reignition

After Jiang Mian left the room, Lu Chaochi couldn't help but start nagging his father, "Dad, can't you just be nice?"

"I'm fine." Lu Bozhou's voice was calm, but his tone was still quite gentle.

“No way,” Lu Chaochi said righteously. “You’ve lost so much weight, and you don’t look very energetic, like you’re sick. I’m not here, so I’ll worry.”

"I understand," Lu Bozhou replied softly, then paused for a moment before asking, "Where is she?"

"Who is it?" Lu Chaochi hadn't reacted yet.

"..." Lu Bozhou didn't elaborate, feeling it wasn't appropriate to ask his son. "Never mind."

But he didn't intend to ask any further. Lu Chaochi suddenly realized something, "You mean Mom?"

"How is she doing lately? Is she happier?" Lu Bozhou asked calmly, recalling what his son had mentioned during their last phone call.

He then asked, "Are you still attending that parent-child art class you mentioned before? Should I book it for you for the whole year?"

“Mom’s already signed up for the whole year,” Lu Chaochi chuckled. “Dad, are you…”

Lu Chaochi winked at his father on the screen and asked mischievously, "...Are you missing Mianmian?"

Lu Bozhou did not deny it, but he was not yet qualified to affirm it.

"Be good, you've always been sensible, don't let her worry too much, take good care of her," Lu Bozhou instructed, completely disregarding the fact that his son was still such a tiny little thing.

Because Lu Chaochi is too smart, Lu Bozhou often can't treat him entirely like a child.

“We were supposed to go to our parent-child art class today, but an uncle came to pick us up. He said it was you who arranged it.” Lu Chaochi started to exchange information with his father. “Did you arrange it? That Uncle Qin?”

Lu Bozhou understood the meaning behind Lu Chaochi's message, and he nodded, "It was my arrangement."

"That's good. I thought it was Mianmian's boyfriend."

Upon hearing Lu Chaochi's words, Lu Bozhou's expression stiffened, thinking that the child was quite imaginative.

But Lu Chaochi's words make one think deeply.

Lu Chaochi said, "Mianmian is so young, beautiful, talented, and rich! If she wants to date, it will be easy for her."

Lu Bozhou remained silent on the other end of the line.

Lu Chaochi continued, "Besides, you're already engaged to that person. It's perfectly reasonable for Mianmian to date; who knows, she might even find me a stepfather in the future..."

Lu Chaochi muttered to himself, unaware that every word he uttered was like a knife stabbing into his father's heart.

"Although this Uncle Qin was sent by you, there's another Uncle Qin who's Mianmian's friend. He visited Jiangcheng once and was very kind to Mianmian, and also very kind to me..."

Lu Bozhou remained silent, but his thin lips were pressed tightly together.

Qin Yanhuai... all he knows is taking advantage of others' misfortunes.

When Jiang Mian came out of her room, her parents were in the living room. They greeted her as she came out, saying, "Come and have some fruit."

Jiang Mian smiled and walked over, knowing they were worried because of her video call with Lu Bozhou.

Jiang Mian didn't try to hide anything from her parents and quickly told them about her video call with Lu Bozhou.

After hearing this, the parents remained silent for a long time.

It was Song Wan who spoke first, "You... your heart has softened?"

Jiang Mian was taken aback. "Why would you ask that?"

“You’ve always been soft-hearted towards him.” Song Wan sighed softly. “Actually, we all pretty much saw through Lu Bozhou’s feelings for you after you left.”

"But you're not here anymore. What good is his sadness or his deep affection? Belated affection is worthless. My daughter is gone. Who is he showing off to? Why didn't he treat you well when you were here..."

Whenever this topic comes up, Song Wan still can't hide her emotions.

"I only found out about this now." Song Wan sighed softly, feeling a little wistful.

Jiang Shan said in a low voice, "However, the Lu family is already deeply entrenched and has complex relationships, so it's not surprising that there would be such discord."

Song Wan looked at Jiang Mian and said, "You were soft-hearted towards him in your past life. Now that you know he has such difficulties, it's normal to be soft-hearted towards him."

Song Wan spoke calmly, indicating that she could accept any choice her daughter made.

“Your father and I have no objections. You’ve suffered so much, and we ask nothing more of you than for you to be healthy and happy. Whatever you want to do, we will support you.”

The pain of a parent outliving their child is truly unbearable.

The joy of regaining something lost surpasses everything else in the world.

Then nothing else matters.

Their daughter can do whatever she wants.

Jiang Mian smiled and gently shook her head. "No, but no matter what, knowing the reason behind it all is a way of clearing up a knot in my heart. At least, it can be considered a peaceful parting with him."

"At least, it made all the effort I put in not seem so worthless."

Jiang Mian thought about the tragic ending between herself and Lu Bozhou in her previous life.

Only now can I say that we parted amicably.

Hearing this, Song Wan sighed softly, "Your father, Xiao Yu, and I all support you."

Lu Chaochi was still in his room, holding his phone and whispering with his father.

Lu Bozhou didn't talk much; he mostly listened while Lu Chaochi spoke.

Lu Chaochi couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Dad, do you really not like Mianmian anymore?"

Lu Bozhou was speechless.

Lu Chaochi sighed and whispered, "You're not really going to get engaged or married to that aunt, are you?"

Lu Bozhou hadn't originally intended to say much to his son, but he could sense the worry in his son's voice.

He pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have my reasons."

"If you don't hurry, Mianmian might run off with someone else..." Lu Chaochi whispered.

He originally just wanted to scare his father, and Lu Chaochi was used to Lu Bozhou's personality, so he thought that even if he said that, Lu Bozhou wouldn't respond.

But to my surprise, not long after I said those words,

On the other end of the line, Dad suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Then you help me."

"Huh?" Lu Chaochi suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at his father on the screen, seemingly not understanding the meaning of those words.

Before Lu Chaochi could react, he heard his father say, "You help me tell her not to get along with other people, not to look at other people, and not to like other people."

Lu Chaochi was stunned, probably because he had never seen his reserved father express his needs so directly.

Lu Bozhou looked at Lu Chaochi on the screen and saw the surprised expression on his son's face, and even his little mouth was agape.

Lu Bozhou's lips curled up very slightly, as if all the tension and gloom of the past few days had vanished in this video call with the mother and son.