(562)
Cai Wenchuan didn't believe Lin Tingyue's words at all, so he remained silent with a sullen face.
Seeing that her daughter was not doing well, Madam Zi had no choice but to step in and smooth things over. She smiled, used serving chopsticks to put a piece of food on Cai Wenchuan's plate, and said gently to him, "Wenchuan, it's your decision about your money. Donating to charity is a very meaningful thing. Your idea inspired me. Like you, I'm getting older and have realized that material things aren't as important as I thought. So maybe, after converting my one-third of the shares into cash, I'll also donate it to charity."
Hearing her mother say this, Lin Tingyue became anxious and wanted to speak, but Madam Zi glared at her, so Lin Tingyue had no choice but to remain silent.
She almost messed things up, so she has to listen to her mother now.
When Cai Wenchuan heard Madam Zi say this, he believed it to be true. His heart was no longer so heavy, his blood began to flow again, and his limbs gradually warmed up. He slowly raised his head, tried to put on a smile, and said to Madam Zi, "Thank you for your understanding, Madam."
Madam Zi smiled, feigning sadness and guilt, and said, "Xiaoyue is so immature. She's almost twenty years old and still acts like a child. It's all my fault. I left her side when she was young and didn't discipline her properly. Wenchuan, don't take it to heart. I'll teach her a lesson later!" She made her eyes red, resting her cheek on one hand and swirling her wine glass in the other, looking pitiful and helpless.
Cai Wenchuan felt uneasy when he heard his wife say that.
Lin Tingyue blushed, feeling a little scared. She gripped Cai Wenchuan's arm tightly. Cai Wenchuan, like any parent in the world, could say his child was wrong, but others were not allowed to say so, including Lin Tingyue's biological mother, Madam Zi. Therefore, he looked at Lin Tingyue.
Like a child seeking shelter from an adult, Lin Tingyue shook her head at him fearfully and pressed her body close to him.
Cai Wenchuan immediately reached out and patted Lin Tingyue's hand, advising Madam Zi, "Madam, Xiaoyue is very sensible and obedient. She just likes clothes, bags, and sports cars. She's so beautiful, grew up in the Lin family, and is still young, so it's understandable that she likes these material things." Her need for him just now had restored Cai Wenchuan's previously shattered self-esteem.
Loving someone is such a magical thing; a single word can shatter a heart into pieces, and a single word can bring a person back to life.
Madam Zi smiled, a great weight lifted from her heart, and said to Cai Wenchuan with a relaxed expression, "How loving you are! It reminds me of when I was young—" A look of reminiscence appeared on her face, but she quickly changed the subject and asked Cai Wenchuan, "So, do you have any plans to get married? When are you getting married? I want to personally arrange it for you." She looked extremely happy and expectant.
Her cheerful words warmed the room and made it bright and cheerful again, and the flowers on the dining table bloomed even more beautifully and fragrantly.
Lin Tingyue, as if seeing a conductor's baton, said softly to Cai Wenchuan, "Yes, let's get married as soon as possible. That way, I'll have a home." Then she lowered her voice and said quietly, "It seems like I've never had a home that truly belongs to me."
These words touched Cai Wenchuan's heart. How he longed to give Xiaoyue a home, but—
Marriage? Cai Wenchuan was stunned. He was dating Lin Tingyue, but he didn't expect that such a major life event as marriage would come so soon.
Cai Wenchuan thought to himself that he used to be with Ye Wenyu because she was his student, so he originally planned to marry her after she graduated from university. But now, he listened to his heart, broke up with Ye Wenyu, and got together with Lin Tingyue.
Things became chaotic, like a pot of porridge. All the previous plans were disrupted, and everything had to be arranged from scratch.
Although Xiaoyue is also a college student and hasn't graduated yet, he is not her teacher, and the two are not in the same school, so there is no taboo against teacher-student relationships. In this way, they can get married at any time.
He also wanted to marry Xiaoyue. It was his childhood dream. He imagined that one day, the two of them would officially become husband and wife, have a house of their own, have two beautiful children, plant a huge camphor tree in front of the yard, and sit with her in the room on the second floor, looking at the camphor tree and talking about their childhood. How warm and romantic that would be!
He had always felt that Lin Tingyue was an unattainable moon in the sky, one he could only look up to in this lifetime. But now, with her mother's permission, he was able to hold this moon in his arms.
But--
Cai Wenchuan's mind was filled with images of his father and mother, and his heart sank. Although Lin Tingyue was right beside him, her beauty as radiant as candlelight, his parents were furious that he had chosen to break up with Ye Wenyu and date Lin Tingyue. They threatened to sever all ties with him if he married Lin Tingyue.
The parent-child relationship is the most important and enduring relationship in the world; blood ties cannot be severed so easily. Besides, both parents are in very poor health. He cannot afford to be unfilial!
He needs time to convince his parents to accept Xiaoyue. Once they accept her, they can get married.
Therefore, Cai Wenchuan pondered carefully and cautiously expressed his concerns and plans to Madam Zi.
"I see," Madam Zi nodded. In her heart, she felt disgusted with the unreasonable and ungrateful Cai family elders. On the surface, she smiled and said, "Wen Chuan, you are such a sensible and filial child. You are also very responsible, mature, and understanding. It is Xiao Yue's good fortune to have found you!"
Cai Wenchuan smiled shyly. He always felt embarrassed whenever Madam Zi praised him, just like when he was a boy.
Madam Zi looked out the window and continued softly, "But I haven't encountered anything that makes me happy these past few years. Now that Master Lin has passed away, I'm also in a very bad mood. I saw a doctor yesterday, and he said my health isn't good either. I want to do something big to bring me some joy. How about this? You can secretly get a marriage certificate with Xiaoyue without telling your parents first, and then hold a small wedding banquet here. I'll invite a few of my friends, and of course, you can invite your friends too. Just to make me happy and bring me some good luck. What do you think?"
Cai Wenchuan felt something was strange: why was Madam Zi in such a hurry for him to marry Xiaoyue?
However, he was still moved by Madam Zi's words. He nodded and said to Madam Zi, "Madam, please give me a month. If I cannot persuade my parents, then I will follow your arrangements. After all, I still hope that my parents can attend the wedding."
Lady Zi considered the time in her mind, nodded, and reluctantly agreed.
After the two had eaten, Lady Zi invited them to stay overnight at her house.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com