Return to before death

Seeing Zong Zhengqing's mysterious demeanor, Yan Ran raised an eyebrow and stopped asking, but she had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

The bright, warm yellow light in the private room filled every corner, and the light brown wallpaper created a cozy atmosphere under the light.

Night had fallen. The restaurant was located in a bustling area. Through the windows, one could see the lights on the signs of the shops and the bustling streets.

Outside the window, thousands of lights shone brightly; inside, all was silent.

Yan Ran seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere. She silently picked up the exquisite brown ceramic cup, supporting the base with one hand and holding the cup with the other. Her fingers traced the slightly rough, circular patterns, and she occasionally blew on the steaming tea surface, as if waiting for the tea to cool down.

Zong Zhengqing looked at Yan Ran with concern, almost opening his mouth, but gave up when he saw Yan Ran's indifferent expression.

Yan Ran couldn't stand his gaze and hesitant manner. She even regretted choosing this opposite seat. She had thought that it would be easier to talk face to face, but in this kind of "dinner party," being able to see each other just by looking up, but not being able to say a word, was very awkward.

She sighed silently to herself, then looked up and cast a questioning glance at the person opposite her: "Is there something you need?"

Zong Zhengqing was both surprised and happy to find that his thoughts had been discovered. After all, they had been married for many years, and even though they had been separated for a short time, Yan Ran could still see through his thoughts. He felt somewhat gratified.

He seemed to have forgotten that he had been staring at the other side of the room.

Zong Zhengqing hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Ranran, I..."

"Ranran, what a surprise!" But before she could finish speaking, someone pushed the door open and entered, speaking in a familiar tone.

Upon hearing the voices of the newcomers, Yan Ran abruptly stood up from her seat and turned to face the door, her expression one of surprise rather than joy: "Dad? Mom? What brings you here?"

"I was just thinking of giving you a surprise, but my son-in-law told us not to tell you." Yan Ran's mother didn't seem to care about her daughter's surprise. She gestured towards Zong Zhengqing and gave Yan Ran a knowing look.

Zong Zhengqing looked back at them, his face full of smiles, his gaze towards Yan Ran deep and tender.

Yan Ran's father glanced at her with disdain, snorted heavily, and then said with dissatisfaction, "What? We're not allowed to come?"

Looking at her father's expression, Yan Ran seemed to recall something from her childhood, biting her lower lip until it turned white.

Seeing Yan Ran's appearance, her mother glanced at her son-in-law watching from the other side and quickly nudged the person next to her, "Old Yan, it's rare for you to see Ran Ran today, so please say less."

Father Yan shook off her hand without any appreciation, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Yan Ran: "Hmph, now you've really made something of yourself, your wings have hardened, who knows, you might not even be seen anymore?"

Seeing this, Zong Zhengqing couldn't sit still any longer and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Dad, Ranran just hasn't seen you for a long time, and she's a little excited because you suddenly came without telling her."

"I hope so." Father Yan nodded and said nothing more, but his gaze toward Yan Ran still held some dissatisfaction.

Yan Ran stood silently to the side, waiting for her parents to take their seats one by one as Zong Zhengqing arranged, looking at his back with a complicated expression.

She was actually happy when her parents came to see her, even though her father's attitude was not good, but that was the norm for him.

She also wanted to see her parents and tell them about her divorce, but that was after the divorce, not before. The implication of Zong Zhengqing inviting her parents was obvious: they were his saviors, there was no need to think about it. They were there to persuade her not to get a divorce.

The parents haven't noticed anything yet; Zong Zhengqing probably hasn't told them. They can only play along and see how things go for now.

The four of them took their seats one by one. Yan's mother, who was sitting next to Zong Zhengqing, noticed that Yan Ran and Zong Zhengqing were sitting the furthest apart. She looked at Yan Ran with some confusion and asked, "Ranran, why are you and Zhengqing sitting so far apart?" As she spoke, she stood up and pointed to her own seat, "Come here, sit here with your mother. Husband and wife should sit together."

Zong Zhengqing, who was standing to the side, remained silent, but his eyes were full of expectation as he looked at Yan Ran.

Seeing her mother's actions, Yan Ran smiled and shook her head, politely declining, "No need, Mom, this seat is just right for me." She paused and then explained, "We can face each other, and I can see you just by looking up."

"Alright, alright, I really don't understand the thinking of you young people." Seeing that Yan Ran was sitting motionless in her original seat staring blankly at her, Yan's mother smiled and sat back down in her own seat.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't we going to eat? Hurry up." Mr. Yan frowned and urged after Mrs. Yan sat back down, watching the interaction between the two.

"Yes, let's eat." Zong Zhengqing felt a little disappointed when he saw that Yan Ran hadn't sat down, but he still smiled gently and agreed.

Looking at the abundant dishes on the table, Yan Ran casually picked up a piece of fish from the nearest plate. The tender fish melted in her mouth and had the unique numbing and spicy flavor of Sichuan cuisine, making it very delicious.

The table was laden with delicious dishes, all of which looked and smelled wonderful.

But in the current situation, Yan Ran was eating without tasting anything. Her mind was wandering, and she mechanically picked up the food from the nearest plate with her chopsticks, eating whatever was turned to her.

Seeing that Yan Ran ate everything without being picky, Yan's mother didn't notice anything wrong. On the contrary, she felt a little gratified. After living with her son-in-law, this "young master of a wealthy family," for so long, she had become less picky about food. However, her complexion was not very good, probably because of Tangtang.

They rarely contacted Yan Ran; this matter was only mentioned by Zong Zhengqing when he invited them over.

Thinking about this, she felt that as a mother, she should at least comfort Yan Ran and leave a good impression on her son-in-law.

"Ranran, I know that incident was a huge blow to you, but you have to cheer up, right? You lost the baby, but you and Zhengqing are still young, you can have another one, don't you think Mom is right?"

Yan Ran kept her head down, eating her food while pondering the clues she had found that day, organizing her thoughts. She didn't notice what her mother was saying, nor did she reply.

Mother Yan assumed her daughter was upset and didn't pay much attention. She continued, "I know you're upset, and you don't need to answer me. But even if you don't like what I'm saying, you have to listen to it."

She paused, her expression complicated as she pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, but she continued, "It's not that Mom doesn't like Tangtang, it's just..."

Upon hearing the name "Tangtang," Yan Ran's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly looked up at the person who had spoken.