Chapter 143: Unable to Let Go of That Person

Noon.

The dishes were all prepared, covering the entire table.

However, Gao Meng still had not returned. Her phone went unanswered, and there was no telling where she had wandered off to.

Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao did not seem worried, as if they had long since grown accustomed to it.

Everyone gathered around the dining table. Starting with Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao, each person took a turn offering a blessing or well-wish.

Yet, when it was Lin Yiyang’s turn, his single sentence cracked everyone up.

"Daddy, when can we eat? My little tummy is starting to rumble again..."

And just like that, amidst a warm and joyful atmosphere, everyone began to eat and chat.

As for Gao Meng, she seemed to have been completely pushed to the back of everyone's minds.

Over an hour later, the meal was mostly finished. Apart from Lin Chuan and Uncle Gao, Aunt Gao had taken Yangyang and Wang Yue back into the bedroom.

"Xiaochuan, when are you and Teacher Wang planning to tie the knot?" Uncle Gao asked, sipping his liquor and pretending to ask offhandedly.

Hearing this, Lin Chuan froze for a moment. "Tie the knot? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Don't think I can't see what's going on between the two of you. Tell me the truth, when do you plan to get married?" Uncle Gao glared at him.

"Get married? Uncle, are you drunk? Teacher Wang and I are just neighbors," Lin Chuan said with a dry laugh.

"Cut the crap. Neighbors? I remember when I went to Beining, she was already there, wasn't she? If you were just neighbors, would she have traveled thousands of miles to Beijing? Nobody would believe that... Let me tell you, this girl is wonderful. Both your aunt and I like her very much, and she treats Yangyang so well. For that reason alone, she's better than anyone else," Uncle Gao said.

Lin Chuan chuckled. "If I really got married, aren't you worried it might affect the company?"

"Affect my foot! Don't use that excuse on me. So what if you're a celebrity? Are celebrities not allowed to get married? If anything happens, Uncle will have your back. You just do whatever you need to do..." Uncle Gao offered his full support.

Hearing this, Lin Chuan smiled. He remained silent, picked up a mouthful of food, and slowly chewed with his head lowered.

Seeing this, Uncle Gao’s brows furrowed slightly because he caught a trace of hesitation and conflict on Lin Chuan's face.

"Xiaochuan, nobody else is here right now. Tell Uncle the truth—have you and Xiao Wang not defined your relationship yet?"

Xiao Wang? Why did that name sound a bit awkward to his ears? In his past life, wasn't that the name of a neighbor's dog?

However, Lin Chuan didn't bother to correct him. They could call her whatever they liked; after all, a name was just a name.

After a moment of silence, Lin Chuan gave a bitter, helpless smile and shook his head. "No."

"No spark? You don't like her?"

"No, there's a bit of a spark."

"Then what's the deal? Your aunt and I can both see that she genuinely likes you. If there's a spark, make it official already. Stop dragging your feet! If you don't feel that way about her, don't waste her time either. Be honest with her so she can cut her losses and move on."

"Uh... Uncle, this isn't something that can be explained in a sentence or two. Anyway... it's not that simple. You don't need to worry about it."

"What kind of talk is that? How can I not worry? Tell your uncle what's really on your mind." Uncle Gao was starting to grow impatient.

Lin Chuan let out a soft sigh, continuously asking himself in his heart: What was really on his mind?

Did he truly like Wang Yue? Or was he just feeling a sense of gratitude toward her? Grateful for the help she had always given him and the care she showed Lin Yiyang?

Whenever he thought of this, a blurred figure would invariably surface in his mind—the mother of his son, An Xier.

Even though Lin Chuan had been reborn into this world, deep down, he could never let go of that woman he had never even met. He would often find himself inexplicably thinking of her.

It was precisely because of this that Lin Chuan always hesitated and remained indecisive when it came to Wang Yue, completely at a loss as to what he should do.

Since Uncle Gao had pushed the matter to this point, Lin Chuan decided he would no longer hide it. He picked up his wine glass, took a large gulp, and said, "There is someone I can never let go of in my heart."

"Who?" Uncle Gao paused, startled.

"Yangyang's mother."

...

That night, the cold north wind howled, and the air was biting.

By the time they left Uncle Gao’s place, it was already past nine o'clock. With his son piggybacking on his back, Lin Chuan walked side by side with Wang Yue on the path home.

"What did you and Uncle Gao talk about so intently during dinner?" Wang Yue asked.

"Huh? We didn't talk about much, just shooting the breeze," Lin Chuan smiled.

"Oh? Didn't he mention me?"

"He did."

"Hehe, what did he say about me?" Wang Yue seemed quite interested in this topic.

"Oh, nothing much. He just said..."

Just as he was speaking, Wang Yue’s phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out, took a single glance, and her brows knitted tightly together. Without answering, she hung up with a decisive swipe.

Seeing this, though Lin Chuan felt a bit strange, he didn't press further.

"Just a spam call, no need to pay it any mind. You haven't told me what Uncle Gao said yet," Wang Yue said with a faint smile.

"He just asked if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and also asked..."

Suddenly, the phone rang again. This time, Wang Yue’s expression turned even uglier. Yet just like before, she didn't answer; she didn't even look at the screen and hung up immediately.

Lin Chuan felt even more perplexed. He gave Wang Yue a deep look, but still said nothing.

"He asked if we were a couple? How did you answer?" Wang Yue asked, feigning calmness.

However, before Lin Chuan could reply, the phone rang a third time.

"Why don't you answer your call first?" Lin Chuan suggested.

"Okay." Wang Yue nodded, though it was evident she was already angry.

She walked off to the side with her phone and began speaking in a low voice. Her tone was very soft, and coupled with the strong wind, Lin Chuan couldn't make out what she was saying.

Suddenly, right at that moment, Wang Yue shouted aloud, "No!"

Her voice was a bit too loud. Lin Chuan frowned and subconsciously glanced over, only to see Wang Yue also turning her head back to look at him.

A few minutes later, Wang Yue returned. However, the smile was entirely gone from her face, and with a very low and gloomy mood, she said, "The wind is getting colder. Let's hurry back so we don't let Yangyang catch a cold."

"Alright, I'll hail a cab by the roadside," Lin Chuan said.

Wang Yue offered no response, silently walking beside him without uttering another word.

When the two of them returned to their residence, Wang Yue did not ask to drop by Lin Chuan's place for a sit-down as she usually did. Instead, she retrieved her keys from her bag and unlocked her own front door.

Just as she was about to step inside, she abruptly turned around and said in a low voice, "Just now... it was a friend of mine, a very ordinary friend. He was asking why I didn't go home for New Year's Day..."

"Right. Get some sleep early. Goodnight!"

Lin Chuan smiled calmly, not wishing to dwell on the matter any further. With a soft click of the door closing...