Chapter 2  : The Gu Parents

 Vicky_ 

Anran returned home, somewhat frustrated. Her stomach, which was originally rumbling in hunger, was no longer hungry. Today, she had gained knowledge and experience. She thought that all extreme douchebags were fabricated from movies and novels. The truth was, they all came from life!

When she walked through the doors, Lin Xiaofen was in the living room watching television. A couple of the accounts that she had looked through were placed on the coffee table.

Anran greeted her mom in a low voice. Her scalp felt a bit numb. Recently, it was like that almost every night. She was probably going to be lectured again.

The Gu family was a very mundane and normal family. Gu Anran’s mom, Lin Xiaofen, was an accountant at a nationalized industry and was not usually busy. When she was young, Lin Xiaofen was a charming and distinguished beauty. Although she was older now, she still took care of herself. Even though she was almost 60 years old, she did not look old. Her face became simple and elegant with time. Anran’s father, Gu Hengwen, was a high school literature and language teacher. He had 30 years of teaching experience and was an excellent teacher. Many of his students had gone to famous schools, and he received love and respect from both his students and his student’s families.

When she saw that Anran had returned, Lin Xiaofen shut off the television and nodded at Anran. “Come over here. I need to ask you something.”

Anran forced herself to walk over. She placed her bag on the coffee table and then sat down beside her. She looked around and, upon not seeing her father, asked, “Where’s Father? Asleep?”

“He is preparing lessons in the study.” Lin Xiaofen looked at her, a smile on the corner of her mouth.

Anran felt that there were hidden intentions behind her mother’s smile tonight. Her heart felt fuzzy and unsettled. She swallowed and asked, “Mom, what do you want to ask me?”

“How was it? Were you satisfied with that man?” Lin Xiaofen directly said, not beating around the bush.

“He’s not bad. However, he and I,” Anran paused for a few moments, “might not be suitable…” She wasn’t someone who would say bad things about someone behind their back.

When she heard this, Lin Xiaofen’s complexion darkened and she said, “What is there to be suitable? It’s fine as long as the person is suitable. Ranran, in reality, we care most about a person’s personality. His wealth and his appearance aren’t important. What is most important is that he is a good person. You must understand this principle.”

“No, Mom. I… he and I are really not suitable. We couldn’t find anything to talk about between us. Also, h-he might not even like me,” Anran explained.

“Stop talking nonsense. Your Aunty Zhang already called and told me that your date felt that you guys are suitable. You guys had a nice conversation. He also likes you and asked me to ask about your thoughts,” Lin Xiaofen reprimanded.

Anran’s eyes widened, and she thought, “Are all civil workers so efficient nowadays?” It hadn’t been very long, and he had already called and notified others to call and ask her for her opinion.

“Mom, he and I are really not suitable. He wants me to transfer my entire salary to his mother. Also, he only spent 5 Chinese Yuan on the blind date dinner tonight. He even bought the coffee with coffee vouchers. It is impossible for me to marry a man who doesn’t have his own definite opinions and is so stingy.”

Lin Meifen was shocked, but then she quickly reacted and said, “A man is filial if he knows to listen to his parent’s words. If he’s stingy when it comes to money, then he knows how to conserve for his family. Do you want a man who is not only not filial to his parents but also wasteful?”

“Mom!” Anran was a bit anxious, and her voice was a lot louder than it was before. She stood up and said, “Do I really obstruct your vision at home so much that you must marry me away?”

“I think that you have forgotten about that Mo Fei.” Lin Meifen also stood up, a bit agitated, her face incredibly cold.

Anran froze, as if she was jabbing at her sore spot. She bit her lip, trembling.

“Why are you so stubborn? I’ve raised you up, and yet, you’re tormenting yourself over a man, and you’re prepared to not marry in this lifetime for him. Are you treating your father and me fairly? Anran, a person cannot just live for herself. You must also consider your father and me. A person also cannot just live in the past; you need to face forward!” Lin Xiaofen shouted. Because she was angry, her chest was moving up and down furiously.

The two stood there, looking at each other. Truthfully speaking, Lin Xiaofen’s heart hurt for her daughter. She had watched the entire process of her daughter’s love in the past. Her daughter had always been the person she couldn’t part with the most. The more she was hurt, the more distressed her heart was for her. However, a person cannot always live in the past and still needed to have a future. Her marriage had been delayed from that time until then, and couldn’t be delayed any longer. Which parent wouldn’t want their children to have a good life?

“What are you two arguing about in the middle of the night?” The door of the study opened, and Gu Hengwen walked out. His hair was half white, and he wore a pair of spectacles and had the aura of a scholar.

Lin Xiaofen angrily sat back down on the sofa. Because she was angry, her chest was moving up and down.

Gu Hengwen looked at his wife and then at his daughter. He had somewhat overheard their argument while he was in the study. He walked toward Anran, patted her shoulder, and said, “Ranran, your mom wants the best for you. Perhaps her methods are rather anxious, however, you must understand her intentions.”

Anran felt her eyes prickling with heat. She tried hard not to let her tears fall, and she apologized to Lin Xiaofen, choking back a sob. Then, she grabbed her bag from the coffee table and ran to her room. Her door closed with a bang.

Gu Hengwen looked at the tightly shut door and shook his head, sighing. Then, he turned around to look at Lin Xiaofen, who was on the sofa. He sat down beside her and reached out to put his hand around her shoulder, pulling her over so that she was leaning on his shoulder, and sighed. “Stop being angry. Ranran’s heart is also suffering.”

Lin Xiaofen leaned into her husband’s arms, unable to stop her tears from falling. “How could I have given birth to such a stupid daughter? So stubborn, so stupid, so troublesome… I’m so angry!”

Gu Hengwen lightly laughed. He patted her shoulder and said, “Ranran is like you. Her stubbornness is also like yours.”

Lin Xiaofen pulled herself out of her husband’s arms. She looked at him and said, “I’m afraid that she won’t be as lucky as me and won’t be able to meet a man like you.”

Gu Hengwen softly laughed, pulled his wife back into his arms, and said, in a small voice next to her ear, “That won’t happen. Ranran will meet one.”

In the room, Anran crouched on the floor, leaning on the door. Her head was in her knees as she sobbed. Her heart hurt so much. Her mom was right. It was already six years and she still couldn’t forget that man. He was the man that had once given her a beautiful love that was pure and unadulterated, and then cruelly hurt her.

She cried for a long time. After Anran felt that all of the tears that she had held in over the years had all flowed out, she stubbornly wiped her face. Mom was right. She had to let her past go. She still had her parents, and she needed to look forward.