Chapter 102

Su Jinglan kept a calm expression on her face, but her heart clenched in an instant. A chill, intertwined with an unprecedented fear, spread through her entire body, making it difficult to maintain her breathing.

Mama Ning, who had been preparing dinner in the kitchen, heard the commotion from the entryway. She checked the pot and walked out with a cheerful smile.

“Jiuwei’s back?” She was wearing a cute apron, her freshly permed hair lazily draped over her shoulders. When she saw Su Jinglan standing beside her daughter, her smile froze on her face.

Su Jinglan curved her lips into a polite smile and greeted her. “Auntie.” Mama Ning’s reaction confirmed that Wanyuan hadn’t been joking.

“Hello, Jiuwei’s colleague.” Mama Ning said to Ning Jiuwei, “Jiuwei, come help me in the kitchen.”

It wasn’t really about helping—it was an excuse for a mother-daughter heart-to-heart. Su Jinglan watched Ning Jiuwei’s retreating back, her unease growing stronger.

Wen Wanyuan treated the place like her own home, strolling casually into the living room to watch TV.

“You explained things for Su Jinglan because you want to be with her, right?” Mama Ning stared at the flame on the stove and let out a soft sigh.

Last Saturday night, Ning Jiuwei had come home for once and offered to help out in the kitchen. Mama Ning had been so delighted that laugh lines had crinkled around her eyes. She hadn’t expected her daughter to suddenly bring up high school.

High school was a taboo topic for Ning Jiuwei. Everything related to it had been shoved into the dark storage room, including her graduation photo, which was buried at the bottom of a box.

Not only had her daughter mentioned high school, but she’d also brought up Su Jinglan. Mama Ning had sensed something was up, and now it was clear: her daughter wanted to date Su Jinglan.

“No,” Ning Jiuwei replied with a smile. “The past events aren’t directly related to her. I just don’t want you to misunderstand her again.”

“And then?” The water came to a boil. Mama Ning lifted the lid and set it aside before dumping all the wrapped dumplings into the pot.

She had originally planned to save half of the frozen ones, but with two extra mouths to feed, they would finish them all in this meal.

When the conversation turned to her own feelings, a spark lit up in Ning Jiuwei’s eyes. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes curved into sincere crescent moons. “I want you to accept her as part of our family.”

Mama Ning’s brows furrowed into a deep furrow.

She knew of a mental condition called Stockholm Syndrome, where victims not only grew fond of and dependent on their captors but also defended them at every turn. Her daughter’s symptoms matched perfectly.

It looked like she would have to stay here tonight and keep a close eye on her daughter, then take her to the hospital to see a psychologist tomorrow.

“Jiuwei, can you take the day off tomorrow to go to the hospital with Mom?” Mama Ning switched topics swiftly, going from relationships one moment to her health the next. “My heart’s been acting up lately. I didn’t want to worry your dad, so I haven’t told him. If the tests come back bad, help me keep it from him.”

Mama Ning made it sound utterly convincing. If it weren’t for the fact that the whole family got full physicals every March, Ning Jiuwei might have believed her.

Standing at her side, Ning Jiuwei could see every expression on her mother’s face clearly. After a moment’s analysis, she guessed her mother’s intentions. “Mom, I don’t need to see a doctor.”

“What nonsense. It’s Mom who needs to go.” Mama Ning committed fully to the act. “I don’t know if the hospital will be crowded. Go online right now and book me a cardiology appointment for tomorrow morning.”

While Mama Ning couldn’t fathom her daughter’s thoughts, Ning Jiuwei had her mother’s schemes figured out completely. She smiled and laid out her own plan. “I’ll book the cardiology slot for you if you book a psychiatry one for me. Then you can take me to see a psychologist and check if there’s something wrong with my head.”

Her words were blunt, so Mama Ning dropped the euphemisms as well. “How can I not worry when you like Su Jinglan? Same name and all might be one thing, but the Su Jinglan sitting out there isn’t just some namesake.”

Ning Jiuwei had a broad range of knowledge, including psychology—enough to understand exactly what her mother was thinking. “I’ve always liked Su Jinglan.”

With the kitchen door closed, there was no worry about being overheard. Ning Jiuwei bared her heart. “The reason I’ve never dated or gotten married all these years is because the person in my heart has always been Su Jinglan.”

“Mom knows. You two dated back in high school, then broke up.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

It had to be Wanyuan’s doing.

“If Wanyuan hadn’t told me, Mom might never have known that her own daughter went to see a psychologist alone.” Mama Ning turned off the stove, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she turned around. “All these years, you refused to tell us the real reason, but your dad and I could guess. Why else would someone go to a psychologist for another person if not for some emotional trauma?”

Ning Jiuwei didn’t want to explain and simply went along with her mom’s words. “Yeah, we dated before, and now we’re getting back together. Isn’t that great?”

“But what if she dumps you again?” Mama Ning shot back. Once unfaithful, always unfaithful. If Su Jinglan had abandoned her daughter once, she’d do it again.

Explanation was unavoidable now. Ning Jiuwei spoke to her mom in a gentle, composed tone, laying it all out clearly. “We were never actually together. It was just my one-sided crush on her.”

“But you just said you dated.”

“My relationship with Su Jinglan is… complicated.” No matter what her parents thought, Ning Jiuwei had made up her mind. She didn’t need anyone else planning her life, not even her parents. “I’ve decided to be with her. Whatever happens down the line, good or bad—for now, I just want her.”

Mama Ning wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, discreetly brushing away the tear that had fallen. Her daughter had always marched to the beat of her own drum, and now all she could do was watch helplessly as she repeated past mistakes, powerless to intervene.

“Fine. As long as you’re happy.” Mama Ning grabbed a bowl and started serving dumplings. “Go call them in to eat.”

Ning Jiuwei didn’t budge. She tilted her head, studying her mom’s face. Mama Ning managed a tearful smile. “Mom’s okay.”

It was plain to see whether she was or not. Ning Jiuwei sighed to herself and pushed open the kitchen door.

The two in the living room had retreated to the enclosed balcony.

Su Jinglan and Wen Wanyuan stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes cutting through the night veil to the glittering skyscrapers in the distance. The balcony at Ning Jiuwei’s home offered a stunning view—the city sprawl stretching out below, a vast and profound night sky arching above.

Moonlight hung faint and dim, veils of drifting clouds cloaking the heavens. Su Jinglan’s heart felt much the same, shrouded in gloom, on the verge of unleashing a downpour.

“That forty-year-old woman was just something Miss Wen made up. The person Ning Jiuwei likes isn’t her.” Su Jinglan’s voice rang clear, but her slow, deliberate words carried an oddly poignant ache. Wen Wanyuan pinched her fingers together, biting back any response.

Su Jinglan flicked a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye. The unlit balcony lay in shadow, Wen Wanyuan’s face indistinct. Still, she stated it plainly, matter-of-factly: “The one Ning Jiuwei likes is me.”

Wen Wanyuan didn’t erupt in hysterics this time. Her reaction stayed cool and measured.

“Back in freshman year, Ah Mu suddenly told me someone had entered her heart. Later on, I saw that person’s photo and learned her name. I was just a kid back then—I even ran and told Mom that Ah Mu had a crush.” Wen Wanyuan gave a light, self-mocking laugh, as if glimpsing her own impulsive younger self. “Ah Mu carried that torch for a year, maybe two. Then she stopped bringing her up. And later, that summer after the Gaokao, I bumped into Ah Mu at the hospital by chance. Turns out she was seeing a psychologist.”

Just as she’d suspected. Ning Jiuwei had gotten over her back in sophomore year.

Wen Wanyuan turned to face Su Jinglan, cold fury simmering in her eyes. “The one who suddenly showed up in her heart? Her name’s Su Jinglan.”

“Wanyuan, thank you.”

“Don’t get so familiar, President Su. We’re not close.” Wen Wanyuan’s true temper wasn’t sweet at all—her patience was reserved solely for Ning Jiuwei. “Ah Mu’s parents will never approve of you two. The damage you’ve done her runs deeper than you realize. I’m telling you this so you won’t hurt her again. Fool me once, shame on you—but if there’s a second time, Ah Mu will break.”

“Jiuwei gave me a Conch Pearl.” Su Jinglan dangled the pearl like bait, testing Wen Wanyuan. A flicker crossed Wen Wanyuan’s eyes, and she let out a helpless laugh. “I loved that pearl too. I begged Ning Jiuwei to give it to me—even offered to buy it outright—but she wouldn’t budge. It’s her absolute favorite. I wheedled and pleaded for ages, but she held firm.”

Coaxing and cuteness were her go-to moves, but Ning Jiuwei didn’t bend on matters of principle.

Su Jinglan’s heart seesawed between unease and delight. She savored these conflicting emotions Ning Jiuwei stirred in her. Love was like that—messy, contradictory, all tangled up.

“What are you two talking about?” The balcony door swung open as Ning Jiuwei stepped in to join their tête-à-tête.

“What else? You, obviously.” Wen Wanyuan sheathed her edge in an instant, beaming like a sweetheart in Ning Jiuwei’s presence. Right in front of Su Jinglan, she hooked her arm through Ning Jiuwei’s in a show of intimacy. “Sister Ning, I’m famished. Has Mom got dinner ready?”

“It’s done. Come on in and eat.” Ning Jiuwei gently disentangled her arm, putting some distance between them.

She had a girlfriend now. No more letting just anyone get that close, or Su Jinglan would file it away and drag it out later for old times’ sake.

Wen Wanyuan shot Su Jinglan a loaded glance. Su Jinglan caught the hint and curved her lips in a knowing smile. Once Wen Wanyuan had gone, she slid an arm around Ning Jiuwei’s waist and eased the balcony door shut.

The balcony’s glass wall was fully transparent. Ning Jiuwei gave Su Jinglan a nudge. Mom would be out any second—they couldn’t get too cozy in front of her. It would just be awkward.

“Jiuwei.” The moment Ning Jiuwei pushed open the balcony door, Su Jinglan clung to her affectionately, pressing her entire body against Ning Jiuwei’s back. Her chin rested on Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder as she nuzzled against her ear. “What did Auntie want to talk to you about in the kitchen? Is it really like Miss Wen said—that she wants to break us up?”

Su Jinglan’s scorching breath stirred the desire simmering in Ning Jiuwei’s heart. The thought of Mom still being in the kitchen made her pulse race uncontrollably, surging to a level she could barely withstand. “President Su, why don’t you tell me first? What did you chat about with my Wanyuan? Did Wanyuan make up some old stories about me again?”

Mama Ning emerged from the kitchen and, following Wen Wanyuan’s earlier reminder, glanced toward the balcony. Su Jinglan tightened her arms around Ning Jiuwei. “Yeah.”

The sight of them locked in that intimate embrace from behind brought a flush to Mama Ning’s weathered cheeks. She quickly averted her eyes, set the tray in her hands down on the table, and forced a calm tone as she asked Wen Wanyuan, “Wanyuan, do you know how long Jiuwei and Su Jinglan have been together?”

Wen Wanyuan shook her head. “Not entirely sure, but breaking them up should be pretty difficult.” She leaned in close to Mama Ning and whispered, “Auntie, how exactly do you plan to split them up?”

Ning Jiuwei gently pried Su Jinglan’s hands away, pushed open the balcony door, and stepped back into the room.

“Jiuwei.” Su Jinglan followed in calmly and said to her, “I’ll head to the other side.”

~~~