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This winter, before Chi Li Ren returned to China, it didn’t snow in Montreal.
She felt a touch of emotion when she received the wedding invitation.
A boy, just starting junior high, traveled across the ocean alone to this unfamiliar city in North America. His luggage was sparse, carrying a single shoulder bag, earphones in, standing in the bustling airport hall. She was about fifteen minutes late, anxiously searching for him, when he suddenly appeared behind her, slightly raising his hand and greeting her in a very American way: “Aunt.”
The scene was still vivid in her memory.
Chi Li Ren had a huge argument with her brother over Chi Zhao coming to Canada to study.
It had to be said that the most stubborn person in the world was probably her own brother. However, at the time, Chi Li Ren thought that the reason her brother wouldn’t budge was mainly because he was unwilling to admit that his parenting skills were flawed. But he wouldn’t admit it—
“He can go to the moon if he wants when he’s an adult, but for now, if he goes abroad, he probably won’t come back,” Chi Shuren said coldly.
Chi Li Ren didn’t yield an inch, arguing fiercely: “Don’t be so stubborn at a time like this! He’s already grown up! How could you and sister-in-law possibly take good care of him!”
No matter what, her brother ultimately didn’t win against his sister.
Chi Li Ren arranged for Chi Zhao to attend school in Vancouver. They would meet every so often; sometimes Chi Li Ren would go to his place in Vancouver, other times Chi Zhao would come to Montreal.
She considered herself to get along very well with her nephew, and he also liked the games she brought. Life was uneventful, apart from one time when he broke his leg ice skating; there were no major incidents.
So much so that Chi Li Ren thought they would continue like this indefinitely.
However—
Nearing graduation, Chi Zhao directly applied to schools in Japan. After graduating and returning home from vacation, he went straight to Tokyo.
“That little rascal!” Chi Li Ren gritted her teeth, unable to help but use the favorite epithet her sister-in-law used when scolding Chi Zhao.
Chi Shuren even specifically instructed his assistant to call and gloat: “How’s that? Hahahaha. He’s already grown up, so don’t be so stubborn. Hahahaha.”
Listening to Chi Shuren’s male assistant on the other end of the line emotionlessly repeating Chi Shuren’s mockery, Chi Li Ren immediately smashed her phone on the ground.
However, this little rascal, who had always been a handful but not too much of a worry, was actually getting married.
At first, Chi Li Ren thought: “He wouldn’t have gone broke from game investments and is trying to scam wedding money to pay off debts, would he?”
During Chi Zhao’s second year of junior high, unlike most teenagers, he showed no signs of puberty whatsoever. Looking back now, it wasn’t that he didn’t have puberty, but rather that he was in puberty most of the time.
Chi Li Ren had asked him at that time: “What kind of girls do you like?”
Chi Zhao thought for a few seconds, then replied, “Doraemon... that kind, I guess.”
“Why?”
“Because through her, I can lure out Doraemon. That way, I can live off my brother-in-law.” Chi Zhao displayed a frank and cheerful smile.
“No,” Chi Li Ren began, upholding the idea of properly educating her nephew’s values, “You shouldn’t take advantage of others...”
But Chi Zhao interrupted in time: “I’m just kidding. I just want to disassemble Doraemon into parts for research, then mass-produce them in a factory. I’m sure I’d make a fortune.”
For some reason, she vaguely saw her brother’s shadow in her nephew.
This brief conversation filled Chi Li Ren with a sense of unease about Chi Zhao’s wedding.
She naturally bought a first-class ticket for the cross-Pacific flight. During security, she noticed many people with cameras and flashlights waiting outside.
She didn’t think much of it at the time, assuming it was some minor celebrity at the airport. It wasn’t until she reached the waiting room that Chi Li Ren’s face instantly darkened.
When she saw her, Nan Zheng’s expression also clearly fell. She whispered a few words to her assistant, who was touching up her makeup, and the assistant immediately left discreetly.
Only the two of them remained in the spacious first-class lounge.
“Why are you here?” Chi Li Ren asked first.
“Ugh,” Nan Zheng spoke with her usual sweet, delicate tone, “I was in Hollywood yesterday. I flew specifically to Vancouver today to meet a producer.”
Chi Li Ren sneered, “Then this trip back to China, you’re all here for the same reason, aren’t you?”
Nan Zheng turned her head, smiling as she continued, “I’m not going.”
“Eh?”
“Both birth mother and stepmother are there, plus my ex-boyfriend, it’s super awkward,” Nan Zheng waved her hand softly, “What’s more, there’s that smiling tiger, surnamed Zhan.”
Chi Li Ren became interested: “You had something going on with Zhan Luo too?”
“How could that be!” Nan Zheng said coyly, “Shuren, he proposed to me back then. But that guy surnamed Zhan was afraid I’d fleece his family’s assets, so he scared me into not agreeing if it wouldn’t last. I thought about it, how could I be tied to their family for a lifetime? So I quickly ran away—”
After some casual chatting, Nan Zheng boarded first.
As she left, she said, “Tell my son that Mommy misses him terribly.”
Chi Li Ren stood behind her, disdainfully saying, “Go tell him yourself!”
Returning to China, the reception personnel were beyond Chi Li Ren’s expectations.
The parties involved were very busy preparing for the wedding, so it was understandable that they couldn’t be there. Seeing the employees of Chongming Culture arrive, Chi Li Ren wasn’t surprised, but—
“Jenny?”
Chi Li Ren ultimately chose to sit in Jenny’s passenger seat, and they chatted easily along the way.
“How have you been doing lately?” she asked first.
“Hmm—” Jenny drew out the single syllable, “Not so great. Currently in a single phase.”
She naturally brought up the topic of relationships, so Chi Li Ren asked further, “Not even any potential interests?”
Jenny couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not it,” she said.
“What about Chi Zhao?”
Jenny casually turned the steering wheel: “Couldn’t be better. ACDF is going mobile, and they’re currently screening outsourcing companies. Several foreign game agencies are also doing very well...”
“No!” Chi Li Ren interrupted, “I mean marriage! Marriage!”
“Ah,” Jenny thought for a moment, then she suddenly turned back, a smile blooming on her face, “The bride is very nice, Auntie will definitely like her.”
Chi Li Ren was startled. For no reason, her previous tension suddenly vanished.
“I see,” she also smiled, looking ahead, “So that’s how it is.”
When the car stopped at a red light, Chi Li Ren remembered something else: “By the way, where’s your brother? Why isn’t he here to pick me up?”
“Auntie, you don’t know,” Jenny chuckled, “Chi Zhao’s wedding, he himself is probably the most relaxed person. Second Young Master Shan also returned from abroad today, and I heard he only got approval after asking Old Master Shan. Brother went to pick him up. Let’s go to the venue first.”
It was a Western-style wedding.
As soon as she got out of the car, Chi Li Ren frequently nodded and smiled, walking through the mingling crowd. She quickly pulled Chi Shuren, who was chatting and laughing with the CEO of Cui’s, from the crowd: “Brother, did I just see Gao Feng? Why is he in a wheelchair, and is that his daughter next to him? She’s so grown up. And why is he still hooked up to an IV drip...”
“Ah,” Chi Shuren turned around, his expression serious, but his gaze was much gentler than usual, “You’re back.”
Chi Li Ren looked up again. As someone in the gaming industry, she knew a bit about related businesses: “Uh, that person walking past, isn’t that tennis, the one who’s really good at StarCraft...”
Ultimately, Chi Shuren didn’t answer anything. Chi Li Ren was so angry she almost had an outburst on the spot. It was Zhan Luo who smiled and waved, calling Chi Yu to mediate, pushing his aunt upstairs to see the bride and groom.
As soon as she entered the room, she heard her sister-in-law’s voice.
An Siyue was nagging: “After you get married, don’t be so childish! You can’t earn all the money in the world. Didn’t Song Yi also resign? You should spend more time with her at the studio. You little rascal! Don’t play with that Rubik’s Cube while I’m talking!”
Chi Yu looked through the window and saw the newly arrived cars downstairs. He turned back and said, “Aunt, Lele... Big Brother’s daughter just arrived from kindergarten. Her mother isn’t feeling well, so I’ll go downstairs and see if there’s anything I can help with.”
Chi Li Ren nodded, then stood there waiting for her sister-in-law to finish lecturing.
She was also relaxed, unconsciously wandering into the adjacent room. There, she saw the bride.
Song Yi, in her wedding dress, suddenly turned around. She was made up, her long hair pinned up, and a white veil enveloped her seemingly indifferent face: “You are—”
Chi Li Ren was startled too and immediately introduced herself, “I’m Chi Zhao’s aunt. Hello, my name is Chi Li Ren.”
Song Yi quickly stood up, wanting to walk forward, but worried about stepping on her skirt. So she simply bowed slightly and said, “I’m Chi Zhao’s...”
At this point, Song Yi paused. She suddenly pursed her lips, then gave a slightly embarrassed but joyful smile: “I’m about to become his...”
Footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door. Chi Zhao, in a formal suit, walked quickly into the room: “Song Yi... Eh? Dad’s sister, you’re here!”
“‘Dad’s sister’?” Chi Li Ren made a gesture as if to hit him, “It’s ‘Aunt’!”
She hadn’t seen him in just a few years, and his hair seemed to have grown longer, but his every move was still like a boy’s.
Chi Zhao walked over to Song Yi, staring at himself in the mirror while she tried to remain composed: “Isn’t this beautiful...”
“Really?” Song Yi looked up at him, a gentle smile flickering at the corners of her lips.
He leaned down, intending to kiss her lips, but Song Yi pushed him away, complaining that “the makeup artist worked very hard on my lip makeup.” She hurriedly checked herself in the mirror, while Chi Zhao stood by with his arms crossed, laughing.
Song Yi turned back, both scolding him and laughing, then held his shoulders and stood up.
Chi Li Ren stared at them in a trance. Just then, An Siyue, with her arms crossed, chuckled behind her: “Always causing trouble.”
She didn’t turn around: “But they’re a perfect match.”
“Mm,” An Siyue said, holding a wine glass, “The one surnamed Nan didn’t come.”
“Ah, I ran into her at the airport,” Chi Li Ren said. “She seemed to be flying to Dubai.”
An Siyue scoffed coldly, instantly gritting her teeth: “That woman, Chi Zhao is my son, there’s no way I’d ever give him up to her—”
“Sister-in-law,” Chi Li Ren looked at her empty wine glass, “The wedding hasn’t even started yet, aren’t you drinking too much...”
Just then, it was the bride and groom who spoke. Song Yi gestured towards the door: “Auntie, Aunt, we’re going to get ready for the entrance now.”
Chi Zhao put his arm around her waist and said, “Little Zhan must have revised the groom’s friend’s speech four or five times.”
“Eh? But he won’t have time after reciting The Petrel, will he?”
They walked out laughing, and Chi Li Ren’s gaze followed them as she turned sideways. “It’s good to be young,” she couldn’t help but sigh.
--END--
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