Chapter 106 - I Still Want to Be the Daughter-in-law of the Tang Family

Leaving the club building, the group silently walked towards the school gate.

Lin Ruoxi followed behind the three, her eyes red and lips tightly pressed together, her gaze fixed on Bai Yuerou and Tang Huaijin holding hands.

As they reached the school gate, Lin Ruoxi quickened her pace to catch up with Tang Huaijin, stopping him in his tracks, and said hoarsely, “Jin, can we talk?”

Feeling Bai Yuerou’s hand tighten slightly, Tang Huaijin pursed his lips, his emotions complex, and sighed, “Lin Ruoxi…”

“Please,” Lin Ruoxi choked, “I won’t bother you anymore after this.”

Hearing this, Bai Yuerou also sighed inwardly, releasing Tang Huaijin’s hand, and softly said, “Go ahead, Jin, it’s okay.”

“You guys go on ahead,” Tang Huaijin nodded, turning to Lin Ruoxi, pursing his lips, and said, “Let’s go…”

Lin Ruoxi turned around, her once proud ponytail swaying, leading Tang Huaijin silently to the rooftop of the teaching building.

…

This was Tang Huaijin’s first time on the school rooftop; he had never known it existed. Logically, the school should have locked the door leading to the rooftop.

Lin Ruoxi walked to the edge of the rooftop, gently undoing her ponytail, letting the cold autumn wind tousle her hair. Seeing Tang Huaijin’s confusion, she softly explained, “I discovered this place by chance. Whenever I’m upset, I come here to feel the wind.”

“During the last school sports meet, I stayed here until it was dark.”

“Every time after feeling the wind, I regain my fighting spirit.”

After speaking, she smiled self-deprecatingly, speaking as if to herself, “But in the end, the outcome is still so tragic.”

His heart filled with guilt, Tang Huaijin opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say, standing silently beside her, feeling the wind.

Lin Ruoxi also fell silent, and after a while, she spoke, “Did your sister agree to your relationship?”

Tang Huaijin hesitated for a moment, nodded, and softly said, “Yes…”

“You guys are really fortunate then…” Lin Ruoxi looked at the distant scenery, her gaze gradually becoming unfocused, and she bitterly smiled, “I once had that kind of happiness too.”

“You don’t know how happy I was when you said you’d take me home.”

“You accompanied me from school uniforms to wedding dresses, and I accompanied you from first love to gray hair. I thought, this must be the most beautiful thing in the world.”

“I really wanted to have a home with you, to experience everything together, to create countless beautiful memories.”

“When we both wanted to settle down, we would have a baby, preferably two, a boy and a girl, teaching them to eat, teaching them to speak, listening to them babble as they call us mom and dad.”

“I really want to walk through this life with you, to grow old together in this world of snow.”

“When you’re old and I can no longer walk, I still want to smile with the few teeth I have left and say to you, ‘Look, I’ve loved you all my life.'”

“I’ve thought about it, Jin, I really have.”

Lin Ruoxi’s face was smiling, but tears flowed like a flood breaking through a dam. She turned to Tang Huaijin and asked, “But why, why?”

“Jin, you promised me I’d be the daughter-in-law of the Tang Family.”

Tang Huaijin looked at Lin Ruoxi, who was crying her heart out, and his vision gradually blurred, as if a hand was gripping his heart tightly, making it hard to breathe. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, suppressing the urge to embrace her.

Lin Ruoxi saw the turmoil in his heart, sniffled, and slowly walked over, burying her head in Tang Huaijin’s chest, crying, “Jin, don’t leave me, okay?”

“I really regret it. I should have held you tight that day, not letting you walk away from me.”

“I don’t care, I can not care about anything, whether it’s Bai Yuerou or that woman before, I can not care.”

“I still want to be the daughter-in-law of the Tang Family. Can we be together again?”

Tang Huaijin opened his mouth and said, “Xi, I really can’t…”

Before he could finish, Lin Ruoxi suddenly stood on tiptoe, her small hands pulling his neck down, and while Tang Huaijin was momentarily distracted, she stubbornly kissed him.

Their lips met, and the slightly salty softness made Tang Huaijin’s eyes widen in surprise, his hands instinctively pushing Lin Ruoxi away.

But Lin Ruoxi’s small hands tightly held onto Tang Huaijin’s neck, boldly and actively sucking on his lips, even extending her tongue to intertwine with his.

As the saying goes, when a man pursues a woman, it’s like crossing a mountain; when a woman pursues a man, it’s like crossing a veil.

In Tang Huaijin’s heart, he had never truly let go of Lin Ruoxi, and he hadn’t realized that this deep sense of guilt towards the girl was fermenting the love buried deep within him, suppressed only because of his sister.

That’s why he was so afraid of Lin Ruoxi’s closeness, always cautious to maintain distance from her.

With his strength, he could have easily broken free, but doing so would have certainly hurt Lin Ruoxi. The girl’s burning affection and the kiss filled with surging love seemed to carve a rift in his heart, weakening his resolve, and instinctively, his hands wrapped around Lin Ruoxi’s back.

The girl’s sweet saliva was as addictive as the poppy flower, making it impossible to resist. Tang Huaijin’s breathing gradually grew heavy, and as if under some spell, he responded to Lin Ruoxi.

Tang Huaijin’s response was like a brilliant ray of light shining into Lin Ruoxi’s heart, making her eyes brighten. Blushing, she gently picked up Tang Huaijin’s hand and placed it on her own body.

Although they had kissed many times before, the girl had always been reserved; this was the first time Lin Ruoxi let Tang Huaijin touch her body.

All around was quiet–the only sounds on the rooftop were the howling wind and the two of them gasping for breath.

“Ding ling ling ling~”

The ringtone of a phone broke the romantic atmosphere, jolting Tang Huaijin awake. He bit his own tongue and managed to break away from the small hands entwined around him.

It was his sister.

Lin Ruoxi’s face was crimson, her small hands nervously straightening her disheveled collar.

Tang Huaijin gestured for silence, took a few deep breaths, and answered his sister’s call.

From the receiver came his sister’s gentle voice: “Jin, why aren’t you home yet? I’ve already made dinner. Do you need me to come pick you up?”

Tang Huaijin’s heart was racing. Forcing his voice to sound calm, he whispered, “No need, Sis, I’ll be home soon–very soon.”

“Okay~” Tang Yaoyao, noticing nothing unusual, reminded him, “I’ll be waiting for you at home. Be careful on your way back.”

“Mm.”

After hanging up, Tang Huaijin looked at Lin Ruoxi with a complicated expression. The blush on the girl’s face had yet to fade, her collar still a bit messy.

At this moment, he was filled with regret–so much so that he felt it in his very bones. Why did he always lose control at moments like this?

Lin Ruoxi steadied her emotions, bit her somewhat swollen lips, and softly said, “Jin, let’s make up, okay?”

As she spoke, she came over wanting to hold Tang Huaijin’s hand, but he dodged as if shocked by electricity.

Tang Huaijin was truly a bit scared. Ahead lay an abyss–one more step and the two of them would fall in. He absolutely couldn’t let anything else happen with Lin Ruoxi. He couldn’t be with her; if his sister found out, the consequences would be far worse than anything before.

But after what just happened, his sense of guilt only grew stronger. He felt like a heartless man.

These two conflicting emotions tangled within him, leaving his mind in chaos. After a long, long silence, he finally spoke: “I’m sorry…”

“…Are you afraid of me?” Lin Ruoxi didn’t seem to care about his words. Her gaze drifted to her own hands, then she looked up and softly asked, “Are you afraid of being with me?”

Tang Huaijin’s heart skipped a beat. Covering up, he said, “I’m already with Yuerou. I can’t betray her.”

“No.” Lin Ruoxi shook her head, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Tang Huaijin. “That’s not it. I can see it–you have me in your heart. So what is it, really?”

“What is it that makes you so afraid to be with me?”

Tang Huaijin bit his lip hard and shook his head, saying, “You’re overthinking.”

Lin Ruoxi stared into his eyes for a while, then suddenly gave a bitter smile, lowered her head, and softly said, “Then… can I hug you? Just one last time…”

Tang Huaijin remained silent, but finally nodded, letting the girl gently come over and hug him.

She hugged him tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turned faintly white. After a while, she suddenly tugged on his hoodie, stood on tiptoe, and bit down hard on his exposed collarbone.

Lin Ruoxi bit down fiercely–the skin there was thin, and it was surely broken.

A sharp, searing pain made Tang Huaijin grit his teeth, but he didn’t push the girl away.

After a moment, Lin Ruoxi let go, saw the beads of blood welling up on his skin, and felt a pang of guilt. She gently licked the wound a few times before finally letting go of Tang Huaijin, turning her back, and whispering, “Go… I won’t cling to you anymore.”

After hearing her words, Tang Huaijin hesitated for a moment, then said, “Come with me.”

Lin Ruoxi’s tone betrayed no anger or sorrow; she even let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid. It’s not like you’re the only man in the world.”

Tang Huaijin said nothing. He stood there for a while, then silently turned and left.

Once his footsteps faded away, Lin Ruoxi could no longer hold back. She collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.