Chapter 497
Before Si Nian could even speak, she excitedly began to chatter.
It turned out that a couple of days ago, the Si family was preparing to introduce a blind date to Si's Father. Word was that she was a teacher, a highly sought-after profession.
Si's Father even took her to visit the family compound, and guess what happened?
They ran right into Liu Dongdong's mother.
At the time, Liu Dongdong's mother was outside saying she was looking for her daughter. The family compound wasn't a place just anyone could enter, so naturally, the guards wouldn't let her in when she approached.
Who would have thought that Liu Dongdong's mother would throw her weight around, claiming her daughter was a military officer's wife inside and threatening to report the guard if he didn't let her in.
Hearing this, the guard thought he had misremembered the residents and quickly asked for the name.
Liu Dongdong's mother gave the name Liu Chunni.
Upon hearing the name, the guard hurriedly checked the registry.
As a result, he didn't find any officer's wife by that name, but he did find an exact match for the registered name of the Si family's nanny.
He then asked Liu Dongdong's mother if she was mistaken—her daughter was indeed inside, but she was working as a nanny for someone's child.
As soon as Liu Dongdong's mother heard this, she became anxious.
Refusing to believe it, she started throwing a massive tantrum.
Right at that moment, Si's Father brought his blind date over for a tour.
They bumped into Liu Dongdong's mother. Somehow, Liu Dongdong's mother recognized him as Si Nian's adoptive father and asked for his help.
But as luck would have it, Si's Father had no idea she was Liu Dongdong's mother.
He thought she was someone from Si Nian's hometown.
Then the guard immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, Liu Chunni works at Deputy Battalion Commander Si's house. You should talk to him and see if there's a misunderstanding. Comrade Liu Chunni is just a nanny; I've never heard of her being married."
Now both of them were completely dumbfounded.
Liu Dongdong's mother quickly reacted. Assuming her daughter had given birth to Si's Father's child and that he was now out looking for other women, she furiously caused a huge scene.
She demanded that he give her daughter an explanation!
No one knew which child belonged to Si's Father, but with this uproar, he couldn't have washed himself clean even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
At this point, the blind date was also utterly bewildered.
Once she processed what was happening, the blind date ran off with a dark expression on her face.
Although Si's Father vehemently denied it, the incident still caused such a stir that everyone in the family compound knew about it.
The higher-ups even began to suspect that his initial adoption of the child was a cover-up for an illegitimate son.
Considering his ex-wife Zhang Cuimei and Lin Sisi had just gone to prison, and immediately after he brought back an illegitimate child, everyone found it terrifying when they thought deeply about it.
Si's Father had been suspended for investigation over the past two days.
After all, for a deputy battalion commander, having a chaotic personal life was a very serious matter.
Not to mention, it had caused such a massive scandal.
Now everyone was spreading rumors that the child was born to him and Liu Chunni.
They said he first brought his illegitimate child home, and then brought the child's mother over under the guise of being a nanny.
This way, after ten or twenty years when he retired, he could legitimately marry her.
But ironically, Si's Father was too ambitious for his own good and actually started going on blind dates with others.
Fu Qianqian poured herself another cup of tea, feeling her mouth go dry from all the talking.
As soon as she heard the news, she immediately came over to share it with Si Nian.
She was gloating uncontrollably in her heart.
She thought about how the Si family had been living perfectly well before, yet they insisted on driving Si Nian away—and not just driving her away, but doing it in such an extreme manner.
Well, look at them now. They got their karma.
She didn't feel sorry for them at all.
After all, things like infidelity and illegitimate children were inherently despicable.
As she spoke, she suddenly added mysteriously, "My brother is coming back today."
"I wonder how he'll feel when he finds out his former father-in-law's family has turned out like this."
Si Nian just gave a noncommittal "Mhm."
Although she had only been guessing before, it seemed her thoughts were pretty much spot on.
As for Fu Yang, if he hadn't been mentioned, she would have forgotten him completely.
When Fu Qianqian brought him up, Si Nian's expression didn't change much.
Seeing her calm demeanor, Fu Qianqian sighed again.
She felt bad for her brother.
But then again, he deserved it.
Thinking that Si Nian was about to graduate, Fu Qianqian wanted to recommend her to her own workplace.
She said that since Si Nian was beautiful and elegant, she would definitely be an even more popular host than herself.
Si Nian had no interest in being a host and shook her head.
Fu Qianqian had been looking forward to them working and getting off work together. Seeing her refuse, she grew anxious: "You're about to graduate, what do you plan to do?"
Si Nian replied, "I plan to invest."
"Invest?" Fu Qianqian didn't quite understand; she had never done it anyway.
Although she desired career success more than others, she had never thought about going into business herself; she only wanted to shine in her own industry.
Hearing Si Nian mention investing, she worried: "Isn't investing like doing business? It's very dangerous. I heard nine out of ten investments fail."
She wasn't clear on the details herself, but hadn't she at least seen others do it?
More and more people had been doing business in recent years because those who made money a few years ago were pulling others in to invest.
So many people chose to change careers, only to end up losing everything and going bankrupt.
Fu Qianqian felt that people who could get into college and secure a government job weren't necessarily cut out for business.
On the contrary, those who couldn't get into college and spent years hustling in society were often the successful ones.
Anyway, she would never do it.
Si Nian said, "I'm not the one running the business; I'm just investing. Investing has risks, but it depends on whether the other party is reliable. If they are reliable, you make money; if not, you lose. It mainly depends on them. Of course, you can't put all your focus on one person. Cast a wide net, and one is bound to hit."
Fu Qianqian half-understood, "In short, you just don't want to get a regular job, right?"
Si Nian said, "If I wanted a regular job, I wouldn't have sold my position to you."
What was the ultimate goal of working hard to make money? To be rich and slack off.
She already had the money to slack off, so why work so hard?
Was she that bored?
Life is meant to be enjoyed.
Of course, everyone's pursuits are different.
Si Nian wouldn't force her own views on others.
Anyway, she would avoid the daily grind of a regular job at all costs.
Besides investing in Sister Miao's clothing brand, she could use her investment returns to buy houses and land.
Although it didn't seem very useful now, once the real estate boom hit in the 90s, her returns would roll in.
Fu Qianqian understood and didn't ask further. Come to think of it, if someone had money, why would they go to work?
Speaking of which, she felt a bit melancholic. Although her career was on the rise and gave her a great sense of accomplishment, she had also lost a lot of joy.
For example, she couldn't eat or drink freely because she had to maintain her figure; she couldn't keep her hair too long because it made wearing wigs difficult.
And she had to wear mature makeup, and so on.
She sighed, "Anyway, I still envy you."
Back when they were still in the family compound, she envied Si Nian for being better, prettier, and more capable than her.
Later, when Si Nian was driven away, she thought Si Nian would have a miserable life.
She used to wake up laughing in the middle of the night.
But as it turned out, Si Nian was living even better.
It was truly frustrating.
Si Nian said, "You can live very well too. Don't restrict yourself too much."
Fu Qianqian said, "I always feel like my life is missing something."
Si Nian had a sudden thought, "Is it because you haven't dated anyone?"
Fu Qianqian's face flushed red: "Who, who hasn't dated? I've dated eight or ten guys by now, haha. My romantic history is way richer than yours."
Si Nian gave her a faint, knowing smile.
Knowing she couldn't hide it anymore, Fu Qianqian deflated. "Actually, my mom has been looking for matches for me too, but I just don't find any of them pleasing to the eye. No matter how I look at them, it's just uncomfortable, and I don't feel a thing. Aren't we all about free love nowadays?"
"With no feelings at all, I just feel like I can't get married like that."
Actually, in the past, she wouldn't have minded the lack of feelings. As long as they weren't too ugly, it was just about living life together anyway. That was how people from the older generation did it—no real feelings, and looks didn't matter much. Family background was king. Once married, feelings would naturally develop over time.
She used to think the same way.
But after seeing how happily Si Nian was living, she felt that she should at least find someone as handsome as her husband.
What would be the point of settling for someone both ugly and poor?
Hearing her out, Si Nian could only think that indeed, the onlookers see clearly while those involved are blind.
"Don't you have someone exactly like that right by your side?"
"Me? Where?"
"Yu Dong. He's good-looking, has a good family background, and a great personality."
Si Nian thought to herself that if she pointed it out like this and Fu Qianqian still didn't like him, then she wouldn't support Yu Dong continuing to pursue her either.
Some things just can't be forced.
Fu Qianqian's eyes widened. She wanted to retort, but the words died on her lips.
Now that she mentioned it, it seemed true. Yu Dong was a really nice guy, but she had never thought of him in that way.
Because he was friends with Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen, she had naturally just treated him as a friend.
When Yu Dong used to invite her out to eat and asked her to help him taste-test various dishes, she had felt really happy. Having all sorts of delicious food every day made everyone envy her.
But eventually, eating all that food made her gain weight.
That scared her. She started turning Yu Dong down and didn't dare to eat anymore. After that, she was even afraid to see him, terrified he would ask her to go eat again. She was someone with weak willpower to begin with.
So they hadn't seen each other in a long time. If Si Nian hadn't brought him up, she might have forgotten about him entirely.
With Si Nian saying this, she suddenly felt as if the empty spot in her heart had been found.
She had always thought that feeling of loss came from no longer being able to eat freely and enjoy delicious food like she used to.
But now she suddenly realized that she hadn't just lost the food.
She opened her mouth but couldn't speak for a long time.
She wanted to argue, but couldn't.
There really wasn't a single bad thing about Yu Dong.
But having known each other for so many years, why hadn't anything developed between them?
She thought for a moment and stammered out an excuse, "He... I remember he has a fiancée. How could I have designs on him?"
She remembered going over once and seeing a woman making a scene at the door.
She claimed to be Yu Dong's fiancée.
She had originally gone there to eat, but after that, she didn't really dare to go anymore.
After all, if he had a fiancée, she was afraid people would gossip if she kept running over there.
"Fiancée?" Si Nian seemed to recall Yu Dong mentioning this issue. "So, if he didn't have a fiancée, you would be interested?"
Fu Qianqian's face flushed red. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Si Nian tsked a few times.
People in this era were indeed mostly very shy about romance.
If Fu Qianqian were asked to take the initiative like she did, it would probably kill her.
True, they lived in different eras.
It was definitely different.
She remembered how her own initiative back then had completely captivated her older man, making him run home all day.
Si Nian looked proud, completely forgetting the time she was so scared by her older man that she ran back to her maiden home.
The situation with those two now was that neither dared to take the initiative, but they both had feelings for each other.
"Anyway, I'll just say this. Yu Dong isn't getting any younger. He did have a fiancée, but I don't think it worked out. If it was going to happen, they would have gotten married years ago."
Fu Qianqian's eyes flickered.
Si Nian said, "Over all these years, have you ever seen him be so enthusiastic toward anyone else? Spending all day researching so many foods, what do you think he was doing it for?"
Fu Qianqian replied, "Wasn't it for his family's restaurant?"
Si Nian scoffed, "Come on. He used to run around the breeding farms with Zhou Yueshen all day. When did he ever care about the restaurant's survival? Even if he inherited the family business, it's not up to the young master himself to come up with dishes. What are the hired chefs for? How many bosses have you seen personally cooking in the kitchen?"
Fu Qianqian's heart pounded wildly.
Hearing this, her state of mind instantly changed.
Thinking of Yu Dong's enthusiasm in the past, a sudden rush of heat rushed to her head.
Si Nian knew when to stop. "Anyway, he's persisted for so many years. To say he has no feelings would be a lie. But even the most passionate person will eventually give up if they see no hope as time passes. A one-sided effort with no response is exhausting. If you truly have no feelings for him, you don't need to hide from him. Just tell him directly. I believe he's not the type to pester you."
Upon hearing this, Fu Qianqian immediately panicked.
She returned home in a daze, her mind completely elsewhere.
She didn't even notice the man standing at the door.
"Fu Qianqian, are you blind? Are your eyes just for show?" Fu Yang scolded after she bumped into him.
Fu Qianqian jolted and snapped back to reality. Seeing who it was, she shouted loudly, "Brother! You're back!"
Fu Yang snorted coldly, his voice hard. "I've been standing here for ages, and you only just saw me?"
Fu Qianqian laughed awkwardly and looked Fu Yang up and down.
After not seeing him for a few years, Fu Yang had become much tougher. His skin was tanned, and his gaze was sharp. She was startled; sure enough, after spending a few years out in the world, his aura was completely different.
She chuckled, "Brother, you're finally back. Now Mom and Dad definitely won't rush me to find a partner."
Fu Yang: "..."
Watching him walk inside, Fu Qianqian dropped her smile, a faint sense of disappointment in her eyes.
Some things don't feel like anything until they are pointed out, and once they are, everything becomes a mess.
But she also knew that Si Nian was right.
She wasn't stupid. How could she not see how good Yu Dong had been to her?
Fu Yang's return this time wasn't just to visit his family; it was also to say goodbye.
He had previously planned to leave the city entirely and settle in the remote Northwest.
Of course, he would come back in the future, but his visits would become increasingly rare.
When Fu's parents heard this news, they both fell silent.
But in the end, they didn't say anything more.
Because their control and their planning of his life had ruined half of their son's life.
They shouldn't interfere with his future anymore.
Even if they couldn't bear to let him go.
___________________
When Yu Dong received Fu Qianqian's call, he was incredibly flattered.
Over the years, Fu Qianqian had gotten busier with work, and the time they spent seeing each other had grown less and less.
Sometimes he doubted whether his persistence was right or wrong. He thought about confessing his feelings but didn't dare, terrified that Fu Qianqian only saw him as a friend and that they wouldn't even be able to remain friends in the end.
So he had always carefully maintained the delicate relationship between the two of them.
Just when he was on the verge of giving up, feeling like he shouldn't keep acting this way, Fu Qianqian actually called to invite him to watch a movie.
Yu Dong was stunned.
At the entrance of a newly opened movie theater, it was said that this theater was opened by foreigners and the facilities were much better than those outside.
Si Nian was holding Little Four by the hand, and Little Four was clutching a cotton candy.
Her bag was being carried by Zhou Yueshen.
She watched as Fu Qianqian came over after buying popcorn, dark lines forming on her forehead.
"You two are on a date, so why did you invite us over?"
Fu Qianqian blushed. "Wh-what date? We just haven't hung out in a long time. Everyone was free, so I just asked you to come watch a movie with us."
Si Nian rolled her eyes so hard they almost got stuck in the back of her head.
Soon, Yu Dong rushed over, sweating profusely.
It was obvious he had dressed up for the occasion; he had even styled his hair.
Si Nian winced playfully at the cheesy display. She linked arms with the expressionless Zhou Yueshen and said, "Let's go in first."
Zhou Yueshen seemed to half-understand, probably figuring out what was going on, but he didn't say anything. He just gave a grunt of agreement. It had been a long time since he watched a movie with Si Nian, though he had come in such a hurry that he hadn't even changed his clothes.
The couple took the kids and went inside, instantly leaving only Fu Qianqian and Yu Dong behind.
The two of them awkwardly looked everywhere—up at the sky, down at the ground—anywhere but into each other's eyes.
Yu Dong was holding a bag behind his back. He probably realized that today was his last chance.
He nervously handed it to Fu Qianqian. "This... is for you."
Fu Qianqian's heart pounded wildly and her face flushed red. She initially wanted to refuse, but thinking of something, she reached out and took it, whispering, "Thank you."
Then, silence fell again.
"Come on, let's go inside. It's going to start soon."
Yu Dong was older and more mature, after all. Seeing her accept the gift, he somewhat understood what it meant and took the initiative to speak.
The two walked inside. By now, the movie had already started, and the theater was pitch black.
Fu Qianqian had dressed up specifically for today and was wearing high heels. She walked behind him somewhat uneasily, terrified of making a fool of herself.
Just as she was following him cautiously, the back of her hand suddenly felt warm. A large, warm hand had grabbed hers.
Like she had been electrocuted, Fu Qianqian's reflexes kicked in faster than her conscious mind. She lifted her foot and kicked.
Crash!
The lights came on.
Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen looked over at the same time.
Only to see one person standing frozen at the top of the stairs, and the other having rolled all the way to the bottom.
Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen: "..."
When Fu Qianqian realized what happened, she was completely stunned.
Naturally, this movie outing ended with Yu Dong fracturing his leg and being sent to the hospital.
No one got to watch the movie.
Waiting outside, Fu Qianqian's eyes grew red.
She felt she had gone too far. Even if he had grabbed her hand, there was no need for her to overreact like that.
Si Nian didn't know what to say; she wasn't good at comforting people.
She patted her on the shoulder. "Yu Dong won't blame you, but no matter what, you need to go apologize."
Inside the hospital room, Yu Dong lay there looking utterly dejected. His hair, previously held in place by hair gel, now hung messily over his forehead.
Zhou Yueshen stood silently by his side.
He didn't quite understand what had happened between the two, nor did he ask.
After a long while, Yu Dong finally let out a sigh. "Maybe we really just aren't right for each other."
Zhou Yueshen said, "If you have something to say, talk it out properly."
With that, he left.
Fu Qianqian came in.
Her eyes were red.
Yu Dong was just thinking about making things clear. If Fu Qianqian really didn't like him, then they should just drop it.
But seeing her eyes so red, his heart instantly softened.
"Why are you crying? I only fractured a bone, it's not like my leg was amputated."
He still had the mood to joke around.
But Fu Qianqian was in no mood for jokes. Thinking back on it, she wished she could give herself a hard slap across the face.
Hearing him say this now made her feel even worse.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it."
Yu Dong replied, "No, no, it's my fault. If I hadn't grabbed you, you wouldn't have gotten angry."
Fu Qianqian shook her head. "I wasn't angry. I wasn't mad at all, I was just..."
She had just been startled. She was already feeling nervous and flustered about the situation between them, and she hadn't expected Yu Dong to suddenly grab her hand.
Come to think of it, it wasn't like he hadn't held her hand before.
Why was she so easily triggered this time?
"You weren't angry?" Yu Dong's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at her. "Then... do you hate me?"
"Of course not!" Fu Qianqian quickly shook her head.
Yu Dong felt a wave of relief, but still asked in disappointment, "Then why? It can't be that you think my hands are dirty, right?"
Fu Qianqian shook her head like a rattle drum. "No, it's not that, it's not."
She couldn't quite explain the reason, so she could only keep repeating that it wasn't what he thought.
Seeing Yu Dong lower his head, his face full of defeat, she reached out and grabbed his hand to prove that she really wasn't disgusted by him.
"Look, I don't mind you at all."
Yu Dong let out a chuckle. He turned his hand over to clasp hers, his eyes gentle. "Silly girl."