For her mother's safety, Zhu Qianying moved back home from the hotel. To avoid unnecessary conflicts with the Zhu family, she spent most of her days at home writing and drawing.
This time, it seems that Chen Jing is truly disheartened by Zhu Zhizhou. She doesn't bother with the messy bedroom, and she hasn't set foot in the kitchen since. She spends all her time watching TV in Xiaoyu's bedroom, and occasionally comes over to chat with her eldest daughter, Zhu Qianying, and take a nap.
The mother and daughter would go to eat at mealtimes and leave as soon as they finished. They lived such a carefree life.
"Mom, now you're more like the concubine of the Zhu family. Before, you were just a cook who could be bossed around!"
Zhu Qianying knew that her mother had finally come to her senses, and she started speaking more directly.
“Ying’er, if Mom had realized this sooner, you and Xiaoyu would have suffered less.”
Zhu Qianying smiled and said, "It's fine as it is now. As long as we can realize this and make changes, even if it's late, it's still better than never realizing it at all."
Chen Jing thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense, so she smiled and said, "Ying'er, after you're done with your wedding, take me to R City to see Xiaoyu. I want to see where she goes to school."
"Okay!" Zhu Qianying was very happy.
My mother was confused for over twenty years, and only now has she woken up. It is indeed a bit late, but it's better than her being stubbornly ignorant until her death, isn't it?
At the very least, once she and Young Master Yan get married, the three of them can live normal lives and no longer have to suffer unnecessary bullying and cold looks at the Zhu family.
"Mom, has Xiaoyu mentioned her boyfriend to you?"
Zhu Qianying recalled seeing her younger sister in R City a few days earlier and felt that something was off about her.
Zhu Qianying guessed that she was troubled by love. This girl was eighteen years old, so it was normal for her to be troubled by love.
"Xiaoyu has a boyfriend? She never mentioned it to me!" Chen Jing looked bewildered.
Actually, Zhu Qianying asked the question casually, hoping for the best. Given how much her mother cared for the two sisters, even if Xiaoyu really had a problem, she would definitely seek help and confide in her older sister, not her mother.
"Oh, so no. I was just curious. These days, a lot of college students are in relationships. I thought she would follow the trend. Besides, our Xiaoyu is so pretty and cute, it's impossible that no one is pursuing her."
The girl is a sophomore in college, but apart from mentioning to Zhu Qianying that the married man had ulterior motives towards her, she hasn't mentioned any other boys.
Chen Jing remained silent for a while, then stared at Zhu Qianying and said, "Ying'er, you and Xiaoyu, have you lost faith in love because of me?"
Zhu Qianying was taken aback. If you asked her to tell the truth, it really was true!
However, I haven't lost faith in love; I just haven't had any expectations.
When Chen Jing saw that her daughter remained silent, she knew that she had been right.
"Ying'er, I'm so sorry, look at how badly I've behaved as a mother..."
Zhu Qianying didn't want to see her mother fall into endless self-blame, so she kicked off the chair and slid down to Chen Jing. "Mom, aren't things going well between Yan Shao and me now? What's with all this talk of confidence? The key is the person."
Although, strictly speaking, she and Yan Shao couldn't even be considered friends, let alone lovers.
However, due to their different needs, they became like grasshoppers tied to both ends of a string.
Of course, she couldn't let her mother know any of this, otherwise, her mother would definitely feel remorse and self-blame again.
"You and Young Master Yan... I thought..."
Chen Jing looked at her daughter uncertainly, hesitating whether to express her thoughts.
"Do you think there's no love between us?" Zhu Qianying grinned. "Mom, haven't you heard? They say love at first sight is all about looks. With looks like Yan Shao's and mine, what do you think the chances are of us falling in love at first sight?"
Zhu Qianying was clearly lying through her teeth, but she spoke with such conviction that Chen Jing looked at her with suspicion for a few moments, but in the end, she decided to believe her.
She let out a long sigh, "It's good that you and Young Master Yan really have feelings for each other. I thought you were doing it for me and Xiaoyu..."
Zhu Qianying patted Chen Jing's hand, "Mom, do I look like such a great person? I'm selfish, don't worry."
Chen Jing stared down at her fingers for a long time before finally speaking in a murmur, "I would rather you and Xiaoyu be a little selfish and just cherish your happiness. As for me, I've lived like this for so many years, and I don't care if things continue like this!"
Zhu Qianying understood her mother's worries and the meaning behind her words, but how could she possibly ignore the people closest to her?
"Mom, you're not even forty yet. Don't worry about me and Xiaoyu. Seize the opportunity and bravely go find your second spring."
Zhu Qianying's impassioned tone and exaggerated expressions amused Chen Jing.
Chen Jing, who had finally managed to stop laughing, said, "Ying'er, forget about my second spring. The most important thing is that you and Xiaoyu can find good partners."
This conversation was the most profound and heartfelt exchange between Chen Jing and Zhu Qianying in their twenty-year mother-daughter relationship.
...
After two days of acting crazy, making Zhu Qianying eat dinner and have breakfast, Yan Shao actually calmed down. Zhu Qianying even kept her phone in a conspicuous place, ready to be called upon at any time.
But ever since she made him breakfast that day, he seemed to have disappeared and never contacted Zhu Qianying again.
Zhu Qianying was naturally happy to have some leisure time, but even in her leisure, she was still very uneasy.
After all, is the relationship between Xing Bolun Company and Yanhuang Group still at an impasse, or has the crisis been resolved?
Just as she was considering whether to call Yan Shao again and try to curry favor with him once more, Xing Bailun, who had been out of contact for several days, finally called her.
"Shadow, thank you!" Xing Bolun said, expressing his gratitude as soon as he spoke.
Zhu Qianying quickly realized that the Yanhuang Group had lifted its sanctions against the Xing family.
"Aaron, it's only been a few days, and we've really fallen behind each other. Why are you thanking me for no reason?"
Zhu Qianying got up and lazily half-reclined on the sofa.
“Shadow, I know, it was you who pleaded with Young Master Yan.”
Xing Bailun's tone didn't seem to convey any joy at the resolution of the problem; in fact, it carried a hint of loneliness and helplessness.
"Aaron, what are you talking about? You're confusing me." Zhu Qianying was determined not to admit anything.
This matter originated with her, and it is her duty to resolve it.
She was the one who caused trouble for Xing Bailun and the others, and now he's thanking her. How can she accept that with a clear conscience?
"Shadow, stop pretending. Qi Xiao told me everything. I gave him a good scolding. I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position!"
The more polite Xing Bailun was, the more upset Zhu Qianying felt.
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