In the end, Shao SiJia’s bluff was for naught. It would be impossible to actually let Zheng PingQing sleep with her, so the only thing she could do was walk Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing to Lin Qian’s room, pull them by their ears, then remind them of the wonders of abstinence.
When Shao SiJia left, Chen ShiYi came and knocked on their door. She looked at Zheng PingQing and said: “PingQing, come out for a bit. I have something to discuss with you.”
Zheng PingQing, who couldn’t wait to get into Lin Qian’s bed, reluctantly let go of the blanket, wore a pair of slippers, and walked out of the room.
Chen ShiYi led him into the balcony. The two looked out into the dark neighborhood and the tall buildings nearby. The buildings had small squares of light that contrasted with the darkness- a touch of warmth in the cold.
Zheng PingQing rubbed his arms, his light pajamas unable to protect him from the night wind. “What’s wrong?”
Chen ShiYi hesitated for a moment, then carefully said: “YaZhi and I just had a discussion about something. You’re already in your senior year of high school, and your workload is quite heavy now. We both think that it would be very inconvenient for you to live alone, and we worry about it. So we wanted to ask your opinion about something…how about living here next semester? Lin YaZhi could help you with your studies.”
Zheng PingQing looked up towards her. It was too dark for him to clearly see her expression, but he still couldn’t help but reply somewhat mockingly: “An occasional sleepover is alright, but if I move in, what do you think my dad will say?”
“I don’t think he would object.” Chen ShiYi said.
She sighed. “Although your father is busy making money all day and doesn’t have much time to accompany you, he still cares. He’ll understand.”
Zheng PingQing’s voice was soft but a little cold when he replied: “Of course he’ll understand. Hasn’t he been understanding towards you all this time?”
Chen ShiYi was taken aback, as if she didn’t understand the meaning of Zheng PingQing’s words.
Both sides remained silent.
The nighttime breeze does not understand the hearts of people. It will continue to blow, no matter what.
After who knows how long, Lin YaZhi’s voice sounded out: “When you’re done, hurry and come back inside; its cold out.”
Chen ShiYi replied: “Coming.”
Chen ShiYi looked at Zheng PingQing: “Then, you…”
Zheng PingQing suddenly interrupted her. “There’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
He stepped forward, causing the lights from inside the house to hit his face. The shadows caused his expression to look even more gloomy. Zheng PingQing gravely asked: “You married Lin YaZhi because you two had a common language and tacit understanding between each other. But why couldn’t you have waited until after your divorce before getting together with him?”
He had never asked her this in his last life. Honestly, he never thought he would be able to ask her in his entire lifetime.
Once, his relationship with Chen ShiYi was so bad it was beyond saving. He hated her for abandoning her family- both her husband and son. But he also missed the happiness he had once had with her.
When he was young, Chen ShiYi hadn’t been as busy. She could spend half the year at home with him and cook for him. Although she wasn’t very good at cooking, she was always careful.
She bought several sets of tweezers, knives and other equipment similar to the tools she used in her labs, and would pick out fish bones or cut his food for him.
His father, Zheng BuLu, was even busier than she was, but they still took turns in caring for their child. But contrary to what one might expect, his parents had almost no time to spend with each other.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Zheng PingQing had no way of knowing if their relationship faded because of this. All he knew was that when he finally realized things, their marriage had already come to an end.
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It was just that he was tired of it. The ten years’ worth of dust that accumulated because of this dispute had already exhausted him. It was only when Chen ShiYi talked to him and apologized to him that his dusty memories finally saw the sun.
It was enough that she didn’t abandon her son.
This was what Zheng PingQing thought. Other things were more important to him now. His future was more important.
He didn’t want to make things difficult for Lin Qian. He didn’t want Lin Qian’s family to break, so he chose to be at peace with Chen ShiYi.
But maybe it was when they were eating crabs, when he saw Lin YaZhi’s tools, that he got stirred up again. He understood why Chen ShiYi and Lin YaZhi were together, but at the same time, he found that there were still thorns stuck in his heart, making him unable to really let go.
He watched Chen ShiYi’s expression, waiting for her to become flustered and helpless. Waiting for this peaceful night to shatter.
But things didn’t go as he expected.
With a blank expression on her face, Chen ShiYi asked: “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Zheng PingQing clenched his fists and asked: “Dad didn’t make things difficult for you when you asked for a divorce. Why couldn’t you have waited for your divorce to go through before getting together with Lin YaZhi?”
Chen ShiYi was shocked. She said: “What are you talking about? I was transferred to YaZhi’s lab only after the divorce. How could I have gotten with him before the divorce when I didn’t even know him then?”
Zheng PingQing froze for a moment. His brows furrowed as he mentally went through his past memories.
Chen ShiYi continued: “When we first met, YaZhi’s wife had already passed away for some time, but he was still quite depressed about it, and he blamed himself a lot. Eventually, he mentioned his two children who had no one, and it made me think of you, so….”
She didn’t go on. She wasn’t sure if Zheng Pingqing wanted to hear such things. But even so, this revelation should be enough.
Zheng PingQing had never properly talked with Chen ShiYi before, so naturally, he never could’ve imagined that the actual facts would be quite different from what he knew. Zheng PingQing took a deep breath. “Are you serious?”
Chen ShiYi’s face turned slightly pale. She finally understood why Zheng PingQing opposed her so much, despite her peaceful divorce with Zheng BuLu. That despite her and Zheng BuLu’s amicable meetings, Zheng PingQing would always interpret her actions in a bad light.
Chen ShiYi’s voice cooled. “Who told you this?”
She thought for a moment, then said: “It can’t be your father; he’s not that kind of man.”
Zheng PingQing didn’t know how to face her. After a while, he managed to sort out his mixed feelings, and said: “It’s in the past.”
Chen ShiYi bit her lip. “Who was it? Who told you such a vicious lie?”
Zheng PingQing didn’t answer.
Tears were beginning to fill Chen ShiYi’s eyes as she asked: “You lived with that horrible lie for so many years?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll deal with it.” Zheng PingQing replied with a cold glint in his eyes.
Chen ShiYi’s voice shook as she once again asked: “Who is it?’
Zheng PingQing didn’t relent, his gaze sharpening as he said: “I said I’ll deal with it.”
His voice was so chilling that Chen ShiYi shivered a little. His sudden change in temperament was so unexpected and so severe that for a moment, Chen ShiYi could hardly recognize her own son.
But this biting chill only happened for a moment. It immediately melted like snow, making Chen ShiYi wonder if what she had just seen was an illusion.
“I’m sorry.” Zheng PingQing suddenly stepped forward and hugged her. For Chen ShiYi, this hug was a precious thing, but for Zheng PingQing, it represented something far more significant.
All those years of conflict were finally wholly resolved at this moment.
“PingQing, you tell me…”
“I’ll take care of it.” Zheng PingQing interrupted, his tone firm and strong, unlike that of a teenager.
The night was deep, but this light between them was as gentle as the others.
“I’m sorry, mom.”
……
A drowsy Lin Qian was lying on his bed, waiting for Zheng PingQing to come back. After a long while, he finally heard his door open with a click. Lin Qian mumbled: “Hurry and turn off the lights. Go to sleep, ah.”
Zheng PingQing didn’t turn off the lights and instead directly lifted Lin Qian’s blanket and drilled inside. His body was cold.
Lin Qian jolted awake. “What are you doing? My family is nearby. Don’t forget that both my dad and sister are violent when they get mad!”
Zheng PingQing didn’t do anything more; he only buried his head in Lin Qian’s neck and, with a muffled voice, said: “Quickly comfort me.”
Lin Qian realized his low mood and immediately hugged him. He kissed Zheng PingQing’s fluffy head and asked: “What’s the matter?”
“My mother didn’t cheat. She didn’t cheat on my dad.” Zheng PingQing’s voice was placid, but Lin Qian could feel the surging waves in his heart.
Lin Qian was quiet for a moment, then cursed: “Your father’s girlfriend sure is a schemer.”
Zheng BuLu had a girlfriend named He YiJun. She was one of Chen ShiYi’s distant cousins and had been Zheng BuLu’s secretary at one point. Later on, she became Zheng PingQing’s stepmother and would give birth to Zheng BuLu’s son.
Because of her relationship with Chen ShiYi, after Zheng BuLu’s divorce, He YiJun would occasionally help Zheng BuLu take care of Zheng PingQing. She was devoted to caring for Zheng PingQing and would often talk about how busy and tired his father was to keep Zheng PingQing from getting angry with his father.
During one of those days, the young Zheng PingQing had ‘accidentally’ overheard He YiJun talking on the phone about Chen ShiYi’s infidelity. And not only this, He YiJun talked about how Chen ShiYi hid her marital status from her lover, and in fear of her lover finding out, urged Zheng BuLu to hasten the divorce procedures, causing him to be overworked and tired.
At the time, He YiJun took good care of Zheng PingQing. She came into Zheng BuLu’s company from her friendship with Chen ShiYi and didn’t act untoward or ambiguous to Zheng BuLu. She was upright, helpful, and took good care of Zheng PingQing. It was only after a long while, once Zheng BuLu felt that Zheng PingQing needed someone to take care of him, that she started pursuing Zheng BuLu.
Her actions didn’t arouse the least bit of suspicion.
“My father got together with He YiJun because he thought she took good care of me…” Zheng PingQing muttered.
Lin Qian felt a warm liquid dripping onto his neck. He hugged Zheng PingQing tighter and sarcastically said: “She takes good care of herself…”
If she hadn’t been so good, so very thoughtful, how could’ve Zheng PingQing been so defenseless against her?
If she hadn’t taken care of him, how would she have known about Zheng PingQing’s stubborn temper? He YiJun must’ve thought that a young Zheng PingQing would never ask his parents about it.
If it wasn’t for a decade’s worth of growing up and grinding down Zheng PingQing’s sharp edges,
If he hadn’t been reborn,
If he hadn’t tamped down his hostility towards Chen ShiYi.
He would’ve probably never known the truth.
In that lie, Lin YaZhi was apparently hoodwinked by Chen ShiYi. So even if Lin Qian found out about it many years later, he wouldn’t have gotten the truth out of Lin YaZhi.
Lin Qian bent down and kissed Zheng PingQing on his forehead, on the tip of his nose, on his lips.
This was the most effective way of comforting Zheng PingQing.
Sure enough, after a while, Zheng PingQing’s breathing was a little calmer.
Lin Qian sighed. “Fortunately, fate treated us well. It allowed us to do things over.”
“Un.” Zheng PingQing’s voice was gentle, but Lin Qian could hear the malicious edge in his tone.
“I feel that someone is going to get into some trouble soon.” Lin Qian chuckled.
Zheng PingQing didn’t answer and instead rubbed his body against Lin Qian.
After a while, he sadly replied: “Ah, so unhappy, I’m not in the mood tonight.”
Lin Qian: “….”
This guy really talks big, ah. So if he got into the mood, he would’ve dared to do it?
This idiot is really skilled at finding excuses to fool around!!!
The author has something to say:
Zheng PingQing: It’s not that I don’t dare to, I’m really just not in the mood! (Shouted in a very stubborn voice)
time to “care” for the step mom
She needs some deep and thorough care
Time to slap a ho. I kinda hate myself for saying that.
Thanks for the great translation ♥️
Oh no. Don’t hate yourself~
It IS time to slap dat hoe
She dare hurt poor lil PingQing?!
A slap wouldn’t suffice.
If you’re gonna calll her a hoe make sure you put dumbass in front of it 😌
QAQ
QAQ
QAQ
Zheng PingQing needs hugs! (⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃(⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃(⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃
That Stepmom’d better be careful, some serious retribution is coming! ᕙ(ಠ ਊ ಠ)ᕗ
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the update
maybe it’s time to bring back their hacker special forces!? either way, someone’s gonna suffer bigtime for hurting our power couple~
Jesus.
That surprised me.
That cunning b*tch.
Yes, Zheng PingQing, get her!
I’m rooting on you.
Thank you for the update ❤️
When you think there’s a parallel world where that woman did all that & more, & never got caught. The rage I felt, man. PingQing only knew the truth because he asked her mom & wanted to know her reason for it. Even after he mended their mother-son relationship, he friking BELIEVED the lie. Cannot wait for the retribution, man. I hope it’ll be nasty.
Thanks for the chapter 💕
I am ashamed to say I also thought Chen ShiYi in bad light before, like aiming a married man. But honestly, how she carried herself really is misguiding. I felt great pity for Zheng PingQing. He believed his stepmother lies for decades, then he must also unknowingly been guided by her to had bad relationship with his father last life. And that woman didn’t deal a fatal blow only when she saw he ended up with a man, so family business will be safely in her own son’s hands. Such intricate betrayal when he believed her wholeheartedly. I am in rage for that Zheng PingQing’s injustice.
Poor baby 😞
Thanks for the chapter!!
That step mother should pay for ruining the mother-son relationship.
Thanks for the chapter
Hghhh that kind of stuff was what my father’s wife tried to do to me, fortunately she was that smart 🤬
Thanks for the chapter ❤
More faceslapping~ uwu
LQ, hug the hell out of ZPQ
Thanks for the chapter~ ( ^ ♡ ^ )/
Many thanks for the update! : D
How unnecessary that stepmother’s attitude. Like ML’s mom was already divorced from ML’s dad, so there was no reason to do that kind of dirty play! It was just being a good person and taking care of ML like a nice aunt. It wasn’t even necessary to do much, at the most, wait for ML to grow up and then run after ML’s father … Anyway, this person will be punished for being a selfish stupid!
Thanks for the chapter!
Thank you so much for the chapter!!😍😍😍
lack of communication can result in years of suffering…😪. Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for the chapter! I hate scheming people, especially those who use kids as tools & weapons… Disgusting!
+1
Thank you very much for the chapter ❤❤❤❤
Looks like someone needs to suffer….
Poor ZPQ 😭💔
Thank you for the chapter~~!
Creo que ya entendí por qué no me acababa de agradar Shiyi … era por la incomodidad de PingQing, ah …
i want to bury that step mother! 😃
The thing I like about PingQing, Revenge is always primary !!!!
I still dislike the mom. Excluding that, she is still not a good mom.
That homewrecker, maybe at some point she gaslight also the father while being a secretary.. then slowly climb on the father’s bed