Chapter 72 : Public

Fan Yanxing of course, wasn’t about to admit his mistakes. Instead, he used his lips to silence Liang Qingqing’s upcoming words, physically demonstrating where he was wrong.

They only stopped this absurdity when the water had turned cold.

Liang Qingqing, with her sore hands and flushed cheeks, bit her lower lip and, sitting in the chair, gave Fan Yanxing a resentful kick in the rear. The satisfied man chuckled and even had the leisure to pat her calf.

“I’ll go get some hot water.”

His hoarse, low voice lifted slightly at the end, oddly reminding her of how he had deliberately whispered her name in her ear not long ago. Swallowing, she looked up at him and saw him leisurely putting on his pants. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and firm backside still not fully calm, he stood proudly, making his presence known.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing’s cheeks flushed even deeper. She felt her palms heating up again, suddenly withdrew her foot, and curled up into a ball, eager for him to hurry back.

Fan Yanxing ruffled her hair a couple of times before stepping out the door. He moved quickly, and the hot water was soon refilled. The events that followed were scenes Liang Qingqing preferred not to revisit in the near future.

It wasn’t until much later, once she had become accustomed to it, that she could calmly praise him for his skill in attending to her needs. Even something like bathing, which had been unfamiliar at first, became a routine, and she willingly accepted this…

As Fan Yanxing put it, a “little pleasure” between couples.

The night was thick with darkness, the aroma of wine lingered, and the breeze rustled the leaves with a faint whisper. Everything slowly fell into sleep.

For several days, the Liang family’s main hall was never empty. Everyone wanted to join in the excitement. Initially, Ma Xiuzhi warmly welcomed everyone with great enthusiasm, but as time went on, she found herself overwhelmed. The constant crowd left her unable to attend to other matters, and repeating the same things every day felt like a waste of time.

So, Ma Xiuzhi eventually pulled Liang Qingqing aside to hide, leaving Liang Xueyong to handle everyone alone. He was a man of few words, and sitting with him meant long stretches of silence. What’s the point of performing a one-man show at someone else’s home? Gradually, people began to see the futility of it.

The day before Liang Qingqing was due to report to the county, the entire family was on edge, but she herself seemed unusually calm, as if she was not the least bit nervous about the upcoming two-week training.

In reality, Liang Qingqing was feeling exceptionally anxious because the promise she had made to Fan Yanxing the previous night had to be fulfilled today.

“You need to pack several outfits to avoid running out of clean clothes.”

“And you should prepare some food. Last time, your aunt brought some cured meat, which can be cut into pieces and stir-fried with chili peppers. It’s delicious and will last longer if stored in a jar.”

Ma Xiuzhi and Wang Xiaomei were fervently discussing this, sitting in the courtyard and cooling off. Ma Xiuzhi was about to head to the kitchen to wash the cured meat.

Fan Yanxing discreetly gave Liang Qingqing a look, an unspoken urge. Liang Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat as she called out Ma Xiuzhi, “Mom!”

“What is it?” Ma Xiuzhi stopped and looked at Liang Qingqing with a puzzled expression.

Liang Qingqing cleared her throat, glanced around at everyone present, took a deep breath, walked over to Fan Yanxing’s side, pulled out a prepared script, closed her eyes, and resolutely said, “I have something to tell everyone. Fan Yanxing and I are in a relationship.”

The announcement was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that stirred everyone.

Aside from Liang Junqiang and Wang Xiaomei, who had already suspected the truth, the rest of the people stared in shock, standing up from their chairs and looking back and forth between the two in disbelief.

“What!”

“When did this happen? How come we didn’t know about it?”

Ma Xiuzhi’s vision darkened, and it took her a while to recover. Indeed, the previous speculations were not illusions, there was really something between the two of them and they were even in a relationship!

“Yesterday, Fan Yanxing confessed to me, and I agreed. I took this opportunity today to let everyone know,” Liang Qingqing said with a slight smile, her face calm as she recited the story they had agreed upon together.

At least it would reduce some of Ma Xiuzhi’s anger about being kept in the dark.

“Uncle and Aunt, my relationship with Qingqing is something I decided after careful consideration. I genuinely love her, not just with words but with a desire to spend my life with her.”

Fan Yanxing, who had already stood up, now looked at Liang Qingqing with deep affection, his eyes shining with unprecedented tenderness.

Liang Qingqing responded with just the right amount of shy smile, her heartbeat unconsciously quickening. She grasped the edge of her clothing, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She took a deep breath, unsure why her emotions were so strongly affected by Fan Yanxing’s sweet words.

Rarely, a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.

Before she could fully process her thoughts, Fan Yanxing continued, “I understand that I am just a young intellectual now, and my family is far away. There are many uncertainties, and you may not know much about my family situation. I can understand any concerns you might have, so I want to take this opportunity to clarify everything and express my determination to marry Qingqing.”

Fan Yanxing’s face was serious and sincere, his attitude humble. Liang Qingqing, standing beside him, could clearly sense his tension. It was at this moment that she realized he was far less confident than he appeared to be in daily life.

He was also worried that her parents might not approve and could object.

Moreover, on this first public declaration of their relationship, he aimed to resolve all issues at once, presenting his family and future plans openly, leaving nothing hidden, and indirectly alleviating the Liang family’s concerns.

Such honesty, combined with the daughter’s willingness, made it hard for any parents to firmly refuse.

Fan Yanxing was smart and sincere. No wonder such a person would rise to a high position in the future, achieving a brilliant career in various fields, something others could only dream of.

Hearing this, Liang Xueyong had not yet recovered from his shock. He looked at Fan Yanxing, then at Liang Qingqing, and finally cast his gaze at Ma Xiuzhi as if asking for help. His wife has always been the one who makes the decision in the family, and now with such a big thing, naturally she had to express her opinion.

In that moment, Ma Xiuzhi realized what was happening and muttered a silent curse of disappointment to herself. She took a deep breath and glared fiercely at her precious daughter for the first time. How could this girl go and get involved with someone without even discussing it with her first? Confirming the relationship without a word and this was driving her crazy!

Even though Fan Yanxing had a good attitude and was a liked younger person, the fact that he had quietly taken her daughter away was still unsettling. And as an outsider with an uncertain future, Ma Xiuzhi found it hard to show him any favor.

However, at the same time…

Ma Xiuzhi’s eyes darted as she looked at the tall and upright Fan Yanxing. She was curious about the family that raised such a courteous and capable young man, and what exactly his so-called determination entailed.

So, after a moment of silence, she cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips, trying to look more imposing as she said, “Well, go ahead then.”

This was giving him a chance.

Fan Yanxing subtly breathed a sigh of relief. “My family is relatively simple. My parents are alive, and I have an older sister who is three years older than me. We all get along quite well.”

“My father works in the Finance Bureau, my mother is with the Education Bureau, my sister is a surgeon at a military hospital, and my brother-in-law is a soldier. They have a pair of four-year-old twins. Other relatives are too numerous to list all at once, so you can get to know them gradually later.”

As his words came to an end, the courtyard fell into a stunned silence. Such a family was called “simple”? It was clearly anything but!

The whole family was in government positions, and they were from the capital city, Beijing. Ma Xiuzhi felt like she could hardly breathe.

Even Liang Qingqing, who had known about this for some time, couldn’t help but gasp. She knew that Fan Yanxing had not yet mentioned his specific positions, and she could imagine how shocked Ma Xiuzhi and others would be. After all, having lived carefully in a remote mountain village for most of her life, who would have imagined ever interacting with people who would make it into history and the newspapers?

“So why did you come here to be a young intellectual?” Ma Xiuzhi licked her dry lips, her face full of confusion.

Given Fan Yanxing’s family background, he could easily find a position in any department. Even if he had to go rural, he wouldn’t end up in such a poor mountain village without using his connections.

What Ma Xiuzhi could think of, others naturally thought of as well. Soon, all eyes were on Fan Yanxing. Had he lied about his family, or was there something else going on?

“Because I want to become an official in the future and make real achievements for the country and its people. Starting from the grassroots level will be more solid and reliable,” Fan Yanxing said honestly. His words were straightforward, and everyone fell silent, their minds racing with the details they had previously overlooked.

Indeed, everyone had witnessed the close relationship between Fan Yanxing and the village committee secretary. Even the leaders of the commune praised him highly. He had often been publicly commended during village meetings.

The village did not have electricity before. It was Fan Yanxing and the village committee secretary who worked tirelessly to get it implemented.

When cracks appeared in the reservoir dam, it was Fan Yanxing who took it seriously and contacted the relevant county departments to have it repaired.

……

In every small or large matter in the village, it seemed like his presence was always there.

“So after staying here for a while, I will return to Beijing.”

His goal had never been to stay in the countryside for long. He wanted to be in a more important position with real power to make a meaningful impact.

“Then what will we do with Qingqing when you return to Beijing?” Ma Xiuzhi snapped back to reality, immediately seizing on the most crucial and worrying point.

If Fan Yanxing went back to the city and left Qingqing alone in the village, only to see her occasionally, it would be like she was a widow!

Ma Xiuzhi absolutely did not want this to happen.

“At that time, Qingqing will come back with me to Beijing. I won’t let us be separated. This is something I can manage,” Fan Yanxing said with a raised voice, each word resonating with conviction. “Qingqing and I are mutually in love. I won’t let her suffer.”

“My plan is to date for a while, and once I have settled the housing situation, we will get married.”

Hearing this promise, Ma Xiuzhi breathed a sigh of relief, but her brows remained furrowed. She knew well that a man’s verbal promises were as good as blank paper, and often less valuable than a blank piece of paper.

Men who backtrack on their promises and disappoint their partners were common, and even someone like Fan Yanxing was no exception.

At this moment, Liang Qingqing walked over to her side, linked arms with her, covered her ears, and whispered softly, “Mom, when Fan Yanxing was pursuing me, he gave me all his possessions.”

Ma Xiuzhi’s eyes widened, and she quickly glanced at Liang Qingqing. Seeing her nod, she finally relaxed her tightly furrowed brows, but they soon creased again.

This girl really had no shame. Even though the money was given to her, she used it without hesitation, and still used it for the whole family, spending money as if it were flowing water, without any sense of thrift.

Not only was she not at all embarrassed, but she also acted quite justified about it.

Fan Yanxing was the same, he didn’t know how to control her and indulging her in extravagance.