By the time Fang Jinshi arrived home, the sun had already dipped low, and twilight was fast approaching.
Vibrant pink and purple climbing roses cascaded from the high courtyard walls, bathed in the fading amber rays of the setting sun, lending the garden an almost ethereal, delicate beauty.
Brushing aside a low-hanging vine of blossoms, Fang Jinshi walked into the yard and found his mother holding a small pair of shears, meticulously pruning the shrubs and flowers.
Madam Fang was an elegant woman with an exceptional demeanor. Though she was nearly fifty, her smooth, oval face bore virtually no traces of the passing years. She was highly skilled in tending to her flora, her movements deft and her focus unwavering.
However, the timing was completely off.
At dusk, the lingering heat of the setting sun made it an improper time to trim branches. Madam Fang only appeared to be tending to her garden; in reality, she was waiting for him.
A wave of warmth flooded Fang Jinshi’s heart. He took a few quick strides forward, gently taking the shears from her hands. “Mom, let me do it.”
Seeing him return, a flicker of relief crossed Madam Fang’s eyes. Without protesting, she willingly handed the shears over to him.
Amidst the crisp snip-snap of the shears, she asked with deep concern, “Jinshi, are you hungry? If you are, there’s soup simmering in the kitchen. You can have a bowl first.”
It looks like Dad and big brother aren’t back yet, Fang Jinshi thought.
The Fang household didn’t care much for rigid etiquette, but they shared one unwritten rule at the dinner table: family members always waited for one another, and dinner would only begin once everyone was seated.
Fang Jinshi shook his head. “Thanks, Mom, but I grabbed a bite while I was out. I’m not hungry yet.”
Hearing this, Madam Fang smiled gently and teased, “You silly child, still being so polite with your own mother.”
It wasn’t a matter of politeness. Fang Jinshi was genuinely grateful for her—grateful for the quiet warmth she infused into his heart.
Knowing how much she worried about him, he chose not to hide anything. Laying his cards on the table, he said openly, “I went out with Ren Minghui today. I went to see Li Jin.”
Madam Fang had already deduced that his sudden outing had something to do with Li Jin. She gazed at him with soft, perceptive eyes. Noting that his profile against the blooming backdrop showed no signs of despair or dejection, she finally asked, “And what did you two say?”
She refrained from immediately expressing her own likes or dislikes. On this matter, she wanted to hear what Fang Jinshi thought and how he intended to handle it.
Fortunately, Fang Jinshi did not disappoint her.
Standing as proud and upright as a solitary emerald bamboo stalk amidst the dense flowers, he stated calmly, “I broke up with him.”
Madam Fang blanked for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise. Then, her brow smoothed out completely, and a radiant smile broke across her face. “And about time, too!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt it might have sounded a bit too blunt, so she quickly softened her tone to explain: “From a personal standpoint, I absolutely did not want you to get back together with Li Jin. He has
absolutely no sense of boundaries when it comes to relationships! But at the end of the day, this romance was between the two of you, and the ultimate choice had to be yours. That’s why none of us took a definitive stance. We were all just waiting for you to come home and make your own decision.”
This level of respect and trust was truly invaluable.
Fang Jinshi smiled, a profound sense of relief washing over him now that everything was out in the open. “Mom, let’s head inside.”
The sun hadn’t fully set yet, and he didn’t want his mother’s skin getting sunburned.
Though Madam Fang didn’t entirely catch the subtle cue of his protective concern, she was equally delighted. Nodding repeatedly, she said, “I’ll have Nanny Chen whip up a few more of your favorite dishes tonight. We need to celebrate this properly!”
And why shouldn’t they celebrate? Unmasking that hypocrite of a man and cutting all ties with him was indeed an occasion worth rejoicing over.
Amused by her enthusiasm, Fang Jinshi nodded with a smile. “Alright.”
At the dinner table, Madam Fang shot her son a meaningful look, silently gesturing for him to share the wonderful news with his father and older brother.
Taking the cue, Fang Jinshi announced his breakup with Li Jin. Both men were instantly thrilled for him, though a shadow of lingering concern remained in their eyes. They watched him carefully, observing his expressions, terrified that he might be burying his heartbreak deep inside.
Noticing their wariness, Fang Jinshi reassured them, “Dad, Mom, big brother—you really don’t need to worry about me. Both my logic and my emotions fully support this decision.”
“In truth, during the latter half of my hospital stay, Li Jin rarely came to see me anyway. Our feelings had faded long ago; we were simply maintaining the hollow title of boyfriends. Now that it’s officially dissolved, it’s a clean break for both of us.”
The Fang family members nodded along on the surface, but internally, they assumed he was just putting up a brave front.
In reality, Fang Jinshi wasn’t forcing himself to be strong. Having looked death in the face, he had truly learned to see past trivialities. Outside of literal life and death, nothing else was a grand dilemma; everything could be let go.
Seeking to steer his mind toward a happier subject, Madam Fang changed the topic: “Now that you’ve recovered and returned home, it’s about time the rest of our social circle knows about it.”
Both Father Fang and his eldest son instantly voiced their agreement.
Just because they didn’t speak of it didn’t mean they were blind to the rumors. The gossip mills in high society had been churning furiously. Plenty of people had been insincerely lamenting, whispering malicious pities about how Fang Jinshi’s fragile health had allowed a high-quality boyfriend like Li Jin to be snatched away right from under his nose.
They whispered that after lying in a sanatorium for two years, Fang Jinshi was likely a walking corpse—so gaunt his features would be completely unrecognizable. They gossiped that if he were to stand next to his substitute, he wouldn’t even compare to the radiant, pampered lover Li Jin had been keeping.
The upper crust was practically salivating at the thought of watching the Fang family fall from grace, waiting to make a laughingstock out of Fang Jinshi.
In that case, they would throw a grand banquet. They would invite prominent figures from every industry, using the stage to clarify the Fang family’s absolute stance: since Fang Jinshi no longer cared, the rest of the family had zero reservations.
Whoever dared to utter another word of slander to provoke the Fang family would have to face their absolute wrath!
Right there at the dinner table, Father and Madam Fang mapped out the entire itinerary of the banquet in a matter of sentences. Fang Jinshi offered no objections. Listening to their passionate discussion and realizing that their hearts and minds were entirely focused on his well-being, he was moved beyond words.
After dinner, Fang Jinshi spent some time watching television with his parents before heading upstairs to his room to rest.
Not long after, a soft knock sounded at his door.
Opening it, he found Madam Fang standing outside holding a small, elegant invitation card. Extending it toward him, she said, “This invitation bears Li Jin’s name. Whether we send it out or not is entirely up to you.”
Fang Jinshi thought it over for a moment. “It doesn’t really matter if we send it to him.”
Detecting the slight reluctance in his tone, Madam Fang countered, “If seeing him makes you unhappy, we simply won’t invite him. This is our family’s banquet. The authority rests entirely with us, not him.”
Madam Fang usually spoke with gentleness, but in this moment, her tone carried an unyielding, fierce authority.
“But.” Fang Jinshi hesitated, slightly worried. “Will excluding Li Jin negatively impact the business partnerships between our families?”
The moment he voiced his concern, Madam Fang offered him a deeply reassuring smile. “Jinshi, you are a son of the Fang family, the absolute treasure of your father and me. You never need to worry about partnerships, corporate deals, or conflicting interests. Your father works tirelessly to earn money for one reason only: to ensure our family lives comfortably and happily. If we allow financial gain to cause you even an ounce of distress, then we would be completely losing sight of what matters.”
Her words cut through the air, carrying an undeniable weight.
Hearing this, a genuine smile bloomed on Fang Jinshi’s face. “Then let’s bar him from attending. I have no interest in seeing him.”
Since his parents and brother were standing so firmly behind him as his ultimate backing, he might as well indulge in being a bit difficult. From now on, he would follow his heart, answer to no one, and live his life to the absolute fullest!