Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Five years later.

He Yan joined the military, and Fu Yanyan is now in her third year at Capital University.

Last year, Jin Xiuzhu returned to the capital with Jiang Mingchuan. When she came back, she specially renovated and redecorated the small villa, replacing all the furniture. Now it looks like a brand new house.

Liu Liu is currently in high school, which is quite far away, so she usually stays at the dorms and only comes home on weekends. On the contrary, Fu Yanyan returns more frequently. Sometimes when she has no classes in the afternoon, she takes the bus home, which only takes twenty minutes.

The mother and son also renovated the bathroom. There was a bathroom before, but it had broken down and couldn't be used. They found someone to completely redo it, installing white tiles, a new toilet, sink, and bathtub.

They also tidied up the yard in front of the villa, sowing grass seeds and setting aside a flower bed.

The entire house has been refreshed.

Fu Yanyan prefers coming back home now, mainly because it's much more convenient than the school, with better food and a quieter environment.

She enjoys reading and studying quietly by herself. She chose mathematics as her major; in her previous life, she excelled in math, but no one cared, and she didn't think much of it. In this life, after much consideration, she decided to follow her heart and choose what she loved.

Perhaps because of her passion, even though the subject is challenging, she finds it very interesting and feels fulfilled every day.

Jin Xiuzhu, considering how hard she studies, cooks delicious meals for her every day, making Fu Yanyan even more eager to return home.

She often brings food to her roommates and Zhou Lili.

Zhou Lili is also attending university in the capital, though at an ordinary school. But she is already very happy about it. When she first started university, she told Fu Yanyan that her father was particularly delighted, buying her a watch and two new outfits, something he wouldn't usually do.

Perhaps due to the bustling atmosphere of the capital, Zhou Lili's personality has become increasingly lively. In her freshman year, she started dating a boyfriend, and every time Fu Yanyan sees her, she notices significant changes, becoming more attractive.

Fu Yanyan thinks it's great but still reminds her to be careful and not get pregnant. Zhou Lili playfully hits her, saying she has dirty thoughts and that they only hold hands at most.

Fu Yanyan: "..." Okay, she must have thought too much; things were different back then.

In the future, many young girls would have abortions in hospitals, looking pitiful.

Fu Yanyan is usually quite busy and only has time to visit Zhou Lili on weekends.

Zhou Lili usually waits for Fu Yanyan in the cafeteria, where they have lunch together. Sometimes, Zhou Lili visits Fu Yanyan instead. Although they attend different schools, their friendship remains strong.

Once, when Fu Yanyan went to see Zhou Lili, she saw a familiar figure in the cafeteria window.

Initially, she didn't think much of it, but when the woman looked up and revealed her face, Fu Yanyan was stunned. Although the woman looked much older with wrinkles, Fu Yanyan still recognized her.

It was Zhao Yun.

Zhou Lili asked her a few times without getting a response and couldn't help poking her. "What are you daydreaming about? I asked if you want braised pork or roasted duck leg."

Fu Yanyan snapped back to reality, suppressing her shock, and calmly said, "Roasted duck leg."

"Okay."

Zhou Lili stretched her neck and sweetly called out to the window, "Sister, two roasted duck legs—"

The auntie, called Sister, smiled widely and gave her the largest roasted duck legs.

After getting their food, they found a seat. Fu Yanyan unpacked the dishes she brought from home, while Zhou Lili got chopsticks and soup.

When Zhou Lili returned and saw the sweet and sour spareribs and braised prawns, her eyes lit up, and she eagerly picked up the ribs, savoring them with a blissful expression. "I love Auntie's cooking; it's so delicious."

Fu Yanyan seemed distracted, glancing towards the window after a few bites, unsure if she had seen correctly.

Zhou Lili found it odd. "Why are you always looking over there? Do you know her?"

Fu Yanyan: "Know who?"

"The curly-haired aunt serving food."

Fu Yanyan glanced at Zhao Yun's curly hair and couldn't help asking, "Don't you remember her?"

"What should I remember? I don't know her. My boyfriend knows some details. He used to help in the cafeteria and heard the aunts gossiping about her being a mistress. The original wife found out and beat her up. The man left her afterward. Her daughter is also a student here and apparently has a powerful boyfriend who arranged for her to work in the cafeteria. The aunts say both mother and daughter aren't clean."

"I don't know if it's true. Later, my boyfriend quit because the aunts had too many thoughts and now sells goods with his roommates. Do you know her?"

Fu Yanyan looked at her and whispered, "She used to live upstairs from us. She's Yang Yingxiong's stepmother and Yang Chaoying's birth mother."

Zhou Lili was shocked. "It's her?"

She had seen her a few times but didn't have a deep impression. However, the auntie's reputation in the military was well-known. People still talked about her abandoning her infant son and running away with her daughter, leaving the stepson with an indifferent father.

Especially since she was close to Fu Yanyan, she knew more details and even knew Yang Yingxiong and his brother.

She couldn't help sneaking a glance at the window and whispered, "Should we tell Yang Yingxiong?"

Fu Yanyan, being selfish, only cares about those she values and shook her head. "No, she abandoned Chaoying back then. Now that they're doing well, there's no need for outsiders to disturb them."

Yang Yingxiong is soft-hearted. If Zhao Yun cries poor to him, she might get something from them.

Fu Yanyan doesn't want anyone to leech off them anymore.

Zhou Lili nodded. "True, losing a father and gaining a mother would be quite a headache."

She learned this from Fu Yanyan. When Yang Yingxiong was in his third year, his father was exposed for cheating during his military service. He had to return all his honors and subsidies and lost his job. His stepmother divorced him and took all the money.

His father, unable to pay, turned to Yang Yingxiong. When his classmates found out, they reported it to the school authorities, leading to Yang Yingxiong's expulsion. To protect his brother, he paid off the debt.

Yang Yingxiong dropped out of university and started selling goods, eventually opening two chain supermarkets, which are doing well.

His father passed away last year, apparently due to illness. It wasn't worth sympathy; he caused Yang Yingxiong trouble, spending a lot of money and causing distress.

Jin Xiuzhu whispered to Fu Yanyan in private, "Yang Yingxiong must have owed his father in his past life. He came back this life to repay that debt. Now that the debt is paid, he's gone."

Fu Yanyan didn't believe in such things, but Jin Xiuzhu's words made her feel there was some truth to it.

Now, Yang Yingxiong's career is flourishing, and Yang Chaoying has been accepted into a good university. The future looks bright for the two brothers.

Fu Yanyan couldn't help but ask, "Do you know anything about her daughter?"

Zhou Lili was still thinking about Yang Yingxiong when she heard this and slowly realized Fu Yanyan was referring to Zhao Yun's daughter. After a moment, she replied, "I don't know much, only that she's said to be very beautiful and popular among boys. But she's definitely not as pretty as you. Really, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

She said this sincerely. In her heart, Fu Yanyan was truly beautiful, with fair, translucent skin and delicate features like a painting. Especially when she sat quietly, Zhou Lili always felt reluctant to disturb her, feeling that her presence would ruin the beauty.

Fu Yanyan smiled, "You're also very pretty."

Zhou Lili giggled.

After finishing their meal, the two left. Zhou Lili accompanied Fu Yanyan to the school gate.

As they approached the school entrance, they noticed a car parked there, which seemed out of place, causing passersby to glance at it.

The car door was open, and a girl wearing a white cotton coat stepped out, followed by a boy.

The girl seemed angry, with a scowl on her face, while the boy walked beside her, trying to placate her.

Fu Yanyan didn't think much of it and looked away.

However, as the boy passed by Fu Yanyan, he widened his eyes in surprise and turned to look back.

The girl noticed this and angrily pushed the boy, pointing at Fu Yanyan, "Stop right there!"

Seeing that Fu Yanyan and Zhou Lili hadn't heard and continued walking, she yelled, "Hey, girl in the red coat! Didn't you hear me? Flirting with men on the street, how shameless..."

The boy didn't expect the girl to be so domineering and quickly grabbed her arm, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry."

Zhou Lili tugged at Fu Yanyan's hand, "I think she's talking to you."

Fu Yanyan was taken aback and instinctively looked back.

The girl continued yelling, and the boy seemed embarrassed, especially under the gaze of Fu Yanyan and the passing students. His face darkened, and he pushed her away, "Enough, you're being annoying. You look ugly like this."

With that, he turned and strode away.

The girl stumbled a few steps, then stood still, biting her lip as she watched the boy walk away. She then snapped at the onlookers, "What are you looking at?"

And hurriedly chased after him.

Fu Yanyan watched them leave, frowning.

Zhou Lili couldn't help but curse, "What's wrong with her? So unreasonable."

Fu Yanyan dismissed it, "Forget it, let's go."

That evening, Fu Yanyan told Jin Xiuzhu about seeing Zhao Yun. Jin Xiuzhu paused mid-action while serving food, "At Lili's school?"

Then she sighed, "If only they had lived happily together, they wouldn't have ended up like this. Poor Yingxiong, that child."

Fu Yanyan remained silent. In her previous life, Zhao Yun and Captain Yang had lived happily, yet Yang Yingxiong still suffered. It seemed some things were destined not to change.

But she hadn't seen everything in her previous life and wasn't sure how the couple's relationship had progressed.

Jin Xiuzhu continued, "Anyway, forget about her. Your aunt is coming home for the New Year, and your brother should be here too. After your exams, come with me to buy some New Year's goods."

Fu Yanyan nodded.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "I wonder if your brother will bring Zhaodi back? That would be even more fun."

Fu Yanyan glanced at her, "Mom, didn't you know? Brother seems to have broken up."

Jin Xiuzhu was surprised, "Why did they break up? They seemed so good together."

Fu Yanyan: "It seems their personalities weren't compatible."

She didn't dare mention that He Yan had been cheated on. Yang Chaoying had told her about it, and she now had only a few close friends, including Zhou Lili, Fanfan, and Yang Chaoying, whom she often contacted.

In a letter, Yang Chaoying mentioned that He Yan's girlfriend was now in G Province. Once, he saw her leaving a restaurant with another man, holding hands. Although He Yan hadn't introduced Lin Zhaodi to them, they had seen her photo and recognized her immediately.

Yang Yingxiong was afraid of making a mistake, so he asked Yang Chaoying to keep an eye on her and confirmed that it was indeed her, matching the photo and name, Lin Zhaodi. The man was her boss, divorced from his ex-wife, and in his thirties.

Yang Chaoying couldn't understand why Lin Zhaodi would cheat on He Yan, who was handsome, a military academy graduate, and from a well-off family. The man was just an old, unappealing guy.

Initially, Fu Yanyan couldn't comprehend it either, but later she realized that human nature is complex. Perhaps Lin Zhaodi felt unequal in her relationship with He Yan and sought to assert herself through hurting him. Or maybe the other man provided emotional support and companionship that He Yan couldn't offer.

Their past pure love was real, and the subsequent hurt was equally real.

Fu Yanyan didn't ask He Yan about it, knowing that he had been injured during training and hadn't told anyone. She secretly sent him some supplements.

She brought up this topic now to avoid any awkwardness during the New Year if Jin Xiuzhu asked about He Yan.

Jin Xiuzhu frowned, "How could their personalities not be compatible? Xiaoyan has such a good personality, gets along with everyone, takes care of people, and cooks and cleans."

Then she looked at her daughter, "Tell me the truth, what happened?"

Fu Yanyan knew she couldn't hide it and explained the situation, adding, "Don't tell anyone it was me who told you. This was something Chaoying told me in secret, and I can't betray him."

Jin Xiuzhu's face showed her disappointment, "How disappointing, to be cuckolded. If people found out, my son would be ashamed."