Chapter 32 The World's Smallest Lake
The chubby boy weaved through the shelves, the wealthy woman following closely behind. The small checkout counter, like an island in the sea, remained as steadfast as a rock despite the raging storms.
The mother and son quickly selected their items, and the chubby boy rushed to the cashier first, forcefully lifting the basket onto the counter.
The noblewoman also arrived, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes when she saw Yun Jin and Hua Yu holding hands.
Doing it during work hours, and in front of the child, is incredibly inconsiderate.
Although she was dissatisfied, she didn't say much due to her good manners. She simply pushed the basket forward and looked up, saying, "Check, please."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Hua Yu's eyes clearly and suddenly froze.
Hua Yu lowered her eyes, released Yun Jin's hand, entered the items into the computer one by one, and then skillfully packed them into bags.
"It's two hundred and thirty in total." He pushed the bag over, avoiding her gaze.
The lady couldn't help but glance at him again.
"Mom, hurry up! Pengpeng and the others are starting to urge me!" the chubby boy said anxiously.
The lady snapped out of her daze: "Alright, alright, I'll settle the bill right away."
After saying that, she took out three bills from her bag and handed them to Hua Yu. The ring and bracelet on her hand were quite valuable.
Hua Yu took it and was about to give her change when she heard her say, "Keep the change, keep the rest as a tip."
Hua Yu's fingers tightened around the money until they turned white, until the chubby boy took the snacks away, at which point he suddenly said, "No need, I'll give you change."
"Oh, just keep it," the chubby boy said impatiently. "We don't have time to wait for your change."
After saying that, he pulled the lady away. The lady looked back one last time, and although she had some doubts, she still followed him away.
The wind chimes at the door rang again, their tinkling sounds quite pleasant, but the ringing lasted so short that it gave the illusion that they hadn't rung at all.
The convenience store was silent. Hua Yu kept her head down, the bones on the back of her neck protruding clearly.
Yun Jin didn't say anything, turned around and left from the cashier.
The air beside her suddenly felt cool, and Hua Yu's thin eyelids twitched as she subconsciously searched for her figure.
She didn't leave; she just went to the shelves and grabbed a bunch of food and drinks.
Hua Yu realized what she was doing, and her heart suddenly started racing.
"Check, please." She dumped all the items onto the cashier's counter.
Hua Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, her mouth terribly dry: "You don't actually need to..."
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and pay the bill," Yun Jin interrupted him.
Hua Yu stared at her for a long time, and when she was sure there was no room for negotiation, she lowered her head and scanned the codes one by one.
The items she chose all looked familiar; she seemed to have seen them all in the chubby boy's basket, except that he had an extra bag of gummy candies.
He kept staring at the gummy candies, and Yun Jin explained with a smile, "I don't care if you cough or not, we just want to have more than them."
Hua Yu held the barcode scanner, her fingers gradually trembling.
After a long while, he finally calmed down and entered all the items into the computer. The total was 242 yuan, with the extra 12 yuan being the cost of the gummy candies.
He looked at her, his eyes red: "242, card or cash?"
"Cash, please." Yun Jin handed him three bills and slowly said after he took them, "Keep the change, the rest is a tip."
What's wrong with him tonight? People keep giving him tips.
The corner of her lips, hidden beneath the mask, subtly lifted slightly before quickly falling back down.
Just as Hua Yu was about to refuse, the wind chimes rang again, and he reflexively looked over.
He's the boss.
Hua Yu realized she had overreacted and awkwardly turned her face away.
"How's business tonight?" the boss asked with a smile as he walked in.
“Not bad,” Yun Jin glanced at Hua Yu, “He closed two big deals in a row, and people even gave him tips.”
"So amazing?" The boss looked at Hua Yu in surprise.
Hua Yu forced a smile, then realized that she hadn't taken off her mask yet, raised her hand but gave up.
"What brings you here?" Yun Jin asked.
The boss scratched his head: "Ah... I had nothing to do tonight, so I thought I'd come to the shop to take a look and check the accounts. Xiaohua, you can go back now. I'll stay and watch the shop tonight."
Before Hua Yu could react, Yun Jin laughed first: "Really? Then we're off!"
"Go on, go on," the boss waved his hand, urging them on.
Yun Jin thanked her and patted Hua Yu hard.
Hua Yu was still lost in thought when she was hit. She looked at her blankly, without any anger.
Like a weak and listless kitten.
"Pay the bill and come with me." Yun Jin lowered her voice, her tone domineering and leaving no room for refusal.
Hua Yu's mind was blank at the moment. Upon hearing this, she obediently settled both accounts. The change she received was placed on the table, and she didn't know whether to take it or not. It had become a hot potato once again.
Yun Jin took the money directly, and Hua Yu's gaze shifted from the money to her face. She calmly said, "This money is just enough to buy me a drink."
Hua Yu pursed her lips, thinking, "You can easily spend tens of thousands on a bottle of wine, while these loose change amounts to only a little over a hundred. How can I possibly treat you to a drink?"
Twenty minutes later, the two appeared at a nearby food stall. Yun Jin used his money to order two side dishes and a case of beer. The bag of snacks he had just bought was also placed on the table leg.
"Would you like a drink?" she asked with a smile.
Hua Yu silently opened the bottle, poured the wine into a cheap plastic cup, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Drinking like that will make you drunk very easily.
Yun Jin shook her head, but did not stop him.
After three cups of wine, Hua Yu burped, and the pent-up frustration in her heart seemed to dissipate somewhat.
He asked, "Do you know who she is?"
“Your eyes look very similar, it’s not hard to guess,” Yun Jin said.
Hua Yu nodded and continued drinking.
After a long pause, he said, "She didn't recognize me."
“It’s normal that you didn’t recognize me after all these years,” Yun Jin replied.
Hua Yu disagreed: "But I recognized her."
“Because she is an adult,” Yun Jin explained slowly. “The changes in adults are nothing more than a few more wrinkles and a few more gray hairs, while the changes in children are earth-shattering. You can’t compare them like that.”
Hua Yu knew she had a point, but she still couldn't help feeling annoyed: "How could you side with her?"
This is so familiar; it's just being unreasonable.
Without wasting words, Yun Jin raised her glass for the first time: "It was my fault."
After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.
Hua Yu felt a little better and continued drinking with her head down.
After a while, he suddenly realized: "I haven't told you about my family, have I? Why do you seem to know everything?"
“I even investigated what your friends like to eat, so why wouldn’t I investigate you?” Yun Jin retorted.
Hua Yu opened her mouth, then after a long pause, managed to utter, "Pervert..."
"Thank you for the compliment." Yun Jin accepted his praise readily.
Hua Yu: "..."
He silently took a sip of wine and looked at Yun Jin once again.
"Any more questions?" Yun Jin asked.
Hua Yu wanted to say something, but shook her head instead.
Yun Jin didn't press the matter further, because she knew that once this person had drunk alcohol, he couldn't hold it in.
really.
Three minutes later, he said, "Since you even know who she is, you must also know why I came to Pingcheng."
"Yes, I know." Yun Jin nodded.
Hua Yu narrowed her eyes: "Then you still dare to associate with me?"
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Yun Jin asked innocently. "I just wanted to have an immoral relationship with you, but I didn't plan to marry you. If those debt collectors dare to come and cause me trouble, I'll call the police in a heartbeat."
Hua Yu: "..."
He had originally intended to warn her to stay away from him, but after she blew things up with just a few words, he almost forgot what he wanted to say.
Let's keep drinking.
The beer in the box was dwindling, and the number of empty bottles around the small table was increasing. Yun Jin sat at the table with him, but didn't drink a second glass of beer.
When Hua Yu finished the last bottle of wine, it was already 10 p.m.
Yun Jin asked calmly, "Can we go back now?"
Hua Yu's expression shifted slightly, but she remained silent.
Yun Jin stood up and extended her hand to him.
Hua Yu stared at the ring on her hand for a long time before finally leaning on the table and shakily standing up.
Yun Jin calmly withdrew her hand, put it in her coat pocket, and walked out, with Hua Yu following behind her with unsteady steps.
Around 10 p.m., after leaving the bustling night market and turning into the residential area, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
The streetlights were dim, and the streets were piled high with yellow fallen leaves.
Hua Yu walked slowly forward, stepping on the leaves. Every time she looked up, she could see Yun Jin's straight back and the bag of snacks in her hand.
She never looked back, but always kept the same distance from him. When he slowed down, she would slow down too; when he sped up, she would sped up too.
Hua Yu smiled silently, then thought of the woman she had just seen at the convenience store.
It's been so many years since we last met.
When he was very young, he fantasized countless times about the scene of their reunion. However, as time went by, he thought about these things less and less. Occasionally, he would wonder if he would recognize her even if they met.
Today's events gave him the answer.
No matter how many years have passed, he can recognize her at a glance.
She still looks so young, even younger than she did fifteen years ago. She's a little plumper, but more energetic and presentable. She also has a new son, and it's clear she's doing very well.
fine.
He was genuinely happy for her.
As Yun Jin walked, she suddenly felt something was wrong. When she turned around, she saw that he had stopped at some point and was squatting on the stone edge by the roadside, hugging his legs and burying his face in his knees.
When I'm sad, I cling to my old habits, and that hasn't changed over the years.
Yun Jin sighed inwardly and sat down next to him.
The autumn nights were cold, and the two of them huddled together to feel a little warmer.
Hua Yu kept her face down quietly, and after a long while, she whispered, "Actually, I don't blame her."
Yun Jin didn't say anything, she just stayed quietly by her side.
Hua Yu didn't need her to speak; after she took the initiative to speak, some things seemed less difficult.
“I’ve never blamed her,” he emphasized again, his voice calm. “In a family like ours, with a father like mine, she should have left long ago. I never intended to bother her. But there’s a question that has bothered me for many years, and I really want to ask her…”
The words came to an abrupt halt.
Yun Jin waited for a while, but still received no follow-up, so she took the initiative to ask, "What did you ask her?"
Feeling a bit cold, Hua Yu hugged herself even tighter.
Just when Yun Jin thought he wouldn't answer, he suddenly spoke up: "I want to ask her, when she left, knowing that Hua Yi had gone out to gamble and wouldn't be back for a while, why did she still lock me alone in the house and refuse to tell anyone my whereabouts?"
He was five years old that year. He stayed in the house alone for six days and was on the verge of death when the police rescued him.
He was taken to the hospital, and in his half-awake state, he overheard the conversation between the kindergarten teacher and the police officer. He learned that Hua Yi had not yet returned, and the teacher had been unable to contact the parents, so she chose to call the police.
No, we did manage to contact her once during that time, but she wouldn't say where she was. She just told the teacher to go find Huayi, and then we couldn't get through to her by phone anymore.
"I just can't understand it..."
Hua Yu's voice was choked with emotion, but she was still trying to suppress her feelings.
He was silent for a while, then looked up at her, his eyes even redder than before.
"Could you ask her for me?"
"Okay," Yun Jin agreed.
Hua Yu chuckled, finding her agreement rather odd: "You don't even know her, so how can you ask?"
Yun Jin didn't say anything, but took off her coat and put it over his head.
A faint, familiar fragrance gradually enveloped him, dispelling the chill of the autumn night and creating a unique safe haven for him.
Hua Yu suddenly relaxed her body, letting her emotions run wild in her small world.
Yun Jin didn't disturb him, but just stayed by his side silently until the person beside her became quiet again, then she gently lifted a corner of her clothes.
He fell asleep.
With her face slightly turned to the side, resting her head on her knees, she slept peacefully. At this moment, the smallest lake in the world existed in Hua Yu's eye socket.
Perhaps because his clothes were lifted and cool air squeezed in, he hummed softly and moved slightly, causing lake water to flow down his nose.
Yun Jin lowered the hem of her dress and sent a message to Liu Zhuangzhuang.
When Liu Zhuangzhuang arrived on his bicycle, Hua Yu had already woken up and was sitting blankly next to Yun Jin, seemingly lost in thought.
As soon as Liu Zhuangzhuang saw him, he couldn't help but ask, "Why is your nose so red? And your eyes are red too. Did you... cry?"
“I’m not!” Hua Yu interrupted immediately.
Liu Zhuangzhuang looked obedient and said, "I haven't finished asking yet."
“It’s nothing.” Hua Yu said curtly.
Liu Zhuangzhuang clicked his tongue, about to say something more, when Yun Jin explained, "Because it's too cold."
Liu Zhuangzhuang disagreed, but he still had to give Sister Yun face, so he didn't say anything more.
Yun Jin called Liu Zhuangzhuang over, originally intending to help him carry Hua Yu home. However, Hua Yu woke up before he even arrived and seemed fairly lucid. So, instead of taking a taxi, the three of them rode back on two electric bikes.
This time, however, it was Yun Jin riding the bicycle, with Hua Yu sitting behind her.
The small electric scooter was already cramped, and with Hua Yu's long arms and legs, it was even more crowded. But he sat there obediently, holding a large bag of snacks in his arms.
Liu Zhuangzhuang, standing to the side: Oh ho.
Because of Yun Jin's carefully crafted lies, Liu Zhuangzhuang and Hua Yu are now living in the house she rented.
The house was large, with several guest rooms, enough for them to stay in. Yun Jin watched them enter, then stopped at the doorway.
Hua Yu turned around as if sensing something, and after meeting her gaze, she realized something, and her heart sank like a stone once again.
"I have something to do, I won't be back tonight," she said.
Hua Yu didn't ask her where she was going; she just watched her quietly.
Yun Jin smiled and said, "Go to sleep early."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Hua Yu watched her retreating figure, her lips feeling as if covered by a thin film. Although she was still breathing, she inexplicably felt suffocated.
That small safe house eventually disappeared at the elevator entrance.
"What are you standing there for?" Liu Zhuangzhuang asked, noticing that he hadn't gone inside. "Where's Sister Yun?"
"I'm leaving," Hua Yu replied.
Liu Zhuangzhuang: "Gone? Where did she go?" "She went to find her husband." Hua Yu lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the innermost bag of candy in the snack bag.
Today was absolutely terrible.
Liu Zhuangzhuang opened his mouth, trying to comfort him: "Go ahead and look for her, you don't like her anyway."
Hua Yu glanced at him, then took the food and went back into the house.
Liu Zhuangzhuang, who was still waiting for him to share the snacks: "..."
Yun Jin originally planned to travel through time in her room after they fell asleep, but after much consideration, she gave up the idea.
Although she believed they were sensible people who wouldn't enter her room without permission, she couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't rush in out of fear after knocking for a while without an answer. If they happened to stumble upon her returning, it would be a truly disastrous 'accident'.
She arrived at the hotel near the neighborhood with practiced ease, booked a room, hung up the "Do Not Disturb" sign, and habitually went into the bathroom.
At 11:50 p.m., she returned home and turned on the light to see Hua Cheng curled up in a corner of the sofa, fast asleep with his face buried in his knees.
Yun Jin walked to the sofa and sat down on the coffee table to look at him.
Hua Cheng, who was asleep, sensed something and opened his eyes with a muffled groan.
As his gaze gradually focused, and he recognized the person opposite him, he didn't say anything. Instead, he silently leaned forward, pulled her onto the sofa, and hugged her.
The sofa was wide and large, but it was still crowded when two people squeezed in. Their limbs intertwined and gradually formed a knot, pressing infinitely close to each other.
That feels good.
Hua Cheng let out a long sigh and buried his face in her neck: "I thought you weren't coming back tonight."
"How could that be?"
Hua Cheng silently raised the corners of his lips, closed his eyes, and said, "I miss you so much."
“I’ve been gone for less than 48 hours,” Yun Jin reminded him.
Hua Cheng: "I miss you too."
Yun Jin stroked his back; the ring on her ring finger felt cool and left invisible drag marks on his skin.
I had a good night's sleep.
The next morning, at 8:30, Hua Cheng woke Yun Jin up on time.
"Wash up, change your clothes, eat." He stood by the bed in his pajamas and apron, looking like a fairy godmother.
Yun Jin rolled over sleepily, gesturing for him to bring her bag over.
"That bag from yesterday?" Hua Cheng asked as he walked out.
A minute later, he brought the bag up.
Yun Jin was fully awake. She sat on the bed, took the bag, and pulled out a few photos.
As she flipped through the photos, Hua Cheng kept sneaking peeks into them, and before he knew it, he spotted a cell phone that looked like an antique.
This thing can't be sold on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace app), and Zhuanzhuan (another second-hand marketplace app) won't even take it back. Was it given away by some scumbag?
As his thoughts wandered, Yun Jin suddenly handed him a photo: "Are they the group of people who kept bothering you back then?"
Hua Cheng snapped out of his daze, and was stunned when he saw the photos: "How do you have their photos?"
"Is that so?" Yun Jin asked again.
Hua Cheng nodded: "Yes."
The people in the photo look the same as they did more than ten years ago, so it should be an old photo, but the photo itself looks new, without even any creases...
"Where did the photos come from?" he asked again.
Yun Jin put the photo back in her bag: "When I was on a business trip these past two days, I ran into someone from your hometown. We talked about what happened to you back then, and he showed it to me online."
Hua Cheng, unsuspecting, said, "These are photos from a long time ago. The buildings in them look familiar to me; it seems to be what the old town looked like before it was demolished."
"Um."
Hua Cheng chuckled: "So why did you print these photos out? To haunt me?"
Yun Jin looked at him calmly without saying a word.
Hua Cheng exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
Yun Jin remained silent, but her gaze sent a chill down his spine.
"It's not that bad, it really isn't that bad..."
After two days of going crazy at home alone, Hua Cheng, in front of his wife, was like a younger brother who had accidentally wandered into a crazy circle, frantically pulling her into his arms and comforting her.
"So many years have passed, and they didn't gain much advantage. Several of their own people were injured, and to settle the matter, they even wiped out my debt. I guess I've turned misfortune into blessing."
Repeated injuries leading to brain damage—how can that be considered a blessing in disguise?
Yun Jin struggled to wriggle out of his arms: "What did you make for breakfast?"
"Not so bad... um?" Her topic changed so quickly that Hua Cheng was a little caught off guard.
Yun Jin: "I'm hungry."
"Butter bread, do you like it?" Hua Cheng responded immediately.
Yun Jin nodded: "I like it."
Hua Cheng: "Then get up quickly."
Yun Jin nodded again.
Seeing that she was no longer dwelling on the past, Hua Cheng silently wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
After breakfast, Yun Jin went to work, and Hua Cheng saw her off to her car.
He held onto the car door, carefully choosing his words: "Noon..."
Yun Jin: "I'll leave work an hour early and come back to pick you up."
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Okay."
After they had agreed on what to do, Yun Jin drove away, and Hua Cheng hummed a little tune as he went home. When he turned his head, he saw Liu Zhuang standing in a dark corner, silently watching him.
"...What are you doing?" Hua Cheng stood at attention.
Liu Zhuang sneered, "I wasn't home for two days over the weekend; my wife kicked me out."
As soon as I stepped out of the garage, I saw someone clinging to Yun Jin.
Hua Cheng exclaimed "Ah!" and looked apologetic: "Why don't you come to my house and stay here for a while? But you'll have to take care of your own lunch. I'm going out with my wife today."
"...Get lost."
Hua Cheng immediately left.
The morning flew by. Yun Jin canceled a meeting, went home early to pick up Hua Cheng, and arrived at the restaurant under Sun Lan's name before 11:30.
For many years, Ms. Sun has made it a habit to always book the entire restaurant when she dine with her son, even if she only needs one private room.
Looking at the empty restaurant and the two lines of waiters welcoming guests, Hua Cheng sighed softly, "My mom is getting more and more extravagant."
He was just making a casual remark, as if he were talking about the weather.
Yun Jin looked at him, but saw no good or bad emotions on his face.
Because she returned to 2013 and changed some things, Hua Yu met Sun Lan last night, while in Hua Cheng's version, he only reunited with Sun Lan when he was twenty-seven years old.
By then, he had already founded Yuncheng Technology and was a well-known business upstart in Pingcheng. They met at a lavish banquet, both dressed smartly and behaving respectably.
Under Sun Lan's probing, Hua Cheng readily admitted their relationship, and after a hug, they resumed contact.
The word 'reunion' seems to carry different meanings and weights for people of different ages and with different circumstances.
Although he felt a little melancholy after returning home, he was more excited about Yuncheng Technology taking its business to the next level.
Seeing that he accepted it well, Yun Jin didn't press him further. Now, looking at him and recalling the lake in Hua Yu's eyes, she suddenly wanted to ask him if, after meeting her, at such a mature age, he had ever shed tears for his mother.
"Why are you staring at me?" Hua Cheng asked with a smile.
Yun Jin snapped out of her daze: "Can't I look?"
“Of course,” Hua Cheng said tenderly, “I wish you could look at me and only at me for the rest of your life.”
After saying that, he remembered his illness and suddenly felt regret.
How could he say those three words so easily, just like before?
He was secretly annoyed at himself for not thinking things through, but Yun Jin didn't think too much about it and led him towards the private room.
Sun Lan had already arrived, and her second son, Cao Nian'an, was also in the restaurant's private room.
The chubby boy who used to run around recklessly has grown into a refined adult wearing glasses. Upon seeing Hua Cheng and Yun Jin, he politely stood up and said, "Brother, sister-in-law."
Hua Cheng and Yun Jin nodded to him, then looked at Sun Lan in the main seat.
"mom."
"mom."
Sun Lan noticed Yun Jin frown slightly, but still greeted her gently, "Please sit down."
Hua Cheng agreed and pulled Yun Jin to sit down.
"Mom," Hua Cheng picked up the kettle, poured a glass of water, and pushed it in front of Yun Jin, "Did you call us here for something?"
"I have something I want to ask you." After saying this, Sun Lan's eyes gradually reddened.
Hua Cheng guessed what she wanted to ask and smiled helplessly: "Did Uncle Feng tell you?"
“If he doesn’t tell me, how long are you going to keep it from me?” Sun Lan retorted.
Hua Cheng sighed: "It's not that I intentionally wanted to hide it from you, but I was afraid that if this matter were to be exposed, it would affect Yuncheng's stock price, so I kept delaying it."
"Are you afraid of affecting the stock price, or are you afraid of affecting Yunjin?" Sun Lan asked coldly.
Yun Jin, who was called out, remained calm.
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Yun Jin has just taken over as CEO. If my illness is revealed at this time, it will indeed cause her some trouble, but I believe she can handle it."
"That's easy to say. If she could really handle it, you wouldn't be..."
"Mom, have some water," Hua Cheng interrupted with a smile.
Sun Lan took a deep breath and was about to speak when Cao Nian'an, who was next to her, hurriedly said, "Mom, the peach gum at the restaurant is pretty good today. Let's get one for you and one for your sister-in-law."
Sun Lan frowned as she looked at him, while Cao Nian'an secretly made a pleading gesture under the table, forcing her to suppress her temper.
The air in the private room was slightly quiet. Cao Nian'an had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Sun Lan say, "Nian'an, you and your brother go and urge the dishes to be served."
It was obvious that he wanted to have a private talk with Yun Jin.
Cao Nian'an was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng still had a smile on his lips, but his eyes had dimmed a bit.
"Brother," Cao Nian'an called him softly.
He remained seated.
People who are used to sitting at the negotiating table have seen all kinds of big scenes. If they don't consciously restrain their aura, they can create an atmosphere of bloodshed and violence.
The atmosphere was somewhat stiff, and Sun Lan's expression was even stiffer than the atmosphere itself.
Cao Nian'an looked at this and then at that, finally turning to Yun Jin for help.
Yun Jin calmly patted Hua Cheng: "Go ahead."
Hua Cheng pursed his lips and left, with Cao Nian'an quickly following.
Only Sun Lan and Yun Jin remained in the private room. As soon as the door closed, Sun Lan immediately spoke up: "I originally only wanted to see Hua Cheng today, but since you've come along, I'll be frank with you."
Yun Jin took a sip of water, put down the cup, and looked at her: "Please speak."
“Hua Cheng’s illness is so serious, he must have already made a will, right? If I’m not mistaken, he plans to leave all his property to you?” Sun Lan asked.
Yun Jin: "We haven't talked about this."
Sun Lan scoffed.
She had never liked this daughter-in-law, but because she had not fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother and Hua Cheng was too protective of her, she did not want to have a falling out with her son, so they had been able to live in peace for so many years.
But now things are different; her son is dying, and she has to step forward.
“I’m asking you these questions not to take your inheritance, but just to ask you a question,” Sun Lan looked directly into her eyes, “Hua Cheng left everything to you and did so much for you, don’t you plan to do anything for him?”
Yun Jin thought for a moment and said, "I'm treating his illness."
Sun Lan sneered: "If even doctors can't do anything about it, what can you do?"
"Then what do you want me to do for him?" Yun Jin asked in return.
Sun Lan: "Have a child for him."
Yun Jin paused and looked up at her.
“I know you are perfectly healthy, but Hua Cheng has been kind to you and that’s why we haven’t had children. But things are different now… It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, I just ask that you leave him an heir. If you don’t want to raise them, then I will raise them, and I will leave half of my assets to you…”
“I’m sorry, no,” Yun Jin interrupted gently, “neither of us has any plans to be parents.”
Sun Lan remained silent for a long time before scoffing, "You're so selfish."
Yun Jin looked at her calmly, watching her stand on the moral high ground and judge her, without feeling the slightest fluctuation in her heart.
Sun Lan, however, refused to give up: "You think you can rest easy just because you have Hua Cheng's will? Let me tell you, as long as I live, I will never let you be so comfortable. You either have to give him a child or stay by his side for the rest of your life, otherwise I will..."
Yun Jin: "I have already answered your question. Now, may I ask you a question?"
She remained calm, completely ignoring her harsh words. Sun Lan felt a pang of frustration, but considering that Hua Cheng would be back soon, she reluctantly nodded: "Go ahead."
Yun Jin looked into her eyes and asked softly, "When you left, you knew that a five-year-old child couldn't survive on his own, so why did you lock him up alone at home?"
Sun Lan stared at her in astonishment. Her meticulously maintained face was deathly pale, and she made a hoarse sound from her throat, unable to form a complete sentence.
After a long silence, she spoke in a trembling voice, "Was it Hua Cheng... who told you?"
Yun Jin did not deny it.
Sun Lan took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with tears.
After a long silence, she said in a hoarse voice, "I didn't think that much at the time, I just wanted to get revenge on Hua Yi..."
She wanted to retaliate against his irresponsibility, against his gambling addiction, and against him abandoning her and her child. That's why she refused to tell anyone about Hua Cheng's whereabouts when she left.
She was too young, driven to the brink of despair by life, and even the thought of Hua Yi returning home to find his dead son brought her a sense of pleasure.
When Hua Cheng reunited with her, he was already a successful business tycoon. The process of mother and son recognizing each other was smooth and peaceful. She thought that he had long forgotten that past, but she did not expect to hear it again from Yun Jin.
Her dark past was suddenly exposed, and Sun Lan fell from her moral pedestal, covering her face in anguish.
Yun Jin looked at her like this, but her mood remained calm.
This question is too simple. Hua Yu may not not know the answer, but he is too young and still has expectations of Sun Lan, so he longs for an answer that is different from the one in his heart.
Hua Cheng may not have wanted to ask, but as he got older, more important people and things came into his life, and the things he used to hold onto suddenly became insignificant at some point.
It's not that I'm relieved, it's that I've given up.
But Yun Jin didn't want to let it go so easily, not out of revenge or resentment.
She just wanted Sun Lan to know that Hua Yu/Hua Cheng had also built a small lake for her.
Perhaps there is more than one.
Having asked all the questions, Yun Jin glanced at the time; two minutes had already passed, and Hua Cheng was nearing his limit.
She looked at Sun Lan again and kindly reminded her, "Mom, smile a little, don't spoil the atmosphere of lunch."
Sun Lan forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.
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Author's Note: Little Flower's progress: 90%
Oops, I'm late! I'll be giving away 50 red envelopes~
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