Chapter 35

Wen Zhixu had never heard a single whisper about why Wen Ru despised the entire Tang Family without any pretense of hiding it. She only knew that the things sent by the Tang Family had always been a taboo in their home.

She had guessed that it might be revenge for a failed marriage, or perhaps she had never been truly happy in it.

But what did that have to do with her? She remembered—remembered that Grandma was kind, that she would give her sugar cakes and prepare gifts for every birthday.

Wen Zhixu stood in place, looking at Wen Ru without any evasion, watching as Wen Ru averted her gaze, until the only sound left in the room was from the television.

“Mom, how can you say that?” Wen Zhixu finally asked, her breathing growing heavier as she spoke.

That heaviness turned her tone into an accusation.

Wen Ru shot her a sideways glance and retorted, “What’s there to miss? Everyone has their day.”

Wen Zhixu looked at her in disbelief. Old Mrs. Tang had passed away—no matter how you looked at it, she should go see her.

“Mom, Grandma’s gone and you say something like that? You…” Wen Zhixu choked up, the words stuck hard in her throat, unable to come out. The female anchor’s voice on the TV grew noisy.

Wen Ru finally shifted her attention, but instead of responding to Wen Zhixu, she grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

That action became the breaking point, the trigger for Wen Zhixu’s pent-up emotions. She pressed down on her trembling shoulders and slowly stepped forward.

She was also trying to question Wen Ru’s behavior in a calm manner.

Wen Zhixu forced herself to stay composed, took a deep breath, and said, “Mom, I haven’t asked you all these years why you hate Dad’s family, but I think for this matter, you should at least tell me.”

Wen Zhixu suppressed the surge in her heart, her eyes unknowingly turning red, afraid that one more word would make her break down in sobs.

“Xiao Xu, Mom remembers you’ve always been such a good listener. How come everything’s changed since you came back this time?” Wen Ru sat unmoving on the sofa, but her voice was exceptionally clear.

Wen Zhixu’s wrist trembled. As long as Wen Ru said one word, she wouldn’t know how to respond. In their standoffs, Wen Zhixu had never won.

“It’s not… Mom, this has nothing to do with being obedient.” Sweat beaded in Wen Zhixu’s palms. “Why won’t you tell me about this?”

Wen Zhixu’s voice grew louder, not overpowering the TV, but the expression in Wen Ru’s eyes clearly changed, reverting to that steadfast mother from before.

“Xiao Xu, are you questioning Mom?”

That rhetorical question stripped away Wen Zhixu’s momentary advantage. Before Wen Zhixu could respond, Wen Ru continued.

“You thought Xiao Wu wasn’t suitable, and Mom didn’t say anything. You lied to me, and I didn’t ask a single question, waiting for you to come clean. But now, because of that family, you’re arguing with me!”

The words hit like a tolling ancient bell, the reverberation piercing through her chest and lingering endlessly. Wen Zhixu felt both stunned and pained, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of her nightgown.

It had been a long time since Wen Zhixu had seen Wen Ru like this. The last argument was five years ago, right before she and Jian Shichu broke up.

“What did I lie to you about?” Wen Zhixu asked, though she couldn’t recall, and her unsteady breathing felt like guilt.

Wen Ru took a breath to calm herself; she was furious too. Sometimes, all it took was one trigger to make emotions spiral out of control.

Wen Ru said, “You said you were going to Chongqing for work, and I believed you. Back then, I fought Tang Yuan for custody at any cost because you’re a girl—I was afraid you’d have a hard life with him. I worked days and stayed up until dawn helping you with homework at night, sat through entire weekends at tutoring classes waiting for you. What for? So you could lie to me today? Is this what I taught you?”

Wen Ru’s shoulders trembled as she spoke, her rising pitch instantly filling Wen Zhixu with fear. Every breath she took carried the taste of tension.

“I didn’t.”

“You didn’t? Then what’s with the news? Why do you have to get involved with girls! If you’re truly stuck in this sexual orientation confusion and can’t get out, then don’t get married. I’m alive, and I’ll go with you to get treatment!” Wen Ru was thoroughly enraged, pounding her chest as if making a solemn vow.

Her words bit into Wen Zhixu’s ears one by one, pinning her down like a mountain.

Wen Zhixu immediately looked at her and explained, “The news is fake.”

Wen Ru gave her a look—a gaze Wen Zhixu had never seen before, warm yet doubting, with a hint of despair.

Wen Ru picked up her phone, her hand shaking. As she leaned over, she knocked a plate off the table, which shattered with a loud ‘bang’ across the floor.

That sound snapped Wen Zhixu awake. The incident with Ke Yixuan had already been cleared up—it was fake—so she wasn’t panicking.

But when the phone screen turned toward her, Wen Zhixu’s damp lashes suddenly couldn’t hold steady, trembling uncontrollably as she stared at it.

The photo was a video screenshot from that day of the crew’s internal promo event when Ke Yixuan got into a fight. It didn’t show her full face, but it captured Jian Shichu.

“Explain.”

Wen Ru had regained her calm, looking at Wen Zhixu with the poise of victory.

“I recognize her. She’s that friend you made in college.”

Flashes of that day flooded Wen Zhixu’s mind. Under Wen Ru’s questioning, her eyes welled up again. So it wasn’t about Ke Yixuan.

After a moment, she said, “Yes, it’s her. I regret it.”

At this point, Wen Zhixu’s heart heaved. As she turned her head away, tears spilled out. From the first time Jian Shichu had asked her, she hadn’t dared to answer.

She regretted it—how could she not? Time had passed, circumstances had changed, but she couldn’t forget. Back then, she had lived such a failure; the one who let go first was now the one saying she missed it after losing it.

Wen Zhixu’s eyes grew increasingly sore. “I regret breaking up.”

“All these years, with every blind date, you’ve said I have sexual orientation issues. You’ve exposed my privacy in your honest way. If this is just a bias, then let it be wrong—I’m done trying to fix it.”

Wen Zhixu choked up here, her chest tightening more and more. Her brows furrowed as she tried to swallow back the tears. Feelings come from the heart—liking is liking, no grand reasons, no rights or wrongs.

Hearing this, Wen Ru abruptly closed her eyes and turned away. Her foot nudged a shard of porcelain on the floor, as if enduring, unwilling, disbelieving.

Their argument tore through like ripping silk, shredding the fragile harmony they had carefully maintained.

Wen Zhixu said no more. She turned, avoiding the porcelain shards on the floor, and headed into the room without closing the door.

She toppled the suitcase standing nearby, tears dripping onto her nails. She stuffed the clothes from the bed inside, yanked out the charger—none of it sorted—and completed the motions in one swift go, with no intention of staying.

Wen Ru heard the noise and rushed into the room in quick strides, blocking Wen Zhixu at the door and gripping the suitcase tightly.

“Where are you going?” Tears could no longer be held back in Wen Ru’s eyes.

“I’m going to Grandma’s.” Wen Zhixu pulled her hand free, dragged the suitcase forward. Their tug-of-war ended at the doorway.

Her movements weren’t forceful, just a bit stronger than Wen Ru’s. The wheels ground over the shards with some effort.

Wen Ru spun around and grabbed her wrist again. “You’re not going! That family aren’t good people!”

Wen Zhixu didn’t listen. Her other hand still held the phone. The tension in the room was at its peak; even the chair creaked from her steps.

“In your eyes, who’s a good person? No one!” Wen Zhixu seemed completely provoked. She’d never spoken to Wen Ru like this before—this was the first time.

And as her raised voice echoed, the next second, the surprise in Wen Ru’s eyes made her realize she’d shouted too loudly.

Wen Zhixu had no friends, not from childhood to now. Her first friend was the unseen Peanut, then Jian Shichu, who later became her girlfriend.

When she met Ni You, Ni You had said it several times—she felt they were so close to being together, but in the end, it didn’t happen.

And finally, she came back. Without warning, without prelude. Wen Zhixu believed those words because at their first meal, Jian Shichu had indeed forgotten her peanut allergy.

She didn’t stalemate with Wen Ru. Thinking of this, tears in her eyes, she once again shook off Wen Ru’s hand.

Wen Ru’s grasp missed. The TV played cheerful music, making it even more unbearable. Wen Ru clutched at her clothes, pulling her into a spin.

Wen Zhixu had no intention of turning back. She had to go to the Tang Family. As she passed the shoe cabinet, she grabbed the delivery box too.

“Tang Yuan is in Chongqing!” Wen Ru’s voice was hoarse. That made her pause for just a moment—Wen Zhixu didn’t turn to look.

“Old Master had a heart attack after the funeral and heard there’s an expert in Chongqing, so they transferred him overnight.” Wen Ru seemed afraid she’d make a wasted trip. The Tang Family was in Hangzhou.

Hearing this, the anger Wen Zhixu had just suppressed flared up in her mind. She turned to look at Wen Ru, steadying her breath as she asked, “So you wanted me back early because you were afraid Dad would come find me?”

Wen Ru said nothing, but her evasive gaze had already given Wen Zhixu the answer.

Wen Zhixu nodded slowly, her steps gradually moving toward the door. When she pressed the door handle, the sound of the suitcase crossing the threshold was deafening. Without looking back, she left.

She had never left a home like this before. In fact, people passed their days in endurance. She was afraid her tears wouldn’t hold back. Strangely, when she cried, her entire eyebrows would turn red, like a doll soaked in water.

It wasn’t until she was at the airport that Wen Zhixu swiped open her phone to check Jian Shichu’s messages. It was just past ten o’clock by then.

The messages had been sent before their argument:

【Has the rain in Suzhou stopped?】

It was a very ordinary question. The rain had stopped when Wen Zhixu headed out.

【It stopped. Did you go home for Mid-Autumn Festival today?】

Wen Zhixu had asked casually. She wanted to chat a bit more, but didn’t know how to broach it. Her eyes were heating up too—this feeling was a little uncomfortable.

Jian Shichu replied quickly.

【No, I just got home.】

After that line, the other side added another one.

【I noticed the flowers on the balcony have wilted.】

Jian Shichu was earnestly sharing her daily life with her. At this point, an image automatically formed in Wen Zhixu’s mind—Jian Shichu’s balcony was a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Wen Zhixu replied:

【That bunch of begonias?】

No sooner had she sent it than Jian Shichu sent her a picture. She didn’t zoom in for a close look; it was that potted Reiger begonia, its yellow stamens wrapped up, right up against the glass window.

After sending the picture, Jian Shichu waited for Wen Zhixu’s reply. The room lights were bright. She slowly looked up—her shadow was still cast on the glass, while outside stretched a sea of myriad lights.

“Doudou-jie, can I have some yogurt?” Song Yanling was opening a yogurt cup at the coffee table, dressed in the pajamas she’d brought with her.

Jian Shichu turned to glance at her. “Go ahead. Finish it and get to bed early. What time are you getting up tomorrow morning?”

“Six.”

Song Yanling got scared sleeping alone at home. Last time, Bai Xue had picked her up, and she’d stayed over at Bai Xue’s. This time, she’d brought her back and changed the bedsheets in the guest room.

Wen Zhixu stared at the picture for several minutes before replying:

【I’m back in Chongqing.】

After sending that, she opened the picture and stared at it for a few seconds. She pinched to zoom in on the center, then returned to the chat and withdrew the message she’d just sent. A layer of misty tears had welled up in her heated eyes, slowly sliding down her face.

She had to make a stop at the hospital first before heading back to Chongqing.