Chapter 367 - 364: Returning to the Capital City

Chapter 367: Chapter 364: Returning to the Capital City

Early the next morning, the small courtyard of the Li family home was bustling with activity. Everyone knew Grandma Li was leaving for the Capital City with Li Xiu. Members of the family’s first and third branches, Li Hua and his brothers from the second branch, and various other relatives and old friends all came to see her off.

As the car departed, it left the quaint little village with a topic of conversation that would last for a long time. After all, the Li family’s Li Xiu was the most famous person in the village—accomplished and capable. In the decade or so since his engagement, the gossip about him had never ceased.

It was already dark by the time they arrived back in the Capital City. Looking at the high courtyard walls, they passed through two gates to see Professor Xiao and Professor Fan emerging to welcome them. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the honor, Grandma Li greeted them. Li Xiu had already explained in detail who the professors were, so it was no surprise that she was so reserved.

When she saw Li Xianglin and Li Xiangrui excitedly throw themselves into the arms of Professor Xiao and Professor Fan, Grandma Li couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. ’My own great-grandchildren have never been this happy to see me.’ It was clear their bond with the professors was deep. And why wouldn’t it be? On one hand, you had a great-grandmother they saw only a few times a year. On the other, you had the grand-mentors who raised and accompanied them almost daily. It was obvious who was more important to them, wasn’t it!

After dinner, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian personally escorted Grandma Li to the room prepared for her. They helped her get ready for bed and carefully went over a few things with her. Once they saw her lying down, they switched on the bedside lamp, turned off the main room light, and quietly left.

"Are you tired, Jin Chen?" Zhou Lian asked softly as they left Grandma Li’s room.

Li Xiu gently took her hand. "Not at all, Bao’er. What is it?"

"Come for a walk with me in the garden."

"Alright."

Li Xiu, who almost never refused Zhou Lian, readily agreed. He took her hand, and they walked slowly toward the garden.

"Aren’t you going to ask?"

"No. If you want to talk, you’ll talk. If you don’t, you don’t have to. I’m right here with you, either way."

"Jin Chen, when I saw my older brother, eldest sister, and younger sisters back home... I realized we had nothing to talk about, other than the children. I just didn’t know what to say. Jin Chen, it makes me so sad. I don’t understand how things ended up this way. I saw the veiled looks from my sisters-in-law and my sisters, too. It felt like the only thing I could do when we met was stay silent. But it was never like this before!"

Seeing Zhou Lian’s melancholy, Li Xiu tenderly kissed her forehead. "Bao’er," he said gently, "everyone’s grown up now. We all have our own families. Even the deepest bonds between siblings can fade over time, especially when you live so far apart. Besides, everyone has their own life to lead. It’s normal for them to be preoccupied."

"That’s not it, Jin Chen. When we went back to get my parents, it wasn’t like this. But this time..."

Seeing Zhou Lian at a loss for words, Li Xiu sighed softly. "Bao’er, everyone has a competitive streak and a bit of jealousy in them, more or less. It’s completely normal, especially among sisters. Before any of you were married, you were all pretty much on the same level—maybe one was a little prettier, another more charming. But now you’re all grown, with your own careers, husbands, and children. It’s only natural to start making comparisons, and with comparisons, someone always comes out ahead or behind. Bao’er, don’t dwell on it."

"But it wasn’t like this in my past life!"

Seeing her trying to shy away from the truth, a dark glint flashed in Li Xiu’s eyes. His voice was low, but he spoke with deliberate gentleness. "Bao’er, in our last life, you were the one who had it the worst among your sisters. They were your family, so it was only natural for them to pity you. But this life is different. Bao’er, from the moment I remembered our past life, things were never going to be the same. You know as well as I do that the human heart is the most unpredictable thing. It’s only normal for it to change."

"I knew things would change between my siblings and me, but I never expected it to become like this!"

Zhou Lian’s thoughts turned bitter. ’I’ve already done my best to help them. My siblings are all so much better off than they were in our last life. Li Xiu even helped educate the children of my eldest brother and sister. And yet... they’ve still grown distant. There’s even this subtle...’

"Bao’er, think about it. If you weren’t family, just some unrelated person, would they be like this? No, Bao’er, they wouldn’t. They would only feel envy, not jealousy."

"Why? Why is it like that?"

He pulled Zhou Lian gently into his embrace. Out of her sight, a cynical smile touched his lips before he spoke again, his voice soft. "That’s just how people are. They can’t help but wonder, ’Why do we have the same parents, but our fortunes are so different? By what right?’ Especially among sisters. ’Before she got married, she was no better off than us, so why did everything change after she wed!’ Bao’er, don’t let it get to you. It’s not like you see them often."

"You’ve done what you feel is right, and that’s enough. The human heart is uncontrollable. Once siblings start their own families, they essentially become outsiders to one another. To dwell on this and torment yourself over it... Bao’er, are you trying to break my heart?"

Hugging Li Xiu’s lean waist tightly, Zhou Lian murmured, "No, I won’t. Jin Chen, I’m not tormenting myself. I’m just... a little sad. Really, just a little. I know you’re the one who loves and cares for me most. I can’t bear the thought of making you sad, too."

Li Xiu gently kissed the top of her head, saying nothing more. It wasn’t that Zhou Lian didn’t understand these things. She was sad precisely *because* she understood. ’But that’s alright,’ he thought. ’I’ll always be here with her.’

"Jin Chen, why do people have to be so complicated? Why do they have to think so much?" Zhou Lian sighed, her voice laced with melancholy. "Wouldn’t it be better to just live a simple life and have close, happy relationships with your friends and family?"

Gently stroking her hair, Li Xiu said softly, "Bao’er, I’m here. I’ll always be here."

"Mm. Thank goodness I have you."

’People always want too much.’ Zhou Lian thought with a self-deprecating smile, a wave of pain washing over her as she remembered her past life. ’Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Their desires are a bottomless pit.’ Among the five sisters, she had been the one with the worst life. She was at odds with her mother-in-law and estranged from her husband. Back then, she had truly envied her sisters. Their relationships with their mothers-in-law weren’t perfect, but they were manageable. Their husbands weren’t particularly successful, but they were loving and doting. Only she had made a complete mess of her life.

’But back then, I only felt envy, and I was still happy for them. When they were doing well, I was genuinely happy for them. This life, however... everything has changed!’

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Li Xiu said gently, "Bao’er, everyone is different. Don’t dwell on it. Just keep being yourself from now on."

’This was the woman he had cherished for two lifetimes.’ Li Xiu thought, ’So perceptive, yet so fundamentally kind.’ He knew that no matter the circumstances, no matter the time, the woman in his arms would be his obsession for all eternity. His love for her would never change.