“However, I really have to take my hat off to him. He actually waited outside their door for two nights.” Changqing’s face was full of admiration.

“I didn’t expect that either.” Song Chuyi shook his head. Li Shaobin was a weirdo to begin with, but to him, this wasn’t just a show—he was trying to make a woman happy.

—————————-

After Ruan Yang ended her call with Changqing, she called Ruan Nan and asked him to sound her parents out.

In the end, instead of receiving a call from Ruan Nan, she received a call from her old residence. Her breathing stopped for a while and she quickly put the phone by her ear as she said without breathing, “Hello.”

“It’s me.” Zhang Shulin’s voice came from the other side. “Come over if it’s convenient for you. Shaobin is here.”

When Ruan Yang heard the second line, she almost teared up and when she heard the third line, she froze as though she had heard them wrong. “Shao… Shaobin?”

“You don’t even know your own boyfriend?” Zhang Shulin said angrily. “This child really loves you deeply. Even your dad was touched by him. Alright, if there’s nothing else, come back and we’ll talk then. Come back tomorrow morning; it’s not safe at night.”

Ruan Yang was surprised by the sudden affection she received. It had been years since her family members ever said anything so gently to her like this.

When the call ended, she was still dumbfounded for a very long time.

Her instincts told her that it must’ve been something Li Shaobin did. However, she couldn’t get through to Li Shaobin’s phone at that moment, so she quickly searched for Hu Zhi’s number. “Did Li Shaobin go to my parents’ place?”

“Er…” Hu Zhi’s eyes darted.

“Just tell me directly. My parents called me just now,” Ruan Yang said.

“Alright.” Hu Zhi had already been waiting for this moment. It was now time for him to help put in a good word for his boss. “Yes, Boss went to your parents’ place two days ago. Miss Ruan, our boss really loves you deeply. He’s been sleeping at the stairs by your parents’ door for the past two days, just curled up against the wall. I couldn’t even bear to see him like that at night. I’ve been with him for a few years, but I’ve never seen him go through such hardship. He didn’t listen when I tried to persuade him to leave and even said that he must move your parents and fulfill your wish to make you happy, even if it was only making your parents give you a call on New Year’s day. Aye, it’s already the final month of the year and it’ll be cold at night, even if your parents live around the coast.”

Ruan Yang was stunned. She felt a mix of emotions and couldn’t really tell what she was feeling. “Then… what about now?”

“I don’t know either. He told me to not seek him out,” Hu Zhi said dejectedly. “However, I suppose he’d be able to move your parents seeing how he waited all this time, unless they’re stone-hearted. Miss Ruan, please don’t tell Boss what I told you. He’s always been very egotistical.”

“Alright, I got it. Thank you.” Ruan Yang put her phone down and felt tremendously shocked.

Even she wouldn’t dare to wait so foolishly like that, much less others. After all, aside from having to put up with her parents’ indifference, she still had to endure the glances by others. Li Shaobin, this fool—was there a need to do all that just to make her happy?

…

She booked the earliest flight for the next day that night and basically didn’t sleep at all. At daybreak, she rushed to the airport and only arrived at her old residence around 3 to 4 pm. When she was greeted by Zhang Shulin with a complicated smile after knocking, her eyes reddened instantly.

How many years had it been since her family members welcomed her with a smile?

“Come on in.” Zhang Shulin gave her a pair of slippers.

Ruan Yang felt a little surprised by the sudden affection. When she entered the house, she realized that Zhang Shulin was the only one at home. “Where’s Dad?”

“He went to buy some New Year’s goods with Shaobin at the supermarket,” Zhang Shulin said with a slight smile.

When Ruan Yang heard her call him “Shaobin” so affectionately, she was shocked, and when she heard that he went to buy New Year’s goods with Ruan Po, she was completely astounded once again.

In her memory, her father was an old-fashioned man who was hard to get along with. What exactly did Li Shaobin do to them?

“Why… why would Dad buy New Year’s goods with him?” Ruan Yang said in disbelief.

“Your dad… likes him quite a lot.” Zhang Shulin fell silent for a while and said, “I also kind of like this child. He’s straightforward and sensible. You’ve found yourself a good one this time.”

Ruan Yang was shocked once again. “Mom, what exactly happened? You and Dad…”

“That child gave me and your dad a good lashing out and what he said did make some sense.” Zhang Shulin let out a long sigh. “You made mistakes and took the wrong path. Indeed, we shouldn’t have blamed you. As parents, we didn’t play our part.”

“Mom…” Ruan Yang’s eyes reddened. She tried her best to hold it in, but no matter how hard she tried, tears still fell.

Zhang Shulin also cried. “You’re just like your dad. Egotistical. No matter how much you suffered, you wouldn’t even tell us. Is it because you chose to be an actress? You wanted to do right by yourself; you wanted to show us that you didn’t make the wrong decision. As a mother, I didn’t even act like one. I only listened to your dad. Ruan Yang, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. You acknowledging me as your daughter again is more important than anything.” Ruan Yang hugged Zhang Shulin as she cried. She had really waited too long for this day. For years, she had been drifting on the outside alone, wanting to go back home but afraid to.

…

In the evening, the door opened from the outside and Ruan Po walked in empty-handed. Li Shaobin was carrying 4 big bags in his left and right hands along with a box of milk.

Zhang Shulin chided him: “Why did you let Shaobin carry everything alone without even helping him?”

After saying that, she went over to help him.

“It’s alright, Auntie. I was the one who wanted to carry everything.” Li Shaobin put everything on the dining table.

Ruan Po nodded secretly and said, “This chap is strong.”

Ruan Yang walked over softly and looked at Li Shaobin. His complexion did look worse than before even though it had just been a few days. It seemed like Hu Zhi wasn’t lying. She looked at Ruan Po again. Although he was pulling a long face, he seemed to be in a good mood. She called him uneasily, “Dad…”

“Mm, you’re back.” Ruan Po only said that one line and nothing else.

However, Ruan Yang was already immensely shocked. After all, it was rare for her not to be scolded by Ruan Po. Besides, he even said “you’re back”, which meant he acknowledged her as his daughter.

She was agitated and her swollen eyes reddened once again.

“Stop crying,” Ruan Po said. “I forgive you, but it’s not because of you. It’s all because of Shaobin.”

Ruan Yang was stunned and Li Shaobin was surprised by the sudden affection. He didn’t think that even though Ruan Po had pulled a long face the entire way to the market, Ruan Po would still show him so much face. “Er… Uncle…”

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was pushed by Zhang Shulin.

So he quickly shut his mouth and his eyes darted around. Could this old man have pulled a long face on purpose but actually liked him a lot inside?

It seemed like there was nothing to worry about in the future anymore. Ruan Yang’s parents were already standing on his side. Ruan Yang had no choice but to marry him now.

“This child slept at the door for two nights in order to beg us to forgive you. He slept by the door next to the garbage,” Ruan Po said. “I already heard about what happened between the two of you. Since your amnesia allowed the two of you to get together, you should cherish it. You shouldn’t remember that Xin… Xin scumbag just because you regained your memory. He’s already married. Look at your taste in the past. You were such a mess. I’m so embarrassed to admit that my daughter was toyed by someone else because of your poor taste…”

Ruan Yang opened her mouth but Ruan Po interrupted her as he continued: “If you still can’t forget that Xin scumbag, I think you should just return to Northern City and take it that nothing happened today. You can do whatever you want in the future. You can be someone else’s second or even third wife.”

Ruan Yang’s face fell and Li Shaobin quickly said, “Uncle, Ruan Yang would never do that. She’s already put the past behind her. Besides, Ruan Yang initiated the breakup immediately when she found out that Xin Ziao was about to get married.”

“You only broke up when you found out that he was about to get married. What’s there to be proud of?” Ruan Po said. “You should’ve broken up with him immediately when you found out that he had a fiance. You just wouldn’t give up until you saw the end to it.”

“That was all in the past,” Ruan Yang mumbled.

“It’s good it’s in the past.” Ruan Po nodded. “When you go back, you have to get along well with Shaobin. Where did you find such a good man? He waited outside without eating or drinking. I wouldn’t be able to take it even if I were 40 years younger. Plus, it’s cold right now. Look at how thinly he’s dressed. He caught a cold and even after your mom got him some medicine, he still hasn’t recovered. Did you know what he said? He said it’s okay if I didn’t forgive you. Even if I just gave you a call on New Year’s day, you would definitely be very happy. I asked him what it was about you that deserved so much of his affection, and he said that everyone has their flaws. He can’t really tell what is good about you, but he likes you.”

“Uncle, enough. Ruan Yang should decide on her own. It’s alright as long as she’s happy.” Li Shaobin felt embarrassed hearing him say that. He really didn’t think that although Ruan Po kept scolding him earlier, Ruan Po would put in a good word for him in front of Ruan Yang. He didn’t starve. Hu Zhi did send him food and the two of them must’ve known. He didn’t sleep by the garbage either.

It seemed like these two were blatantly lying just so Ruan Yang would accept him.

Ruan Yang’s eyes were brimming with tears upon hearing that. Even her gaze changed when she looked at him.

Zhang Shulin said, “Look at this child—how moving was that? You must’ve saved the Milky Way in your previous life to have such a good person so deeply in love with you. Yangyang, don’t pass him by.”