Gu Qiaoxi was the first to react, exploding in fury, “So you admit it, you brat! You were just trying to take advantage of the situation!”
“Hey! Are you hitting menopause or something? You blow up at the slightest spark—are you a firecracker?!” Jin Fang stood up and pulled Gu Qiaoxi back.
Gu Qiaoxi stumbled from the pull and fell onto the sofa, glaring at him. “You…”
“Can you stop being so prejudiced against my son? Sure, his personal charm is so lacking that he couldn’t win Tangbao’s heart in three years, but he’s still my son, Jin Fang. I can absolutely vouch for his courage to take responsibility for his actions!”
Gu Qiaoxi shot up, hands on his hips, and fired back angrily, “My daughter doesn’t need your son to take responsibility. We want a divorce!”
Jin Fang laughed in exasperation, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the door. “Fine! If you’ve got the guts and the ability, go convince Tangbao to divorce A-Yue right now!”
Gu Qiaoxi: “…”
Cui Tang watched the two old men who seemed to love bickering more as they aged, feeling a headache coming on.
“Both of you, get out!” She pointed at the door. “Now, immediately, get out!”
Gu Qiaoxi: “…”
Jin Fang: “…”
Half a minute later, the reception room door slammed shut with a loud “bang.”
Gu Qiaoxi and Jin Fang rubbed their noses, which had nearly been hit.
They turned and glared at each other, snorted, then leaned back-to-back against the wall, ignoring one another.
A nurse pushing a treatment cart passed by, glancing curiously in their direction—
Two middle-aged men with exceptional poise and good looks stood back-to-back against the door, an air of tension hanging between them. But upon closer inspection, their posture against the door seemed a bit odd.
The nurse frowned and quietly moved closer, only to see both men pressing their ears against the door.
“…”
These two are over a hundred years old combined, yet they’re still eavesdropping like kids!
After shooing away the two childish men, Cui Tang and Jin Chenyue were finally able to have a proper conversation.
Cui Tang looked at Jin Chenyue, who had matured and grown much steadier compared to three years ago, and couldn’t help but sigh at how quickly time had passed.
She let out a soft sigh. “Actually, when Tangtang told me yesterday, I wanted to call you right away. But then I thought, three years ago, we as elders already forced you two once. This time, since you’ve both discussed it, we shouldn’t interfere again.”
“Mom, I’m sorry. I’ve let down your trust in me.”
“Instead of apologizing to me, why don’t you tell me the truth? What are your real thoughts about this marriage?”
Jin Chenyue pressed his thin lips into a tight line, his handsome face tense.
Cui Tang looked at him, her gentle eyes filled with helplessness. “A-Yue, I know you have your pride, but when two equally proud people are together, one of them has to take the initiative. Marriage is often about complementing each other and requires tolerance. You say you’re certain about Tangtang, but she seems to have never known that.”
Jin Chenyue’s dark brows furrowed slightly as he thought of Gu Anyun’s resolute attitude when discussing the divorce. His heart felt heavy.
He lowered his gaze, his voice low. “She has unresolved feelings about our marriage. Over these three years, I’ve rarely seen her smile. When the agreement expired, she couldn’t wait to bring up divorce. She made me feel like I was trapping her… So I thought, maybe I should go along with her wishes. We’d step back from this marriage, and then I’d try to win her back on my own.”
“So that’s how you were thinking.” Cui Tang sighed. “But Tangtang doesn’t know any of this.”
Jin Chenyue remained silent.Seeing him like this, Cui Tang could actually guess what was on his mind.
“Let’s put the divorce matter aside for now.” Cui Tang held Jin Chenyue’s arm. “I think there’s a lack of communication between you and Tangtang. This car accident might be deliberately arranged by fate.”
Jin Chenyue suddenly looked up, meeting Cui Tang’s smiling gaze.
“A Yue, Tangtang is actually quite easy to coax.”
Jin Chenyue frowned. “I’ve tried coaxing her, but it didn’t work…”
“Really?” Cui Tang chuckled. “Can you tell me how you tried to coax her?”
“I gave her jewelry, bags, custom-made gowns, cars, houses…”
Cui Tang: “…”
Is that what you call coaxing?
Cui Tang’s brows knitted together as she looked at Jin Chenyue’s serious expression. She was speechless for a moment before she couldn’t help but laugh again.
Her laughter only deepened Jin Chenyue’s confusion.
“Mom, what are you laughing at?”
“I’m laughing at you…” Cui Tang covered her mouth, laughing gracefully, though her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. “You really didn’t inherit any of your father’s romantic genes at all. No wonder he’s always been so critical of you.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
He cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. “Mom, can you teach me how to coax Little Xitang?”
“Me?” Cui Tang raised an eyebrow. “I won’t teach you.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
“What mother-in-law teaches her son-in-law how to pursue her own daughter?”
Cui Tang stood up, elegantly smoothing her skirt. “This car accident is like the Matchmaker cheating to give you a backdoor opportunity. You should make the most of it yourself.”
Jin Chenyue stood up, wanting to say something more, but then he heard Cui Tang add:
“By the way, as a mother, there are some things I need to say upfront.”
Seeing her expression turn somewhat serious, Jin Chenyue pursed his lips and said, “Please go ahead.”
“Tangbao is a patient now. Her actions aren’t entirely her own, and there’s no telling when her memory might return. So, I hope you stay clear-headed.”
Jin Chenyue: “…I’ll try my best.”
“Hmm?” Cui Tang frowned. “You said ‘try my best’?”
Jin Chenyue closed his eyes and sighed. “I understand. I’ll be a gentleman to the end.”
“A gentleman’s word is as good as his bond.” Cui Tang reached up and patted Jin Chenyue, who was much taller than her. “A Yue, you must keep your word.”
“…Okay.”
Jin Chenyue gritted his teeth, feeling for the first time that the word “gentleman” was unreasonable.
Only after Cui Tang finished talking with Jin Chenyue did she open the door to let the two people waiting outside come in.
Thus, Jin Chenyue was forced to bow his head and promise in front of the three elders that he would remain a gentleman to the end!
Although Gu Qiaoxi didn’t believe him, there was nothing he could do—after all, his daughter was now clinging to Jin Chenyue…
How clingy was it?
In the hospital room, Jin Chenyue stood by the bedside, one hand tightly held by Gu Anyun’s soft little hand, their fingers interlocked.
With one hand entangled by her, Jin Chenyue used his other hand to slowly scoop up chicken soup and bring it to her lips.
Gu Anyun looked at him, pouting. “It’s hot. Can you blow on it?”
Jin Chenyue: “…Okay.”
He lowered his head and blew on it before offering it to her again.
Gu Anyun obediently drank it, and when she looked up, her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. “The chicken soup my husband feeds me is sweet~”
Instantly, three murderous glares from the foot of the bed struck Jin Chenyue!
Jin Chenyue’s hand holding the spoon trembled violently!
“Husband, I want more~”
Jin Chenyue took a deep breath and continued feeding Gu Anyun soup under immense pressure…Standing at the foot of the bed, the three elders looked at Gu Anyun, whose heart and eyes were filled only with Jin Chenyue, their expressions all indescribably complex.
Gu Qiaoxi gritted his teeth: “…Watching this makes me want to call her second uncle right now and have him find someone to give this kid a good beating!”
Jin Fang: “…Could you be a little more subtle in front of me? Besides, I can handle something like this myself.”
“…” Gu Qiaoxi glanced at him and snorted coldly.
Cui Tang covered her face with her hand, “Even though I was mentally prepared, seeing my daughter so lovestruck… I really can’t bear to look.”
Then she suddenly turned to Gu Qiaoxi, “Do you think this could be hereditary?”
Gu Qiaoxi: “…”
What the hell kind of heredity is that!