Almost at that very moment,
Cheng Yanyu put down the menu and ran out.
In the long, quiet, and comfortable corridor, the sound of high heels echoed as Li Man walked. Cheng Yanyu caught up to her, came in front of her, and directly blocked her path.
Li Man had just put on her sunglasses. Meeting Cheng Yanyu’s eyes, she tapped her phone and asked, “Is there something else?”
Cheng Yanyu looked at her for a long time before saying, “If you didn’t want to come, you should’ve said so earlier. Why are you only saying it now? Didn’t I talk to you in the car? I told you to help put them at ease, and you agreed.”
Li Man looked at him, then after a few seconds, smiled and said, “I regret it. Is that okay? I regretted it the moment I agreed to you. Why do you insist I meet your parents?”
For the first time, Cheng Yanyu clenched his jaw. “If you regretted it, why didn’t you say so earlier? Say it earlier!”
Li Man chuckled, “Well, I’m saying it now. Didn’t you understand?”
“If I marry you, then for the rest of my life, I can see the end of my road clearly. Why would I make such a choice?” Li Man folded her arms, her eyes behind the sunglasses sharp and indifferent.
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Ubldt Zyduw pvyale yv bla kd ekpclzklq.
Xa rlabyrp kv oypd’v ekpclzklq—bl bye pldple psxlvbkdt yzz yzsdt.
Mblpl osaep olal yzps blyae cu Hbldt Qwkzk yde Ubldt Fbyd, obs bye qszzsole vblx. Hbldt Qwkzk’p xldvyz elqldplp, obknb pbl bye sdzu fwpv nsdhkdnle blaplzq vs ynnlrv Nk Yyd yde alprlnv bla psd’p nbsknl, kdpvydvzu nszzyrple. Fbl awpble qsaoyae yde tayccle Nk Yyd’p yax. “Rq usw eked’v oydv vs tlv xyaakle, obu eke usw rashsjl xu psd? Ebu eke usw elpvasu bkp byrru qyxkzu?”
“Fyu kv! Fyu kv!”
Uywtbv sqq twyae, Nk Yyd nswzed’v xshl yp Hbldt Qwkzk plkgle bla oakpv. Fbl vwadle vs calyj qall, pdllakdt nszezu: “Ebu esd’v usw czyxl uswa psd qsa nblyvkdt? Rq bl nswzed’v nsdvasz bkxplzq, obyv eslp kv byhl vs es okvb xl?”
“Pke R ypj bkx vs tlv y ekhsanl? R dlhla ypjle bkx vs tlv y ekhsanl.”
Hbldt Qwkzk’p qaytkzl lxsvksdp casjl esod lhld qwavbla. Fbl vwadle kd ydtla vsoyae Ubldt Zyduw, takrrkdt bkx vktbvzu, bla zsdt-blze rykd yde blzrzlppdlpp yv clkdt nwv swv sq vbl elnkpksd yzz pwatkdt wr yv sdnl. Fbl pvyale yv bkx yde pyke, “Nssj yv vbl jkde sq rlapsd usw qlzz qsa. Zsw oasdtle Eld Zydt. Zsw nblyvle, yde vbkp kp oblal usw ldele wr. Ebyv jkde sq rlapsd byhl usw caswtbv kdvs uswa zkql?”
“Ebu eke usw clvayu uswa qyxkzu? Ebu eke usw clvayu Eld Zydt? Ebu?!”
Held by his mother, Cheng Yanyu finally broke down. He couldn’t answer her. He held her hand tightly in return.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t hold on anymore.
He had no choice. He wanted to move forward, but so many homes had no place for him. He could only keep walking. He tried to return to the right path, to build a new home through his efforts.
But it was too hard.
The sound of high heels passed them by. Li Man’s figure soon disappeared from the restaurant.
Zheng Guili cried as she clung to her son.
Depression surged again—it had never gone away, only been forcefully hidden. Cheng Shan quickly supported her. A few people in the quiet corridor peeked out to watch.
Cheng Yanyu gritted his teeth, helped his father, and took Zheng Guili back to the hotel.
The things in the restaurant, the bill for the private room—Yu Zhan handled them.
—
Back at the hotel, Zheng Guili sat on the sofa weeping uncontrollably. This was a typical symptom from her previous depression. Cheng Shan wiped her tears with tissues. In the past six months, her condition had taken a toll on him too. His brows furrowed deeply with regret. Looking at Cheng Yanyu, his voice was cold and disappointed: “With someone like that, why did you let us meet her? You’ve been in society long enough. Don’t you know how to judge someone’s character?”
“The moment she stepped in with that arrogant demeanor, I knew she wasn’t someone who belongs with our family. Poverty isn’t scary—what’s scary is having no dignity at all.”
Cheng Yanyu lowered his head.
A few seconds later, he looked up at his mother. He moved from the opposite sofa to sit beside her and gripped her hand tightly. He said, “Mom, I’m sorry. I was eager to make you feel at ease, to let you see that I’ve been trying hard, that I’m trying to live each day well. No matter whether my choices are right or wrong, I’ll walk this path properly. She wasn’t always like this. She used to be… gentle.”
At this point,
It was like an illusion in water—it appeared, but there was no moon in the water, only the reflection in the well1I think this is a Chinese proverb, I think I read this from another novel before. It means everything is fake, she was faking the gentleness. Fu Xingzhou is still a better judge of character because he saw through Li Man..
Zheng Guili, still crying, looked at her son and asked, “That day, those two bouquets of roses—did she really like them?”
Though her eyes were filled with tears, her gaze was sharp and clear. Cheng Yanyu looked into his mother’s eyes and fell silent. Zheng Guili gave a cold laugh. “She never liked those roses, did she? Just like she never liked you.”
“Cheng Yanyu, answer me—do you regret it?”
Facing his mother’s aging face, Cheng Yanyu couldn’t say a word.
Communication and connection—these are the simplest yet most complicated things in the world.
After meeting Li Man again at the bar, they were both lost souls after divorce, seeking warmth in each other. He had hoped to start a new life, a different kind of life. But he found that being with someone can vary drastically.
Li Man didn’t have the habit of taking care of a household. The German Shepherd she kept was her only real affection. A housekeeper came regularly to clean.
Most of the time, when he returned home, she wasn’t there—either at her studio or out shopping, drinking, and chatting with friends. Even when she was home, she mostly stayed in her room.
They barely communicated. Eventually, she would ask about his work, and when they went shopping, he instinctively paid for everything. Her spending was still within what he could afford.
But her silent concern only for his work—not his life—started to feel like pressure. He could handle work, but he couldn’t face her indifference to everything else.
And those two bouquets—she had no real interest in them, and it wasn’t an excuse. She had studied flower arranging.
She just… didn’t care about his parents at all.
Cheng Yanyu remained silent.
Zheng Guili’s tears had nearly all run dry.
She said, “That saying ‘marry a virtuous wife’ belongs to the past. These days, there are also families where the man stays home and the woman works outside. You’ve seen our neighbor Uncle Liu and his wife—his wife works outside, while he stays home to take care of the kids. But both of them are working hard for the sake of the family. As long as the family is whole and happy, a little compromise is acceptable.”
“But look at that Li Man—do you think she’s that kind of person?”
Cheng Yanyu understood his mother’s words but didn’t respond.
Zheng Guili looked at her son and asked, “Cheng Yanyu, have you thought about Wen Yang?”
At that moment, the man who had remained silent and kept his head down turned red around the eyes. Cheng Yanyu looked away, but Zheng Guili saw his reddened eyes. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of her—he had. But thinking about her was pointless now. That girl he had met and fallen in love with in college, the one he had married right after graduation to build a family together with, supporting each other for two years…
They had dated for five years. Each was the other’s first love. All the promises and vows of eternal love he once made were destroyed by a single reckless decision. Regret and memories tormented him like a slow, lingering death for a long time afterward.
But he knew—there was no going back.
“Cheng Yanyu, what should I even say to you?” Zheng Guili was heartbroken. Some people always pursue true feelings, while others discard sincerity. From the moment Wen Yang stepped into their home, she had liked her. She had only one son in her life and had hoped for a warm-hearted daughter-in-law. Wen Yang felt like a gift from the heavens.
Not to mention the plants and flowers—when she and Wen Yang went out together, they would often link arms. No matter how good a husband is, he can’t replace having a daughter to chat with and confide in.
She had tried to convince herself to respect her son and carry on with life despite the anger. She hadn’t expected Li Man to be like Wen Yang, only hoped she would be a decent woman—treat each other politely and not make trouble. But now she realized it wasn’t about making trouble. It was like dealing with a cold, hard stone.
“Stop crying.” Cheng Shan wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder and said, “Let’s get packed. We’ll head back to Nan’an tomorrow.”
Cheng Shan wasn’t as sentimental as his wife, but people do compare. He now remembered how Wen Yang had been when they first met her—like a warm beam of light.
Zheng Guili took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
Cheng Shan checked the time—it was still early—and said, “How about we take a walk?”
Zheng Guili shook her head.
She was holding her phone.
–
To visit the base of Fengyuan Mountain, measure the grounds, and conduct a site survey, an appointment was required. After several attempts, Yu Qing finally secured one. Early in the morning, Wen Yang changed into pants—something she rarely wore. Fu Xingzhou drove her to the foot of the mountain in a black double-plated sedan. Yu Qing was waiting not far away with a bright smile.
The sun was strong.
Wen Yang put on the hat Fu Xingzhou had bought her that day in the ancient city, tidied her hair, and looked at him. “I’m going now.”
Fu Xingzhou, seeing her crisp outfit and beautiful face under the hat brim—nose, lips, chin—said, “Come here.”
Wen Yang leaned toward the center console and looked up.
Fu Xingzhou lifted the brim of her soft fisherman’s hat and kissed her lips.
The hat made the moment feel even more intimate. As someone passed by the car, Fu Xingzhou pulled back a little and said while looking into her eyes, “Be careful.”
Wen Yang’s lips were rosy. She nodded, “You too, drive safe.”
“Okay.”
He adjusted her hat for her.
Wen Yang pressed it down herself, then opened the car door and got out.
Yu Qing, holding a laptop and documents, smiled as she saw her. Wen Yang adjusted her shoulder bag and walked over. Behind her, the black car pulled away. Yu Qing glanced at Wen Yang’s outfit and exclaimed, “Wow, you look great!”
Wen Yang smiled and linked arms with her. “You look great too.”
Yu Qing was wearing jeans and an off-shoulder top. She clicked her tongue and said, “I wear stuff like this all the time, but you—this is rare. You hardly ever wear pants like this.”
Wen Yang said, “Then I’ll wear them more from now on.”
Yu Qing laughed and pinched her cheek. “No, you should wear whatever you like.”
Wen Yang beamed.
When they arrived at the site, Brother Chen Chang was there too. He brought two bottles of water and two assistants—five people in total. Chen Chang and his team were mainly there to provide guidance. After all, designing and building such a large greenhouse is two different things. The key is to balance aesthetics and practicality.
Yu Qing, also wearing a hat, looked up at the mountain and the open space before them.
Wen Yang opened her laptop and glanced at her. She suddenly felt that Yu Qing was really amazing—always so talented.
Back in college,
Yu Qing often won awards. Though Liu Yu usually took her to participate, Wen Yang knew that the real designer was almost always Yu Qing.
The five of them stayed at Fengyuan Mountain the entire day.
Appointments were hard to come by, so they made the most of it. By around 7 p.m., they finally finished compiling the data. Because it’s a greenhouse, the design would need to take timing into account, and they would probably have to come back several more times during the design process.
Back in the city,
Wen Yang joined them for dinner. Afterward, Yu Qing returned to Yage first, while Wen Yang headed to Yunchi to organize some materials. Fu Xingzhou had a business dinner that evening and was expected back around ten.
Just as she arrived at the building entrance,
She saw a middle-aged woman coming down the pedestrian overpass, looking up at the building. Wen Yang was about to look away after a quick glance—until the woman met her eyes.
Their gazes locked mid-air, and both saw the other’s face clearly.
It was Zheng Guili.
Cheng Yanyu’s mother.
Zheng Guili looked emotional the moment she saw Wen Yang. “Wen Yang!”
Her voice called out.
Wen Yang snapped out of her thoughts slightly and gently replied, “Auntie, you’re in Nancheng?”
Zheng Guili nodded and walked toward her with a smile. “I was just out for a walk and somehow wandered over this pedestrian bridge. This is COCO Tower, isn’t it?”
Wen Yang nodded.
She hadn’t seen Zheng Guili in a long time, and only now did she notice how much older she looked. Her eyelids drooped. Zheng Guili had always kept things simple—she was very beautiful when she was younger. Her life among plants and flowers had given her a certain elegance. But now, her temples were streaked with gray, and her smile deepened her crow’s feet. Wen Yang asked softly, “Where are you staying?”
Zheng Guili looked at her, wanting to reach out and take her hand, but held back. “At the Intercontinental Hotel.”
Wen Yang paused. “That’s quite a way from here. Where’s Uncle? Why aren’t you two together?”
Zheng Guili hadn’t expected to see Wen Yang again. Yet she was still so gentle—not cold or dismissive. Her eyes turned red again as she softly said, “I just wanted to take a walk by myself. Didn’t want them tagging along.”
Wen Yang saw her like this and felt concerned for her being alone.
She had hated Cheng Yanyu—but never hated Zheng Guili or Cheng Shan. The memories left behind before that last phone call had always been of Zheng Guili’s kindness. Wen Yang glanced at the time and asked, “It’s 7:30—Auntie, have you eaten?”
Zheng Guili replied, “Yes, I have.”
In reality, she hadn’t eaten much—just had a bowl of soup.
Wen Yang felt relieved. “Auntie, are you going back to the Intercontinental?”
Zheng Guili looked at her and said, “I just want to walk around. If you’re busy, go ahead. I’ll wander nearby.”
Wen Yang nodded.
After a pause, she said, “How about this—you wait here for a moment.”
Zheng Guili looked at her. “You’re going back to the office?”
Wen Yang smiled. “Yes.”
She walked up the steps into a café and asked the barista for a cup of warm water with a lid. She brought it out, walked back down the steps, and found Zheng Guili still standing there. Wen Yang handed her the cup. “Auntie, this is warm water. You can drink it while walking.”
Zheng Guili took the cup.
It was hot at her fingertips.
She used to carry a thermos when going on walks. Wen Yang had remembered this small habit. After handing it to her, Wen Yang said, “Then, Auntie, I’ll head up now.”
Zheng Guili looked up at her and nodded.
Not far away, Cheng Yanyu had driven out looking for Zheng Guili. From the bus stop, he saw this scene. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles clear and tense. His eyes turned red once again.
Sansukini: There’s no medicine for regret. Cheng Yanyu has been deluding himself that everything will be fine, but it’s still a little far from being okay.
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Breaking a vow has consequences. There is no pills for regret. He was deceiving himself. . . But reality hit hard. His parents are devastated.
Yea, I feel sorry for his parents the most. But when I was reading this novel, I also felt that the mom was a bit selfish. I do get that she’s disappointed and depressed, but she really should be guiding her son to move on as well. I felt that ignoring or blaming your son over and over, for a whole year, is not really healthy. I would have handled it differently.
I think that everyone will reaction differently. It’s depend on your culture, upbringing or emotion and our deep your relationships with that person are. She was really really close to her daughter in law. I think that she felt like she lost a daughter and what the author is describing is something really close to grieving. I didn’t feel like she was selfish she was really really touched by what her son did. When I was reading it I felt how powerless she was. What can she do ? Is it not too late?