“Now?”
“Yes. It seems your father-in-law wants to see you. Your husband’s family comes first. Hurry back. I’ll help you pack some things, and someone will come pick you up shortly.”
“…All right.”
After hanging up, Lin Yumo looked at Li Qingyang.
His expression was still rather troubled.
“Brother Qingyang, something urgent has come up, and I need to get back right away. You should go home soon, too. And remember to explain things properly to Sister-in-law. Whatever else, she is your wife. Don’t let a misunderstanding damage your relationship. You might regret it…”
“There’s nothing to regret.”
Li Qingyang said, “We’re not close.”
“But…”
Lin Yumo could tell from the way Lan Ying looked at him that she was clearly in love with him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so hurt that her eyes were red and she had nearly burst into tears.
“It’s only a marriage in name. It won’t last long,” he said calmly.
Lin Yumo sighed. “Cherish the person in front of you.”
“The person in front of me isn’t her.”
“…”
She stopped trying to persuade him.
It was someone else’s family business. She had no right to lecture him.
Lin Yumo hailed a taxi from the roadside. Before getting in, she said goodbye to Li Qingyang.
“Goodbye, Brother Qingyang.”
Perhaps they would never see each other again.
They had only met once in either lifetime, and no one could say what the future would bring. Knowing that his life was going smoothly, she was sincerely happy for him.
“…Momo.”
Li Qingyang held the car door, hesitating for a long moment.
“Is something wrong?”
Lin Yumo was already seated inside.
“No matter what difficulties you run into, you can come to me anytime. My number won’t change.”
He smiled. “I’ll always be your big brother.”
“…”
Lin Yumo froze.
His words suddenly made her long for their childhood.
The Lin family and the Li family had been neighbors. As far back as she could remember, Li Qingyang had always been part of her world.
They had been childhood playmates. Li Qingyang was a few years older than her, and whenever he had something delicious or fun, he always shared it with her right away. He never kept it all to himself.
Back then, the two families had been on good terms and often visited each other. While the adults discussed things nearby, the two little ones would play in the garden. They had been very close.
He pushed her on the swing and played hide-and-seek with her; she shared her favorite toys with him.
Sadly, those warm days didn’t last long.
A few years later, the Lin family ran into trouble, and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Lin Weicai’s temperament changed drastically, and he began beating her and her mother often. For a while, Lin Yumo was too afraid to go home after school. She would hide outside, and Li Qingyang was the one who made sure she had dinner.
But if she went home too late, her father would punish her.
Then he would beat her until she was covered in bruises and lock her outside.
Whenever Lin Weicai wanted to vent his anger, any excuse would do.
She was too small and powerless to fight back. All she could do was find an empty corner and cry in secret.
No one came looking for her except Li Qingyang.
Strangely enough, whenever this happened, Li Qingyang would always appear at her side as if by magic. No matter how well she hid, he would find her.
He would put medicine on her and tend to her wounds, gently comfort her, and even deliberately sing her terrible songs to cheer her up, all because he wanted her to stop crying.
Back then, Lin Yumo would think:
At least he’s here.
She would sob uncontrollably, tugging pitifully at Li Qingyang’s sleeve as she asked,
“Will you always be my big brother?”
Li Qingyang nodded with absolute seriousness.
“I will.”
He had never broken that promise.
After they moved away, Li Qingyang helped her in many ways, both openly and behind the scenes. They stayed in touch, and he would sneak away from home on weekends to come see her. He wasn’t much older than she was, but he was mature and dependable.
It was no exaggeration to say that, during that time, Li Qingyang was the only ray of light in her life.
Without him, her world would have been swallowed by darkness.
Time flew by. When Lin Yumo was twelve, Li Qingyang graduated from high school, and his family sent him abroad.
Before leaving, he gave her a cell phone.
There was only one number saved in it.
Lin Yumo had tried calling it, but her calls had gone unanswered.
At the time, she had begun to understand.
After that, they lost contact.
For years, the number had remained saved in her phone, but she had never opened it again.
In her previous life, she had never seen him once.
How lucky she was to see him again in this life.
“Brother Qingyang… thank you. Truly.”
Lin Yumo said softly, “I’ll always think of you as my most important family. But I hope you’ll put yourself first and do more of the things you want to do. I don’t want you worrying about me anymore.”
She couldn’t drag him down.
That would be repaying kindness with betrayal.
Li Qingyang sighed. “Doing things for you isn’t a burden.”
He said nothing more and closed the car door.
“Be careful on the way.”
“I will.”
The taxi pulled away and disappeared down the road.
Li Qingyang stood there for a long time, Lin Yumo’s words echoing in his mind.
…His girl had grown up.
And she was even going to marry Mu Linhan.
The man lowered his head and held his coat to the tip of his nose.
Her scent still lingered on it.
Li Qingyang’s gaze darkened.
…So what if it was the Mu family?
It didn’t matter.
He and Lin Yumo would meet again.
…
As dusk fell, Li Qingyang returned home.
“A-Yang, what took you so long?”
His mother’s reproachful voice greeted him.
“You brat, tell me the truth. What have you been up to now?!”
“Ungrateful son, get over here this instant!”
His father’s stern voice rang out.
Li Qingyang said nothing. He turned—and found himself face-to-face with Lan Ying, who was dragging a suitcase.
Her eyes were swollen, and dampness still clung to her lashes. She had clearly just had a good cry.
“I’ll take you back,” Li Qingyang said calmly.
Lan Ying lowered her head, her slender fingers gripping the suitcase handle tightly. Her expression was stubborn.
“No need. I’ll call the driver myself.”
After that, they both looked away at the same time and didn’t look at each other again.
The air seemed to freeze, turning frighteningly cold.
Li’s father, seated on the sofa, flew into a rage.
“You bastard! Is that any way to talk to your wife?”
“You little brat!”
Li’s mother somehow produced a feather duster and began thrashing Li Qingyang with it.
“If anyone’s leaving, it’s you! As long as I’m in charge of this house, no one is throwing my daughter-in-law out! Hasn’t Ying been good enough to you?! You’re still not satisfied? Apologize to her right now!”
“Mom!”
Lan Ying immediately stepped forward to stop Li’s mother. Her eyes were red, and her voice choked with tears. “…Please don’t hit him.”
Li’s mother was furious and heartbroken. She pointed at Li Qingyang’s nose and scolded him, “Look at her! You were blessed in your last life to marry her. You hurt her, and she still puts the past aside to speak up for you. What kind of man are you?!”
Li Qingyang looked helpless and rubbed his brow.
“Mom, this is between us.”
“My daughter-in-law’s business is my business! Tell me, what did you do to upset her this time? You even tried to send her back to her parents’ home. You’ve got some nerve…”
Li’s mother pressed him relentlessly.
Li Qingyang had no choice but to answer, “I met a friend.”
“What friend?!”
“…”
“Which little home-wrecker was it?!”
“Mom, I just went to see Momo.”
“Momo?! Which woman is Mo—”
She stopped halfway through.
“Momo… the Lin family’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
Lan Ying asked, puzzled, “Mom, you know her?”
Li’s mother lowered the feather duster, and her anger vanished in an instant.
“Oh, it was Momo,” she said, understanding dawning on her face. “She was his friend when they were children, the daughter of the family next door. What was her name again… Lin Yumo, I think.”
“A good friend?”
“Yes. That girl isn’t a bad person. She had a hard life. Her father used to beat her when she was little, and later their family went bankrupt and moved away. A-Yang was close to her, but he only thought of her as a little sister. Don’t misunderstand.”
Lan Ying couldn’t help giving a bitter smile.
A little sister?
Was she really a sister, or a lover?
Would friends really hug each other so intimately?
But Li’s mother’s open expression didn’t seem false.
The Li family had always kept to high moral standards. If Li Qingyang had really cheated and taken a lover, his parents would be the first to hold him accountable.
…Could it really have been a misunderstanding?
Li’s father said sternly to Li Qingyang, “Come to my study.”
Li Qingyang nodded.
Meanwhile, Li’s mother continued explaining things to Lan Ying.
“A-Yang has always been loyal to the people he cares about. He lived abroad for years and didn’t have many friends, so it’s perfectly normal for him to see one now that he’s back. I promise you, there’s really nothing between A-Yang and that girl. Your father-in-law and I treated her almost like a daughter back then…”
“…”
Lan Ying lowered her head, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the study was oppressive.
Li’s father looked displeased.
“Don’t go see her again.”
Li Qingyang’s face darkened, but he said nothing.
“After all these years, you still can’t let her go? Li Qingyang, you’re a married man now. You’d better know what you should and shouldn’t do. Otherwise, next month you can get back to the company overseas!”
“Dad… why do you have to force me?”
His voice carried exhaustion that had been suppressed for a long time.
“Force you?!”
Li’s father let out a cold laugh, his tone sharp.
“If I didn’t, would you really try to bring that Lin Yumo home as your wife?!”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“I think it is!”
Li’s father cut him off without mercy. “I could tell even back then that something was off about the way you looked at that girl. Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been helping her behind my back all this time. I’m warning you: the Lin family has been ruined for years. Don’t go getting involved with her!”
Li Qingyang gave a self-mocking smile.
“You’ve both been forcing me, then and now. I only wanted to see her once…”
“Bastard!”
Li’s father slammed the table in fury.
“How did I end up with such a lovesick fool for a son?! Do you even know what kind of family that girl comes from?! She doesn’t deserve to be a daughter-in-law of the Li family! The Lan family is a thousand times better than hers in both status and ability. We did this for your sake. If you weren’t my son, would I have arranged for you to marry Lan Ying?!”
He gave a quiet laugh. “…Marry her for me? You arranged this marriage for yourselves, for the Li family. How does that make it for my sake? You’ve never considered how we feel. All you care about is profit.”
“Idiot! If you can’t tell what matters, then tomorrow you can get back to your company in Country M. We only need a daughter-in-law! I’m telling you, when you’re born into a powerful family, you’re supposed to put the family’s interests first. Where do you think all your wealth and privilege come from? The Lin family’s downfall is the perfect example!”