Chapter 52
52.
It was Guan Yue who gave him the courage not to run away.
Guan Yue was lying to him; she wasn't seriously injured. But Cheng Lingjun wasn't as angry as he seemed. He was even relieved that it was just an act.
In this scene, he saw his own heart, and he also saw Guan Yue's heart.
She truly, truly couldn't bear to part with him.
His wishful thinking in letting her find someone else was cruel to her.
Her repeated insistence finally left him with no way to retreat. All his hesitation, worry, and fear gradually dissipated until all pretense was stripped away, and his heart touched hers with such burning passion and unreserved devotion.
He admitted that at that moment he lost all his excuses, and there was no reason left for him not to hug her.
In fact, what truly made Cheng Lingjun stop running away was Guan Yue, not the pressure from her parents.
Now that he had decided to be with Guan Yue, his parents naturally wouldn't stop him. He had already left the Cheng family. Even though he still had feelings for his family, he knew that he couldn't listen to or believe everything his parents said. If he were still the obedient son he used to be, he wouldn't be who he is today.
Moreover, he didn't want to push Guan Yue away anymore. She had already taken ninety-nine steps, so wasn't it only right for him to take the last step?
He didn't want her to bear the pain of this relationship alone anymore. Even though he still felt he was unworthy in many ways, Guan Yue deserved it. She was worthy of the love of any man in the world, instead of giving her all only to end up with nothing.
Since she was still insisting, what reason did he have not to take her hand?
"Mother, Father, I have never asked you for anything, but this time, I want to ask you for my own happiness. If you still care about your son, please grant us your wish."
Although Cheng Lingjun was pleading, his posture and eyes conveyed his determination. He truly intended, no, he decided to be with Guan Yue. He wasn't asking for their opinions, but rather informing them that he was determined to do so!
Cheng Xiu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. Not only had Cheng Lingjun disobeyed her, but he had also done so with someone like Guan Yue. She wanted to get angry and lash out, but the cold water had extinguished her anger. All she could do was leave with a harsh remark: "Whatever. Don't blame your parents if you regret it later."
Cheng Lingjun raised his hands and bowed deeply. Cheng Xiu flicked his sleeves and got into the carriage. Wen Lin looked at his son, then at the carriage, wanting to say something, but Cheng Xiu threw down the words: "What are you still standing there for? If he wants to degenerate, let him be. Nobody is allowed to interfere with him!"
Wen Lin had no choice but to get into the carriage. Cheng Yajun secretly gave Guan Yue a look, gently pushed Li Guang forward, and returned to the carriage without saying anything. Soon, the wheels started turning again, and the carriage disappeared from their sight along with the dust.
Cheng Lingjun only slowly got up after the carriage had completely left.
He gazed intently into the distance, his expression complex.
Guan Yue stood behind him without disturbing him until Cheng Lingjun turned around.
He turned around and saw his son standing with Guan Yue, Guan Yue's hand still on Li Guang's shoulder, as if welcoming a returning traveler.
Li Guang looked somewhat bewildered, but still waited obediently for his father. Cheng Lingjun patted his head and smiled, "Were you scared?"
Seeing Guan Yue covered in blood, Cheng Lingjun was about to continue comforting Li Guang when Li Guang shook his head and said, "I'm not afraid."
"?"
Come to think of it, Li Guang wasn't scared at all. Even his parents were terrified and turned pale, but Li Guang was actually calmer than the adults.
Cheng Lingjun couldn't help but look at Guan Yue.
Guan Yue awkwardly touched her face and said, "Actually, I told Xiao Guang beforehand, so uh..."
Actually, it was Sister Cheng who told Li Guang, but she couldn't betray Sister Cheng, so she could only say it was herself.
Seeing Cheng Lingjun's furrowed brows, Guan Yue immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"
Cheng Lingjun sneered, "I haven't settled accounts with you yet."
Guan Yue hadn't even contacted Li Guang. Even if she had told Li Guang beforehand, it would have been impossible to avoid his notice. There must be someone else helping her. Cheng Lingjun wasn't stupid. But since Guan Yue didn't want to say who it was, he pretended not to know. However! Guan Yue's actions couldn't be easily erased, otherwise she might scare him again next time.
Seeing the smile on Cheng Lingjun's lips, Guan Yue trembled involuntarily and pulled Li Guang to her side, "The...the child is still watching..."
Li Guangzheng stared at them with wide eyes.
...
Cheng Lingjun took Li Guang's hand and said calmly, "Let's go back first. By the way, how did you get here?"
Guan Yue breathed a sigh of relief and led them to the side, where a horse was leisurely grazing with a rein tied to a tree trunk.
Judging from this, Guan Yue must have been here waiting for them long ago.
Cheng Lingjun was silent for a moment, then looked at Guan Yue with hostility. Guan Yue pretended not to notice, pulled the horse over, and said, "Ahem, let's go. You and Xiao Guang can ride the horse."
"And what about you?"
"I'm fine. If you can't ride, I can hold the rope."
Guan Yue deliberately adopted a humble attitude, so that even if Cheng Lingjun wanted to settle scores, he would consider her hard work and treat her leniently, right?
Cheng Lingjun looked at her, "You can ride?"
Guan Yue was putting Li Guang on the horse when she said, "Uh, no, but the situation was urgent, so I learned a little on the spot and rode over here haphazardly."
She was desperate and grasping at straws at the time. She didn't know how to ride a horse, although she had ridden in a carriage before. Luckily, the village chief found her a docile stallion that even a novice like her could handle. Otherwise, it would have been a real joke if she hadn't made it in time.
Cheng Lingjun remained silent, letting Guan Yue help him onto the horse. The horse was truly good-tempered, remaining motionless until they were all on board before slowly starting to move.
Seeing that he seemed to be able to ride steadily, Guan Yue let go of his hand and called out, "You guys go back first, I'll follow behind."
At this moment, Cheng Lingjun stopped and dismounted on his own. Guan Yue asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"I'll go back with you."
Cheng Lingjun held the reins. Li Guang was still on horseback. When he saw his father dismount, he wanted to get off as well, but Cheng Lingjun stopped him, saying, "Don't move around. Sit still."
"Can……"
Guan Yue caught up and asked, "Why aren't you riding anymore?"
Cheng Lingjun shook her head, "I'm not tired, it won't take long to walk."
"ah?"
Guan Yue could easily see what Cheng Lingjun was thinking; he was clearly waiting for her to go back together.
She was touched, and helped Cheng Lingjun pull the reins, asking, "Aren't you tired?"
"Hmm, you weren't hit by that club, so get on the horse."
"Hey, that was all fake. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine!"
"Oh? Come with me to see Doctor Lin when we get back."
"There's no need for that..."
"Um?"
"Okay, okay, I'll go back and see a doctor right away."
The two men led the horse, with a child riding on it, and they walked slowly toward Dahuai Village, leaving Li Guang on the horse wondering, "Are there nails on the horse's back? Why aren't the two adults sitting on it?"
The journey wasn't long, or at least not in Guan Yue's eyes. When they arrived at the village entrance, a person was eagerly waiting.
"Village Chief," Guan Yue greeted him.
Rui Xi smiled, "It seems it's done, Xiao Cheng is back too."
"Ahem," Guan Yue tried to cover it up, but Cheng Lingjun had already glanced at her. "Don't try to hide it. I don't think you could have found the horse so quickly without Chief Rui's help. Besides, the chief is waiting here, um..."
Since the village chief was waiting at the village entrance, he must have known about Guan Yue's plan. The rest was self-evident. Everyone knew what was going on. Rui Xi didn't show any embarrassment and still smiled and said, "I know Guan Yue came to find you. I helped her too. Xiao Cheng, don't be upset. Of course, you can take it out on Guan Yue, but I still have to say something for her. She really had no other choice. If we hadn't told her that you actually wanted to stay in Dahuai Village, she wouldn't have dared to try."
"Us?" Cheng Lingjun repeated these two words in his mind. It seemed that it wasn't just the village chief who was helping Guan Yue. Another figure had appeared in Cheng Lingjun's mind. He guessed that it was very likely her, but he couldn't verify it now, so he let it go.
Guan Yue chuckled foolishly. The village chief was a smart man; he knew he couldn't expose Cheng Erjie, so he was just venting his anger on this... Could she say no?
...
In any case, Cheng Lingjun has returned. Unfortunately, his belongings are still in the carriage. Fortunately, not everything has been packed up, so the house is still habitable, just missing many items.
Village Chief Rui waved her hand, inviting Cheng Lingjun and Li Guang to eat at her house first. She also offered to lend them some sleeping supplies and invited Guan Yue as well. It was ostensibly a relief effort, but in reality, it was a celebration. Everyone gathered together for a lively meal, and Li Guang and the village chief's granddaughter Bao'er played for a long time after the meal.
The village chief's son-in-law brewed tea for them, and the group chatted idly in the courtyard.
Rui Xi tapped on a sunflower seed shell, glanced at Guan Yue, and whispered, "What are your plans for the future?"
"W-what, how?" Guan Yue's face flushed slightly and stiffened. Her eyes darted around, glancing at Cheng Lingjun beside her before quickly looking away.
Cheng Lingjun swallowed a sip of tea and calmly asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"N-nothing," Guan Yue lowered her head, picked up a melon seed, and then looked up again, asking, "How was the village chief's question?"
Cheng Lingjun glanced at her. Guan Yue's eyes held a hint of hope. He smiled slightly and said, "You're a woman, and you're the one who tricked me. Now you're asking me what happened?"
Guan Yue shrank her neck. "Well, well, it's not exactly a trap. Cough cough, I just... I was just asking what you think. What... what are you thinking?"
Guan Yue was truly embarrassed. She had only said those things in public when she was forced into it. Now that no one was pressuring her, she became somewhat withdrawn. She dared not openly say those shameful words again, but she believed that Cheng Lingjun would understand what she meant. If... if he had no objections, could she...
Cheng Lingjun looked into Guan Yueliang's sparkling eyes, and her emotions seemed to infect him. He couldn't help but lower his eyelashes, cover his face with his cup, and whisper, "What do you mean? I... I mean the same thing as you, don't I?"
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