Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Day She Left The Lin family home was buzzing with lively energy. Yu Jianghai was generous with his spending and carried himself with grace, treating both Gu Kaihua and Ye Qiuju with great care. Gu Kaihua was thoroughly pleased with this nephew-in-law. "Come, let me toast you. From now on, we're family." Yu Jianghai accepted every drink without hesitation. "I'm honored that you don't think less of me, Uncle." Hear that. Just listen to how well he spoke. Who was Yu Jianghai? He was the big boss of Jianghai Dicai, yet before Gu Kaihua, he showed not a trace of arrogance. This made Gu Kaihua like him even more. "Jianghai, you're a good man. You've got real class." By this point, he was already a bit tipsy. "Yanyan calls me Uncle, but she might as well be my own daughter. I don't ask for anything else in this life—just that you treat our Yanyan and Qiaoqiao well." Ye Qiuju frowned slightly. He was truly drunk, saying whatever came to mind. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoyue ate her meal while sneaking glances at Yu Jianghai. She thought to herself that tomorrow she could brag at school, saying the boss of Jianghai Dicai was her brother-in-law! Ye Qiuju saw right through Gu Xiaoyue's little scheme. She pinched her under the table, and Gu Xiaoyue winced, sucking in a sharp breath before burying her head in her rice. She muttered under her breath, "My brother-in-law is the boss of Jianghai Dicai. I'm not lying." Ye Qiuju shot her a fierce glare, and only then did Gu Xiaoyue dare to stay quiet. Ye Qiuju, unlike Gu Kaihua, wasn't so quick to sing Yu Jianghai's praises. She simply said, "I have only one request." Yu Jianghai, already flushed with drink by now, looked up. "Go ahead, Auntie." He addressed her the way Lin Meiyan did. Ye Qiuju didn't stand on ceremony. "Make sure nothing like what happened before ever happens again." Before—what happened before? Yu Jianghai was a little drunk, a flush creeping up his brow. He turned to look at Lin Meiyan. She stiffened slightly, lifting her eyes, her beautiful face carrying a hint of complexity. But Yu Jianghai knew she had heard it too. With that in mind, he took her hand and promised Ye Qiuju, "It won't happen a second time." He wouldn't give Lin Meiyan another chance to leave him. But while Yu Jianghai made that vow with certainty, things wouldn't pass so easily on the Yu family's side. The Yu household had been heavy with tension for a full week. The home phone had been dialed again and again, until finally Father Yu stopped trying and told Mother Yu to make the call. "You call Jianghai." Mother Yu didn't want to. Father Yu paced the living room, visibly anxious. "If you don't call now, once he marries Lin Meiyan, everything will be too late." As long as they weren't married yet, there was still room to turn things around. Mother Yu hesitated. "You call him yourself." Father Yu shot back, "Me? Do you want to watch us father and son fall out again?" Wasn't the last time enough? That one sentence instantly made Mother Yu cave. She took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and dialed the number for Jianghai Dicai. After a moment, the call connected—it was Secretary Shen's voice. "Xiao Shen, it's me. I'm Yu Jianghai's mother." Secretary Shen recognized the number immediately. He glanced back at his boss, who was working at his desk, before saying, "Auntie, are you looking for my boss?" Mother Yu hummed in acknowledgment. There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line, and after a moment, the receiver was passed over. Yu Jianghai took the phone and called out, "Mom!" Perhaps it was from spending so much time with Lin Meiyan, but Yu Jianghai carried a gentler air about him now—no longer as cold and distant as before. Mother Yu noticed the softening in her son's tone and instinctively lightened her own voice. She started with pleasantries. "Have you been eating on time lately? Are you busy?" Eating on time? Ever since Yu Jianghai had gotten the marriage certificate with Lin Meiyan, he'd eaten three meals a day made by her own hands. When he had time, he'd go back to Linji; when he didn't, he'd have Secretary Shen pick up takeout from there. And on his desk right now sat the meal Secretary Shen had just brought back. Seeing the colorful stickers pasted on the aluminum lunchbox, his expression grew even more tender. "I've eaten." He said little, but his tone was clearly much better than before. Mother Yu breathed a small sigh of relief, then finally brought up the real matter, her voice tinged with caution. "Jianghai, your father's blood pressure has been unstable these past couple of days. Could you come home when you have a chance?" Yu Jianghai answered the phone while reviewing the construction schedule for Jianghai Dicai's second phase. His black fountain pen drew a line across the blueprint as he said flatly, "Mom, I've been busy these days. I don't have time to come back." Mother Yu paused on the other end, quickly glancing at Father Yu. Seeing her husband's temper about to flare again, she hurriedly said, "No matter how busy you are, you should still come home for a meal." Yu Jianghai replied, "I've already started a family of my own." The line went silent. "Started a family?" Mother Yu sounded confused. Clearly, she and Father Yu still didn't know that Yu Jianghai had already gotten the marriage certificate with Lin Meiyan. Last time He Wenbin had come to deliver the news, he'd only said that Yu Jianghai was going to become a live-in son-in-law for the Lin family. "Mm." Yu Jianghai held a black fountain pen, circled a spot on the blueprint, and handed it to Secretary Shen, signaling for him to take it down and arrange the schedule accordingly. Secretary Shen nodded. Only then did Yu Jianghai unhurriedly drop a bombshell. "Yanyan and I have gotten our marriage certificate." This was the announcement seven days after he and Lin Meiyan had registered their marriage. That's right—it was an announcement, not a discussion. From start to finish, Yu Jianghai and Lin Meiyan had never intended to tell Mother Yu about their marriage. If she hadn't taken the initiative to call today, they would have remained in the dark. This time, Mother Yu stammered as well. Instinctively, she covered the receiver, afraid Father Yu might overhear—but Father Yu had already heard. Left with no choice, she asked, "How did you get married? Such a big matter, and we knew nothing about it." Her son had gotten married, and as his mother, she hadn't known a thing. Yu Jianghai said, "No need." No need for what? No need to tell his parents about his marriage? Mother Yu froze on the spot. She knew this meant her son had grown distant from them. At that thought, her heart ached. After a moment, she sighed. "Jiang Hai, your father was just angry in the heat of the moment. It's not that he doesn't acknowledge you." "Your marriage is such a big matter—" Before she could finish, Yu Jianghai cut her off. "Then we'll talk about it once his anger has cooled." His tone remained steady and even. "If I go back now, it'll only lead to arguments. Nothing else." Mother Yu wanted to persuade him further, but the voice on the other end changed—Father Yu had snatched the phone. His voice was cold and hard. "Yu Jianghai, do you still know I'm your father?" Yu Jianghai held the phone, his expression unmoved. "I do." "And you still dare to marry into the family as a Ruzhui?" "I already have." Father Yu coughed heavily in anger on the other end. "You come back right now." "No." "Yu Jianghai!" Those three words were nearly shouted. Outside the office, Secretary Shen was about to enter with documents in hand. Hearing the voice, his footsteps halted at the door. He looked down at the documents, then up at the office door. Go in? Or not? Forget it. When gods clash, mortals like him shouldn't throw themselves into the line of fire. Inside the office, Yu Jianghai merely flipped the blueprint to the next page, holding the receiver a bit farther from his ear. His voice was indifferent. "Dad, I'm very busy right now." "Busy with what? Busy being the live-in son-in-law of the Lin family?" Yu Jianghai finally stopped his pen. His brows were deep, his tone cold. "Yes." That single word nearly made Father Yu slam the phone down on the spot. In the background, Mother Yu's voice could be heard trying to calm him. Father Yu panted for a long while before gritting his teeth. "Don't think that just because you won't come back, I have no way to deal with you." Yu Jianghai said, "Of course you have your ways." "But this time, don't use them on her." Father Yu fell silent on the other end, as if struck at an old wound. His breathing grew heavy—so audible that it could be heard through the receiver. But Yu Jianghai remained unmoved. After a moment, receiving neither his answer nor his comfort, Father Yu seemed disappointed as well. He hadn't expected his son to be so cold-blooded now. In a fit of rage, he hung up the phone. Yu Jianghai held the receiver for a long moment before slowly setting it down. Secretary Shen, hearing the commotion from outside, knocked and entered. "Boss, the material list for Phase Two has been delivered." Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment and took the documents. Secretary Shen cautiously glanced at his expression, wanting to ask but not daring to. Yu Jianghai didn't even look up. "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." Secretary Shen immediately lowered his head. After setting the documents down properly, he couldn't help but add, "Boss, should I have someone keep an eye on Director Yu's side?" The pen in Yu Jianghai's hand paused. "Keep an eye on it." Secretary Shen was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Yu Jianghai add, "Especially have someone watch the Linji side closely." Secretary Shen's heart skipped a beat. He nodded, his expression immediately turning serious. "Understood." "Aside from that, the Phase Two project has its timeline set and is ready to break ground," Yu Jianghai said. "You'll need to work extra hard keeping an eye on things during this period." Secretary Shen naturally had no objections. No sooner had they finished discussing matters than, just three days later, a minor issue cropped up with the Phase Two project of Jianghai Dicai. A truckload of steel rebar shipped in from the west arrived with specifications that didn't match the order sheet. It wasn't a big deal. But if it wasn't suppressed on the spot, it would leave room for others to exploit later—especially since steel rebar wasn't a cheap material to begin with. Lu Qingyuan had gone out to visit suppliers again, leaving all matters in Jiangcheng to fall on Yu Jianghai's shoulders. Yu Jianghai had no choice but to rush from Jianghai Dicai to the steel mill. Secretary Shen had originally planned to follow, but the Municipal Planning Bureau called, requiring him to deliver supplementary materials. Both sides couldn't be spared. Before leaving, Yu Jianghai only gave one instruction: "Keep someone watching Linji. If there's any problem, contact me immediately." Secretary Shen responded faster than anyone. "Don't worry, boss." How could he dare not to be careful? His boss practically wished he could set up camp at the gates of Linji these days. But just as they left Jianghai Dicai, Father Yu got word of it. He seemed to have been watching for exactly this window—when Yu Jianghai was too preoccupied to notice, he could slip through the cracks. He turned to the driver and ordered, "Take me to Linji at Simenkou." Clearly, he had already dug up every detail about Lin Meiyan during this time. The driver nodded in agreement, and the car sped off. As for Mother Yu's pleas from the back seat, Father Yu let them go in one ear and out the other. No, even if he heard them, he wouldn't take them to heart. Father Yu had always had his own way of doing things. At a little past ten in the morning, Linji had just gotten through the breakfast rush, and the front hall had fewer customers. Ye Qiuju was chopping lotus root in the back kitchen, Gu Kaihua had gone to the market to restock, and Qiaoqiao sat behind the counter doing her homework—reluctantly. Every time her pencil scratched across the paper, her eyes would dart toward the cash box. Lin Meiyan poked her head out from the kitchen and said with a hint of warning, "Qiaoqiao." Qiaoqiao immediately lowered her head. "I'm writing." Lin Meiyan let out a helpless laugh. "Your eyes are practically glued to that cash box." Qiaoqiao muttered quietly, "I'm just looking, not stealing." Ye Qiuju overheard and nearly burst out laughing. Lin Meiyan couldn't do anything with her either, only saying, "Write properly. You can look after you're done." Qiaoqiao gave an "oh" and asked while writing, "Mom, the red envelope Uncle Yu gave me last time—did you put it aside for me separately?" That ten-thousand-yuan red envelope was practically a fortune. You could say Qiaoqiao was now the wealthiest person in their whole family. Lin Meiyan hummed in acknowledgment. "I'll open a separate passbook for you and keep it safe." She wouldn't touch Qiaoqiao's money. Hearing this, Qiaoqiao finally nodded with delight. "Then I'll do my homework." There was nothing better in the world than having money. If there was, it was having even more money. Qiaoqiao had just finished writing one character when a black Santana pulled up at the entrance. The car was a few years old, looking rather worn and outdated. Cars stopping outside Linji had stopped being a novelty by now. The neighbors had craned their necks at first, but after seeing enough of them, they'd gradually gotten used to it. Qiaoqiao, however, looked up immediately. She thought it was Yu Jianghai. The little girl's eyes lit up, and she was about to call out "Daddy" when the car door opened—but the person who stepped out wasn't Yu Jianghai. It was an old gentleman in a Zhongshan suit. His hair was combed neatly, he wore a long robe and a pair of black-framed glasses, and his face carried little expression, like a stuffy old scholar. He stood at the entrance of Linji, his gaze sweeping with scrutiny, as if examining every blade of grass and every tree around the place—from the plants to the flowers to the people. From the moment Father Yu appeared, the lively noise around Linji seemed to drop by a notch. Qiaoqiao, who had been doing her homework at the door, tilted her head and looked at him. She didn't know this man. But she didn't like him much. Children's instincts are sometimes sharper than adults'. The way this grandpa looked at people was like he was appraising whether something was worth money. Not looking at a person. Lin Meiyan was coming from the back kitchen to make sure Qiaoqiao wasn't slacking off on her homework when she saw Father Yu stride in. That stern, deeply lined face was the nightmare she woke up to in the middle of the night. It was him. Yu Jianghai's father. The moment she realized he had found this place, the plate in Lin Meiyan's hand wobbled slightly. The porcelain grazed the wooden rack beside her, letting out a soft clink. Father Yu saw her too. Their eyes met. Lin Meiyan's face gradually drained of color. It wasn't that she'd never imagined seeing Father Yu again. From the moment she and Yu Jianghai had gotten their marriage certificate, she knew this day would come sooner or later. But now that she actually saw this man standing at the entrance of Linji, beneath the sign her father had left behind, that damp sea-island wind seemed to blow back from somewhere far away, chilling her chest. A coldness spread from her limbs through her entire body. Ye Qiuju sensed something wrong, set down her knife, and came out, calling out with concern, "Yanyan?" Lin Meiyan snapped back to herself, set the plate aside, wiped her hands, and said in a very soft voice, "Auntie, go back to your work." Ye Qiuju glanced at Father Yu. She didn't know him, but she could tell this wasn't an ordinary customer. Qiaoqiao also climbed down from behind the counter, clutching her homework book as she walked over to Lin Meiyan. "Mom." Lin Meiyan patted her little head. "Go upstairs to do your homework." Qiaoqiao didn't move. She looked at Lin Meiyan, then at Father Yu, and suddenly hugged her homework book tighter. "Mom, I want to go to Uncle Wang's to buy an eraser." Lin Meiyan's mind wasn't on erasers at the moment, so she just said quietly, "Go ahead, but don't wander far." Qiaoqiao nodded, hugged her homework book, and slipped out from the side. Father Yu's gaze landed on Qiaoqiao. The little girl was fair-skinned and clean, her eyes like Lin Meiyan's, but her brow bone and nose bridge carried a faint trace of Yu Jianghai as a child—a hint of quiet valor. That was the valor unique to the Yu family. This child—Father Yu's thoughts churned, and he withdrew his gaze. Lin Meiyan took it all in. Her fingers curled slightly, and she steeled herself with full alertness. "Comrade Yu." She didn't call him "Father." Nor did she address him as Dean Yu. Instead, she gave a polite yet distant call of "Comrade Yu," which made Father Yu frown—the form of address made him uncomfortable. But he wasn't here today over a form of address. He looked Lin Meiyan up and down. She was far more composed than she'd been in her youth. Still, she was just as beautiful—like an exquisite vase, fragile yet carrying a hint of purity within. No wonder she could drive his son to distraction. He said in a low voice, "Find someplace quiet to talk." Lin Meiyan stood rooted to the spot. She didn't move. Father Yu looked at her. "What? Afraid of me?" Lin Meiyan raised her eyes. Though her face was pale, her voice remained steady. "This is Linji. There's nothing to be afraid of here." Father Yu studied her. Many years had passed, and Lin Meiyan was no longer the same as she'd been back then. In those days, she'd stood outside Zhiqingdian on the island wearing a shirt washed pale white, young as a freshly sprouted willow branch—delicate and slender. Back then, when she looked at him, her eyes still held panic, nervousness, and anxiety—like a blank sheet of paper, transparent at a single glance. Now Lin Meiyan stood in her own family's restaurant, the kitchen behind her, tables around her, and above her a signboard that had been polished bright once more—along with her family. She was still afraid, but she didn't retreat. She simply met his gaze calmly. At twenty-nine, Lin Meiyan was no longer the naive, tender girl of her youth. Life had worn down her sharp edges, and of course, it had added a measure of experience that came with the years. She no longer felt the same anxiety and tension as before—only calm. For instance, right now, she looked at Father Yu the way one might look at an aging tiger, seeming to want to brandish its claws one last time before death to intimidate her. But she was no longer the Lin Meiyan in her early twenties, and she wouldn't be cowed by a few words from him. Lin Meiyan's attitude stirred an inexplicable irritation in Father Yu. He adjusted his glasses. "Then we'll talk right here." Ye Qiuju heard this and couldn't help stepping forward. "Yanyan, do you want me to—" "No need." Lin Meiyan cut her off. She knew that what Father Yu wanted to say wasn't suitable for her aunt to hear. Some old accounts were bound to be settled sooner or later—but when they were dragged out, she didn't want to cut anyone else in the process. With that thought, Lin Meiyan led Father Yu upstairs to the second floor. It was quieter there than downstairs. The window was open, and the wind blew in from outside, carrying a hint of brine and the smell of cooking. Lin Meiyan poured two cups of tea. She placed one in front of Father Yu. The tea sloshed gently, spilling onto the back of her hand. She was long accustomed to it, so she simply withdrew her hand and rested it on her knee. Father Yu didn't touch the tea. He sat in the chair, surveying everything on the second floor of Linji—fresh, natural, yet carrying a touch of elegance and style. Nearly every kind of appliance was available. In particular, a twenty-nine-inch Panasonic television set against the wall caught Father Yu's attention. If he remembered correctly, that single television alone cost several thousand yuan. Even in Jiangda Jiashuyuan, few could afford it, let alone decorate a place this beautifully and spaciously. "This house was decorated by my Jiang Hai, wasn't it?" "And the television was bought by my Jiang Hai too, right?" The tone was casual, yet carried an air of condescension—the scrutiny of someone in a superior position, assessing exactly how much money his son had spent on this woman outside the family. Lin Meiyan suddenly clenched her fingers. Her skin was fair, and with that force, the blue-purple veins on the back of her hand were clearly visible. She raised her head, her expression taut. "Comrade Yu, what exactly are you trying to say?" "You promised me back then that you would never appear before Yu Jianghai again." Father Yu adjusted his black-framed glasses, a sharp glint hidden behind the lenses. "Lin Meiyan, you broke your word." Lin Meiyan, who had been tense and poised to strike, suddenly laughed. When she didn't smile, she seemed gentle; but when she did, she shone like a pearl radiating light, illuminating the entire room. Father Yu didn't know why she was laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Lin Meiyan raised her head. Those autumn-water eyes were now filled with nothing but mockery. "Comrade Yu, rather than saying I broke my word, you might as well say you failed to keep your son in check." "In the five years I left the island, I never once appeared before him. I kept my promise." Father Yu scrutinized her. "Is that so?" "Then when Qiaoqiao went missing, you didn't see him either?" The moment those words fell, Lin Meiyan's usually calm demeanor instantly flared with agitation. She shot to her feet with a scrape of her chair, her brows furrowed in a cold sneer. "Are those even human words?" "For the first five years, I didn't contact Yu Jianghai even once. If Qiaoqiao went missing and I still didn't contact him, were you expecting me to just let my daughter be taken by traffickers?" "Have you forgotten that Qiaoqiao is Yu Jianghai's daughter too?" Father Yu was momentarily stunned by her fierce reaction, but he quickly regained his composure. "Whatever the reason, seeing is seeing. Breaking your word is breaking your word." "Making excuses is making excuses. But even if you did meet—I'll still say this—" "Lin Meiyan, you and Jiang Hai are not suited for each other." Lin Meiyan lowered her eyes and didn't respond. The words were too familiar—so familiar that she didn't even need to hear the rest to know what was coming. She walked to the window, opened it, and breathed deeply into the stifling, muggy air. No one knew that Father Yu had been her nightmare for the past five years. And now, the nightmare had returned. Father Yu, however, seemed not to notice. No—he noticed, but in his eyes, Lin Meiyan was as insignificant as an ant, not worth wasting any emotion on. If not for his son Yu Jianghai, he would never have had any reason to cross paths with Lin Meiyan in this lifetime. That was the gap that status created. With that thought, his words became more direct, more blunt. He looked at Lin Meiyan like an elder or a teacher admonishing a wayward student to turn back from the wrong path. "Comrade Lin, Yu Jianghai is no longer the penniless intellectual he was on that island back then. He's the head of Jianghai Dicai. He has projects in hand, a future ahead, and a standing in society." "The road ahead of him is long." "What he needs by his side is someone who can help him, someone worthy of him." Lin Meiyan stood by the window. She turned her head, a trace of sardonic smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Such as?" Father Yu seemed to have been waiting for her to ask. "Zhou Mingwei." His tone softened slightly as he spoke the name. "The daughter of Professor Zhou from Jiangda. A master's degree holder who studied economics in America. She's seen the world and understands projects. She and Jianghai grew up together—both families know each other inside out. It's what you'd call a union of strength with strength." Lin Meiyan listened quietly, offering no rebuttal. Father Yu continued, "There's also the daughter of Deputy Director Liu from the city. University graduate, currently working at the Foreign Trade Bureau. Young, clean background, and her family can help Jianghai too." "Every single one of them is more suitable than you." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan let out a soft laugh. She walked from the window to the tea table, bent down, and picked up the cup of tea in front of her. The tea was still hot—she didn't drink it. She only touched the rim with her fingertip, then set it down with a clatter on the table. Lifting her head, her expression was cold and detached. "Then tell your son to go find them." Father Yu's face darkened. If going to Yu Jianghai would have worked, he would have done that long ago. Why else would he have lowered himself to come to this shabby street-side shop? Lin Meiyan had toyed with the tea long enough. She looked up at him, her voice soft, but her words anything but. "Comrade Yu, coming to see me today won't do you any good." "He's the one who dragged me to get the marriage certificate." "He's the one who said he wanted to be a Ruzhui." "Whether you think Zhou Mingwei is better, or Deputy Director Liu's daughter is better, you should be persuading him." "As long as he's willing to turn back, I won't stand in his way." Father Yu slammed his hand on the table, rattling the teacups, and bellowed, "Lin Meiyan!" Downstairs, Ye Qiuju heard the commotion and tightened her grip on the spatula in her hand. She was about to head upstairs when Qiaoqiao came running in from outside. The little girl's forehead was covered in sweat, and she was indeed clutching an eraser in her hand. Ye Qiuju asked in a low voice, "You went to buy an eraser—why are you running so fast?" Qiaoqiao didn't answer. She stuffed the eraser into her pocket and glanced up toward the second floor. The truth was, she hadn't gone to buy an eraser at all. She'd gone to Uncle Wang's newspaper stand at the street corner—Uncle Wang had a phone there. Standing on her tiptoes, she'd held the receiver and dialed the number Secretary Shen had left with Linji, one digit at a time. When the call connected, it was Secretary Shen who answered, having just returned from the Planning Bureau. Qiaoqiao whispered, "Uncle Shen, it's Qiaoqiao." Secretary Shen was taken aback. "Little boss?" Qiaoqiao stamped her foot anxiously. "A very fierce grandpa came to my mom's place." "What grandpa?" "His surname is Yu." The line went silent for a moment. Qiaoqiao gripped the receiver, her voice even lower. "He scared my mom." Secretary Shen said immediately, "Qiaoqiao, go back first. Don't leave your mom alone for too long. I'll find your dad right away." Qiaoqiao hummed in acknowledgment. She hung up the phone, and afraid someone might notice something was off, she spent two cents to buy an eraser. Now she'd run back, just in time to hear the sound of a hand slamming against a table from upstairs. Qiaoqiao's little face tensed up instantly. Ye Qiuju didn't bother asking any more questions. "You wait here. I'll go up and check." Qiaoqiao grabbed her sleeve. "Grandaunt." Ye Qiuju looked down. Qiaoqiao's eyes were red, but she tried her best to keep her voice low and stay calm. "I called Dad." Ye Qiuju was stunned. She looked at this little girl who wasn't even as tall as the kitchen counter, and suddenly didn't know what to say. She just patted Qiaoqiao's head. "Well done." Second floor. Father Yu was so furious at Lin Meiyan's "I won't stand in his way" that his chest heaved with anger. "You think I haven't tried? Do you know why Jianghai won't turn back?" "You used a child to tie him down, used the Ruzhui to force him to bow his head." "Lin Meiyan, that move of yours is despicable enough!" Lin Meiyan's face went pale. "Qiaoqiao was never a rope." Her voice softened a little, but remained clear. "She's my daughter." At this point, her tone suddenly sharpened. "You call me despicable? Aren't you just as despicable?" "You know full well your son is in love with me, yet you've come to me again and again, deliberately trying to ruin your own son's marriage. If we're really talking about who's more despicable, I can't hold a candle to you." These words were truly harsh, practically throwing Father Yu's—no, Dean Yu's—face to the ground and stomping on it. "Yes, you're a highly educated intellectual, you're a privileged upper-class person, but aren't you now doing the same shameless, despicable, low-class things?" "Comrade Yu, do you think you're any better?" Lin Meiyan had thrown all caution to the wind. Criticize her all you want, but say something about her daughter, and she'd tear him apart alive! Her daughter was a rope? What did he take her daughter for? Father Yu trembled with rage. "As expected of a middle school graduate running a small business—your speech is utterly uncultured!" Lin Meiyan's fingers clenched tightly. Her background. She had always known Father Yu looked down on her—looked down on her poor origins, looked down on her lack of connections, looked down on her low education, and especially looked down on her being a self-employed restaurant owner. To the particular Father Yu, every single one of these things reeked of impropriety. Seeing her pale face, he seemed to know exactly where to strike her most vulnerable spot. "You think I didn't know?" "Qiaoqiao is Jiang Hai's daughter?" A heavy blow. Lin Meiyan looked up, and for the first time, a flicker of alarm showed in her eyes. Father Yu said slowly, "Back then on the island, when you came to find me, your face was even paler than it is now." "You think just because you didn't say it, I couldn't tell?" A buzzing sound filled Lin Meiyan's ears. The wind from that year on the island suddenly blew back to her. Damp. Salty. And the little path outside the Zhiqingdian, softened by the rain. She had just found out she was pregnant then. She was afraid. Afraid that if Yu Jianghai found out, he would truly stay on the island for the rest of his life. Afraid that her child would be born in a place where even household registration and future prospects were uncertain. Even more afraid that because of her, Yu Jianghai would lose his last chance to get out. Because Zhiqing who married could only stay where they were. Only unmarried or divorced people could return to the city—that was the policy. For both Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai, it was a test. Father Yu had come at that time. He waited behind the Zhiqingdian, and after Yu Jianghai had escorted her back from the cave and left, he suddenly appeared before her. Lin Meiyan had always known who he was—Yu Jianghai's father, an eccentric old man. Perhaps because she was young and naive, she still carried a bit of nervousness and apprehension, like a new bride meeting her in-laws. She twisted the hem of her clothes and called out awkwardly, "Uncle Yu." She remembered that was how she had addressed him the first time. But Father Yu seemed not to hear her. He simply looked her over with a critical gaze. "I know your name is Lin Meiyan." "My son Yu Jianghai likes you." "I also know how much you've helped my Jiang Hai all these years." Lin Meiyan thought he was acknowledging her, and with a hint of joy, her cheeks flushed slightly. "Uncle Yu, I like him. Those little helps mean nothing." She still remembered Father Yu's expression then. He was silent for a long time before speaking. "Lin Meiyan, the kindness you've shown my son Yu Jianghai, the Yu family will always remember. But—" His tone shifted, and that trace of kindly gaze turned critical. "My son has a bright future ahead of him. Don't hold him back." By then, the news of the Yu family's rehabilitation had already come through. The Yu family could return to their former status. Yu Jianghai would be the dean's son, and as for Lin Meiyan—just a lowly Zhiqing—she naturally didn't measure up. Actually, this matter had passed many years ago, but those words he said to her, she had always remembered. Remembered for many years. By the end, she couldn't even tell whether she truly didn't want to hold Yu Jianghai back, or whether she had been pushed by those words, step by step, out of the island. Back then, she had sat before Father Yu just as she did now. "I know you don't want to stay on the island any longer, and I know you want to return to the city." Father Yu, at fifty, could easily see through every thought in Lin Meiyan's mind. In front of him, she was like a blank sheet of paper. "All you have to do is leave Jiang Hai, and I'll send you back to the city." Given Lin Meiyan's personality, she would have refused. But she discovered she was pregnant. She was pregnant. She couldn't let her child be born in a barren place like the island. She wanted to return to the city. She wanted her child to be born a city dweller. Lin Meiyan remembered being silent for a long time then, not knowing how to choose. "Leave him, and I'll give you a chance to return to the city." Father Yu seemed to know what she was thinking. "Of course, even if you stay, you and Jiang Hai will never be on the same path." "He will have a suitable wife in the future." He scrutinized her overly youthful face. "Comrade Lin, I think you wouldn't want things between you and my Jiang Hai to end with mutual disgust." Strike the snake at its vital spot. That was Lin Meiyan's vital spot. Lin Meiyan bit her lip hard. The taste of rust and the pain slowly brought her mind back to clarity. She heard her own voice, drifting and faint, say, "I want to return to the city." Father Yu looked at her for a long time. "You've thought it through?" She nodded. Father Yu said, "I can arrange the quota for your return to the city." "But you need to leave cleanly." "Handle it yourself, over on Jiang Hai's side." She asked, "How?" Father Yu said, "Make him give up." Later, she did. She bore the infamy of abandoning Yu Jianghai to return to the city, and she left him with the most humiliating, most ragged version of herself. She thought that would make Yu Jianghai hate her. Hate her, and hate her, and eventually move on. But she never expected Father Yu to be even crueler than she was. Lin Meiyan lifted her head from her memories, hearing her own voice tighten. "So, back then, you knew about Qiaoqiao." Father Yu didn't deny it. Lin Meiyan's throat felt blocked, and her voice rose involuntarily. "You knew, and you still let me leave?" Letting an unmarried female comrade leave her lover, pregnant, leaving the island. Finally, a crack appeared on Father Yu's face, but he quickly suppressed it. He didn't think he'd done wrong—he only saw it as reading the times, making the most correct choice under those circumstances. He said coolly, "How old was Jiang Hai then? He could barely stand on his own two feet. What did you expect him to use to support you and the child?" "Stay on the island and waste away with you?" Lin Meiyan looked at him. She suddenly found it laughable, but she couldn't laugh. Her voice was cold. "So you chose for him." Father Yu said in a low voice, "I'm his father." "I have to think long-term for him." Lin Meiyan slowly withdrew her hand from the edge of the table, her fingertips icy. "And today?" She asked, "Today, are you also thinking long-term for him?" Father Yu said, "Yes." "Leave him." When those three words fell, Lin Meiyan was, instead, calm. She looked at Father Yu. "Comrade Yu." A rebellious streak suddenly rose in her. She lifted her head, a hint of mockery on her fair face. "Before you ask me to leave him, please control your own son first." Father Yu's face turned ashen. Lin Meiyan continued, "I agreed back then because I thought it was for his good." "But this time is different." "He's thirty-one, not eighteen." "He knows what he's doing." "Whether you want him to marry Zhou Mingwei or the daughter of Deputy Director Liu, go talk to him." "As long as he says the word 'divorce,' I won't hold on." Lin Meiyan paused, her knuckles white as she gripped the teacup. "I'll leave." Father Yu sneered. "You sure talk pretty." "Lin Meiyan, didn't you also say back then that you'd leave?" "And what happened?" "You left, but you didn't leave cleanly." Lin Meiyan looked up. Father Yu's gaze darkened. "Jiang Hai searched for you back then, nearly turning the whole island upside down." "He went to the Zhiqing office, the police station, the docks, the post office, checking your letters one by one." "He didn't eat, didn't sleep, like a madman." "If those files and records hadn't been destroyed, he would have found you eventually." The teacup in Lin Meiyan's hand shook violently, hot tea splashing onto the back of her hand. But she seemed not to feel the burn. She murmured, "The fire in the archives room..." Father Yu looked at her. There was nothing left to hide now. He said flatly, "I had someone set it." The moment those words were spoken, the second floor seemed to go so still that even the wind stopped. But from the doorway came a very soft voice. "What did you say?" Lin Meiyan's head snapped up. Father Yu also looked over. Yu Jianghai stood at the top of the stairs. She didn't know when he'd arrived. His suit jacket was still draped over his arm, his shirt sleeves rolled up, sweat on his forehead, his expression cold and severe, like the mouth of a volcano about to erupt. He must have rushed over like a madman, his hair slightly disheveled. Lin Meiyan looked at him, her lips moving. "Yu Jianghai..." Yu Jianghai didn't look at her. He only looked at Father Yu, his eyes frighteningly cold. "The fire in the archives room—you had someone set it?" "And you forced Lin Meiyan to leave too?" Father Yu hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly. He stood up, and for the first time, even his usual composure showed a flicker of panic. "Jiang Hai, listen to me." Yu Jianghai took a step forward. "The quota to return to the city—you gave it to her?" Father Yu's face turned ugly. "The situation was complicated back then." "She was carrying my child. You knew." Father Yu's lips moved. Yu Jianghai stared at him, each word deliberate. "You knew." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Father Yu finally said in a low voice, "I knew." Yu Jianghai suddenly let out a laugh. It was very soft, but it made Lin Meiyan's heart clench violently. She had never heard Yu Jianghai laugh like that. No warmth. No anger. Like a piece of iron frozen to the extreme. "So, back then, her leaving wasn't her abandoning me." "It was the two of you making a deal." Father Yu frowned. "Jiang Hai, I did it for you." "For me?" Yu Jianghai raised his eyes. "For me, you let her return to the city alone, pregnant." "For me, you burned the archives room so I couldn't find her." "For me, you made me hate her for five years." Author's note: Brother Jiang Hai: No, I never hated her. I only hated my own powerlessness.