Chapter 1282: Chapter 856: Finale: Heart for Heart
Pu Yang lifted her eyes to look at Su Xiaomeng.
“But isn’t Xiao Ang’s mother supposed to have died because of improper surgical operation?”
“That’s what they say, but in the end his mother and I were rivals in love. It’s only natural that people criticize me.”
“How old exactly was Xiao Ang’s mother?”
“She was nineteen when she passed away.”
“…”
“She was a science maniac. At eighteen, she went to the United States as an exchange student for a year. When she came back and had just joined a research project, there was an accident. To this day, she’s still mentioned by the professors as a very outstanding medical student.”
“Then when did she give birth to Xiao Ang?”
“It must have been during that year in the United States… heh, I really never imagined Xiao Yan and her would be that bold. Neither of them had reached the legal age for marriage, yet they secretly had a child in the United States.”
“…”
“After Xiao Ang and Xiao Yan came back and settled down, there was once a class gathering at his place. Xiao Ang’s mother had a very close best friend—she’s also someone who has always believed that his mother’s death is related to me. That day she actually said, right in front of everyone, that it was me who killed Xiao Ang’s mother…”
“Did Xiao Ang hear that?”
Pu Yang gave a bitter smile and nodded.
Su Xiaomeng pressed her lips together, still finding it strange. “Didn’t Xiao Yan explain it to him? If you really killed Xiao Ang’s mom, how could Xiao Yan possibly marry you?”
“That’s logical enough, but Xiao Ang won’t listen. Maybe deep down he’s already decided that I’m the one who killed his mother.”
Su Xiaomeng scratched her head, feeling this really wasn’t an easy problem to solve.
She had more or less figured out that little brat Xiao Xiaoang’s temperament—once he’s decided on something, getting him to change his mind is absolutely not an easy task.
No matter how other people view Xiao Ang’s mother’s death, at least in Xiao Yan’s heart, her death has nothing to do with Pu Yang.
Otherwise… there’s no way Xiao Yan would marry a woman who had murdered Xiao Ang’s mother.
“If Xiao Ang never manages to accept me, then Xiao Yan and I might really be unable to get married.”
As Pu Yang spoke, tears actually shimmered in her eyes, which showed just how big a blow this whole matter was to her.
So this was the reason… Little Mengxin thought to herself.
The waiter brought all the dishes, and Little Mengxin started eating, but nothing had much taste. If she felt that way, let alone Pu Yang.
“I know that Xiao Ang especially likes you. It’s a kind of liking that’s almost completely irrational, so I really want to know… what should I do so that he’ll like me the way he likes you?”
Su Xiaomeng had heard from Chi Lun that Pu Yang was actually even more strong-willed than Pu Wei. She looked like a very gentle young woman, but in her bones she was extremely stubborn.
For a woman that stubborn to lower her head and practically beg for mercy, it showed that she really had exhausted every trick in front of Xiao Ang, yet still couldn’t do a thing with that little guy.
Su Xiaomeng didn’t know what to say. Trying so hard to win someone over, or rather to wear down another person’s prejudice, has never been an easy thing.
People nowadays mostly have strong personalities. They advocate for themselves—if others are prejudiced, then let them be. They don’t like you, then they don’t like you.
But when that kind of prejudice comes from someone you’re forced to live with, it really becomes a major problem.
Su Xiaomeng actually had first-hand experience.
When she had just gotten together with Yin Shixiu, the Yin Family’s old master and old madam, and Yin Shixiu’s sisters, all had their opinions about her, more or less.
The sisters were alright; the main problem was the old master and old madam of the Yin Family…
They were Yin Shixiu’s parents. If she wanted to be with Yin Shixiu, she had to get along with them, had to make them like her… otherwise, no matter how happy she and Yin Shixiu were, there would always be a knot in her heart.
First it’s the parents; second… it’s the child.
And the problem Pu Yang was facing was the child.
“Xiao Ang… he’s very young. Really… he’s emotionally sensitive, but he’s incredibly simple. When he likes, he just likes. When he hates, he just hates. It’s like there’s no room for negotiation.”
Little Mengxin murmured, “Xiao Yan likes you, Uncle Xiao likes you. Compared to adults’ prejudice, a child’s prejudice is actually easier to resolve.”
Pu Yang wiped away the tears overflowing at the corners of her eyes and blinked at Su Xiaomeng.
Su Xiaomeng focused her gaze on Pu Yang. Her thin lips parted and she uttered four words, “Trade heart for heart.”
After hearing that, Pu Yang didn’t even know what kind of expression to put on… Trade heart for heart? What does that even mean… All she felt was that the good intentions she’d shown Xiao Xiaoang had been met with a wolf’s heart.
“Pu Yang, you must really, really like Xiao Yan, don’t you?”
“I’ve stayed by his side all these years, and even when his condition for marriage was not having children, I agreed. What more do I have to do to prove how much I love him?”
Pu Yang frowned slightly and asked Little Mengxin.
“Then you should know the world isn’t that fair. Not everyone’s love goes smoothly and naturally… some people’s love is like Monk Tang traveling to the West for the scriptures—if you don’t go through nine times nine, eighty-one tribulations, you won’t get the true scriptures.”
“…” Pu Yang looked at Su Xiaomeng.
“And with so many people dying on the road to ‘fetching the scriptures in the West,’ it really wouldn’t be missing just you and Xiao Yan.”
Pu Yang tightened her grip a bit more on the cup in her hand.
“Since you’ve decided to marry him, and since you really love him, then it’s best if you make up your mind and prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
“…What kind of scenario?”
“That Xiao Ang might never accept you.”
“…”
Pu Yang stared, her face stiffening a little.
“If there’s one day he doesn’t accept you, then you work at it for one day. If he doesn’t accept you for a year, you work at it for a year. If he doesn’t accept you for ten years, then you work for ten years… If he never accepts you for his whole life, then you keep working for your whole life. At least you’ll have tried your best, and you won’t regret it.”
“But… if I try so hard like my life depends on it, will I really not regret it in the end?”
“Pu Yang, a child’s world is completely different from an adult’s.” Su Xiaomeng fixed her eyes on the woman in front of her. “In the adult world, trading heart for heart is definitely not a universal rule, but in a child’s world, it is. Especially for a kid like Xiao Ang, whose nature is simple, straightforward, and kind.”
“Trade heart for heart, huh…”
Pu Yang murmured the phrase under her breath.
Little Mengxin nodded.
After dinner, the two went together to the parking lot. They said goodbye and each got into her own car.
Pu Yang sat in the car, watching Su Xiaomeng drive away. Her hands rested on the steering wheel…
“Trade heart for heart… That woman is really stupid enough…!” A sinister voice sounded inside the car…
Pu Yang looked up at the rearview mirror. In the mirror, Pu Wei had her arms crossed over her chest, sneering with disdain.
Pu Yang chuckled softly,
“Sis, isn’t it a bit much for you to call her stupid? You say she’s dumb, but the one who got ruined by her was you.”
“That’s called strategy! Got it?”
Pu Wei snorted with a laugh.