SCHS - Chapter 107
Chapter 107
The sudden sibling bond came too abruptly, deeply shocking the Xu couple. At the same time, Chen Wanping felt something was off; she distinctly remembered her son being a year older than the Wen family's daughter...
Weak, pitiful, but not helpless, Xu Jianfan tilted his head, looking at his parents across from him. Their expressions showed a bewilderment he'd never seen before. Clearly, Wen Shixue's move had caught them completely off guard.
Xu Rangshan had always wanted a daughter, but Chen Wanping's health didn't allow them to have a second child, and they hadn't considered adoption. They thought they'd raise their son well, and when he grew up and married, they could treat his wife like a daughter. As it turned out, their son grew up and brought them a daughter.
Xu Rangshan thought with a complicated heart: Does Lao Wen know about this?
Wen Lianchang, of course, knew. Wen Shixue had informed him in advance, and he had no objections whatsoever. After all, he'd gained a son in Xu Jianfan for free, and given their deep, long-standing friendship, their children were like their own, no need to be so particular. However, Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping found it hard to adjust immediately. The daughter-in-law they had anticipated for so long instantly became a daughter. But because Pan He had already given them a heads-up, they didn't have much resistance to the idea deep down...
Then, Wen Shixue's next sentence crushed their faint hope: "Uncle Xu, Aunt Chen, to be honest with you both, Jianfan and I are destined not to be husband and wife, because I like women and have no interest in men."
Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping looked astonished upon hearing this, completely unprepared for such a turn of events. Because societal acceptance of homosexuality wasn't high enough, most parents would assume their child would bring back someone of the opposite sex, not the same sex, when they grew up.
Wen Shixue straightened her back and said brightly, "I already have a girlfriend." Her tone carried a hint of touching pride.
Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping exchanged glances again. To be honest, Wen Shixue's confident and cheerful demeanor made it impossible for them to dislike her, even after she had just revealed a shocking truth.
Chen Wanping pondered for a moment, then asked softly, "Shixue, do your parents know about this?"
Wen Shixue nodded: "They've already agreed, which is why they allowed me to come and tell Uncle Xu and Aunt Chen in person."
"Uncle Xu, Aunt Chen, I believe everything you do is for Jianfan's good, but what's done is done. If we were to marry now, we wouldn't be happy. We should dissolve the engagement and embrace our own happiness."
"Even without marrying, I can still be your daughter, and Jianfan can still be my parents' son, right?"
Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping hesitated for a moment. While that was true...
Seeing the elders remain silent, Wen Shixue and Xu Jianfan couldn't gauge their attitude. Wen Shixue took the initiative, lowering her head, slumping her shoulders, and letting a look of grievance flood her face, appearing on the verge of tears: "Uncle Xu, Aunt Chen, you don't want me to be your goddaughter?"
"Is it because you think I'm a lesbian and find it hard to accept?"
"Or am I not good enough, not worthy of being your daughter..." The more she spoke, the more she seemed about to cry.
Xu Jianfan: "..."
Xu Jianfan: Truly the 'pitiful' route.
Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping didn't know her true nature and were genuinely afraid she would burst into tears on the spot. They quickly tried to comfort her: "No, no, that's not it. Uncle/Auntie likes you very much. What do you mean not worthy? Don't say such things."
Wen Shixue pretended to sniffle, looking utterly pathetic: "Really?"
Xu Rangshan quickly said: "Really, really, don't cry, don't cry."
He had a good impression of Wen Shixue and was genuinely willing to treat her as his own daughter. Besides, her own parents hadn't interfered with her relationship matters, so what right did they have to judge? And this was the daughter of an old friend; if she cried buckets in their home, how would they explain it to Wen Lianchang?
Wen Shixue asked again: "Then do you still want Jianfan to marry me?"
Chen Wanping sighed: "Since it's something destined not to be, we can't force it anymore. We agree to dissolve the engagement. Don't cry anymore, be good. Crying makes you less pretty."
Seeing this, Xu Jianfan was overjoyed, but noticing Wen Shixue seemed not to be finished acting, he wisely left the stage to her. He unilaterally declared that the Wen family's eldest daughter was this year's Best Actress!
Wen Shixue indeed wasn't finished. To see the Buddha off to the west, she wanted to help Xu Jianfan and Jiang Manwei a little more. Otherwise, what if Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping agreed to dissolve the engagement, only to immediately find another young lady for Xu Jianfan to marry? She adjusted her expression, reining in her usual spirited demeanor, becoming as docile as a soft little cat. Her voice was light, cautiously asking, "Then will you also agree to let Jianfan pursue his own happiness?"
Chen Wanping glanced at Xu Rangshan. Xu Rangshan didn't speak. They didn't know much about Jiang Manwei and found it difficult to easily judge if they could let Xu Jianfan pursue her. Their son was here expressing his sincere feelings for her; what if she turned around and deceived him? People's hearts were complex, and they only had one son, so they had to be cautious.
Xu Jianfan guessed this and said, "Dad, are you afraid Manwei will deceive me?"
He vowed: "Dad, Mom, your son has grown up. I can tell if someone is sincere towards me. Trust me this once, okay?"
Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping gazed at his resolute eyes, which seemed to indicate that nothing in the world could change his mind. This suddenly brought a sense of emotion to them, and the sternness in their tightly furrowed brows quietly melted away.
Yes, he had grown up. The son before them had grown from a toddling child into a dignified man, beginning to have his own thoughts, beginning to learn to soar alone, no longer needing them to follow him step by step. They should have realized this long ago, from the day he left home for his dream.
"Give him another chance," they heard Wen Shixue's voice say, and couldn't help but look up at her.
The atmosphere was solemn. Wen Shixue remembered how Xu Jianfan had been overly protected by his parents. She immediately dropped her pitiful expression, her tone serious: "Leaving aside Manwei's character, life itself is a process of constant trial and error. No one can guarantee that their first choice is the right one. You have to suffer some hardships and lessons to truly learn."
"Just like you and my dad, you stumbled, fell, and failed while building your careers, but you were never defeated. Instead, you learned from it, forging the strong and shrewd people you are today."
"So, making a wrong choice once is nothing. Get up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward on a different path."
"But protection, once it crosses the line, is useless except for turning us into useless people who can't live without our parents." "Do you want to hear others call him a good-for-nothing who only relies on his parents?"
Her words were sharp and thought-provoking, completely different from the little girl who looked like she could cry at any moment just now. And never before had a junior dared to speak to them like this.
Xu Rangshan's gaze was as sharp as a knife, sweeping over this aggressive junior: "You talk to us like this, aren't you afraid of making us angry and ruining our friendship with your parents?"
Wen Shixue was completely unfazed, her eyes resolute, a hint of a smile playing on her lips: "Uncle Xu and my dad have been friends for so many years; it's not something I can ruin with a few words. If it were that easy to ruin, it would have been ruined long ago, no need to wait for me to offend you. Besides, Jianfan and I are also friends. I am now defending my friend's right to choose his own life."
Recalling everything that had happened, Chenfeng's achievements today owed much to the help of Xu Jianfan and Jiang Manwei. As their friend, she absolutely couldn't be ungrateful and stand by idly.
As for the friendship of the older generation, they could go cool off somewhere else. The little devil of the Wen family was here to defend the friendship of their generation!
Xu Rangshan suddenly fell silent, his sharp gaze fixed intently on Wen Shixue.
Xu Jianfan stepped in front of Wen Shixue: "Dad, I think Shixue is right. If you're angry, be angry at me, don't blame Shixue."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, a subtle strain seeping into everyone's bones. The sunlight outside the window streamed through the glass, casting a golden glow on Wen Shixue and Xu Jianfan, illuminating their outlines. Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping sat outside the light, as if shrouded in shadow, the two sides locked in a stalemate.
Pan He stood between the light and shadow, calmly adjusted his glasses, poured tea for Xu Rangshan and Chen Wanping, and then poured cola for Wen Shixue and Xu Jianfan. The atmosphere immediately eased.
Chen Wanping nudged her husband with her elbow, signaling him not to be so harsh on the children. She felt that Wen Shixue's words made sense and that her intentions were for their son's good, so there was nothing to blame her for.
Xu Rangshan took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, suppressing his authority, and then said to Wen Shixue, "No one has ever dared to speak to me like that."
Wen Shixue was composed: "Then I will. After all, I'm practically your half-eldest daughter now." She turned and raised an eyebrow at Xu Jianfan, "Right, little brother."
Hearing this, Xu Rangshan suddenly let out a hearty laugh: "Yes, half-eldest daughter."
Then he put down his teacup, got up, and left.
Wen Shixue watched his retreating figure with her little eyes, waiting until he went upstairs and disappeared before turning back to Xu Jianfan, her face full of confusion.
Xu Jianfan sighed, patted her shoulder to comfort her: "It's okay, I'm here."
Chen Wanping glanced in the direction her husband had gone, then said to the two of them: "I'll go check on him. Jianfan, Pan He, please entertain Shixue well." And she followed suit.
Left alone, the two exchanged glances. It was Pan He who broke the ice: "Young Master, why don't you show Miss Wen around? After all, she's half the eldest daughter, so she should understand the layout of the house."
He understood Xu Rangshan; this meant he had relented.
Xu Jianfan took Wen Shixue to visit Xu Rangshan's study. Three full walls were lined with bookshelves of antique texture, with a brightly lit window in the middle. The summer breeze gently blew, rustling the magazines on the desk.
Wen Shixue looked down and recognized the fashion magazines. Qili Magazine was placed on top. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "So Uncle Xu is also interested in these?"
Xu Jianfan was also curious: "No, my dad never reads fashion magazines."
Wen Shixue had an idea. She nodded and picked up a copy, casually flipping through it until she found the page with a homemade laminated leaf bookmark. It was something Xu Jianfan had made for fun in middle school, and Xu Rangshan had been using it ever since.
"Quite durable," Wen Shixue praised.
Xu Jianfan smiled softly and also casually flipped through a fashion magazine, then froze—every page with a bookmark on it invariably contained his name, either an interview with him or a mention of him. Every single magazine was like this.
The magazines were placed in the most conspicuous spot on the desk, easily reachable.
Xu Jianfan held the magazine, speechless. If it were before, the Xu Rangshan who would even tear up his design drafts would surely have thrown these magazines into the trash, dismissing them with disdain. But now, he had carefully saved them, bookmarking them one by one, neatly and without damaging a single page or corner, placing them in the spot closest to himself...
Wen Shixue put the magazine back in its place and happily patted his shoulder.
—There's hope.
...
Standing in the bedroom, Xu Rangshan gazed at the blazing sun hanging in the sky, his mind filled with thoughts.
When he first started his business, he had failed, he had stumbled. His psychological defenses had almost collapsed several times. His heart was dark, and for a time, he couldn't see the blue sky. He would even secretly shed tears while eating a steamed bun, but in the end, he would still dust himself off and set sail again, facing the unknown road ahead.
At that time, he swore he would make sure his family lived well and that his children wouldn't suffer the hardships he did. That's why he couldn't bear to see his only son suffer setbacks or failures, hoping he could live his life safely, happily, and joyfully.
He just forgot that children always grow up, they will have their own ideas, and those ideas might go against his plans, becoming a mark of their maturity. And Wen Shixue's question was like a needle pricking his heart. He truly didn't want his child to be called a good-for-nothing who only relied on his parents... His method was wrong, it was wrong from the start.
Chen Wanping walked up to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. She heard him sigh with disappointment and guilt.
Years of marriage required no words. Chen Wanping held his hand: "It's not too late. Just like that child Shixue said, making a wrong choice once is nothing. Get up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward on a different path."
The most intense conflict Xu Jianfan had with them was when he ran away from home, hiding silently for several months, making them anxious and scared. They were eventually persuaded to give him two years.
After the conversation with Wen Shixue today, they saw in this child who didn't easily bow her head the same Xu Jianfan who had resolutely left home back then. They were equally young, equally unwilling to admit defeat or accept fate. It was she who made them realize again that no one can stop a child from growing up, and parents should choose a path that is truly suitable for their child to move forward on.
Chen Wanping gently patted Xu Rangshan's hand and said softly, "This is our first time being parents too. We don't need to be too hard on ourselves."
Xu Rangshan looked at his wife's gentle face and finally nodded.
It was time to let the child venture out on his own.
...
The moment Xu Rangshan saw Wen Shixue and Xu Jianfan come out of the study, he knew they must have discovered the magazines. His old face immediately flushed, and he put on a stern expression, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
Wen Shixue nudged Xu Jianfan, signaling him to go over and have a father-son talk with Xu Rangshan.
Encouraged, Xu Jianfan suddenly felt like hugging the father he had rarely hugged since growing up.
Xu Rangshan watched his son walk towards him, just as he was wondering what to say, he was embraced tightly, and heard a soft "Dad" in his ear.
Ever since Xu Jianfan grew up, the conflict between father and son had escalated, and Xu Jianfan had never again hugged him proactively like he did when he was little. This made him suddenly awkward, unsure whether to push him away or hug him back. In the end, he could only awkwardly say, "What are you doing? You're a grown man now."
Xu Jianfan smiled: "Dad, you actually think I've done very well, and you're proud of me, right?"
Xu Rangshan neither admitted nor denied it.
Xu Jianfan didn't mind, because he understood Xu Rangshan's awkward temper. At least he wasn't denying him like before.
"Dad," he said softly, "Praise me."
Xu Rangshan remained silent.
Wen Shixue leaned against the study door, watching the deep father-son bond unfolding. Xu Rangshan was clearly unaccustomed to this kind of interaction. After standing awkwardly for a while, he finally raised his hand and gently ruffled Xu Jianfan's head, calling out, "Stinky kid."
"It was Dad's fault."
"You did very well."
He then raised his hand and beckoned Wen Shixue over, apologizing, "Sorry, Shixue, Uncle was a bit harsh on you just now."
Wen Shixue waved her hand dismissively: "What are you talking about? We're all family." She added lightly, "If you mind this, then later I'll have Lao Wen be harsh on Jianfan, and we'll call it even, how about that?"
Xu Rangshan smiled again, clearly very satisfied with this eldest daughter.
Xu Jianfan, like an older brother to a younger sister, smiled and pinched her nose: "Why are you so petty?"
Xu Rangshan, who had gained a daughter late in life, instantly changed his expression, immediately swatting his hand away and protecting Wen Shixue: "Get your pig trotters off her! Don't pinch Shixue!"
Xu Jianfan covered the back of his hand in disbelief: "???"
Have I fallen out of favor this quickly???
Wen Shixue: Hehe.
...
Within a few days, everyone knew that the Wen family's young lady and the Xu family's young master had dissolved their engagement. Some were eager, some were gossiping, all wondering why the perfectly good engagement had broken off, including the Chenfeng secretarial office, as they were the people closest to Wen Shixue.
Until one day, a secretary saw President Wen in the passenger seat of a car in the parking lot reach out and tug on Vice President Qin's tie, then turn her head towards her lips, and just like that... kissed her.
The secretary instantly received a year's worth of shock.
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