Chapter 66
After calming down, the three returned to the living room in the inner room.
Lin Qin sat on the sofa, while Lin Ting stood opposite her, holding Chen Zhiyi's hand.
"Mom, Zhiyi and I are officially together now."
Lin Qin reacted calmly, as if she had expected this, and smiled faintly, "It's fine."
Lin Ting was surprised by her mother's reaction. She let go of her mother's hand, sat down next to her, and hugged her arm. "Mom, aren't you going to ask us how we met? Why did we decide to be together this time? Why didn't we contact each other for the previous five years?"
Lin Qin remained calm and shook her head. "I won't ask anymore. My daughter's happiness is the most important thing. I can see the happiness in your eyes when you look at Xiao Chen. That's the answer to everything."
Lin was moved and called out "Mom".
Lin Qin beckoned to Chen Zhiyi, asking him to sit on her other side, and Chen Zhiyi did so.
Lin Qin placed their hands interlaced on her lap, then covered them with her own. "Xiao Chen, I knew from the first time I met you that you were a sensible and responsible child. I'm very relieved to entrust Lin Ting to you. Although she's a little older than you, sometimes she's not as good at handling things as you are. Be more tolerant of her and cherish her. I don't have many other instructions, I just hope that you two can trust each other and be loyal to each other. Even if you don't end up together, it will still be a love story worth remembering, okay?"
"Auntie, don't worry, I will definitely keep what you said in mind. Being tolerant of her, loving her, trusting her, and loyal to her is something I must do in my life."
"That's good, Auntie believes you." Turning to Lin Ting, she said, "Are you hungry? I'll go cook you a bowl of egg noodles. It's too late and there's no other food at home."
Lin Qin was about to get up when Lin Ting stopped her, saying, "Mom, I'll go."
"It's just cooking a bowl of noodles. You stay here with Xiao Chen." After saying that, Lin Qin got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Lin Ting looked at her mother, who was alone and disappeared into the night, and recalled what her mother had just said to Chen Zhiyi. Her heart ached again.
"My mother's heart remained with that love that had collapsed into ruins for her entire life, and she was trapped by the person who abandoned her for her whole life."
Chen Zhiyi put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her, "Maybe what your aunt is guarding is not her broken love, but the most beautiful years of her youth."
...
At night, Lin Ting slept in one room with her mother, while Chen Zhiyi slept in Lin Ting's room.
The room layout was the same as last time I stayed there, except the bed and desk were new. The bed was no longer wooden but a Simmons mattress, which was softer than last time. However, the pillows and blankets still had that gardenia fragrance, which must be his favorite scent.
In the middle of the night, Chen Zhiyi was a little thirsty. When he got up and went to the living room, he saw Lin Qin sitting on the sofa looking through a photo album.
Hearing the noise, Lin Qin looked up and asked, "Why is Xiao Chen awake? Is he having trouble sleeping?"
"No, Auntie, I'm just thirsty."
"Come and sit for a while."
Upon hearing the sound, Chen Zhiyi sat down, took the glass of water that Lin Qin had poured, and drank it all in one gulp.
Lin Qin's eyes were full of gentleness and kindness. "Could you chat with Auntie for a while?"
"Okay." Chen Zhiyi noticed the photo in her hand. "What's this?"
"This is a photo we took at the county zoo on Lin Ting's eighth birthday. Her dad and I took her there. She had a wonderful time that day and stayed there all day. Even when the zoo closed, she didn't want to leave." Lin Qin recalled with a smile, as if it had just happened a few days ago.
In the photo, Lin Ting has her hair in pigtails and is wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, which makes her face look rosy. Her eyes are smiling like crescent moons, sparkling like stars.
Lin Qin and Qin Qiang, standing on either side, were also graceful and beautiful in their youth. At that time, their feelings for each other were very strong, and their smiles were very similar.
Lin Qin recounted, "I found this photo when I was making her bed. She had tucked it into the gap between the bed boards. I thought she had cut up all the photos of her and her dad at home, but I didn't expect her to keep this one."
Turn the photo over, and the words on the back are clearly visible—A family photo taken on December 24, XXXX.
Lin Qin sighed, "It was obviously added by her later."
As Chen Zhiyi stroked the words, he could feel her state of mind when she wrote them: pain, indignation, and reluctance.
"She both loves and hates her father." Lin Qin's eyes suddenly welled up with tears as she said this, and her voice choked with emotion.
"No matter how harshly she speaks to her father, it's all out of her reluctance to let him go and her resentment that he abandoned us, mother and daughter. I'm sorry to my daughter; I couldn't give her a complete family. As a mother, I've failed."
Chen Zhiyi comforted her, "Auntie, you're wrong. As a mother, you've been successful. You've raised Lin Ting to be exceptionally talented. A while ago, her company held a winter order fair, and the clothes she designed were very popular. Moreover, her speech at the fair was widely shared and liked. I can find it and show it to you."
As he spoke, he took out his phone to search for something, but Lin Qin stopped him. “I’m not worried about her studies or work, but her life and relationships are a mess. She told me today that she’s with you, and I’m really happy.”
"She seems aloof and indifferent, but she has a clear sense of love and hate, and once she makes up her mind, she never looks back. My failed marriage had a great impact on her, almost closing her heart off, making her distrustful of love, and asserting that she would never be burdened by marriage or love in this life. But I know better than anyone how bitter a life without love and companionship is. The fact that she was able to open this door to you shows that you have made a lot of efforts. It was your love, and it must have been a very, very strong love, that moved her. Auntie, thank you for helping her through this difficult time."
Chen Zhiyi held Lin Qin's hands in his palms, his eyes sincere. "Auntie, please don't say that. I was the one who pursued her first, and I was the one who fell in love with her first. It's only right that I give more and love her more, and I'm willing to do so. I promise you that my love for Lin Ting will only grow stronger and will never expire."
Hearing Chen Zhiyi say this, Lin Qin's eyes were filled with gratitude; her daughter was the person she worried about the most.
“She’s a burden. I didn’t give her a good material life growing up, and now that she’s grown up, she’s plagued by illness, forcing her to spend all her time running around trying to pay for medical treatment. Every time I go to Haishi to see her, she finds all sorts of excuses to avoid her rented place and takes me to a hotel. I know she lives in a shared apartment that’s not in a good or safe place, and she’s afraid I’ll worry. Other girls go out and have fun during their time off, but she never does. She either works overtime or takes on freelance work. I always tell her not to work so hard, that it’s just the two of us at home and our expenses aren’t that high, but she just shakes her head and says it’s okay.”
"Ultimately, she just wants to earn more money for my retirement, in case I get seriously ill. But my stroke is like a hidden bomb, it could explode at any time. When the condition is acute, there's no way to save me, but when it's not acting up, I'm just like a normal person, I just need to keep taking medication, and the cost isn't high. She heard from somewhere that surgery can alleviate the condition and wants to save money, but I've consulted a professional doctor and they said that surgery isn't very effective."
"She just wants to find a belief. She hopes that I can always be healthy, otherwise she will really be all alone in this world. This is also what I fear the most. I hope that someone can replace me in the future to accompany her and love her."
Chen Zhiyi held Lin Qin's hand tightly, his eyes unwavering and his tone as if he were making a vow, "Auntie, I promise you, I will never leave Lin Ting's side, not even if you try to drive me away. I will love her with my life, and I will spend the rest of my life giving her all the love she needs."
With tears in her eyes, Lin Qin grasped Chen Zhiyi's hand in return, as if solemnly handing over her life.
"Thank you! I'm relieved to hear that."
"I know my daughter very well. She's not good at expressing herself, but I'm sure she likes you, really likes you. Five years ago, when you first stood in front of me, I could tell she had feelings for you, but she just didn't want to admit it. That year, when she came home for the Spring Festival holiday, she and I fell for someone, but we weren't really compatible. She asked me if we should continue. I told her not to have regrets in life. At that time, I thought you two would have a future together, but then you lost contact. I didn't press her. Maybe it was just that you weren't compatible and that's why you weren't meant to be. But unexpectedly, things took a turn and you met again, and this time you're firmly together. It turns out it wasn't that you weren't meant to be, it was just that your time hadn't come yet. It's hard enough to meet again, let alone rekindle a relationship. I hope you two can cherish each other this time."
"She is very persistent in other things, but she tends to back down when it comes to relationships. Don't give up on her. She'll help you get through this. If you really don't love her anymore or you encounter a hurdle you can't overcome, please be honest. You can stop loving her, but you can't lose your dignity. Please give her all the respect she deserves."
Lin Ting, who was standing behind the door, heard their entire conversation. She slowly squatted down by the door, and hot tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken string. She covered her mouth and let them silently gather at her feet.
The next morning, her uncle and aunt came over. Zhang Linfang was overjoyed to see Lin Ting and Chen Zhiyi together. Five years ago, she had hoped the two could be together. On one hand, she had selfish motives; if Lin Ting married into a wealthy family, not only would she and Lin Qin have a secure future, but their family would also benefit. On the other hand, she had always strongly disapproved of Lin Ting's "anti-marriage" stance. Bound by traditional thinking, she believed that girls of this age should get married and have children, focusing on their families. She felt that being away from home year after year was bad for a girl's reputation.
Moreover, she could tell that there was an ambiguous feeling between the two back then, but unfortunately, nothing came of it. Later, when she saw Chen Zhiyi on TV, she learned that he had become a big star, which made her even angrier. She repeatedly blamed Lin Ting for not cherishing him. Now that the two were finally together, she wished she could take a megaphone and shout everywhere that her nephew-in-law was a big star.
Lin Ting pulled Zhang Linfang aside and repeatedly told her that Chen Zhiyi's identity was special and their relationship would not be made public for the time being; she must keep quiet. If their relationship were exposed, the pressure they would face would be enormous; too many celebrity couples who went public with their relationship had tragically ended up suffering because of excessive attention.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Linfang nodded vigorously, even swearing that she would never lie. This was something she had been looking forward to for a long time, and she didn't want to ruin it. Lin Ting was relieved.
After Lin Li and Zhang Linfang left, they also planned to return to Haishi.
On their way back to the parking lot, the two encountered an elderly woman. Lin recognized her; she was Grandma Xu from the town, over seventy years old, in good health, and spoke clearly, but suffered from Alzheimer's disease and was prone to incoherent speech.
When Grandma Xu saw Chen Zhiyi, she was as excited as if she had seen an old friend. She grabbed his arm and asked, "Young man, have you found the girl you love?"
Lin Ting knew about Grandma Xu's condition and thought she had mistaken her for someone else.
Grandma Xu was very certain, "I didn't mistake him. I've seen him before. He's been looking for people around here for days, saying he lost the girl he likes." She spoke fluently, as if it were the truth.
Chen Zhiyi raised his hand, which was holding Lin Ting's, and said, "Yes, Grandma, I found it."
Grandma Xu was as happy as a child. "That's wonderful! I knew such a good young man, which girl wouldn't want him?" Then she looked at Lin Ting, her face serious. "Young lady, don't argue so easily. Arguing is bad; it will ruin your relationship."
Lin Ting looked puzzled, but still had to deal with Grandma Xu, "Okay, Grandma Xu, let's not fight, let's not fight."
"He also has to promise Grandma that he won't run away from home. Look how anxious the young man is. He grabbed someone and asked if they had seen you. Grandma felt really sorry for him seeing him so worried."
Lin Ting frowned and looked at Chen Zhiyi, but he clenched his fist and put it to his mouth to hide his smile. He leaned closer to Lin Ting and said, "Hurry up, you haven't responded to what Grandma Xu just said."
Lin smacked his lips and looked at Grandma Xu. Grandma Xu was staring at him with narrowed eyes, exuding a strong sense of pressure. He had no choice but to agree.
“Okay, Grandma Xu, I agree.”
Grandma Xu beamed, "That's more like it!" Then she raised an eyebrow at Chen Zhiyi, "Young man, remember to call me Grandma when you get married and have your wedding banquet!"
Chen Zhiyi immediately replied, "Okay, Grandma."
Once in the car, Lin Ting wouldn't allow Chen Zhiyi to start the car; he had to explain things clearly.
Chen Zhiyi didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't resist Lin Ting's nagging, so he slowly began to speak.
"Five years ago, you unilaterally cut off contact. I had no choice but to come to your hometown to look for you. I didn't expect that no one was there. I asked the neighbors and found out that the area was going to be demolished and you had taken the compensation and moved to another place. I was devastated and didn't know how to find you. I thought you would come back to get something or complete some procedures, so I waited for you at your door. Whenever someone passed by your house, I would grab them like a madman and ask if they had seen you or knew where you were. But after waiting for half a month, I didn't hear anything. Finally, government officials came and said that the residents who had moved out had all agreed on terms and signed contracts. That's when I completely lost hope and realized that I would never see you again. During those days, Grandma Xu would always come over to chat with me and ask about the situation. Maybe my dejected, broken, and disheveled appearance at that time left a deep impression on her, which is why she still remembers me after so long."
Chen Zhiyi spoke lightly and casually, but one could imagine his confusion, helplessness, and the feeling that his world was about to collapse. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Grandma Xu, who suffers from Alzheimer's, to remember him after all these years; she must have felt sorry for him.
He's from a prestigious family, he can have anything he wants, he doesn't need to be so humble and pitiful, yet he did this for himself.
Lin Ting's heart ached in waves, her chest felt like it was filled with water, making it hard to breathe. She could only force out three words: "I'm sorry."
Chen Zhiyi rubbed her head, reached over the center console and hugged her. "If I hadn't met Grandma Xu, I would never have wanted you to know about this experience, because it's my own business and has nothing to do with you. You don't need to blame yourself."
Lin Ting shook her head in his arms, "I was wrong. Even if I wanted to break up with you back then, I should have chosen a peaceful way instead of being so irresponsible and thinking that running away was the best way to have both."
"It doesn't matter anymore, and I don't want to know. I only care about the present and the future."
“You just promised Grandma Xu that you would never leave me. She is our ancestor. It’s not good to lie to your ancestors, so you must keep your promise.”
Lin Ting nodded, "Okay!"
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