At the mention of Qin Lin, the old lady’s eyelids twitched, and she couldn’t help but glance at her daughter.
“This… is it appropriate?”
After all, the two children had nearly been engaged back then.
If nothing had happened to Little Ru, she would now be Qin Lin’s wife, Qin Yuanchen’s daughter-in-law, the young madam of the Qin family!
Speaking of his son, Qin Yuanchen clearly felt more worry than joy: “I tried to talk him out of it. Useless. I didn’t tell him, and he just called Han Shen directly.”
“When is he expected to arrive?”
“Tomorrow morning’s flight.”
Shi Qingzhi sighed. “What’s the point? What’s missed is missed. He has a family now, and Little Ru is the mother of two kids. Even if they meet, what can it change?”
It would only add awkwardness.
Qin Yuanchen glanced at her. “When someone has truly loved, it’s not so easy to let go. They say women are soft-hearted, but I think when women get ruthless, they’re even colder than men.”
“Hey now…” The old lady was a bit stunned. “Why do you sound so sour?”
“Who’s sour? Not me…”
The old lady’s mouth twitched.
“You know what Ah Lin is like. If we don’t let him come, he won’t accept it. Better to let him see for himself and give up.”
That night, Han Shen left the Jiang house and returned to the hospital.
The old man still hadn’t woken, was on a ventilator, connected to tubes and monitors.
Even in his unconscious state, his brows were tightly furrowed.
Han Shen lay down on the bed next to him.
Before sleeping, he made a call to the capital: “…Keep an eye on Ji Yuelan and her daughter. Don’t alert them. Also, investigate every staff member involved at the hotel back then. Don’t let a single one slip.”
“Yes, sir.”
Given the old man’s current condition, it was unlikely he could return to the capital anytime soon, so Han Shen stayed behind, handling everything remotely via computer.
Shi Qingzhi was a very busy woman. After her daughter went missing, she resigned from her university job and started her own business.
After twenty years of development and groundwork, her company was now rapidly expanding. Not long ago, she had just signed a multi-billion deal with the United Allied Government of M continent.
She simply couldn’t spare more time.
Two days in Linhuai was already her limit. She had to leave, and Qin Yuanchen naturally wouldn’t stay either.
Qin Lin arrived the next day at noon. Han Yunru, upon hearing he was coming, sat in a daze on the sofa for a while.
Jiang Da clearly knew about this former fiancé and after a moment’s thought, got up: “I’ll go pick him up.”
The old lady looked surprised. “You?”
“Mm.” Jiang Da nodded.
He grabbed the car keys and headed out.
He knew how to drive — got his license not long ago — though he didn’t drive often.
He was gone for a while.
It was close to noon by the time he brought Qin Lin back.
Once the two entered, the old lady anxiously examined them both, probably checking for any signs of injury.
Jiang Da looked calm, and even bent down to fetch a new pair of men’s slippers for Qin Lin from the shoe cabinet.
Qin Lin, in a pristine white suit, looked immaculate — shirt, hair, everything was tidy and sharp.
Hmm, didn’t look like they’d fought.
Everyone had expected sparks or fireworks when they met — tension at the very least.
But surprisingly, the two didn’t clash. In fact, they sat at the same table drinking together.
Shi Qingzhi quietly asked Qin Yuanchen, “What’s going on?”
“How would I know?”
“Aren’t you a man too? And you’re his father. You’re telling me you don’t understand what your son is thinking?”
Qin Yuanchen tapped his cane. “When a son’s grown, he’s no longer his father’s to control. Besides, all my thoughts are with you. Where do I have time to care about what Qin Lin is thinking?”
The old lady blushed deep red. “Be serious! We’re talking about the kids here! What’s going on in that brain of yours?”
“You think about the kids. I’m thinking about you.”
“…”
After several rounds of drinks, everyone was a bit tipsy.
Jiang Da and Qin Lin were talking when Han Yunru came out of the kitchen with hangover soup. She served them each a bowl.
Jiang Da gazed at her dreamily, mumbling, “Wife…”
Qin Lin, probably a bit drunk too, blurted out, “Little Ru…”
The atmosphere froze.
Han Yunru said, “You two take your time drinking, I’ll go sit with Mom,” and left.
Jiang Da looked at Qin Lin.
Qin Lin met his gaze.
Their eyes locked, and finally Qin Lin couldn’t help but ask, “Has she… been well all these years?”
Jiang Da was caught off guard. He could’ve just said “yes” and then looked smugly at this man who couldn’t have her.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he blinked uncertainly, briefly sobered by the alcohol: “I… don’t know.”
Whether she was well or not wasn’t his to say.
Only Han Yunru could answer that.
Something dark and heavy flickered in Qin Lin’s eyes — deep disappointment, even regret.
Disappointed by Jiang Da’s honesty.
Regretful that Jiang Da hadn’t shown even a hint of smugness or disdain.
If this man had been even a little manipulative, he could’ve labeled him “unworthy” or “not good enough.”
But Jiang Da wasn’t.
Maybe it was this sincerity that won Little Ru over…
That night, the two men drank themselves into a drunken mess.
Jiang Da was put in the master bedroom.
Qin Lin was helped to a guest room.
Under the light, Han Yunru wiped Jiang Da’s face with a damp towel, sighing: “Why did you have to act so tough?”
Hearing her voice, Jiang Da, who seemed dead drunk, suddenly opened his eyes. But they were hazy, like veiled in mist, clearly not fully conscious.
“Wife?”
“Thirsty? I’ll get you some water…”
The next second, Jiang Da suddenly sat up and grabbed her hand. “Don’t go, wife.”
“I’m not. I’ll be right back after I get water.”
“No, no, you can’t go, don’t go to the capital. I… I said you could go, but I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t bear it. But if you really want to, I… I can’t stop you…”
“You know I always listen to you. Even if you leave, I’ll still listen to you…”
And with that, this grown man started crying.
Mumbling about “being good,” then about “not wanting to let go,” and finally begging Han Yunru to feel sorry for him.
“You’re such a fool!”
Downstairs guest room.
Qin Lin was helped in by Qin Yuanchen. The moment he hit the bed, he sobered up.
“Well, look at that. All that fuss, and you’re not even drunk?” Qin Yuanchen laughed.
Qin Lin sat up, massaging his aching temples, his face tired and drawn: “…Dad, can you not look so gleeful right now?”
“Ahem! Sure, sure! Seeing you this miserable, I’ll stop stabbing you in the heart.”
Qin Lin: “…”
“So, what did you and Jiang Da talk about? How’d you end up drinking like that?”
Qin Lin was silent.
Qin Yuanchen sighed: “I know you still can’t let it go. If that thing hadn’t happened back then, Little Ru would’ve been our family’s daughter-in-law. But things are the way they are now, too far gone. Too many mistakes — no way to get back on track. We can only go forward, however wrong the path.”
“I know. With our situations, there’s no room for me to try to win her back. But Dad… I just can’t accept it! Especially when it happened like that — in the heat of love, right before engagement. I fantasized so many times about our married life…”
“If she was as gentle as water, I’d be the vessel to hold her. If she was passionate as fire, I’d be the meat on her grill — let it burn, it’d still smell sweet—”
“Stop, stop! You’re worse than your old man. That’s gross. Talk like a normal person!”
Qin Lin: “…I just can’t let it go.”
Qin Yuanchen sighed and patted his son’s shoulder. “Ah Lin, wake up. Even if your heart won’t settle, there’s no turning back.”
The next day, the old lady was set to leave.
Qin Lin had no reason to stay.
He said goodbye to Jiang Da, then turned to Han Yunru one last time. He smiled at her, just like he used to — only now, the youth of twenty years ago was long gone.
He was mature and composed.
She was calm and graceful.
Time had worn away their sharp edges.
“Little Ru, can we talk?”
“Okay.”
The two walked into the garden.
Jiang Da stared at the clock and started silently timing.
Three minutes, forty-two seconds.
Qin Lin: “I’m leaving.”
Han Yunru: “Goodbye.”
After sending them off, the couple returned to their store.
Though they’d been away, both shops had been running smoothly.
That night, Jiang Da leaned against the bedhead. Han Yunru turned off the lights and got ready for bed.
They laid down together.
In the dark, breathing evened out — then suddenly, Jiang Da reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Han Yunru thought he was going to ask what she and Qin Lin talked about.
But all Jiang Da muttered was, “It’s so good you’re not going to the capital…”
And so, the tangled love and grudges of the parents came to an end — entrance and exit played out like a theater.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue was holed up in the lab with Xie Dingyuan’s team, focused on the third phase of experiments.
At last, they welcomed the day of complete success…
The parents’ storyline is settled for now. Up next — 99 and Yueyue’s romance plot.
Ding! They’re officially rushing toward being a couple~
