Chapter 122
They officially announced their marriage registration, but not their pregnancy. Besides Du Yuan, they only told Song Xiaolei and Xiaoyuan. Although they didn't restrict Lin Ting's work, they still wanted to be careful. They told her to pay more attention to her when she was in the shop and not to get so busy that she would neglect everything else. They said that the first three months of pregnancy are unstable and that it would be bad if she bumped or hurt herself.
Lin Ting's pregnancy symptoms weren't severe. Apart from being a little sleepy and vomiting once, she didn't experience any other discomfort, which put Chen Zhiyi at ease.
Since switching careers to become a director, Chen Zhiyi prefers to write and direct his own films, turning down many scripts that offered him acting roles. His recent work involves preparing for the release of "First Love" and developing a new script, which is relatively free, unlike his previous work schedule of leaving early and returning late with irregular hours. Now, he gets up early to cook breakfast, helps Lin Ting wash up, eats breakfast, and takes her to her shop. In the evening, he takes her home, washes his hands, cooks dinner for her, and massages her legs before bed. At these times, Chen Zhiyi is filled with worry.
"Your legs are so thin, and with twins, your body is getting heavier and heavier. Can your legs support it? Should I buy you a wheelchair?"
"..."
She's pregnant, not disabled.
Chen Zhiyi would wake up at the slightest sound from Lin Tingdong in the middle of the night and ask her what was wrong. If she needed to use the restroom, he would definitely follow her.
It's said that women are prone to anxiety and depression after becoming pregnant, but looking at Chen Zhiyi's condition, I think men are quite susceptible to it too.
Song Xiaolei complained to Lin Ting, saying that she didn't know how lucky she was. She said that whether a man treats you well or not is not determined by his behavior before marriage, but by his behavior after marriage, especially when she is pregnant, which can really prove whether she married a good person or a bad one.
Lin Ting countered, "Then what do you think Chen Zhiyi is now?"
"Of course he's a god. In my heart, my brother-in-law will always be my god."
"..."
In the evening, as the shop was about to close, Lin Ting received a message from Chen Zhiyi saying that he would be half an hour late to pick her up. Everyone else had something to do and left at the end of the workday. Xiao Yuan offered to stay with her, but Lin Ting refused, saying that she was tired enough from work during the day and wanted to go home and rest early.
Lin Ting is now treated the same as a national treasure panda, but even pandas have rest days.
Don't be too anxious. Our parents' generation went to work even when they were pregnant. If they could do it, so can we.
So, after Lin Ting refused repeatedly, Xiao Yuan left.
Lin Ting was the only one left in the shop. She sat on the sofa and checked the customer orders for the day to make sure nothing was missed.
The doorbell rang, and Lin Ting turned around. He'd been calling out so much lately that his brain hadn't quite registered it yet, and he naturally blurted out, "Welcome!"
After recognizing who it was, Lin Ting stood up from the sofa, looking rather awkward.
Thinking about it, it's been ten years since we last met.
I had thought we might meet again. We may have verbally severed ties, but legally and by blood, we can't. Besides, I'm carrying their grandchildren. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Chen Lan hadn't changed much; she was as elegant and poised as she had been ten years ago. Chen Tiansheng, on the other hand, had aged considerably. His hair was a mix of black and white, and the wrinkles on his face were clearly visible. Moreover, his left leg seemed to be weak, and he needed a cane. It was hard to connect him with the powerful and influential Governor Chen that Lin Ting remembered.
Regardless, Lin Ting still felt nervous and intimidated when she saw them. Although she and Chen Zhiyi had already gotten married, she still felt inferior because of the difference in their family backgrounds and was betrayed by the fact that they had taken their son away. Naturally, she would lower her head.
He rubbed his hands together in front of him, unsure of how to begin.
Lin Ting hesitated, unsure of Chen Zhiyi's intentions, wondering if the family of three would start arguing again when they met once more.
Torn between conflicting emotions, a silence fell over the room.
Chen Lan broke the ice first, her tone familiar and friendly, "Are we too late? Is the shop about to close?"
Lin Ting shook her head and gestured invitingly, "No, no, please sit down."
Chen Lan helped Chen Tiansheng sit on the sofa opposite.
Lin Ting picked up the kettle from the middle tea table, only to find it was empty. She stood up and said, "I'll go get some water."
Chen Lan quickly stopped her, "I'm not thirsty, don't bother, and..." she trailed off, "You're heavily pregnant now, you need to be careful."
Lin Ting blushed slightly, probably because Du Yuan had told them.
Chen Lan looked around and said, "The shop is nicely decorated; the taste is good."
"Thanks."
"Can you customize one for me?"
"ah?"
Why wouldn't you?
"No, no, which one do you like? I'll take your measurements."
Chen Lan smiled and said, "You're still so polite, always calling me 'you' and 'sister.' Now that we're all family, you should change how you address me."
Lin Ting was completely stunned.
Chen Lan glanced at Chen Tiansheng beside her, then patted his thigh, "We're all getting old, and we just want to enjoy our retirement years, spending time with our grandchildren and enjoying the happiness of family life."
Chen Tiansheng didn't speak, but smiled, a gentle and kind look flashing in his eyes.
Chen Lan continued, saying that as one gets older, one comes to understand some of life's truths. "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. In the past, we interfered too much with Zhiyi, always imposing our ideas on him and refusing to listen to his true needs. Over time, resentment grew, the family separated, and we became distracted. Now we are just like the elderly who have lost their only child, full of regret."
“Now that his father and I have stepped back from the front lines, watching his work at home makes us realize how wrong we were in the past. Fortunately, he met you, and fortunately, he stuck to his principles. He is truly charismatic and talented on screen. We are very happy to see everyone's love and praise for him, and we are beaming with pride.”
At this point, Lin Ting finally understood why the two had come here: they wanted to reconcile. Who wouldn't want their children and grandchildren by their side in their old age? They also knew that going directly to Chen Zhiyi might not work, so they came to him first.
"Chen Zhiyi will be here soon. I think he'll be happy to hear what we just said." Lin Ting smiled slightly.
Chen Lan said with relief, "As expected, my first impression was right. You are really smart. It's a blessing that you two can still be together after ten years. His father and I can only wish you well. You've done much better than us, truly loving one person for a lifetime. We, on the contrary, feel ashamed." At the end, Lin Ting saw a trace of loneliness in Chen Lan's eyes, which he couldn't understand.
Chen Lan noticed Lin Ting's question but didn't explain further. She nudged Chen Tiansheng, who had been sitting silently beside her, and said, "You're the one who caused this mess in your relationship with your son. You're the one who's to blame."
Chen Tiansheng frowned, still maintaining his airs, "Did he even have a proper conversation with me? Does he still consider me his father?"
Chen Lan chuckled, "Just keep putting on an act. When you were lying in bed after your stroke, you weren't all high and mighty. You were staring at the ward door every day, hoping your son would come."
Stroke? Lin Ting's expression changed slightly. "Governor Chen, how are you now?"
Chen Lan interrupted, "What Governor Chen? I just said I was going to change how I address you. Try calling me something else."
Lin felt uncomfortable and couldn't bring himself to call out to Chen Ningtiansheng; the psychological barrier between them remained.
Chen Lan punched Ning Tiansheng again, raised her eyebrows at him, and gritted her teeth, her voice muffled, "Don't forget why you came here today."
Chen Tiansheng seemed resigned, but the sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable. "I don't know how to address you now, so I'll just call you by your full name, Lin Ting. Regardless, I want to say sorry first. What I did back then truly hurt you. Now that you and Zhiyi are married, it's fine if you want to call me 'Dad,' or not, it doesn't matter, I don't care. My past professional identity and the family behind me forced me to do some ruthless things. I think if you were in my shoes, you would have done the same. Some people act on emotion, but I'm more rational. I need..." Weighing the pros and cons requires decisive action and making choices. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but I hope you can understand. But everyone grows old eventually, especially after recovering from a serious illness and surviving a near-death experience. Many things become clearer in one's mind. I've given half my life to the country and the people, and I have a clear conscience. Now that I'm old, I want to dedicate the rest of my time to my family and make up for the responsibilities I haven't been able to fulfill. Now that you've started your own families and don't need us anymore, I know it's too late to make amends. How can I put it? I don't ask to be by your side every day; living together and seeing each other occasionally is enough.
Lin Ting actually sensed an undercurrent of compromise. Chen Zaining and Tiansheng's stance was correct in their purpose, but their methods were wrong.
Who wouldn't want their children to have the best life from birth, employment, to marriage?
Just as Lin Ting was wondering how to reply, the door opened again with a ding-dong.
"Honey, we're home."
The three people sitting on the sofa all looked at Chen Zhiyi as he walked in.
Chen Zhiyi was clearly surprised to see his parents there; his face was full of astonishment, and his tone was unfriendly, "What are you doing here?"
The father and son were fine when they didn't meet, but as soon as they did, they started arguing. Chen Tiansheng tapped the floor with his cane and said sternly, "How can you talk like that? Don't you know how to greet people first?"
Chen Lan walked up to Chen Zhiyi and spoke ingratiatingly, "What are you here for? To see my daughter-in-law and the baby in her belly that will become my future grandchildren."
"What?" Chen Zhiyi thought he had misheard.
“You don’t understand the rules. We’ve had our marriage certificate for so long, but you haven’t brought my daughter-in-law back for me to see. But we elders can’t be ignorant of the rules, so we’ve come here today to give our daughter-in-law and future grandchildren a gift.” After saying that, Chen Lan took out two boxes from her bag. One of them contained a jade bracelet. Chen Zhiyi recognized it; it was a family heirloom given to his mother by his grandmother, and it was also a symbol of Chen’s daughter-in-law.
Chen Lan said to Lin Ting, "This was passed down to me by Grandma Zhiyi, and I'm giving it to you now." Then she put the bracelet on Lin Ting's left wrist.
Lin Ting quickly withdrew her hand, indicating her refusal, "No, I can't accept this."
Ignoring Lin Ting's refusal, Chen Lan pulled her hand back and insisted on putting the ring on her wrist, saying, "Don't say that. Just focus on your life together from now on. As parents, we don't have any other requirements."
"No." Lin Ting still refused, her face full of difficulty.
The two were pushing and shoving each other. Chen Zhiyi was worried that Lin Ting would get hurt. She was pregnant and needed to be very careful. He pulled her apart and stood between the two of them, his tone somewhat harsh.
"She said she didn't want it, so why did you force it on her? Isn't that making things difficult for her? That's just how you always do things, never considering other people's wishes."
Chen Lan stood frozen in place, holding the bracelet in her hand. She looked at Chen Zhiyi, whose eyes were filled with indifference, and felt heartbroken.
With a loud thud, Chen Tiansheng slammed his cane on the ground again, the sound much louder than before, sending chills down everyone's spines. "You bastard, how dare you talk to your mother like that? Don't you know what this bracelet represents? What more do you want us to do?"
As expected, it was all a lie. Chen Zhiyi smiled contemptuously, "I don't need to know, and we don't care what identity you represent. Put away your high and mighty attitude."
"Shut up!" Chen Tiansheng snapped.
Before Chen Zhiyi could even retort, Chen Lan shouted at Chen Tiansheng, "You're the one who should shut up! I only have one son. If you drive him away again, I'll never forgive you!"
Chen Zhiyi was surprised by Chen Lan's reaction. This was the first time he had seen her get angry at Chen Tiansheng. If she had stood by him so proudly and firmly even once in the past, things might have been different.
You weren't there when I needed you, and now that I don't need you anymore, you've finally appeared. What's the point?
Chen Zhiyi gave a wry smile, not wanting to argue any further. He had made the decision not to wait for him when he left three years ago, so he softened his tone, "Alright, the shop is closing now. If you're here to do business, come back when the shop opens at 9:30 tomorrow morning. If not, we won't serve you."
The implication of driving people away is obvious.
Chen Tiansheng was furious. "Chen Zhiyi, what? Have you grown wings now?"
Chen Zhiyi spread his hands, "Isn't that right? Everything I have now is something I earned myself. I didn't take advantage of Governor Chen at all."
"You!!!" Chen Tiansheng was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
"No, you can't call him Governor Chen anymore. I heard you've stepped down to the second line. In the past, you were powerful and influential, and you wouldn't tolerate anyone who disobeyed you. Father-son relationships and husband-wife relationships meant nothing to you. How come now that you've stepped down, you suddenly remember you have a son and want to bring him back to take care of you in your old age, to unconditionally obey your orders, and to uphold your supreme authority? You really want both!"
These words are undoubtedly a slap in the face to Chen Tiansheng.
Lin Ting pulled Chen Zhiyi back, her brows furrowed, and shook her head to signal him to stop talking.
Chen Tiansheng struggled to his feet, panting heavily, his back hunched, his whole body trembling, as if he might collapse at any moment. He picked up his cane and pointed it at Chen Zhiyi, exhausting all his strength, his face flushed, "You unfilial son."
Before he could finish speaking, everything went black and he collapsed onto the sofa.
Chen Lan rushed over, grabbed Chen Tiansheng's hand, her eyes filled with anxiety, "Tiansheng, Tiansheng."
Chen Tiansheng was having trouble catching his breath; his breathing was rapid, and he spoke with difficulty, his words broken and intermittent, "Medicine, take medicine."
Chen Lan quickly took out the medicine from her bag, poured out one pill, and looked at Chen Zhiyi, "Quickly pour some water for your dad."
Chen Zhiyi didn't react immediately. Lin Ting poured a glass of water from the tea room, and Chen Tiansheng took the medicine with the water. Chen Lan kept patting his chest to help him breathe.
“We agreed beforehand that I came to apologize to my son and make amends. Why did it have to turn out like this? The doctor said your illness could relapse at any time, and you need to stay calm. Why won’t you listen?”
Lin Ting stood to the side, observing Chen Tiansheng's condition and the emergency medication he was taking, and cautiously asked, "Is it an acute cerebral infarction?"
Chen Lan nodded, "Not only does she have a stroke, but she also has heart problems, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. She's getting old and has too many underlying health conditions."
Lin Ting lowered her eyes and remained silent. Her feelings for Chen Tiansheng were complicated. She couldn't forget what he had said and done to her, so she harbored deep resentment towards him. But as for her relationship with Chen Zhiyi, he was now her elder and her father in the legal sense. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state, she felt a little sorry for him.
Chen Lan held Lin Ting's hand. "Tian Sheng didn't finish what he was saying to you before, but I believe you can understand it. All he said was just three words: 'I'm sorry.' He values his pride more than anything else and is unwilling to admit his mistakes. But with you, he knows he did make a mistake. He can't say those three words, but he hopes you will forgive him. After all, we are all family in the end."
Lin Ting looked at Chen Tiansheng, and the two exchanged a glance. Ning Tiansheng then looked away, not daring to meet Lin Ting's eyes, but Lin Ting could see the guilt in his eyes.
She softened. Yes, they were family after all, so why dwell on the past? After all, she longed for a complete family and more relatives.
So, he turned to Chen Zhiyi and called him over.
But I saw him standing there, expressionless.
At the moment Chen Tiansheng collapsed, Chen Zhiyi wanted to run over, but he couldn't take a step.
He couldn't believe that his father, with his tall and mighty memory and ruthless and decisive actions, could be so vulnerable.
He hates Chen Tiansheng for his selfish and ruthless ways, but his hatred is predicated on Chen Tiansheng's well-being and ability to prove to him that his choice was correct and that he can live well without him.
But if he's gone, what's the point of all this hatred, entanglement, and stubbornness?
Chen Zhiyi suddenly couldn't face his father's illness; he was afraid, terrified, and wanted to escape.
Lin noticed the change in Chen Zhiyi's eyes, walked over, took his cold hand, and pulled him back to his senses. "Come on, go see your father. Don't do anything you'll regret."
Chen Zhiyi was pulled to Chen Tiansheng's side by Lin Ting like a walking corpse. He had recovered by now, but his complexion was still very bad, his eyes were empty, and he had a sense of powerlessness as if he was about to die.
Chen Zhiyi didn't even dare to look his father in the eye. He couldn't bear to see his vulnerability and his aging; it was a kind of sorrowful desolation.
No matter how much he loathed and hated his father, he shouldn't be like that; he should still be the pride of the family, a dignified presence.
Chen Lan held the hands of the family of three together, with herself at the bottom, Chen Tiansheng in the middle, and Chen Zhiyi on top.
“Zhiyi, your parents have come to apologize and beg for reconciliation. We're not doing this because you think we're old and want you to come back and take care of us. Given our family situation, do you think we need to worry about retirement? Since your grandfather passed away, your father has shouldered a lot of responsibilities. For his official position, for the justice in his heart, for the vision he hopes to realize, and even for the honor of the family, he has had to become ruthless and do things you don't understand. Actually, I didn't understand it either, but after putting myself in his shoes, I understand. So please forgive us, okay?”
As she finished speaking, Chen Lan's eyes reddened, glistening with tears, a truly moving sight.
Chen Zhiyi did not give a direct answer, but tightened his grip on her hand, the three hands clasped tightly together, inseparable.
Lin Ting smiled happily from the side.
Later, Chen Zhiyi and Lin Ting escorted Chen Tiansheng and his wife back to their hotel. They didn't want to stay at their home, and Chen Zhiyi didn't make things difficult for them. The relationship had just begun to thaw, but that didn't mean the distance between them had disappeared; the necessary boundaries and respect for boundaries remained.
The next day at noon, the family of four had their first reunion dinner. The atmosphere at the table was not lively, but harmonious and peaceful. They ate from beginning to end without any angry departures or leaving early.
This is already quite difficult.
Take it slow. Love can be mended, and family ties can be rebuilt.
As long as you have heart and love.
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