Chapter 103: Xu Junheng and Wen Haijing Three Years Later
When Wen Haijing's parents received Wang Suping's voice call, they were overjoyed to learn that their daughter was not only "dining at upscale restaurants" abroad, but also hooking up with the son of a famous professor.
In their minds, filled with patriarchal ideas, a shortcut to "gold mine" was immediately sketched out.
They were no longer satisfied with a down payment of 200,000 yuan because their beloved son was unwilling to settle down as a security guard and had quit his job to play video games at home every day. Even if they managed to scrape together the down payment, they wouldn't have much money left to pay the mortgage.
What followed happened so fast it caught everyone off guard.
Based on the information provided by Wang Suping regarding Chen Guimo and his wife's workplace and return date, Wen Dongping and Wang Suying took leave from the construction site three days later and traveled by train to Jiangzhou.
On the campus of Jiangzhou University, in front of the office building of the School of Chemical Engineering where Professor Li Ningchu works, a middle-aged man and woman, dressed in rustic clothes, looking excited and speaking very loudly, appeared. They were Wen Haijing's parents.
Wen Dongping and his wife went to Li Ningchu to ask for a dowry of one million yuan, but when they failed to get it, they were indignant.
Li Ningchu's family wasn't necessarily unable to come up with the money, but she was starting to worry about the consequences.
They shouted loudly and without restraint, "Professor Chen's son cheated our daughter," "We must give an explanation," "Don't even think about talking without a million-dollar dowry," and other offensive words, which drew the attention of countless teachers and students.
Professor Chen and Professor Li had never experienced anything like this before.
Faced with such unreasonable and disruptive in-laws, explanations and persuasion were completely ineffective, and calling the police would affect the feelings of her son. She was overwhelmed and exhausted.
The goodwill and sympathy they originally had for Wen Haijing were completely transformed into shock and a deep sense of powerlessness under the impact of this crazy farce.
They finally understood why Wen Haijing had remained silent at the time.
It wasn't just a simple case of "average family background"; it was a bottomless quagmire from which, once you got involved, there would be endless trouble and humiliation.
Finally, Chen Ran's mother, with a hint of embarrassment, dialed Wen Haijing's number.
"Jingjing, Auntie knows you're a good girl." The voice on the other end of the phone was full of helplessness. "But your parents have come to our workplace. A family like ours really can't afford in-laws like this. For the sake of our family's peace, Auntie begs you... to leave Chen Ran."
Wen Haijing calmly said into the microphone, "Auntie, I understand. Don't worry, I know what to do."
Of course she knew. From the moment her aunt appeared, she foresaw this ending.
She even felt that this ending could be traced back to a long time ago.
When she was a freshman in college, her family arranged blind dates for her to pay for the bride price. She knew then that men from wealthy families would almost never accept her parents. Even if the man didn't mind, her parents would make a scene.
Most normal, respectable families wouldn't want to get involved in such trouble. Chen Ran's family did nothing wrong. They simply chose to protect themselves.
Wen Haijing could almost picture the scene her parents would create at the other person's workplace. Li Ningchu offered no accusations, no insults, only a clear-headed severance based on reality. She knew that Professor Chen and his wife had already done the best they could within their bounds of propriety.
My chest aches dully, but more than that, I feel a sense of weariness and relief that everything has finally settled.
That's fine.
These were two paths that should never have intersected; it was her yearning for that warmth that led things to this embarrassing situation.
She picked up her phone and found Chen Ran's number. Her fingertips were cold, but she steadily typed out a line of text.
"Chen Ran, let's not contact each other anymore. Thank you for all the kindness and goodwill you've given me. I sincerely wish you all the best. Goodbye."
Soon, the phone screen lit up with Chen Ran's reply. It was so fast, as if he had been holding the phone, waiting for something.
Okay. Take care.
There were no follow-up questions, no nagging, not even a single unnecessary word. He was so decisive and efficient, unlike his usual cheerful and talkative self.
Wen Haijing's eyes welled up with tears as she read the brief reply.
Chen Ran is always considerate, and even at times like this, he chose to say goodbye in a way that wouldn't put her in a difficult position.
In the boys' dormitory, Chen Ran was indeed holding his phone, staring at the resolute farewell on the screen, and remained motionless for a very long time.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on his always smiling face, but now only a blank emptiness and a strange, dull ache remained.
His mother's sighs and pleas on the phone, his father's hesitant helplessness, and the embarrassing scenes of Wen Haijing's parents causing trouble at his door that he pieced together from snippets of conversation from others... all of it overwhelmed him like a tide.
He has always been cheerful and believed that as long as he is sincere and hardworking enough, he can overcome any obstacle.
Only now did he realize with absolute clarity that some obstacles did not originate from the two of them, but from the family vortex behind her that he was completely powerless to change and unable to bear. It was a shadow that could not be dispelled by sunshine and enthusiasm.
He didn't reply further, didn't ask "why," didn't say "I don't care," or "I can try again."
He locked himself in his dorm room for a whole day, neither eating nor drinking. From the initial shock and pain, to the later confusion and loss, and finally, a kind of almost cruel clarity slowly emerged.
He'd figured it out. It wasn't that he no longer liked her, but rather that he understood the weight of reality. Promising his mother he wouldn't pursue Wen Haijing anymore was the most painful yet responsible decision he could make as a son, and as a man beginning to face reality. He didn't want to hide his relationship with Wen Haijing from his parents and then end up not marrying her.
Chen Ran was worried that Wen Haijing might be feeling even worse right now, and that she would have to face yet another blow from her family alone.
However, he knew the outcome was irreversible. He felt even more strongly that he shouldn't add to her burden or become a new source of trouble for her.
He deleted the text message and exited the chat with her.
Goodbye.
*
Three years later.
On the UBC campus, cherry blossoms bloom and fade.
Wen Haijing graduated with her bachelor's degree. She also successfully applied for a master's program in chemical engineering at the same university, and with her outstanding academic potential and research achievements, she successfully applied for a scholarship that could cover all tuition fees.
Standing among the graduates, she wore a loose-fitting academic gown and a square cap. She was still slender, but the calm demeanor that had settled in her eyes due to long-term focus and self-discipline had replaced her former paleness and panic.
She tilted her head slightly; the sunlight was a bit dazzling.
In a daze, she seemed to see a tall figure standing in a corner outside the crowd, but upon closer inspection, she saw only unfamiliar faces and a throng of heads.
It must be an illusion.
The name Xu Junheng is like a coordinate in her heart that has been carefully sealed away. It no longer brings intense emotional fluctuations, but it still exists.
She knows that Xu Junheng's financial support has been a crucial foundation for her ability to focus wholeheartedly on getting to where she is today.
Because she occasionally saw that some of her fellow international students were in dire straits due to their families cutting off their allowances, she still used the money Xu Junheng gave her back then very frugally.
Next, she will pursue a master's degree. With the scholarship covering her tuition, she will only need to work to earn her living expenses.
Xu Junheng's original sum of money still has a considerable amount left. Part of it was kept in a separate account and never touched, like a "reserve grain" that she subconsciously didn't want to use.
The white irises never appeared again after she was discharged from the hospital, as if they were just a silent companion during a specific period.
Xu Junheng himself completely "disappeared" from her life, without a single word, and he never even visited her again as her cousin. It was as if that intersection that changed the trajectory of her life was just a vague dream in her troubled youth.
But has it really disappeared?
The noise after the graduation ceremony gradually subsided. Wen Haijing returned to her student apartment. The room wasn't large, but it was clean and bright, with several potted green plants on the windowsill, full of vitality.
She picked up her phone and habitually checked her messages. Several congratulatory messages from classmates, greetings from her cousin Wen Xueyan, and a bank deposit notification.
Her gaze was fixed on the screen.
+ CAD 300,000.00
The remitter's information was brief, with only one sentence in the remarks section: "Wishing you success in your postgraduate studies."
300,000 Canadian dollars.
No signature.
At that moment, Wen Haijing knew this feeling all too well. It wasn't surprise, nor astonishment, but a sense of relief, a confirmation mixed with endless bitterness and deep emotion.
It was him.
It can only be Xu Junheng.
Three hundred thousand Canadian dollars. That's not a small amount; it's enough for her to live a relatively comfortable life during her master's studies, without having to worry about making a living.
He knew that as she graduated from her undergraduate studies and entered a new phase, she needed stronger support.
Tears welled up without warning, sliding down my cheeks and dripping onto the phone screen, blurring the numbers.
It wasn't resentment, nor sadness. It was an overwhelming emotion that she didn't know how to name.
It was gratitude, gratitude for his silent yet unwavering protection over the years. Even when she thought they were even and each other was doing well, he was still watching over her, calculating her needs, and giving her the most practical support.
He is still giving, while she is still receiving. This unequal relationship seems to be impossible to truly balance, and it also seems impossible to truly sever.
She recalled the white irises in the hospital room three years ago, the huge bill her "cousin" paid during the surgery, and how she later learned from the doctor that her illness was fortunate to have been treated in time, otherwise the prognosis would have been very poor, and the five-year survival rate would have been far from ideal.
She raised her hand, forcefully wiping away her tears, staring at the remittance. Reason told her she should return it; after all, she had now graduated with a bachelor's degree and had more earning power than before, or at least she should ask about the details.
She even pulled up Xu Junheng's number, which she hadn't contacted in a long time.
But what should we say?
At the very least, we should say thank you in person, for all the unspoken past.
She finally pressed the dial button. Would he answer? Maybe not. Maybe this call would sink without a trace, like most of their interactions, a one-sided, silent exchange.
However, just as she was about to give up and hang up, the call was answered.
"Hello."
A deep, familiar male voice came through the airwaves, less cold and hard than I remembered.
Wen Haijing choked up instantly, all the prepared opening remarks stuck in her throat. After a few seconds, she finally spoke: "President Xu, it's me, Wen Haijing."
"Okay," came the reply. "I know. Congratulations on your graduation ceremony today."
He actually knew! Wen Haijing gripped her phone tightly. She tried to keep her voice calm: "Thank you. I called to thank you for the money you transferred. It's too much."
"Of course." His reply was brief and emotionless.
“I’m doing fine now. My scholarship covers my tuition, and I can manage my living expenses on my own. I can actually pay you back that money…”
"Jingjing," he suddenly interrupted her, his voice deep and slow, "Keep the money, just in case. Don't refuse, okay?"
The tone was almost pleading, which made Wen Haijing swallow back all the words she wanted to say. Her nose tingled, and she lowered her eyes.
"Okay," she replied softly, then mustered her courage and asked, "Mr. Xu, how have you been lately?"
The silence on the other end of the phone lasted even longer. So long that Wen Haijing thought the signal had been lost and couldn't help but say "Hello."
Then she heard the answer that nearly froze her blood.
“I…” he replied, “I’m in Vancouver.”
Wen Haijing suddenly looked up, almost unable to believe her ears. "...What?"
“I’m in Vancouver,” Xu Junheng repeated, his voice clearer and seemingly closer, as if no longer separated by thousands of miles. “I arrived last night. I’ve also booked a flight back to China for tomorrow.”
Vancouver! He's here? Right now, under the same sky as her? For the first time in three years, the physical distance between them has suddenly been shortened to the same city.
"Where exactly are you?" Wen Haijing asked.
“Not far from UBC. A hotel.” He gave her a name; it was a Vancouver hotel known for its understated luxury, and it was indeed only a twenty-minute drive from her apartment.
"Can I see you?" The question came out almost without thinking. A strong impulse supported her; she had to see him, otherwise he was leaving tomorrow, and she didn't know when she would see him again.
Right now, today.
Some words, some emotions, can never be expressed across the Pacific Ocean.
Xu Junheng seemed surprised that she would propose a meeting so directly. "Okay. Where are you? I'll come find you, or is it convenient for you to take a taxi to my hotel?"
Upon hearing about the hotel, and considering that he had given her money again today, Xu Junheng was reminded of the deal from years ago. So, before Wen Haijing could answer, he quickly added, "There's a coffee shop downstairs in the hotel."
“I’m coming to find you,” Wen Haijing said immediately. She needed some time on the way to process the turmoil in her heart.
The hotel was soon arrived at. The modern building stood nestled among the green trees, understated yet stylish. Wen Haijing stepped into the lobby.
A cool breeze carrying a faint fragrance wafted towards her, and her somewhat slender figure was reflected on the smooth marble floor.
The coffee shop was located on the side of the hotel's first floor; it had an elegant ambiance and wasn't crowded. Her gaze almost immediately locked onto that figure.
Xu Junheng sat by the window, wearing a dark blue shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, and without a tie.
He turned his head slightly to look out the window, his profile still sharp, with a glass of water in front of him.
As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head.
Wen Haijing stood there. He seemed unchanged, yet he also seemed to have changed a lot. He was still the same tall, imposing man with a powerful aura, but he had lost some of his former flamboyant arrogance, replaced by a more restrained and profound presence.
He took a few steps forward, and with one hand, seemingly very naturally, he gently grasped her slender wrist.
Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
They finally met. Separated by thousands of miles and year after year, he finally waited for her to graduate. He could finally pursue Wen Haijing openly.
finally
Yes, thank you for reading and replying. The next chapter is about the two people meeting.
Yes, thank you for your message, it's very heartwarming.
Thank you for the flowers, they're so heartwarming.
Author, please try to update with a long, satisfying chapter! It's not enough!
Thank you for your comments, votes, and flowers. I'm so touched. Thank you for reading.
Together! Together! Mr. Xu and Jingjing, together! Steamed buns, sprinkled with sugar, a happy reunion! Hahahaha
We finally met.
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