Chapter 10: A Reprimand Without Asking for Details

After hanging up the phone, she forgot about everything else, thinking only about how she wouldn’t have to cook dinner tonight.

Her parents’ sweet and sour ribs and guobaorou were just too good—better than even the restaurant she ate at yesterday, which could only be considered a passable substitute.

At 4 PM, she told the staff she was leaving the café early.

She bought some fruit to bring over and glanced at Huazhong University A for a few seconds as she passed by.

Her parents’ house was near the university. After parking the car, she carried the fruit into the residential complex.

She entered the passcode to open the door, feeling that a passcode lock was more convenient.

The apartment she lived in originally had a passcode lock as well, but it broke once, and she found it too troublesome to repair, so she just switched to a key lock. However, after losing her keys recently, she suddenly thought that it might be just as much trouble either way, and considered switching back to a passcode lock.

As soon as she walked in, she was greeted by the smell of steak mixed with a hint of sweet and sour—both her favorite.

She walked into the kitchen. “Mom, Dad.”

“Zhixian, you’re here,” Shen Ling pointed to the sink. “Come wash your hands.”

She responded with an “Oh,” walked over, washed her hands under the faucet, dried them, and helped carry the dishes to the table.

Wen Xingzhi and Shen Ling were still busy in the kitchen while she stood by the doorway, waiting.

“Didn’t you stubbornly say you weren’t coming?” Shen Ling teased.

She remained stubborn. “You don’t get it. This is called being polite. Declining a couple of times actually helps foster family harmony. It shows how difficult it is for me to make the effort to come.”

Shen Ling replied with a casual “Is that so?” and glanced at her. “Then next time, I’ll just hang up after your first refusal.”

“Mom, that’s so unfair!” she protested, but her face showed she didn’t really care, even grinning. “But it’s no big deal. I’ll just show up when it’s time. It’s not like you’d let me starve.”

She stepped forward, picked up the freshly made guobaorou, and brought it to the table.

Wen Xingzhi chuckled. “This kid.”

Once all the dishes were served, the three of them sat down to eat.

She had just picked up her chopsticks when her father said, “Yesterday, when we were out for dinner, your Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhao mentioned you and Yuchen, saying you two were discussing getting your marriage license. Is that true?”

Her hand paused midair, and she suddenly remembered that conversation. She mumbled a noncommittal “Hmm.”

Shen Ling asked, “So have you two decided when to get the license?”

Wen Xingzhi, looking pleased, added, “You young folks don’t need to worry about picking an auspicious date. Once you get the license, we’ll need to start discussing the wedding arrangements with the Gu family.”

As her parents continued talking about getting married, she looked up at them. Both of their faces were lit up with smiles, clearly pleased with the idea of her marrying Gu Yuchen.

After all, they knew the Gu family well, and they had seen Gu Yuchen grow up. How could they not be satisfied?

Seeing the confused looks on Shen Ling and Wen Xingzhi’s faces, she bit her lip and quietly said, “I broke up with him.”

Both parents were stunned for a moment. Then Shen Ling frowned and asked, “Did you initiate it?”

“Yes.”

Shen Ling’s face turned serious, but Wen Xingzhi spoke up first, “Zhixian, it’s normal for couples to have little arguments. Relationships are built through these ups and downs. Don’t let a moment of anger lead to regret later on.”

“Breaking up over a small argument is really unnecessary,” Wen Xingzhi sighed.

Wen Zhixian felt a lump in her throat and replied, “I won’t regret it.”

“You won’t regret it? What good is it just saying you won’t regret it? I don’t understand—what could you and Yuchen have fought about that would lead to a breakup? That kid is steady and responsible, and you’ve known each other since childhood. What could he have possibly done to you? You’re just being stubborn, holding onto something and not letting go.”

“And what about your Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhao? Haven’t they treated you well? It’s not easy to find good in-laws. What more do you want from Gu Yuchen?” Shen Ling looked at her angrily.

She knew her parents would have a strong reaction when they found out she and Gu Yuchen broke up, but she hadn’t expected them to scold her so harshly. Each word they said made her heart tremble.

“You don’t even ask me anything, just jump to saying I’m wrong. I’m stubborn, I hold onto things—so I deserve to be hit by him, is that it?” She suddenly remembered the moment Gu Yuchen hit her. She had never been hit by anyone in her life, and now her parents were only praising Gu Yuchen.

Wen Xingzhi and Shen Ling froze when they heard her say she had been hit.

Her eyes reddened. “I got hit by him, and I’m supposed to placate him and go get a marriage license? I’ve been with him for two years, but what’s changed from before? He only thinks we’re suitable for each other. Other than giving me expensive gifts I don’t need, he does nothing. The only person he’s ever truly cared about is his ex-girlfriend. He hit me just because I broke his cup. I used to tell myself it was just a cup, but now he’s hit me.”

As she continued, her voice began to tremble, and she started to choke up. “I know Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhao treat me well, so I didn’t even go to your hospital because I didn’t want you to find out and feel sad. My ear’s been ringing for days, and every day I’m worried it won’t get better. And what does Gu Yuchen do? He keeps coming to me, telling me being hit is no big deal, that I’m making a fuss over nothing. Staying with him isn’t about him wanting the best for me; it’s like he’s dragging me into hell.”

She stood up, pushed open the door, and ran out of the house. As she got into the elevator, she could still hear her parents calling her name anxiously.

Wen Xingzhi sighed and held back his wife. “She doesn’t want to see us right now. Let’s not upset her any further.”

“Why didn’t I ask why they broke up? I kept thinking it was her fault.” Shen Ling was so anxious she started to cry, blaming herself for saying so many good things about Gu Yuchen.

“Who could’ve known Gu Yuchen would turn out to be this way? I used to think he was more mature than Kairui, but now it seems we can’t judge by appearances.”

“I never even hit her, so how could Gu Yuchen dare to?” Shen Ling felt even more upset remembering what Zhixian had said. “I want to ask the Gu family how they raised their son.”

Wen Xingzhi stopped her. “Zhixian didn’t tell us because she didn’t want us to cause trouble for Uncle Gu. Let me call Zhaoli to find out what’s going on.”

He made the call, and when Qin Zhaoli answered, Wen Xingzhi asked, “Zhaoli, do you have a moment to talk?”

Qin Zhaoli wasn’t surprised to receive a call from Uncle Wen; she guessed he had found out about Zhixian and Gu Yuchen. “Yes, I do, Uncle Wen. What would you like to ask?”

“It’s about Zhixian and Gu Yuchen. Do you know what happened?” Wen Xingzhi suspected Qin Zhaoli might know something. Yesterday, at their dinner, he noticed that the Qin couple had seemed uneasy when Gu Yuchen was mentioned, but he hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Now, it seemed like they might know something.