Chapter 319: Is It Really Even?

Lu Cheng stepped out of the courtyard, looked up at the sky, which seemed about to snow, the sky a gray haze.

Snow would be nice; the New Year is right around the corner, and without snow the festive feeling is indeed lacking.

"Is it really even now?" Lu Cheng suddenly asked himself.

In the end he had no answer, shook his head, and walked along the Hu Tong.

At the corner he ran into Lin Zhenfeng and Lin Qingyan, who were returning from the hospital.

The father and daughter casually linked arms, walking while chatting.

When they saw Lu Cheng, Lin Qingyan's steps suddenly halted.

Noticing his daughter's reaction, Lin Zhenfeng sized up the young man before him.

"That must be Lu Cheng, huh? He's grown so much."

Lu Cheng stepped forward, greeted with a smile: "Hello Lin Shushu, I just saw Yu Aunt; you went to the hospital for a check‑up, nothing serious, right?"

Lin Zhenfeng also smiled: "It's nothing, sorry to trouble you. Let's go, then head home for a bit; I've been wanting to chat with you."

As Lin Zhenfeng was about to leave, his daughter hooked her arm around his, and he didn't move.

Lin Zhenfeng understood then.

"Oh, I just recalled the doctor told me to take medicine as soon as I get home, so you and Qing Yan can chat for a while, and later come home for dinner."

"Hey, Lin Shushu, take care."

Compared with Yu Wanrong's domineering manner, Lin Zhenfeng seemed much more amiable.

Watching Lin Zhenfeng enter the courtyard, Lu Cheng finally turned back to look at Lin Qingyan.

Around Lin Qingyan's neck was still the red scarf that Lu Cheng had given her before.

Following the Hu Tong all the way to Shichahai, after the weather grew cold, it was once again the time for the Capital City's mischievous little rascals to take their share.

On the ice, men and women floated with youthful grace, exuberantly releasing their youth.

Every year there are fresh faces arriving here and old faces departing, but unchanging is the eighteen‑year‑old smile that always graces the rink.

It's like when we are in the bloom of youth, we are immersed without noticing, yet when we come to understand youth, we find ourselves standing outside of time.

Following Shichahai southward all the way to Beihai Gongyuan, the two walked in silence, just quietly strolling.

At the entrance of Beihai Gongyuan, a few old men were shouting in a Beijing accent, "Wah‑yah‑yah," while three or five pigeons hopped intermittently on the open ground.

After watching for a while, the two turned back the same way.

"Lu Cheng, a few days ago my mother… I'm sorry, I'm apologizing to Lu Uncle on her behalf."

Lu Cheng, with both hands in his pockets, said: "It's fine, you don't need to apologize."

The two continued forward.

"Actually, from your mother's perspective, she didn't do anything wrong. The Lin family really does need to stabilize first, and she acted that way for the Lin family's sake."

Lin Qingyan looked up in surprise: "You actually are willing to understand my mother?"

Lu Cheng smiled: "To be precise, I'm a bit envious of Lin Shushu."

"Envious of my dad?"

"Yes, with Yu Aunt assisting Lin Shushu, the Lin family will surely keep getting better."

Yu Wanrong is somewhat domineering, but sometimes a family needs a capable woman like that, even if she's ruthless and misunderstood.

Whether Lin Qingyan actually understood, she just gave a slight nod.

"Qing Yan, the Lin family is now forced, and you are also powerless; sometimes that's how it is—many things are beyond our control and hard to change."

Lin Qingyan didn't understand, and didn't like hearing it.

"Why does your speech always sound so old‑fashioned?"

Lu Cheng took a deep breath; he didn't know how to explain this detached mindset, just as he didn't know how to explain his complicated feelings toward Lin Qingyan across two lifetimes.

……

"Let's go home."

When Lin Qingyan looked up again, she realized she had unknowingly returned to the Hu Tong; time seemed to fly, never this fast before.

Lin Qingyan knew that if she stepped home as Lu Cheng had said, their marriage would end today.

Thinking of the past year together, she hesitated to take that step.

But Lu Cheng had already mounted his bicycle, flashed her a smile, and rode away without looking back.

At that moment, Lin Qingyan stood still, wishing so badly that Lu Cheng would return, then pat the seat and say, "Come home with me."

Then she would drop everything without hesitation and "go home" with Lu Cheng.

However, even as Lu Cheng vanished at the Hu Tong entrance without turning, two clear tears streamed uncontrollably from Lin Qingyan.

After a long while… Yu Wanrong stood at the doorway and called softly, "Yan Yan, go home."

Lin Qingyan was pulled back to reality.

……

Back in the Hu Tong, Lu Cheng heard a frantic voice from the courtyard; listening closely, it was Master Xu Erye arriving.

"I don't approve of the two children divorcing; no one may let them separate!"

"Xu Erye, don't get angry; we don't want the children to divorce either, it's just that…"

It was the voice of mother Chen Xianglan.

Xu Erye's face flushed as he clenched his neck: "I know, it must be Yu Wanrong's doing. That woman has all the capitalist's nasty habits, looks down on my disciple, and I look down on her too. I'm going to confront her right now!"

Seeing his disciple suffer such a grievance, the hot‑tempered Xu Erye could not bear it.

If Yu Wanrong had shown up that day while Xu Erye was present, he could have beaten her on the spot.

When Lu Cheng entered the courtyard, his parents were holding back Xu Erye, preventing him from leaving.

Xu Erye, having passed that way, had no choice but to start a fight.

「Master, why are you getting so angry? Getting angry harms the body, you should calm down, don't lose your temper at the drop of a hat. 」

Seeing Lu Cheng return, Chen Xianglan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Erye stroked his beard: "You think I want to get angry? It's not that the Lin Family are inhumane! You went to the Lin Family today, what did they say? Are they still asking you to divorce? I'm telling you, you can't divorce."

「Qing Yan is such a good child; when you're not home, it's Qing Yan who buys things and comes to see me in your place—such a good daughter-in-law, you couldn't find one even with a lantern. 」

Hearing Xu Erye's words, Chen Xianglan also suddenly didn't want to let her son divorce.

She also knew Qing Yan was a very good daughter-in-law; that little monthly salary, either it was spent on her and Old Lu, or it was spent on Xu Erye.

Everyone knows, this is Lin Qingyan taking Lu Cheng's place in fulfilling filial duty.

She and Lu Beitang said aloud, "Just divorce if you want, worst case we find another!" That was just a heat-of-the-moment remark.

「San'er, you went to the Lin Family today, what exactly did they say? 」

One could see that Chen Xianglan was hoping for some good news; Lu Cheng felt reluctant but had to tell the truth.

「Sorry, Mom, I've already agreed to divorce Qing Yan. 」

「What? 」 Xu Erye flared up upon hearing: 「I didn't agree, who let you agree! Come on, let's go to the Lin Family now; I'll see if he dares to bring up divorce again, I'll overturn his Lin Family! 」