Chapter 248: To Love Her Is to Accept All of Her

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: To Love Her Is to Accept All of Her

Zhang Wei Qiang was on the rooftop terrace of his villa in the city.

Taking a small sip from his glass, Song Yong picked up a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, chewing slowly. Before him and Zhang Wei Qiang was a stone table with matching stools. The two of them sat facing each other, with just two small, one-tael wine cups, a simple plate of peanuts, and a dish of spicy dried fish between them.

A cool evening breeze drifted by, carrying a hint of chill, but the two men didn’t seem to notice as they sipped their wine and chatted leisurely.

"Heh heh, Brother Qiang, what do you think would happen if people found out your wife has you so thoroughly tamed? The infamous ’Leopard’ who could down half a dozen bottles of Erguotou in one go is now only allowed a cup so small it’s not even enough for a proper rinse. Would they be so shocked they’d be too scared to ever mention the word ’marriage’ again?" Song Yong toyed with the little cup in his hand. Even though he’d been savoring it, it was already less than half full. He sighed, half-amused. "The wine is good, but this is just too stingy. I think we’d be better off drinking at my place next time. No one to bother us, so much more liberating."

"Sure, you’d have a great time with no one to rein you in, but what about me? I’d come home to a disaster. Are you trying to get me sent back here to enjoy the pleasure of kneeling on a washboard?" Zhang Wei Qiang shot Song Yong a glare and picked up a piece of dried fish, popping it into his mouth. He then asked casually, "What’s so fun about drinking, anyway? It’s nothing compared to the peace of mind that comes from having a wife, kids, and a warm home. How about you? Ever thought about finding someone to keep you in line? I hear plenty of people are lining up to play matchmaker for you. How come you refuse to even meet any of them? Even when pretty girls approach you on their own, you give them the cold shoulder. That’s not right. Is there really not a single one who catches your eye? Or are your standards just that high?"

"Standards? I don’t have any high standards. All I want is someone I actually like, even if... but alas..." ’Even if she’s divorced, I’d cherish her. But unfortunately, just because I like her doesn’t mean she likes me back.’

Song Yong stared at the last bit of wine in his cup with a bitter smile, then threw his head back and downed it all. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t dare say them too plainly, afraid the man before him would easily see into his heart.

’How pathetic.’

He mocked himself silently, and the rich, fragrant Maotai suddenly seemed to lose all its flavor as it went down.

He held up his disfigured hand and wiggled it, his face a mask of self-deprecating sarcasm. "As for all those others... forget it. Every time I intentionally show them this, do they think I’m blind to the disgust in their eyes? And yet, every single one of them still manages to plaster on a smile and cozy up to me. Would you believe me if I said they weren’t after my money?"

After a long pause, he gave another wry smile. "Tell me, back when I had no money, did you ever see anyone give me the time of day?"

"..." Zhang Wei Qiang looked at Song Yong’s hand, his expression unreadable. "Don’t tell me you still can’t forget that one from back then?"

"I can’t."

Song Yong’s reply was unhesitating.

Zhang Wei Qiang’s heart sank. He lowered his head and sipped his wine, saying nothing. In that instant, all his hopes of setting Song Yong up with his little sister vanished. A man who was still hung up on an old flame, no matter how great he was, was absolutely not right for his sister.

"In the beginning, I couldn’t forget her at all. It was hate, a bone-deep, unforgettable hate. The more completely my dream was shattered, the more disgracefully and wretchedly I had to leave my job, the deeper that hatred and bitterness in my heart grew. Looking back now, I think that all-consuming hatred was the only thing that kept me from collapsing."

Song Yong took a deep breath and chuckled. "I hated her so much back then. At my lowest point, I even thought several times about just throwing it all away, ending them, and then ending myself. I’ve never considered myself a saint, and even saints distinguish between kindness and grudges. In a situation like that, how could I possibly forget her?"

"..."

The words weren’t even spoken clearly, but they were enough to give Zhang Wei Qiang a huge scare.

Zhang Wei Qiang stared at him. "Do you still hate her?"

"Heh, Brother Qiang, isn’t it strange? Now that I actually have the power to get my revenge quietly, I’ve started to let it go. I don’t know why, but when I think about her and her family now, I suddenly feel nothing. Maybe there’s still some hate. If I ever get the chance, I definitely wouldn’t mind kicking them while they’re down. But to go out of my way to plot revenge against them... it just feels like a waste of energy on irrelevant people." Song Yong put down his cup and focused on picking up a piece of dried fish with his chopsticks.

"So you’re planning to stay single forever?" Zhang Wei Qiang asked, narrowing his eyes.

"...How about you introduce someone to me, then?" Song Yong looked up at him, half-joking and half-serious, his eyes bright with expectation. "I’m not picky." ’Of course, that’s on the condition that the person is your sister.’

He added silently in his heart.

"As if I’d believe that," Zhang Wei Qiang scoffed, then asked jokingly, "Would you be picky about my sister?"

"Of course not!" Before Zhang Wei Qiang could even finish his sentence, Song Yong shot up from his seat in his excitement. His face instantly flushed red, but he kept his gaze fixed firmly on Zhang Wei Qiang.

"Are you serious?" Zhang Wei Qiang also stood up, staring back at him without blinking. "I’m not joking. Think it through. My sister... she’s been divorced..."

"I’ve actually liked her since the first time I saw her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken the initiative to talk to your parents and show them the way. You know I can be helpful, but not *that* helpful. Back then, I didn’t dare to even think about it. I just assumed she already had a family. If I had known back then that she had just gotten divorced and was your sister, believe me, I would have chased her all the way to your family’s front door."

Song Yong coughed awkwardly a couple of times but pressed on, "When I met her again later and found out she was divorced, you have no idea how happy I was. But..." He glanced at his hand and gave a bitter smile. "But then I felt that someone like me wasn’t good enough for her."

"...You really know how to keep a secret. If I hadn’t brought it up today, were you just planning to keep this bottled up inside forever?" After so many years together, Zhang Wei Qiang knew Song Yong to the bone. He could easily tell that his words were coming straight from the heart, without a hint of falsehood. He breathed a sigh of relief and felt genuinely happy for his little sister. "You two are really something else... If my mom hadn’t noticed you two had a little something for each other and sent me to sound you out, who knows how long you two would have dragged this out?"

"You’re saying... Min-Minzhen has... has a little something for me too?" This was a delightful surprise. Song Yong was so excited he could barely speak properly.

"Because of her previous marriage, she feels like she isn’t good enough for you."

Even though Song Yong seemed to have feelings for his sister, Zhang Wei Qiang felt he had to lay out the hard truths.

He clapped Song Yong firmly on the shoulder and said with the utmost seriousness, "You have a chance to think this over carefully. If you back out and refuse now, I’ll understand. After all, this would be your first marriage, while my little sister has a failed marriage and a child. Don’t agree to it now only to suddenly have regrets one day and start holding her past marriage and child against her. If that really happens, don’t blame me for disregarding all our years of brotherhood."

"How is she not good enough for me? Look at my hand! I’m the one who’s not good enough for her, a cripple." Song Yong’s eyes were shining with excitement. He could even hear his own heart pounding. This mix of anxiety and joy was something he had never felt, not even with his so-called "fiancée" whom he had been engaged to all those years ago. He spoke quickly and without a trace of hesitation, "There’s no need to think it over. I’ve already thought it through very clearly. I like her, so I can accept everything about her."