Daddy, Mommy Ran Away - Chapter 151 - Return to Zhouzhuang

“Ruoxi, do you really not want me anymore?” The emotional rollercoaster was unbearable, his deep voice tinged with pleading and an endless sorrow.

Leng Haoyin’s pained and conflicted expression was captured entirely by her gaze. In that instant, it felt as if a sharp blade had slashed across her heart, leaving a deep ache. Unconsciously, she reached out to touch his weary face. “No, I just need some time alone. Let me have some peace for a while. Once I’ve sorted things out, I’ll come back to you, okay?”

Her gentle words reached his ears, leaving him momentarily speechless. All he could do was gaze at her with deep affection, finally whispering a single word, “Okay.”

“Where do you want to go? Just let me know.” He understood she had made up her mind. Since he couldn’t change it, he wanted her to have a break and not be cooped up all the time.

“Back to Zhouzhuang, to take the kids for a visit.”

“Alright, I’ll book the tickets for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Promise me you’ll come back to find me after a while. I’ll be waiting for you, always.” He rested his head on her shoulder, greedily inhaling her scent, so reluctant to let go. Tears quietly slipped from the corners of his eyes.

“Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him, letting her tears flow onto his chest.

The plane roared down the runway, soaring steadily into the sky, gradually disappearing from his sight, taking with it all his longing, all his emotions, all his sorrow, and all his instincts, vanishing from his view.

…

Stepping hard on the gas, Leng Haoyin sped back to Leng Corporation, using a mountain of work to numb himself. “Notify everyone immediately. There’s a department head meeting in ten minutes.”

In the vast conference room, Leng Haoyin sat like a statue, head down, silent and motionless, letting each department report in turn. The atmosphere was so tense it felt suffocating, no one dared to breathe too loudly for fear of making a mistake in their report.

The meeting dragged on from ten in the morning until the end of the workday. Shen Jun couldn’t stand it any longer and forcibly dragged Leng Haoyin back to his office, dismissing the department heads.

Once inside the office, Leng Haoyin shook off Shen Jun, went behind his desk, and buried himself in paperwork, not uttering a single word.

“Hey, are you dead or do you think I’m dead?” Shen Jun’s anger flared in his eyes at being ignored, making him want to flip the table. “Weren’t you and Ruoxi about to get engaged? What happened?”

But Leng Haoyin acted as if he hadn’t heard, not lifting his head or responding.

“What on earth happened? Did you have a fight with Ruoxi?” Otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting like a zombie, skipping work for two days, then going berserk as soon as he returned.

“Hey, have you lost your mind?” Shen Jun couldn’t stand seeing him like this, lifeless and dragging everyone down.

Leng Haoyin’s gaze on the documents faltered slightly, and his icy expression finally showed a hint of change, as if in pain. He irritably lit a cigarette, the smoke swirling around his face, masking the deep hurt in his eyes. “She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Shen Jun was stunned, then practically jumped up. “Where to? Did you really have a fight? And such a big one?”

His deep voice carried his painful thoughts. “Her dad is Uncle An.”

“What, what did you say?” Shen Jun was shocked, patting his shoulder with a sense of righteousness. “Damn, how could it be such a coincidence? So now she won’t forgive you? Damn, this is so frustrating. Brother, don’t be sad. Heaven loves to mess with us brothers, doesn’t it? Love is a rocky road. Come on, let me take you out to blow off some steam, let’s go sing karaoke¹.”

“Karaoke? You’d be better off spending that time chasing your woman.” Leng Haoyin interrupted his suggestion, hitting him right where it hurt.

“Ah, when a woman’s heart hardens, it’s tougher than a man’s.” Mentioning Ye Zixi, Shen Jun slumped onto the sofa like a deflated balloon. “Ah, if I could catch her, would I still be here?”

At that moment, Leng Haoyin’s phone rang, and a man’s deep voice came through. “Son-in-law, what’s wrong with Xi’er? Where did she take the kids?”

“Father-in-law, don’t worry too much. They’ve gone back to Zhouzhuang.” Leng Haoyin finally chose to call him Father-in-law, after all, it was he who convinced his father to let him marry An Ruoxi. And right now, he longed to truly become his son-in-law. “She found out the truth about Uncle An’s accident and wants some time alone.”

“It’s been over twenty years since I last went back. I should go take a look.” After a long pause, the man’s voice came through even deeper.

“Alright, Father-in-law, please take good care of them for me.”

“Okay.”

Jiangnan’s first land of fish and rice, Zhouzhuang.

When An Ruoxi, pulling her luggage with one hand and holding a string of children with the other, stepped into Zhouzhuang, it was already dusk. The setting sun bathed the beautiful city in a golden halo, and she seemed like a serene maiden, eyes closed, savoring the tranquility of the twilight.

Walking on the ancient stone-paved roads, the damp water town was filled with a faint mist, the air carrying the scent of grass, invigorating her entire being.

Standing on the stone arch bridge, beneath which the river flowed gently, with willows swaying in the breeze along the banks, surrounded by quaint houses, and vendors still calling out on the old streets, their rich voices and familiar shouts stirred her emotions, making her nose tingle with the urge to cry. After more than a decade, she had returned.

Looking down at the three little ones beside her, who were curiously taking in the sights, An Ruoxi smiled softly. “Do you like it here? This is where mommy grew up. Doesn’t it feel poetic and romantic?”

The little ones didn’t quite grasp the concept of poetic or romantic. Xiaobei stopped her curious glances, her big eyes darting around before lighting up with excitement. She tugged An Ruoxi’s hand, pointing to a nearby stall. “Mommy, what’s that? It looks so yummy. Xiaobei’s hungry and wants to eat.”

An Ruoxi looked closely and realized it was a Stinky Tofu² stall. She missed that taste too. She glanced at Xiaobao and Xuanhan. “What do you two think?”

Footnote:

1. Karaoke(卡拉OK): A popular entertainment activity where individuals sing along to recorded music using a microphone, with the lyrics displayed on a screen.
2. Stinky Tofu(臭豆腐): A traditional Chinese snack made from fermented tofu, known for its strong odor and unique taste, often deep-fried and served with various sauces.