Shen Xingzhi said in a hoarse voice, "Rong Yan, go to sleep."
Rong Yan glanced at her best friend, who wasn't feeling well, and hesitated before speaking.
"Go ahead, we'll talk about it tomorrow," Shen Xingzhi urged. "Goodnight."
"Okay, there's water in the bedside refrigerator. Help yourself if you're thirsty," Rong Yan said before going upstairs.
Yu Wenhao sent Shen Xingzhi more than a dozen messages, but received no reply.
The man sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly out the window. Downstairs, his mother was fast asleep, snoring loudly.
Having finally overcome his inferiority complex, Yu Wenhao's mental defenses crumbled instantly after his mother's outburst.
His mother was right. He and Shen Xingzhi were from different worlds. It was hard to change the deep-rooted ideas of the older generation. As the only son of the Yu family, he couldn't completely abandon his parents, nor could he keep them by his side.
Shen Xingzhi made it clear that she hoped not to see Yu's mother when she went home at noon tomorrow, as she could not accept her family members, especially those from the countryside.
Yu Wenhao held his head in his hands. He would leave with his mother tomorrow.
He sent another message: "Xingzhi, I'm taking Mom with me after I wake up tomorrow."
Shen Xingzhi looked at the latest message and finally replied with a single word: "Okay".
But it was this one word that solidified Yu Wenhao's determination to leave. His girlfriend ignored all the other messages he received, but she replied to the only one that prompted his mother to leave.
Yu Wenhao sighed and locked the screen.
He tiptoed and tidied up his clothes. When he opened the wardrobe, he realized that almost all the clothes he had worn since arriving in Tiancheng were bought by Shen Xingzhi. When he reached out to take the clothes, his hand clenched into a fist in mid-air and then he pulled it back. Did these count as his own?
His mother said that a real man shouldn't rely on a woman to make a living, but he did, which was a disgrace to the Yu family.
The thought of being a kept man deeply wounded Yu Wenhao's pride.
These days, he really felt invisible, constantly trying to please Shen Xingzhi, even in their marital life, afraid that he wouldn't do well and would be disliked by his girlfriend. He was the only college graduate from a prestigious university in the surrounding area, and it was really shameful for him to follow his girlfriend around after graduation.
Yu Wenhao was extremely self-conscious, and he only took his change of underwear with him.
The second floor of Yushui Bay.
Rong Yan couldn't sleep at all.
She leaned against Fu Jingsheng's chest, her fingers tracing the man's abs: "Honey, I have a feeling that Yu Wenhao will really go with his mother."
Fu Jingsheng's expression froze: "Go back to your hometown? Break up with Shen Xingzhi?"
“Yes, when Yu Wenhao was in school, I heard Xingzhi say that he had a very strong sense of self-esteem. What Yu’s mother said was undoubtedly hitting the nail on the head. At first, he didn’t want to stay at Xingzhi’s place and preferred to pay more to stay outside by himself.” Rongyan was worried that if her best friend let Yu Wenhao take Yu’s mother away, Yu Wenhao would leave with her.
“Who doesn’t have a strong sense of self-respect? If she can’t stand it because of what his mother said and breaks up with him, then she’s better off without a man like that.” Fu Jingsheng frowned. “Wife, don’t make the decision for them. If Shen Xingzhi really wants to marry Yu Wenhao, she will have to face these things sooner or later. Let her make her own choice.”
“I know, I’m worried that Yu Wenhao will just leave tomorrow. What will Xingzhi do then? Xingzhi cares about him a lot.”
"If we solve problems by running away, wouldn't it be better to find out now that Yu Wenhao is that kind of person? We can cut our losses in time." Fu Jingsheng was more optimistic.
In the guest room, Shen Xingzhi didn't sleep all night.
Closing her eyes, the fierce look on her mother's face as she berated her flashed through her mind. What hurtful things did she say? She had never even spoken to a stranger like that.
Shen Xingzhi suddenly understood what her mother had said: a marriage between people of unequal social standing would not be happy. Yu Wenhao's family was of average means, and he was introverted and concerned about his image. Shen Xingzhi was much better than him. In the short term, a man could endure it, but as long as there was a trigger, he would definitely vent his pent-up emotions.
Last time he vented his anger by drinking, but this time his mother spoke so frankly, will Yu Wenhao vent again? Will he leave Tiancheng? Or will he rent a new place with his mother?
Shen Xingzhi had a bad feeling.
She wanted to go back and check on her, but she was afraid that if her mother-in-law was still there, they would start arguing.
The woman stayed up until dawn, got up to wash up, and then called Rong Yan. Rong Yan had set her alarm early in the morning, and her phone rang while she was brushing her teeth. She told her best friend that she would come down right away.
The two of them were thinking the same thing.
Rong Yan came up with a plan: she pretended that Shen Xingzhi was going on a business trip and went to help her get her things, which would also give her a chance to check on the situation at home.
Fu Jingsheng was worried about his wife going alone, so he decided to accompany her, while Shen Xingzhi waited in the car.
At eight o'clock, Rong Yan knocked on the door.
Yu Wenhao thought Shen Xingzhi had returned and happily went to open the door.
Yu's mother stopped her son: "Look at you, so worthless. In our village, when a wife gets angry, she runs away to spend the night outside. I'll open the door; I need to talk to her." The woman rushed to open the door.
Yu Wenhao shielded his mother behind him: "Mom, Xingzhi went to Rongyan's house. Before I came, she basically lived with Rongyan. Rongyan is no stranger; the two are closer than blood sisters..."
"Stop defending her. Be more mindful. Women shouldn't be spoiled," Mrs. Yu said sternly.
"Mom, this is Xingzhi's house. I beg you to say less and wait there. I'll talk to her, okay?" Yu Wenhao threatened. "If you don't listen, I'll send you away in a bit."
"Fine, you can do it." Mrs. Yu huffed and puffed as she returned to the sofa.
Yu Wenhao opened the door with a smile: "Xingzhi." As soon as he spoke, he looked up and saw that Rong Yan was standing there.
The smile on the man's face froze instantly: "Rong Yan?"
Yu Wenhao craned his neck to look outside.
"Xingzhi didn't come." Rong Yan knew he was looking for Shen Xingzhi.
"She was going on a business trip in the afternoon, so I helped her with her luggage."
"Business trip?" Yu Wenhao hadn't heard Shen Xingzhi mention it before.
The man closed the door and stood outside with Rong Yan. He asked, "Is Xingzhi deliberately avoiding me?"
"No, what's going on?" Rong Yan lied. "Has Auntie calmed down?"
Yu Wenhao shook his head: "Then tell her that I'll be taking my mom away in a bit, and I promise she won't come back."
The man wanted to add that he would also move out, but the words just wouldn't come out.
"And you?" Rong Yan asked.
“Me?” Yu Wenhao pointed to himself. “I tried to persuade both sides. Xingzhi and my mother have the same temper. My mother wasn’t like this before; she was very good to me. I don’t know why she was so unreasonable yesterday. Rongyan, is Xingzhi alright? Is she blaming me? I really… don’t know what to do.” The man lowered his head.
"Are you going with your mother?" Rong Yan voiced her concerns.
Yu Wenhao suddenly paused, then denied it: "No."
Rong Yan noticed the man's uncomfortable expression, but instead of asking further, she pretended to go inside and help Shen Xingzhi pack some clothes.
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