Shen Yuan had won the gold at the competition, and the whole family gathered for a celebratory feast.
Li Chen was more excited than the winner himself, unusually unable to keep his composure. He downed three glasses of wine, his flushed face betraying his joy. “Your mother won this award too, back then…”
“Mm.” Shen Yuan felt happy, but Aunt Lin was also at the table. He worried that hearing his uncle mention his late mother might make her uncomfortable. He glanced at her anxiously but saw no particular reaction.
Li Chen, clearly drunk, grabbed Shen Yuan and said, “Continue your studies abroad. I’ve already picked out a few schools for you, and I’ll handle the tuition.” Emotion overtook him, tears welling up. “Your mom was just starting her work back then, and then that accident happened… She was so happy, but fate was cruel. Maybe you can fulfill her unfinished dreams.”
“You’re drunk,” Lin Zhiwei said, noticing Shen Yuan’s awkward expression. “These days, making a child pursue their parents’ dreams isn’t right. If Xiaoyuan wants to open his own studio in the future, it should be for himself. Right? If you want to study abroad, do it for yourself.”
Sometimes his uncle’s expectations felt like pressure. Shen Yuan had worked hard to show good results, not because he was his mother’s projection, but because he carried her bloodline. Aunt Lin subtly relieved the tension, and Shen Yuan breathed easier. “Mm, I’m planning to go. I’ve already applied to a few schools.”
Lin Zhiwei’s question was casual, just to change the topic, but Shen Yuan’s answer surprised her.
Li Lin froze. “Bro, you’re going to study abroad? Where? I want to go too.”
Li Chen snapped, “What nonsense? Your brother wants to study abroad to improve himself with a clear goal. What you do is your own business—you can’t just follow him blindly.”
“…” Li Lin had no retort.
Later, Lin Zhiwei asked Shen Yuan directly: “You really plan to study abroad?”
“Yes. If I get accepted, I’ll go. With my grades, I should get an offer.”
“And… what about Qiao Hailou? Have you told him?”
Shen Yuan hesitated before admitting, “I haven’t told him. He doesn’t know.”
“You’ve made up, haven’t you? How can you not tell him such a big thing?”
“We haven’t made up. Studying is my business—it doesn’t concern him. I don’t need his opinion. Regardless of whether he agrees, I must prioritize my own growth.”
I’m selfish, Shen Yuan thought. He didn’t know how long the dopamine rush from Qiao Hailou would last. His mother, swept up in love, had delayed her career for years, nearly ruining her life. That painful lesson taught him: love yourself first, then others.
Right now, before anything is official, he wouldn’t tell Qiao Hailou. He feared Qiao Hailou might try to stop him, wanting to keep him at home as a pampered little treasure. Qiao Hailou’s silver tongue was dangerous—he might say something convincing enough for Shen Yuan to agree. Better to wait until he’s officially admitted.
Lin Zhiwei praised him firmly: “Good! That’s right… You can love him, but don’t revolve your life around him. Your own growth and achievements are real. If you stay with him, it gives you independence; if not, it’s your self-reliance. Take this opportunity—you must go!”
Shen Yuan felt warm inside; Aunt Lin was truly kind. He wondered how his mother would react if she were alive—what would she say?
He thought sadly of his rebellious youth, when he hadn’t spoken properly to his mother.
Now, having won the same award his mother once received, Shen Yuan wanted to take the trophy to her grave.
Coincidentally, Qiao Hailou asked, “Baby, you won! Let Qiao Uncle take you out to eat. I’ve reserved a place.”
In reality, he’d booked it a week ago. Ceng Chuan had mentioned spending big—Qiao Hailou had booked a high-end restaurant for the whole day, decorated by a wedding planner, and hired Shen Yuan’s favorite singer to perform two songs—not a proposal, just a reconciliation.
The meal was meant to be eaten slowly, symbolizing a proper reconciliation. If Shen Yuan hadn’t done well, it would have been a consolation dinner. Now that he had such excellent results, it was a celebration. Either way, Qiao Hailou wanted him to experience the gesture.
Before the competition, he hadn’t let on a thing, wanting to surprise Shen Yuan.
Then—
“I’m not going,” Shen Yuan said. “I’m busy that day.”
Qiao Hailou, slightly frustrated, asked, “Why? You have no classes, according to your schedule. I’ve checked.”
Shen Yuan: “No class, but I want to visit my mom’s grave.”
There was nothing Qiao Hailou could do; he couldn’t compete with Shen Yuan’s mother. He decided to postpone the date and maybe spend a little extra. “I’ll go with you,” he said.
Shen Yuan quickly refused. “Why would you come?”
Qiao Hailou: “To meet my mother-in-law.”
Shen Yuan: “Don’t say that—my mom was younger than you when she passed.”
Qiao Hailou: “…”
But on the day itself, Qiao Hailou insisted on taking him to the cemetery. Shen Yuan didn’t refuse this time. Once there, he even held Qiao Hailou’s hand as they walked to his mother’s grave.
He placed a bouquet of white lilies and lit a candle. Qiao Hailou accompanied him—since he was there, why not join in?
The woman in the photo looked youthful, kind, and gentle, smiling faintly.
Shen Yuan’s nose tingled with emotion immediately.
Qiao Hailou stroked his head: “Cry if you need to.”
Shen Yuan took a deep breath. “After Mom passed… I even argued with her once. I told her she was irresponsible, abandoning me as a child, only to take me back for a short while before leaving again.”
“I ran away from Dad when I was five, stole two coins from him… Actually, I only walked a few streets away. Dad beat me daily; I couldn’t take it. I tried to call Mom, but my grandfather answered instead!”
“I mustered courage, risking Dad finding me, and dialed. My grandfather refused. I cried for a long time; a man at a corner shop gave me an ice cream. I didn’t want to go home. Eventually, a neighbor, thinking I was lost, brought me back.”
Qiao Hailou held his hand, lifted it, and kissed the back lightly. Noticing the red bracelet on his wrist, he said, “You still love your mom. After all these years, you wear the bracelet she made for you.”
Shen Yuan had refused to replace the faded bracelet, insisting, “This is the only one Mom made. It’s all I have left.”
With minimal memories of his mother, this was precious to him.
Shen Yuan, struck by emotion, looked at her photo, tears welling: “Mom, I’ve won the award you got. If you were here, would you praise me?”
Qiao Hailou hugged him. Shen Yuan buried his face in Qiao Hailou’s chest, quietly sobbing.
Qiao Hailou stroked his neck and back: “It’s okay. I’ll praise you.”
Through tears, Shen Yuan protested: “What good is your praise… Let go! Don’t hug me here, at my mom’s grave! If she were alive, she wouldn’t allow this!”
Qiao Hailou: “How do you know? I think she’d agree.”
Shen Yuan: “Impossible.”
They clung to each other, exchanging fragmented words.
Suddenly, a sound of something dropping nearby. Shen Yuan was still crying in Qiao Hailou’s arms, so he looked toward the sound first.
A bouquet of white lilies had fallen.
Li Chen stood a few steps away, stunned, staring at them. His mouth opened as if to speak, then he struggled for breath. After several seconds, he recovered enough to ask coldly: “Qiao Hailou, what are you doing here? What’s going on?”
“Let go!”