The conversation about Jiang Yan and puppy love was cut short by Fang Yisong’s suddenly ringing phone.
She picked it up from the table, stood to head toward the study, and looked at Lin Tao apologetically. “Tao-tao, I’m sorry — Mom has to take an important call and can’t keep talking.”
Lin Tao was well used to it. This sort of scene had played out many times before. “It’s fine. Go ahead and get it.”
As she spoke, Lin Yongcheng finished tidying up and came out of the kitchen. He chatted with Lin Tao for a few minutes before Fang Yisong called him into the study too.
The two of them were like spinning tops that never stopped. There was always more work to do.
Lin Tao sat in the living room for a while before going back to her room.
The phone she’d tossed casually on the bed was buzzing nonstop.
Messages from classmates and friends — New Year’s greetings flooding in.
She went through them one by one, replying to each person who had sent wishes. She also sent messages to her former teachers.
Lin Yongcheng and Fang Yisong had no particularly close relatives or siblings. Growing up, Lin Tao had never seen any relatives visit their home.
No wonder, then.
That her father would have such thoughts.
That he would want another child — a boy who could carry on the family name and inherit the family’s legacy.
Sometimes Lin Tao couldn’t make sense of it either. Wasn’t she also a continuation of their blood? Why did certain things have to be done by a son and no one else?
But that question would never have an answer.
Lin Tao finished sending the group messages and opened WeChat to send Jiang Yan a message:
Happy New Year =w=
He replied quickly — but it was Guan Che who sent the response:
Haha, Happy New Year, little sister. (This is Guan Che)
There was also a photo.
Jiang Yan was wearing a sapphire blue sweater that made his complexion look luminously white. He had his head down, the line of his neck tracing a beautiful angle. He was standing at the table with a dumpling wrapper in his fingers, and across the table lay rows of already-finished dumplings.
In the background was the kitchen, with large red fortune character decorations stuck to the sliding doors on either side.
A rich, lived-in warmth.
Lin Tao smiled, her fingers tapping at the keyboard:
Happy New Year, Brother Guan Che
Jiang Yan and my mom are busy. He’s even more of a hit with my mom than I am [This came out of nowhere.jpg]
……
And more of a hit with a certain girl than I am.
Lin Tao let out a surprised laugh and traded messages back and forth with him idly. After a while, he suddenly called her on voice.
Lin Tao blinked, then answered. Her tone was tentative: “Brother Guan Che?”
From the earpiece came an unexpected low, derisive laugh — and then the familiar, indifferent voice of Jiang Yan: “I’m older than you too. How come you never call me ‘brother’?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Tao could hear Guan Che protesting in the background: “What the hell, why are you so petty? What’s wrong with her calling me ‘brother’?”
“……”
These two were both equally childish.
Getting no answer from her, Jiang Yan moved the phone away from his ear and glanced at the screen, then shoved away Guan Che’s head as it crowded in beside him. “Hm? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lin Tao sat up in her bed, crossed her legs, and played innocent: “Saying what?”
“What do you think you should say?”
“How am I supposed to know what I should say if you won’t tell me?”
“……” Jiang Yan stood at the window — also decorated with a red fortune character sticker — and gave an inscrutable laugh. Then he changed the subject without warning: “What did you eat for breakfast?”
Lin Tao gave a little sound and remembered to answer. “Glutinous rice balls.”
Mentioning that reminded her of the dumplings in the photo. She was genuinely surprised. “I wouldn’t have guessed — you actually know how to make dumplings?”
“What can’t I do?”
Lin Tao smiled more obviously. “Do you always eat dumplings at New Year in your household?”
“Yes. Auntie Guan is from the north.”
“Is that a north-south difference?”
Xicheng was located south of the Yangtze River. Lin Tao had long known that there were significant differences between the north and the south in certain ways — take central heating, for instance, which still hadn’t been fully adopted in the cold, damp south.
But this was the first time she’d learned about this kind of small, specific difference. “It’s so strange — why is it that our side has always passed down the tradition of eating glutinous rice balls?”
“Maybe you all just think they taste better.”
“That’s not it — I actually prefer dumplings.”
The fortune character sticker on the window had a corner peeling up. Jiang Yan pressed it back down. “Want dumplings? I’ll save you a batch.”
“Sure.” Lin Tao assumed he was just saying it casually. “And do you put coins inside the dumplings?”
He didn’t catch that. “Put what?”
“Coins. Don’t they say that whoever finds the coin in their dumpling will have extra good luck in the new year?”
Lin Tao had seen this somewhere — a blogger had posted about how their family stuffed coins into dumplings during New Year, and whoever ate the one with the coin would have a lucky year ahead.
Jiang Yan laughed. “Where did you hear that nonsense?”
“……”
Lin Tao was about to say something else when she heard sounds on his end, as though someone was calling for him. Jiang Yan answered: “I’ll be right there.”
She sat on her comforter. “Is it Auntie calling you? Then go — we can talk later.”
“Yes.” Jiang Yan turned around and saw Guan Che being grabbed by the ear by his mother and steered out of the way. The corner of his mouth lifted. “Happy New Year.”
She laughed softly. “Happy New Year.”
She hung up, scrolled through her phone for a while, found nothing particularly interesting, and burrowed back under the blanket.
By evening, the festive atmosphere had grown even more intense. The property management of the compound was a considerate sort — they had delivered a beautifully crafted pair of New Year couplets to every household.
The compound, which had been a blank expanse of white that morning, was by now lit up with colorful lanterns and lights, every tower bright and glowing. Every household had their lights on, and looking across at the scene from a distance, the impression was one of warmth and reunion on every floor.
The warmth of the human world is the best comfort for an ordinary heart.
Lin Tao helped her father paste the couplets the management had delivered onto their front door.
Fang Yisong was in the kitchen preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner.
This was Fang Yisong’s habit. Ever since the company moved back to Xicheng, no matter how busy she was each year, she always personally cooked the New Year’s Eve meal — even on those occasions when she had taken Lin Tao away to travel.
It was something that had simply become a given, a standing tradition.
And it was only at these moments that Lin Tao could truly feel the warmth of having a family.
Fang Yisong’s cooking was excellent — on par with many talented chefs Lin Tao had encountered outside. Especially when she put in the extra care, everything was a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste.
Seven o’clock in the evening.
The family of three sat together again at the table. The television in the living room was airing the New Year’s Gala.
Lin Yongcheng had also heard from Fang Yisong that Lin Tao had a boyfriend. He asked a few brief questions, then still found it necessary to say: “You’re at an age where what you’re doing isn’t really considered puppy love anymore. Having a relationship is fine. But there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed.”
“You’re a girl, and your father doesn’t want you to get hurt by this in the future.”
Lin Tao understood what Lin Yongcheng meant. She had heard the same reminder from them every year since middle school. She nodded. “I know.”
“Alright, it’s New Year — let’s not talk about this anymore.” Fang Yisong steered the conversation away at just the right moment. “Come on, let’s eat.”
The couple was principled about never talking about work at the dinner table. As if to take care of Lin Tao, most of their conversation revolved around her.
The meal stretched on for over two hours. By the end, everyone was satisfied and full.
Fang Yisong stood up and went back to the bedroom, and when she returned she was carrying a few items.
She settled back into her seat, picked up a red envelope and handed it to Lin Tao. “This is from me and your father. We hope that in the new year, you’ll be safe and happy, and do well in your studies.”
Then, as if remembering something, she smiled and added: “Oh, and this year we also want to wish you and your little boyfriend a long-lasting relationship.”
Lin Tao’s face went red. She reached out and accepted the red envelope. “Thank you, Mom. And thank you, Dad.”
Fang Yisong paid great attention to these ceremonial moments. Perhaps out of regret and guilt for missing so much of Lin Tao’s childhood, she had never been stingy with Lin Tao in material things.
Whatever Lin Tao wanted — as long as it wasn’t excessive — Fang Yisong never asked questions about it.
After the red envelope, Fang Yisong took out a document and placed it in front of Lin Tao, glancing briefly at Lin Yongcheng before speaking. “This is from your father.”
Lin Tao was a little confused, but seemed to have some inkling of what it might be. She reached out and took it.
It was a share transfer agreement.
Inside were dense rows of specialized terminology. Lin Tao couldn’t fully parse it all, and looked at them both in puzzlement. “What is this?”
“Shares in your father’s company.” Fang Yisong explained simply. “The five percent that has been transferred to your name is completely separate from my and your father’s own shares — it belongs solely to you. Since you’re not yet of legal age, I’ll arrange for a professional manager to handle it on your behalf for now. Every year, like other shareholders of the company, you’ll receive a dividend. Once you come of age, if you want to learn about all of this, Mom can find someone to teach you. If you’d rather not, you can go do whatever you want to do, and someone will handle the rest for you.”
Lin Tao wasn’t so dense that she couldn’t understand what this meant — that Fang Yisong, after being forced to accept certain decisions of Lin Yongcheng’s, had fought hard to secure this for her: something that belonged to Lin Tao alone.
A sour, bittersweet feeling rose in her chest, and her eyes went red again. “Mom……”
Fang Yisong held her hand. “You don’t need to worry about any of this right now. Don’t overthink it. Just remember — this is what your father is giving you. And it’s what you deserve.”
Lin Tao forced down the sting in her eyes. “Okay. I understand.”
The conversation at the table, which had been lively just moments ago, was now silent. From the living room, the laughing voices on the New Year’s Gala floated in, sounding almost like mockery.
Lin Tao looked down at the document in her hands, gripped it and released it, then set it beside her. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Mom, is there something you and Dad have been keeping from me?”
Neither Fang Yisong nor Lin Yongcheng had expected her to say that. Both of them startled.
Her hands clenched together beneath the table. She tried to keep her voice sounding less strained. “Is it related to Dad wanting to have another child?”
Seeing the shock on their faces, Lin Tao felt something inside her deflate. She let her eyes drop slightly. “I already know.”
“Tao-tao……” Lin Yongcheng tried to say something, but in this moment, no words would be adequate.
“More than a month ago — the night I said I was going out, but actually stayed home. When you came back and were arguing in the living room, I was here.”
A splinter lodged in the heart creates a wound. Left untreated long enough, the wound festers. But to treat the wound, you first have to remove the splinter.
“I heard what you said.” Lin Tao gripped her own fingers, finding a point of focus. “I want to know what’s really going on.”
“Tao-tao.” Fang Yisong’s eyes went red.
……
The truth of the matter was close to what Lin Tao had imagined — yet also somewhat different.
Lin Yongcheng was currently at the peak of his career. The success he had today had come from years of relentless effort. Career flourishing, beloved wife at his side — in the industry, anyone who spoke of Lin Yongcheng did so with admiration and envy. But even in the midst of that admiration, someone would inevitably add the comment: if only he had a son to carry on the Lin family legacy, then things would truly be complete.
In earlier years, Lin Yongcheng hadn’t paid these remarks much mind. But in recent years, the company had grown to an enormous scale, nearly monopolizing the real estate industry in Xicheng.
When a person stands at such heights and gains so much, they find it impossible to let go.
A self-made man like Lin Yongcheng found it all the harder to accept the idea that the business he had built with his own hands would, after his lifetime, be handed over to someone of a different surname with no blood connection to him whatsoever.
On top of this, Lin Yongcheng was the only child of his generation. His late mother, in her final years, had expressed her hope that the Lin family line would not end with him.
Once this kind of thinking takes root, it’s difficult to shake. But Fang Yisong had nearly died giving birth to Lin Tao — the doctors said that in the future, it would be very difficult for her to conceive again, and that even if she were lucky enough to become pregnant, there would be significant dangers throughout. So after Lin Tao was born, they had decided not to have any more children.
Now, though the thinking had changed, Lin Yongcheng could not possibly allow Fang Yisong to risk her life carrying another child. So he began — secretly, behind Fang Yisong’s back — arranging for people to search nationwide for a suitable surrogate.
Lin Yongcheng had intended to wait until everything was settled before finding a way to bring it up with Fang Yisong. But the closeness between a long-married couple has its own kind of instinct, and Fang Yisong somehow got wind of it. She had a professional investigate, and the truth came out.
Fang Yisong fought him. They argued. In the end, they each stepped back and reached a compromise: they would attempt IVF first, and if successful, a surrogate would carry the child.
As a form of compensation, Lin Yongcheng extracted five percent from his own shares and assigned them to Lin Tao. Beyond that, Fang Yisong had him sign a notarized agreement: no matter what happened in the future, the Lin family’s enterprise would never belong solely to that other child.
The truth, when laid out, was a little bewildering — and also different in some ways from what Lin Tao had imagined. She had assumed Lin Yongcheng had been unfaithful to Fang Yisong, that he had done something to betray her.
But now, listening to it, it wasn’t quite that either. Still — undeniably — if Fang Yisong had never found out about the surrogacy arrangement, Lin Yongcheng would have gone on to have a child with another woman.
Even if it wasn’t infidelity in the traditional sense, what Lin Yongcheng had done was still, at its core, wrong.
But now, regardless of how things had played out, Fang Yisong had accepted Lin Yongcheng’s decision. Yet she would only ever recognize Lin Tao as her daughter.
Lin Tao could barely imagine how Fang Yisong — such a proud woman — had struggled before accepting this arrangement; accepting that a child who should have come into the world surrounded by hope and joy would arrive through circumstances that couldn’t quite be spoken of openly.
And it was in this moment that Lin Tao finally understood: her mother loved her far more than she had ever imagined.
With the truth laid out, Lin Tao found it hard to fully believe — but the outcome was at least within a range she could accept.
She thought for a long time, then asked Lin Yongcheng one question: “Dad, can you promise to love Mom forever?”
“Of course. I will love your mother forever.” Lin Yongcheng looked at her. Faint lines had gathered at the corners of his eyes. “And I will love you forever too.”
Whether Lin Yongcheng truly loved her — his daughter — Lin Tao decided she no longer needed to think about that. To be ruthlessly honest about it: if he had genuinely loved her, perhaps he wouldn’t have felt there was any difference between a daughter and a son.
Lin Tao didn’t want to examine that question too closely. It didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that he would love Fang Yisong forever and treat her well. That was the most important thing.
The New Year’s dinner was over. Everything that needed to be said had been said, and everything that should or shouldn’t have been known was now out in the open. The anguish Lin Tao had been carrying for over a month had never felt this quiet.
Perhaps this was, after all, the best possible outcome.
Lin Yongcheng and Fang Yisong were cleaning up the kitchen. Lin Tao sat in the living room waiting for the program she’d been looking forward to. When they were done, the three of them sat together watching the New Year’s Gala. For a moment, looking at the scene, it truly seemed quite warm.
When it was nearly eleven-thirty, the landline in their apartment rang.
Fang Yisong got up to answer it. In less than a minute, she turned her head. “Tao-tao. Meng Xin is looking for you.”
Lin Tao gave a sound of surprise, put on her slippers, and walked over. Before picking up, she was already puzzled. “Xin-xin? What is it?”
From the other end of the line, Meng Xin’s voice spilled over with laughter. “Who said it was me looking for you? Your big guy Jiang couldn’t reach you, so he called my number instead.”
“……” Lin Tao let out a sound of realization and suddenly remembered that since dinner she had left her phone in the bedroom. She quickly said: “Then I’m hanging up — anything else, let’s chat on WeChat.”
Meng Xin managed to call out before she hung up: “You ungrateful person!”
Lin Tao laughed once, ignored it, and hung up anyway. She hurried back to her room.
Her phone had only been unattended for two or three hours, but there was a stack of missed messages and missed calls.
Lin Tao didn’t reply to any of them. She called Jiang Yan directly. He picked up quickly. “What were you doing just now?”
“I was eating dinner with my parents…… we talked for a bit. I just wasn’t holding my phone.”
There was a brief silence on his end of the line. Lin Tao heard what sounded like a sigh. A wave of guilt washed over her. “I’m sorry. Was there something urgent?”
“Nothing urgent.”
Lin Tao exhaled in relief.
“I just had some dumplings for you.” His voice was unhurried.
“……”
Lin Tao was completely stunned. She stayed frozen for a long moment without finding any words.
“I’m downstairs at your place. When are you coming down?” He stomped his feet lightly. Then, somewhat muffled: “Damn. I’m going to freeze to death out here.”
Author’s Note: Don’t know what to say — so I’ll just wish you all a Happy New Year. 😀