Chapter 74 Meng Yanxi is also my desire
Jin Wenyi was stumped by the question.
Both she and Jin Zhao are well past the age of seeing things in black and white.
It's possible that Jin Zhao will realize this even later.
Jin Wenyi, after all, had the protection of her parents and the love of her brother. She was a typical girl who grew up in happiness, carefree and fearless. She was happy herself and could also share some compassion with others, becoming a typical kind and decent person in the world. Jin Zhao, on the other hand, was already being taken advantage of by everyone before she even understood anything.
Demands are not always material; they can also include emotional ones, or, to put it more simply, PUA (Pick-Up Artist).
A daughter left behind by a deceased wife and her father, who is in the prime of his life, often have conflicting interests. The daughter needs love and care, while the father wants to pursue his own happiness; these are fundamentally contradictory, and in such situations, one of them will inevitably have to compromise and give in.
When she was a child, whenever Jin Zhao felt mistreated or wronged, everyone told her that Jin Wenhui was a good person. He was honest, generous, and a responsible man. They tried to persuade her with Jin Wenhui's good reputation among his friends and his generosity towards others.
Children's values are always very simple—honesty is good, generosity is good; lying is bad, concealing is bad, and being cunning is bad.
At this point, feeling wronged and mistreated became a source of shame. It meant it wasn't that he was bad, but rather that she was petty.
Jin Zhao has been subjected to this kind of mental exploitation since childhood.
It wasn't until she grew up and gradually formed her own values that she realized the harm done by good people was even more deadly.
Take Jin Wenhui, for example. He is generous to his parents, wife, siblings, and friends, but he is extremely stingy with her. Because he is older than her, he has long seen through the fundamentally contradictory relationship between them and realized that his happiness would most likely be built on his daughter's compromise. Therefore, he has always been honest and blatantly suppressing Jin Zhao.
He honestly told young Jin Zhao that he was going to marry another woman and hoped she could accept it, because there was no point in her not accepting it; the decision was his. He honestly told her that a harmonious family requires a certain degree of compromise and tolerance. Even when pushing her toward a bad fate, he was honest—at least honest with his own heart. He followed his heart and arranged for her to transfer to No. 9 Middle School and honestly told her about this decision without hiding anything from her.
"So, should I choose someone who is honestly bad to me or someone who is scheming for my own good?" Jin Zhao asked Jin Wenyi in a lighthearted tone.
Jin Wenyi's throat felt very blocked.
The truth is, neither of these are good options.
After a long pause, she sighed softly, "I still hope you find someone who is a good person in themselves, not someone who is only good to you."
Otherwise, how can you guarantee that he will continue to treat you well?
Jin Zhao shook his head slightly: "No."
Jin Wenyi: "What?"
“Meng Yanxi isn’t just nice to me.” Jin Zhao looked into Jin Wenyi’s eyes and said firmly, “He himself is a very, very good person.”
Jin Wenyi's eyes clearly showed her disapproval.
Jin Zhao didn't know where Jin Wenyi had heard about Meng Yanxi. It might not have been from Jin Wenhui. After all, Meng Yanxi was too deceptive, and it was perfectly normal for her to think he was bad, just like she had when she was young.
She used to think this person was scheming, arrogant, and had a bad reputation, which she found despicable. But in the end, she realized that Meng Yanxi was the truly honest and sincere one.
Just like hanging up on her and deleting her messages, wouldn't someone as smart as him have thought that he would eventually be exposed?
He even managed to hide 10,000 yuan in a gift for Jin Wenyi, but it was quickly discovered. She and Jin Wenyi would definitely see each other again, and once they did, she would immediately discover what he had done, and might even get angry with him and argue with him. Yet he still did it.
Because Meng Yanxi is just that kind of person. Just like when he was young, he would do some outrageous things to protect his sister. He never needs any high-sounding excuses for what he does. His protection is always direct and sharp.
Meng Yanxi never bothered to cloak his innocence in hypocrisy; he always held a sharp sword in his hand. He upheld his responsibilities, even if it meant being tainted by corruption and criticized by others.
That is true honesty and sincerity.
Therefore, Meng Yanxi's kindness to her was not scheming, but genuine and open.
But she had no intention of persuading Jin Wenyi, nor was it necessary.
Meng Yanxi never needs anyone to vindicate him.
However, Jin Wenyi saw this as Jin Zhao's belated rebellion, and she feared that if she went her own way, she would only end up ruining herself.
Jin Wenyi was very sad. During the brief silence, she even reflected on whether she had done not well enough.
She had to admit that she hadn't tried her best, and this realization made her even sadder.
How did things get to this point?
Jin Wenyi asked with difficulty, "So... have you registered your marriage?"
Jin Zhao: "Not yet, we're planning to get our marriage certificate on the 27th."
Jin Wenyi calculated the time, her heart sinking: "So that's tomorrow?"
Jin Zhao lowered his eyes, his happiness barely concealed: "If you're still here tomorrow, we can have dinner together."
Jin Wenyi did not speak.
Jin Zhao then understood.
When she was little, she would give up things because of adults' disapproval. Perhaps they didn't even need to express their opinions; just a disapproving look was enough to make her back down. But she's not a child anymore.
"That……"
Jin Zhao intended to end the meeting tactfully, but Jin Wenyi suddenly spoke up: "There's something I wasn't planning to tell you, since it concerns your father's privacy, and I have no right to tell you."
Jin Zhao: "If that's the case, then I won't either..."
Jin Wenyi: "But I'm not sure if this has anything to do with Meng Yanxi, so I think you should know, at least before you decide to marry him."
Jin Zhao: "What?"
Jin Wenyi remained silent for a moment.
She had always been a very considerate person, and her conduct was almost impeccable. By nature, she would never do something like gossiping about someone's private affairs behind their back, but after much deliberation, she finally decided to speak out, as if it were her last act of kindness towards her niece.
Jin Wenyi: "You know, Lin Yao has wanted a daughter for years, but she has failed. Later, she and your father went for IVF, but that also failed."
"Is that so?" Jin Zhao said calmly. "Fortunately, I haven't seen them recently, otherwise I'm afraid I would have heard the sound of police sirens again."
Jin Wenyi didn't dwell on the sarcasm in Jin Zhao's words and continued, "I don't know if Lin Yao had a fight with your father or if she was obsessed with wanting a daughter... Later, she actually went to find a male college student."
Jin Zhao's eyes flickered.
Jin Wenyi is a respectable person, and she felt ashamed to talk about such things, so she didn't say it directly, but just looked at Jin Zhao with knowing eyes.
Jin Wenyi: "Your dad found out."
Jin Zhao: "Found it?"
Jin Wenyi: "Yes, I saw it on the spot."
Jin Zhao declined to comment, but one can probably imagine how spectacular the scene must have been.
Jin Wenyi said, "Your dad was furious and rushed up to fight the other party on the spot."
Jin Zhao asked, "And what happened? Was my dad injured?"
This is a reasonable guess, after all, Jin Wenhui is nearly sixty years old and most likely can't beat a male college student in his prime.
Jin Wenyi shook her head: "No, the other party didn't fight back, but was injured, so they called the police and it ended up at the police station."
Jin Zhao said honestly, "That's very embarrassing. He's such a proud person, this would probably be even more embarrassing for him than being injured."
Jin Wenyi looked at Jin Zhao with a strange expression.
Jin Zhao has truly changed. In my memory, she was someone who was easily moved to pity. If Jin Wenhui had shown even the slightest sign of distress in front of her, Jin Zhao would immediately feel sorry for her father. But now, Jin Zhao acts like an observer, expressionless, her tone even carrying a hint of detachment.
Jin Wenyi will not go into the details of the embarrassing situation.
The truth is, it's really ugly.
The male college student insisted that he did not know Lin Yao was married, claiming that he too had been cheated out of money and sexually exploited by a married woman, and had been inexplicably beaten. He did not fight back at all, has a hospital medical report, intends to sue Lin Yao and Jin Wenhui, and has quickly hired a lawyer.
Jin Wenhui has been incredibly unlucky lately, with everything—business, family—driving him to the brink of madness. He's completely overwhelmed, and his elderly parents can't help him either. In the end, it was Jin Wenyi who rushed back to meet with the opposing lawyer.
He looks like a young man, but he is said to be very famous and one of the top lawyers in Suiyi.
Jin Wenyi wanted to settle, but the opposing lawyer was extremely aggressive, threatening to teach Jin Wenhui and his wife a lesson on behalf of his clients. Jin Wenyi's several attempts to communicate were met with resistance. Suddenly, she remembered that one of her students was also a lawyer, so she asked around about the other party.
Jin Wenyi still remembers the chill that ran through her body when she heard the students' replies.
"Teacher Jin, my suggestion is to settle. You may not be in Suiyi, and you may not have experience with lawsuits, so you haven't heard of the other party. The fact is, Luo Heng is not only one of the top figures in Suiyi, but also ranks among the best in the country. If you sue him, you basically have no chance of getting the better of him. Even if you use your connections, it won't be of much use. Luo Heng is very close to Meng Yanxi in private. As long as Meng Yanxi is around, your connections will never be as strong as his."
Jin Wenyi heard Meng Yanxi's name from her students.
I don’t know if women are just naturally more sensitive, but Jin Wenyi suddenly thought of a terrible possibility about two seemingly unrelated things.
She immediately went to find Lin Yao, who was also in a bad state. She was hiding in a room with the curtains tightly closed, her hair disheveled, her face buried in her palms, and she said painfully, "I don't know who he is. I met him at a bar. He took the initiative to provoke me, bought me drinks, and asked me out... I was just bewitched."
Jin Wenyi's suspicions were further confirmed.
She asked Jin Zhao, "Does Meng Yanxi have a lawyer named Luo Heng by her side?"
Jin Zhao's eyelids twitched: "What do you mean?"
Jin Wenyi: "The lawyer they hired is named Luo Heng."
Jin Zhao was taken aback, then chuckled softly: "Aunt, are you saying that all of this was designed by Meng Yanxi?"
Jin Wenyi didn't say whether it was true or not, but looked into Jin Zhao's eyes and said earnestly, "Whether it is or not is no longer important. I just want to say, Lingling, do you really understand Meng Yanxi? There's such a big difference between you two in terms of status, background, and upbringing. You're only relying on his affection for you now, but affection is inherently ephemeral, and love is even more fleeting. If one day love is gone, how will you cope with the disparity between you?"
Jin Zhao countered, "But Aunt, what in life is truly eternal? Not even life itself."
Jin Wenyi was speechless.
Jin Zhao: "It's like we know that life will end, yet we still have desires and strive for them recklessly. Childhood studies, adult careers... which one doesn't have an uncertain ending, with gains and losses coexisting? Yet who hasn't spent half their life chasing after something without regard for anything else?"
Jin Zhao was once afraid of losing Meng Yanxi, and even had the cowardly thought of ending everything at the best moment. But later she suddenly realized that if she could be fearless and go all out for other people, why couldn't she be bold for this man who had amazed her life?
“Meng Yanxi is also my desire, and I am willing to give my all for him.” She looked at Jin Wenyi and said frankly, “I have no regrets once I’ve made my move.”
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Author's Note: Next chapter: We'll get our marriage certificate and our little dumpling is born! [heart emoji]
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