As the saying goes, "Good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles."
The next day, Chen Jin was summoned by his grandfather. Fortunately, it wasn't a formal interrogation like last time. The old man was angry, but not as furious as before—there were no cane strikes or shouting, but his face was still grim. He furrowed his brow and asked, "Are you still entangled with that woman? I heard you even went to the gynecologist?"
Chen Jin remained silent, cursing the person who spread the gossip in his heart.
"You young people never know your limits. Before your grandfather passed away, he told me that among the Chen family's grandchildren, you were the one most likely to stir up trouble. He asked me to keep an eye on you. I didn't expect things would go wrong. Is it true?"
Chen Jin was still muttering curses in his mind, but when he heard the question, he paused, then spoke truthfully, "It was, but it's over now."
His grandfather was also stunned. "How did it end?"
"Spontaneous abortion."
The old man's eyes widened. "Bullshit! A perfectly healthy child can't just vanish!"
Chen Jin quickly glanced at his grandfather, then lowered his voice, "She's been unwell recently."
"Hmph, useless. Can't even keep a child."
Chen Jin winced at the harsh words. The old man's criticism was sharp. He knew deep down that he was indeed useless—playing with fire, suffering loss, and damaging relationships in the process.
"At least she suffered for you. Give her some compensation, and then hurry up and get married, live a stable life. I'll discuss this with your parents tomorrow and make sure everything is settled before the new year."
Chen Jin immediately rejected, "I'm not getting married."
The old man snorted. "Not getting married? If you don't, even your great-grandchildren will be delivered to me. What will the Zhang family think? Where will I put my old face?"
"Wait, what does it have to do with them?"
"Bullshit! That's your future father-in-law, and you ask what it has to do with them? At least Zhang's second son is reasonable. If it were any other girl, they would have caused a big scene."
Chen Jin scoffed, "I have nothing to do with her."
"You brat! How long have you been with her, and you're still saying such irresponsible things? Now, the whole of B City knows she's your future fiancée…"
"That's just a rumor you let out. I never admitted it."
"You… you want to kill me, don't you?" The old man's face turned red with anger. When it came to bullying, he could outmatch anyone, but when it came to wordplay and logic, he was no match for Chen Jin. So, he resorted to his old trick—grabbing a cup and throwing it at him.
Chen Jin skillfully caught it and placed it back, saying respectfully, "Grandfather, your health is more important. Don't trouble yourself with such small matters. I don't know how others report to you, but I've only had two meals with her, and one of them was on your birthday. I haven't even touched her hand. And anyway, who still arranges marriages these days?"
"Arranged marriage, what's wrong with it? Your parents and I arranged your marriage with your grandmother, and look how well you've turned out. You young people have shallow eyes and can't judge people properly. It's up to us elderly to decide. I can tell from a glance that Zhang's second son is a good man, responsible, knows how to manage a household…"
Chen Jin listened in silence, thinking to himself, how could you still believe in these superstitions? But he didn't argue, knowing that his grandfather was old, and after shouting for too long, he would get short of breath and want to rest. He had learned to deal with the old man carefully—he regretted the last time he had crossed him. If the old man got too upset and fell ill, he wouldn't be able to bear it. And anyway, if the old man liked Zhang Yun Yi so much, he would cut off that possibility for him.
As expected, the old man eventually grew tired of ranting, threw a few more harsh words, and told him to leave. Chen Jin left the old man's courtyard and immediately received a call from his eldest uncle, who sounded worried. "A Jin, did your grandfather call for you?"
"Yeah."
"How was it? Are you okay?"
Chen Jin rubbed his temples, feeling exhausted, and replied listlessly, "It's fine."
His uncle hesitated before asking, "How far have you and that girl gone?"
"It's the same as before."
"A Jin, I just found out who she is…"
"Didn't you already investigate her?"
"I only checked her last name, her work, and family situation. Did you really think I would dig up her entire family's history like the FBI?"
"Uncle, stop mocking me. What do you want to say?"
"I think you should break up with her. You two have no future. Forget about everything else, but what about A Zui?"
Chen Jin sighed. He wasn't a fool. He didn't need the world to remind him of this fact. Even though he knew it, hearing it still hurt, like a needle piercing his heart.
"Uncle, don't worry. I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing."
After a pause, his uncle added, "Let me just say a few more things. You're in construction, you know how important a foundation is. Marriage is like building a house. Relying solely on love as the foundation is not enough. Only when everything else aligns perfectly can the marriage stand firm…"
After the call ended, Chen Jin squeezed his phone in his hand, then threw it onto the passenger seat. He rubbed his face with both hands. "Love is a game, marriage is politics." This was a belief held by most people in his circle, or rather, something they had to believe. He had believed it too, always thinking he would follow that path. If he couldn't find the right person, any person would do. And since anyone would do, why not pick someone with better conditions? Someone useful for both himself and his family.
But the reason he had been reluctant to get married for so long, aside from not wanting to be tied down by family too early, was perhaps a small, unspoken hope deep inside him. He believed that if he found the right person, things like social status wouldn't matter. No matter how strong the elderly were, as long as he persisted, they would have to listen to him in the end. After all, how many elderly people can stand up to their children these days? Moreover, if he couldn't make his own decisions about whom to marry, could he really still call himself a man?
He always thought a man should be able to reach for the sky with one hand and cut through thorns with the other. But the barrier between him and Lin Wan was something he couldn't remove.
At 8:30 pm, after finishing his work, Chen Jin rushed to a club for an appointment. As soon as he entered the private room, he heard Fang Zheng's lazy voice. "Well, well, look who it is, the busy man. It's been a while."
Chen Jin realized it had been a while since their last meeting. The last time they had spoken, it had been an unpleasant argument about Lin Wan, but now, just hearing Fang Zheng's voice made him feel a sense of familiarity.
Xiang Yang also chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, bro, we've missed you."
Chen Jin smiled and said, "Are you two just here to watch me, or is there something you need?"
Xiang Yang laughed, "Can't we hang out without a reason? You're acting like we're here to mess with you."
Fang Zheng handed him a bottle of white liquor, "We thought you've been a bit uptight lately, so we're here to help you unwind."
Chen Jin quickly covered his glass, muttering to himself. He didn't need to be drunk in front of them—there was already enough confusion in his life. He said, "Stop with the distractions. Let's get to the point."
Xiang Yang asked, "I heard you got a good talking-to from the old man?"
"You guys have long ears, huh?"
"Isn't it the age of information? We care about your stuff, don't we?"
Chen Jin grunted, "I see, you guys are here to watch me make a fool of myself." He then turned to Fang Zheng and said, "Didn't you bring your flea-like cousin to form a band? Isn't he always hoping to see me make a fool of myself?"
Fang Zheng chuckled, while Xiang Yang chimed in, "As the saying goes, family shame shouldn't be aired in public. We're brothers—how could we do such a thing?"
"Hmph, brothers, huh? I wonder who leaked the news about me falling into the water?"
Xiang Yang laughed, "A man should be brave enough to own up to his actions. I did it for your own good, you know? I was helping you turn back before falling off the cliff. There's no end to suffering in this world, but there's a way out if you just turn back."
"For my own good? At least you could have made me feel good about it. I didn't feel a thing."
Fang Zheng said casually, "I feel like that sounds more like something Lin Wan would say."
Chen Jin sneered, "I get it now. You're not here to laugh at me, you're here to mock me, right?"
Fang Zheng asked, "Do you remember the question I asked you last time?"
"Of course."
"Do you have an answer now?"
"Yes."