Chapter 167: Side Story - He Will Never Have a Wife

This was the ninth Christmas that Luo Xing and Gu Shiyan had spent together.

Gu Shiyan held Luo Xing's hand firmly while cradling their four-year-old daughter in his other arm, and pressed the doorbell.

Luo Zhou opened the door.

The little girl in Gu Shiyan's arms immediately stretched out her hands. "Uncle!"

"Little Chaochao!" Luo Zhou stepped forward and scooped the little girl out of Gu Shiyan's arms. "Uncle made a little cake for Chaochao. Come on, Uncle will take you to eat it."

Gu Shiyan looked aggrievedly at Luo Xing. "He stole my daughter away again."

Luo Xing pinched his cheek. "Let him be. You get to see your daughter every day."

Luo Zhou looked back. "Xingxing, hurry inside! Your favorite mango mille-feuille!"

Luo Xing ran inside without looking back.

Gu Shiyan sighed helplessly. Well, now his wife had been stolen away too.

It seemed he needed to brush up on his culinary skills.

A table full of dishes was already prepared inside, where Luo Xingqi was soothing Mrs. Jiang, who had burned a fish to a crisp.

"It's fine, it's fine. We're getting older, it's normal to lose track of time. It's my fault, I should have been the one to cook that fish."

"Xingxing loves fish the most..."

Luo Xing was busy eating the mango mille-feuille handmade by Luo Zhou. She quickly chimed in, "Mom, it's really okay. There are so many things I love to eat, and I love everything on this table."

Gu Shiyan raised his eyes and took out his phone, about to place an order, but Luo Xing stopped him.

"By the time your fish gets here, we'll all be finished eating."

Before Gu Shiyan could say anything else, the doorbell rang.

Everyone in the house froze for a moment.

With almost uncanny synchronization, all of them thought of the exact same person.

Luo Zhou put down little Chaochao, whom he was holding. "I—I'll get the door."

The living room grew so quiet that the only sound was little Chaochao's cheeks puffing as she swallowed her cake. "Daddy..."

Chaochao tugged on Gu Shiyan's clothes with both of her small hands, her round eyes bright. "Who else is here?"

"You rascal! You finally deigned to come back!" Luo Zhou gave Shen Que a hug and patted his shoulder. "And you lied to me saying you weren't coming!"

Shen Que lifted the takeout box containing the braised fish. "I came... to see you all."

"You must be the older brother Shen Que always talked about. Hello." A woman wearing a long down jacket stepped out from behind Shen Que.

"This is..."

Shen Que curved his lips into a smile. "Xiao Yun. We got our marriage certificate last year."

The two elders walked out from the inner room. "Oh my, you get married and didn't even say a word? Come on inside, it must be cold out there."

"I'm sorry, Uncle and Auntie..."

The couple took his hands, looking him over repeatedly with a mix of helplessness and heartache. "Why have you lost so much weight? Look at you, going abroad all alone and cutting off contact for all these years... Marriage is such a big deal, and not a single elder of yours was there on your side..."

Shen Que embraced them both. "I'm sorry for making you worry..."

He kept his eyes lowered. It seemed that even after all these years, he still lacked the courage to see her again.

"Mom, Dad, let's go inside and talk." Luo Zhou closed the door.

Chaochao poked her little head out curiously, tugging at the corner of Gu Shiyan's shirt as she wanted to head toward the door.

Shen Que lowered his gaze, watching Chaochao hold a small cake fork in her mouth while a pair of big, clear eyes stared straight at him.

She looked so much like her.

When he first met her, she was only a little older than the child in front of him.

She had been holding a piece of cake, frosting still smudged at the corner of her mouth, blinking as she looked at him. "Are you the new neighbor? Grandma told me to bring you some cake. Today is my birthday."

"Why is your house so dark, I can't see anything at all? Is the light broken?" Little Luo Xing peered inside, taking a tentative step back in fear. "Aren't you scared?"

"No."

The truth was that Shen Jiji had simply dropped him off there and left him to fend for himself, even forgetting to pay the electricity bill. Before Luo Xing knocked on his door, he had been curled up in a corner with his eyes closed, wishing only to fall asleep quickly.

The light spilling from the opposite doorway was bright enough to reach into his room, and Shen Que had thought that patch of light would only be temporary.

Yet little Luo Xing had pulled him by the hand. "When I get mad at my dad and mom, I also say I'm not afraid of the dark. Are you mad at your dad and mom?"

"Don't be mad anymore, come and play with us." Little Luo Xing pulled him toward her home. "Once you have fun, you won't be mad anymore."

From that moment on, he stepped into her life and was illuminated by her, and by extension, her family.

"My name is Xingxing, what's yours?"

"My name is Chaochao..." Chaochao shrank back shyly, her voice very small.

Shen Que pressed his lips into a smile. "Hello, Chaochao."

Luo Zhou walked over and patted Chaochao's head. "Chaochao, hurry and say hello to Uncle Shen Que."

Chaochao parroted Luo Zhou's words: "Hello, Uncle Shen Que."

"I've seen this uncle before." Chaochao shook Gu Shiyan's hand. "In Mom's photos, and with Auntie Yunyun. She's a very important friend of Mom's."

Shen Que gave a strained, bitter smile. "This is for Chaochao's red envelope."

The red envelope was bulging and obviously contained a hefty sum.

Luo Xingqi and Jiang Ru tried to push it back. "This is way too much. Just a token among family is enough."

Jiang Ru firmly refused to accept it. "You just got married, there will be plenty of places you need money in the future."

Shen Que shook his head. "This is New Year's money accumulated over four years. I've been saving it all along. I didn't forget."

The couple couldn't out-stubborn him and ultimately let Chaochao accept it.

Chaochao took the large red envelope to Luo Xing, who was sitting on the sofa. "Mom, Uncle Shen Que gave me a red envelope."

Standing at the doorway, Shen Que's lowered eyelashes trembled.

Finally, he looked toward the person inside the room.

Shen Que proved one saying wrong—the idea that time makes everything fade is a lie.

Time can deceive you, tricking you into truly believing that you have found closure.

When their gazes met, those feelings he had deliberately repressed and buried deep in his heart broke through like a raging flood.

"Chaochao, did you say thank you to the uncle?" Luo Xing patted Chaochao's back.

Only then did Chaochao hold the red envelope and go back to thank Shen Que.

Shen Que gave a hasty nod and said nothing.

He turned to converse with Luo Zhou, his lowered voice slightly hoarse: "I passed by Yushan Pavilion and happened to buy a braised fish, thinking you guys love to eat it."

"Yushan Pavilion's?" Luo Zhou took it and muttered, "When I went to order today, they said it was completely sold out... that's why Mom decided to cook it herself."

Jiang Ru smacked him lightly. "Go get a large platter to plate the fish, it's time to eat."

At the dining table, Jiang Ru and Luo Xingqi talked extensively with Shen Que, and Shen Que answered every single question.

Gu Shiyan carefully picked the bones out of a piece of fish and placed it in Luo Xing's bowl, then did the same for their daughter.

Luo Xing ate quietly.

Until Chaochao hugged Luo Xing's neck and asked, "Mom, you're acting weird. Why aren't you saying anything? Before, whenever Daddy picked fish bones out for you, you'd always say 'Thank you, baby'..."

Luo Xing covered Chaochao's mouth. "No talking while eating, no speaking while sleeping. Mommy is eating obediently, so Chaochao should eat quietly and obediently too, okay?"

"Xiao Xiao, Auntie has something she'd like to talk to you about. Do you think... you have a moment?"

Xiao Yun stood up, looking bewildered for a second. "Oh, sure."

Jiang Ru linked her arm through Xiao Yun's and led her toward the parlor.

When Xiao Yun came back out, Shen Que also stood up. "Uncle, Auntie, I still have things to take care of, I need to leave first."

"You haven't even eaten a few bites yet, why are you..."

Xiao Yun also reacted and chimed in, "Uncle, Auntie, actually we had a reason for coming back this time. He just missed you both, so he took some time off to drop by for a visit."

Jiang Ru sighed. "You child, don't just bury yourself in work and forget to eat. Call us more often, and let us know if anything comes up."

Shen Que let out a heavy breath and hugged Jiang Ru. "Thank you, Auntie. I will."

Jiang Ru walked him to the door, though she knew full well that Shen Que would always agree verbally, only to bear everything on his own whenever trouble actually struck.

Fortunately, he now had someone by his side.

Shen Que had already descended the first step when Jiang Ru hurried after him. "Child."

Shen Que paused, not daring to look back.

"If you dare to disappear for a few more years without coming back, I'll scold you every single time I see you from now on." Jiang Ru wiped away her tears, seemingly feeling that her words sounded a bit too harsh. "Remember, the Luo family is your home. During the New Year and holidays, you better come back."

"..." Shen Que gave a heavy, solemn acknowledgment. Bracing his hand against the handrail, he continued down the stairs. "Mom, I know. I'll come back for every holiday from now on."

Luo Xingqi put his arm around Jiang Ru to guide her back inside. "The boy probably really does have things to keep him busy. Alright, alright, stop crying."

"Grandma, don't cry." Chaochao ran over to hug Jiang Ru's leg. "Next time, Chaochao will talk to Uncle Shen Que a lot more, so Uncle Shen Que won't leave, and Grandma won't cry anymore."

Jiang Ru stroked her head and smiled. "Chaochao is such a good girl."

Luo Zhou walked over and helped guide Jiang Ru back to her seat. "If we don't eat now, the food is going to get cold."

His gaze dropped, catching sight of the bowl Shen Que had used. It was filled with fish meat that had already been meticulously de-boned, untouched.

It was all meat from the belly of the fish.

This kid didn't even eat it, just picked it all out and wasted it...

Luo Zhou fell silent, took the bowl, and placed it in front of himself.

After the atmosphere at the table picked up again with casual chatter, he silently pushed that bowl of fish meat toward Luo Xing.

"Brother? Aren't you going to eat that yourself?" Luo Xing looked at him with some confusion.

It wasn't like Luo Zhou had never picked fish bones out for her before, but that was back when they were children.

"How many years has it been since your brother picked fish bones for you? Do me the honor and eat it."

Luo Xing smiled helplessly. "I've been wishing someone would pick the bones out for me."

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of the fish meat from the bowl, and ate it. "Brother, it's already cold."

The winter in Northern City never changed—no snow, no wind, yet bone-chillingly cold.

Shen Que took the tissue handed to him by the woman.

His gaze remained as gentle as ever. "The money has been transferred to you, and I've called a cab for you. Thank you for your hard work."

Xiao Yun took out two bank cards from her pocket. "The older auntie gave these to me. The PIN is your birthday. One is for you, and the other one... she said it was a wedding blessing for us—oh wait, a housing and child-rearing fund for you and your future wife."

Shen Que slowly accepted them. "You shouldn't have accepted this."

He would never have a wife.

"I was just afraid my cover would be blown." Without further ado, the taxi arrived, and Xiao Yun got into the car. "Call me if you have any more gigs next time. I'll give you a discount."

Shen Que stared at the cards in his hand, standing frozen for a long time until his limbs grew stiff with the cold.

He walked over to the parking spot, pulled open the door, and drove toward the old residential complex where his grandmother used to live.

The place where he and Luo Xing had first met.