Chapter 253 Fingers Interlocked
From childhood to adulthood, Ren Limeng has rarely received such direct praise and encouragement from her parents. Even her father, who played the gentler role of "Tiger Mom and Cat Dad", almost never affirmed her so directly and firmly.
Ren Limeng finished sending the message with a feigned complaint, and cleverly diverted the topic that had made her feel a little helpless. On the other end, Ren Shunan did not make any more sentimental remarks, but changed the subject -
Dad: Your mom and I are planning to go to Xiangcheng in the second half of the year.
Xiangcheng is the location of the Orange platform and also where Ren Limeng works daily. Ren Shunan suddenly mentioned coming to Xiangcheng. Ren Limeng immediately understood that her parents were planning to come and see her, and might also want to travel to Xiangcheng and take a vacation, killing two birds with one stone.
Wu Murong and Ren Shunan have always been very busy at work, especially Wu Murong. In addition to rehearsing Huangmei Opera repertoires, she also has to teach students and participate in various activities. Since Ren Limeng can remember, her mother has almost no holidays throughout the year.
Ren Limeng has been working in Xiangcheng for more than four years. In addition to the already strained parent-child relationship, Ren Limeng's parents really don't have time to come to Xiangcheng to see her.
Even though her parents just came to see her, Ren Limeng was still very happy after going through these days.
Ren Limeng: Okay, okay, Dad. Once you decide on the time, remember to tell me in advance. I will then take some time off to take you out to play!
Ren Limeng: You shouldn't need to ask for leave. I heard the entertainment channel hosts are very flexible with their attendance schedules. Anyway, you're all welcome to come! Don't worry about itineraries or hotels. Just come over, and I'll take care of everything else!
Ren Limeng quickly replied to the message, unconsciously curling the corners of her lips. She chatted with her father for a few casual words. When the two of them had run out of things to talk about, at the end of the conversation, Ren Limeng received a few more lines of advice from Ren Shunan.
Dad: You have been busy with work recently, so you don’t have to come back to see us after the show. This is what your mom meant. Work hard. It must not be easy to switch from news to entertainment. Li Meng, come on, we support you. If you are tired, be sure to tell us. (Laughing) Dad still has a lot of private money hidden.
Ren Limeng was stunned for a long moment. She stared at the screen, opened her mouth slightly, and inexplicably recalled the conversation above. She suddenly understood the good intentions behind her parents' plan to visit her in the second half of the year, with some support that she might no longer need but was still warm enough. Ren Limeng lowered her head, subconsciously still not wanting her parents to accommodate her.
Ren Limeng: Dad, don't worry, my work is now on track. Although these past two days seem thrilling, there are actually many benefits. I have now established myself in the entertainment channel in one go.
Ren Limeng: If you are not here for a trip, you don’t have to come to see me specially. I just miss home. I went back to see you because I wanted to try the meat cakes and glutinous rice lotus roots in Meishi. They are not authentic. It’s only been a week and I miss them so much!
Ren Limeng specifically expressed her longing for Mei City. As the saying goes, a son is best known to his father. Ren Shunan knew that Ren Limeng had long been independent enough, and she... had actually not been so homesick for a long time. All her deliberate expressions were full of considerate kindness, and time would also wash away the estrangement that was difficult to repair overnight.
Dad: We also want to travel around Xiangcheng. Anyway, you don’t have to come back recently. Mainly, your mom and I have been very busy recently. It’s your fault. After the show was broadcast, the number of tourists coming to Meishi increased sharply, and Meixiang has become a popular check-in spot. Now your mom and I are forced to work overtime.
Ren Shunan complained with some pride, but only he knew the deeper reason. He and Wu Murong were lamenting together last night that they could no longer help their daughter, but at least, she didn't have to worry about anything.
"My parents..."
Even though it happened just now, in the dressing room, Ren Limeng couldn't help but have a complicated look in her eyes when she mentioned her parents. She looked at Chen Xingzhi, whose fingers were clasped together again, and after explaining the conversation with her parents, her thousands of words finally turned into a sigh.
"These days I keep thinking about that quote that's been going viral lately. Back then, everyone had their own difficulties. It turns out it's not just relationships between men and women, it's also true for family relationships... Maybe... there's no need to be so calculating."
Love itself is enough, understanding itself is worth it.
Over the years, Ren Limeng has certainly blamed her parents, but today, she may finally feel relieved and even grateful.
She does not regret her choice back then. All the ups and downs she experienced have led her to where she is today. However, there are of course regrets in this, but now everything is satisfactory enough.
It's rare to be ignorant in life, so she decided to move on.
"Relationships between men and women..."
Shen Xingzhi's unexpected sigh made Ren Limeng raise her head. She raised her eyes slightly and her gaze fell on Shen Xingzhi involuntarily. She listened to his low and hoarse voice, which was filled with some suppressed sadness.
"Mengmeng, we...didn't have any problems with you back then. It was me...who let you down. Even if there was a reason, it was my fault."
Shen Xingzhi tried hard to suppress the bitterness in his voice, but his trembling heart still could not calm down. He subconsciously clenched Ren Limeng tightly, lowered his head and pressed it against Ren Limeng's forehead, hiding all his emotions.
He knew that Ren Limeng didn't care so much, but some things happened and they happened. Apart from apologizing, all he could do now was to hold the slender hand in his palm tightly and sigh at his luck.
“…Thank you, Mengmeng…”
Even though they agreed not to say "sorry" and "thank you" to each other, Shen Xingzhi couldn't help it at this moment. He wanted to sincerely say sorry to her again, not only to her at this moment, but also to the brave her back then.
Chen Xingzhi will always remember Ren Limeng's star-like smile when she mustered up the courage to invite him to marry her backstage; he will also never forget the depressed smile she forced to hide her composure after he filed for divorce. Even now, this is the pain hidden deep in his heart.
He had his difficulties in what happened back then, but ultimately he handled it too immaturely, causing himself suffering and hurting her badly.
Even though he is very lucky now, after many twists and turns, the right person can still be together, but besides being thankful, Shen Xingzhi has never let it go.
Ren Limeng raised her other hand that was hanging in front of her, and suddenly covered Shen Xingzhi's slightly opened thin lips tightly, and also resolutely stopped Shen Xingzhi from saying any words of debt and guilt. She looked at Shen Xingzhi solemnly and shook her head gently.
"Brother Xingzhi, you've done very well. It must have been very difficult all these years. There's nothing to blame yourself for. You made the best choice at that time. Everything happened at that time. Even if I were you, I couldn't find a better way."
Ren Limeng's fingers moved upwards gently, slowly tracing the contours of Shen Xingzhi's eyebrows. There was no accusation in her voice, only full of comfort, "The important thing is that we have different paths to the same destination, and now we are still together."
Ren Limeng smiled gently, and the smile in her eyes seemed as bright and dazzling as before, making Shen Xingzhi unable to help but remember it. This time, in addition to the brightness, Shen Xingzhi felt more warmth, which once again warmed his gradually melting cold heart.
"If we hadn't gone through what happened back then, perhaps we would have gone through other hardships. We were too young back then, and it would have been easy for us to get separated by the wind. But now it's different. Brother Xingzhi, I'm holding your hand this time and I won't let go. Even if you refuse, it's useless. From now on, you can only walk the road with me!"
Ren Limeng smiled and shook their intertwined hands, their palms touching each other. Both of them couldn't help but hold their hands tighter. Even though it was already airtight and even a little painful, they still continued to intertwine and clasp each other without any prior agreement.
Because they have decided never to let each other go.
Ren Limeng suddenly remembered the few words she had exchanged with Yan Fangshu on WeChat during the break in the recording.
Yan Fangshu: Mengmeng, your reputation has definitely changed since Li Chuyue posted on Weibo! I just checked Weibo, and it's all praising you, and some are even apologizing to you. As expected, good prevails over evil. Even if someone maliciously exposes this, so what? We have nothing to fear from the shadows we cast as we are upright!
Ren Limeng: Although he is indeed not afraid of the slanted shadow, the fact that he can be so effective still depends on his money. You know, Brother Xingzhi also hired a bunch of marketing companies and some well-known celebrities in the industry.
Yan Fangshu: I don't care, you're just awesome! Chen Xingzhi is your boyfriend, so even if you round it up, you're still awesome (tsundere). You were practically hacked online this time, and being able to turn haters into fans so quickly wasn't just about marketing! Don't be modest, it's all about real strength! Apart from anything else, you were truly brave yesterday. You scared the hell out of me! Don't be so brave next time. Let's do things within our capabilities. Don't be impulsive. Think about yourself, okay?
Ren Limeng: Okay, okay.
Ren Limeng (well-behaved cat.jpg)
Yan Fangshu: Mengmeng, you are so good... Why do I find it hard to believe?
Yan Fangshu: Forget it, let’s not talk about this. I still feel a little scared just thinking about the scene of your live broadcast.
Yan Fangshu: Since the public opinion reversal has been surprisingly positive, are you and Shen Xingzhi still planning to make your relationship public? Many netizens have already expressed their admiration for you. Will making your relationship public affect your fan base at this point?
Yan Fangshu: Now that the situation is under control, are you still planning to go public? Announcing a relationship in the entertainment industry can easily lead to rumors. Everyone has finally seen you as a host, so will going public with your relationship make you invisible?
Yan Fangshu: It’s not mainly your problem. It’s because Chen Xingzhi is too outstanding and a recognized top star. Even the current first-line female stars in the entertainment industry would find it difficult to handle his fans.
Although Chen Xingzhi is very outstanding, Yan Fangshu is very proud that her sisters can "win" Chen Xingzhi, and she feels that her sisters are too outstanding. However, at this moment, Yan Fangshu still can't help but worry about her sisters. She cares more about the impact of the public relationship on Ren Limeng, and considers the disadvantages of this matter to Ren Limeng's career and development.
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