food, and waited quietly for a while.
Li Wan has been busy with company matters recently and hasn't seen Jiang Wan for a long time. This time he was able to come out to see her off and also took the opportunity to discuss business.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jiang Wan poured water for Li Wan and touched his face: "Is there something on my face?"
Li Wan took the cup and took a sip, then looked around the store: "Do you know how old I was when I first came to this store?"
She said in a joking tone: "It's also the same size as you are now."
"At that time, I never thought I would marry a man like your father, and I never thought I would have a daughter like you."
Jiang Wan still had a smile on his face: "What kind of person am I?"
"Wanzi, so many years have passed." Li Wan paused, put down the teacup in his hand and continued, "I've thought a lot in the past few years, but I never had the chance to tell you - some things in the past I did too much."
Jiang Wan rarely saw Li Wan hesitant like this; in her mind, she had always been decisive and resolute. Whether she was an ordinary teacher at school or now the boss of an education and training company, Li Wan was always clear-minded and unwavering.
Jiang Wan comforted her: "What happened in the past is in the past."
"But you haven't forgiven me. I know that. Sometimes I even want you to vent your anger with me. Maybe that would make you feel better."
Perhaps the growth of children will cause parents to feel a lot of worries for no reason.
Jiang Wan asked her: "Do you hate grandpa?"
Li Wan paused as he wiped the table with paper, then looked at the girl opposite him with surprise, but not quite surprise: "You know everything?"
He added another sentence at the end.
"How do you know?"
Jiang Wan didn't answer the question. She turned her head to glance at the hot summer scenery outside the window and frankly admitted, "The past has indeed prevented me from being as close to you as my other daughters, but I don't hate you, not at all. I know you had a hard time in the past, so I hope you can live a happy life."
"So." Jiang Wan suddenly thought of what Lu Jiyu said. Some words need to wait for an opportunity to be said.
Now is the time.
"Mom," Jiang Wan said solemnly, "I have things I want to do. I want to study animation and do something I enjoy. I don't have any ambitions for fame and success in life. Do you understand?"
After saying this, the waiter came over with a steaming pot.
The mother and daughter looked at each other in the swirling hot air, and for a moment, no one spoke.
Li Wan's brows slowly furrowed. "You must have thought about this for a long time. Why are you only speaking up now?"
"Because I was worried about disappointing you."
"Maybe I finally grew up to be the ideal person in your mind, but in the blink of an eye, I changed beyond recognition again. I'm sorry, I should have told you this later."
Li Wan closed her eyes. This strong woman who had dominated the workplace for years was rarely at a loss for words. "Mom isn't forcing you to do this—"
Jiang Wan just continued, "I'm sorry."
Just two words pushed the relationship between the two people to a thousand miles apart.
Li Wan swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth: "You should have told me earlier."
"Jiang Wan, whatever you do, your mother will support you."
"Just like you supported me back then."
"Mom." Jiang Wan was surprised.
Li Wan smiled and lowered her head, hiding the sudden soreness in her nose before looking up again: "I'm sorry, Mom, it took you so long to realize that you have the best daughter in the world."
"Jiang Wan, as long as you are happy and happy, if you encounter difficulties in life, just look back, I will always be there."
Jiang Wan smiled: "Mom, it's time for you to find your own happiness."
Li Wan spread his hands and said, "Why, am I not happy now?"
Jiang Wan explained: "What I mean is, if you meet a suitable partner, you can consider it."
"Considering what? Considering getting married?" Li Wan shook her head. "Please, if your grandmother were still alive, she wouldn't say such clichéd words."
"Jiang Wan." Li Wan looked at her seriously: "I won't remarry. Marriage is too complicated for me. I'm fine the way I am now."
Jiang Wan vaguely sensed the real reason behind this: "Is it because of me that you have been unwilling to remarry?"
"It's because of you." Li Wan nodded and then laughed again.
"It's because you gave me boundless courage and confidence, Wanwan."
Love based on blood is never a black-and-white thing. It is a mixture of love and hate, mutual helplessness, a hand that wants to touch but hesitates to withdraw after hysteria, and the best choice engraved in instinct and genes.
Jiang Wan's dorm was a four-person room. She occupied bed number one. Bed number two was occupied by a short-haired girl named Qian Huan, and bed number three was occupied by Zhang Yang. The girl in bed number four had never come.
Qian Huan is a quiet person, while Zhang Yang is more outgoing.
By the time Jiang Wan and Li Wan had finished their dinner and were returning to their dorm, Zhang Yang and Qian Huan had become close friends. The two were ordering takeout together.
"Hey, you're back? We're ordering takeout, do you want to join us?"
Jiang Wan smiled and said, "No, I just finished eating." He raised his hand and pointed to the bed number four across from him. "Isn't she here yet?"
Just as she finished her words, the dormitory door opened and a girl with a ponytail walked in. She smiled broadly, put her luggage on the floor, and looked around. "Looks like I'm the last one. I'm so sorry, I overslept this morning and missed the high-speed train."
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet."
"My surname is Cao, and my given name is Qing."
Zhang Yang walked over and asked Jiang Wan with a smile: "Hey, have you noticed that everyone in our dormitory has a single name? Do you think this can be considered a kind of fate?"
"Not only that, our department's most beautiful girl is in our dorm." Cao Qing looked at Jiang Wan and saw that she looked calm. "Haven't you guys checked the school forum? That's where I saw your photo, but to be honest, you look prettier in person."
Jiang Wan politely said "thank you" and changed the subject: "When will we have the second round of course selection? I didn't choose the right course when I selected it last time."
"It seems like it's mid-September. What did you choose for general education courses?"
"I looked at the online suggestions and chose writing and communication."
"Me too."
"You too?" Zhang Yang turned and asked the silent Qian Huan. After receiving the latter's nod, she happily announced, "Then we can go to class together then."
"Would you like to have dinner together tonight?" Cao Qing sat down in his chair. "And let's improve the relationship between us in 504."
The proposal was unanimously agreed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
