Chapter 322 - 320: Dream or Reality? (3)

Chapter 322: Chapter 320: Dream or Reality? (3)

"You silly child—"

Zhang Minzhen’s laugh died in her throat, suddenly replaced by a pang of heartache. A look of reminiscence and regret washed over her face, and the reprimand on the tip of her tongue vanished. She sighed. "Really, you’re just like your mother was when she was little."

"Really? Was I really just like Mom when she was little?" At the mention of her mother, Luo Shengnan’s eyes immediately lit up as she asked eagerly.

"Of course, it’s true. You’re your mother’s child, who else would you be just like?" Zhang Minzhen forced back her sorrow, giving Luo Shengnan a loving smile tinged with bitterness. "But your mother wasn’t as fortunate as you are now. Whenever she was mischievous, Grandma would scold her harshly." ’That’s why she grew up to endure everything, no matter what. Even when others bullied her, she was too afraid to fight back, scared that I would be displeased. In the end, she bottled it all up until it made her sick...’

Zhang Minzhen’s eyes grew moist. She reached out and stroked the top of Luo Shengnan’s head. "The way you are now is good. If someone bullies you, don’t just take it. As long as you’re in the right, you fight back when you have to... Since your paternal grandparents don’t like you, and you don’t like them... then so be it. Life is just a few short decades, why make it so exhausting? Grandma was wrong in the past, and that’s what harmed your mother. I was so foolish. How could I have not learned my lesson after such a painful experience?"

With newfound resolve, she said firmly, "I’ll talk to your father in a bit. You’re coming to stay with me for a few days. It’s better for everyone to have some space than to be at each other’s throats. Since they don’t like us, there’s no need for us to force ourselves on them."

"Mhm, mhm." Luo Shengnan nodded repeatedly, then hugged Zhang Minzhen’s waist and nuzzled her face against her. "Grandma, don’t be sad. It wasn’t your fault Mom died. From now on, I’ll love you for both me and her."

"Good girl..." Zhang Minzhen’s tears finally broke free, streaming down her face.

...

Watching her mother and daughter walk toward the dining room hand-in-hand again, Gu Nuan Nuan couldn’t hold it in any longer. She covered her mouth and sobbed, ’Mom, it’s not your fault. I never truly blamed you... You shouldn’t have to carry the burden of those mistakes alone...’ But alas, no matter how heartbroken she was, her mother and young daughter, who were right beside her, remained completely unaware.

No one, not even Gu Nuan Nuan, noticed that Luo Hongyi was standing at the top of the second-floor staircase behind them. His face was a mask of self-reproach and gravity.

「In the dining room.」

Zhang Minzhen and Luo Shengnan had just sat down when Luo Hongyi appeared.

Seeing the Luo Hongyi from her past life again, Gu Nuan Nuan’s heart turned to ice. ’He hasn’t changed at all. It seems that even after I was dead for years, Luo Hongyi was still just as useless. He never managed to sort out the problems with his parents, and in the end, he let my daughter and my mother suffer...’ She narrowed her eyes, sizing him up. In just a few short years, though Luo Hongyi’s posture was still upright, his once-jet-black hair was now quietly flecked with frost, making him look at least ten years older in an instant.

’Hmph, what good is a handsome face? He’ll still turn into a wrinkly old man someday~’

Gu Nuan Nuan scoffed, then began to despise herself all over again for having once been so smitten with that face she couldn’t think straight.

The family’s housekeeper, Madam Shan, brought out breakfast for the three of them at just the right time: congee, steamed egg custard, and a plate of stir-fried greens. Gu Nuan Nuan glanced at it once before looking away. ’The meal is simple, but I suppose it’s passable. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the lavish spreads from many years ago, back when I was still completely devoted to Luo Hongyi and our child.’

Silence hung over the vast dining table as the three of them ate.

They ate in silence. As the meal was drawing to a close, Zhang Minzhen finally spoke up. "Hongyi, I’d like to take Shengnan back to my place for a few days."

"Alright."

Luo Hongyi nodded without another word of question. "I’ll have Xiao Zheng stay here. Once you’re packed, he’ll drive you over. Have Madam Shan go with you as well. Is the day after tomorrow okay? I’ll come pick you up myself that evening."

"...Maybe Madam Shan shouldn’t go. Otherwise, what will you do when your parents arrive tomorrow?" Luo Hongyi had agreed so readily, without even asking why she wanted to take Luo Shengnan with her this time. This surprised Zhang Minzhen, making her wonder if he already knew something.

’Several thoughts swirled in her mind, but in the end, Zhang Minzhen chose to keep quiet. Since my son-in-law isn’t asking, there’s no need for me to overstep. After all, they’re his biological parents. If he doesn’t bring it up, it’s better for me not to say anything either.’

"It’s fine. When Xiao Zheng goes to the station to pick them up tomorrow, I’ll have him buy their return tickets for the day after. For breakfast tomorrow, I’ll just have someone bring something back. For lunch and dinner, I’ll take them out to eat. As for me, I’ll just eat at the cafeteria tonight before coming home," Luo Hongyi replied, shaking his head.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked up at Luo Shengnan. "Even though I won’t be here to supervise you for the next two days, you can’t stop your Inner Strength Cultivation. When you come back the day after tomorrow, I’ll teach you some proper moves. Otherwise, how can you rely on just brute force when you fight? I don’t even need to see it to know your form must be a mess. If there’s a huge gap in strength and you have to be a little rough to avoid losing, that’s one thing. But normally, when you clearly have the strength, how can you not pay any attention to your image? You have to remember you’re a girl, after all. A good-looking fighting style isn’t all for show; the key is solid Inner Strength and a strong foundation."

"Dad, so you also think I was right to teach Yu Jincheng a lesson?" Luo Shengnan was practically beaming with surprise. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Luo Hongyi, sticking her tongue out playfully. "When Yu Jincheng’s mother came to our door that day, I thought you were angry~"

"I was angry. Since you weren’t the one who started it, why didn’t you just tell me the reason for your justified counterattack right away? Do you have that little faith that your father would be on your side?" Luo Hongyi’s face was stern.

"I... I was just scared you’d be angry," Luo Shengnan said, bowing her head in a gesture of repentance. ℴℴ𝘮

"Remember this from now on. It’s not just about when you’re in the right. Even if you get confused for a moment and do something wrong, there’s no way Dad wouldn’t forgive you in the end. Of course, if you need to be taught a lesson, I’ll do it. But you have to remember one thing: I am your father, and you are my only daughter left in this world. That is a fact that will never change. Even if you poked a hole in the heavens, I would never abandon you. I would still do everything I could to help you fix it."

"Dad~" Although Luo Hongyi’s face was still the same stern, rigid mask without a hint of a smile—a face that could intimidate anyone—it suddenly no longer seemed scary in Luo Shengnan’s eyes. She shot up from her seat and threw herself at him, beaming with a brilliant smile. She nodded vigorously and replied in a loud, clear voice, "I understand, Dad."