Chapter 47

Jiang Chen, making coffee, saw Wang Manni coming and smiled warmly, gesturing for her to wait a moment.

Wang Manni returned the smile and found an empty seat to sit down.

Not long after, Jiang Chen walked over with a cup of coffee: "Try it."

Wang Manni picked up the cup, took a sip, and savored it: "Hmm, it's good. But this is different from before."

"Of course it's different—this is my..." Jiang Chen went on about the coffee's origin, rambling at length.

Seeing Wang Manni wasn't interested, he asked: "If I remember right, you were supposed to be working today—why are you here?"

After sipping her coffee, Wang Manni said: "I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Where to?" Jiang Chen didn't catch on.

"Home."

"Home?"

"Home!"

Jiang Chen fell silent, then finally blurted: "Can't you stay?"

Seeing him like this, Wang Manni cut straight to the point: "Take care of yourself—don't let me affect you."

"You could stay at this coffee shop—you don't earn much, but it's free."

"Enough. I need to go home." Wang Manni didn't answer.

"I'll take you home."

"Fine. Take me to the subway station."

"Whatever you say—subway station."

They met at the subway station—so this belated ending should also be there.

Did Wang Manni have feelings for Jiang Chen? Honestly, yes—mainly because of those years of struggling and relying on each other, that youthful time holding her past.

As for getting back together? Wang Manni spoke: Missed chances are missed—a good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass.

In the afternoon, Gu Jia sent Wang Yan a message saying she wouldn't be back for dinner, telling the three of them not to wait for her.

Wang Yan knew what had happened—it was just Wang Manni leaving, and they were seeing her off.

This time, Zhao Jingyu didn't cause trouble; Wang Manni returned much later than in the original plot, finishing her thirtieth birthday before leaving.

And if her return home was delayed, she likely wouldn't end up with Wei Zhijie at all.

If only she could've avoided—or at least heard less—her neighbor, that old barber Yu Bo, blabbing nonsense, maybe fate would've taken another turn.

But who can say for sure? Who you are is who you are—maybe after circling around, you'll still walk the same path. That's none of Wang Mou's business—let it be what it will be.

In the blink of an eye, over half a year passed.

Wang Yan, Gu Jia, and Xu Ziyan remained a happy family of three, with not a single worry.

Gu Jia just mingled in the socialite circle daily, and spent the rest of her time handling company affairs—including some of Wang Yan's company matters too—each day packed full.

In the socialite circle, Li TaiTai's family, just as in the plot, lost their patron and moved abroad; with her gone, Gu Jia was effectively the new leader—reaching the top.

Rarely, Gu Jia stayed true to herself, never repeating the same drama Wang Yan had feared she'd unleash on newcomers.

During this time, they sold another season of tea; since the last batch had been wildly popular and well-reviewed, this one sold smoothly.

Corresponding profits rose slightly, investment increased further, and the changes in Henglu Village grew even more pronounced.

Wang Yan never said a word about Gu Jia's choice—he understood the logic; let her do as she pleased.

Villagers working away, except those with truly bright futures, all returned home—why labor elsewhere when you can live well at home?

The old village chief, however, knew how to handle things: when they first invested, he reported upward; now, with this second wave, the county reported to the city, and leaders at every level praised the approach, awarded recognition, and featured it in the news—Gu Jia had earned honor.

Despite daily busyness, Gu Jia was deeply satisfied with her current life.

Wang Yan remained the same—idle every day, reading, drinking tea, writing calligraphy, coding, and taking care of the child.

Xu Huanshan had brought Lin Jiayi to visit Xu Ziyan several times—after all, he was his own son; how could he not think of him?

Though Wang Yan was no good, he never brainwashed Xu Ziyan; yet Xu Huanshan's presence did fill the void of Xu Ziyan's longing for a father, and over time, the bond grew distant. Xu Ziyan wasn't without feeling for Xu Huanshan—just faint, unable to truly connect.

Xu Huanshan knew why—so much time had passed; he'd made peace with it.

One day, Xu Huanshan, taking advantage of a break, came to Tianyue Tianyue Gongguan with his pregnant Lin Jiayi.

No baby-making was wasted—Lin Jiayi was now over six months along, two months away from giving birth.

That's why they came to Tianyue Tianyue Gongguan: it was too inconvenient to drag the child out, and what if something happened?

Wang Yan thanked the property staff, then led Xu Huanshan and Lin Jiayi inside.

Gu Jia wasn't home—she didn't want to see Xu Huanshan or Lin Jiayi, especially with Lin Jiayi so pregnant, so she'd gone out to socialize.

This was mainly because Xu Huanshan had been utterly cruel during their divorce, leaving no trace of sentiment.

Of course, the main fault lay with Wang Yan—he was encouraging Xu Huanshan while still flirting with Gu Jia.

Too bad the home flower never smelled as sweet as the wild one—otherwise, Wang Mou wouldn't have had a chance.

Xu Ziyan, watching TV, saw Xu Huanshan enter and ran over: "Dad, Auntie, you're here?"

Xu Huanshan quickly went over and picked up Xu Ziyan: "Hey, son, you've gotten fatter—I can barely lift you now."

"Really? Should I eat less?" Xu Ziyan seriously considered it.

Xu Huanshan burst into laughter: "Hahaha, silly kid, I was just teasing you."

Then Xu Huanshan and Lin Jiayi played with Xu Ziyan.

Lin Jiayi, after all, wasn't a soft person—but in Wang Yan's presence, she always felt weak, mainly because his knowing gaze made her uneasy.

Wang Yan watched them play for a while, then shook his head and went upstairs, leaving them space.

"Hssss... huuuh..."

On the balcony, Wang Yan smoked, staring at the towering buildings outside.

Before he finished his cigarette, Xu Huanshan came up.

Wang Yan picked up the cigarette beside him and gestured; Xu Huanshan shook his head and refused—Lin Youyou was pregnant, smoking wasn't good.

"Wang Yan, I want to know the truth."

After staring into Xu Huanshan's eyes for a moment, Wang Yan said: "Regret it?"

"We're already at this point—what's the point of saying that?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yan said: "If you hadn't cheated, this wouldn't be my business."

Xu Huanshan believed him; he knew Wang Yan looked down on lying to him.

Not wanting to waste words with Wang Yan, Xu Huanshan turned to leave.

Wang Yan called out: "Old Xu."

Xu Huanshan turned back.

"Go back and check on the fireworks factory—pay attention to safety production. That's all I have to say. Do as you will."

Saying this, he stopped looking at him and turned away, hands behind his back, continuing to gaze at the scenery outside.

Xu Huanshan paused for a moment, then left—he remembered that time he'd lost a fight, and remembered Wang Yan's advice to Shen Jie.

He decided in his heart to go back and check on it immediately—he couldn't afford to be careless.

Wang Yan had softened, not bringing up whether Xu Huanshan was right or wrong, or whether Lin Youyou truly loved him.

He only spoke of the two lives lost in the fireworks factory explosion, their families behind them, and the child in Lin Youyou's womb—all of them innocent.

Though it was destined to happen, the key was—he hadn't shown up at all. They hadn't wronged him, hadn't harmed him.

He was already enough of a bastard—he still had to hold onto some conscience, some bottom line.

After so much time had passed, aside from an irregular schedule and some exhaustion, Zhong Xiaoqin felt happy.

Her parents had learned Zhong Xiaoqin and Zhong Xiaoyang were together; since it was already settled, all they could do was sigh and give up trying to intervene.

But Zhong Xiaoqin now felt uneasy—she had just gagged, and with one experience behind her, she immediately knew what it meant.

She hurried downstairs to buy a pregnancy test, returned, and took it—just as expected, two lines.

Zhong Xiaoqin didn't know what to do, so she sat silently on the sofa, staring blankly.

After a long while, the sound of a door slamming open and shut woke her—Zhong Xiaoyang had returned.

Recently, Zhong Xiaoyang had found work modifying motorcycles with his skills—it was tiring, and he'd never imagined he'd end up here.

After working at it for a while, he was starting to feel he couldn't go on—but he couldn't quit either; what would he eat or drink if he did?

People say turning a hobby into a job is the happiest thing—but it depends on the person and the job. Once a hobby becomes a means of livelihood, it usually stops being loved.

The door slam jolted Zhong Xiaoqin out of her daze; she checked the time and said: "You're back—I'll go make dinner."

Zhong Xiaoyang came over, hugged Zhong Xiaoqin, and kissed her: "Hurry up—I'm starving."

After a while of bustling about, Zhong Xiaoqin cooked two dishes; they ate while chatting intermittently.

"Xiaoyang, I'm pregnant." After a silence, Zhong Xiaoqin suddenly said.

Zhong Xiaoyang's chopsticks paused mid-air; he pulled them back and asked: "When did this happen?"

"This afternoon—I gagged, so I bought a pregnancy test and checked. Look, two lines." She held out the test to him.

He glanced at it, thought for a moment, then asked: "What do you want to do?"

"I want to know what you think."

Zhong Xiaoyang said a lot—mostly about life, about material insecurity, that whole line.

He ended with: "Get rid of it."

"Okay."

Seeing Zhong Xiaoqin's low mood, Zhong Xiaoyang quickly comforted her gently, reciting the same old love lines that had always worked before.

But this time, they didn't work.

Zhong Xiaoqin had prepared for this outcome, yet still felt deeply disappointed—it showed Zhong Xiaoyang had no intention of building a future, otherwise he wouldn't have ignored her age. And she'd only had a D&C six months ago—he knew that; another abortion might have unknown consequences.

"I'm done eating. You eat." Zhong Xiaoqin said, then returned to the bedroom, got into bed, pulled the covers over her head, and didn't move again.

Zhong Xiaoyang said nothing; after all, this wasn't the first time. A little comfort, a couple days, and she'd be fine—he had experience.

The next day, Zhong Xiaoqin and Zhong Xiaoyang both took leave and went to the hospital for an abortion.

Yes, there were many others getting abortions too—it took a long wait before it was Zhong Xiaoqin's turn.

Soon, Zhong Xiaoqin emerged, weak and pale.

The doctor then prescribed medicine and told Zhong Xiaoqin she must not have another abortion. She'd just recovered from a D&C and now had another abortion—this would harm her future badly: infertility, increased risk of neonatal death, and so on.

Zhong Xiaoqin was terrified; she cried all the way back to Zhong Xiaoyang's home.

After recovering for a while, she forced herself to pack her bags, silent, and prepared to leave.

Zhong Xiaoyang thought a little soothing would fix it—he never expected Zhong Xiaoqin to be this resolute.

He hurriedly begged, swore oaths, apologized, pleaded for her to stay.

Zhong Xiaoqin didn't argue or scream with Zhong Xiaoyang—first, she was too weak; second, the greatest sorrow is a dead heart—no words would help.

She looked at him once, then dragged her suitcase, barely standing, and took a taxi downstairs to her parents' home.

Since there was no elevator and their floor was high, she couldn't hold on any longer. She called her mother and asked them to come down and meet her.

After hanging up, her parents rushed downstairs. Seeing Zhong Xiaoqin's ashen face and drenched in cold sweat, her mother was terrified.

She rushed forward, wanting to know the cause so she could defend her daughter: "Xiaoqin, what's wrong? Why are you like this? Did that boy hurt you?"

Her father grabbed the suitcase and asked too: "Yes, Xiaoqin, what happened?"

Zhong Xiaoqin's parents knew she and Zhong Xiaoyang were together; but since their daughter had chosen him, all they could do was sigh and worry daily—they couldn't stop her.

Zhong Xiaoqin had no energy to explain; her voice hoarse, she said: "Go upstairs, Mom and Dad—don't ask. Just go upstairs."

Seeing Zhong Xiaoqin like this, her mother tenderly supported her up the stairs.

After carefully settling her in, and only when Zhong Xiaoqin fell asleep, did her parents finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"What on earth is wrong with her?" Zhong Xiaoqin's mother sighed.

"I'll go ask that boy." Saying this, he grabbed his clothes to leave.

Zhong Xiaoqin's mother quickly grabbed him: "Oh no, why are you rushing in? Wait until Xiaoqin feels better."

That sleep, Zhong Xiaoqin carried straight through to the next day.

With great effort, she was helped up by her mother, drank some porridge, then returned to bed and lay down again.

Zhong Xiaoqin's mother watched, heartbroken: "Xiaoqin, what's wrong with you? Say something! Are you trying to kill your father and me with worry?"

"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry." Saying this, Zhong Xiaoqin burst into tears.

"Oh, child, just tell us what happened!"

"I'm pregnant. Zhong Xiaoyang didn't want the baby. The child was aborted yesterday." Zhong Xiaoqin sobbed.

She went on to detail everything that had happened over the past two days, leaving the elderly couple heartbroken.

Finally, they calmed Zhong Xiaoqin down, then went straight to Zhong Xiaoyang's house.

Naturally, they returned empty-handed—just scratched at Zhong Xiaoyang a little; otherwise, they truly could do nothing.

Back home, the elderly couple sat slumped on the sofa.

"Chen Yu is so much better," Zhong Xiaoqin's mother suddenly said.

Zhong Xiaoqin's father said nothing. The path one chooses is one's own—whose fault is it?

As for Chen Yu, he had long since recovered and been discharged from the hospital.

He threw himself actively into his work, refusing to think of anything else.

Yet fate is always wonderfully inexplicable.

Two months ago, he met a woman who quietly helped elderly and disabled children at Fuli Academy during an interview.

Isn't it wonderfully inexplicable? Normally Chen Yu never went out to the field for interviews—he'd only just been discharged and wanted to regain his rhythm, and that's how they met.

After the interview and subsequent deep conversations, they came to understand each other and slowly drew closer.

Lately, the two had been getting along very well; it looked like something good was about to happen.

As for Wang Manni, only in the first few days after she returned did Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin chat with her regularly; Wang Yan had overheard some of it from the side.

She had, as in the original drama, met Zhang Zhi through a blind date.

But Wang Yan knew no further than that—gradually, the three of them spoke less and less, until over half a year passed, and all three fell into a mutual silence, ending this brief friendship.

Only occasionally did Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin go out together, and neither ever mentioned Wang Manni again.

Wang Yan didn't care about Wang Manni's situation and made no effort to investigate; he simply let it be.