Hearing You Say Love chapter 74
There’s No Such Thing as Cousin Su
Fu Ruoqin didn’t know how she managed to get through the meal.
As soon as Zou Beiyuan entered, he pulled her aside, asking her to consider Su Ming’s feelings and not to bring up this issue. He said he would explain everything to her later.
Since Zou Beiyuan was the son of her sister, Fu Ruoqin had always indulged him since childhood, with little discipline or correction.
Fortunately, Zou Beiyuan had few interests besides boxing, and his upbringing had been simple. Despite these 20+ years, he hadn’t gone astray; in fact, he was more mature than his peers.
But Fu Ruoqin never imagined that her nephew, whom she had seen grow up for over twenty years, could suddenly, just suddenly…
When she saw the two of them kiss, Fu Ruoqin was completely stunned, even wondering if she was hallucinating.
Zou Beiyuan? Su Ming?
How could this be? How could this happen?!
Her first reaction was to make sure her mother didn’t find out. Her second reaction was to feel sorry for her sister, and then she wondered if Su Ming had used some trick to seduce Zou Beiyuan.
Su Ming was very clever, emotionally intelligent, and his natural vulnerabilities made him endearing. Plus, with his good looks, it would be easy for someone to lose themselves because of him.
Zou Beiyuan had led a sheltered life and had always been a good kid, no matter how she thought about it, it was all Su Ming’s fault.
But at that moment, Zou Beiyuan was still telling her to consider Su Ming’s feelings and not ask him directly.
What about her feelings?
At the dinner table, with Zhang Donglai, Zou Jingnan, and Song Zhixian present, Fu Ruoqin restrained herself and said nothing, watching as Zou Beiyuan served Su Ming food, handed him water, and gave him tissues. She was on edge.
She was worried about whether Song Zhixian would notice, or whether she wouldn’t, and if she found out later, would she be able to take it?
Zou Beiyuan remained calm, chatting with Zou Jingnan about her plans to study abroad in the U.S. during the winter break, and if she went to New York, she could stay with him.
Zou Jingnan eagerly agreed, then asked, “Is your girlfriend going with you? We could all go together!”
Zou Beiyuan casually glanced at Su Ming. “I’ll ask her when I get back.”
“Why haven’t you brought your girlfriend home to meet us before you leave?” Zou Jingnan said.
Zhang Donglai chimed in, “Yeah, you’ve been with her for so long, and I heard from your aunt that you’re planning to marry her? It wouldn’t be right not to bring her home before you leave!”
“Exactly,” Zou Jingnan looked at Su Ming, “The cousin of the future sister-in-law has an opinion, right, Su Ming?”
Su Ming:…
I have no opinion…
Zou Beiyuan just casually said “next time” to brush it off, while Fu Ruoqin and Song Zhixian, who were most concerned about his lifelong affairs, said nothing.
After the meal, Zou Beiyuan told Fu Ruoqin he would take Su Ming home first and then come back, casually taking Zou Jingnan with him, who had planned to stay longer.
Once the three left, Fu Ruoqin nervously waited for Zou Beiyuan to return, pondering whether she should talk to her mother in the meantime.
Song Zhixian, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window drinking tea, noticed her daughter walking back and forth and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen at work?”
Fu Ruoqin shook her head, frowning.
“Come have some tea,” Song Zhixian said, pouring a cup of tea for her, “Xiao Zhang brought me this pu’ erh tea, it’s quite good.”
“Mm,” Fu Ruoqin walked over and sat opposite Song Zhixian. “It was a gift from the boss of the Diancha Group.”
Song Zhixian didn’t say anything and placed the cup of tea in front of Fu Ruoqin.
“Mom,” Fu Ruoqin hesitated, “Xiao Yuan…” She stopped halfway, unsure how to say the words: Xiao Yuan’s girlfriend is Su Ming.
After hesitating for a while, she probed cautiously, “I just feel that he and the cousin from the Su family aren’t a good match. What do you think?”
Song Zhixian lowered her gaze to sip her tea, putting the cup down before looking up at her youngest daughter. “I visited the Su family several times when I was younger. You and your sister must remember what I told you about their family, right?”
Fu Ruoqin murmured, “I remember, Su Ming was really pitiful when he was young.”
“Su Ming’s family was really awful to him,” Song Zhixian said. “He started living alone when he was in his teens. All these years, besides Su Mo, he’s had no contact with anyone from the Su family.”
Fu Ruoqin’s head buzzed, and she immediately understood what her mother meant. “Mom, you…”
“So,” Song Zhixian continued, “how could he let any relatives from the Su family stay with him? He’s never mentioned his cousin to me.”
Fu Ruoqin’s heart pounded uncontrollably, in disbelief. “You knew all along?”
“Mm,” Song Zhixian calmly poured herself another cup of tea. “How did you find out? Did Xiao Yuan tell you?”
“I saw it…” Fu Ruoqin couldn’t hold back her sobs. “Mom, what should we do now?”
Song Zhixian took a deep breath. “I knew before you did, and I’ve already processed it. If you need comfort, I can say something to ease you.”
“No,” Fu Ruoqin said urgently. “It’s not about comforting me. It’s about Xiao Yuan—are we just going to watch him like this, doing nothing?”
Song Zhixian retorted, “How would you manage it?”
“I…” Fu Ruoqin was at a loss for words.
“Remember when you insisted on marrying Zhang Donglai, I tried to stop you. Did you listen to me?” Song Zhixian said. “When you decided not to have kids with Zhang Donglai and secretly had an abortion at three months, I tried to intervene. Did you listen to me then?”
“Why are you bringing up my personal matters when we’re talking about Xiao Yuan?” Fu Ruoqin snapped.
“Aren’t those two things the same?” Song Zhixian sighed. “Even if we try to intervene with Xiao Yuan, stop him from being with Su Ming, do you think he will listen?”
“But,” Fu Ruoqin still couldn’t accept it, “But they did something wrong!”
“Right or wrong, they’ve already done it. Xiao Yuan is over twenty. He’s not a child. He has his own judgment, and there’s nothing we can do now.”
After chatting for a while, Fu Ruoqin calmed down and sat with her tea, pondering. “Mom, I think you should talk to Su Ming. Xiao Yuan wasn’t like this before; it must be because of Su Ming.”
Song Zhixian put her cup down, the ceramic tapping lightly against the wooden table.
“Because Su Ming respects me, if I ask him to let go of my grandson and break up with Xiao Yuan, he’ll probably listen,” Song Zhixian looked at Fu Ruoqin and asked, “Is that what you think?”
Fu Ruoqin was taken aback, realizing her mother’s intention, and nodded. “Yes.”
“So what does that make me?” Song Zhixian asked. “Using Su Ming’s feelings for me to make him do something against his will, while hurting both him and Xiao Yuan? Would you be happy with this outcome?”
Fu Ruoqin blinked and sighed deeply.
“I’ve thought about this,” Song Zhixian continued. “Since the first day I found out, I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve lost sleep over it, couldn’t eat. I even prepared myself mentally, ready to talk to Su Ming before they confessed on their own. But in the end, I decided to leave them be.”
Fu Ruoqin asked, “Why?”
“The cochlear implant issue, Su Ming has been so grateful to me over the years. He visits me every year, and when I’m sick in the hospital, he insists on cooking and bringing me meals. In an ordinary family, even a biological child might not do that much.”
Fu Ruoqin had no response. She and Zhang Donglai hadn’t been as diligent with hospital visits, and during two previous years, they traveled abroad during the Spring Festival, while Su Ming spent New Year’s Eve with Song Zhixian.
These things might not seem big, but sticking to them for over ten years wasn’t easy.
Fu Ruoqin felt guilty for the negative thoughts she’d had about Su Ming. “So, at least Su Ming’s character is fine.”
Song Zhixian nodded. “At the end of the day, your sister was the one who paid for the cochlear implant. I’ve been receiving Su Ming’s kindness all these years because of your sister. If anyone should intervene, it should be your sister.”
Fu Ruoqin: “…”
Fu Ruoqin was speechless. “How? Ask her to intervene in a dream?”
At that moment, the door to the living room opened. Zhou Beiyuan, out of breath, came in with his coat slung over his arm, as if he’d been running back.
“Grandma, Aunt,” he walked in, bringing the chill of late autumn with him, as if he’d been lingering outside for a while.
Fu Ruoqin and Song Zhixian glanced at him and continued drinking their tea.
“I have something to tell you,” Zhou Beiyuan walked over and said seriously.
“Mm,” Song Zhixian poured another cup of tea and placed it on the empty chair. “Sit down and talk. Have some tea first.”
“I’m not sitting,” Zhou Beiyuan said. “Once I say this, you might ask me to leave.”
Song Zhixian and Fu Ruoqin exchanged a look and calmly replied, “We already know. Your aunt saw you with Su Ming, right?”
“Mm,” Zhou Beiyuan replied stiffly. “There is no cousin from the Su family. The person I’m dating is Su Ming.”
After saying this, he stood there, waiting for Song Zhixian and Fu Ruoqin’s reaction.
After a long pause, the two women continued drinking their tea, not saying a word.
Zhou Beiyuan started to lose his patience. “The reason I came to say this alone is so you can scold me all you want, but please don’t go looking for Su Ming to give him a hard time.”
Song Zhixian suddenly smiled and looked at Zhou Beiyuan. “So in your mind, are your grandma and aunt the villains?”
This familiar and kind smile made Zou Beiyuan’s heart relax suddenly. He scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, “That’s not what I meant. Anyway, if you’re angry, just scold me. Su Ming has a thin skin and would be sad for a long time if you scolded him.”
“Why would we scold you?” Song Zhixian smiled and waved him over to sit. “Have a cup of tea first. If you like it, take some back for Su Ming.”
Zou Beiyuan froze for a moment, and the cold expression on his face instantly melted away. He smiled like an oversized dog, almost wagging his tail. “You agree?”
“We’re not old-fashioned,” Song Zhixian said, handing him a cup of tea. “Next time, bring Su Ming back for a meal, and don’t use that ‘cousin Su’ excuse as a cover. You’re a grown man dating someone—stop sneaking around like it’s something to be ashamed of.”