Chapter 25 refers to Sima Zhao's intentions as "as clear as day."
25
Upon hearing this, Meng Yao suddenly seemed to understand something and gave a mischievous smile, with a hint of jest: "The pain of one's family of origin, I understand, I understand. Because of my parents' unhappy marriage, I also lost hope for my own marriage?"
Fang Huaixu didn't understand her thought process and shook his head slightly: "My parents' marriage was not unhappy. I only found out that my father did not recognize my mother's achievements long after my mother passed away. From childhood to adulthood, they always appeared to be very loving in front of me. When my mother was busy with work, it was always my father who took care of my life. His concern for me was no less than that for my mother."
Meng Yao sometimes really hates herself for being so talkative.
Judging from Fang Huaixu's usually stable emotions, one should be able to guess that he must be a damn lucky person who grew up in love.
She seemed to have lost all her strength, and helplessly leaned against the railing, supporting her face: "I didn't ask any more questions."
Seeing her gloomy expression, Fang Huaixu leaned against her and asked, "You seem very disappointed?"
"I guess so. It's more like envy and jealousy."
Meng Yao has never liked to pretend to be a saint, and she expressed her emotions very frankly: "When I first heard about your family situation, I thought that someone like you would have similar troubles as me. Now I realize that while I was told from a young age that my biological father was a beast, you unsurprisingly grew up carefree under the comfort of your parents. We seem to be from two different worlds."
Fang Huaixu looked at her thoughtfully. After a long sigh, she continued to explain: "I have lived in fear and trembling all my life so far. My grandmother told me that I must work hard and strive to survive, to fight for my pride, and not to be looked down upon or trampled on. I must use every cunning method to live. I feel so tired every day and dare not relax for a moment."
"But you always seem so calm. No matter what happens, you are calmer and more composed than I expected. It's as if you are confident in everything you do. Even when you rebel against something without hesitation, it's to stick to what you love. You don't have to worry about not having a chance to turn back after making a mistake. But I don't even have a hobby of my own. I can't imagine the world in your eyes, and I will never have the chance to experience your life again, so I feel very regretful."
Fang Huaixu seemed to understand, and stopped looking at her face, lowering his head and remaining silent for a long time.
Meng Yao also sensed the heavy atmosphere. Knowing that Fang Huaixu was a very self-reflective person, she realized that her casual remark was not meant to upset him. So she simply turned her head and changed the subject: "So I'm quite curious, why would someone like you have the idea of not getting married?"
Fang Huaixu slightly raised his head and opened his eyes, his gaze falling on something not far away. He was a little embarrassed: "It's also because my family is relatively happy that I know how much effort a healthy family needs to put in. But I'm ready to dedicate my life to research."
When asked about his aspirations, Fang Huaixu smiled faintly: "Medical research, especially the development of new drugs, has a long cycle and requires more time and energy than most people can imagine. I can't balance family and work, so I'm destined not to be able to give my partner the companionship she deserves. I don't want my wife to endure a widowed-like emotional life."
Meng Yao frowned slightly as she listened: "Here we go again. This kind of thinking shows your contempt for your future partner. She also has her own career and life. Why do you assume that she has to worry about whether her husband comes home every day? Can't a husband and wife each have their own independent lives?"
"She may not mind, but I can't help feeling guilty."
Fang Huaixu's voice was low as he patiently explained, "I can't be there for her when she needs me, I can't participate in every important moment of her life, and I might even miss out on basic daily interactions. If she marries someone who can provide her with normal companionship and emotional support, she can easily have a successful career and love life. I don't want to use my ideals and career to bind another person; she shouldn't passively lose the right to enjoy a complete partnership."
He shrugged, his eyes gentle yet unwavering: "So, I am very self-aware when it comes to love and marriage. Since I have chosen this career, I am definitely not the best choice."
Meng Yao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't find any logical flaws in his statement for the time being.
This self-sacrificing sense of responsibility left her almost speechless. Every word Fang Huaixu spoke was gentle and pure, yet it carried a kind of resoluteness and strength that she couldn't quite describe.
The air seemed to freeze for a long time before Fang Huaixu finally broke the silence: "I think I understand what you're thinking. I am indeed a very stubborn person. Once I've made up my mind about something, I'll stick to it no matter what. I initially entered this industry out of spite, to see what kind of people my mother had spent her whole life trying to help. But after seeing their lives, I felt very guilty, because I realized then that I was one of the luckiest people born. I felt guilty for having been jealous of them for taking away my mother's attention. So when you said those things just now, I was at a loss, and I wanted to do everything I could to share my good fortune with more people."
His words were calm, yet carried a profound sense of power.
Meng Yao had always thought that he was tired of his gentle power. She only felt that he was hypocritical and did not understand why he would make such a sacrifice, nor did she understand what the benefit was in such a selfless dedication.
As someone in a position of power, there are plenty of opportunities to be praised. Why give up a comfortable life for such empty fame and choose a path that is misunderstood, thankless, and lonely?
But looking at his silhouette softened by the night, his eyes as clear as a calm lake reflecting the moonlight, she suddenly realized that her feelings were not simply pure annoyance.
That was the same feeling she had tonight after discovering Fang Huaixu's smooth-sailing first half of life; she was envious, even jealous, of his ability to love like a flowing stream.
At that moment, she felt her heart skip a beat, and unspoken words were stuck in her throat, almost overflowing: Why couldn't she have such an ability?
The evening breeze blowing in our faces dispelled the somewhat heavy topic of conversation.
She came to her senses and her voice softened: "Anyway... thank you for speaking up for me tonight. I've repaid the last favor, and I'll find a way to make up for this one later."
Fang Huaixu chuckled and reached out to take her hand as they walked towards the parking lot.
Thinking about all the good things that happened today, Meng Yao was in a great mood. She immediately put on a smug look and pointed briskly at a magnificent office building across the street, trying to dispel the lingering feelings: "Just you wait, when I've worked hard to make my business bigger in the future, I'll buy that building across the street and give it to you as a branch!"
Fang Huaixu looked in the direction she pointed, a smile flashing in his eyes: "Then we really need to work hard. If we work hard according to the market price and the revenue from today's live broadcast, we should be fine in about ten years."
Meng Yao paused, keenly catching the information: "...Why do you talk like you know the price of that building?"
Fang Huaixu raised an eyebrow at her, choosing silence as his answer.
Meng Yao gasped, "Don't tell me that building is yours too?"
Fang Huaixu smiled and nodded frankly.
Meng Yao pinched her philtrum, staring at the gleaming building in the night, feeling like she could hardly breathe: "Fang Huaixu... do you know, I don't care about being a widow or marriage anymore. Until now, this is the only moment I really want to marry you."
"So it's only this moment?" Fang Huaixu chuckled softly, exhaling a long breath and feigning regret: "It's too precious, a moment worth a building. Miss Meng's intentions are as clear as day."
Not to be outdone by his teasing, Meng Yao deliberately leaned closer and blinked, saying in a playful and slightly joking tone, "Honey~ how can you question the intentions of such a cute and hardworking little girl?"
I just wanted to make a joke and get back at them.
However, the moment those words left her lips, she clearly saw Fang Huaixu freeze.
Even though the lights weren't bright, his face was turning red rapidly, as if he had been paused to ripen completely, and even the tips of his ears weren't spared.
Just moments ago, people were rationally discussing marriage and ideals; now, they're like teenagers experiencing their first stirrings of love, awkwardly and flusteredly looking away, completely at a loss.
The sudden contrast and the long silence made Meng Yao's face flush red. The awkward atmosphere made it impossible for her to let go of his hand or to make excuses and explain. She could only look at him with trembling lips and then hurriedly move away.
"You..." she began, her voice trembling as she spoke, "Say something..."
She thought Fang Huaixu would just laugh it off, but this was completely different from what she had imagined!
Fang Huaixu seemed to wake up suddenly, cleared his throat hastily and explained, "I know... I know you were joking."
"Then you should pick up on the joke!"
His dry explanation only made Meng Yao angrier, even a little exasperated: "What's the point of you not saying anything? I'm so... embarrassed."
Fang Huaixu pursed his lips, the blush on the tips of his ears becoming even more pronounced: "This is a very formal form of address... I didn't realize it."
Hearing this, the two became even more embarrassed. Meng Yao quickly said "Oh" and hastily concluded, "I am indeed your current wife, there's no problem."
Fang Huaixu nodded several times: "Yes."
Meng Yao continued to argue, "Anyway, you're not planning to get married. You're just using my marriage experience card to feel the atmosphere of marriage. It's just a form of address, what's wrong with calling me that?"
Fang Huaixu was speechless, but still agreed: "Yes."
But she preferred Fang Huaixu to make a few casual jokes. Her cheeks burned even more, and she finally gave up struggling, pulling Fang Huaixu along to walk faster.
Once inside the car, the driver smoothly started the vehicle and drove towards home.
The car was unusually quiet. Meng Yao turned her head to look at the dazzling lights rushing past outside the window, feeling the heat on her face linger for a long time.
Fang Huaixu stared straight ahead, his posture more upright than usual, his expression tense as if he were pondering some difficult problem.
An unspoken awkwardness and a hint of ambiguity quietly fermented in the small space until they arrived at the apartment and hurriedly fled back to their rooms.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
