Chapter 267: Just Because We Chatted This Long Doesn’t Mean I’ll Think That We’ve Become Closer
“I remember that back when you strongly disliked me, the worse you did was shoot me dirty looks. You may have said mean things to me, but they were things that you felt made sense at the time. No matter how much you disliked me, you have never done anything to hurt me behind my back. Your dislike of me was direct and unashamed, and you were never afraid to show it. However, this also meant that you’ve never thought about using any underhanded methods to come after me,” Lin Chu watched as Yan Zhiqing lowered her head. It was hard to see her expression, so Lin Chu did not touch her.
Lin Chu leaned comfortably against the pillow and lowered her body slightly. She was now semi-laying down on the bed. After all, it was tiring for her to consistently maintain a single posture.
She lifted her head and rested it on the pillow before continuing, “You used to have a good relationship with Lu Weining. One of the reasons for that was because you thought Lu Weining was a good person, am I right?”
Yan Zhiqing stiffened and lifted her head in embarrassment. Lu Weining was a black mark in her life.
She nodded in embarrassment, signifying her admittance.
Lin Chu said, “At least now you know that she is not a very nice person. She is selfish and is constantly scheming against others. Lu Weining is very good at hiding her true nature. She knows what you want to hear, so when she spends time with you, she constantly acts gentle and kind, as if she is big-hearted. No matter how stubbornly you behaved, she would always eventually give in to you.”
Yan Zhiqing replied exasperatedly, “That’s true. I used to think that she was a good person, which made me blind to so many of her faults. Now that I think back about it, it’s not like it was difficult for her to open her mouth to say nice things to me. My mum gave her everything, even the things that was supposed to be mine. She might have looked at me and just felt sorry for me, so after she took what was rightfully mine, she tried to make it up to me a little by complimenting me. And I lapped it all up, even going so far as to try to match her up with my brother.”
Yan Zhiqing stiffened slightly when she mentioned Lu Weining and Yan Beicheng. “I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bring this up. I’m so embarrassed to talk about it too since it was such a stupid thing to do.”
Lin Chu did not mind at all. Lu Weining was no longer in B City, so she felt pretty good about the whole thing. Thus, it did not matter if Yan Zhiqing brought the matter up. Besides, Yan Beicheng had never wanted anything to do with Lu Weining, meaning there was nothing between them to even talk about in the first place.
Lin Chu brushed it off. “It’s okay. I know what you mean. What I wanted to say was: Lu Weining has many friends. There are many people who liked to be friendly with her, but does that mean she is a good person? Is she worth keeping as a friend? To be brutally honest, one might initially be taken by her and assume that she is a nice person. However, time will reveal everything. She can’t keep up the act her whole life. Similarly, once someone spends time with you, they will get to know your good side. Those with no patience will only judge you based on what you show on the surface – those are friends not worth keeping.”
Yan Zhiqing felt much better after listening to Lin Chu, but there were still some things that she could not let go of.
She bit her lips and finally looked up at Lin Chu, her eyes still red.
“First impressions are still important, aren’t they? Was Wei Wucai right? I’m really not a very popular person. You are my family, so you won’t really mind me, but from an outsider’s point of view, I’m quite a detestable person. Not to mention, the one I like won’t return my feelings; Wei Zilin didn’t so much as look at today. I know he doesn’t like me, I can tell. Wei Wucai said that men don’t like my kind of personality, and I might have retorted him then, but he is still a man sharing his opinion, so he knows how men view women. I don’t… I don’t want the person I like to hate me. I’m a good person, I really am. I’m not bad-hearted, as I’ve never harbored ill intentions toward anyone. I’m not smart, and even though I’m annoying I don’t hurt anybody! I know how Wei Zilin feels about me. He’s polite to me because of all of you, but the moment I try to take things a step further, he will put a stop to it,” Yan Zhiqing could not stop herself from holding back her tears.
Lin Chu gently placed her palms on her back to comfort her. “People like Wei Zilin and your brother have really sharp eyes. They can immediately tell if a person has good or bad intentions. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since outstanding men who are worth your love would not get deceived so easily, anyway. Besides, neither of them are the type to judge others based on what they show on the surface. Wei Zilin doesn’t like you because he has no feelings for you, but he doesn’t hate you.”
“He may treat you like a younger sister, but he can’t view you like a lover. Even so, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t think that you’re a good person. It’s sort of like if a really nice guy liked you, but you had no feelings toward him. It doesn’t mean that he is a good person, it’s just that you don’t feel a connection with him.”
“Then why would he say those things to me?” Yan Zhiqing said dejectedly. She had been thinking about Wei Wucai’s words the whole car ride home.
She did not want to keep thinking about them and tried her best not to be influenced by his biting remarks, but it was not that easy. Wu Wucai’s voice, tone, and every single one of his words continued ringing in her ears.
“He said that of me in front of everybody. He doesn’t even know me! We’ve only met twice. Why would he say such bad things about me? The way he talked about me was almost prophetic – as if I don’t change my personality, I can wait my whole life, only to be met with unreciprocated love. But this is who I am. If I changed my temperament and suppress it, will it really still be me? Even if I did change, I know I can’t completely change who I am; It’s impossible for me to suddenly turn into another person. He doesn’t really know me at all, so what right does he have to say those things about me?!”
Yan Zhiqing was initially unhappy that Wei Wucai had humiliated her in the hotel. She had felt hurt because he had said those things in front of everybody, especially in front of Wei Zilin. This had spat on her dignity as a lady and as a person.
She felt like Wei Wucai had torn her apart after he said those things about her. How would Wei Zilin view her now?
It took quite a while for Wei Zilin to finally treat her nicely, but almost immediately after, her image had been completely ruined by Wei Wucai.
Some time had already passed by the time they got into the car, so she had actually forgotten about Wei Zilin’s reaction to Wei Wucai’s remarks. Even his face had started to fade from her memory, even though she had been constantly paying attention to Wei Zilin while they were having lunch.
However, every time she thought of Wei Wucai’s words, Yan Zhiqing felt upset, as if she had been terribly misunderstood. She seemed to care more about what Wei Wucai said about her than Wei Zilin’s reaction.
“The way he had put it was as if I was totally useless. Am I that bad a person? Am I really so terrible?” Yan Zhiqing lifted her head. Her hands trembled slightly before grabbing Lin Chu by her wrists.
It was a strange feeling. She had never been close to Lin Chu, so this sudden physical contact made Yan Zhiqing feel a bit weird.
However, Lin Chu was calm as she held on to her hand. “You’re not a terrible person, definitely not the way he had put it. You’re right, that was wrong of Wei Wucai. He doesn’t really know you and has only met you twice, so how could he have his mind up about you so quickly? What right does he have to judge you?”
Lin Chu got a little angry talking about this.
“You’re a good person, a really good person, and there’s nothing rotten about your personality. Those who think that you’re a bad person are not worth befriending at all. I think you’re absolutely adorable. In fact, you’ve already changed. You’re different than before. I know you’ve been trying your best to change for the better and I, for one, have noticed the change. You used to be blunt about everything you didn’t agree with and where unconcerned about the situation or the other party’s dignity when you did this. You’ve always voiced out what you thought was right, although there were some instances when what you thought was right differed greatly from your elders’ opinions.”
“Nevertheless, you’ve actually learned to keep yourself in check now, and are much more careful before you voice out,” said Lin Chu.
Yan Zhiqing looked at her in surprise. “You noticed? You’ve actually noticed it?”
Lin Chu nodded. “Yes, I did. Take today for example. I can tell that you didn’t like Liang Wenyin and weren’t really keen that Liang Wenyin was walking with us during the exhibition. In the past, you probably wouldn’t have cared about us and would have disregarded Liang Wenyin’s relationship with Beicheng by insulting her, possibly even chasing her off. If it was the old you, you’d immediately tell her that she was shameless to her face.”
Yan Zhiqing’s mouth opened, but she did not retort. The old her might really have done that.
“However, you held your tongue during the exhibition because you didn’t want to put us in an awkward position and make the situation worse than it already was, right?” Lin Chu looked at her encouragingly.
Yan Zhiqing felt embarrassed as she noticed Lin Chu looking at her brightly. Then, she blushed as she nodded.
“Also, when we invited Liang Wenyin to lunch out of politeness, you weren’t happy about it at all, but still, you said nothing. When Liang Wenyin was obviously trying to get closer with Wei Zilin during lunch…”
Before Lin Chu could finish, Yan Zhiqing immediately asked, “You noticed it too?”
Yan Zhiqing’s eyes brightened when she looked at her, as if she found herself a confidant in Lin Chu. Lin Chu could not help laughing. “All of us could tell as she was very forward about it – even Wei Zilin might have an idea about it. That was why he maintained some sort of distance with Liang Wenyin and tried not to over familiarize himself with her during their conversation. Even though Liang Wenyin did not drive there, when it was time to leave, Wei Zilin didn’t even offer to give her a lift. This was an ungentlemanly thing to do, but since Wei Zilin was undoubtedly aware of this, it meant that he was unwilling to give Liang Wenyin any false hope.”
Yan Zhiqing finally felt a little better about today. “I knew it! Everyone who was present noticed it too; We could all tell because she was so obvious about it. It wasn’t not my imagination after all.”
“That’s right, but even then, you didn’t insult her, did you? You disliked her character and her behavior, but you didn’t do anything to embarrass her or make her lose face. Even though she had attempted to put you in an awkward position a few times by saying some embarrassing things about you, you didn’t argue with her. Instead, you held back. In the middle of it, you wanted to go to the washroom because you couldn’t take it anymore needed to vent your anger, right?” Lin Chu blinked a few times at Yan Zhiqing.
“Oh, you’ve even noticed that as well,” Yan Zhiqing mumbled in embarrassment.
Lin Chu continued, “I’ve already told you. It’s not hard to see through you, which makes you quite fun to tease. It’s not just me, all of us can tell that you’ve changed for the better. You’ve learned to apologize when you realize you’ve done something wrong; You hold yourself back when you have a problem spending time with another person; You’ll only lash out if the other party crosses the line. These are all improvements. You don’t need to hold back on every little thing. If you’re polite to others but they do not return in kind, then there’s no need to continue being courteous to them. You’ve been brought up in a pampered environment that has probably spoiled you to some degree, so it is really admirable of you to be able to make a change for the better in such a short time. I truly admire you for this.”
“You know when you’re at fault and make the effort to better yourself. That’s already an achievement in and of itself, so who would continue to blame or judge you?” Lin Chu looked at Yan Zhiqing like she was a little girl.
Lin Chu could not help it as she reached out to lightly stroke her hair.
Yan Zhiqing had never been treated this way before. Lin Chu was guiding her like an older sister, going so far as to even praise her. She felt that Lin Chu’s hand was especially soft and gentle as it stroked her hair, the light caresses greatly comforting her.
Jiang Changdai had never treated her this way and would never have noticed when she was sad, nor even attempt to console her. If put in a similar situation, Jiang Changdai would instead launch into a tirade about how difficult it was to be a mother. All this while, Yan Zhiqing was the one who had always been consoling Jiang Changdai, as if the two had swapped familial roles. Thus, all Yan Zhiqing could do was bury her emotions.
Jiang Changdai was already quite fragile, so who would take care of Yan Zhiqing when she felt sad? Both of them might just end up hugging each other and crying profusely. At the end of the day, one of them needed to be the strong one.
After a while, Yan Zhiqing got used to hiding the sadness inside her. Her coping mechanism was that she would just hold it in and cry quietly when she was alone.
Even now, no one knew when she was feeling down.
This was why Yan Zhiqing had not expected Lin Chu to take notice. Even more surprising was that Lin Chu had even noticed her efforts in trying to change.
Yan Zhiqing could no longer help it and let out a loud sob. Lin Chu was stunned by Yan Zhiqing’s sudden reaction as Yan Zhiqing immediately tried to fling herself into Lin Chu’s arms, only to get blocked by her big belly. It was an awkward hug, so instead, Yan Zhiqing nuzzled up against Lin Chu until her face was resting on Lin Chu’s belly.
Lin Chu did not know how to react to this child-like behavior.
“I feel really terrible. I tried my best to change, but when I heard him say these things, it was like no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you. Thank you for noticing that I was trying my best. I never would’ve thought that you would take notice. Sob sob sob sob! I thought I hadn’t made any progress at all, so thank you for noticing. I never thought that someone would already see the changes. I.. I will try my best to continue getting better. I really will,” Yan Zhiqinng burped as she finished her speech.
Lin Chu patted her gently on the back. “I believe you. And trust me, I’m not saying all this to console you. You’ve really done well, and you’ll only become better.
“Wei Wucai was wrong about one thing. I like your personality now, and so does Yu Zi. In fact, your brother likes it too. It’s just that he’s keeping quiet about it. We never liked the old you, but you’ve made a change, and it’s a good change. You’re adorable, and all of sincerely like the new you. Why wouldn’t we? Don’t worry, you’ll eventually find yourself a good person who will love you and appreciate your personality, as well as is able to see the adorable side of you. As the saying goes, you’re not cash, so not everyone will like you. Never expect everyone to like you, and it’ll work wonders to simply ignore those who don’t like us. Strong girls couldn’t care less for them. It might be due to us not being able to connect, or it could be because those people have lousy taste in girls,” Lin Chu said light-heartedly. This remark made Yan Zhiqing stop sobbing to began laughing instead.
Lin Chu felt her tummy vibrating from her laughter. It felt ticklish, but it was not the appropriate moment to push Yan Zhiqing away since she was at her most fragile right now.
It seemed like the little guy in her belly could not stand the pressure from Yan Zhiqing as he felt her laughter vibrating from outside to where he was. After a while, he got annoyed and kicked Lin Chu’s belly.
Yan Zhiqing’s face was sticking to Lin Chu’s belly at that moment, so she could feel the obvious kick from the baby.
It was quite a coincidence that he had kicked Yan Zhiqing right on the side of her face. Yan Zhiqing felt the kick on her cheek and called out in surprise as her face finally left Lin Chu’s belly. Then, she stared at Lin Chu’s huge belly while still in tears.
Lin Chu’s lips twitched. She had no idea what to say at that moment.
If it was summer and her clothes were made of a thinner material, then she might have even been able to see the child’s little hands and legs moving about through her clothes. However, it was winter right now and she was wearing thick clothes, so it was impossible to discern any form underneath.
This was the first time Yan Zhiqing had experienced a baby’s movement inside the womb. When Lin Chu had visited the old mansion with Yan Beicheng, Old Lady Yan had placed her hands on Lin Chu’s belly when the baby moved. On the other hand, Old Master Yan may have been a senior, but it was still inappropriate to place his hands on his granddaughter-in-law’s belly. Thus, all he could do was watch Old Lady Yan enviously.
Yan Zhiqing had wanted so much to touch her belly as well but was too embarrassed to ask. In the end, all she could do was console herself that it was just a small movement from the baby that they were getting excited about, so it would be pointless to get worked up over it.
For some reason, she felt that the baby was protesting something now that she had been kicked by the boy. He must have been annoyed at her for crushing him, but regardless, Yan Zhiqing did not feel angry about it.
As tears continued to stream down her face, she looked at Lin Chu’s belly in a daze with her bright, red nose. “Moved… He moved…”
“That’s right. The baby’s getting active,” Lin Chu smiled but decided not to mention that he might have been annoyed at her for crushing him inside.
However, Yan Zhiqing was quite aware of what she did and pointed at Lin Chu’s belly. “Is he trying to protest against me lying on top of him?”
Lin Chu tried her best not to laugh. “It could be possible. This little guy has been creating a lot of trouble lately. Your brother is always placing his hand on my belly whenever he can. He does it while we’re watching television, and even while he is working on his laptop. As long as his hands are free, they will invariably move toward my belly. However, his palms are always so hot, so it doesn’t take long for my belly to start to sweat because of his hands. Every time that happens, the baby will let out a kick from my belly. I’m guessing it’s because it is getting too hot for him inside. Nevertheless, Beicheng does this all the time and even seems to enjoy doing it.”
Yan Zhiqing’s mouth twitched. “Does my dear brother do this on purpose because he knows it will make the little guy kick?”
Lin Chu smiled as she nodded. Yan Zhiqing was speechless. Then, she pondered it and said, “It does sound like something he would do.”
“You’ve laid on him for quite a while now, and it’s actually surprising that he would let you do it for this long. Looks like your little nephew likes you too,” Lin Chu pointed at her belly.
Yan Zhiqing blushed as she rolled her eyes. “Who… Who are you trying kid here?! He’s a little thing that hasn’t even been born yet, what does he know?!”
Lin Chu felt another kick in her belly the moment Yan Zhiqing finished saying this.
Lin Chu jumped in surprise and said to Yan Zhiqing, “Who says he doesn’t know anything? Take a look, he perfectly understood what you were saying.”
“That’s pretty awesome!” Yan Zhiqing shouted out as her eyes locked onto Lin Chu’s belly, as if her stares would somehow accelerate the baby’s development.
After a while, she lifted her head as the room became too quiet and she locked eyes with Lin Chu, who was smiling gently.
Yan Zhiqing choked a little and was about to say something. However, Lin Chu knew what she was trying to say and simply waved her hand as she replied in advance to what Yan Zhiqing was about to say, “I know. Just because we chatted for this long doesn’t mean that I’ll assume that we’ve become closer.”
Nevertheless, how could they not have gotten closer?
Lin Chu felt that they’ve built a good relationship with each other, even though Yan Zhiqing did not want to admit it. Either way, she let her be.
Yan Zhiqing swallowed her words after Lin Chu said this. After all, Lin Chu had said what she had wanted to, which made the moment all the more unsatisfying for Yan Zhiqing. She really wanted to have been the one to say those words. Only then would she have felt contented.
In reality, Yan Zhiqing was really just making things harder for herself by being so stubborn about needing to be the one to say those words.
Even though there were still tear streaks on her face, she no longer wanted to continue crying. It looked like Yan Zhiqing was now in a much better mood.
Lin Chu patted her shoulder. “Stop overthinking things. You’re a good person, be confident about that. You mentioned that you were tired, so, take a rest now. You don’t need to go out immediately. You can wait until you feel better before you join us outside. That way, the two elders won’t worry so much about you.”
Yan Zhiqing pouted. “I know.”
Lin Chu smiled and placed her hand against her lower back to support herself while getting up. Then, she opened the door and left the room.
Yan Zhiqing was left sitting on her bed alone. She smiled slowly as she thought about something. After this, she let herself fall onto the bed and gave her pillow a few pats before shutting her eyes and going to sleep.
When Lin Chu came out from the room, Yan Huaian and Yu Zi had just arrived with Yan Ningbai.
They had given Mo Jinxi a lift back to the Mo family before coming over, which was why they were late.
Old Lady Yan asked them about how Yan Zhiqing’s outing that morning went, and Lin Chu told her that it went well.
Even if Wei Wucai had caused some sparks to fly between himself and Yan Zhiqing, it was not the right time to tell Old Lady Yan about this.
When it came to matters surrounding the juniors’ marriages, Old Lady Yan was definitely the decision-maker.
Yan Huaian was six years older than Yan Beicheng, and when he reached a marriageable age, Yan Beicheng was still young and had only just graduated from university. Back then, Yan Beicheng was just a boy in Old Lady Yan’s eyes. Thus, since Yan Beicheng had yet to grow up, Yan Huaian’s marriage was Old Lady Yan’s only concern.
However, once Yan Huaian finally found himself a wife, she started to worry about Yan Beicheng’s marital status.
Now that Yan Beicheng was married and was about to become a father, there was nothing much for Old Lady Yan to focus on when it came to him. As a result, her attention was completely focused on Yan Zhiqing.
Even though Yan Zhiqing was still young, Old Lady Yan had always thought that girls were different from boys. Once a woman was past thirty but was still single, she would have tasted freedom and would not bother herself with thoughts of marriage, thus developing an open attitude toward relationships. She would get married if she met the right person, but if she did not meet anyone, then she would be equally content staying single.
Even so, most girls would still fantasize about starting a beautiful family before they turned thirty. They would dream about landing themselves an outstanding husband, just like in the fairy tales.
However, a woman’s youth was only maintained for a few good years whilst a man could still wrap his arms around a young woman until the ripe old age of forty or fifty. He did not need to worry too much about whether that person wanted him or his money, or if she was sincere toward him. At the very least, a man would not need to worry about living a life in solitude.
For women, they were only popular for that brief window, and needed to land themselves a husband in that short amount of time. Yan Zhiqing was still young and did not have much experience in life, which was why all Old Lady Yan wanted to do was to keep her locked up at home, for fear that she would get cheated by some heartless bastard.
Nevertheless, the moment Yan Zhiqing moved back to the old mansion, Old Lady Yan had been out searching for someone suitable for Yan Zhiqing.
Everyone knew that Yan Zhiqing liked Wei Zilin, but they were also aware that Yan Zhiqing would not be too devastated even if she could not get him. It was unlike Yan Huaian and Yu Zi, or Yan Beicheng and Lin Chu, as these two couples were essentially soulmates and would not be able to live without the other.
In private, Old Lady Yan shared the same opinion as Yan Beicheng and the others. Wei Zilin did not like someone with a personality like Yan Zhiqing’s. It had nothing to do with whether or not Yan Zhiqing was a good person, it was more to do with the fact that their personalities were incompatible.
Yan Zhiqing considered it love at first site when she first met Wei Zilin as she fell for him since the moment she laid eyes on him. This affection was not based on any kind of connection between the two, but was more of a physical attraction.
Old Lady Yan knew both of them well and was aware that this would have never worked out. She could never see Yan Zhiqing and Wei Zilin getting together.
If Old Lady Yan found out that there was another young man out there who might develop into a future partner for Yan Zhiqing, then she would have most definitely caused a scene.
This is especially so since Old Lady Yan had met Wei Wucai before. The Lanshan Institution had given them quite a lot of help in the past, and even though Yan Beicheng did pay them for it, to be honest, money was not something that the Lanshan Institution was lacking.
There were many who approached the Lanshan Institution with an abundance of wealth, but if the Lanshan Institution insisted they did not have the time, then there was nothing anyone could do to change their mind. The Lanshan Institution had helped them mainly because of their friendship, with the money only being for show.
When Old Lady Yan dragged Old Master Yan to have a meal with the juniors, she had taken the opportunity to get to know Wei Wucai and the others, who had come over with Wen Ren. She had asked them individually about their family and their jobs, even taking the opportunity to find out if any of them were single or widowed.
Wei Wucai had made quite an impression on Old Lady Yan because he was very good looking. Naturally, no matter how old a woman was, she would still appreciate a handsome man.
Wei Wucai had also bit his venomous tongue whilst in front of the elders. Coupled with his pretty face, he had given off the impression of being a nice boy.
If Old Lady Yan got even a whiff of what had transpired between him and Yan Zhiqing, then she would have dragged Yan Zhiqing all the way to T City for a matchmaking session in the name of taking a vacation.
This was why Lin Chu and Yu Zi knew not to say a word.
However, Lin Chu did not forget the matter so easily. When she was lying down in her bed at home, Yan Beicheng was helping her apply some lotion to prevent stretch marks when her eyes narrowed as she said, “I think there’s something going on between Wei Wucai and Zhiqing.”
“What could be going on between them when they’re so busy arguing?” Yan Beicheng glanced at her and laughed lightly. His hands were preoccupied massaging her body.
“You’re pretty slow when it comes to matters like this. You better believe me when I tell you that there is really something going on between them. It’s just that the two of them haven’t realized it. When we visited the Lanshan Institution, Yuan Jiangyi had told us a lot about Wei Wucai. According to Yuan Jiangyi, he’s not much of a busybody, and rarely speaks more than two sentences to women except when he is on the job.”
This jolted Yan Beicheng’s memories. He had known Wei Wucai for much longer, so he nodded at his wife. “Yuan Jiangyi wasn’t exaggerating. He really is this way.”
Lin Chu was delighted with her own analysis. “I’m right, aren’t I? Zhiqing hasn’t noticed it yet, but she had a lot to say to Wei Wucai. No matter how mean Wei Wucai is to her, Zhiqing always had something to say back to him. Wei Wucai may have a sharp tongue, but he was still willing to talk to Zhiqing. They never stopped bickering all the way through lunch, but neither of them were aware of what was happening. You know how Zhiqing is: she would have ignored him a long time ago if she didn’t like him and might have even said something really mean to him. Yet when speaking to Wei Wucai, she did not say anything that crossed the line even when he made her angry.”
“She was actually crying in the room when she returned to the old mansion because of what Wei Wucai had said about her during lunch. I really thought that Wei Wucai was being too much. He can’t just pass judgment on her that way when he’s only met Zhiqing twice. I initially had a really good impression of him,” Lin Chu frowned and said unhappily.
“Well, you can’t really say that he doesn’t know her. On the surface, he might have only met her twice, but the Lanshan Institution is fully capable of finding out anything about any prestigious family, unless it was especially kept under wraps such that it would take a lot of effort to unearth. In that situation, it’s not because they aren’t able to find out anything, but because they are too lazy to make the effort. However, when it comes to general information on these families, they have quite a good grasp of each and every one of them. If any of these families cross them, they would make the effort to conduct a deep investigation on them. When I got Wen Ren’s help to investigate the Lu family and Jiang Changdai, they would have also investigated Zhiqing thoroughly because she had grown up with Jiang Changdai. Thus, Wei Wucai would already have gained a deep understanding of Zhiqing.”
Lin Chu did not like what she heard. She moved her belly away and slapped off his palms away to stop Yan Beicheng from massaging her. “That was before. Does he know the new and improved Zhiqing? I don’t think the Wen family would have had that much time to continue spying on her.”
Yan Beicheng quickly pulled Lin Chu back into his arms and adjusted her belly into the correct position. “That’s true. They didn’t continue with the investigation, so Wei Wucai’s understanding of Zhiqing is limited to what he had learned in the past. Since then, Zhiqing has grown to be more mature after going through such an ordeal. She is much more grown-up now and has changed quite a lot. He wouldn’t have known very much about that.”
Lin Chu was finally satisfied as her expression relaxed. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
The pride on her face made her look like a little girl who had just been praised. She was absolutely delighted.
Yan Beicheng’s eyes narrowed as he smiled whilst looking at Lin Chu. He loved pampering her in this way and telling her that she was right. This was especially so since she looked so cute when she was pleased with herself and felt proud. Whenever he saw her act like this, he knew that he would give anything to pamper her this way.
“You don’t need to worry about Zhiqing harassing Wei Zilin. Do you know why Zhiqing was hiding in her room and crying?” Lin Chu saw that her belly had absorbed the lotion and immediately grabbed Yan Beicheng’s hand to stop him from continuing to massage her.
“Why?” Yan Beicheng covered up her belly as he was worried that she would catch a cold from the exposed skin. Then, he reached out to massage her calves and feet.
“Stop with the massaging and come over to chat with me,” Lin Chu patted the pillow next to her.
“Your feet are all swollen from walking so much today. Let me massage them for you. We can chat while I do the massaging as it won’t make a difference anyway,” Yan Beicheng said as his hands simultaneously moved to her calves.
It was really no big deal for Yan Beicheng to massage her calves. He would always move on to her feet after he was done with her calves, which would always make Lin Chu feel uncomfortable even if she had washed her feet clean. This was because these were her feet, not her hands. It always felt dirty and she did not feel comfortable with the idea of him holding them in his hands.
Yan Beicheng pushed her skirt up to her knees and went to get some essential oil.
He had learned this from Wei Ziqi and had even started a separate chat in WeChat with Wei Ziqi for this purpose. As Lin Chu was now pregnant, her feet would get bloated easily. He remembered that Wei Ziqi had mentioned something about this in the past when Wei Ran was pregnant.
Yan Beicheng did not remember the details as he and the others were still bachelors back then, and only Wei Ziqi had a wife. Who would want to listen to Wei Ziqi talk about all these things? That would be torture.
Now that it was Yan Beicheng’s turn, he suddenly recalled this information when he saw Lin Chu’s condition.
Wei Ziqi then explained to him how he had helped Wei Ran massage using lotion and essential oil.
Yan Beicheng had immediately bought the items to try them on Lin Chu only to see that they worked really well. He placed three drops of the essential oil onto his palms and massaged her calf to help with the blood flow whilst Lin Chu closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation.
“I chatted a lot with Zhiqing this afternoon. She might not have noticed it while she was chatting with me, but I realized something. She did not really mention Wei Zilin much as Zhiqing was much more upset about what Wei Wucai said about her. She felt that she was now different from before and that Wei Wucai didn’t really know her that well. Why should he be judging her like that? Zhiqing also felt less confident because of what Wei Wucai had said to her and began to doubt herself. She was starting to think that no one really liked her. You see, Wei Wucai was the one that had affected her throughout the whole ordeal, not Wei Zilin. Everything she mentioned involved Wei Wucai, and there was not much mention of Wei Zilin. I think Zhiqing treats Wei Wucai differently, but they just haven’t noticed it yet,” Lin Chu said with a wave of her hand.
“When did you become a matchmaker?” Yan Beicheng laughed lightly.
Lin Chu glared at him. “I didn’t. All I did was watch from the sidelines. I wouldn’t ever involve myself when it comes to the relationship of others. I Just let them develop their feelings naturally. After what Wei Wucai said, Zhiqing now has a bad impression of him. This will make things difficult if you want them both to realize their feelings for each other.”
“Wei Wucai spends most of his time in T City, so it will be difficult for them both to develop in anything,” Yan Beicheng reminded her.
Lin Chu moved slightly to change her posture as she hugged the pillow beside her. “That’s true.”
Lin Chu gave it some thought and decided to let it go. It was just a little spark between them, and one could not really foretell what would happen in the future anyway.
Yan Beicheng’s hands had now moved to the middle of her feet as he started to massage it for her. It felt a little painful, but once the pain rescinded, it became very soothing.
Lin Chu wanted to pull her feet away out of embarrassment, but Yan Beicheng held on tightly to it, making her attempts unsuccessful.
Yan Beicheng glanced at her. “Why are you pulling? It’s not even the first time I’m doing this.”
However, Yan Beicheng could not hear Lin Chu’s mumbled response. After a while, he heard her say, “I’ll return the favour and give you a massage once I’ve given birth to our child.”
Yan Beicheng could not help laughing as he used his knuckles to press on her feet with controlled pressure.
He was quite strong, and the mild pressure was just nice for Lin Chu. In truth, he did not really use much strength to do this, so he was not really tired.
“Do you really need to return the favor for this?” Yan Beicheng laughed as he asked.
Lin Chu nodded sincerely. “I really do. You work all day out there and come back feeling tired too. I’ll massage you and get you all comfortable at the end of the day. If you don’t mind me massaging you, then I won’t mind you as well.”
Yan Beicheng laughed as he looked at her. Then, he nodded after a while. “Okay.”
Yan Beicheng went to wash the essential oil off his hands after he was done massaging Lin Chu.
Even though Lin Chu’s feet were still bloated, they did feel much more comfortable than before.
…
Time flew by. Soon, there was only half a month left until Lunar New Year whilst Lin Chu was now eight months pregnant. Meanwhile, Yan Beicheng wanted her to rest at home and stop going to work.
Even though she really wanted to continue working, Wei Zilin would make sure her position was there for her when she returned. She could always go back to work after she had finished her maternity leave and her confinement period was over.
Lin Chu had the same thought. Since she did not want Yan Beicheng and the two elders to worry about her, so she agreed.
On her last day in the office, Lin Chu tidied her desk and prepared to go home.
She was not resigning, but it would be a few months before she returned to the office. Zheng Yuntong was sad about this and wanted to have lunch with her in the afternoon, so Lin Chu stayed in the office for the entire morning so she could have a meal with Zheng Yuntong.
When they said their goodbyes, Lin Chu received a call from Yan Beicheng.
Lin Chu was shocked when she heard what Yan Beicheng said. “What? Okay, I know.”
Chapter 267: Just Because We Chatted This Long Doesn’t Mean I’ll Think That We’ve Become Closer
“I remember that back when you strongly disliked me, the worse you did was shoot me dirty looks. You may have said mean things to me, but they were things that you felt made sense at the time. No matter how much you disliked me, you have never done anything to hurt me behind my back. Your dislike of me was direct and unashamed, and you were never afraid to show it. However, this also meant that you’ve never thought about using any underhanded methods to come after me,” Lin Chu watched as Yan Zhiqing lowered her head. It was hard to see her expression, so Lin Chu did not touch her.
Lin Chu leaned comfortably against the pillow and lowered her body slightly. She was now semi-laying down on the bed. After all, it was tiring for her to consistently maintain a single posture.
She lifted her head and rested it on the pillow before continuing, “You used to have a good relationship with Lu Weining. One of the reasons for that was because you thought Lu Weining was a good person, am I right?”
Yan Zhiqing stiffened and lifted her head in embarrassment. Lu Weining was a black mark in her life.
She nodded in embarrassment, signifying her admittance.
Lin Chu said, “At least now you know that she is not a very nice person. She is selfish and is constantly scheming against others. Lu Weining is very good at hiding her true nature. She knows what you want to hear, so when she spends time with you, she constantly acts gentle and kind, as if she is big-hearted. No matter how stubbornly you behaved, she would always eventually give in to you.”
Yan Zhiqing replied exasperatedly, “That’s true. I used to think that she was a good person, which made me blind to so many of her faults. Now that I think back about it, it’s not like it was difficult for her to open her mouth to say nice things to me. My mum gave her everything, even the things that was supposed to be mine. She might have looked at me and just felt sorry for me, so after she took what was rightfully mine, she tried to make it up to me a little by complimenting me. And I lapped it all up, even going so far as to try to match her up with my brother.”
Yan Zhiqing stiffened slightly when she mentioned Lu Weining and Yan Beicheng. “I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bring this up. I’m so embarrassed to talk about it too since it was such a stupid thing to do.”
Lin Chu did not mind at all. Lu Weining was no longer in B City, so she felt pretty good about the whole thing. Thus, it did not matter if Yan Zhiqing brought the matter up. Besides, Yan Beicheng had never wanted anything to do with Lu Weining, meaning there was nothing between them to even talk about in the first place.
Lin Chu brushed it off. “It’s okay. I know what you mean. What I wanted to say was: Lu Weining has many friends. There are many people who liked to be friendly with her, but does that mean she is a good person? Is she worth keeping as a friend? To be brutally honest, one might initially be taken by her and assume that she is a nice person. However, time will reveal everything. She can’t keep up the act her whole life. Similarly, once someone spends time with you, they will get to know your good side. Those with no patience will only judge you based on what you show on the surface – those are friends not worth keeping.”
Yan Zhiqing felt much better after listening to Lin Chu, but there were still some things that she could not let go of.
She bit her lips and finally looked up at Lin Chu, her eyes still red.
“First impressions are still important, aren’t they? Was Wei Wucai right? I’m really not a very popular person. You are my family, so you won’t really mind me, but from an outsider’s point of view, I’m quite a detestable person. Not to mention, the one I like won’t return my feelings; Wei Zilin didn’t so much as look at today. I know he doesn’t like me, I can tell. Wei Wucai said that men don’t like my kind of personality, and I might have retorted him then, but he is still a man sharing his opinion, so he knows how men view women. I don’t… I don’t want the person I like to hate me. I’m a good person, I really am. I’m not bad-hearted, as I’ve never harbored ill intentions toward anyone. I’m not smart, and even though I’m annoying I don’t hurt anybody! I know how Wei Zilin feels about me. He’s polite to me because of all of you, but the moment I try to take things a step further, he will put a stop to it,” Yan Zhiqing could not stop herself from holding back her tears.
Lin Chu gently placed her palms on her back to comfort her. “People like Wei Zilin and your brother have really sharp eyes. They can immediately tell if a person has good or bad intentions. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since outstanding men who are worth your love would not get deceived so easily, anyway. Besides, neither of them are the type to judge others based on what they show on the surface. Wei Zilin doesn’t like you because he has no feelings for you, but he doesn’t hate you.”
“He may treat you like a younger sister, but he can’t view you like a lover. Even so, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t think that you’re a good person. It’s sort of like if a really nice guy liked you, but you had no feelings toward him. It doesn’t mean that he is a good person, it’s just that you don’t feel a connection with him.”
“Then why would he say those things to me?” Yan Zhiqing said dejectedly. She had been thinking about Wei Wucai’s words the whole car ride home.
She did not want to keep thinking about them and tried her best not to be influenced by his biting remarks, but it was not that easy. Wu Wucai’s voice, tone, and every single one of his words continued ringing in her ears.
“He said that of me in front of everybody. He doesn’t even know me! We’ve only met twice. Why would he say such bad things about me? The way he talked about me was almost prophetic – as if I don’t change my personality, I can wait my whole life, only to be met with unreciprocated love. But this is who I am. If I changed my temperament and suppress it, will it really still be me? Even if I did change, I know I can’t completely change who I am; It’s impossible for me to suddenly turn into another person. He doesn’t really know me at all, so what right does he have to say those things about me?!”
Yan Zhiqing was initially unhappy that Wei Wucai had humiliated her in the hotel. She had felt hurt because he had said those things in front of everybody, especially in front of Wei Zilin. This had spat on her dignity as a lady and as a person.
She felt like Wei Wucai had torn her apart after he said those things about her. How would Wei Zilin view her now?
It took quite a while for Wei Zilin to finally treat her nicely, but almost immediately after, her image had been completely ruined by Wei Wucai.
Some time had already passed by the time they got into the car, so she had actually forgotten about Wei Zilin’s reaction to Wei Wucai’s remarks. Even his face had started to fade from her memory, even though she had been constantly paying attention to Wei Zilin while they were having lunch.
However, every time she thought of Wei Wucai’s words, Yan Zhiqing felt upset, as if she had been terribly misunderstood. She seemed to care more about what Wei Wucai said about her than Wei Zilin’s reaction.
“The way he had put it was as if I was totally useless. Am I that bad a person? Am I really so terrible?” Yan Zhiqing lifted her head. Her hands trembled slightly before grabbing Lin Chu by her wrists.
It was a strange feeling. She had never been close to Lin Chu, so this sudden physical contact made Yan Zhiqing feel a bit weird.
However, Lin Chu was calm as she held on to her hand. “You’re not a terrible person, definitely not the way he had put it. You’re right, that was wrong of Wei Wucai. He doesn’t really know you and has only met you twice, so how could he have his mind up about you so quickly? What right does he have to judge you?”
Lin Chu got a little angry talking about this.
“You’re a good person, a really good person, and there’s nothing rotten about your personality. Those who think that you’re a bad person are not worth befriending at all. I think you’re absolutely adorable. In fact, you’ve already changed. You’re different than before. I know you’ve been trying your best to change for the better and I, for one, have noticed the change. You used to be blunt about everything you didn’t agree with and where unconcerned about the situation or the other party’s dignity when you did this. You’ve always voiced out what you thought was right, although there were some instances when what you thought was right differed greatly from your elders’ opinions.”
“Nevertheless, you’ve actually learned to keep yourself in check now, and are much more careful before you voice out,” said Lin Chu.
Yan Zhiqing looked at her in surprise. “You noticed? You’ve actually noticed it?”
Lin Chu nodded. “Yes, I did. Take today for example. I can tell that you didn’t like Liang Wenyin and weren’t really keen that Liang Wenyin was walking with us during the exhibition. In the past, you probably wouldn’t have cared about us and would have disregarded Liang Wenyin’s relationship with Beicheng by insulting her, possibly even chasing her off. If it was the old you, you’d immediately tell her that she was shameless to her face.”
Yan Zhiqing’s mouth opened, but she did not retort. The old her might really have done that.
“However, you held your tongue during the exhibition because you didn’t want to put us in an awkward position and make the situation worse than it already was, right?” Lin Chu looked at her encouragingly.
Yan Zhiqing felt embarrassed as she noticed Lin Chu looking at her brightly. Then, she blushed as she nodded.
“Also, when we invited Liang Wenyin to lunch out of politeness, you weren’t happy about it at all, but still, you said nothing. When Liang Wenyin was obviously trying to get closer with Wei Zilin during lunch…”
Before Lin Chu could finish, Yan Zhiqing immediately asked, “You noticed it too?”
Yan Zhiqing’s eyes brightened when she looked at her, as if she found herself a confidant in Lin Chu. Lin Chu could not help laughing. “All of us could tell as she was very forward about it – even Wei Zilin might have an idea about it. That was why he maintained some sort of distance with Liang Wenyin and tried not to over familiarize himself with her during their conversation. Even though Liang Wenyin did not drive there, when it was time to leave, Wei Zilin didn’t even offer to give her a lift. This was an ungentlemanly thing to do, but since Wei Zilin was undoubtedly aware of this, it meant that he was unwilling to give Liang Wenyin any false hope.”
Yan Zhiqing finally felt a little better about today. “I knew it! Everyone who was present noticed it too; We could all tell because she was so obvious about it. It wasn’t not my imagination after all.”
“That’s right, but even then, you didn’t insult her, did you? You disliked her character and her behavior, but you didn’t do anything to embarrass her or make her lose face. Even though she had attempted to put you in an awkward position a few times by saying some embarrassing things about you, you didn’t argue with her. Instead, you held back. In the middle of it, you wanted to go to the washroom because you couldn’t take it anymore needed to vent your anger, right?” Lin Chu blinked a few times at Yan Zhiqing.
“Oh, you’ve even noticed that as well,” Yan Zhiqing mumbled in embarrassment.
Lin Chu continued, “I’ve already told you. It’s not hard to see through you, which makes you quite fun to tease. It’s not just me, all of us can tell that you’ve changed for the better. You’ve learned to apologize when you realize you’ve done something wrong; You hold yourself back when you have a problem spending time with another person; You’ll only lash out if the other party crosses the line. These are all improvements. You don’t need to hold back on every little thing. If you’re polite to others but they do not return in kind, then there’s no need to continue being courteous to them. You’ve been brought up in a pampered environment that has probably spoiled you to some degree, so it is really admirable of you to be able to make a change for the better in such a short time. I truly admire you for this.”
“You know when you’re at fault and make the effort to better yourself. That’s already an achievement in and of itself, so who would continue to blame or judge you?” Lin Chu looked at Yan Zhiqing like she was a little girl.
Lin Chu could not help it as she reached out to lightly stroke her hair.
Yan Zhiqing had never been treated this way before. Lin Chu was guiding her like an older sister, going so far as to even praise her. She felt that Lin Chu’s hand was especially soft and gentle as it stroked her hair, the light caresses greatly comforting her.
Jiang Changdai had never treated her this way and would never have noticed when she was sad, nor even attempt to console her. If put in a similar situation, Jiang Changdai would instead launch into a tirade about how difficult it was to be a mother. All this while, Yan Zhiqing was the one who had always been consoling Jiang Changdai, as if the two had swapped familial roles. Thus, all Yan Zhiqing could do was bury her emotions.
Jiang Changdai was already quite fragile, so who would take care of Yan Zhiqing when she felt sad? Both of them might just end up hugging each other and crying profusely. At the end of the day, one of them needed to be the strong one.
After a while, Yan Zhiqing got used to hiding the sadness inside her. Her coping mechanism was that she would just hold it in and cry quietly when she was alone.
Even now, no one knew when she was feeling down.
This was why Yan Zhiqing had not expected Lin Chu to take notice. Even more surprising was that Lin Chu had even noticed her efforts in trying to change.
Yan Zhiqing could no longer help it and let out a loud sob. Lin Chu was stunned by Yan Zhiqing’s sudden reaction as Yan Zhiqing immediately tried to fling herself into Lin Chu’s arms, only to get blocked by her big belly. It was an awkward hug, so instead, Yan Zhiqing nuzzled up against Lin Chu until her face was resting on Lin Chu’s belly.
Lin Chu did not know how to react to this child-like behavior.
“I feel really terrible. I tried my best to change, but when I heard him say these things, it was like no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you. Thank you for noticing that I was trying my best. I never would’ve thought that you would take notice. Sob sob sob sob! I thought I hadn’t made any progress at all, so thank you for noticing. I never thought that someone would already see the changes. I.. I will try my best to continue getting better. I really will,” Yan Zhiqinng burped as she finished her speech.
Lin Chu patted her gently on the back. “I believe you. And trust me, I’m not saying all this to console you. You’ve really done well, and you’ll only become better.
“Wei Wucai was wrong about one thing. I like your personality now, and so does Yu Zi. In fact, your brother likes it too. It’s just that he’s keeping quiet about it. We never liked the old you, but you’ve made a change, and it’s a good change. You’re adorable, and all of sincerely like the new you. Why wouldn’t we? Don’t worry, you’ll eventually find yourself a good person who will love you and appreciate your personality, as well as is able to see the adorable side of you. As the saying goes, you’re not cash, so not everyone will like you. Never expect everyone to like you, and it’ll work wonders to simply ignore those who don’t like us. Strong girls couldn’t care less for them. It might be due to us not being able to connect, or it could be because those people have lousy taste in girls,” Lin Chu said light-heartedly. This remark made Yan Zhiqing stop sobbing to began laughing instead.
Lin Chu felt her tummy vibrating from her laughter. It felt ticklish, but it was not the appropriate moment to push Yan Zhiqing away since she was at her most fragile right now.
It seemed like the little guy in her belly could not stand the pressure from Yan Zhiqing as he felt her laughter vibrating from outside to where he was. After a while, he got annoyed and kicked Lin Chu’s belly.
Yan Zhiqing’s face was sticking to Lin Chu’s belly at that moment, so she could feel the obvious kick from the baby.
It was quite a coincidence that he had kicked Yan Zhiqing right on the side of her face. Yan Zhiqing felt the kick on her cheek and called out in surprise as her face finally left Lin Chu’s belly. Then, she stared at Lin Chu’s huge belly while still in tears.
Lin Chu’s lips twitched. She had no idea what to say at that moment.
If it was summer and her clothes were made of a thinner material, then she might have even been able to see the child’s little hands and legs moving about through her clothes. However, it was winter right now and she was wearing thick clothes, so it was impossible to discern any form underneath.
This was the first time Yan Zhiqing had experienced a baby’s movement inside the womb. When Lin Chu had visited the old mansion with Yan Beicheng, Old Lady Yan had placed her hands on Lin Chu’s belly when the baby moved. On the other hand, Old Master Yan may have been a senior, but it was still inappropriate to place his hands on his granddaughter-in-law’s belly. Thus, all he could do was watch Old Lady Yan enviously.
Yan Zhiqing had wanted so much to touch her belly as well but was too embarrassed to ask. In the end, all she could do was console herself that it was just a small movement from the baby that they were getting excited about, so it would be pointless to get worked up over it.
For some reason, she felt that the baby was protesting something now that she had been kicked by the boy. He must have been annoyed at her for crushing him, but regardless, Yan Zhiqing did not feel angry about it.
As tears continued to stream down her face, she looked at Lin Chu’s belly in a daze with her bright, red nose. “Moved… He moved…”
“That’s right. The baby’s getting active,” Lin Chu smiled but decided not to mention that he might have been annoyed at her for crushing him inside.
However, Yan Zhiqing was quite aware of what she did and pointed at Lin Chu’s belly. “Is he trying to protest against me lying on top of him?”
Lin Chu tried her best not to laugh. “It could be possible. This little guy has been creating a lot of trouble lately. Your brother is always placing his hand on my belly whenever he can. He does it while we’re watching television, and even while he is working on his laptop. As long as his hands are free, they will invariably move toward my belly. However, his palms are always so hot, so it doesn’t take long for my belly to start to sweat because of his hands. Every time that happens, the baby will let out a kick from my belly. I’m guessing it’s because it is getting too hot for him inside. Nevertheless, Beicheng does this all the time and even seems to enjoy doing it.”
Yan Zhiqing’s mouth twitched. “Does my dear brother do this on purpose because he knows it will make the little guy kick?”
Lin Chu smiled as she nodded. Yan Zhiqing was speechless. Then, she pondered it and said, “It does sound like something he would do.”
“You’ve laid on him for quite a while now, and it’s actually surprising that he would let you do it for this long. Looks like your little nephew likes you too,” Lin Chu pointed at her belly.
Yan Zhiqing blushed as she rolled her eyes. “Who… Who are you trying kid here?! He’s a little thing that hasn’t even been born yet, what does he know?!”
Lin Chu felt another kick in her belly the moment Yan Zhiqing finished saying this.
Lin Chu jumped in surprise and said to Yan Zhiqing, “Who says he doesn’t know anything? Take a look, he perfectly understood what you were saying.”
“That’s pretty awesome!” Yan Zhiqing shouted out as her eyes locked onto Lin Chu’s belly, as if her stares would somehow accelerate the baby’s development.
After a while, she lifted her head as the room became too quiet and she locked eyes with Lin Chu, who was smiling gently.
Yan Zhiqing choked a little and was about to say something. However, Lin Chu knew what she was trying to say and simply waved her hand as she replied in advance to what Yan Zhiqing was about to say, “I know. Just because we chatted for this long doesn’t mean that I’ll assume that we’ve become closer.”
Nevertheless, how could they not have gotten closer?
Lin Chu felt that they’ve built a good relationship with each other, even though Yan Zhiqing did not want to admit it. Either way, she let her be.
Yan Zhiqing swallowed her words after Lin Chu said this. After all, Lin Chu had said what she had wanted to, which made the moment all the more unsatisfying for Yan Zhiqing. She really wanted to have been the one to say those words. Only then would she have felt contented.
In reality, Yan Zhiqing was really just making things harder for herself by being so stubborn about needing to be the one to say those words.
Even though there were still tear streaks on her face, she no longer wanted to continue crying. It looked like Yan Zhiqing was now in a much better mood.
Lin Chu patted her shoulder. “Stop overthinking things. You’re a good person, be confident about that. You mentioned that you were tired, so, take a rest now. You don’t need to go out immediately. You can wait until you feel better before you join us outside. That way, the two elders won’t worry so much about you.”
Yan Zhiqing pouted. “I know.”
Lin Chu smiled and placed her hand against her lower back to support herself while getting up. Then, she opened the door and left the room.
Yan Zhiqing was left sitting on her bed alone. She smiled slowly as she thought about something. After this, she let herself fall onto the bed and gave her pillow a few pats before shutting her eyes and going to sleep.
When Lin Chu came out from the room, Yan Huaian and Yu Zi had just arrived with Yan Ningbai.
They had given Mo Jinxi a lift back to the Mo family before coming over, which was why they were late.
Old Lady Yan asked them about how Yan Zhiqing’s outing that morning went, and Lin Chu told her that it went well.
Even if Wei Wucai had caused some sparks to fly between himself and Yan Zhiqing, it was not the right time to tell Old Lady Yan about this.
When it came to matters surrounding the juniors’ marriages, Old Lady Yan was definitely the decision-maker.
Yan Huaian was six years older than Yan Beicheng, and when he reached a marriageable age, Yan Beicheng was still young and had only just graduated from university. Back then, Yan Beicheng was just a boy in Old Lady Yan’s eyes. Thus, since Yan Beicheng had yet to grow up, Yan Huaian’s marriage was Old Lady Yan’s only concern.
However, once Yan Huaian finally found himself a wife, she started to worry about Yan Beicheng’s marital status.
Now that Yan Beicheng was married and was about to become a father, there was nothing much for Old Lady Yan to focus on when it came to him. As a result, her attention was completely focused on Yan Zhiqing.
Even though Yan Zhiqing was still young, Old Lady Yan had always thought that girls were different from boys. Once a woman was past thirty but was still single, she would have tasted freedom and would not bother herself with thoughts of marriage, thus developing an open attitude toward relationships. She would get married if she met the right person, but if she did not meet anyone, then she would be equally content staying single.
Even so, most girls would still fantasize about starting a beautiful family before they turned thirty. They would dream about landing themselves an outstanding husband, just like in the fairy tales.
However, a woman’s youth was only maintained for a few good years whilst a man could still wrap his arms around a young woman until the ripe old age of forty or fifty. He did not need to worry too much about whether that person wanted him or his money, or if she was sincere toward him. At the very least, a man would not need to worry about living a life in solitude.
For women, they were only popular for that brief window, and needed to land themselves a husband in that short amount of time. Yan Zhiqing was still young and did not have much experience in life, which was why all Old Lady Yan wanted to do was to keep her locked up at home, for fear that she would get cheated by some heartless bastard.
Nevertheless, the moment Yan Zhiqing moved back to the old mansion, Old Lady Yan had been out searching for someone suitable for Yan Zhiqing.
Everyone knew that Yan Zhiqing liked Wei Zilin, but they were also aware that Yan Zhiqing would not be too devastated even if she could not get him. It was unlike Yan Huaian and Yu Zi, or Yan Beicheng and Lin Chu, as these two couples were essentially soulmates and would not be able to live without the other.
In private, Old Lady Yan shared the same opinion as Yan Beicheng and the others. Wei Zilin did not like someone with a personality like Yan Zhiqing’s. It had nothing to do with whether or not Yan Zhiqing was a good person, it was more to do with the fact that their personalities were incompatible.
Yan Zhiqing considered it love at first site when she first met Wei Zilin as she fell for him since the moment she laid eyes on him. This affection was not based on any kind of connection between the two, but was more of a physical attraction.
Old Lady Yan knew both of them well and was aware that this would have never worked out. She could never see Yan Zhiqing and Wei Zilin getting together.
If Old Lady Yan found out that there was another young man out there who might develop into a future partner for Yan Zhiqing, then she would have most definitely caused a scene.
This is especially so since Old Lady Yan had met Wei Wucai before. The Lanshan Institution had given them quite a lot of help in the past, and even though Yan Beicheng did pay them for it, to be honest, money was not something that the Lanshan Institution was lacking.
There were many who approached the Lanshan Institution with an abundance of wealth, but if the Lanshan Institution insisted they did not have the time, then there was nothing anyone could do to change their mind. The Lanshan Institution had helped them mainly because of their friendship, with the money only being for show.
When Old Lady Yan dragged Old Master Yan to have a meal with the juniors, she had taken the opportunity to get to know Wei Wucai and the others, who had come over with Wen Ren. She had asked them individually about their family and their jobs, even taking the opportunity to find out if any of them were single or widowed.
Wei Wucai had made quite an impression on Old Lady Yan because he was very good looking. Naturally, no matter how old a woman was, she would still appreciate a handsome man.
Wei Wucai had also bit his venomous tongue whilst in front of the elders. Coupled with his pretty face, he had given off the impression of being a nice boy.
If Old Lady Yan got even a whiff of what had transpired between him and Yan Zhiqing, then she would have dragged Yan Zhiqing all the way to T City for a matchmaking session in the name of taking a vacation.
This was why Lin Chu and Yu Zi knew not to say a word.
However, Lin Chu did not forget the matter so easily. When she was lying down in her bed at home, Yan Beicheng was helping her apply some lotion to prevent stretch marks when her eyes narrowed as she said, “I think there’s something going on between Wei Wucai and Zhiqing.”
“What could be going on between them when they’re so busy arguing?” Yan Beicheng glanced at her and laughed lightly. His hands were preoccupied massaging her body.
“You’re pretty slow when it comes to matters like this. You better believe me when I tell you that there is really something going on between them. It’s just that the two of them haven’t realized it. When we visited the Lanshan Institution, Yuan Jiangyi had told us a lot about Wei Wucai. According to Yuan Jiangyi, he’s not much of a busybody, and rarely speaks more than two sentences to women except when he is on the job.”
This jolted Yan Beicheng’s memories. He had known Wei Wucai for much longer, so he nodded at his wife. “Yuan Jiangyi wasn’t exaggerating. He really is this way.”
Lin Chu was delighted with her own analysis. “I’m right, aren’t I? Zhiqing hasn’t noticed it yet, but she had a lot to say to Wei Wucai. No matter how mean Wei Wucai is to her, Zhiqing always had something to say back to him. Wei Wucai may have a sharp tongue, but he was still willing to talk to Zhiqing. They never stopped bickering all the way through lunch, but neither of them were aware of what was happening. You know how Zhiqing is: she would have ignored him a long time ago if she didn’t like him and might have even said something really mean to him. Yet when speaking to Wei Wucai, she did not say anything that crossed the line even when he made her angry.”
“She was actually crying in the room when she returned to the old mansion because of what Wei Wucai had said about her during lunch. I really thought that Wei Wucai was being too much. He can’t just pass judgment on her that way when he’s only met Zhiqing twice. I initially had a really good impression of him,” Lin Chu frowned and said unhappily.
“Well, you can’t really say that he doesn’t know her. On the surface, he might have only met her twice, but the Lanshan Institution is fully capable of finding out anything about any prestigious family, unless it was especially kept under wraps such that it would take a lot of effort to unearth. In that situation, it’s not because they aren’t able to find out anything, but because they are too lazy to make the effort. However, when it comes to general information on these families, they have quite a good grasp of each and every one of them. If any of these families cross them, they would make the effort to conduct a deep investigation on them. When I got Wen Ren’s help to investigate the Lu family and Jiang Changdai, they would have also investigated Zhiqing thoroughly because she had grown up with Jiang Changdai. Thus, Wei Wucai would already have gained a deep understanding of Zhiqing.”
Lin Chu did not like what she heard. She moved her belly away and slapped off his palms away to stop Yan Beicheng from massaging her. “That was before. Does he know the new and improved Zhiqing? I don’t think the Wen family would have had that much time to continue spying on her.”
Yan Beicheng quickly pulled Lin Chu back into his arms and adjusted her belly into the correct position. “That’s true. They didn’t continue with the investigation, so Wei Wucai’s understanding of Zhiqing is limited to what he had learned in the past. Since then, Zhiqing has grown to be more mature after going through such an ordeal. She is much more grown-up now and has changed quite a lot. He wouldn’t have known very much about that.”
Lin Chu was finally satisfied as her expression relaxed. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
The pride on her face made her look like a little girl who had just been praised. She was absolutely delighted.
Yan Beicheng’s eyes narrowed as he smiled whilst looking at Lin Chu. He loved pampering her in this way and telling her that she was right. This was especially so since she looked so cute when she was pleased with herself and felt proud. Whenever he saw her act like this, he knew that he would give anything to pamper her this way.
“You don’t need to worry about Zhiqing harassing Wei Zilin. Do you know why Zhiqing was hiding in her room and crying?” Lin Chu saw that her belly had absorbed the lotion and immediately grabbed Yan Beicheng’s hand to stop him from continuing to massage her.
“Why?” Yan Beicheng covered up her belly as he was worried that she would catch a cold from the exposed skin. Then, he reached out to massage her calves and feet.
“Stop with the massaging and come over to chat with me,” Lin Chu patted the pillow next to her.
“Your feet are all swollen from walking so much today. Let me massage them for you. We can chat while I do the massaging as it won’t make a difference anyway,” Yan Beicheng said as his hands simultaneously moved to her calves.
It was really no big deal for Yan Beicheng to massage her calves. He would always move on to her feet after he was done with her calves, which would always make Lin Chu feel uncomfortable even if she had washed her feet clean. This was because these were her feet, not her hands. It always felt dirty and she did not feel comfortable with the idea of him holding them in his hands.
Yan Beicheng pushed her skirt up to her knees and went to get some essential oil.
He had learned this from Wei Ziqi and had even started a separate chat in WeChat with Wei Ziqi for this purpose. As Lin Chu was now pregnant, her feet would get bloated easily. He remembered that Wei Ziqi had mentioned something about this in the past when Wei Ran was pregnant.
Yan Beicheng did not remember the details as he and the others were still bachelors back then, and only Wei Ziqi had a wife. Who would want to listen to Wei Ziqi talk about all these things? That would be torture.
Now that it was Yan Beicheng’s turn, he suddenly recalled this information when he saw Lin Chu’s condition.
Wei Ziqi then explained to him how he had helped Wei Ran massage using lotion and essential oil.
Yan Beicheng had immediately bought the items to try them on Lin Chu only to see that they worked really well. He placed three drops of the essential oil onto his palms and massaged her calf to help with the blood flow whilst Lin Chu closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation.
“I chatted a lot with Zhiqing this afternoon. She might not have noticed it while she was chatting with me, but I realized something. She did not really mention Wei Zilin much as Zhiqing was much more upset about what Wei Wucai said about her. She felt that she was now different from before and that Wei Wucai didn’t really know her that well. Why should he be judging her like that? Zhiqing also felt less confident because of what Wei Wucai had said to her and began to doubt herself. She was starting to think that no one really liked her. You see, Wei Wucai was the one that had affected her throughout the whole ordeal, not Wei Zilin. Everything she mentioned involved Wei Wucai, and there was not much mention of Wei Zilin. I think Zhiqing treats Wei Wucai differently, but they just haven’t noticed it yet,” Lin Chu said with a wave of her hand.
“When did you become a matchmaker?” Yan Beicheng laughed lightly.
Lin Chu glared at him. “I didn’t. All I did was watch from the sidelines. I wouldn’t ever involve myself when it comes to the relationship of others. I Just let them develop their feelings naturally. After what Wei Wucai said, Zhiqing now has a bad impression of him. This will make things difficult if you want them both to realize their feelings for each other.”
“Wei Wucai spends most of his time in T City, so it will be difficult for them both to develop in anything,” Yan Beicheng reminded her.
Lin Chu moved slightly to change her posture as she hugged the pillow beside her. “That’s true.”
Lin Chu gave it some thought and decided to let it go. It was just a little spark between them, and one could not really foretell what would happen in the future anyway.
Yan Beicheng’s hands had now moved to the middle of her feet as he started to massage it for her. It felt a little painful, but once the pain rescinded, it became very soothing.
Lin Chu wanted to pull her feet away out of embarrassment, but Yan Beicheng held on tightly to it, making her attempts unsuccessful.
Yan Beicheng glanced at her. “Why are you pulling? It’s not even the first time I’m doing this.”
However, Yan Beicheng could not hear Lin Chu’s mumbled response. After a while, he heard her say, “I’ll return the favour and give you a massage once I’ve given birth to our child.”
Yan Beicheng could not help laughing as he used his knuckles to press on her feet with controlled pressure.
He was quite strong, and the mild pressure was just nice for Lin Chu. In truth, he did not really use much strength to do this, so he was not really tired.
“Do you really need to return the favor for this?” Yan Beicheng laughed as he asked.
Lin Chu nodded sincerely. “I really do. You work all day out there and come back feeling tired too. I’ll massage you and get you all comfortable at the end of the day. If you don’t mind me massaging you, then I won’t mind you as well.”
Yan Beicheng laughed as he looked at her. Then, he nodded after a while. “Okay.”
Yan Beicheng went to wash the essential oil off his hands after he was done massaging Lin Chu.
Even though Lin Chu’s feet were still bloated, they did feel much more comfortable than before.
…
Time flew by. Soon, there was only half a month left until Lunar New Year whilst Lin Chu was now eight months pregnant. Meanwhile, Yan Beicheng wanted her to rest at home and stop going to work.
Even though she really wanted to continue working, Wei Zilin would make sure her position was there for her when she returned. She could always go back to work after she had finished her maternity leave and her confinement period was over.
Lin Chu had the same thought. Since she did not want Yan Beicheng and the two elders to worry about her, so she agreed.
On her last day in the office, Lin Chu tidied her desk and prepared to go home.
She was not resigning, but it would be a few months before she returned to the office. Zheng Yuntong was sad about this and wanted to have lunch with her in the afternoon, so Lin Chu stayed in the office for the entire morning so she could have a meal with Zheng Yuntong.
When they said their goodbyes, Lin Chu received a call from Yan Beicheng.
Lin Chu was shocked when she heard what Yan Beicheng said. “What? Okay, I know.”
