Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Do you think there’s really no way out for the Yan Family?” The guest room was suddenly kicked open and Fu Yu walked in with a solemn face. “Do you think the Song Family is the only one with money in this world? Isn’t it just a few hundred million? If you want it, I can give it to you right now. Take the money and get lost from the Yan Corporation.”
“Fu Yu.” Yan Lei was stunned and felt a sense of warmth but he quickly said, “Don’t be rash. Let’s act according to the contract. I won’t give them the money now either.”
Song Chulang squinted as he looked at Fu Yu. He smiled with understanding. “Right, after all, you suddenly got yourself a rich son out of nowhere. Maybe when my brother and Changqing get a divorce, this son will become your son-in-law. It’s not like you’ve never used your daughter in exchange for the company’s stability before.”
“Shut your stinking mouth.” Before Yan Lei erupted, Fu Yu’s face fell and he grabbed Song Chulang by the collar. “Get lost. Now.”
Song Chulang scoffed and pushed Fu Yu away. He tidied himself up before stepping out.
Yan Lei sat on the couch with a pale face and looked as though he had aged several years all in a moment’s time.
“Uncle Yan, don’t listen to Song Chulang’s nonsense,” Fu Yu said, upset. “He just wanted to agitate you; don’t fall for his trap.”
“Don’t say anymore, don’t say anymore.” Yan Lei raised his hands weakly. “I’m a failed father.”
He was wrong. He was really wrong.
So the Song Family had always thought he was using his own daughter in exchange for the company’s future.
He was the only one who thought Song Chuyi really seemed quite sensible, so he allowed his daughter to marry him.
From start to end, the Song Family had never thought highly of the Yan Family. It was a mistake from the start and he even destroyed his daughter’s happiness.
“Uncle, there’s still a chance. If you don’t want me to invest in the company, I can help you find suitable medical companies to buy Yan Corporation’s overstocked goods. As long as we sell the goods, there might still be a chance to turn the situation around,” Fu Yu said.
Yan Lei nodded. “Fu Yu, I really have to thank you a lot. If it wasn’t for you today, I would’ve really been oppressed by Song Chulang.”
“You don’t have to act so politely to me—we’re about to become family,” Fu Yu said softly. From today onwards, he could protect Changqing as her brother legitimately. “Right, how’s Changqing now?”
“I don’t know. She hadn’t come out when I left in the morning.” Yan Lei sighed.
Changqing woke up at eight in the morning and began packing.
She was packing up Song Chuyi’s clothes and shoes. After packing everything up, she dragged it downstairs.
Changxin had been watching after her downstairs and when Changxin saw her coming down with the luggage, she got a shock. “Where are you going?”
“These aren’t my things; they’re Song Chuyi’s. I intend to drop off these things and the two dogs in the afternoon,” Changqing said hoarsely. Her voice also sounded ]nasal. Changxin’s heart ached to see her like that. She must’ve cried last night—her eyes were still so swollen despite her thick makeup.
“Robben and Lolita are also going to be sent away?” The moment Auntie Zhang heard that, she quickly threw the broom aside and ran over upset. “Aiyo, these two fellows have been here so long. Although they’re a little mischievous, they’re still quite cute.”
Robben and Lolita were still wagging their tails by her feet, unaware of what was about to happen.
Changqing’s eyes reddened. She turned her face away heartlessly. “Please clean them up today and pack up the dog food, toys, and clothes. I’ll drop them off once I return from work.”
Changxin sighed. Changxin had heard about the couple’s quarrels from Yan Lei, but no matter how bad the conflict was, Changqing would normally never send the dogs away. It seemed like she had made her mind up. “Changqing, do you want to give it a second thought?”
“There’s nothing to think about; I’ve already decided.” Changqing dragged the luggage to the car trunk with her eyes red.
Robben and Lolita thought she was going away and they chased her all the way to the main gate as they barked before they lay on the floor, aggrieved.
Auntie Zhang’s heart shattered upon seeing that.
Thinking about their imminent departure, she quickly fed them some goodies and drinks for the entire day, even taking out and feeding them with the bones she had hidden for a very long time.
Robben and Lolita were having their fill at home while Changqing was muddle-headed at work, making constant mistakes.
“Changqing, are you alright?” Zuo Qian could sense that something was amiss. “Did you fight with Song Chuyi?”
Changqing forced out a smile. “It was just a fight; it’s very normal.”
“It’s not normal seeing you like this,” Zuo Qian said with a peaceful and pampering tone. “You would just pout and pull a long face if you were unhappy normally instead of being so listless like you are now.”
Changqing lowered her gaze and didn’t make a sound. However, the gentler Zuo Qian was, the more unbearable it felt. She felt like she was struggling to keep her tears in.
“Changqing, can I do anything to help you?” Zuo Qian stroked her head dearly. “If you need any help, feel free to tell me. I… will do my best to help you.”
“Oh, thank you.” Changqing nodded listlessly. “Teacher Zuo, I’m going to go to the washroom for a while.”
She went to the ladies’ room hurriedly after saying that.
Zuo Qian watched her retreating back and his eyes dimmed. He really wished that she could seek comfort from him.
In the washroom, Changqing looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red. After staring for a very long time, she slowly took out her powder and applied a thin layer on her face.
In the future, without Song Chuyi backing her up at the station, she would have to work hard to hang in there. Only by doing well would she not drag her family down.
In the evening, after work, Changqing came back to the Yan Household to pick up Robben and Lolita.
She opened the door to the backseat and Robben and Lolita thought she was going to take them out to play. They hopped in excitedly as they wagged their tails.
Auntie Zhang stroked the two dogs reluctantly before she turned her face away unbearably.
Changqing started the car engine and drove straight to Lakeview Residence.
In the back, Robben and Lolita were vying to stick their heads out to the front. Changqing thought this might be the last time she would see them fighting, so she let them be.
When they had arrived at Lakeview Residence, the place Robben was most familiar with, he seemed to know where she was going and ran towards the apartment block while Lolita, who was there for the first time, followed behind tentatively.
When they arrived at the door of the apartment, Robben scratched the door and looked back at Changqing.
Changqing keyed in her birthday and went in. Robben started to let loose in the house, jumping on the couch for a while then running around in the kitchen then leaping on the bed in the bedroom.
Seeing Robben having fun, Lolita followed suit. She even threw the cushion on the couch to the floor.
Changqing walked over and picked up the cushion. The moment she saw the floral patterns on the cushion, her eyes reddened once again.
It wasn’t long ago when she was entwined with Song Chuyi on this couch. That time, he even put this cushion under her to prop her up.
Her heart was charmed but immediately after, she felt a sense of coldness and pain.
She wiped the tears off her face and packed her clothes in the bedroom before turning to walk towards the door.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Robben and Lolita ran over immediately.
Changqing’s hand trembled and she didn’t manage to close the door in time. Robben managed to squeeze through and got out. He watched her with his large, watery eyes, looking pitiful.
“Robben, go in, alright?” Changqing felt a sudden ache in her heart as she spoke gently.
Robben whimpered and wagged his tail at her, refusing to move. Lolita bit her trouser legs.
Changqing walked over to pull Robben’s leash. Robben raised his front legs and pounced on her.
“Robben, go in. Do you know I can’t afford to have you? You’re not my dog. Spend your future days well with Lolita and Song Chuchu.” Changqing tried to carry Robben into the house. She wouldn’t have realized how much bigger Robben had gotten ever since he moved into the Yan Household if she hadn’t picked him up.
Robben started to struggle in her arms, squirming to get onto the floor, refusing to enter the house.
Changqing started to cry. She felt as though she was abandoning her own children.
At that moment, the elevator chimed and the doors opened. Song Chuyi walked out and saw the scene. He was stunned. “Changqing, you…”
“I came to bring back your dogs.” Changqing quickly lowered her head and wiped the corners of her eyes. She pushed Robben and Lolita and hurried into the elevator.
Song Chuyi grabbed her wrist and pulled her out. His face sank. “Make yourself clear.”
“How else do you want me to put it?” She lifted her eyes unbearably and looked at his blurred and familiar handsome face as she said weakly, “I think it would really be better if the two of us parted.”
Song Chuyi pulled her in closer subconsciously. His gaze landed on the paper bag at the door. He could indistinctly see some dog food and dog clothes. She loved buying dog clothes for these two. She said it was hot during the summer, but they could wear the clothes in the winter.
All of a sudden, he tasted something bitter as though he had bitten into a bitter gourd. “How can we part? Changqing, I kept it from you precisely because I was afraid we would end up like this. I also only knew about the Yan Corporation incident after it happened. There was already nothing I could do at that time. I only knew that for you, I would cut all ties with the Song Family in the future. I already handed in my resignation letter to the hospital this morning. This is what I thought: I would find a job at another hospital and I also have some money from my investments. Although it’s not a few hundred million, it should allow you to lead a comfortable life. I would go with you to any place you wanted every year. You could still be a host happily or you could give birth to a few little Changqings or little Chuchus and when our children were born, Robben and Lolita would give birth to little puppies. When we had more people and more dogs, we would move into a bigger house to live in.”
In the end, Changqing couldn’t manage to hold her tears back because the beautiful life he described was what she had been looking forward to.
She had yet to witness Robben and Lolita giving birth.
She also didn’t know how her children with Song Chuchu would look like. There were several times when she would fantasize about that secretly. She thought that their children would definitely be very, very beautiful.
However, there were many things in life that didn’t go the way you wanted.
“You make it sound so good.” She sniffed, nodded and said hoarsely, “Chuchu, I don’t blame you. Although I haven’t lived with you for a very long time, I know that you’re different from your family. You like medicine and read about it whenever you have nothing to do, even saying that you wanted to get a certificate. You’re not interested in the Song Family’s inheritance and the money you gave me to spend was always the money… you earned. To your patients, no matter who they were, you would always show them the same concern. I believe that whatever happened to our family had nothing to do with a person like you. You also have your difficulties but… if you really were to leave the Song family, do you think your family would really let you be with me freely like you said?”