Chapter 843: 845, impossible now (second update)

Zi only then noticed that there was a chubby black dog sleeping inside the little cabin.

Added to the young cat, this tiny wooden hut surprisingly accommodated more than ten little animals.

It was clearly seen that Situ Ya must often help this group of stray little animals, for they were very friendly towards her.

Zi just stood there, for the first time in his life, he was entranced by the smile of a girl.

Her smile was genuine, unadorned, and it made people feel instantly comfortable at a glance.

Combining what Duanmu Sheng told him, Zi had changed his impression of Situ Ya considerably.

Someone who could be so gentle to stray little animals surely couldn’t be all that bad at heart.

Once she made sure the little animals had eaten their fill and wouldn’t get rained on, Situ Ya finally stood up, "Little Yellow, Yellowie, you have to be good, I’ll come to see you again tomorrow."

As Situ Ya turned and walked towards the entrance of the alley, she seemed stunned for a moment upon seeing Zi, then she looked away and calmly walked past him.

Cherish life, keep away from the mentally challenged.

"Miss Situ Ya, please hold on." Zi stepped out an arm in front of Situ Ya to stop her.

Situ Ya stopped walking, looking somewhat displeased at Zi, "Take a left in front of the psychiatric hospital, no need to thank me. Also, to repeat, my surname is Lin."

The psychiatric hospital she referred to was well known for treating mental illnesses.

"Miss Lin, I had some misunderstandings about you before, and now I’m here to apologize to you," Zi apologized sincerely.

Situ Ya smiled faintly, "Sir, it seems like you’re still quite sick. I’m just an actor, maybe I’m acting even now, so you don’t need to lower yourself to apologize to an actor."

Zi was an honest kid, "Miss Lin, I’m really sorry, I didn’t know the situation before, please forgive me."

"Forget it, forget it," Situ Ya said generously, waving her hand, "I accept your apology, please step aside, I need to go home."

Since he was so sincere, Situ Ya naturally didn’t want to be unreasonable.

But she had always been allergic to men, and wasn’t comfortable being so close to this little trash.

"Thank you, by the way, my name is Zi Qi, ’Zi’ as in the color purple, ’Qi’ as in the number seven, you can call me Zi just like Sister Sheng."

Zi Qi?

Upon hearing this, Situ Ya incredulously looked up, her eyes widening as she stared intently at Zi.

"You are Zi Qi?"

"Yes," Zi nodded seriously, "I won’t change my name or my surname, I am Zi Qi." For some reason, Zi actually felt a bit uneasy looking directly into Situ Ya’s eyes, and besides, he didn’t want to show his childish side in front of her.

Situ Ya laughed with a "pfft," "You wouldn’t happen to be fake, would you?" A year ago, Zi Qi was a black ghost so dark you could hardly make out his features, but it was unbelievable that a year later, Zi Qi had become a handsome young man with a perfectly normal bronze skin tone.

"I really am Zi Qi." A serious expression appeared in Zi’s eyes.

Situ Ya narrowed her eyes, somewhat puzzled, "Did you get rejuvenated? Or did you use some kind of bleaching powder? What brand is the bleaching powder? The effect is so good, you should recommend it for me to use."

Zi: "..." Was he really that dark before?

Zi scratched his head and explained, "This is my original skin color, something unexpected happened in between, so that’s why I turned out that way."

"Oh, so you were captured and taken to Africa as forced labor?" Situ Ya continued to ask.

That question stung a bit.

The past was unbearable to look back on.

To stop the uncomfortable feelings from continuing, Zi quickly said, "Miss Lin, I have things to do, so I’ll be leaving first." With that, he hurriedly walked away.

Situ Ya tiptoed and said with a smile, "Leaving so soon? Why not stay and chat for a bit more, even if it’s just for small talk worth fifty cents?"

But Zi quickened his pace even more.

If he stayed, his heart would shatter into powder.

Watching Zi’s retreating figure, Situ Ya put away her smile and walked in the other direction; she didn’t want any interaction with Zi Qi for the time being. In her eyes, no man was up to any good.

She had no particular feelings towards Zi Qi.

Zi Qi had always been the little coalball in her heart.

**

The Duanmu Family.

The atmosphere in the living room was rather serious.

The living room was filled with people.

Duanmu Canghai and Zhou Jin, Lin Hong and Lin Lan, as well as Zhou Yiheng’s parents were also present.

Including both parties involved, Lin Xiyuan and Zhou Yiheng.

Originally, the marriage between Lin Xiyuan and Zhou Yiheng had been settled, but unexpectedly, this kind of incident occurred midway.

These two had come together through Zhou Jin’s matchmaking, and at this time, whether to part or to stay together, had to go through Zhou Jin as a formality.

"My in-laws, is there really no room for maneuver in this matter? Our Yi Heng truly knows he was wrong!" Zhou’s mother looked at Lin Lan, full of apology.

"Things have come to this pass; more words are useless. Even before marriage, if your Zhou Yiheng does such things, how would it be after marriage? Xiyuan is my only daughter; I can’t let her suffer such humiliation. Let’s end this marriage here, and you need not call me in-law anymore." Lin Lan was very firm in her attitude. Xiyuan was her only daughter, she couldn’t possibly push her own child into the fire.

In the Superpower World, there’s no such thing as marriage, and forcing Lin Xiyuan to stay with Zhou Yiheng would only harm her.

Lin Xiyuan sat beside Lin Lan, her gaze never once falling on Zhou Yiheng from start to finish, with a very calm expression. Heartache had reached its limit, leaving no room for expressions.

In comparison, Zhou Yiheng looked utterly dejected, his eyes burning as he looked at Lin Xiyuan, hoping that their relationship could be rekindled.

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhou Yiheng’s face turned even more ashen.

Zhou’s mother sighed and continued, "My in-law, Yi Heng is young and bound to do some foolish things. Please, for the sake of this being his first mistake, forgive him just this once. I guarantee there will be no next time."

Lin Lan raised her eyes to look at Zhou’s mother, "Honestly, before such an incident happened, I also liked Yi Heng very much. But now, I’m sorry, neither our Xiyuan nor our entire Lin family can tolerate any speck of dust. Think about it from another perspective; if it was Xiyuan who did this today, would you accept her?"

Since ancient times, it’s commonly seen that men’s mistakes are forgivable, while women’s are not.

This time, Lin Lan would not accept Zhou Yiheng anymore.

Upon saying this, the living room grew quiet. It had to be acknowledged; Lin Lan’s statement had left everyone at a loss.

If Lin Xiyuan were the female lead in this situation and another man the male lead, it’s estimated no one would forgive her.

Zhou’s mother stopped talking and lifted her eyes to look at Zhou Jin, hoping that Zhou Jin could help mediate. After all, Zhou Jin was the matchmaker, and Zhou Yiheng was her nephew. Considering her decades-long relationship with the Lin family, if Zhou Jin spoke for Zhou Yiheng, then there would certainly be room for maneuver.

Zhou Jin also felt much guilt over this matter; what was meant to be well-intentioned had ended up like this.

It was a shame that Zhou Yiheng let everyone down.

What a pity for Lin Xiyuan, such a good girl.

If Zhou Jin were in Lin Lan’s shoes, she wouldn’t forgive Zhou Yiheng either. But since Zhou Yiheng was a nephew from her maternal family, and those pleading with her were her sister-in-law, plus she was the matchmaker, she had to help with this favor.

Zhou Jin smiled as she looked at Lin Lan, "Sister Lan, we have been friends for decades, and you know me best. I also wish for Xiyuan to find a good home. Young people are impetuous and prone to foolish mistakes. Yi Heng truly realizes his fault now. Look, could you perhaps give Yi Heng another chance? As long as you are willing to give him one more opportunity, I’ll have Yi Heng write a pledge immediately. If there is a next time, you can handle it as you see fit."

Lin Lan’s expression did not change, "Sister, precisely because we have been friends for so many years, that’s why I haven’t blamed you. I’m very relieved that this happened before the marriage. If it were after marriage, then Xiyuan’s life would have been ruined! This is the betrothal gift that the Zhou family had given before. Count it and see if there is any discrepancy; we have already converted the things that were damaged into cash. If there is anything wrong, please point it out now. Once you leave this room, our Lin family will no longer be accountable."

Having reached this point in the matter, Zhou Jin had nothing left to say.

You couldn’t blame the Lin family; who would marry their daughter to a man like Zhou Yiheng?

Upon hearing these words, Zhou’s father stood up directly, his face full of regret, "This matter is our Zhou family’s fault. We hope Miss Lin can find a good future. Treat these items as compensation for Miss Lin’s emotional distress, and hopefully, our families won’t let this incident harm our relationship."

The Zhou family was not unreasonable; they were clearly in the wrong, and it was normal for the Lin family to disapprove of Zhou Yiheng after such an incident.

In the Superpower World, there is such a rule, and everyone’s hearts are made of flesh; no one wants their daughter to suffer any grievance.

Lin Hong also stood up, "We don’t need compensation for emotional distress. Since we brought these things here, we won’t take them back. It’s good to clarify things." Then, turning to Duanmu Canghai and Zhou Jin, Lin Hong continued, "Brother Canghai, sister-in-law, we’ll take our leave first, goodbye."

After all, this was just a matter between the children; it shouldn’t affect the adults’ feelings.

Duanmu Canghai also felt sorry towards Lin Hong, his old friend, and quickly stood up to see the family to the door.

Nobody anticipated that the relationship between Lin Xiyuan and Zhou Yiheng would only last half a year.

However, the incident did not affect the good relations between the two families.

Zhou Jin felt deeply sorry towards the Lin family and Lin Xiyuan, so she often sent little gifts to the Lin family.

And Lin Xiyuan kept bringing over food, which, over time, made the relationship between Zhou Jin and Lin Xiyuan increasingly close.

As Duanmu Zhe and Mo Qingyi were often not at home, and Duanmu Sheng was busy with the bakery, Zhou Jin started to treat Lin Xiyuan as her own daughter, sharing all sorts of heartfelt words with her.

Lin Xiyuan was a good kid, and Zhou Jin mostly felt sorry for her.

Because Lin Xiyuan often appeared at the Duanmu Family’s home, Zhou Yiheng also started showing up there more frequently.

Actually, Zhou Yiheng still had feelings for Lin Xiyuan; he wanted to win her back.

Zhou Jin felt pity for her nephew and secretly created many opportunities for the two, but unfortunately, there was little progress.

In the blink of an eye, another two months passed.

Warm spring had left, and early summer had arrived.

"Auntie, what would you like for dinner tonight? I’ll go make it for you," Lin Xiyuan said with a beaming smile to Zhou Jin.

Over this time, Lin Xiyuan had come to regard this place as her own home.

Zhou Yiheng immediately stepped forward, very eagerly saying, "Xiyuan, let me help you. I’ve also learned quite a bit recently."

Zhou Jin put on her glasses, and it only then dawned on her, "Today is Qingyi and Little Zhe’s day to return home. Xiyuan, you don’t need to busy yourself, Qingyi loves the dumplings I make, so I will make them for the couple."

Lin Xiyuan nodded, "Okay, then I’ll help you with that."

"Alright," Zhou Jin looked at Zhou Yiheng, then said, "Then you and Yi Heng can roll out the dough and chop the fillings, respectively. I’ll wrap the dumplings."

"Okay," Lin Xiyuan said with a smile, nodding her head.

The three of them entered the kitchen and busied themselves in an orderly fashion.

In less than thirty minutes, they had wrapped a lot of dumplings.

Looking at these dumplings, Lin Xiyuan said with a smile, "Auntie, you’re so skillful. These dumplings look even better than the ones they sell at the supermarket. By the way, are we only making dumplings? Do we want to prepare some of Duanmu Brother’s favorite dishes as well?"

Zhou Jin’s smile turned even brighter as she looked up, "Little Zhe isn’t picky about food. Whatever Qingyi likes, he likes too."

"Oh," Lin Xiyuan nodded, then turned to Zhou Yiheng, "What do you feel like eating? I’ll make it for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yiheng was pleasantly surprised and hastily said, "Xiyuan, whatever you like, let me make it for you instead."

Lin Xiyuan offering to cook for him—did this mean he had a chance?

Zhou Yiheng was very excited.

The days of waiting had finally paid off.

"That works, then make me some stir-fried pork with green peppers," Lin Xiyuan said, her smile sweet.

She wasn’t someone with rigid thoughts. Although she had had a past with Zhou Yiheng, it didn’t mean they had to avoid each other for life.

If they couldn’t be lovers, being friends was good too.

Zhou Yiheng quickly headed to the kitchen.

Zhou Jin watched the two of them, remaining silent but smiling.

Lin Xiyuan and Zhou Jin kept making dumplings outside.

"Auntie, Duanmu Brother and Sister-in-law Qingyi have been together for such a long time, have they brought back any good news for you this time?" Lin Xiyuan asked, seemingly casually.

The smile remained on Zhou Jin’s face, "We, the elders, are too lazy to meddle too much. The children will have their own fortune," Zhou Jin had always been a cheerful elder.

Lin Xiyuan skillfully pinched a dumpling together and said, "I really envy Sister-in-law Qingyi for having such a good mother-in-law like you. Auntie, I’m only mentioning this with good intentions, please don’t blame me for being nosy. After all, in the Duanmu family, there’s only Duanmu Brother as the male heir, and some matters should be hurried along a bit."

Lin Xiyuan’s remarks made sense; it had been almost two years since Duanmu Zhe and Mo Qingyi got married, and there had been no news, which was indeed a bit worrying.

Zhou Jin’s expression remained unchanged, "Xiyuan, you’re also looking out for our family’s best interest. How could I blame you?"

Having made her point, Lin Xiyuan didn’t continue the topic and focused on wrapping the dumplings.

After a while, Zhou Jin glanced at the kitchen, then in a low voice asked Lin Xiyuan, "Xiyuan, Auntie wants to know if there’s still a chance for Yi Heng? You see, it’s not easy for him either."

Lin Xiyuan’s expression didn’t change, she kept wrapping the dumplings in her hand and replied, "Auntie, a broken mirror can hardly be round again, and even if it does come round, there will be cracks."

The meaning behind her words was clear. Zhou Jin chuckled and continued, "If it’s not possible, Auntie won’t make it difficult for you, but Xiyuan, you aren’t young anymore, this matter should indeed be settled sooner rather than later."

Lin Xiyuan nodded gently, "Auntie, I know."

Just at that moment, a burst of noise came from outside the door.

"Mom, we’re back." A cheerful male voice came from outside.

Zhou Jin’s face lit up with joy, and she quickly stood up and walked towards the door; it had been over half a year since she last saw her son and daughter-in-law.

A glimmer flashed through the downcast eyes of Lin Xiyuan as well, fleeting as she followed Zhou Jin to the door.

"Qingyi, Little Zhe, you finally came back." Zhou Jin stepped forward and embraced Mo Qingyi.

"Mom, we’ve missed you so much." Mo Qingyi’s lips were very sweet.

"Mom missed you too, Qingyi. I specially made dumplings for you." Zhou Jin was very fond of Mo Qingyi.

Watching the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law embrace, a glint passed through Lin Xiyuan’s eyes.

It seems that someone else’s daughters are no match for one’s own daughter-in-law.

Zhou Jin is indeed very good to Mo Qingyi.

Lin Xiyuan, following behind Zhou Jin, greeted them, "Brother Duanmu, Sister-in-law Qingyi."

Duanmu Zhe and Mo Qingyi already knew about the situation between Lin Xiyuan and Zhou Yiheng and felt a deep sense of regret.

"Yuan Yuan, you’re here too," greeted Mo Qingyi politely.

With the appearance of a friendly girl-next-door, Lin Xiyuan indeed looked endearing.

"Auntie, I have something else to take care of. I’ll be heading home first, allowing Brother Duanmu and Sister-in-law Qingyi to have a good chat with you," continued Lin Xiyuan.

Lin Xiyuan was very perceptive. Now that Duanmu Zhe and Mo Qingyi were both back, her presence as an outsider would only be resented.

"Yuan Yuan," Mo Qingyi said with a smile, "dinner is almost ready; you should stay and eat with us too. Duanmu and I are usually very busy; during this period, we are grateful for your company to my mother." Having been married, Mo Qingyi had become much more sensible and handled matters much more tactfully than before.

"Sister-in-law Qingyi, you’re being too polite," Lin Xiyuan countered, "Auntie watched me grow up; it’s only right for me to keep her company. Alright, I’m off now. When you have the time, you and Brother Duanmu are welcome to visit my home." Lin Xiyuan was shrewd and had a way with words.

Without even greeting Zhou Yiheng, Lin Xiyuan said farewell to Zhou Jin and Mo Qingyi, then left immediately.

After Lin Xiyuan left, Mo Qingyi helped Zhou Jin to sit down on the sofa before saying, "Mom, is there really no hope for Yuan Yuan and cousin?"

Zhou Jin shook her head and made a ’shush’ gesture, "Your cousin is in the kitchen. Yuan Yuan is a determined girl; this affair seems hopeless."

Mo Qingyi fell silent.

Zhou Jin continued, "Qingyi, you and Little Zhe have to rest well at home for a while. It’s been half a year since your last visit; look, your face has lost so much weight. I’ll make you some good food at home to help you recuperate."

Duanmu Zhe said with a smile, "She has been on a diet lately."

Zhou Jin immediately scolded, "Why diet? You’re not even fat; you look just right. If you get any thinner, a gust of wind might blow you away."

Mo Qingyi intertwined her arm with Zhou Jin’s, "Mom, don’t listen to Duanmu’s nonsense. I’m not dieting. I love the dumplings you make the most."

Just then, Zhou Yiheng happily brought a bowl of stir-fried pork with green peppers from the kitchen, "Yuan Yuan, your stir-fried pork with green peppers is ready." Zhou Yiheng looked around, not seeing Lin Xiyuan, and raised his eyes to Zhou Jin, "Aunt, where is Yuan Yuan?"

Zhou Jin sighed, "She has already left. Yi Heng, there are plenty of fish in the sea. I’ve already asked Yuan Yuan for you, and it seems you two are an impossibility now."

With a "clang," the plate in Zhou Yiheng’s hands dropped to the floor and shattered.

"Aunt, please help me. I truly realize my mistake," Zhou Yiheng approached, clutching Zhou Jin’s hands tightly.

Zhou Yiheng had been a playboy for many years, and having finally found true love, he truly did not want to give up on Lin Xiyuan.

After being together with Lin Xiyuan for half a year, he had long been ready to spend the rest of his life with her.

Zhou Jin shook her head, "Yi Heng, a mistake is a mistake. This time, even your aunt can’t help you."

"Aunt!" Zhou Yiheng shook Zhou Jin.

He couldn’t bear to give up just like that.

"Yi Heng," Zhou Jin sighed, "It’s not that I won’t help you. It’s that Yuan Yuan isn’t willing to be with you anymore. You can’t force feelings, and your own mistakes are not Yuan Yuan’s fault."

Zhou Yiheng dejectedly sat on the ground.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read