The three had breezed over to the large breakfast table when, all of a sudden, Fan Jielen said she was supposed to retrieve something from upstairs. She ushered her husband and daughter-in-law to sit down first and then left the room with light and dainty footsteps.
Despite being a dining room, the place was meant to be shown off. White trimmings with scalloped gold edges framed the windows. Roman columns crafted from marble and limestone were adorned with leafy crowns. Satin curtains were circularly hung, creating evenly parted, yet naturally-appealing, folds. A rectangular chandelier with droplets of large crystals hung from above.
Zhao Lifei was impressed and at awe with the beautiful design, to which she said, "This is quite a beautiful dining room." If she remembered correctly, the last time she came here for a meal, they were in the dining room meant for dinner. With the natural lighting that rushed through the enormous windows that overlooked a serene, neatly-trimmed garden, this room was solely for eating breakfast.
"The stormy grey and snow-white marble with specks of gold is a nice touch." She commented before walking to the seat and sitting in front of Yang Qianlu.
Yang Qianlu momentarily paused, the action so small, she didn’t notice it. "I suppose so." He dryly replied. He was the one who requested for the marble to be used instead of having the entire columns to be made of limestone. With a fondness towards architecture, he would’ve pursued his dream had he been born into a normal family.
Zhao Lifei glanced at Yang Qianlu. "You dislike me." She addressed the elephant in the room — it was also the primary reason why she visited the Yangs.
Her understanding voice, filled with patience, confused Yang Qianlu. He thought there should be an underlying tone of bitterness in her statement.
Yang Qianlu cleared and throat and reached for the tea, and was astonished to see she had predicted his action. The tea was already poured for him without traces of its leaves.
Grumbling to himself, he picked up his handmade teacup. With so much spare time on his hands, he had been bored one day and decided to indulge in pottery. Who would’ve thought, a week later, he would have made a set of four cups, complete with a pot. It was painted an earthy brown with tones of black, but the silver branches sliced through the dark colors. The inside was painted a speckled, off-shaded white.
"I’m glad to know that your brain and eyes are working perfectly," Yang Qianlu responded, taking a leisurely sip of the calming morning tea made from chamomile and white tea. "It’s not that I dislike you." He added on, placing the cup down and watching her admire the drawing before she glanced back up at him.
Yang Qianlu wasn’t lying. Aside from her horrendous past, there wasn’t much to dislike about Zhao Lifei. It would be unfair to hold her accountable for something that happened so long ago and couldn’t be changed. "It’s more of, I didn’t think you were a suitable candidate for my son. My methods were... nicely put by my wife, ’very childish.’ Though, I do have my reasons."
"You see, I am unaccustomed to demonstrating affection to my children, especially the eldest. Call me crazy, but I believe my treatment towards Yang Feng is a lot better than the one I endured as a child. Every generation of parenting is similar to its predecessors, but also drastically different, for we never want our children to experience the same pain we felt from our parents."
"I only wanted the best for my son. When he was at a suitable age for marriage, I chose the most likely candidate for him: a woman that has stuck by his side for years. Su Meixiu who, at the time, came from a reputable family that had served ours for generations. She has worked by him for very long and knew his preferences like the back of her hand, but that was her greatest flaw wasn’t it?"
Yang Qianlu had heavily reflected on his actions. His wife’s behavior during the birthday party was a forceful awakening that his approach was beginning to mirror his father, a man he both hated and respected at the same time. "She knew him for too long, so much so, that he only saw her as a mere employee and nothing more."
"Granted by how my son looks at you, I know you’re more suitable for him than any other woman. However, this understanding didn’t happen overnight."
Zhao Lifei calmly listened to his words, letting it flow into her ears and be absorbed into her brain. She could see where he was coming from, and that was precisely why she didn’t dislike him or his behavior. She was never offended by it, though there were times that he did go overboard.
"I’m sure you know that by now, I’m a stubborn man raised from hard to change traditions."
Zhao Lifei found it intriguing that the father and son had completely contradicting viewpoints. She could still remember Yang Feng’s words, "Tradition is just peer pressure from the dead."
"Su Meixiu is a good girl. She has her flaws as everyone else does, but what she has done for my son can’t be ignored just because of your presence." Yang Qianlu firmly said, leaving no room for ’buts’ or ’ifs.’
"Luckily for you, my mindset has been gradually changing." Yang Qianlu left out the part where he was nagged by his wife about his bias towards Su Meixiu. "I want both Su Meixiu and my son to be happy and if neither of them can be each other’s happiness, that is fine with me."
Everyone craved familiarity and Yang Qianlu was no exception to it. He felt comfortable around Su Meixiu because he had grown accustomed to the idea that she was perfect for Yang Feng. She was a homely woman who excelled in everything a housewife should but was also intelligent enough to hold business conversations. Well-rounded and good to her elders, albeit a little too submissive, she was practically perfect to a traditional man like Yang Qianlu.
"Changes won’t happen overnight. It’s going to be hard for me to change my thinking. At least, I have become accustomed to your presence by my son’s side."
Regardless of how hard Yang Qianlu tried to hide it, Zhao Lifei could see past his tough-love facade towards Yang Feng. The father only wants what’s best for his son, even if he didn’t show any public affection towards the young man. His constant title of "my son" was enough to prove that.
"That’s understandable. It would be abnormal and unrealistic if you suddenly change your behavior out of the blue." Zhao Lifei responded before her lips formed a small, lopsided smile.
Yang Qianlu raised a brow at her unexpected words. Maybe it was the unfair prejudice that he had towards her, but for odd reasons, today he began viewing her in a better light. Or maybe it was just the fact that the sunlight was glimmering directly behind her.
He always thought her current behavior was just a facade to hide the malicious one that she used to possess. Today, he learned a little bit more about her nature... It would only be a matter of time before he grew accustomed to her. "I don’t suppose you will expect an apology from me as well?"
"Maybe when it snows tomorrow, perhaps there would be one." Zhao Lifei chuckled, shaking her head a bit. "Though, I do expect mutual respect."
"That can be granted."
Right on time, Fan Jielan walked in with nothing in her hands. Through her knowing smile, Yang Qianlu knew his wife purposely left them alone to chat. He couldn’t blame her. No one wanted to be stuck at a crossroad of uncomfortable conflict.
"There you are," Yang Qianlu mused, "You didn’t have to change your clothes. What’s wrong with your other one?"
"I think new changes call for new clothes, don’t you think so?" Fan Jielan was also referring to the new wardrobe she planned on getting later on in the day, but her oblivious husband didn’t catch on to her message. One could truly tell where the low EQ stemmed from...
"Whatever makes you happy." Yang Qianlu responded with a small, barely noticeable smile. He thought his wife was going to sit beside him and to his unpleasant surprise, she walked right past him and beside Zhao Lifei who stood up and pulled a chair out for her.
"I’m sure it will make me very happy..." Fan Jielan said under her breath when she thought about the newest collections of clothes and products.
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