Chapter 34.2

Even before, Chen Hao had never felt this inferior. It was ironic that when he was with Xu Yuan, he often felt inexplicably inferior. Although his family’s circumstances were good, they were insufficient in Xu Yuan’s eyes. After attending events with her, he would often come home and pick fights with her, feeling only slightly better when she tolerated him.

After Xu Yuan broke up with him, while he often thought about wanting to win her back, he couldn’t deny that there were moments when he felt relieved.

Being in a relationship with Xu Yuan was exhausting, let alone thinking about marriage; he feared he would be overshadowed by her his entire life, making even his family have to cater to her.

As a man, even though he liked Xu Yuan, his self-esteem would sometimes make him resent her. Continuing like this, he felt like he was losing his mind.

Now, he admitted he still had some lingering feelings for Xu Yuan, which was why he came to see her. He wanted to see if she still had feelings for him.

In front of Meng Zhenrong today, he wanted to show some spine but found he couldn’t even lift his head, let alone look at Meng Zhenrong. Looking back, he felt like a complete coward.

To put it mildly, Chen Hao didn’t dare to see Xu Yuan again, nor did he want to, because thinking of her reminded him of his own embarrassment today, which was intolerable to him.

Chen Hao glanced sideways at Sun Zhi. Although her family background wasn’t impressive, and she could be petty and not as perceptive or pure-hearted as Xu Yuan, it didn’t matter.

She depended on him, looked up to him, and would always be reliant on him.

“Nothing, I was just thinking we could visit my parents in a few days. Have dinner with them,” Chen Hao said, taking out his car keys.

Sun Zhi was stunned, and then, realizing the implication, she felt ecstatic. Though they had been dating for months, she had never met his parents. Did this mean she now had a legitimate status?

“Okay!”

As Meng Zhenrong prepared to drive home, Mother Xu had already arrived at the villa.

Mother Xu was the first person Xu Yuan truly connected with in this world, so Xu Yuan was relatively relaxed around her and didn’t feel as restrained.

The two of them sat on the bedroom balcony, chatting while eating fruit.

“You must eat all the supplements I brought today, okay?” Mother Xu had come specifically to deliver supplements to Xu Yuan. “Look at how thin you’ve become; you need to nourish yourself properly.”

In her previous life, Xu Yuan’s parents had died early, so she never experienced motherly love. Although she knew that Mother Xu’s affection was not truly for her, it still touched her.

Sometimes Xu Yuan wondered why the original Xu Yuan had disappeared. There were no clues, except for the car accident involving Chen Hao, but there was no concrete evidence linking it.

However, there was nothing she could do. She had come here, so she decided to accept her circumstances. If the original Xu Yuan returned someday, she would willingly step aside. In the meantime, she felt it was her duty and responsibility to fulfill her filial duties.

“Alright, I’ll make sure to eat all of it,” Xu Yuan said, handing grapes to Mother Xu.

Mother Xu looked at her daughter and sighed deeply. “Xiao Yuan, tell me the truth, what’s really going on between you and Zhengrong?”

Xu Yuan wanted to dodge the question, as it was too complicated to answer. “What do you mean?” she tried to feign ignorance.

“Don’t try to fool me. The way you two acted during dinner the other day, it was obvious something was wrong. You didn’t look like a couple at all. I’m experienced enough to see these things,” Mother Xu had been worried about this issue, and after thinking it over at home for a few days, she decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter.

Xu Yuan knew that whatever she said would be seen as an excuse, so she chose to remain silent, quietly eating cherries.

“Children are such a burden!” Mother Xu reached out and tapped Xu Yuan’s forehead. “What are you being stubborn about? Let me ask you, do you want a divorce? If you do, just tell me directly!”

Xu Yuan was also silent at this question. She had never seriously considered whether she wanted a divorce. After thinking it over, she realized she hadn’t given it much thought at all.

Divorce? While it wasn’t impossible, was it really necessary?

She believed the original Xu Yuan had married Meng Zhengrong after careful consideration, thinking about the benefits it would bring to her family.

Xu Yuan wasn’t from the modern world and, even when considering emotional matters, she thought more about the bigger picture and benefits rather than love, which she had never experienced and didn’t expect to.

She had to admit that marrying Meng Zhengrong was indeed the best choice. So why should she get a divorce?

Shaking her head, Xu Yuan said, “I don’t want a divorce.”

Mother Xu felt relieved hearing this. “Xiao Yuan, let me ask you, if you don’t want a divorce but don’t want to get closer to Zhengrong, what do you want? A hollow marriage? If that’s the case, I’d rather you get a divorce.”

“…I don’t know,” Xu Yuan was at a loss for words.

She wanted to refute her mother, but she couldn’t deny the truth in her words.

She knew that her relationship with Meng Zhengrong was more like roommates than a married couple, living together but without intimacy.

If she didn’t want a divorce, she needed to change the current situation. Otherwise, things would only get worse. She understood that if they didn’t work on their relationship now, it would take a lot more effort to fix it later.

“Xiao Yuan, you’re not a child anymore, and I can’t watch over you all the time. You need to understand that if you want a certain outcome, you have to work towards it. Things don’t get better just because you ignore them. I don’t have much advice to give, as everyone has their own way of living. If you want a divorce, your father and I will support you. But if you don’t, then stop doing things that lead to divorce.”

“…Okay.”

Xu Yuan began to seriously consider the issue. Mother Xu’s words made sense; if she didn’t want a divorce, she needed to take steps to improve her relationship with Meng Zhengrong.

She had previously thought about having a child with Meng Zhengrong. If that was her goal, they would need physical intimacy at the very least…

It seemed she needed to think about changes she should make in her life, beyond work.

Before leaving, Mother Xu earnestly advised, “I know you don’t like Zhengrong. When we asked your opinion, you chose to marry him. Since this is the outcome, you can’t act willfully anymore. If you want a divorce, do it early, and don’t worry about the family. But let me make it clear: if you don’t want a divorce, then stop being reckless. Everyone’s patience is limited; don’t make both families unhappy.”

“I understand. I won’t.”

Xu Yuan had never wanted to think about this issue before. Even when she did, she didn’t delve deeply. She focused more on establishing herself, staying at Meng Corporation, and gaining more power.

She hadn’t considered her current identity.

She wasn’t foolish, and Mother Xu’s words today made many things clear.

To the world, she was a person, Xu Yuan, and also Mrs. Meng.

No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t escape this identity, and more importantly, she didn’t want to. So what was her relationship with Meng Zhengrong now?

She needed to work towards what she wanted, and the worst thing was to aim in the wrong direction.

**