Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The next day, Xiang Wan applied for leave and did not go to work.

She had told her mom she would be bringing her to the hospital yesterday and would definitely make good her word.

Elders could not be coaxed—they would remember clearly what one had said.

She woke up early today and took greater care in her appearance. She chose something brighter to look healthy and more energetic, as well as putting on some light make-up. After looking in the mirror and feeling satisfied, she took her bag and went out of the house.

Everytime when she went to see her mom and Youngest Aunt, she would pay more attention on her appearance and image.

Unexpectedly, she had dressed up specially today but met Cheng Zheng in the lift lobby when she went out.

After meeting each other’s gaze for a while, Xiang Wan tried to form a smile to greet him.

“Morning, Captain Cheng.”

Cheng Zheng looked up and down at her. “You’re going to work?”

Xiang Wan replied politely, “No. I have something on.”

Cheng Zheng nodded his head and took a look at the elevator which had just arrived. “Do you need me to give you a lift?”

Xiang Wan smiled. “No need, thank you.”

She did not demand for an explanation or reprimand him. She did not seem to mind it, either.

She felt that this was the best and the most direct way of handling the awkwardness between them.

With that, she went straight past him into the elevator and adjusted the bag on her shoulder. She stood in the middle, looking right ahead.

Cheng Zheng paused for a while, strode into the lift before it closed, and stood beside Xiang Wan.

In this narrow space, it was too quiet.

The two of them were standing next to each other, but Cheng Zheng felt they were as though galaxies apart. Such a courteous and polite relationship was even worse than before when they behaved like friends.

The lift went down.

Cheng Zheng looked at the descending numbers and remained silent for a quite a while.

“I’m sorry!”

He was not good at apologizing to people. He had always been a proud person.

But before Xiang Wan, he had been lowering his head again and again.

Frankly, if she were to say something bad about Cheng Zheng, she really would not know what to say about his bad points.

Her opinion instead would be: He was not someone who had a bad personality or character. He might even show his concern quietly for someone. However, being with him felt like a pool of still water without any ripples. And that family of his, his mother—Xiang Wan really did not like her. Even if she were to become friends with him, she would also feel stressed out.

So, although she knew he did not want anyone to mention his mother, she just went ahead to do that.

“Your mom has gone back?”

She asked that with a smile in a casual manner as though she did not mind at all.

But she was actually hinting Cheng Zheng that maintaining a distance with her was the right thing to do…

Cheng Zheng turned colder than usual, his gaze a little gloomy. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but nothing came out. Until the lift door opened again, he just looked at Xiang Wan walk out of the lift without even turning back. At this point, he quickly called out to her, “I know you’re very angry.”

His tone sounded a little higher than usual, which was unlike his usual cool, disciplined self.

Xiang Wan stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around to look at him. “I’m actually fine.” A smile slowly formed on her face. “I’m not really that angry. She’s just a stranger to me… If I take such matters to heart, I would have been angered to death by those people who slander me in the internet.”

Cheng Zheng puffed a sigh and walked up to her, staring into her eyes as he said in a low tone. “My mom’s not like this in the past…”

“Sorry to interrupt.” Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow and seemed awkward. “Captain Cheng, I’m not interested to know what kind of person is your mother. I still have something urgent to attend to. I gotta go now, see ya!”

“You don’t believe me?” Cheng Zheng added; there were some strange feelings in his gaze.

It seemed that her affirmation was of great significance to him.

It was as though he was searching for acceptance and relief from her eyes.

“I believe you!” Xiang Wan smiled.

After saying that to ease his mind, she quickly skittered and left his line of sight.

…

Xiang Wan took a cab to her Youngest Aunt’s villa.

Her mom was not surprised to see Xiang Wan.

She was a filial kid to her after all. Xiang Wan had told her yesterday that she would be coming, and she would definitely appear.

As for Youngest Aunt, Tan Yuechun, she did not seem glad to see Xiang Wan. Her domineering and controlling ways all these years had already sunk deeply within her. Her displeasure toward Xiang Wan had increased as well recently.

… This niece of hers started to get defiant as time went by. She had turned a deaf ear to her words, but that was fine, actually. She was infuriated that her niece actually thwarted her own good marriage prospect that she had painstakingly arranged for her. Her efforts had gone to waste, not only that, she still had to apologize to Cheng Zheng’s mother.

Xiang Wan walked over, slow as a snail, and greeted them as per usual.

“Youngest Aunt, Youngest Uncle-in-law… Good morning.”

Youngest Uncle-in-law, Xing Yuanhang, immediately got up from his seat and smiled politely at her. “Little Wan is here? Come, come, come, take a seat. Your Youngest Aunt has been thinking and talking about you recently. Come talk to her, I need to go to work now…”

This was his attitude from the first day Xiang Wan knew him. He was not that distant, but he was not close to them, either. He was always the “courtesy” representative of the family.

As for Xing Feifei, she was the “dislike” representative as she totally did not want to see Xiang Wan.

When she walked out of the dining room, she saw Xiang Wan and gave a snort. “Dad, wait for me, I’ll go to school by your car…” she said loudly to Xing Yuanhang.

“Sure.” Xing Yuanhang knew what his daughter was thinking.

“I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Okay!” Xing Feifei dashed up the stairs to grab her bag. She did not even give a glance to Xiang Wan as she rushed out of the main door as though there was a ghost chasing after her. She totally ignored the presence of Xiang Wan.

By doing so, she was also telling Xiang Wan objectively that she was not welcomed in this house.

Xiang Wan stood at her position without any expression.

She was used to it and did not mind at all.

Xiang Wan’s mom, Tan Yunchun, felt a little awkward. She was worried her daughter might feel upset and quickly put in a good word. “Feifei has been rather busy with her schoolwork… Quick, Wanwan, sit down and talk to your Youngest Aunt.”

“Hm.” Xiang Wan sat on the sofa slowly.

She did not eat the fruit that her mother passed to her but turned to her Youngest Aunt. “Youngest Aunt, during Mid-Autumn Festival, I was on duty and could not come for dinner…”

Her Youngest Aunt seemed cold as she held the television remote control and pressed on the buttons randomly. She was clearly displeased with Xiang Wan. “Your wings are now fully grown, huh? You don’t need an irritating person like me to worry about you anymore. If you want to fly, then so be it! There’s no need to apologize to me. I should be the one to apologize to you for insisting you to come back for dinner…”

“…”

The way she put it really made things awkward for Xiang Wan.

Youngest Aunt was such a close relative to them after all. Xiang Wan had given a valid explanation and things were not so serious to begin with.

But when things were being said this way, Xiang Wan was in a passive position.

She knew that Youngest Aunt had been used to being authoritative and did not like them to be disobedient toward her…

Most importantly, they had a special relationship with their Youngest Aunt—if they mishandled the relationship, it would turn into “benefactor for the first bucket of rice, and enemy for continuously to provide them rice”.

And that was the real reason why her mom had always been very careful and did her best to please her youngest sister.

This was because when she and her mom were in their worst situation, it was Youngest Aunt who helped them out. For many years, it was her who had been lending them a hand. They shouldn’t fall out with her with just a trivial matter. They might be labelled as ungrateful…

Interpersonal relationships are the most sensitive.

Xiang Wan quietly inhaled a breath and softened her stance by speaking in a softer tone and looking obedient.

“Youngest Aunt, I know you’re angry with me. I didn’t handle the matter well. I’m sorry…”

“Do you think I’m only angry over this matter?” Youngest Aunt turned and stared at her.

Xiang Wan was shocked. After thinking for a while, she understood.

“Cheng Zheng’s mom has spoken to you?”

Youngest Aunt pulled a long face, and she looked really gloomy.

“If she doesn’t tell me, will you tell me?”

Xiang Wan kept quiet.

There were some matters that the more one explained, the more troublesome it would be.

Since Youngest Aunt was enraged, it might be better to let her flare up. However, her silence did not make her Youngest Aunt feel appeased.

“I’ve finally understand now. I’ve been too much of a busybody that I asked for trouble and made myself miserable over it. In the future, I won’t meddle in your matters anymore…”

As she said so, she threw the remote control onto the coffee table lightly, gave a few pats on her knee, and got up from the sofa.

“I’ll go wash my face. Sis, since you’re going out later, just leave Tiantian to Little Deng will do…”

…

The door opened and was then shut.

Youngest Aunt left just like that, leaving the pair of mother and daughter feeling awkward.

Both of them looked at each other and did not know what to say for a while.

“Mom… I’m sorry.” Xiang Wan’s apology was from the heart.

She could not bear watching her mom’s sad expression. She felt she was especially unfilial when she saw that. Nonetheless, it was hard to convince herself to accept what Youngest Aunt had planned out for her.

“I know that you and Youngest Aunt have my interests at heart. But I’m a grown-up and I’m independent now. I don’t want to force myself to accept something that I do not want at all…”

Tan Yunchun’s eyes went red as she looked at her daughter. Her hands rested on her knees, and she sat there without moving.

“Why is your personality so headstrong when you’re just a girl?” Her voice was so low as though she was gasping for breath. “What’s the point of going the hard way? Can’t you just find a man who’s dependable and able to take care of you for life? Surely, it would be much better than what you’re doing now?”

“Mom…” Xiang Wan groaned.

And then, it was followed by a long sigh.

Age, generation gap—they were things she was unable to overcome.

Xiang Wan fell silent and then sat beside her mom with a smile. She took her arm and leaned on her shoulder like when she was young—in her mom’s arms when they had a heart-to-heart talk. “Mom, I want to be independent not because I’m headstrong… I-I want to have a lot, a lot of money.”

Tan Yunchun was stunned, looking at her daughter from the corner of her eyes.

Xiang Wan felt that if she used the financial aspect to explain to her mom, she would be able to understand her.

Hence, she continued to talk about the issue of money. “The money I want is money at my disposal, not money that my future husband gives me. I don’t want to ask him for money as one day, he might give me a dirty look. I don’t want to ask him for permission even if it was just to get myself some menstruation pads…”

There were changes on Tan Yunchun’s face.

All these were simple and easy to understand. Ain’t those what she had experienced?

If one did not have money, one would not be free. If so, what happiness would there be?

“All along, I’ve been trying very hard to earn more money.” Xiang Wan looked at her mom’s eyes. “Only with a lot of money can we have a lot of freedom. With enough money, I would be able to control my own life. With adequate money, I need not live like a puppet that I would be subject to the will of others at any time because of any other matter…”

Tang Yunchun looked at her in a daze, unable to say a word.

Xiang Wan took a deep breath and suddenly gave her a tight hug.

“Let’s go to the hospital…” As Xiang Wan said that, she patted on her bag. “I’ve received my royalties last month. It’s a big sum of money… So, mom, you need not worry about your future life. Your daughter is capable enough to tell you that my pay could support the two of us without any problem…”

Tan Yunchun covered her face, pursing her lips.

When she looked up, her eyes were already wet.

“Hm, let’s go to the hospital!”