Chapter 10: Mother-in-Law Hires a Nutritionist (3)

Leng Mohan glanced at Lin Yan. She merely listened in silence, without saying a word, the fruit knife in her hand as she carefully peeled an apple. She did not even lift her eyes.

Could she truly care so little about him? Even though he had nearly become another woman’s husband, she remained completely indifferent.

Ye Ye smiled brightly, her eyes fixed on Leng Mohan for a long while.

“Brother Mohan?” She blinked at him and smiled sweetly. “You’ve grown into quite a man, haven’t you?”

Leng Mohan cast her a faint glance but said nothing. Instead, he looked toward Lin Yan. She continued to wear the polite smile she ought to have, her expression unchanged after hearing Madam Leng’s words, her demeanor as calm as ever. His brows drew together more tightly. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, though the smile never reached his eyes.

“Why bring up something that was never meant to be?” he said lightly.

He was speaking to his mother.

“That’s true. It was indeed a matter of fate without fulfillment.” Madam Leng sighed softly, then continued chatting with Ye Ye. “When your Brother Mohan was fifteen, he went with his grandfather to Jiumu for a spring outing. After that trip, he became impossible to reason with. He actually insisted on staying in Huai City instead of returning to Qinyuan with your Uncle Leng. Your uncle was furious, but once that boy made up his mind, no one could change it. With his grandfather backing him, he naturally ended up staying in Huai City. The two of you never saw each other again. Even when you returned from abroad, you still couldn’t meet him.”

“That stubborn boy.” Madam Leng shot Leng Mohan a sidelong glance. Even now, she still minded what had happened back then. Leng Mohan had suddenly seemed possessed, determined to remain in Huai City no matter what.

From that time onward, whenever she wanted to see her son, she had to board a plane and fly for several hours. The thought alone made Madam Leng miserable.

Lin Yan appeared to be concentrating on peeling the apple, but her ears remained pricked as she listened to Madam Leng’s rambling. She loved this kind of idle, gossip-like conversation. It was what made a place feel like home. Usually, apart from Aunt Zhang, she was the only person in the entire house. That suffocating silence left her both helpless and weary.

When she heard Madam Leng mention Jiumu, she froze for a moment. The hand holding the fruit knife stopped as well, and the apple she had been peeling so neatly was suddenly gouged. Leng Mohan had actually been to Jiumu?

Jiumu was Lin Yan’s hometown—a distant hometown, one that no one had mentioned in years. She had lived there until the age of ten. It held both her happiest memories and her most painful ones. She did not want to think about it, much less recall it.

Lin Yan stood dazed for a moment, but Madam Leng passed over the subject of Jiumu almost at once. No one mentioned it again. Lin Yan resumed peeling the apple while Madam Leng continued talking to Ye Ye. It seemed she had gone too long without anyone to talk to. After seeing Ye Ye, she simply could not stop, as though she meant to tell her everything that had happened over all those years in a single sitting.

“He only has fate with Yanyan. Don’t say he had no fate with you—he and Shanshan spent so many years together, and in the end, they too became a case of fate without fulfillment.” Madam Leng’s expression was full of regret. “That girl Shanshan truly had such a hard fate…”

Madam Leng sighed again. Her words left Ye Ye utterly bewildered. Who was Shanshan? Could it be that Brother Mohan had once had another girlfriend? And one he had been with for many years?

When Leng Mohan heard his mother mention Lin Shan, his brows knitted slightly. He reached over and patted Madam Leng’s shoulder.

“Mother, you really are getting old. You’re always thinking about the past and becoming sentimental so easily. How about I book you a tour sometime? Go out and travel for a while. Why don’t we arrange a trip around the world?”

Leng Mohan glanced at Lin Yan. She merely listened in silence, without saying a word, the fruit knife in her hand as she carefully peeled an apple. She did not even lift her eyes.

Could she truly care so little about him? Even though he had nearly become another woman’s husband, she remained completely indifferent.

Ye Ye smiled brightly, her eyes fixed on Leng Mohan for a long while.

“Brother Mohan?” She blinked at him and smiled sweetly. “You’ve grown into quite a man, haven’t you?”

Leng Mohan cast her a faint glance but said nothing. Instead, he looked toward Lin Yan. She continued to wear the polite smile she ought to have, her expression unchanged after hearing Madam Leng’s words, her demeanor as calm as ever. His brows drew together more tightly. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, though the smile never reached his eyes.

“Why bring up something that was never meant to be?” he said lightly.

He was speaking to his mother.

“That’s true. It was indeed a matter of fate without fulfillment.” Madam Leng sighed softly, then continued chatting with Ye Ye. “When your Brother Mohan was fifteen, he went with his grandfather to Jiumu for a spring outing. After that trip, he became impossible to reason with. He actually insisted on staying in Huai City instead of returning to Qinyuan with your Uncle Leng. Your uncle was furious, but once that boy made up his mind, no one could change it. With his grandfather backing him, he naturally ended up staying in Huai City. The two of you never saw each other again. Even when you returned from abroad, you still couldn’t meet him.”

“That stubborn boy.” Madam Leng shot Leng Mohan a sidelong glance. Even now, she still minded what had happened back then. Leng Mohan had suddenly seemed possessed, determined to remain in Huai City no matter what.

From that time onward, whenever she wanted to see her son, she had to board a plane and fly for several hours. The thought alone made Madam Leng miserable.

Lin Yan appeared to be concentrating on peeling the apple, but her ears remained pricked as she listened to Madam Leng’s rambling. She loved this kind of idle, gossip-like conversation. It was what made a place feel like home. Usually, apart from Aunt Zhang, she was the only person in the entire house. That suffocating silence left her both helpless and weary.

When she heard Madam Leng mention Jiumu, she froze for a moment. The hand holding the fruit knife stopped as well, and the apple she had been peeling so neatly was suddenly gouged. Leng Mohan had actually been to Jiumu?

Jiumu was Lin Yan’s hometown—a distant hometown, one that no one had mentioned in years. She had lived there until the age of ten. It held both her happiest memories and her most painful ones. She did not want to think about it, much less recall it.

Lin Yan stood dazed for a moment, but Madam Leng passed over the subject of Jiumu almost at once. No one mentioned it again. Lin Yan resumed peeling the apple while Madam Leng continued talking to Ye Ye. It seemed she had gone too long without anyone to talk to. After seeing Ye Ye, she simply could not stop, as though she meant to tell her everything that had happened over all those years in a single sitting.

“He only has fate with Yanyan. Don’t say he had no fate with you—he and Shanshan spent so many years together, and in the end, they too became a case of fate without fulfillment.” Madam Leng’s expression was full of regret. “That girl Shanshan truly had such a hard fate…”

Madam Leng sighed again. Her words left Ye Ye utterly bewildered. Who was Shanshan? Could it be that Brother Mohan had once had another girlfriend? And one he had been with for many years?

When Leng Mohan heard his mother mention Lin Shan, his brows knitted slightly. He reached over and patted Madam Leng’s shoulder.

“Mother, you really are getting old. You’re always thinking about the past and becoming sentimental so easily. How about I book you a tour sometime? Go out and travel for a while. Why don’t we arrange a trip around the world?”