He ultimately failed to protect her.

It wasn’t without regret.

Zhao Ping Jin spoke up: “If your family needs any help, just let me know.”

In the entire city of Beijing, there probably weren’t many people who could get such an offer from the Zhao family’s young master. Xi Tang only politely replied: “Thank you.”

Only silence remained between them.

The words that Zhao Ping Jin had hidden in his heart for so long, that he had held back for so many years, finally came out slowly: “The investigation into your background back then—it was inappropriate of my mother.”

Xi Tang seemed somewhat incredulous, stunned for quite a while as if she had just heard clearly. But she only smiled and shook her head. Her personality was still the same—she responded to gentleness, not harshness. Between the two of them, as long as he was willing to lower his head slightly, she would always give more and more tolerance and love to him: “I never asked my mom about it afterward because I figured it out myself. I can’t control what happened in the previous generation. I only know that my mom never left me. She is a responsible and good mother. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I was just young and ignorant before, feeling like I should be ashamed of my family background. I’m not like that anymore.”

She spoke indirectly, but clearly.

Huang Xi Tang had felt inferior. He had thought that girls from the Film Academy were all as proud as peacocks, especially someone as talented and full of dreams as Huang Xi Tang.

He hadn’t understood at the time. Huang Xi Tang was clearly such a lovely and lively girl; how could she suddenly become so moody, so tearful, so annoying? Looking back now, it was simply because she felt particularly insecure during that period. Zhao Ping Jin felt uncomfortable inside. Perhaps he had loved her very much back then, but he hadn’t put in enough patience to understand her.

Zhao Ping Jin asked: “Is your mom your biological mother?”

Xi Tang rolled her eyes: “We look so much alike.”

Zhao Ping Jin said: “Then what about your father?”

Xi Tang shook her head: “I don’t know either. My mom never talks about it.”

Zhao Ping Jin kindly suggested: “Maybe your father is still around. Do you want to find him? I can help you look.”

“Sure,” Xi Tang smiled at him. “On the day I die, you can help me look. Maybe I’ll want to see him that day.”

Zhao Ping Jin was moved inside, but couldn’t help slightly furrowing his brow. He had never met a woman with such a strong temperament. Besides causing herself suffering, what good did it do?

Zhao Ping Jin said: “Xi Tang, I never looked down on you.”

Xi Tang said: “It’s not your fault. It’s my problem.”

She would never again mention the difficulties and humiliation his family had inflicted on her, nor the mutually destructive words they had exchanged when breaking up. It was as if everything had been let go with time.

Zhao Ping Jin suddenly asked: “Is that guy still pursuing you?”

Xi Tang was startled: “Who?”

Zhao Ping Jin narrowed his eyes: “That Zheng guy, the one who confessed to you in your classroom before.”

Xi Tang recalled the recent swirling rumors and explained: “There’s nothing between us.”

Zhao Ping Jin’s calm voice contained a hint of coldness: “If he comes looking for you again, tell him—he’ll never have a chance.”

Xi Tang smiled.

That year when she was a junior, just after starting to date Zhao Ping Jin, Zheng You Tong confessed to her in the classroom where they were rehearsing, presenting her with a large bouquet of bright roses. Xi Tang was too surprised and momentarily tongue-tied: “Ah, Zheng You Tong, don’t do this—I already have a boyfriend.”

Zhao Ping Jin happened to be picking her up from class that day. Seeing this scene, he was furious and rushed in, grabbing Huang Xi Tang’s hand. His words were polite, but his face wore the mischievous smile of a Beijing rascal: “Hey, classmate—sorry, but I’ve already claimed this girl. You’ve got no business here.”

Zheng You Tong, young and hot-blooded, pointed at Zhao Ping Jin’s nose and cursed them: “Xi Tang, don’t mess around with these Beijing rich boys. I’m telling you, they just love to play with girls. They’ll never be sincere.”

Zhao Ping Jin pushed him away: “Hey, hey, who are you cursing at?”

Zheng You Tong rolled up his sleeves and charged forward. The two looked ready to fight.

Huang Xi Tang had to drag him away.

Who would have thought that Zheng You Tong’s prediction would be so accurate?

That was all many years ago.

Xi Tang and Zhao Ping Jin walked back along the riverside.

On the way, they saw Little Landlord carrying a baby back from the market, accompanied by his new wife.

Xi Tang waved: “Little Landlord!”

Little Landlord’s wife spotted the two of them from a distance. As they got closer, her face showed excitement and curiosity: “Sister, is this your boyfriend?”

Xi Tang introduced Zhao Ping Jin: “This is my friend, he’s here to visit our town.”

Little Landlord’s wife warmly welcomed them: “Where have you been? Have you booked tickets for the attractions? I can book them for you through the travel agency that works with our hotel, it’ll be cheaper.”

Zhao Ping Jin replied: “I just arrived yesterday, and haven’t had time to go yet.”

Meanwhile, Huang Xi Tang pulled Little Landlord aside and asked: “Has the Public Security Bureau found anything?”

Little Landlord handed the child to his wife and shook his head at Xi Tang.

Little Landlord’s largest hotel had recently been visited by a group of police who arrested a drug dealer from one of the rooms. They said the hotel was complicit, and the Industry and Commerce Bureau immediately came to shut it down, ordering them to close for rectification. It had been almost two weeks now, and the case still hadn’t been resolved.

Little Landlord’s wife grew anxious upon hearing this: “Yes, Sister. We’re innocent, but no one will listen to us. When they say we can’t open, we can’t open. I’ve heard that the new hotel across the street was opened by the father-in-law of some leader in the Public Security Bureau… We’re an established brand. Guests who have stayed at our hotel all praise our cooking. Online customers come specifically for our reputation. Now the business is gone, they’ve all gone to the new place. It’s driving me crazy!”

Xi Tang consoled her: “Maybe wait a bit longer.”

Zhao Ping Jin casually listened to their chitchat while moving closer to play with the child: “How old is he?”

The baby drooled, unable to speak yet, and happily slapped Zhao Ping Jin’s face.

Little Landlord’s wife had her attention drawn to the child and laughed too: “He likes you. Little treasure, come, say hello to the brother.”

Zhao Ping Jin took out his wallet and removed a stack of cash: “This visit was very sudden. I didn’t expect to meet Xi Tang’s sworn brother. I didn’t prepare a gift for the baby. I don’t have much money on me, but here’s something to buy some toys for the child.”

“Oh no—how could we—this is too much—” Little Landlord’s wife, upholding traditional Chinese etiquette, quickly and politely pushed it away.

Xi Tang heard and looked over. The stack of money was neither too thick nor too thin, probably about one or two thousand yuan. She smiled at the baby: “Little treasure, take it. Thank the uncle. Uncle has plenty of money.”

Zhao Ping Jin turned and glared at her.

Xi Tang pressed her lips together in amusement.

Zhao Ping Jin stuffed the money into her hand: “I’ve come from Beijing. Thank you for always taking care of Xi Tang.”

Little Landlord was talking to Xi Tang and suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Little Landlord looked at Xi Tang, his expression completely changed—he had an animal-like intuition and made an inarticulate sound: “Sister?”

Xi Tang’s eyes hesitated for a second.

Just in this moment of hesitation, Little Landlord suddenly lashed out, punching Zhao Ping Jin hard in the face.

Zhao Ping Jin instinctively dodged but accidentally bumped into Little Landlord’s wife’s arm. Little Landlord’s wife instinctively raised her hands to protect the child in her arms. The stack of bills they had been politely passing back and forth suddenly flew out.

A pile of red banknotes scattered on the ground.

Zhao Ping Jin was knocked back several steps by the punch, nearly falling to the ground.

Little Landlord charged again, wildly grabbing Zhao Ping Jin’s arm and driving his fist into his stomach.

Xi Tang finally came to her senses and rushed forward to grab his hand, shouting: “Stop, Little Landlord! No! He’s not! He’s not!”

Little Landlord’s eyes were red as he glared at Zhao Ping Jin, howling. He flipped around and lunged again, shouting in a language no one could clearly understand.

Zhao Ping Jin dodged left and right, taking several more hits.

His wife was completely dumbfounded, standing helplessly for a good while before trying to intervene. The baby started crying loudly.

Xi Tang quickly called out: “Take the child back inside, I’ll talk him down!”

Zhao Ping Jin was thrown to the ground.

Xi Tang couldn’t restrain the frenzied Little Landlord.

Zhao Ping Jin rolled on the ground several times, and finally couldn’t help but angrily shout: “Huang Xi Tang, tell this stutterer that if he doesn’t stop, I’m going to hit back!”

Little Landlord pounced on him and beat him wildly, continuously howling and making guttural sounds. His words were unclear: “You… are… My mom said, if you died, she wouldn’t want to live either. In the hospital, almost dead… I saw you every day… Did he hurt you? Your mom cried every day…”

He had the strength of a wild bull. Xi Tang couldn’t pull him away. Tears suddenly streamed down her face. She choked with sobs, uncontrollably, though she was desperately worried: “No, it’s not him.”

Just through this small opening, those past events came flooding through like a broken dam. She suddenly couldn’t control her emotions.

Xi Tang turned away, covering her face as she sobbed, tears flowing unstoppably.

Little Landlord immediately stopped, pushed Zhao Ping Jin away, and turned to wipe the tears from Xi Tang’s face: “Sister, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Zhao Ping Jin lay on the ground, his hair and clothes in disarray, one contact lens lost. His vision was uneven, making everything a bit blurry. He was stunned: “What did he say? What about dying?”

No one answered him.

Zhao Ping Jin slowly sat up and saw the woman crouched on the ground, her face buried in her knees, crying uncontrollably, her whole body shaking. The little mute man was crouched beside her, making continuous sounds as he talked to her.

After a very long time, Xi Tang wiped away her tears and picked up the money from the ground one bill at a time, stuffing them into Zhao Ping Jin’s hand: “You should go back to the hotel.”

The three of them stood up unsteadily, only to see that people from the entire street had come out to watch them. Xi Tang’s mother had also come out, standing far away in front of their house.

When Xi Tang saw her face clearly, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine. Her mother, who loved and spoiled her more than anyone in the world, was looking at her so coldly, without a trace of expression on her face.