Chapter 34
Lin Li was somewhat surprised to run into Cheng Xiang’s mother here, but out of courtesy, she stood up and gave a slight nod.
Mother Cheng walked over and stopped in front of her. She glanced briefly at Lin Li’s parents—who were seated nearby—before fixing her gaze back on Lin Li’s face. Without betraying much emotion, she asked, "So, you’re getting ready to leave Jiangcheng with your parents?"
Lin Li looked at her; having no desire to answer the question, she simply asked in a cold tone, "Is there something you need?"
In truth, Lin Li knew that Cheng Xiang’s mother had never liked her. It was only because Cheng Xiang had insisted on being with her that his parents had reluctantly agreed to the relationship.
Consequently, even though she and Cheng Xiang had been together for ten years, he rarely took her to his family home; he usually went back alone for the holidays. Although the Cheng family eventually stopped opposing the relationship, she had never truly won their approval.
It wasn't until she became pregnant that the topic of a wedding came up. She knew they only agreed to the marriage because of the child—a case of "rising in status through one's child." Upon learning she was pregnant, she had briefly hoped for a boy, knowing that only by bearing a son would the Cheng family truly accept her. Yet, no one could have foreseen how things would ultimately turn out.
Mother Cheng frowned, displeased with Lin Li’s attitude. Knitting her brows, she demanded, "Do you realize Cheng Xiang has been looking everywhere for you?"
Before Lin Li could speak, her mother stood up and confronted the older woman: "What does Cheng Xiang want with my daughter now? Hasn't he hurt her enough already?"
The memory of Lin Li lying in a hospital bed—her precious daughter, the one she and her husband cherished above all else—wounded so deeply by him, made it impossible for her to ever forgive Cheng Xiang.
Mother Cheng turned to look at Lin’s mother, frowning with a hint of disgust as she said, "Mrs. Lin, what kind of talk is that? What do you mean Cheng Xiang didn't ruin your daughter’s life enough? Nobody wanted that sort of thing to happen, you know! Do you have any idea how our Cheng Xiang tormented himself after that—looking like a total wreck? And who was it all for? It was for *her*, wasn't it?" As she spoke, she pointed a finger directly at Lin Li.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
"My manners? Hah." Mother Lin sneered. "So *you’re* the one with manners, right? You’re just a snob who looks down on others!"
"You..." Mother Cheng’s face flushed crimson. She glared at Mother Lin for a long moment before withdrawing her gaze with a huff. Turning her eyes toward Lin Li, she demanded, "Do you even realize that Cheng Xiang has been looking for you? What was the meaning of just walking out like that?"
Lin Li frowned and said coldly, "I don’t know what you’re trying to say. Whether Cheng Xiang looks for me is his business—it has nothing to do with me. Whether I leave Jiangcheng is my business—it has nothing to do with him."
"You’re torturing him!" Mother Cheng accused, pointing at Lin Li. "No one wanted what happened back then to occur. Do you think you were the only one who lost a child? That was a child of the Cheng family, too; we were heartbroken as well. But it’s already happened—no one can change it. What’s the point of clinging to the past? You were angry, sure—you refused to see Cheng Xiang or listen to his explanations at the hospital, leaving him to live in pain and self-reproach every day. That was enough—what more do you want?"
"You woman—" Mother Lin started to speak but was interrupted by Lin Li.
Lin Li held her mother back, shook her head, and said, "Mom, let me handle this."
Seeing Lin Li frown, Lin’s mother said nothing more, though she glared at Cheng Xiang’s mother with undisguised hostility.
Lin Li turned back to Mother Cheng and said, "I don’t want anything from you; I just want to live my own life. So please, don’t come bothering me."
"Bothering you? Heh." Cheng’s mother sneered disdainfully. "If it weren't for Cheng Xiang, I wouldn't even look at you—because you simply aren't good enough for him."
At these words, Lin Li clenched her hands tightly at her sides. It was truly laughable; she couldn't recall ever hearing a kind word from the woman.
Back when she was with Cheng Xiang, his family had vehemently opposed the relationship—his mother most of all. Although they stopped objecting after Cheng Xiang had a falling out with them, the coldness in her gaze whenever they met remained palpable.
Even after the child arrived and relations improved somewhat, any concern shown was frigid and devoid of warmth. Now that she and Cheng Xiang had split up, she hadn't expected to still be subjected to such cutting remarks; it seemed she had truly failed miserably at life.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
"Who does your precious Cheng Xiang think he is? Not good enough for him? Hmph, we don't want him anyway! You're the only one who treats her like a treasure!" Mother Lin spat out the words, then spat on the ground in disgust. "Pah! What a piece of work."
"Heh." Mother Cheng looked at them coldly and scoffed, "It just goes to show: if the upper beam isn't straight, the lower ones will be crooked too. The whole family is completely lacking in class."
The commotion drew the attention of passersby, causing travelers in the airport to stop and look over. Furious, Father Lin stepped forward, intent on driving Mother Cheng away. "Get out of here! Stop being such an eyesore."
"What? Are you trying to hit me?" Mother Cheng stammered as she backed away. Despite her bravado, she was actually somewhat frightened by Father Lin's aggressive demeanor. As she retreated, she lost her footing and stumbled; she staggered backward a few more steps before landing hard on the ground, letting out a shrill shriek: "Ah!"
Seeing this, Mother Lin laughed and pointed at her. "That’s karma for you—serves you right for having such a vicious tongue!"
Sitting on the ground and glaring fiercely at Lin Li and the others, Mother Cheng seethed with anger and resentment. She realized the fall had actually hurt quite a bit, and for a moment, she couldn't even manage to stand up.
Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from behind her, accompanied by a low, steady voice: "Are you alright? Let me help you up."
Mother Cheng didn't bother looking back; mortified by her disheveled state, she just wanted to get back on her feet quickly to avoid being laughed at. She reached out, grasped the person's hands, and used the support to pull herself up.
Once she was steady on her feet, she finally turned to thank the person behind her. "Thank you," she said.
The man shook his head with a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips and said, "No, I’m the one who should be thanking *you*."
"Thanking me?" Mother Cheng asked, looking at him in bewilderment. "What for?"
The man smiled—the expression becoming more pronounced—and said, "Thank you for your arrogance and your many grievances against Lin Li, and thank you to your son for his unfaithfulness—for abandoning Lin Li and walking out on the wedding day. Because of that, I got the bargain of a lifetime: a woman as wonderful as Lin Li for a wife."
Upon hearing this, Mother Cheng stared at him in disbelief, momentarily rendered speechless.
The person who had helped Mother Cheng up was none other than Zhou Han, who had just returned from the airport entrance after collecting the flight tickets from Special Assistant Xu.
Lin Li looked at him and murmured softly, "Zhou Han..."
Lin Li’s parents also looked at him; their expressions were no better than Mother Cheng’s—filled with shock and surprise. They were shocked that he knew everything about Lin Li’s past, and surprised that, despite knowing it all, he didn't mind in the slightest.
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
Zhou Han smiled, turned to stand beside Lin Li, and placed his arm around her shoulders. He then turned back to Mother Cheng and said, "Hello, I am Lin Li’s husband. Everything I just said was sincere—I really am very grateful to you."
"You!—" Mother Cheng was furious; the finger she was pointing at him began to tremble. She felt as though she had been lured into a trap. Zhou Han frowned and looked at her, saying, "Mrs. Cheng, that habit of pointing your finger at people is really bad. Don't you understand even the most basic respect? It’s a matter of character, you know."
"You—you—you!" Mrs. Cheng was furious; the anger seemed to overwhelm her, and she clutched her chest, gasping heavily for breath.
Zhou Han sneered and turned away from her. He kept his arm around Lin Li and turned to face her parents, who were still reeling from the shock. Glancing at his watch, he said, "Dad, Mom, I’ve got the tickets. It’s getting late and boarding time is almost here, so let’s head over now; the announcement should be coming any minute."
Lin Li’s father snapped out of his daze and nodded. "Right, right—let's go." He took Lin Li’s mother by the arm and started walking forward.
Zhou Han looked down at Lin Li; a faint smile played on his lips as he kept his arm firmly around her, showing no intention of letting go.
Just as Zhou Han had predicted, the announcement began playing right as they reached the boarding gate, calling passengers to board. Standing there and watching the line form, Lin Li’s father turned back to look at Zhou Han with a worried expression. "Zhou Han, you..." He hesitated, wanting to say something but unsure of how to phrase it.
Zhou Han smiled and said, "Dad, please, just say whatever is on your mind."
Lin Li’s father studied him for a long moment before finally speaking slowly: "Zhou Han... do you know everything about Lin Li's past?"
Zhou Han glanced at Lin Li and nodded. "Mm-hmm."
"You don't mind?"
It was Lin Li’s mother who asked this; they had always worried that Zhou Han would mind her past and had even considered trying to keep it a secret forever. Zhou Han smiled as he looked at Lin’s parents and said, "I’ve been married before and have a child, yet neither you nor Lin Li minded that—so what reason do I have to mind? The past doesn't matter; what matters is the present and the future. I believe Lin Li and I will have a wonderful life together, and that is enough."
----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/
TN: Swoon at Zhou Han's response 😍
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