newbobooks Chapter 885 Still Can’t Accept
Chapter 885 Still Can’t Accept
The halo of the rabbit lamp spread out through the thin paper cover, casting a furry spot of light on the ground.
Deng Zhouyi walked on the left holding a lantern. Yu Qianqian's hand would occasionally touch his sleeve, and they would both move aside a little, then slowly move closer in the warm light of the swaying lantern.
The paths in the village were paved with bluestone slabs, and the dry grass growing out of the cracks rustled in the wind.
The red lanterns hung by the houses on both sides extend all the way, like stars strung across the entire street.
"Qianqian," Deng Zhouyi's voice softened by the wind, "Have you had a good chat with your uncle and aunt these past two days? What's their attitude? Are they still insisting on 'disagreeing'?"
Yu Qianqian's lost gaze fell on the lantern. The rabbit's ears swayed gently in the wind. She nodded gently, pursed her lips and said:
“My parents… still can’t accept it.
They always say, you are so outstanding, but I am just a small editor in an advertising company.
I squeeze into the subway from nine to five, and my manuscripts are always revised by the client..."
She paused, lowering her voice.
"They're afraid. They're afraid that your family will look down on me because I come from the countryside, and they're afraid that I'll be wronged in your family in the future."
"You and your uncle and aunt don't have to worry about this." Deng Zhouyi stopped and turned to face her.
The light from the rabbit lamp reflected in his eyes, which were less cold and hard than usual, and more honest and bitter.
"My mother is just a servant in the Teng family, and I am just a child who grew up in the Teng family.
I don't have any right to look down on anyone. If it weren't for Master Jing's righteousness and treating me as a brother, I wouldn't be as wealthy as I am now."
Yu Qianqian looked at Deng Zhouyi in surprise. She didn't know that behind Deng Zhouyi's coldness, there was a man with an unknown story.
"Mr. Jing... said that you have never seen your father since you were born. What's going on?" Her voice was very soft, with a hint of cautious curiosity.
Deng Zhouyi looked down at the flickering candlelight in the lantern. He was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke, as if telling someone else's story:
"My mother also grew up without a father. She opened a chicken hotpot restaurant with my grandmother and worked hard from dawn to dusk to make a living.
One time she went to a bar to deliver food and ran into a drunk man…” His Adam’s apple moved and he didn’t say anything more, but Yu Qianqian already understood.
"My grandmother was deeply hurt by my grandfather's betrayal and hates irresponsible men."
He continued, his voice trembling slightly, "When I found out my mom was pregnant before marriage, I was so angry that I scolded her every day.
Sometimes when I get angry, I even get violent. My mother couldn’t stand the cold stares and spitting, so she ran to the beach…”
He paused, looking up at the lights in the distance, “It was Jingye’s parents who passed by, rescued her, and brought her back to the Teng family to take care of her.
I was born in the Teng family. Jingye's mother treated me like her own son. My mother always said that this kindness could not be repaid in several lifetimes, and asked me to protect Jingye for the rest of my life.
He laughed at himself, and the light in his eyes dimmed: "So you see, I'm not some high and mighty person.
It's just a shiny shell, hiding a shameful past."
"Ayi!" Yu Qianqian suddenly took a step forward, put her arms around his waist, buried her face in his down jacket, and said in a muffled voice,
"Don't say that about yourself. Everyone can see how good you are. Jiang Li even called you 'cold-faced Zhuge Liang'.
You have made an indelible contribution to the development of Fengteng International Group. Your steady and methodical approach to management is entirely due to your abilities, and has nothing to do with anything else."
Deng Zhouyi was stunned for a moment, looked down at the hands around his waist, and suddenly laughed out loud.
The haze in his eyes had mostly dissipated. "'Cold-Faced Zhuge'? How come I didn't know I had such a nickname?"
"Are you playing dumb here?" a cold voice came from behind.
Teng Zijing had caught up with them at some point, without a lantern in his hand, and his figure flickered in the light of the lantern.
"Brother, it's not nice of you to eavesdrop on our conversation." Deng Zhouyi patted Yu Qianqian on the back, motioning her to let go, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
Teng Zijing didn't respond. His eyes fell on Yu Qianqian, and his tone returned to his usual sharp tone:
"It's getting late, we should go home. Have Qianqian pack her things tonight for the high-speed train at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Don't miss it."
Yu Qianqian looked up at Deng Zhouyi, a hint of hesitation flashed across her eyes, but was quickly replaced by certainty.
She nodded, and the rabbit lamp in her hand swayed gently in the wind. The warm light spread over the shadows of the three people, stretching very long on the bluestone slabs.
As the night deepened, the sounds of gongs and drums from the stage at the entrance of the village were still faintly echoing in the distance. Yu Qianqian, Deng Zhouyi and Teng Zijing had already returned to the Yu family courtyard.
The lights in the main room were emitting a warm yellow glow. Yu Qianqian bent down and put the folded clothes into the suitcase one by one. She paused as her fingertips brushed against the pink down jacket.
I picked up my phone and called my mother. My voice was a little hurried: "Mom, we are back home and ready to pack up and leave. We have booked high-speed rail tickets for tomorrow morning."
On the other end of the line, the noise of the stage poured through the receiver. Yu's mother's voice, accentuated by the gongs and drums, was particularly loud and full of surprise:
"What? You guys are leaving now? Fine, fine, we'll be right back!"
When Second Auntie heard this, she immediately came over and asked, "Sister-in-law, what's going on? It's so late, are they leaving?"
Yu's mother didn't explain much, but pulled her second aunt out of the crowd, her eyes anxiously searching for Yu's father and second uncle among the crowd.
Finally, she ran into the two people walking back at the village entrance. She hurried over, panting, and said, "Oh, I finally found you two!"
Seeing her panic, Father Yu frowned and said in a deep voice, "What happened? Why are you so flustered?"
"Qianqian and the others are back home. They said they're leaving soon and need high-speed rail tickets for tomorrow morning!"
Yu's father's face turned cold in an instant. He just said, "Let's go back and take a look," and then took the lead to walk towards home.
When the elders hurried back to the courtyard, the first thing they saw was a suitcase standing at the door of the main hall. The light blue suitcase was particularly eye-catching under the warm light.
Yu's mother quickly stepped forward, lifted the door curtain, and went into the house. She took her daughter's hand, her tone full of reluctance:
"Qianqian, why are you in such a hurry to leave? You've finally made it home, can't you stay a few more days before leaving?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Teng Zijing beside her suddenly answered the phone, and the aura around him instantly turned cold, completely different from the relaxed state he had when watching the lantern show just now.
He simply responded into the receiver: "Well, well done. Keep watching over there."
After hanging up the call, his phone rang again. He didn't say anything after picking it up, just listened quietly to the report on the other end of the phone. After a moment, he spoke calmly:
"I understand. I'll deal with it as soon as I get back tomorrow. Inform President Jiang that there's a dinner at Xingteng Restaurant tomorrow night. Give him an explanation and let him set the specific time."
After saying that, he hung up the phone conveniently, and his fingertips slid quickly across the phone screen, obviously dealing with work matters.
No one noticed that Second Aunt had pulled Deng Zhouyi around to the kitchen in the backyard at some point.
The kitchen is not big. There are some winter cabbages piled in the corner, and the stove is still stained with flour from making dumplings in the afternoon, making it look a bit messy.
Second Aunt had a warm smile on her face, took Deng Zhouyi's arm, and asked earnestly:
"Xiao Deng, Qianqian is the darling of our Yu family. She has never suffered any injustice since she was a child. Only those who have flesh on their bodies know the pain.
I'll be frank today. If Qianqian is really handed over to you in the future, after you two get married, do you plan to live with your parents, or live alone as a couple?
You have to know that the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is the most tiring. Living under the same roof for a long time, there are bound to be bumps.
You will be caught in the middle, with your mother on one side and your wife on the other. You must be able to reconcile them. If you can't handle it well, you will have an uneasy life."
Hearing this, Deng Zhouyi took out another red envelope from his suit pocket, put it into Second Aunt's hands with both hands, and then held her hands.
Her tone was sincere and firm: "Second Aunt, I'll have to ask you to intervene in the matter between Qianqian and me in the future.
I was raised by my mother alone, and there were no complicated relationships with elders in my family.
It’s not from an out-of-reach family, just a child from an ordinary family.
Don't worry, leave Qianqian to me. I will never let her suffer any injustice. Those mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts and the gap between their families that you worry about will not become problems between us."
Second Aunt held the red envelope in her hand, and after hearing these frank words, her smile grew even wider, and she nodded repeatedly:
"Good boy, as long as you are sincere and kind to Qianqian, Second Aunt will secure this plan for you. I promise to help you clear Qianqian's father's mind!"
When the two returned to the main hall, Deng Zhouyi walked straight to Yu's father and mother, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully and insistently:
"Uncle, Aunt, it's getting late, we should leave. Please consider the matter between me and Qianqian carefully.
When I'm not busy here for a while, I will definitely bring Qianqian back to visit you."
Father Yu, however, refused to give in. He said in a resolute tone, "Don't think about it. There's nothing to think about!"
Seeing this, Second Aunt immediately stepped forward to smooth things over: "Brother, don't say such harsh words!
Qianqian and Xiao Deng seem to be a perfect match. If you can't accept it right away, let's give the two children some time to get to know each other better.
If they can still get along like this after a while, we can slowly discuss the arrangements for the wedding. It won’t be too late.”
Teng Zijing, who had been silent the entire time, stood up and took over the conversation. His tone was calm but contained an undeniable sense of security:
"Second Aunt is right. We came here in a hurry and neglected the fact that the two young people still need a period of adjustment.
Just do as Second Aunt said, let them get to know each other for a while, and then we can handle other things slowly.
It's getting late, you should go to bed early! We'll take our leave now." After saying that, he gestured to Deng Zhouyi and Yu Qianqian to pack their things and leave.
When the group walked out of the village, the driver had already parked the car on the side of the road. The black car was emitting a calm light in the night.
Deng Zhouyi first helped Yu Qianqian get into the car, then turned around and helped Teng Zijing open the car door. After everyone was seated, the car started slowly.
Yu Qianqian leaned against the car window, her eyes already red and tears welling up in them. She waved her hands and shouted to the elders standing by the roadside:
"Mom, Dad, Uncle, Aunt, please go back quickly. It's too cold outside at this late hour!"
Yu's mother covered her mouth, her voice choked with sobs: "When you get to the city, remember to call me and let me know you're safe!"
"I know, Mom, let's go back!"
The car drove away gradually, and in the rearview mirror, the figures of the elders became smaller and smaller, finally shrinking into a few blurry points of light.
Yu's father stood at the front, his face, which had been cold and hard just now, was now filled with reluctance and worry that could not be hidden.
Although his brows were still furrowed, his eyes followed the direction of the car until he could no longer see it.