0084: The Essence of Love

The dinner seating arrangement was interesting as well. Mrs. Li arranged it, with herself and Mr. Xu seated at the two broad ends of the rectangular table. Xu Lin, Chu Qingchan, and Ji Yun sat on one side; Su Qingwan and Chu Fengyi sat on the other. Xu Lin himself ended up between Chu Qingchan and Ji Yun.

At once, Xu Lin sensed that his mother must have had some thought behind it. Otherwise she would not have set it up this way; she would have simply let everyone sit wherever they pleased. Instead, she had arranged them with a subtle sense of guidance, which could only mean she had placed them according to the girls she was fond of.

But little did she know that her son intended to have them all.

However it was arranged, he was facing hell. Yet if he succeeded, it would be more than heaven.

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice it, or perhaps they did notice and simply said nothing. Su Qingwan certainly noticed nothing at all.

Eating his mother’s cooking, she wore a radiant smile and praised everything endlessly, her chopsticks scarcely pausing. It was obvious she was truly starving. Otherwise she would never have eaten so naturally at someone else’s table; most people, when dining with strangers, would restrain themselves and eat at least half as much, especially women.

But seeing Su Qingwan like that made his mother very happy. After all, it was gratifying to have someone enjoy her cooking. This girl was not pretentious, and her personality seemed good too.

Most important of all, she had a generous, fertile figure. If she were to have children, she would surely be able to deliver them naturally.

Leaving aside that Ji Yun had not yet fully matured, even Chu Qingchan—though she liked her very much—was too slim. She worried a little whether pregnancy would be hard on her. As for Chu Fengyi, she was completely ignored; she was still like a child, no matter how wealthy she might be.

At that moment Chu Fengyi lowered her head and suddenly felt that her earlier behavior had made the two elders a little displeased with her. But what could she do? In all these years she had never flattered anyone, much less acted coy or sweetly spoiled. She had no idea how to deal with a mother-in-law. Should she try to win her over with money?

But Xu Lin had such a fine character, so his parents surely could not be bad. Perhaps they would end up liking her even less. Could she really end up becoming the younger sister-in-law in the end?

Though that did not sound entirely bad. In many novels, the younger sister-in-law role had plenty of fighting power. No, no, she could not go down the route of a defeated dog.

Meanwhile Xu Lin chatted with Ji Yun about school matters, while Chu Qingchan listened quietly to their conversation. Suddenly she wondered whether Xu Lin might be better off with an ordinary girlfriend.

Not someone like them, with special identities and an age gap, but rather someone who could accompany him as he grew.

To love someone is not to possess them, but to choose to let them go and give them greater happiness.

Chu Qingchan thought of these words and gazed at Xu Lin’s profile, drifting slightly into a daze. But the next moment, a hand closed around her palm.

She immediately turned her head. Xu Lin was looking at her with such tenderness that, in that instant, the wavering in her heart became firm at once. She tightened her grip on his hand.

Yet where Chu Qingchan could not see, Xu Lin’s left hand had also joined with Ji Yun’s. Ji Yun was even more shy, keeping her head lowered as she ate her rice grain by grain.

For the first time, Xu Lin felt a pang of guilt. If he had not returned, perhaps they would each have had different lives.

Was it truly right of him to bind them so confidently to his side?

But in the next instant he shook that thought away, because across from him sat Chu Fengyi and Su Qingwan.

One of them carried memories from his past life; this was fate. His presence had allowed Su Qingwan to live, and had freed her from the suffering of marriage.

What he needed to do was not waste time wondering whether he was a scoundrel. He had to work, struggle, and become successful. Successful enough to give them happiness in life.

If he could not do that, then by what right did he deserve to have them? Xu Lin, you cannot stop now!

Yet just as he was thinking of these grand ambitions, his phone suddenly rang. He hurriedly released both hands and picked it up.

It was an unfamiliar number, and a landline at that. Thinking it was a sales call, he was about to hang up.

But after a moment’s thought, he answered anyway. It was a local number; what if it was a friend or classmate?

When he picked up, he heard a familiar voice on the other end, crying out in anguish, voice breaking with sobs.

“Xu Lin! My father had an accident and has been sent to the hospital. My mom was so frightened she fainted!”

“I called an ambulance, but I don’t know what to do now! Please... help me.”

“Stay calm. I’m coming right now!”

Xu Lin drew a deep breath and said only that one sentence. Then he stood up, grabbed the coat from the sofa, and headed out.

“Xu Lin, where are you going?”

Seeing the grave expression on his face, Mrs. Li immediately called after him.

“A classmate’s parents have both been sent to the hospital. I’m going to help.”

“A female classmate?”

“Yes.”

Chu Qingchan and the other girls nodded. Of course. He would help boys too, wouldn’t he?

“We should go as well. A girl whose parents have both been taken to the hospital must be feeling utterly desperate.”

“Isn’t it Bai Xiaoxiao?” Su Qingwan also wiped her mouth and stood up.

“Teacher, you know her?”

“Yes. I do know something about her family situation. I’ll drive you there.”

“Xu Lin, come here.” Mr. Xu called to him. Xu Lin was taken aback, then walked over.

Xu Guangfeng took out a bank card and pressed it into his hand. “If you can help, then help. We can talk about the rest later.”

“Dad, you’re a real man!” Xu Lin gave his father a thumbs-up.

You have to know, Old Xu was actually very tight-fisted—or rather, both of them were. If he bought a coat for three hundred yuan, he would be lectured for ages.

He himself was stingy when it came to good food. Back in middle school, when he went for breakfast with his father, he drank mutton soup while his father refused to have any. He bought a sesame flatbread and only added a single yuan’s worth of spicy strips.

“Wife, saving a life is greater than building seven levels of a pagoda. You won’t blame me for having a little private money, will you?”

“Of course not!”

Old Li glared at him, and Xu Lin merely smiled, then headed outside. Su Qingwan hurriedly followed.

“Shall we go too?” Chu Qingchan stood as well, preparing to follow. Even if she could not help much, she and her sister had money.

“You two rest first. If I really can’t manage, I’ll call you.”

“All right.” Hearing Xu Lin say that, Chu Qingchan nodded.

As Xu Lin and Su Qingwan went out, Li Yuan also glanced at her husband, as if asking what this private money was about.

“Not much. Just thirty thousand yuan. Is that a lot?”

“Thirty thousand and you call that not much? How did you save it?”

“Every month I told you my salary was six thousand, but it was actually seven. Overtime paid fifty yuan each time, and I saved this money for five years.”

“Five years should be more than this, shouldn’t it?”

“Last year I bought you a necklace, remember? I said it was a bonus from work, but actually I took it from this stash. This year I had planned to buy you a ring.”

“What would you buy a ring for? Such a waste.” Mrs. Li looked at her husband, but she was truly very happy inside.

“No. When I married you, I was poor. I said that once we had money, I would buy you rings, necklaces, and bracelets. There are still two things left, and I will fulfill it.”

Listening to her husband, Li Yuan immediately bit her lip. Remembering the hardships and sweetness of their youth together, she nearly burst into tears.

But feeling the gazes around her, she forced the tears back at once and walked slowly over to embrace her husband’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

Not far away, Chu Qingchan and Ji Yun were brought to tears, and even Chu Fengyi clenched her small fists.

These young people also came to understand a new truth about love. Love is not a brief blaze of passion, but long companionship. Quiet, ordinary days are the true body of love.