Chapter 389: Chapter 389: Yue Ming 39
"I guess it must have started from the first time you taught me how to do makeup. I knew back then that you weren’t my mom. But I didn’t dare say anything. What would have happened if you’d abandoned us after I said it?"
"My life had finally started to look up, and I wasn’t about to lose that so easily."
Tan You recalled the past as well. "So what made you come to terms with it later?"
Luu Yuming grinned. "Later? Well, later on, I figured that if I just kept it all buried inside, you would stay by our side forever. See? My gamble paid off, didn’t it? If Little Min hadn’t lit the fuse today, I would have kept this secret until the day I died without ever asking."
Luu Min couldn’t help but marvel at Liuu Yuming’s self-control. "I guess I really don’t know you that well. I can’t believe you managed to keep something this big a secret for so many years."
Luu Yuming turned serious. "It’s all a matter of priorities. To me, Teacher is the most important person. But when I think about how my mom was still worried about us even after she passed away, it just makes my heart ache."
Seeing large tears rolling down Liuu Yuming’s cheeks, Tan You averted her gaze. "Xu Jia will be here soon. He’ll get suspicious if he sees you crying. That man is a wily old fox; it won’t be easy to hide this from him."
Xu Jia can’t see me. Apart from people who are blood-related to Zhang Wangying, no one else can.
Luu Yuming waved dismissively. "I’ll just tell him I hadn’t seen Little Min in months and was crying tears of joy. I don’t care what he thinks."
Luu Min said, "So Xu Jia treats you pretty well, then? I’ve never seen you act so spoiled."
Luu Yuming rolled her eyes. "As if you don’t know what’s going on with me. Don’t play dumb. Teacher is with you, so how could you not know about my situation?"
Luu Min just smiled and said nothing. She had little interest in romance and preferred not to talk about it.
After a moment of silence, Liuu Yuming was the one to speak up. "I won’t tell Xu Jia. This is a secret between us. I’ll never let him know."
Tan You was unconcerned. "Do as you wish. He wouldn’t be able to find me even if you told him. But let me say this up front: if you have children in the future, I will not personally raise them."
"Everyone has their biases, and you’re naturally closer to some people than others." Tan You shrugged. "Raising Liuu Min was enough for me. I’m not that great at bringing up kids, anyway."
Luu Yuming immediately shot back, "What are you talking about? Teacher, you’re amazing at raising people! Look how wonderfully Little Min turned out!"
"And turned you into a mama’s girl?" Tan You retorted with perfect composure. "That was Liuu Min’s own drive and hard work; it didn’t have much to do with me. I mostly just played a supporting role by keeping her company."
Luu Yuming was unfazed by the term "mama’s girl." ’So what if I am one? A mama’s girl my age is a rare species, you know? At least it means I have someone who genuinely has my best interests at heart, and also has the ability to make plans for me.’
’And it’s not like she lacked the confidence to face the world on her own; she was just content to be a mama’s girl.’
Luu Min laughed as well. "My sister seems pretty proud of herself. ’Mama’s girl’ isn’t a compliment, you know."
Luu Yuming retorted self-righteously, "I’m only like this in front of Teacher! Do you ever see me go on about ’my mom’ in front of other people? ...Though I guess she isn’t my birth mother."
Speaking of her birth mother, Liuu Yuming couldn’t let the matter rest. "My mom... is she... still around?"
Tan You held up her hands. "This is the first time I’ve had a client like Zhang Wangying. I haven’t seen her once since I arrived here. I’m not going to tell you pretty lies to make you feel better; I honestly don’t know if she’s around or not."
Luu Yuming sighed. "That’s a real shame. Truly. But the thought of my mom still looking out for me makes my chest feel all tight... I think I’m going to cry again."
Luu Min pulled out a couple of tissues and handed them to her. "Try not to cry so much. It’s been years since I’ve seen you cry."
Luu Min had almost no memory of Zhang Wangying, as she was only two when her mother passed away. Later, it was Tan You who wore Zhang Wangying’s "shell," so it was Tan You to whom Liuu Min was deeply attached.
But from the moment she learned Tan You wasn’t really Zhang Wangying, Liuu Min had subconsciously separated the two in her mind. She felt complete trust in Tan You, whereas Zhang Wangying felt like a stranger.
Yet, the thought that her very connection with Tan You was a gift from Zhang Wangying stirred an indescribable emotion within Liuu Min. It was the realization that someone, somewhere beyond her knowledge, had given so much for her sake. Her conscience felt as if it had been suddenly jolted, filling her heart with a bittersweet ache.
Having learned Tan You’s true identity, and that Tan You would stay until she herself passed away, Liuu Yuming’s heart had settled. She had long been clear on the fact that her mother was gone. Now, knowing that Tan You would not desert her, her mood brightened considerably.
By the time Xu Jia arrived, she had already composed herself and was even laughing and joking with Tan You. Xu Jia didn’t think much of her slightly red eyes, just assuming she was emotional from the excitement of seeing Liuu Min after a long time.
Luu Min had already "met" Xu Jia many times through Tan You, and she had also met him in person once before, so she was very friendly toward him.
She didn’t object to Liuu Yuming dating again or even getting remarried, though she would never actively encourage it. She had learned a valuable lesson from Tan You: never rush anyone into a relationship or marriage. No one knows whether that particular cup of wine will be sweet or bitter.
It was all up to the person to choose for themselves. Of course, if Liuu Yuming met someone who was bad for her, Liuu Min would certainly point it out instead of just being a cold bystander.
Xu Jia was a sharp man. As soon as he saw Liuu Min’s attitude, he knew she wouldn’t be an obstacle, so he smoothly made his proposal: "Last time I visited your hometown, Little Min was my host. To thank you, how about I treat you to a meal today?"
Luu Min was quick to decline. "You and my sister can go on a date. I still have some things to do, so I won’t be a third wheel."
Luu Yuming knew Liuu Min wanted to speak with Tan You, so she tactfully linked arms with Xu Jia. "We’ll be fine on our own. She just arrived today out of the blue, and her things at home aren’t organized yet. Plus, she doesn’t like people touching her stuff."
Since Liuu Yuming had said as much, Xu Jia didn’t insist. After the couple left, Liuu Min looked at Tan You. "Teacher, you only told half of it just now, didn’t you? Did you not want my sister to hear the rest?"
Tan You waited until she was sure Liuu Yuming was gone before speaking. "You’re right, I didn’t want your sister to know. Because compared to your birth mother, your life has been much more difficult. Remember how Zhang Wangying always talked about ’living off her kids’? It seems she achieved her goal."
"’Living off her kids’..." Liuu Min murmured, pondering for a moment. "Then it’s easy enough to deduce the rest. Knowing our mother’s personality back then, she would have wanted to find someone to rely on."
"Our grandparents were gone, Chen Wei was unreliable, so she had to find a man on the outside. And once I was a little older, it would have been about my marriage. She naturally would have wanted to find someone rich for me."
Two more updates tonight, and this short story will be over. Please add this to your collection, share it, and leave a recommendation!
