Lin Xinyan was utterly shocked to hear what her mother had just disclosed.
Zhuang Zijin pulled her hand at once, “Yan… “
Lin Xinyan pushed her mother’s hand away. She stood up and retreated from her mother. Her lips shivered with anger, “Have you forgotten that he had forced you to sign a divorce while you were pregnant? He then sent you overseas, not caring whether you could die or would live. You are telling me that you are prepared to remarry him?”
“Yes, I agree that he was very bad. But after so many years, he has mended his ways. He has frequently approached me, regretting what he had done…”
“And you believe him?” Lin Xinyan interrupted her mother angrily. She scratched her head in disbelief.
“Mom, how could you have fallen for his sweet talk? You must remember, he’d jilted you. He’d also jilted Shen Siuqing. He’s just a heartless person. How could you believe his sweet words?”
Zhuang Zijin was unmoved. She lowered her head, “My decision is final.”
Lin Xinyan leaned against the wall, staring at her mother. “So, this is what you’d wanted to inform me of today?”
“Sort of, yes!”
“I know that.” Zhuang Zijin walked nearer to her daughter, intending to touch her daughter’s hands. Nonetheless, her gesture was rejected, once again..
Lin Xinyan turned away, reluctant to look at her mother.
Zhuang Zijin withdrew her hands, fingers curving back in disappointment. “Anyway, I have made my decision.”
There was no room for rebuttal. Lin Xinyan’s objection was uncompromising. This gave her mother no other option, “I am moving out today.”
“Why the rush?” Lin Xinyan was baffled. She could not stand her mother being so forgiving.
“Have you forgotten about Xinqi?” Though Lin Xinyan had loathed mentioning this name, she had hoped that it might persuade her mother to reconsider the matter.
Zhuang Zijin was overwhelmed with sadness upon hearing the mention of her deceased son. She could not forget him. It was for this reason that she had wanted to remarry Lin Guoan. It made her feel guilty towards Lin Xinyan.
“We have got our marriage certificate already,” continued Zhuang Zijin.
Lin Xinyan wiped her face and smiled with disappointment. “You have already made up your mind, haven’t you?” She took a deep breath, “As a daughter, I know that I have no right to criticize your decision. You should’ve at least asked for my opinion. After all, we have depended on each other for so many years.”
“I am sorry.” Zhuang Zijin had failed to come up with any other reason.
“You don’t have to apologize. This is your matter; it’s none of my business. Do what you like.” Disgusted, Lin Xinyan waved her hands in the air. She could not stay there anymore. She had feared that she would fall into a craze, saying offensive things.
“Yan…”
“That’s enough.” Lin Xinyan staggered out of her mother’s bedroom.
She could not accept Zhuang Zijin’s decision. In light of Zhuang Zijin’s firmness, she knew that there was nothing that she could do to change her mind.
There was a glass of plain water. She gulped it down, shivering upon its coolness. She remained baffled as to why her mother had decided as such.
You should have known that Lin Guoan is a surefire trap. Why are you still walking right into it?
“Why?” Lin Xinyan put her hands on the table to support her upper body that had begun to slant slightly.
She raised her head when she realized that someone was touching her shoulders.
“What happened?” Zong Jinghao queried as he wiped her tears.
His gesture had only caused her tears to profusely drop.
She turned around and planted her head into his chest. Her shoulders continuously shook uncontrollably.
Zong Jinghao caressed her back tenderly. Given her emotional condition, he simply could not find out what had happened.
Leaving her room, Zhuang Zijin saw them in the sitting room. She squinted. “Please take care of her for me.” After that, she quickly left, along with her baggage.
“Where are you going?” Zong Jinghao asked. It’s already late at night.
Zhuang Zijin did not respond. Lin Xinyan roared, “Let her go!”
Zhuang Zijin’s eyes were swollen as if she had cried for a long time. She had made up her mind to leave.
“I’ve raised her since young; life has been difficult for her all these years. If you don’t mind, please help me take good care of her.”
“I don’t need that.” Lin Xinyan interrupted, eyes blurred with tears. “If you can still remember the difficult times we’d gone through, you won’t be willing to remarry Lin Guoan! Since you have decided to patch up with him, why bother whether I live or die? Go ahead and enjoy yourself!”
With strong emotions, Lin Xinyan kept shivering.
Zong Jinghao held her tightly in his arms. “Calm down.”
Seeing Lin Xinyan so emotionally agitated, Zhuang Zijin sighed. She turned around and walked out without a word.
When the door closed, Lin Xinyan cried fervently, “Is her mind blind or what?”
Zong Jinghao did not agree as he readily understood Zhuang Zijin’s purpose in doing what she did.
Lin Xinyan was so emotionally worked up that he knew that whatever he said would simply fall on deaf ears.
He could only hold her in his arms to console her.
“I was ten years old then. He divorced my mother in order to appease his mistress. He sent us overseas, where we were left to fend for ourselves. He did not care about us. Now, just because of some sweet talk from Lin Guoan, she is going to remarry him. I just wonder how she could have forgotten all the hardships that she was made to endure? How could she forget this irresponsible man who has harmed her so?”
“She probably has her own view. Or there may be something that must be kept secret… “
“How could Lin Guoan have threatened her? Even so, she could have let us know.”
“You’re too emotional,” professed Zong Jinghao as he wiped the tears on her face. “You must calm down first.”
He immediately carried her upstairs and let her sit by the side of the bed. He went to prepare a hot bath for her. When the bathroom was filled with hot steam, he came out. “Go take a bath and relax. We can look for her later and discuss the matter further when everybody has calmed down. You risk making the matter worse, by being so emotional.”
Lin Xinyan looked up blankly with tears on her face. “Did I say something offensive just now?”
“No.” He combed her disheveled hair to the back of her head. “Listen, why don’t you take a bath and cool down. Get a night of good sleep. We can go talk to her later if you still think that she shouldn’t patch up with Lin Guoan.”
“While I was away, she applied for and obtained the official certificate in respect of her marriage with Lin Guoan.” Lin Xinyan looked teary-eyed again.
“Trust me. If your mother was under duress, I know how to cancel the marriage certificate.”
Tears were trapped in Lin Xinyan’s eyelashes. She blinked while putting her hands around his neck. Her tears dropped at once. “Are you serious?”
