Author’s Note: Last night, I listened to my mom’s stories about my grandfather and my maternal grandfather. Honestly, I was shocked. My grandfather was once a brigade commander, demoted for rightist tendencies. Plus, his brother, who was with the Nationalists, went to Taiwan and wrote letters home, which led to my grandfather losing everything. It wasn’t worth it; he had fought for the Communist Party, survived the Southwest Campaign and the Korean War, only to end up like this… My maternal grandfather had it worse. During the Cultural Revolution, because he was an intellectual, he was imprisoned for over a decade… Released the next year, he passed away due to illness, leaving my mom without a father from childhood… It’s infuriating; I hate Mao… Just venting, stay calm, move on…
Chapter 34: From Shen Qian’s understanding of You Ran, she sensed another layer of meaning in his smile. So alluring, with his slender eyes half-open, giving the illusion of a fox deceiving a crow into dropping its food. And she, Shen Qian, was the food about to fall into his mouth.
“Qianqian, your dress is very beautiful today,” You Ran suddenly took her hand, smiling, “It would be a waste not to make good use of it, hmm?”
Shen Qian was speechless and asked, “Just tell me your suggestion.”
“You’re mine now.” You Ran caressed the back of her hand, back and forth. Shen Qian waited for what he would say next. Suddenly, she realized this plan might involve the two of them. Sure enough, You Ran lifted his eyebrows slightly and said, “Today, we’ll turn it into our engagement.”
“…” Shen Qian felt like a white crow flew over her head, rare and speechless. This… this wasn’t discussed with her at all? Before she could respond, You Ran continued, “It’s being hastily prepared now; do you know how to behave?”
“I…” Shen Qian hesitated, looking very confused, and asked in a flustered manner, “Is this a real engagement or a fake one?”
You Ran took her hand and placed it on his chest, “What do you think?”
“I don’t know, I’m a bit confused.” This sudden event left Shen Qian in disarray. She liked You Ran, yes, and was willing to marry him, but… the only thing that troubled her was her status as an illegitimate daughter. Even if You Ran didn’t mind, his family might. Moreover, she hadn’t told her mother, and making such a decision abruptly didn’t seem right.
Seeing Shen Qian’s hesitation, You Ran sighed, “It’s just an engagement, we still have a way to go before marriage. This is also to solve an immediate crisis, don’t take it too seriously.”
Shen Qian nodded, thinking it was a favor to help out.
You Ran led Shen Qian backstage where Commander You, Old Man Qin, and the Yu family were waiting. Nan Nan stood to the side, watching Yu Tianyang’s wife, Ms. Hu Yashi, with an expression of watching a show. When she saw Shen Qian beside You Ran, her eyes were filled with a mix of emotions – terror, panic, and the look of someone who had done something wrong and was afraid.
Yu Tianyang didn’t notice and just thanked You Ran, “Thank you, or else Cheng Cheng would have a hard time in the future.”
Old Man Qin, tapping his cane, said hatefully, “It’s all that grandson Qin Hao’s fault. When I find him, I’ll skin him alive.”
Shen Qian wanted to laugh at Old Man Qin’s cursing, thinking that if Qin Hao was a turtle grandson, then wouldn’t he be a turtle too?
You Ran glanced at Shen Qian, who was trying not to laugh, knowing exactly what was going through her mind. Without changing his expression, he held her hand and led her to Commander You, “Dad, this is Shen Qian.”
You Ran reintroduced Shen Qian to Commander You. At first, Commander You didn’t quite understand, but then he thought about the past regrets between You Ran and Shen Qian, as well as his own past conflicts with Shen Qian. You Ran’s intention was clear: to start anew, letting bygones be bygones.
Commander You smiled slightly at Shen Qian, which was rare since he had lost his youngest son, then his wife, and later his eldest son.
Yu Tianyang now carefully observed Shen Qian, feeling she looked somewhat familiar. After thinking hard, he suddenly realized, “This Miss Shen Qian seems to know our Nan Nan? Has she been to our house before?”
Yu Tianyang looked at Nannan with an inquiring gaze. Before Nannan could speak, Ms. Hu hurriedly interjected, “You remembered it wrong, Nannan has a reclusive personality, where would she have friends?” Nannan, unconcerned, added, “Yes, I don’t have friends, Dad.” Yu Tianyang was at a loss for words and could only laugh awkwardly to ease his own embarrassment. You Ran gave Ms. Hu a few extra glances, finding it strange. Clearly, Shen Qian and Nannan were once very good friends, and Ms. Hu used to like Shen Qian a lot, so why deny it now? Nannan’s cooperation, could it be she knows something?
“Alright, time and tide wait for no man, this ceremony has already been delayed for almost forty minutes, everyone, get into position,” Mr. Qin said lightly. In this group, the only one who could speak with authority was the elder, Mr. Qin. You Ran whispered into Shen Qian’s ear, “Wife, I’ve got everything covered.” Shen Qian blushed and gave him a playful look, but her eyes sparkled with enviable happiness.
Yu Cheng watched them with displeasure, her heart filled with anger. She suddenly remembered the first time she saw You Ran. That day, she was delivering a school ID to her sister, whose school had strict rules; without an ID, you couldn’t enter, and there were guards at the school gate. Her sister had forgotten her ID and was stopped outside, and the one stopping her was Shen Qian, whom she later described as a friend. That was when Yu Cheng first saw Shen Qian, taller than most girls, with a neat ponytail, unlike Yu Cheng who adorned her hair with many pretty clips. By the time Yu Cheng arrived, the bell for the end of morning self-study had already rung, and her sister was in tears. Being late for morning study only cost 0.3 points of academic credits, but missing it entirely meant losing one point, and students who lost more than four points couldn’t be considered for the ‘Three Good Student’ or excellent cadre awards. After receiving the ID, Nannan ran crying into the classroom. Yu Cheng looked at Shen Qian, who remained calm, and instantly disliked her for her lack of empathy.
The old man at the gatehouse said, “Qianqian, your shift is over, go explain to Nannan’s class, there’s a teacher from the academic affairs office checking at the staircase entrance, if they catch her, she’ll lose three points. You’re doing this for her own good.”
“It’s fine, let it be a lesson for her,” Shen Qian removed the red armband from her arm, straightened it, and placed it neatly on the table before bidding farewell to the old man. Just as she was about to leave, the old man nudged his lips, “Your boyfriend brought you breakfast.”
And that’s how Yu Cheng first saw You Ran, wearing the oversized school uniform which somehow looked radiant on him. He smiled gently, making that gloomy morning seem bright. However, that smile was not for her but for Shen Qian, handing her breakfast and then naturally embracing her as they walked deeper into the school. She watched them, out of reach.
