When flowers can be picked, they must be picked directly; don’t wait until there are no flowers and only empty branches to pick.
In the banquet hall, the noise was overwhelming, and the atmosphere was extraordinarily lively, leaving Lu Zizheng momentarily at a loss. She saw Father Jiang, Mother Jiang, Jiang Huaichuan, and Qiao Xin weaving between tables, raising glasses and laughing, and she couldn’t help but smile faintly to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Huaixi hadn’t come down; handling everyone like this, even if not exhausted, would surely leave one weary for a long while.
Grandma Jiang sat at the main table in the hall, and aside from occasionally chatting with other Jiang family relatives at the table, she was always watching the people entering and leaving the door. When she saw Lu Zizheng enter the hall, she gave a kind smile, waved her hand at Lu Zizheng, and gestured, “Over here, come over.”
Lu Zizheng was also looking around, searching for the Jiang family’s location, and as she scanned the center, she saw Grandma Jiang smiling with narrowed eyes, waving at her. She returned Grandma Jiang’s gentle smile and quickly walked over to her position.
Upon reaching the table, Grandma Jiang warmly took her hand, letting Lu Zizheng sit beside her, and then introduced her to some curious relatives at the table: “This is Huaixi’s wife, Zizheng. After you finish drinking Huaichuan’s wedding wine, you’ll need to prepare for Huaixi’s wedding wine.” After speaking, she didn’t care about the listeners’ expressions and proceeded to introduce Lu Zizheng: “Zizheng, this is Huaixi’s paternal elder cousin uncle, this is Huaixi’s paternal elder cousin aunt, this is…”
Lu Zizheng noticed some astonishment and surprise on their faces, but out of respect for Grandma Jiang, they didn’t dare say much, and their expressions varied. Lu Zizheng cast a hesitant glance at Grandma Jiang, who only smiled with narrowed eyes and comforted her with her gaze. So, Lu Zizheng didn’t worry about their expressions and, with a smile, followed Grandma Jiang’s introductions, greeting each one. Those greeted, out of respect, could only manage a smile and nodded in agreement.
Once the introductions were done, the banquet was about to begin, and the atmosphere became even more lively, with the noise filling the room, conveniently masking the awkwardness at the table due to Lu Zizheng’s presence.
Grandma Jiang found it somewhat inconvenient to pick dishes, and Lu Zizheng noticed this, so before using her own chopsticks, she first helped serve dishes for Grandma Jiang. The Jiang family’s relatives, seeing their grandmother and granddaughter in such a harmonious scene, had some reservations about Lu Zizheng, but they slowly came to terms with it. If even her own grandma didn’t say anything, who were they to criticize? It wasn’t their place to meddle unnecessarily, so they let it be.
Thus, the initial awkward silence gradually faded away, and the atmosphere at the table became lively once more. After several dishes, some uncles and aunts relaxed a bit and occasionally began to ask Lu Zizheng a few questions, casually chatting with her.
Mother Jiang, smiling as she clinked glasses with people, took a moment to glance over at Lu Zizheng. She saw Lu Zizheng with a gentle smile at the corner of her lips, calmly engaging in conversation with the uncles and aunts beside her. Judging by everyone’s expressions, they were clearly all in a good mood. Mother Jiang couldn’t help but breathe a silent sigh of relief.
Before setting out, Jiang Huaixi had once asked her, “Mom, Zizheng is part of our family, so we naturally want to protect her. We can’t let her be wronged by anyone, or let anyone look down on her or criticize her unnecessarily, right?”
Deliberately asking this question at this point, Mother Jiang could easily discern the implied meaning in Jiang Huaixi’s words. She sighed, understanding Jiang Huaixi’s eagerness to protect Lu Zizheng, and reassured Jiang Huaixi in her heart: “We’re one family, so we naturally protect Zizheng. If we can’t look after Zizheng, you can rest assured knowing Grandma will be there for her, right?”
Mother Jiang took a small sip from her cup and sighed inwardly, saying: “Huaixi, I suppose I’ve lived up to the trust placed in me, right?”
As the banquet was about to end, due to the pleasant conversations at the table, Jiang Huaixi’s paternal cousin uncles and aunts smilingly and politely invited Lu Zizheng to visit their home another day when she had time, and Lu Zizheng gladly accepted with a smile. She could clearly see that their friendliness was merely due to the protection given to her by Grandma Jiang and Jiang Huaixi’s family, and that Grandma Jiang’s affection for her was because they all protected Jiang Huaixi, loving the house and its crow. Thinking of this and of Jiang Huaixi, Lu Zizheng’s heart softened even more, wishing she could immediately go find Jiang Huaixi after the banquet.
However, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she hesitated, recalling Lian Xuan’s earnest gaze outside the elevator earlier, and the sincere “please make sure to come” when they parted. Lu Zizheng’s gaze gradually dimmed, and she sighed softly, realizing she must first go find her.
When the banquet officially ended, Lu Zizheng, at Grandma Jiang’s request, helped her to the banquet hall’s entrance and stood beside Father Jiang and Mother Jiang to respectfully see off the guests. Afterwards, Lu Zizheng greeted Mother Jiang, informing her that she had met a classmate and had something to attend to. Mother Jiang nodded with a smile, indicating she understood.
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Lu Zizheng exited the banquet hall. Because the banquet had just ended, the elevators were crowded, all heading downwards. Looking at the crowded people waiting for the elevator gave her a slight headache, so she turned and headed towards the innermost safety passage.
Step by step, she climbed the stairs to the thirteenth floor. The noisy voices gradually faded, and her somewhat restless mood also gradually calmed down. The quieter her heart became, the clearer her thoughts grew.
Lian Xuan was obviously well-prepared. Lu Zizheng could deduce from her expression that she had probably been searching for her for a long time and was here today to wait patiently.
Her high heels tapped steadily and crisply on the ground, echoing in the narrow corridor. In this echo, Lu Zizheng suddenly remembered back then at Lian Xuan’s home, when Lian Xuan urged her to try on high heels.
At that time, Lian Xuan held her arm and taught her how to walk gracefully, but since it was her first time wearing high heels, she walked crookedly and clumsily no matter what. Lian Xuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter, while Lu Zizheng, both shy and annoyed, reached out to cover Lian Xuan’s mouth to stop her laughter. The two of them playfully turned into a laughing mess, with their laughter, like silver bells, accompanied by the crisp sound of heels tapping, echoing in the cloakroom for a long time.
Recalling this scene and situation, Lu Zizheng slightly closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
If life were only as it was at first meeting.
Lu Zizheng finally reached room 1314. She placed her hands together at her lips, gently exhaled, and then raised her hand to gently press the doorbell.
No matter what, if things can have a good beginning and a good end, it wouldn’t be in vain to have had this friendship, right?
The doorbell had just been pressed for less than three seconds before the room door opened with a “click.” Lian Xuan poked her head out, seeing it was Lu Zizheng coming to the appointment. She couldn’t help but have sparkling eyes, a face full of smiles, and was overjoyed.
She opened the door and stepped back, with a slightly nervous joy inviting Lu Zizheng to enter. She gestured for her to sit on the sofa, then poured a cup of cool boiled water for Lu Zizheng, and apologetically said, “Sorry, this is all I have here.”
Lu Zizheng lightly shook her head and said faintly, “No problem.”
The two sat facing each other, with Lu Zizheng lowering her head to look at the cool boiled water placed in front of her, observing the calm surface of the cup, and quietly waiting for Lian Xuan to speak. Lian Xuan, with some hesitation and unease, gazed deeply at Lu Zizheng for a while, finally gently clenching her hands placed on her knees, and spoke: “Zizheng, about Auntie’s matter, I’m very sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you at that time, and I’m sorry for causing you trouble and sadness.” Her beautiful brows slightly furrowed, her eyes seriously gazing at Lu Zizheng, filled with sincere apology and regret.
Lu Zizheng raised her head and looked directly at Lian Xuan, looking into her eyes full of sincerity, gently sighed, and shook her head to indicate that she didn’t mind anymore, without speaking.
Lian Xuan slightly lowered her head, somewhat dim, yet with some hope said, “Zizheng, if I say, I didn’t know Ji Yao would come to find you, that wasn’t my intention, would you believe me?”
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Lu Zizheng was slightly stunned as she looked at Lian Xuan, who seemed to have removed her past flawless disguise. She remembered the last time they met, when Lian Xuan had firmly pledged, “I will prove it to you,” and she slightly lowered her eyes. Finally, she gently spoke, “I believe you.”
At that moment, she saw Lian Xuan suddenly raise her head, her gaze directly toward her, with eyes full of unconcealed joy. Her expression was clean and honest like a child, a side of Lian Xuan that Lu Zizheng had never seen, and Lu Zizheng couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.
Hearing Lu Zizheng’s affirmative answer, Lian Xuan seemed to relax a lot, and her expression gradually lost its initial awkwardness, regaining some of her usual calm. She pondered slightly, organized her words, and seriously explained to Lu Zizheng, “Zizheng, Ji Yao and I have known each other since childhood and grew up together. Ji Yao’s grandfather was a good friend of my grandfather, and back then her mother’s family also flourished for a time. Her mother and my mother were in similar situations, married by parental arrangement and broken by their husbands’ affairs. But at that time, Ji Yao’s grandfather’s family had already declined due to her grandfather’s death and a struggle over inheritance among the brothers, leaving them fragmented and powerless to protect Ji Yao and her mother. Ji Yao and her mother were then ruthlessly cast out by Ji Yao’s father. That man cunningly gave them no share of the property, and none of Ji Yao’s mother’s brothers were willing to take them in. Having been pampered since childhood, Ji Yao’s mother had no social work abilities, and they once had nowhere to go. Later, my grandfather, out of friendship with her grandfather, really couldn’t bear it, so he helped them, found them a house, let Ji Yao’s mother enter the company to slowly learn from the simplest work, and also funded Ji Yao’s tuition, supporting her from elementary school to university.”
“Because Ji Yao was very sensible from a young age, grandfather cherished her deeply. When her mother was on business trips and not at home, grandfather would have the driver bring her to our house, and my mother would help take care of her, which is how she and I became familiar and gradually became good friends.”
At this point, Lian Xuan paused for a moment, took a sip of water, and then continued: “Only, I didn’t expect that Ji Yao didn’t just purely consider me her good friend.”
Hearing this, Lu Zizheng slightly widened her eyes, looking somewhat astonished.
Lian Xuan seemed to know Lu Zizheng misunderstood something. She slightly curled her lips into a smile, sighed, and explained: “It’s not what you think. Later, my father also had an affair, and my mother passed away. At one point, my situation was almost even more difficult than her childhood. But due to the relationship between my grandfather and her grandfather, I was able to restrain my father’s outside woman and child. She seemed to see a hope that she should have had as well. She slowly transferred her hatred for the woman who took her father to my father’s outside woman and placed her hope of guarding what originally belonged to her on me. Because of grandfather’s expectations for me and her gratitude to grandfather, she held great hope and obsession for me, hoping I could follow the so-called perfect life path planned by grandfather and her, not allowing my life to deviate. So, when she learned that I wanted to break the engagement with Zhou Zhong’an, to defy grandfather, even at the cost of leaving with nothing, she felt she couldn’t just watch me ruin my future. She actually hid it from me, went to find you, and did those unforgivable things.”
Lu Zizheng hadn’t thought that behind Ji Yao’s cold sharpness and indifferent contempt towards her was such a story. For a moment, she sighed and lamented, yet didn’t know what to say.
Lian Xuan stood up straight, looking at Lu Zizheng, sincerely saying, “Zizheng, I’m sorry. I was completely unaware that during high school Ji Yao already sought you out about this matter. I’m sorry that back then, for my own benefit, I spoke carelessly and hurt you, damaging our relationship. I apologize for everything that I and Ji Yao did out of our own selfishness that hurt you.” After speaking, she solemnly bent down in a standard ninety-degree bow.
Lu Zizheng was greatly shocked, her face stern, as she extended her hand to help Lian Xuan up.
Lian Xuan straightened up, her eyes directly meeting Lu Zizheng’s, solemnly saying, “So, Zizheng, please believe me. From beginning to end, I’ve never treated emotions as a game, never had any intention of playing with you. What I said to you, the promises I made, were all serious and from the heart. Also, thank you for giving me the courage and determination to bravely pursue the life I want.”
Lu Zizheng gazed deeply at Lian Xuan for a long time, finally revealing a faint smile at the corner of her lips. She sighed and said, “Lian Xuan, I accept your apology. Actually, Ji Yao once told me a sentence that is correct: I can’t truly understand the world you’re in. I know you all have your own helplessness and difficulties, and although this can’t justify transferring the hurt to me, I’m willing to try to understand you.”
Hearing Lu Zizheng change her address, seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Lian Xuan knew that Lu Zizheng truly forgave her. Her face showed a mix of touched and joyful expressions, her eyes shining brightly like stars. She looked at Lu Zizheng with affectionate, watery eyes, murmuring as if to plead, “So, Zizheng, can you…” Can you give me one more chance?
However, her words were interrupted by Lu Zizheng’s suddenly ringing phone.
She saw Lu Zizheng’s lips bloom into a brilliant smile as she answered the phone and listened, replying warmly: “Yes… I’m ready, yes, wait a moment, I’ll go down immediately…” Lian Xuan’s heart slowly sank.
Lu Zizheng hung up the phone, bent forward, picked up the cup, and with water instead of wine, gently raised it towards Lian Xuan. She arched her eyebrows, drank it all in one sip, smiled at Lian Xuan, and said: “Goodbye, still friends.” Then, she put down the cup and excused herself: “I have something else to do, so I must leave first. If there’s a chance, we’ll talk again.”
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Lian Xuan lowered her eyes, swallowing her full heart of bitterness and disappointment, her courage gradually fading. Finally, she gently and warmly replied: “Yes, be careful on your way.”
Lu Zizheng curved her lips into a smile and said: “Okay, I will. Goodbye.”
“Yes, goodbye.”
Lian Xuan watched Lu Zizheng’s back as she walked away step by step, with bitterness gradually appearing on her brow.
When flowers can be picked, they must be picked directly; don’t wait until there are no flowers and only empty branches to pick. Zizheng, have I really already, completely missed your blooming period…
LP: Re-translated on October 09, 2024