Chapter 122

Chapter 122 - 122 116 Xie Shang Declares His Intention to Marry Chapter 122: 116: Xie Shang Declares His Intention to Marry (Second Update) Chapter 122: 116: Xie Shang Declares His Intention to Marry (Second Update) Wen Changling woke up a bit disoriented, sitting blankly for a while.

Without her phone nearby, she didn’t know the time, she drew the curtains open to find a faint daylight outside. She got out of bed, put on the cardigan she brought over last night, turned off the air conditioning, and then went out.

It was only dimly lit outside when she thought she saw a hallucination, rubbed her eyes, but it wasn’t an illusion, it was Xie Shang. One man and one cat, squatting under the apricot tree that had never borne apricots.

Xie Shang was feeding Huahua some cat food, using a very beautiful and delicate plate.

“Xie Shang.”

Upon hearing Wen Changling calling him, he put down the bag of cat food in his hand, went to the sink to wash his hands and then approached her, “Why are you up so early?”

You’re even earlier.

She asked Xie Shang, “Didn’t you sleep?”

“I did, just woke up.”

There was only a wall separating the master bedroom and the guest room. Changling was on the other side, and Xie Shang hadn’t slept well all night, woken early by the cat’s cries from outside.

Wen Changling fiddled with her messy hair: “Why are you feeding Huahua so early?”

“It seemed to be looking for you, kept making noise, and wouldn’t stop unless fed.”

The cat had a human-like nature and even knew to seek out Wen Changling at Xie Shang’s house.

Huahua approached and nuzzled Wen Changling with its head: “Meow.”

Xie Shang went to the tea house, poured a cup of water for Wen Changling, and brought it to her.

She sat on the wicker chair in the courtyard, holding the cup to drink water. Xie Shang had added some honey to the water, lightly sweet.

She picked up the cat and placed it on her lap: “Do you have a bad temper when you wake up?”

“Depends on the person, I don’t have one with you.”

Xie Shang lifted Huahua from Wen Changling’s lap and placed her on the ground: “But I do with it.” It disturbed the peace before dawn.

Huahua meowed twice and ran away.

“Xie Shang.” Wen Changling pointed to the distant sky, “The sun is coming out.”

Lotus Pond Street was an old street, with no tall buildings. From the courtyard, one could see the distant mountains, the dawn-

gray breaking to reveal fish-belly white, sliced by the red sun. Morning light densely sprinkled down, coloring the mountain peaks.

“Changling.”

“Hmm?”

She turned her head, the morning breeze stirring the ends of her hair.

Xie Shang watched her, “Is Ah Na your brother?”

The mention of Ah Na triggered an instinctive guard in Wen Changling, “How did you know?”

“I guessed.”

When she drunkenly went to the hospital last time and called Yan Cong Ah Na, Xie Shang had guessed who Ah Na was.

Because she had cried then.

“You were calling for Ah Na in your sleep.” It was the first time Xie Shang brought up Ah Na on his own.

He wanted to know everything about Wen Changling.

“Did I say anything else?”

“No.”

Wen Changling looked up to watch the sunrise, ending the conversation about Ah Na with her silence.

The East turned white, and next door came the sound of Grandma Lin opening her door in the early morning, the breakfast shop’s cooking smoke rose, the peddler’s tricycle rolling over pebbles on the road, and the early risers turned off the lanterns that had been lit all night in front of their doors.

The morning light shone on Wen Changling’s face, casting colors over her features, surrounded by the bustling humanity on all sides, yet only Wen Changling seemed like a beautiful yet unreal painting.

Xie Shang took her hand, “Let’s go have breakfast together.”

*****

Three days after the anniversary of the Dihong Group, Xie Shang was summoned to the Flower Chamber Hall by Xie Jingxian.

Xie Jingxian sent everyone else in the family away, and the grandfather and grandson sat in the pavilion outside. The pavilion was surrounded on three sides by water, and the pond was filled with lotus flowers.

Red carps swam leisurely in the water.

The tea was brewed by Xie Shang, and it always suited Xie Jingxian’s taste the best.

“I heard that you have a girlfriend.”

“Yes.”

“What does her family do?”

Xie Jingxian didn’t like to beat around the bush.

Xie Shang was the same in this respect.

“Grandfather, what her family does, what she does, it has nothing to do with you or the Xie family.”

Xie Jingxian learned about Xie Shang’s girlfriend from an old friend who attended Dihong’s anniversary. The friend exaggerated, saying that he had never seen Xie Shang so obedient to anyone.

Xie Shang never listened to Xie Jingxian. He refused the calligraphy teachers he arranged, declined to be a lawyer, and ignored admonitions to stay away from dangerous activities. Now, regarding the girlfriend, he, as a grandfather, had to learn about it from others.

“If it’s just dating, I won’t interfere, but if you’re considering marriage, I hope you can find someone who matches you in both awareness and insight.” Xie Jingxian had also heard that the girl was somewhat disabled, “I know you don’t like Yingying, and I will make it clear to your aunt so that she won’t bring up past matters anymore.”

Xie Shang listened calmly, “I will marry my girlfriend in the future.”

Xie Jingxian placed the teacup down heavily, spilling all of the tea, “Did you not understand what I meant? Your marriage partner —”

“Grandfather, please don’t interfere with my personal affairs.”

Was he completely refusing to let him interfere?

Xie Jingxian’s face darkened.

“Since you’ve asked me here, I’ll make my position clear.” Xie Shang refilled Xie Jingxian’s teacup, “I know what I want, and you know me as well. No one but myself can decide for me.

Actually, that’s not true anymore, my girlfriend can.

I admire her greatly, and if she agrees, I can register our marriage right away. I earnestly ask you not to bother her; she doesn’t really love me much, and if I scare her away, I don’t know what outrageous thing I might do.

Grandfather, I don’t rely on the Xie family, and the Xie family cannot bind me.”

Such eloquence, so why wouldn’t you become a lawyer!

Xie Jingxian’s anger surged, “I just said a few words, and you have dozens to counter me. I haven’t even done anything, and you’re already talking about committing outrageous acts. Who taught you to be so disrespectful!”

Xie Shang bowed his head, “I’m sorry, Grandfather, your grandson has been unfilial.”

I can’t tell you, she is Wen Yuan’s daughter.

Xie Jingxian flung his sleeve, no longer wanting to drink the tea brewed by Xie Shang: “Get out.”

Xie Shang stood up.

Still unable to swallow his anger, Xie Jingxian asked coldly, “What’s lacking in you that she doesn’t look up to you?”

He was strict with Xie Shang on ordinary days, but Xie Shang was the grandson he had looked forward to after repeatedly consulting fortune tellers, the one he longed for with a worried heart. How could he not love him?

How excellent his grandson was, didn’t he know? The ones calling Xie Shang a trouble maker were simply jealous.

The girl had a disability, and yet she wasn’t very fond of Xie Shang?

Xie Shang’s face was full of helplessness, “She likes someone gentle and obedient.”

Xie Jingxian: “...”

Gentle and obedient were words that didn’t relate to Xie Shang at all.