After Ruan Po left at around 11 am, Zhang Shulin came back after grocery shopping. When she was in the elevator, she happened to run into the neighbor living opposite them. The neighbor smiled and said, “Old Zhang, who’s that? He’s been waiting outside your house for days.”

Zhang Shulin felt a little awkward. When she opened the door, she told Li Shaobin, “Come in.”

Li Shaobin indeed felt terrible from sitting around. Although he was in the army, he had been living a comfortable life ever since he returned, so he hadn’t suffered so much.

He followed her in and as he changed his shoes, he said, “Auntie, are you willing to forgive Ruan Yang?”

“There’s no use asking me. The main problem is Ruan Yang’s dad.” Zhang Shulin sighed and started to take out the groceries.

Li Shaobin frowned. This couple was quite strange. If this was his house, his father would always listen to his mother and his grandpa would listen to his grandma. “Auntie, are you Ruan Yang’s birth mother?”

Zhang Shulin frowned.

Li Shaobin said, “Even if a father doesn’t care about his daughter, that’s alright. After all, he only contributed some sperm, but a mother has to carry the baby for 10 months. It’s hard work. When my sister-in-law was pregnant with my nephew, she said that only someone who’s given birth would understand how difficult it is to be a mother. A child is just like a piece of meat that drops out of your body. Why do I feel like the piece of meat that dropped out of your body wasn’t human but pork?”

Zhang Shulin’s face fell. “How can you talk like that?”

“Auntie, are you just like Uncle?” Li Shaobin asked. “Ruan Yang is very opinionated and brave. She definitely didn’t take after you. In my opinion, you’re just a housewife who only knows how to listen to her husband…”

“Get out of here. I shouldn’t have let you in.” Zhang Shulin was furious.

“So be it. Ruan Yang was born into such a weird family. No wonder she would choose such a path,” Li Shaobin mumbled as he turned around.

“What do you mean?” Zhang Shulin asked.

“Auntie, Uncle must’ve been more important than Ruan Yang to you in this family that you would only listen to Uncle. What kind of person is Uncle? He’s proud, egotistical, arrogant, and old-fashioned,” Li Shaobin said. “I heard that you didn’t support Ruan Yang with her acting in the past but she insisted on it. After Ruan Yang took this path, there must’ve been no turning back in a family like this, right? The moment she failed, would you, as family members, console her? I doubt it. You would only mock at her for not knowing her place and mock her for not listening to you and insisting on her choice of path. That’s why she couldn’t turn back at all. When she became very popular after her first film and soon became unpopular again, she was mocked by her classmates, by the news, and by the press. Has she ever told you how terrible she felt? I doubt it.”

“Think about it—she was only a 20-year-old girl when she filmed The General. It was because she had no work for an entire year. On top of that, the director then was pretty famous. It was a good opportunity for her. However, she never expected the director to upload all the deleted scenes on the internet for marketing in order to raise the popularity of the film. Actors are actually disadvantaged. Although I didn’t know Ruan Yang then, she must’ve been in a lot of pain. The reason she fell in love with Xin Ziao was because he covered her with a jacket then. She also needed care and encouragement but her parents didn’t give her any. You only blamed her, but if you, as parents, had done your part, Ruan Yang wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

Zhang Shulin was stumped. Her eyes reddened. “How do you know all this?”

“I know Ruan Yang’s good friends. They told me. Besides, I also found some out by myself.” Li Shaobin walked out again and sat on the stairs.

Zhang Shulin sat in the dining room staring blankly for a while before going out again and saying, “Come on in.”

“I’d better sit here first. Auntie, let me in only after you’ve thought it through. I’m harsh with my words but everything I say is the hard truth,” Li Shaobin said.

Zhang Shulin sighed. “You’re right. We only know how to blame her and haven’t done our part as parents. If we’d consoled her even a little when she needed it, she wouldn’t have become like this.”

“It’s not too late to realize that,” Li Shaobin said. “Auntie, you must be almost 50. I heard that the average lifespan of a person is only around 70. Besides, so many accidents happen in life. Car accidents, critical illnesses, even bombs. We should cherish the days that we still have.”

Zhang Shulin wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. “Child, you aren’t very old. Why are you so sensible?”

Li Shaobin was embarrassed. If his parents were to hear that, their eyes would probably pop out.

“Come in, really. I won’t chase you out again. Actually, your Uncle’s heart also softened in the past two days. I’ll make lunch for you,” Zhang Shulin said gently.

“Auntie, you’re the one who said you won’t chase me out again. I won’t leave even if you chase me out again.” Li Shaobin went in shamelessly.

Zhang Shulin made three dishes and soup for lunch. The soup was delicious. Li Shaobin was already used to having soup before meals because of Ruan Yang. “Auntie Zhang, Ruan Yang is really similar to you. She also likes to make this kind of soup. The dishes she eats are also very bland.”

“She hasn’t been able to eat spicy food ever since she was young.” Zhang Shulin sighed ruefully.

…

When Ruan Po returned in the evening and saw Li Shaobin sitting in the house, he wasn’t taken aback. His face was still long, as though someone owed him money.

“Hello, Uncle.” Li Shaobin stood up with a grin.

“Frisky and improper,” Ruan Po said.

“That’s what my dad always says about me,” Li Shaobin said honestly.

“Didn’t you have fun scolding me just two days ago? What’s up today?” Ruan Po pulled a face.

Li Shaobin thought for a while and said, “You’re going to be my father-in-law, after all. I definitely can’t offend you too much. I should still curry your favor when I should.”

“Who’s your father-in-law?” Ruan Po glared at him. “I’ve never said that I would let my daughter marry you.”

Li Shaobin’s eyes lit up. “It’s alright if you don’t intend to let her marry me. What’s important is that you’re finally willing to acknowledge her as your daughter.”

Ruan Po glared at him for a very long while before saying, “Does Ruan Yang know you’re here?”

“She doesn’t.” Li Shaobin thought for a while and decided to tell the couple about how Ruan Yang lost her memory and got together with him.

———————-

In Northern City, Ruan Yang had been cooped up at home quietly for a few days. She suddenly wasn’t accustomed to it because Li Shaobin actually didn’t call her and didn’t even go to her house to annoy her.

If this were in the past, he would call her the moment he woke up in the morning, he would say that he wanted to go over for dinner in the afternoon, and he would pester her to let him stay for the night.

She really wasn’t used to it now that there was suddenly no news of him.

Although she did tell him that she wanted to cool down for a while, she didn’t totally believe that he wouldn’t annoy her.

However, when he really didn’t show, she suddenly felt a surge of an unexplainable feeling.

It would be the New Year very soon. Did everything he said not count anymore?

She had seen, many times, how fickle men were, but when she thought about how Li Shaobin might be like that too, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. She felt uncomfortable all over and was also in a bad mood, even though her mood wasn’t good to begin with.

…

On the night of the 28th, Changqing called Ruan Yang. The two of them chatted. She asked, “Ruan Yang, how are things going with you and Brother Shaobin recently?”

“Nothing much?” The moment Ruan Yang heard that, she became unhappy.

“Ruan Yang, did you not let him go to your house at all?” Changqing’s background was in acting, after all, so she acted rather natural.

Ruan Yang didn’t reply. She didn’t let him enter the house? He didn’t even appear at the door.

Changqing continued: “Ruan Yang, you can’t be like this. Actually, the most important thing is to find a man who treats you well. Look, Duoyao didn’t feel anything for Brother Molun too, but Brother Molun went all the way to Tibet to chase her and suffered a lot. In the end, Duoyao was also touched. After taking you home that afternoon, Brother Shaobin didn’t even go home and he came straight to my house to ask me what you liked, what were your hobbies, and what wishes you wanted to fulfill the most. Aiyo, even I was touched.”

When she heard that, Ruan Yang was stunned and she frowned. She was silent for a while before she said, “I haven’t seen him the past few days.”

“That’s impossible.” Changqing sounded very shocked. “I told him many things and he even said very agitatedly that he must make you happy.”

“What did you tell him?” Ruan Yang was curious.

Changqing thought for a very long time and said, “I just told him some things that you liked and then I told him that your biggest wish was for Uncle and Auntie to forgive you. AIYA, do you think he could’ve gone to look for Uncle and Auntie?”

Ruan Yang was stunned. “How’s that possible?”

“What’s impossible?” Changqing slapped her thigh. “I remember that when he heard me say that, he suddenly stood up and left without even having dinner. He might’ve really gone to look for your parents.”

Ruan Yang’s heart shook and she didn’t speak for a very long time.

“Do you want me to give him a call to ask?” Changqing said.

“It’s okay. I have something to do. I’m hanging up,” Ruan Yang said.

…

When the phone call ended, Changqing went over eagerly to Song Chuyi, who was coaxing Yan Wo to bed. “Chuchu, what did you think of my performance just now? I didn’t give myself away, did I?”

Song Chuyi glanced at her. “Not only did you not give yourself away, but it was also a splendid performance. I really didn’t think that my wife could be so good at acting. Tell me—how many times have you acted in front of me?”

“Stop being so suspicious. I’ve always been myself in front of you. There’s been no acting involved.” Changqing hugged him from behind and glued her little head to the back of his neck.

The corners of Song Chuyi’s lips twitched. “I realize that you actresses are really impressive.”

“Aye, then you’re wrong. The one who planned this show wasn’t me but Brother Shaobin,” Changqing said with a grin.