Chapter 29: Lunch with Mother-in-Law

For a moment, Gu Yuchen was at a loss.

It’s true—guilty deeds shouldn’t be done in the first place.

“I don’t like you anymore. Any negative emotions you’re feeling now weren’t caused by me. I don’t owe you anything,” Wen Zhixian said firmly before hanging up and blocking the number.

She turned to Qi Yanjing, her expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things in front of you.”

Arguing with her ex in front of her husband—it felt awkward no matter how she looked at it.

Qi Yanjing shook his head. “It’s fine.”

He had known about her past before they got married. Hearing her tell her ex directly that she no longer liked him was actually quite pleasing to his ears.

“You’re not as emotional when talking to him as you used to be. You’re already letting go. Relationships that harm you should be cut off immediately, or you’ll end up hurting yourself,” Qi Yanjing said softly, his calm eyes resembling a tranquil sea. His thin lips moved slightly, and he added, “It hurts.”

His gentle words soothed her, like hands carefully mending the gaps in her heart.

Wen Zhixian stared at him in a daze. He seemed so cold on the surface, yet he always spoke to her with such tenderness.

Wounded and licking her wounds, she hadn’t expected to stumble upon a perfect remedy by sheer luck.

Since the phone call earlier that evening, Gu Yuchen had been in a state of panic, as if plunged into an icy abyss.

Time had blurred his memory, to the point where he almost forgot why he had gotten together with Wen Zhixian in the first place.

He lay on the couch, the harsh light forcing him to close his eyes. Memories surged uncontrollably, overwhelming him.

He had always known that Wen Zhixian liked him. Her gaze would linger on him, but he thought she was too obedient, someone who could only be a younger sister to him.

Later, he met Li Chaomu, who had a spirit he found irresistibly attractive. When they broke up, he felt like a ghost of himself, drowning his sorrows in alcohol and frequenting bars. One winter night, Wen Zhixian came to find him.

She wore a white cashmere coat and a camellia scarf. The cold weather had reddened the tip of her nose, making her stand out starkly from everyone else in the bar. She looked just like Li Chaomu the first time he had met her.

He couldn’t remember what Wen Zhixian said that night. All he cared about was asking, “Do you like me?”

At that time, he was missing Li Chaomu too much. He thought, obedient? Fine. She could distract him. For at least a moment, she resembled Chaomu.

He never truly cared about Wen Zhixian. She had been so good to him for so long that he took it for granted. In fact, he treated her worse than he had when they were just friends. Back then, he at least saw her as a younger sister and took care of her a little. Later, even that trace of preference disappeared.

When had he started taking everything she did for granted?

Was it because she never demanded anything from him? Because she was obedient and agreeable?

Wen Zhixian’s parents used to praise him endlessly, yet now they didn’t even want to see him.

Every moment Wen Zhixian had cared for and loved him now felt like a blade piercing his heart.

He had once found a healing music box two years ago. But instead of cherishing it, he broke it, only to realize its value when it was gone and its loss turned against him.

But he refused to admit it.

---

Just before lunch, Wen Zhixian received a phone call from her mother-in-law, Tan Ruigu, which caught her by surprise.

When she answered, Tan Ruigu’s tone was as kind as ever. “Zhixian, have you had lunch yet?”

“I was just about to eat,” she replied.

“I’m out shopping today. Would you like to have lunch together?”

Wen Zhixian didn’t refuse. “Sure, Mom. Which restaurant are you at? I’ll head over soon.”

“I’m not sure which restaurants are good around here. Why don’t you pick one? I’ll have the driver take me there,” Tan Ruigu suggested.

Without hesitation, Wen Zhixian named a restaurant she had been to before. After ending the call, she headed out, suspecting that her mother-in-law had something to discuss.

When she arrived at the restaurant, Tan Ruigu was already seated, scanning for a good spot. Upon seeing her, she waved her over immediately.

Her mother-in-law was clearly older than her parents, though she didn’t outwardly appear so. Still, there was an undeniable air of seniority about her.

“Sorry I’m late, Mom,” Wen Zhixian said with a polite smile as she took a seat across from Tan Ruigu.

Tan Ruigu returned the smile. “I was nearby and got here a bit early.”

Once the dishes were served, Tan Ruigu began, “How’s life with Yanjing? Everything going well?”

So that’s what she wanted to know—how their cohabitation was going.

“Pretty good. Qi… Yanjing takes good care of me.” Wen Zhixian hesitated briefly, nearly addressing him as “Mr. Qi,” a habit she didn’t find strange but that might sound odd to others.

Tan Ruigu, aware of their unfamiliarity, didn’t point it out.

“Yanjing is reserved by nature. He bottles up too much, to the point where it’s made him ill. He’s unwilling to open up to anyone and doesn’t get close to others. But with you, it’s different.”

She couldn’t quite understand her son’s thoughts, buried so deeply they were indecipherable even to her.

Wen Zhixian raised a brow in surprise. “Really?”

Mr. Qi doesn’t get close to anyone?

“That day when you came over for dinner, Yanjing told his father not to be so stern. He’s never said anything like that before, nor has he ever made any requests.”

Tan Ruigu set down her chopsticks. “Zhixian, we won’t oppose anything Yanjing does, but I hope you can look after him a little.”

“Of course, Mom. Don’t worry about that,” Wen Zhixian replied. Aside from her once wholehearted and blind love for Gu Yuchen, she had always reciprocated kindness. Especially when it came to Qi Yanjing.

Tan Ruigu picked up some food and placed it on Wen Zhixian’s plate. “Eat more.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

As they ate, Tan Ruigu seemed on the verge of saying more but ultimately only engaged in small talk.

Wen Zhixian had thought her mother-in-law might share some stories about Mr. Qi’s past but was surprised when she didn’t mention anything.

The meal was harmonious overall, but as soon as they finished, Wen Zhixian received a call from the store.

She answered, and the person on the other end said, “Boss, there’s a woman here saying she needs to talk to you.”

The caller then lowered their voice. “She doesn’t look friendly.”

Wen Zhixian frowned slightly. Lately, someone seemed to be looking for her every day. This kind of thing had never happened before.

She sighed. “Alright, I just finished lunch. I’ll be there right away.”

Turning to Tan Ruigu, she said, “Mom, something’s come up at the store. I need to head over.”

Tan Ruigu nodded. “Go ahead.”

After bidding her mother-in-law goodbye, Wen Zhixian got in her car and left.

Tan Ruigu, however, gave it some thought and decided to follow. Wen Zhixian had seemed a bit troubled when answering the call, and Tan Ruigu felt it was best to check in.

If something really happened, Yanjing would be devastated.

With that in mind, she instructed the driver to follow Wen Zhixian’s car, bringing along four bodyguards for good measure.

When Wen Zhixian arrived at the store, she approached Yue Qi and asked softly, “What’s going on?”