Chapter 199 I’m Just a Bystander

Chapter 199: Just Here for the Drama

Since they were already here, they were definitely staying for dinner at the Su family home that evening.

In the afternoon, Su He went grocery shopping herself.

Wen Qing was teaching Niu Niu embroidery, Zai Zai was out playing with Su Shiming, leaving Su He with nothing to do.

Tonight she'd just prepare some regular home cooking. She'd told Fu Tinghua the night before about visiting her parents today, though she didn't know if he could wrap up his surgery early enough to join them.

On her way back with the groceries, Su He turned a corner in a side alley and came face-to-face with Xu Runze.

What are the odds? Su He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She remembered how the original Su He had chased after Xu Runze all day but could never track him down.

Now she was just coming home and had already run into this guy twice near her parents' place?

"Su He, fancy meeting you here," Xu Runze said with an extremely gentle smile.

"Quite the coincidence," Su He nodded and made to walk past him.

"Can we talk?" he suddenly asked.

Su He: ?

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" Su He was completely baffled.

"Su He, do—do you still like me?" He suddenly turned on the charm.

"I don't," Su He replied bluntly.

"That's impossible. You used to like me so much," Xu Runze couldn't accept that Su He had no feelings left.

She'd once adored him—how could she just forget all that?

"The past? I never liked you much to begin with. You read too much into it," Su He smirked mockingly.

Original Su He, oh original Su He, look what kind of guy you fell for.

In this conservative era, he was boldly trying to get with a married woman.

If the original host had actually been swayed, she would be the one taking all the heat, not him.

Just went to show how completely selfish the man was.

Su He gave a cold chuckle, but was interrupted before she could continue.

"What makes you think she'd choose you over me?"

Fu Tinghua's voice came from behind her, and Su He whirled around in delight.

"You got out early?" Su He asked as if no one else existed.

At the sight of Fu Tinghua, Xu Runze might as well have vanished.

She didn't give Xu Runze a second look.

Watching Su He make a beeline for Fu Tinghua, Xu Runze could only watch bitterly.

"Yeah, just one surgery scheduled today, so I came over after finishing."

Fu Tinghua gently patted Su He's head, his smile full of tenderness.

Yet in an unguarded moment, his gaze lifted toward Xu Runze—so cold it pierced like frost.

Xu Runze was instantly intimidated by Fu Tinghua's aura, bolting without so much as a goodbye.

So terrifying—he swore that man wanted him dead.

By the time Su He turned around, Xu Runze was already gone.

"Where’d he disappear to?" Su He asked, baffled.

"Ran off," Fu Tinghua replied with a sardonic curl of his lips.

"What a freak," Su He muttered.

Fu Tinghua stared in the direction Xu Runze had fled, silent, his thoughts unreadable.

"Oh right, I’ve got the groceries. Let’s head back."

Su He took Fu Tinghua’s hand and started walking home.

"Hand those over."

Fu Tinghua took all the bags from her hands.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Su Shiming hurried over.

"Sweetie, why didn’t you wait for me to go grocery shopping together?" Su Shiming couldn’t help but say.

Only then did he notice Fu Tinghua had arrived too.

"Dad," Fu Tinghua greeted.

"Ah, Tinghua, you’re done with work already?" Su Shiming was pleasantly surprised to see his son-in-law.

"Yeah, came right after the surgery," Fu Tinghua replied with a smile.

"That’s grueling work. Come inside and rest a bit." Su Shiming immediately felt sorry for him.

Seeing this, Su He also urged cheerfully, "Go put your feet up. I’ll start cooking."

"No need, I’m fine—not too tired. I’ll help you in the kitchen."

Having just witnessed someone trying to lure Su He into an affair, Fu Tinghua wanted to shadow his wife.

Not that he thought Su He would ever be interested in that man.

"Alright then, come with me to the kitchen."

Su He let it drop, and the two headed to the kitchen together.

Su Shiming thought about helping but held back—better not intrude.

So instead, he went to the workshop to see how Wen Qing’s lesson with Niu Niu was going.

Niu Niu was hooked—she was bent over her work, copying Wen Qing’s moves.

Compared to Zai Zai, Niu Niu was a fidgety kid with boundless energy.

This was the first time she could sit still and concentrate on one thing.

Seeing both of them totally engrossed in what they were doing, Su Shiming decided not to disturb them.

Meanwhile, Zai Zai was fascinated by Su Shiming's calligraphy brush and was playing with it in his study.

Well, life's pretty good now.

It's just that his daughter and grandchildren didn’t come around enough.

But compared to other families, Su He came by pretty often.

Many married daughters only made yearly visits home, with no other trips allowed.

Su Shiming just missed his daughter and grandchildren too much.

During dinner, Su Shiming couldn’t help but sigh over the called-off engagement between Xu Runze and Tan Xiaoshuang.

"I practically watched those two grow up. They even worked together in the capital for two years without any issues. How did things go south right when they came back to meet the parents?" Su Shiming truly couldn’t understand it.

Of course, he had no idea Xu Runze had made a pass at his son-in-law's wife earlier that afternoon—right in front of Fu Tinghua.

Otherwise, he would never have brought it up.

"Why stick your nose in their business?" Wen Qing couldn’t help but interject.

After speaking, she glanced at Su He.

Su Shiming, always so clueless, had to bring up Xu Runze in front of his daughter.

"But they were my students once—the neighborhood's golden boy and girl back then," Su Shiming lamented.

"It’s their own choice. Isn’t it better to figure out they're not right for each other before marriage rather than after?" Wen Qing countered.

Su Shiming grudgingly admitted, "That’s true."

Then he went back to his meal.

Listening to their conversation, Fu Tinghua sneaked his hand under the table to hold Su He’s.

Su He, just eating and minding her own business: (What's this about?)