To Forgive or Not to Forgive - Chapter 1
In the company, apart from Chen Jianjin’s assistant, no one knew about our relationship.
Right before getting off work, Assistant Li sent me a message:
[Shuyi, President Chen wants you to come to the Chen family’s old mansion for dinner tonight.]
I replied:
[OK.]
I waited under the company building for an hour, but Chen Jianjin never showed up.
The cold wind cut through mercilessly, making me shiver. I called Chen Jianjin:
“Are you here yet?”
A woman answered, her voice gentle and soft:
“Hello, Jianjin is driving right now. I’ll have him call you back in a bit.”
I was stunned for a moment, then came a mechanical beep-the call was disconnected.
I took a cab to the Chen family’s old mansion. When Chen Jianjin’s parents saw me, their faces were filled with smiles.
This wasn’t my first meeting with them. The Chen Family was a family of prestige and reputation. Chen Jianjin’s father was a businessman, his mother a university professor-a family with a scholarly air.
The first time Chen Jianjin suggested taking me home to meet his parents, I was nervous for a long time, fearing the cliché scene where his parents would hand me a million and ask me to leave.
But reality was different from what I imagined. His mother was gentle and kind, and she didn’t look down on my working-class parents or my ordinary upbringing.
Mother Chen held my hand and asked:
“Where’s Chen Jianjin? Why didn’t he come with you?”
Before I could answer, he walked in.
By his side was a woman. She wore a gentle smile, her voice as soft as ever:
“Mom, Dad.”
I saw Mother Chen’s gaze flit between the two of them, her brows knitting for a moment before relaxing, and she smiled:
“Mm, you’re here.”
The woman took off her wool coat, and Chen Jianjin naturally took it from her, hanging it on the rack.
Their actions were smooth, perfectly in sync.
As if they had done this countless times before.
Even after three years together, I hadn’t developed such tacit understanding with Chen Jianjin.
When Chen Jianjin took the coat, the woman froze for a moment.
Chen Jianjin shrugged, lowering his eyes to look at her:
“What’s wrong?”
The woman smiled and shook her head:
“It’s nothing.”
Mother Chen hesitated a moment before pulling me aside to introduce:
“Shuyi, this is Jianjin older brother’s… wife, her name is Zhou Sining.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Jianjin’s expression changed.
He seemed dissatisfied with that answer.
“You know, Jianjin’s older brother passed away.”
While washing my hands, only Chen Jianjin and I were in the bathroom. I spoke:
“Why didn’t you come pick me up tonight?”
Chen Jianjin kept his head down, slowly washing his long, slender hands.
His voice was low:
“There are too many people at the company. Did you really want our colleagues to see us?”
He glanced at me indifferently.
I felt like Chen Jianjin and I could win an Oscar for our acting. After all, it’s rare for a couple to be together for three years and for all their colleagues to remain completely oblivious.
Was it because he was such a good actor, or was it my own performance that was exceptional?
At the dinner table, Mother Chen brought out a plate of seafood and placed it in front of Zhou Sining.
“Eat, Sining.”
Zhou Sining looked awkward, her chopsticks pausing mid-air.
Chen Jianjin quietly moved the seafood dish to the other side.
“You’re allergic to seafood. Don’t eat too much.”
Mother Chen smiled apologetically:
“Oh, Sining is allergic to seafood? I didn’t know.”
The whole meal passed in silence, with barely a word from anyone.
