Close to midnight, Cen Jin put on her coat and drove to the restaurant where she had arranged to meet her father. It was a Cantonese restaurant, about ten minutes from the company. When she arrived, her father was already waiting in a private room.
As soon as their eyes met, Father Cen smiled with his usual gentleness, the wrinkles spreading across his face like tree roots. Cen Jin’s nose suddenly stung with emotion, but she quickly returned the smile and sat down across from him, asking, “When did you arrive?”
Father Cen poured her tea: “Just a few minutes ago.”
As he pushed the cup back to her, he looked her over again: “Look at how red your nose is from the cold.”
Hearing this, Cen Jin playfully rubbed her nose: “Not at all, it’s the trendy makeup style now, putting blush on the nose to look more endearing.”
“Well, it’s working then,” Father Cen laughed and instructed the server to bring the dishes.
Cen Jin took off her coat and glanced at the green leaves gradually unfurling in the celadon teacup: “How’s Mom?”
Father Cen said: “Didn’t I tell you that Dad’s handling it?”
Cen Jin took a sip of tea, wearing a resigned expression: “It’s just us now, you can tell me straight.”
“What do you expect? You know your mother’s temperament. I managed to calm her down,” Father Cen raised his eyebrows slightly: “No one else has that ability except me.”
Cen Jin gave a snorting laugh: “I thought I’d be getting a barrage of deadly calls from Mom.”
“I didn’t let her call. I still remember that time with Wu Fu, when she secretly called you in the middle of the night to argue. I told her you’re all grown up now with your judgment, why keep treating you like a child? Your mother…” Father Cen paused, choosing his words carefully: “Your mother is quite traditional and stubborn. Of course, she can’t accept it right away, and with the Wu Fu situation before, it’s normal that she needs time to understand. She wants the best for you, wants stability, wants you to find someone of equal social status who won’t cause problems.”
Cen Jin wasn’t surprised: “I know, I knew when I saw your message.”
“Mom must be furious…” she lowered her eyes, fidgeting with the dark chopsticks beside her hand, confessing, “But what can I do? When you like someone, you just like them. I haven’t liked a boy this much in a long time.”
Father Cen watched her quietly: “Jinjin, do you think Dad came today to persuade you to break up? To be your mother’s messenger?”
Cen Jin looked up: “No.”
Father Cen let out a breath: “That’s good, my image as a kind father remains intact. I specially arranged this lunch to express my stance in person, to show my sincerity.”
Cen Jin sat up straight, eyes bright as she looked at her father: “Go on.”
Father Cen was silent for a moment, then spoke unhurriedly: “To be honest, when I saw your social media post yesterday, my first reaction was relief. My worried heart finally settled.”
Cen Jin looked at him in surprise.
“You think your father is stupid?” Father Cen’s gaze was steady: “That summer after Li Wu’s college entrance exam, I could tell something was off between you two. The way he looked at you, his attitude toward you wasn’t like a normal brother to a sister. The playful atmosphere between you two, and that time I went downstairs to smoke – you think I didn’t know you were together?”
As these old memories surfaced, Cen Jin’s chest filled with turmoil like a sudden downpour, staring at her father intently.
“You were in such low spirits then, but after he came, you became happier, and he took such meticulous care of you. I thought I’d just observe, though I hadn’t considered whether you could last or anything,” Father Cen leaned back against the sofa, his eyes trembling slightly: “With your previous marriage to Wu Fu, I listened too much to your mother, always taking her side, which only made you more rebellious, made everything a mess, made you distant from us, barely willing to visit a few times a year. Later I reflected on myself – was this right? Was this my original intention as a father?”
He shook his head slightly: “I should have stuck to my original heart. What’s the point of raising a daughter? Is it to fulfill something for me or to make others see me in a certain way? No, absolutely not. My only requirement and expectation for my daughter is happiness. No matter who it is, as long as they can make my daughter happy, that’s enough. You don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve had such a smile after your divorce, just…”
Father Cen took out his phone, scrolled through it, and showed it to Cen Jin: “Just like the smile in this photo, so unrestrained, so joyful. Dad hasn’t seen it in so long.”
“So Dad felt relieved when he saw it and kept looking at it, sharing in the happiness. My daughter has figured things out, understood herself, can open her heart to love again, can find happiness in it again – what could be better than this?”
The screen showed an instant photo of her and Li Wu, which her father had saved in his album.
One glance was all it took for tears to start uncontrollably spilling from Cen Jin’s eyes. She quickly wiped them away with her fingers, her throat too choked to speak.
Father Cen’s eyes also reddened slightly: “Jinjin, don’t cry – when you cry, Dad wants to cry too. Aren’t we just having a normal heart-to-heart?”
Cen Jin sniffled, her fingers touching her lips: “You’re the one getting all emotional first.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop being emotional,” Father Cen also roughly wiped his eyelids with his thumb, breaking into a big smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere: “Let’s talk about the main thing, tell me about your boyfriend?”
Cen Jin composed herself and nodded.
“With Li Wu, Dad hasn’t spent as much time with him as you have, and doesn’t know him as well, but from what I’ve seen, I think he’s a good kid. Yes, he’s young, but looking at how he handles himself and interacts with others, his personality and thoughts are quite mature and careful. That summer he stayed at our house, Auntie Tang talked to me privately about him, said she’d never seen such a thoughtful child, every day either taking care of you or helping her with housework, or studying.”
Cen Jin smiled softly: “He’s always been like that.”
Father Cen nodded: “So, Dad trusts your judgment and supports your choice. Most importantly, Dad will always be by your side, being your strong support, until the day I close my eyes and can’t look after you anymore.”
“Don’t say things like that.” Cen Jin couldn’t bear to hear him talk this way, tears welling up again.
“I won’t, I won’t.” Father Cen quickly got her some tissues.
Cen Jin folded the tissue and pressed it against the corners of her eyes: “Li Wu isn’t as perfect as you think, but he is… well, he’s amazing. At first, I never thought we’d develop to this point, but he just has his unique charm. I’ve met other men, but Li Wu gives me a feeling that’s more stable, more intense, and more real. I don’t know how to describe it…”
Her words were jumbled due to her emotional state, but they were sincere: “I feel he’s different from Wu Fu. He doesn’t have all those complicated entanglements behind him – family, work – he’s just… he’s the kind of almost idealized relationship I want. I can see my former self in him, and this feeling is so familiar and solid, it gives me a sense of security. I don’t know what the future holds, but at least this is how it is now.”
Cen Jin propped her chin on her hands, smiling softly: “Dad, you know what? We argued the night before last, but that’s how I confirmed I like him, which is why I decided to go public.”
Father Cen smiled and accepted the shell soup brought by the server: “Fighting is normal in relationships. Your age gap is big, and that’s what I worry about most. He’s so much younger than you and hasn’t entered society yet. You’re the big sister, after all, you need to guide him and be a bit more accommodating.”
“I know,” Cen Jin ladled soup for him, pouting slightly: “So you approve of us?”
“There’s nothing to approve or disapprove. My daughter’s happiness is the supreme principle, the only rule.” Father Cen suddenly became firm, his voice full of strength: “As long as you’re happy, there’s nothing we can’t accept. Besides, you still have me – if this doesn’t work out, you can always find someone else. Your old dad will always be your old dad.”
Cen Jin smiled and said “Oh,” passing him the small bowl: “And your daughter will always be your daughter.”
Father Cen took a few sips, then continued: “I’ll work on your mom. When she’s calmed down a bit, bring Li Wu home and we’ll all meet. Li Wu comes from a different background than you – except for the boost you’ve given him, he’s relied entirely on his efforts. I imagine he probably overthinks things, so don’t tell him about your mom’s attitude yet. Don’t make the poor kid unable to study in peace. Just tell him I’m busy these days, and when I have time, I’ll treat him to dinner. Tell him Uncle still thinks well of him, and don’t let this make you two unhappy – it’s not worth it. He’s about to turn twenty… he is twenty, right?”
Cen Jin said: “Yes.”
“Ah, so young – Dad wishes he could return to being twenty. My mindset back then was ‘no regrets at twenty’ – doing things you won’t regret or feel sorry about later. Li Wu must be the same.”
“Don’t worry about him, he’s mentally quite strong.”
“No, no, no,” Father Cen wagged his chopsticks: “Men are fragile until they’re eighty.”
Cen Jin gazed at her father: “But I think you’re the strongest person in the whole world.”
Father Cen smiled proudly, speaking casually: “Of course, I have to be the strongest person in the world in front of my daughter – otherwise, what kind of father would I be?”
…
―
Father and daughter talked happily, sharing everything openly. The meal lasted nearly an hour, and after watching Cen Jin drive away, Cen Qiaoyuan went to find his car.
But he didn’t drive away immediately, just sat in the driver’s seat, looking through his phone.
He had a special album on his phone, documenting his daughter’s photos over the years. Some were taken from family photo albums, others secretly saved from her social media posts.
He looked through them one by one, from her birth to adulthood, from wearing school uniforms to wearing a floor-length white wedding dress, remembering those timeless moments.
Finally, he stopped at yesterday’s photo of her with Li Wu.
His daughter’s face was radiant, light streaming from her eyes, smiling like a bright spring afternoon.
“This is wonderful,” Cen Qiaoyuan murmured involuntarily: “Wonderful…”
After returning to the company, just as he was about to walk to the elevator, the receptionist suddenly called out: “President Cen.”
Cen Qiaoyuan turned back: “What is it?”
The receptionist took out something that looked like a manila envelope from below: “A young man came by earlier, and insisted that I give this to you.”
She thought for a moment: “About half an hour ago, he was out of breath, and seemed very anxious.”
Cen Qiaoyuan took it, his gaze pausing, then said: “Thank you.”
Back in his office, Cen Qiaoyuan sat down in his leather chair, opened the envelope, and took out its contents one by one – there was a letter envelope and some…
Cen Qiaoyuan glanced through them briefly and couldn’t help laughing.
He folded them neatly, carefully placed them back on his desk, then opened the letter. The handwriting on the letter paper was neat and graceful:
“Uncle and Auntie,
Hello, I am Li Wu.
I apologize for first communicating with you in this way. I know that you and Auntie definitely can’t accept this situation right away, accept someone like me. I’ve never been good with words, and after much thought, I decided to express everything I want to say in this letter before having the real opportunity to meet you.
Let me first introduce myself.
My name is Li Wu, from Yunfeng Village, Nongxi County, Shengzhou City. I’m currently a sophomore in the Physics Department at F University, still just an unremarkable college student. My parents passed away when I was five, and it was thanks to your family’s care and help that I was able to continue my education. Later, when my grandfather passed away, it was also thanks to your help that I could attend the best high school and get into a top university. I can never repay your kindness in this lifetime; I can only first say thank you.
Falling in love with Cen Jin was both chance and inevitability because she is the most wonderful person in heaven – she is kind, upright, excellent, and beautiful.
It was she who pulled me out of the mire and gave me new life. Since coming to Yi City, she has always been looking after me, caring for me, protecting me, guiding me, preventing me from making any mistakes, and encouraging and teaching me to focus on my studies. The meaning she brings to my life far exceeds mere romantic love. One could say she is a bright lamp, and after meeting her, my life left the darkness behind.
I was too presumptuous and overstepped my bounds, developing inappropriate feelings for her, and harboring the extravagant wish to forever protect this light.
Please don’t blame her – I was the one who expressed my feelings first, who pursued her first. It wasn’t until the summer of my freshman year that she agreed to give me a chance, to try being together. I’m very grateful she would give me this opportunity.
But I know I’m not worthy yet.
So I want to express my sincerity to you within my current capabilities.
The attachments in the envelope are my compiled academic records since coming to F University over the past year and more. Since freshman year, I’ve been preparing for early graduation, taking sophomore specialized courses in advance. Next semester I will complete 2/3 of the required credits, and complete my undergraduate thesis defense in the second semester of junior year, then pursue a direct PhD admission, post-doctoral research, and apply for the National Youth Fund. My plan is to obtain a teaching position and stay at the university or go to the local Institute of Physics branch research institute. I will stay here, always accompanying Cen Jin, and catch up to her at the fastest speed possible to make up for the years between us.
Besides this, the bank statement shows all my income from high school graduation until today. I’ve done the accounting – there’s the sum of last year’s various scholarships, laboratory income, and some tutoring work, totaling over 110,000 yuan, all saved in this card. Although I come from a poor and humble background, I have already achieved financial independence and won’t bring any material burden to Cen Jin – please rest assured about this. All this income, including all future income, I plan to give to her. If she refuses, I’ll save it here as a foundation for the future.
I know this money might seem insignificant to you, but besides my unwavering love, this is all I can do for Cen Jin at present.
I will do my utmost to become a man of substance as soon as possible, to shelter her from wind and rain, to become her support.
I swear to you, I will never leave Cen Jin in this lifetime.
Unless one day she no longer needs me, then I will disappear on my own, walk out of her life.
I won’t hold grudges, won’t disturb her, I will forever be grateful – grateful to you, grateful to Cen Jin – to everyone who has helped me in my life, to this best version of her.
So I implore you, give me a chance too.
Let me prove my love for Cen Jin.
Thank you again.
Wishing you good health and all the best.
Li Wu
December 22, 2022