With Mom’s forewarning, I wasn’t too surprised by Dad’s arrival, though I hadn’t expected it to come so quickly. Monday afternoon, just after I started work, I received his message. I asked my section chief to leave, and before leaving the company, I made a call to Lin Yusen.
“I’m heading out this afternoon. Your princess is going to slay a dragon for you.”
“What?” Lin Yusen rarely failed to catch up, “What dragon?”
“My father.”
Dad had arranged to meet at a teahouse in the old town district. He probably had other business because he arrived half an hour late.
I sat in the private room of the teahouse, drinking tea and watching the small bridges and flowing water outside, waiting calmly without much concern. However, Director Nie seemed to arrive with anger. As soon as he sat down, his tone was accusatory: “Those things you said at the Sheng family dinner, were they all coached by Lin Yusen?”
My relaxed mood instantly vanished. I frowned and asked, “Which things?”
“About how Lin Yusen would take over the Nie family business in the future—did you say that? Sheng Bokai immediately congratulated me, saying I’d gotten a good son-in-law for free and wouldn’t have to worry about succession.”
So that was it. I was speechless—the Sheng family knew how to stir up trouble with their insinuations.
But I understood that my father, in his prime, would certainly be unhappy hearing this. So I explained, “I said that because they were being so irritating at the time, acting like they were dismissing Lin Yusen. I was just trying to anger them. I promise Lin Yusen has zero interest in our family company. He’s not even interested in Shengyuan, let alone our business.”
But my explanation only made Dad angrier. “I see he’s completely brainwashed you. I’ve never been a snob—even if you found a boyfriend from a less privileged background than him, it would be fine as long as he had good character and was capable. But Lin Yusen is not acceptable. I disagree. I’ve already received notice of the Sheng family’s share transfer, and I won’t approve it unless you agree to leave Suzhou and return to work in Wuxi.”
I looked at him in disbelief: “When someone wants to give shares to their grandson, what business is it of yours?”
“I’m a shareholder, and according to the company charter, this is my right. I don’t trust his abilities.”
He was lying through his teeth. Lin Yusen’s capabilities at Shengyuan were there for all to see. In the end, he was just holding a grudge against Lin Yusen for giving him trouble at Shengyuan before.
I patiently tried to reason with him, “Dad, is this because of what he did to you at Shengyuan before? But have you considered that if not for that accident, he would still be that excellent surgeon and many desperate patients might have been saved because of his existence? He could have saved many, many lives throughout his career. And the accident happened because you brought Ma Nianyuan to that banquet, allowing others to think she was… using my name to arrange a meeting with Lin Yusen. After the accident, you all completely ignored him, and you even said he was ‘rushing headlong’ after Ma Nianyuan…”
I didn’t want to think about what Ma Nianyuan might have told Dad behind the scenes. I continued, “So wasn’t it understandable when he created obstacles for you at Shengyuan? All this ended the career he’d worked towards for over a decade. And from what I know of him, he kept things purely business-oriented, never using any improper methods.”
However, these words were completely useless. Perhaps because I’d hit a sore spot, Dad became even more stubborn, saying firmly, “That doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice my only daughter.”
I suddenly became angry: “If your only daughter leaves you, it won’t be because of anyone else!”
A suffocating silence fell over the tea room.
“I have a question,” I calmed down and spoke steadily. “Why do you feel no guilt at all about indirectly destroying someone’s career? You knew Lin Yusen had the accident while going to Wuxi, yet you completely believed Ma Nianyuan’s one-sided story. With your life experience, did you not have any doubts? Even if you didn’t then, now that you know the truth, why do you still feel no remorse, make no attempts to make amends, and instead harbor such hostility toward Lin Yusen? Why? Is it because you know you wronged someone, so you feel guilty? Are you imagining him as some profit-seeking villain to ease your guilt and justify yourself?”
Dad suddenly stood up from the sofa. “Nie Xiguang!”
I remained seated on the sofa, looking up at him, “You keep saying I’m your only biological daughter, but when I was little, you sent me to the countryside for several years. These past years, you’ve been busy taking care of your first love and her daughter—where did that leave me? When I was studying in Nanjing, how many times did you visit? Before you knew about Lin Yusen, did you ever come to see me while I was working in Suzhou? Not once.”
“Lin Yusen misunderstood that he was going to Wuxi to meet me. He resents me because no one cared about him after the accident. If I hadn’t come to Suzhou to clear things up, I would have been taking the blame for Ma Nianyuan my whole life. With someone as capable as Lin Yusen, if he hates me, might he not take revenge someday? Did you ever worry about that?”
“Has Ma Nianyuan done other things using the name of Nie Chengyuan’s daughter? Might there be other blame for me to take in the future? After the truth came out, did you investigate? Did you comfort me? Did you punish her? Did you worry about how her actions might hurt me? No, you didn’t. You didn’t do any of it. Not a single thing.”
Moisture gathered in my eyes as I stood up as well.
“Dad, the shares in this company, and all your assets—do whatever you want with them. You can give them to Ma Nianyuan, you can give them to anyone. I never wanted them, and don’t think you can use them to control my life and choices.”
“I’ll never hope for you and Mom to get back together again.”
After leaving the teahouse, I walked aimlessly for a long time. The phone rang several times before I remembered to answer it.
Of course, it was Lin Yusen.
He didn’t ask much, his voice steady, “Xiguang, where are you now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look around, what buildings or shops are nearby?”
I looked up and told him the names of a few shops.
“Wait there, I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
While describing my surroundings to Lin Yusen, I realized I had followed the crowd to a rather lively street, surrounded by all kinds of food vendors.
So when Lin Yusen found me, I was sitting by the roadside eating, with various snacks piled beside me.
When he hurried over, his expression was full of concern, but seeing my state, all the worry on his face turned to amusement. He sat down beside me and picked up a paper bag, about to take out what was inside.
“Wait!” I quickly stopped him, “There’s plum cake in there, I only bought one, you can only have half.”
He obediently broke it in half, but after eating his portion, he ate the other half too. I stared at him with wide eyes, completely puzzled. He commented without any guilt, “It’s very good. Where did you buy it? I’ll go get another one to make it up to you.”
“…Never mind.”
I lowered my head and found a piece of victory cake among the pile of food.
“Unhappy meeting with Director Nie today?”
“How did you get here so quickly?”
“I was worried, so I followed you out.”
“Oh.” I finished the victory cake in my hand and held up my sticky hands for Lin Yusen to see. “Can I hug you?”
Lin Yusen directly grabbed my hands and pulled me into his embrace. I hugged him back, burying my head in his chest, and said quietly: “I’m sorry, I messed things up.”
“What things?” he asked gently.
“The share transfer. Dad probably won’t agree to Shengyuan transferring shares to you. He says he has the right of first refusal, and if Shengyuan wants to transfer, he’ll buy them first. We’ll probably have to run away together—I’ll find a job in Shanghai too… I just feel bad for Little Dai and the others.”
“Don’t cry first.” Lin Yusen’s fingers gently wiped my eyes. “It’s not that serious.”
I was crying? I hadn’t even noticed. I wiped my eyes hard, “Anyway, he just won’t agree, unless…”
I didn’t continue, but Lin Yusen already understood.
“Director Nie invested heavily in other projects at the end of last year, his financial situation isn’t ideal, and he can’t free up that much capital to take over here. If he doesn’t exercise his priority rights within a month, it’s equivalent to giving them up.”
“Really?”
“That’s my assessment.” Lin Yusen stroked my hair. “So don’t worry in advance, he’s just trying to scare you.”
“What if he does manage to free up the funds? If I wasn’t involved, he probably would have agreed.”
“Then we’ll run away together. I don’t necessarily need my girlfriend to run a company to support me.”
I laughed at his joke, “Thanks for lowering your standards.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lin Yusen bent down and softly kissed my eye. “Don’t rub your eyes so hard in the future.”
“Mm.”
“Also, don’t randomly take responsibility for everything.”
“Okay,” I answered him softly, quietly leaning in his embrace, not wanting to move. After fidgeting with his coat button for a while, I called his name: “Lin Yusen.”
He looked down at me.
“You don’t need to make up for my plum cake.”
“So generous?”
“Mm, if my dad prevents you from getting the shares, consider this compensation.”
The person above me was silent for a while, finally patting me, “Xiguang, keep going.”
“Huh?”
“You have a talent for business.”
As Lin Yusen predicted, Dad ultimately gave up his right of first refusal to purchase the shares. Then I received a very long message from him, but I just glanced at it without reading it carefully.
I didn’t want to read it anymore.
It wasn’t important anymore.
But not long after, he sent word through Mom, saying he wanted to transfer all of Shuangyuan’s shares to my name.
Along with this came another message from Dad.
“Daughter, I still have reservations about Lin Yusen as a person. Not out of personal grudges, but from a father’s natural wariness and worry about any man approaching his precious daughter. But you’re right, I can’t interfere with your life based on my subjective likes and dislikes. Dad only wishes for you to be happy and healthy, and hopes you will never be hurt.”