Chapter 34: Each in Their Own Grievance

Lin You silently ate her meal alone, completely ignoring the incessant chatter of Qin Lang beside her, who was busy preparing the dishes.

Qin Lang noticed her current demeanor and felt the depth of a woman’s heart, which was as deep as the ocean. Even though the misunderstandings had been cleared up, why was she still not speaking?

Even a fight like the one they had the other day would be better than this silence.

As he watched her finish eating, he sighed and stood up together with her.

While walking, he tried to please her by asking, “Want to watch a movie?”

“Do you want to go shopping for a while? Is there something you want to buy?”

“Clothes? Jewelry? Cosmetics?”

Lin You looked at his clumsy attempts to cheer her up and couldn’t help but smile inwardly. However, her face remained cold and indifferent as she entered the underground supermarket’s food section to buy groceries and fruits.

Qin Lang noticed that her snacks at home seemed to be running low, so he picked various types of snacks to put in the shopping cart.

Lin You bent down and returned them to the shelf, leaving only a few bags, feeling annoyed that Qin Lang didn’t even know what she liked to eat.

Qin Lang frowned as he watched her actions, silently taking note of the snacks she had left behind and the ones she had chosen instead.

On the way back, Lin You took out her phone to call Professor Song.

Soon, Professor Song’s worried voice came through.

“Yoyo, is something wrong? Didn’t we just talk last week?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to eat out. I miss you.”

“Oh, I miss you too! You don’t know how lonely I am by myself!”

“Isn’t Dad home?”

“He went out for a meeting. Is Qin Lang with you?”

Qin Lang spoke up, “Mom, I’m here.”

“Qin Lang, I’m telling you, take good care of Yoyo. Otherwise, I won’t let you off easily.”

Qin Lang nodded in acknowledgment, thinking to himself that she was already managing him well by being silent. Who was he supposed to complain to about his troubles?

The two continued to chat about family matters, and occasionally Lin You’s laughter could be heard.

Seeing her happy, Qin Lang felt delighted as well.

When they passed a flower shop on the street, he pulled into a parking space and got out of the car alone.

Lin You didn’t understand what he was up to, but when she saw him walk into the flower shop in the rearview mirror, she felt a slight glimmer of anticipation, although her expression remained unchanged.

“Yoyo, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“It’s nothing, Mom. We’re about to enter the signal blocking area, so I’ll hang up now. Take care of yourself and Dad.”

A short while later, Qin Lang came back with a bouquet of red roses.

Lin You instantly lowered her gaze to hide her disappointment.

After getting back in the car, Qin Lang placed the flowers in Lin You’s lap, but she didn’t even look at them before tossing them into the back seat.

Military men often had bad tempers, and Qin Lang was no exception. Even with his generally good temper, he had been thoroughly worn down by Lin You’s silence over the past few days.

The pride of a soldier flared up, and he abruptly turned the car around, preparing to return to the base.

Lin You had seen Qin Lang’s face darken in an instant but didn’t want to forgive him so quickly, she just felt upset.

Professor Song had once said that when a man makes a mistake, he must be thoroughly subdued and should not be easily forgiven; otherwise, he would repeat the same mistakes, thinking women are easy to bully.

Lin You was beginning to feel the same way.

Moreover, she had never liked red roses, they were too fiery and didn’t match her low key personality. She wouldn’t accept something she had given to someone else in the past.

Leaning her head against the seatback, she stared out into the black night.

Qin Lang looked at her and felt even more frustrated. What did she want? The misunderstandings had been cleared up; why was she still holding on to her grievances?

Since she came back, he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. She didn’t see how tired he was and showed no concern for his well being. She used to be the most gentle and considerate person, why did she care more for her parents than for her husband? She would call them but never reached out to him, the person by her side.

She complained that he didn’t give her gifts, but all his money was for her. She could buy whatever she wanted. He had taken her to see movies, yet she ignored him completely. And the roses he had bought were treated like trash.

What was she aggrieved about? What did she see him as? Did she not consider him her husband?

His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins bulging, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his dark, shining eyes hinted at his rising anger.

If it weren’t for the other vehicles passing by, he would have pulled over and demanded a clear answer from her.

When they finally arrived at the base, Lin You got out first, not waiting for Qin Lang, and walked towards the family quarters.

Qin Lang watched her go without saying a word to stop her. He retrieved the food from the trunk and recalled the roses in the back seat, thinking that if she didn’t want them, he would just throw them away.

Otherwise, they would spoil in the car. When he opened the back seat, he found the clothes Lin You had tossed there last time.

He discovered they were the casual clothes he had bought for himself, and his displeasure immediately faded by half. He felt pleased as he tried them on, they fit him perfectly.

He gathered everything he needed and prepared to go home.

While Lin You brushed her teeth and washed her face, Qin Lang gently hugged her from behind. Lin You flinched noticeably upon feeling him, and then she heard his soft voice in her ear.

“The clothes fit well, I really like them.”

At that moment, Lin You understood why he had suddenly changed his attitude. On the way back, even though she hadn’t seen his expression, the low pressure in the car and the speed at which they drove had shown that he was angry.

She was somewhat surprised that he would change his attitude because of a piece of clothing.

In the mirror, she saw how well the black plaid down jacket complemented his bright, dark eyes. It didn’t look dull and instead added a touch of softness, diminishing his overly resolute demeanor while increasing his refined air.

He really looked good.

After finishing her routine, Lin You turned and slipped out of his embrace, casually saying, “If you like it, that’s good.”

Qin Lang stepped forward again to hug her and gently asked, “What do you think?”

“It’s fine if you like it. Other people’s opinions aren’t that important.”

Lin You walked into the kitchen to put away the groceries they had just bought and placed them in the fridge.

Qin Lang’s earlier happiness vanished with her words, and he sat down on the sofa, staring intently at her.

Seeing Lin You, he completely ignored the roses on the side, and all his pent up resentment surged forth.

Qin Lang stood up, striding over to Lin You and loudly questioning her

“Lin You, what’s this all about? Everything has been clarified, it was just a misunderstanding!”

“Why? Why do you still act this way?”

“I’ve tried to do everything you said, but why don’t you even look at me?”

“What do I mean to you? Do you even consider me your husband?”

After saying this, Qin Lang opened the door and threw the bouquet of roses out as if they were garbage.

Then he turned back to stare at Lin You intently, asking loudly

“Why? Why?”

Lin You felt a bit scared seeing him so furious, but she wouldn’t back down and answered defiantly, “Because I don’t like them.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Lang’s anger intensified as he pressed further

“What don’t you like? The flowers, or me?”

Lin You thought to herself, why was he questioning her like this? He was the one who had made the mistake, she was the victim. The thought of this turned her grievances into tears that welled up in her eyes.

With teary eyes, she looked at Qin Lang but didn’t say anything more.

Qin Lang frowned and directly ignored her watery gaze, asking again, “Tell me, what don’t you like?”

Lin You still didn’t answer.

Qin Lang stepped forward and picked her up, unceremoniously tossing her onto the bed. He quickly shed his jacket and leaned over her, urgently kissing her lips.

Ignoring her struggles, he pinned her hands down with one hand while the other slipped under her clothing.

The cold touch made her shiver all over, he still didn’t care about her feelings, making her feel more aggrieved, and tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Qin Lang felt her trembling body and saw her tears, but he could no longer control himself. He thought that only by doing this would she acknowledge him and realize she cared about him. Besides, he missed her and was about to go crazy.

Just when Qin Lang’s actions softened, Lin You took the chance to bite down hard on his lip.

Qin Lang winced, and a strong metallic taste filled his mouth.

He climbed off Lin You in resignation, and she quickly curled up at the edge of the bed, looking at him with tear

full eyes, and began sobbing softly.

His heart sank as he listened to her cries, he could never bring himself to comfort her.

Lin You’s heart was filled with grievances. This was a deep rooted grievance she had hidden for so long, and she had never expected to meet such a situation.

She turned her head to the side, wiped her eyes, and tried to suppress her tears, but they kept coming.

Qin Lang watched her silently for a long time and finally spoke.

“Lin You, we have to talk about this. I can’t bear to see you like this.”

“About what? What do you want to talk about?”

“About you and me.”

Lin You shook her head. “We don’t need to talk. I just want to be quiet for a while.”

“I can’t give you that. You can’t keep avoiding it like this. If you don’t want to talk about it, I can’t help you.”

Lin You knew he was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to respond.

Qin Lang clenched his teeth in frustration, but his heart felt so heavy.

Then he suddenly stood up, walked to the door, and opened it.

“Just wait for me. I’ll be back.”

Lin You didn’t stop him.

When he came back, he had brought a few items with him.

“Look, this is the photo we took together during summer vacation, you were so cute!”

He placed the photo on the table, then pulled out a stuffed toy from the bag.

“And this was from that day when we went to the amusement park.”

Next, he took out the ring box and opened it, revealing the ring inside.

“Lastly, this is for you.”

He gently lifted her chin to look at her. “Remember this feeling?”

Lin You turned her head away, trying to ignore him.

“Please don’t be like this. Let’s remember the happy moments we shared. You don’t want to lose me, right?”

Lin You said in a low voice, “I never wanted to lose you.”

“Then let’s talk.”

Finally, Lin You slowly nodded her head.

Qin Lang’s expression softened as he sat down beside her and wrapped her in his arms.

“From now on, don’t shut me out. You don’t have to hold back, I want to know how you feel.”

Lin You didn’t respond but felt a warmth spreading from his embrace.

The moonlight streamed in through the window, and the two of them just sat there quietly, the warmth enveloping them like a cozy blanket.

It felt as if they had entered a new world, where only they existed.

Qin Lang could feel her breathing steadying, while Lin You found her heart slowly calming down.

In this moment, they both understood each other better, and the grievances of the past began to fade away, leaving room for love to blossom again.