“Alright! I’ll come home to spend some time with you both when I have a chance later,” Shen Zuofeng replied obediently.
“Great! Just let us know in advance, and your dad and I will prepare your favorite dishes,” Fang Sujin said cheerfully.
“Okay!”
“Fengfeng, you’re not exactly young anymore have you met anyone you like?” her father, Shen Qingbai, chimed in from the side.
Shen Zuofeng’s expression stiffened slightly, a little embarrassed. She wasn’t sure how to respond.
She had indeed met someone she liked, and that person had even given her a chance to pursue her. But since their relationship wasn’t officially confirmed yet, was it necessary to tell her parents? She was afraid it might lead to disappointment if things didn’t work out.
Seeing their daughter’s reaction, the couple could easily tell something was going on. They immediately grew excited.
“So you do have someone you like! What’s she like? Is she pretty?” Fang Sujin’s eyes crinkled with delight. Their daughter had always been independent and rarely gave them any worries except when it came to relationships. All the concerns they’d saved up in other areas seemed to pour into this one topic.
At 25, Shen Zuofeng had never been in a relationship. Given her personality, her parents often worried she might end up alone in her old age, without a partner to support and accompany her.
Shen Zuofeng scratched her cheek sheepishly and said, “It’s still too early to say.”
“Our Fengfeng is so wonderful, it’s only a matter of time before things work out!” Fang Sujin declared, puffing out her slender chest.
Shen Zuofeng: “…”
Where did all that confidence come from?
Or is it just that all parents have this blind faith in their children, believing they’re the best in the world?
If so, that’s truly a blinding kind of love.
“She’s also very outstanding,” Shen Zuofeng said.
“Then you’ll have to work hard! Without effort, nothing will happen,” her mother said matter-of-factly.
Shen Zuofeng: “…”
Of course, I know that effort is needed for anything to happen!
“Ahem.” Shen Dad drew everyone’s attention to himself, then said with feigned nonchalance, “I have some experience in pursuing people. If you’re unsure, you can always ask me.”
After all, back in the day, he had been a campus heartthrob, the kind many secretly admired.
“Dad, have you pursued a lot of people?” Shen Zuofeng asked curiously.
Fang Sujin’s gaze immediately turned sharp as it landed on Shen Dad.
As if sensing the shift in atmosphere, Shen Qingbai continued calmly, “Although I only ever pursued your mom, the methods I used back then worked wonders on her.”
Fang Sujin’s expression softened, and she turned back to her daughter’s image with a smile.
Shen Dad breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He didn’t want to dredge up his romantic history from his youth at this age.
Watching her parents’ playful interaction, Shen Zuofeng couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Their relationship warmed her heart.
They had loved and supported each other for decades, and even now, in their later years, they retained the same affection they’d had from the start. Shen Zuofeng found this deeply moving and felt grateful being their daughter was truly a blessing.
And she hoped that one day, she too could find someone with whom she could sustain a lasting, unchanging love.
She wanted to build a relationship with Chi Qingwei, one where they could cherish each other with the same idealistic devotion.
Everyone says that love eventually turns into familial affection, and being with a partner feels like touching your right hand with your left but isn’t that just a sign of no longer being in love?
What she sought was a lasting love. She already had familial affection; there was no need to search for a love that would eventually turn into it.
She wanted to preserve that initial flutter of the heart for the one she loved. Even if it made her seem like an idealist out of sync with the world, she refused to conform to the common perception of love.
Love is love, and familial affection is familial affection. Friendship can transform into love, but love cannot revert to friendship. How could two people who once loved each other deeply interact as if nothing had ever happened between them?
Because of her earnest approach to emotions, over all these years, Shen Zuofeng had only ever liked Chi Qingwei.
“Dad, Mom, there’s no need to worry. Once I’ve successfully pursued her, I’ll bring her home to meet you,” Shen Zuofeng said, though she felt a bit unsure of herself. Nothing had even happened yet, and here she was already thinking about bringing someone home.
“Alright, alright, do things at your own pace. But if there’s anything you’re unsure about, you can always ask us. After all, we’ve been through it and have seen more than you,” Shen’s father said with a chuckle, unable to maintain his usual stern demeanor.
“Okay,” Shen Zuofeng replied, somewhat amused. Sometimes, she felt they were more like friends, and their interactions were always pleasant.
After hanging up, Shen Zuofeng sighed softly, gathered her thoughts, and turned her attention back to work.
Cai Meilin walked out of Shen Zuofeng’s office and, on her way to the legal department, was bumped into by a somewhat clumsy young woman. The files in her hands scattered all over the floor.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
The young woman quickly apologized and crouched down to pick up the papers one by one. Fortunately, there weren’t too many, and she finished gathering them in no time.
Cai Meilin took the files and looked at the still somewhat naive girl in front of her. Wasn’t she one of the recent graduates the company had just hired?
“What’s the rush?” Cai Meilin checked the files to ensure nothing was missing before raising her eyes to the anxious-looking girl.
“Oh, I, I was in a hurry to find President Yang and didn’t watch where I was going. I’m really sorry!” The young woman twisted the hem of her clothes, looking extremely nervous.
Internally, she was on the verge of tears. How could she have bumped into the company’s most serious and rigid assistant, Cai Meilin?!
Looking at her, Cai Meilin’s eyes flickered with understanding. It seemed this was yet another young woman captivated by Yang Huai’s charm.
She didn’t know what kind of aura Yang Huai had. Even though he was a male alpha who preferred alphas, he still managed to attract the admiration of young women.
It was just unfortunate for these girls their youthful infatuations would inevitably end in heartbreak.
“Go ahead, but try not to be so careless next time,” Cai Meilin said with a slight nod before walking away first.
The young woman watched her leave and finally let out a cautious sigh of relief. It seemed Assistant Cai wasn’t as terrifying as everyone made her out to be. She was actually quite nice, wasn’t she? Even after such a clumsy mistake, she hadn’t lost her temper or scolded her.
Arriving at Yang Huai’s office, the young woman knocked on the door. After hearing “Come in,” she cautiously peeked inside. At the sight of President Yang’s handsome and gentle face, she couldn’t help but blush, her gaze beginning to drift.
“What can I do for you?” Yang Huai recognized her she was the new receptionist at the company.
“P-President Yang, there’s a Mr. Meng, Meng looking for you at the front desk,” the young woman stammered nervously.
Yang Huai’s face darkened, a sharp, stabbing pain once again spreading through his heart.
Was it going to be like this again? The same endless cycle breaking up and making up, over and over each time only growing more painful, never numbing no matter how many times it repeated.
“Alright, you can go now. Take the guest to the reception room. I’ll be there shortly,” Yang Huai said, his tone somewhat cold. “And from now on, if there’s anything, contact me through the internal line. Leaving a guest alone like that isn’t polite.”
“Huh? Oh, okay!” The young woman bit her lip, feeling a bit embarrassed, and hurried out of the room with her head lowered.
Yang Huai wasn’t in a good mood. His expression was icy, and he had no energy to spare for a wounded young heart.
After tidying up a bit, Yang Huai adjusted his emotions, trying to put on his best face.
He didn’t want Meng Bingsen to see him looking so defeated.
When he reached the reception room, Yang Huai spotted the tall, handsome alpha in a black suit sitting inside even before he entered.
During their university days, Meng Bingsen had been youthful and handsome. After a few years in the workforce, his temperament seemed to have settled rapidly. Now, he was a steady man exuding mature charm at all times.
As Yang Huai walked in, he caught a faint whiff of Meng Bingsen’s bamboo-like pheromones. For a moment, his mind went hazy. That fresh, soothing bamboo scent, he could never get enough of it back then. Whenever he had the chance, he would lean close to Meng Bingsen’s scent gland, inhaling that calming fragrance.
“Why are you here?” Yang Huai sat down, his hand clenched tightly into a fist at his side. He didn’t understand why Meng Bingsen hadn’t contacted him by phone but had instead come to his company.
Did he want to see him?
At that thought, Yang Huai’s heart began to race wildly.
“I, I came this time to give us a proper farewell,” Meng Bingsen’s voice was low as he looked at the man he had been entangled with for seven long years, a flicker of pain in his eyes.
Yang Huai’s hand trembled. He lifted his gaze to Meng Bingsen, as if unable to believe what he had just heard.
“Farewell?” Yang Huai repeated the word.
“Yes.” Meng Bingsen’s body tensed, the lines of his resolute face growing more pronounced. He said softly, “We can’t keep going on like this.”
It was like an endless loop. Aside from stepping out of it voluntarily, he didn’t know any other way for them to break free together.
After so many years of this cycle, he was tired, and he could tell Yang Huai was tired too. Yet, neither of them had ever made a clean break, always finding their way back to each other at some point.
“You’re tired?” Yang Huai’s voice sounded faint.
“You’re tired too, aren’t you?”
“Let’s just let each other go. No more holding each other back, no more seeing each other.” Meng Bingsen clenched his fists, each word making his heart ache a little more.
By the end, even breathing felt difficult.
Yang Huai fell silent, staring at the man he had loved for seven years. Was it really going to end like this?
The once-soothing bamboo scent now felt suffocating. Suddenly, Yang Huai stood up and leaned over, planting his hands on the sofa beside Meng Bingsen, trapping him within the circle of his arms. His eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth and asked, “Are you serious?”
Meng Bingsen wasn’t frightened by his actions. Instead, with deep affection, he raised his hand and gently caressed Yang Huai’s tense face, whispering, “I wish my words weren’t serious, but I truly mean it when I say I want you to live well.”
Because of him, Yang Huai had broken ties with his family; because of him, Yang Huai had been isolated by most people during his school days; and because of him, Yang Huai was now suffering so deeply.
“How could I live well without you!”
Yang Huai’s eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and spoke each word deliberately.