Chapter 70

After meeting her ex, his calm demeanor had shifted, his emotions showing a hint of fluctuation. At first, Ruan Qing had been tense, gripping his hand out of instinct. But gradually, she became more relaxed. By the time her ex left, her whole mood had lifted—she seemed not just at ease, but almost cheerful.

“Hm?” Ruan Qing touched her face. “Was I smiling?”

She quickly changed the subject. “Where’s the waiter? Let’s order.”

He raised an eyebrow, and Ruan Qing, giving in, sighed. “Fine, but don’t laugh at me,” she said. “It just hit me suddenly that I’m actually a pretty basic person.”

She explained, “You know, that cliché, ‘running into your ex while they’re rummaging through the trash, and I’m draped in fur’? I used to think I was above that. I thought I’d be so indifferent if we ever met again, but I realized just now that I’m far from indifferent.”

She took a deep breath and continued. “Back then, we were just three days away from the wedding. The invitations had gone out, and some people even traveled from other cities for it. Both of our families are business people, so the guest list was big,” she said. “And then, I ran. The wedding was canceled, and it made quite an impact. It wasn’t great for either of our families.”

She added, “Afterward, people kept asking me if I regretted it…”

Nian Qi held his breath, waiting for her answer. It mattered to him, too. After ending things with such an exceptional man, did she have any regrets?

“I don’t know,” Ruan Qing said. “There were so many times I asked myself that same question. Did I make the right choice? Was it really worth it?

“I wondered if things would have been different if I’d tried to talk it out, even if it turned into an argument. And I even worried, embarrassingly enough, that I might never find someone better than him. What if I get older, lower my standards, and settle for someone way beneath him?”

She looked down, sighing. “Whenever I thought like that, it made me miserable.”

These struggles, sleepless nights, and self-doubts—these were the pains no one could avoid on the path to maturity.

Nian Qi asked gently, “So…?”

Ruan Qing burst out laughing. “Why are you so nervous?”

He cleared his throat. “Well, I’m just as basic as you are,” he admitted. Who isn’t? Everyone has that secret wish to run into their ex (or their current partner’s ex) and to be the one looking put together, not the one digging through life’s trash. It’s a natural impulse; wanting to feel validated is universal.

“Don’t worry,” Ruan Qing said confidently. “I’m winning this one by a mile! Didn’t you hear? He’s on his second child already.”

“Chills ran down my spine for a moment there!” She continued, “I knew he got married pretty soon after our wedding was canceled. He was older than me, and his goal was marriage and starting a family. But a second child?”

“Having two kids in three years? Fine, I could accept that. But two kids in just two years?” She raised two fingers and waved them dramatically for emphasis. “It dawned on me that he must’ve gone straight from having the first to planning the second!”

That realization made Ruan Qing feel no doubt, no regrets. In that moment, she was utterly sure—running away back then had been the right call. She hadn’t jumped into a trap, and it was the best decision she’d ever made.

Maybe that “trap” was gilded with gold and silver, promising comfort and wealth, but it wasn’t the life she wanted. Looking back on her naive thought of “maybe things would have been different if we’d just talked it out,” Ruan Qing now found herself foolish and innocent for even considering it. He was a man like He Ling—unyielding, persistent to the core, and skilled in maneuvering situations to his advantage.

This kind of person is often praised and admired in society, seen as someone fit for grand endeavors. But from a woman’s perspective, if you’re someone who doesn’t want to fit the role of the obedient wife, that sort of personality is truly suffocating. He would have soothed her then, persuaded her, but afterward, he’d surely have his own way of “guiding” or convincing her to fall in line with his own agenda.

“So now,” Ruan Qing said, “I can confidently tell myself, ‘Ruan Qing, you did the right thing.’”

Imagining He Ling’s wife, caught in a cycle of back-to-back pregnancies, she glanced at Nian Qi beside her—young, handsome, gentle, with long hair and a lithe waist, and a strength that was off the charts. He was everything that made her feel alive. She was living like a goddess these days! Why would she want to marry an impatient older man eager to start a family and be reduced to a child-bearing machine? A true woman strides forward, never looking back!

As Ruan Qing fully let go of her lingering feelings for her ex, Nian Qi was, naturally, thrilled. But he also felt a flicker of concern. In that brief encounter, he’d already made a meticulous assessment of He Ling. He was indeed mature and steady, clearly a man of wealth and refinement. The metal accessory on his left wrist caught Nian Qi’s attention, something he’d only seen on the wrists of high-ranking leaders in Luo County. It seemed to symbolize status or privilege, much like the officials in the capital who wore pouches of gold or silver, signifying their rank and imperial favor.

He Ling’s aura certainly carried the distinct air of wealth. He was a privileged son from a distinguished family, yet disciplined—someone raised carefully to be a capable successor. The ideal son-in-law any girl’s parents would favor wholeheartedly. Though Ruan Qing had praised him sweetly, Nian Qi didn’t let it get to his head; he was acutely aware of the external disparities between him and He Ling. The traits Ruan Qing loved about him might be captivating to her, but her parents were bound to see things differently.

Nian Qi let out a quiet sigh. Winning the official title of her husband wouldn’t be easy. But he now had legal citizenship, and today he was starting from square one. First challenge: face the parents.

The high-speed train ride from the provincial capital to Yan City was only one stop, and driving didn’t take long either. Ruan Qing deliberately slowed down the car.

“Dinner is unavoidable,” she said, “so let’s arrive as late as possible.”

For Ruan Qing, every minute shaved off the inevitable parental interrogation was a small victory. But Nian Qi didn’t agree. Meeting her parents, especially her formidable father, was not something to be taken lightly. Even if he had no impressive traits and was bound to be scrutinized and criticized, he was prepared to take it. Trying to win over a family’s beloved daughter with nothing to his name—how could he expect anything less? He would face it head-on.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination: an impressively grand, luxurious, old-fashioned villa. Its exterior was European-inspired, precisely the kind of aesthetic that suited the tastes of Ruan Qing’s parents’ generation.

“Just look at it. This is what you call ‘small-town entrepreneur taste,’” Ruan Qing teased. It was quite dreadful.

At a glance, Nian Qi knew that Ruan Qing’s family background was even more well-off than he had imagined. She, it turned out, was also a second-generation heir—perfectly matched with He Ling. However, he was surprised to find that the family was not as cold or judgmental as he had anticipated. An older woman opened the door and, turning back, called, “Qingqing’s home!” Ruan Qing’s parents both rose from the living room to greet them at the entrance, though it wasn’t Ruan Qing they were welcoming—it was Nian Qi.

With warm hospitality, they said, “Come in, come in! You must be Xiao Nian. Welcome!” For polite people, they would not be dismissive toward the man who saved their daughter’s life. Whatever else needed addressing could wait; for now, they wanted to acknowledge their gratitude.

Yet, as they welcomed Nian Qi, Ruan Qing’s parents couldn’t help but stare, surprised. They had spoken with Ruan Xiangyun on the phone that day. Now back in their village with a good signal, he had shared the entire story, providing full details in a lengthy conversation. Hearing about the “Wild Hermits’ Temple” incident had moved both Ruan Aihua and his wife. Ruan Xiangyun had described Nian Qi, saying, “He looks like a Taoist, but he’s not; he’s secular and insisted on following Qingqing back here. Sigh…” That sigh was heavy with meaning.

Ruan Aihua and his wife, puzzled, thought, Didn’t that sound faintly like the frustration of parents whose honest son had been led astray by a girl from the outside? They had developed a picture in their minds based on Ruan Xiangyun’s description, much like the officers at the Yan City Bureau: an isolated mountain dweller, a bit wild and unkempt, maybe with a rough, unsophisticated demeanor—someone with even less exposure than typical villagers. Seeing a pretty girl, he might naturally cling to her and insist on following her back. Immature, clearly. How strange that their meticulous daughter, who was so picky, could find anything appealing about someone like this! They knew better than anyone just how hard-to-please their daughter could be, so this left them baffled.

“It’s the suspension bridge effect!” Ruan’s mother declared. “This has to be the suspension bridge effect! Hero rescuing damsel, it’s classic psychology!” Ruan Aihua agreed with his wife’s reasoning. After discussing it, they decided not to forcibly separate the two, which might only strengthen the bond through defiance. “Just let things cool off,” Ruan’s mother said. “Once she’s back in society, the differences in status and education will be obvious, and that infatuation will disappear soon enough.”

Back when Ruan Qing had a fling with the university heartthrob, her mother hadn’t interfered, and sure enough, Ruan Qing eventually saw through him on her own and told him to get lost. At least Ruan’s mother was proud of her decisiveness, though she thought her daughter’s choice to break things off with He Ling had been too final. It was a shame, too; he wanted marriage, children—all perfectly traditional aspirations. His hope for Ruan Qing to start a family before missing the prime childbearing age had resonated with her mother’s own wishes. After all, it was for her daughter’s own good. But unfortunately, Ruan Qing had not felt the same way and, to this day, had shown no sign of regret.

Just the other day, Ruan’s mother heard from a friend that He’s son had already had a second child—so efficient! When Ruan Qing returned, she’d point out the kind of rural man her daughter had brought back and compare him with He Ling. The young woman would surely be embarrassed, and that “suspension bridge effect” would dissolve in no time. Then they could properly reward this “little Taoist” for saving Ruan Qing. If he struggled to make a place for himself in society, they could lend a hand, help him find work, maybe even sponsor his education. Anything that money could solve wouldn’t be a problem.

Yet Ruan’s mother and Ruan Aihua had not expected “a rough, dirty mountain-dwelling Taoist” to look like this. His long hair was smooth and clean, his face handsome and refined, with dignified brows, a calm presence, and the poise of someone used to commanding a room.

“Uncle, Auntie, sorry for the intrusion.” He did not extend his hand but instead leaned forward in a courteous bow.

This address, “Uncle, Auntie,” was something you might find in dramas or novels, not real life, where people tended to say “Mr.” or “Mrs.” instead. It sounded almost like something from a romance novel. Yet with this young man’s slight bow, his sleek black hair falling forward, and his composed gaze as he straightened, there was no awkwardness. Instead, he exuded a graceful elegance that was uncommon among young people today.

Ruan Aihua and his wife unconsciously straightened their own backs. Glancing at their smiling daughter, they wondered if perhaps, just perhaps, it wasn’t only the suspension bridge effect.

Putting this striking young man side-by-side with He Ling… Ruan’s mother found herself uncertain about who might come out on top.