PDGUT - 12

Yan Ming eventually settled for a takeout box.

He had never been a picky eater. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the usual meal from his go-to fast-food spot suddenly seemed unbearable today.

As he caught a glimpse of the dishes in Qi Sihao’s lunchbox earlier, Yan Ming couldn’t help but feel that the food in his own hands was unappetizing, even difficult to swallow.

But if his guess was correct, Yu Tian would likely bring him another meal tomorrow.

After all, she had sounded so eager to have her mother remarry his father.

She would probably try to win him over for that purpose.

However, she might be miscalculating. While it was true that Yan Wenhua valued Yan Ming’s opinion, Yan Ming had no intention of interfering in his father’s romantic life.

What Yan Ming didn’t expect, however, was the shocking news he received during his routine dinner meeting with Yan Wenhua that evening.

“Son, do you remember the aunt you met last time? Song Chunxiang?”

Yan Wenhua took a sip of red wine, his tone tinged with sadness: “We’ve broken up.”

Yan Ming paused, his fork and knife suspended mid-air: “Why? Didn’t you two get along well?”

“We did, which made it rare to find someone like her. But she felt something was missing between us—it was more comfortable being friends.”

Yan Wenhua sighed: “I had a feeling this week when I tried to make plans with her, but she kept making excuses about being busy. Sure enough, today she told me she wanted to break things off.”

Yan Ming was taken aback.

Given the family’s wealth, ever since Yan Wenhua divorced and returned to singlehood, there had been a steady stream of women eager to become Yan Ming’s stepmother. This was the first time someone had actively rejected Yan Wenhua.

Yan Ming didn’t have a strong impression of Song Chunxiang, so he didn’t share his father’s sense of loss.

Still, knowing his father had just gone through a breakup, Yan Ming felt a pang of guilt as his first thought was that he might not get to enjoy the meals Yu Tian would bring in the future.

They looked delicious.

So it was a bit of a shame.

Meanwhile, Yu Tian remained blissfully unaware of everything.

When she got home, the first thing she did was dive into researching recipes.

Today had been absurd. If she had known Yan Ming would show up, she wouldn’t have let Qi Sihao have the meal no matter what.

Yu Tian decided to prepare an even more lavish spread than today’s and deliver it to Yan Ming for several consecutive days as an apology.

When Song Chunxiang returned home, Yu Tian was chopping vegetables.

“Mom! You’re back!”

Seeing Yu Tian at home, Song Chunxiang quickly adjusted her expression and smiled: “I’m back.”

After much deliberation, Song Chunxiang had officially turned down Yan Wenhua today.

Though she was no longer young, with a grown child, and though Yan Wenhua was better off in every way and treated her kindly, and they got along well, any reasonable person would seize the opportunity without hesitation.

But Song Chunxiang still clung to a touch of idealism, believing that at her age, she should listen more to her heart.

After the initial novelty wore off, the more they interacted, the less spark she felt for Yan Wenhua. Moreover, Yan Wenhua’s lifestyle—his wealth, the places he took her, the gifts he bought, the restaurants they dined at—were far removed from her usual habits.

At her age, she was long past the stage of being swayed by vanity, but she understood that differing spending habits and unequal lifestyles could lead to future conflicts.

The more they spent time together, the more Song Chunxiang realized the vast gap between them. Rather than enjoying high-end dates with Yan Wenhua, she often felt awkward and out of place.

And Yan Wenhua’s interests and habits were worlds apart from hers.

Yet, upon returning home, Song Chunxiang hesitated before deciding not to tell Yu Tian about her breakup with Yan Wenhua.

On one hand, she feared Yu Tian would blame herself, thinking her presence had held Song Chunxiang back from pursuing love. On the other hand, she worried Yu Tian might not understand her decision or feel disappointed. After all, Song Chunxiang could tell that Yu Tian was very satisfied with Yan Wenhua and genuinely wished for their relationship to succeed.

It was better to keep this from her daughter for now…

Telling her outright about the breakup might shock her. It was wiser to ease her into accepting it naturally over time.

Fortunately, Yu Tian noticed nothing unusual.

With a bright smile, she teased: “Why are you back so early today? Didn’t you go on a date with Uncle Yan?”

Song Chunxiang chuckled and lied: “Unlike you youngsters, he has a son to spend time with too.”

Though Song Chunxiang spoke casually, Yu Tian took note.

This wasn’t the first time Song Chunxiang had said something like this. For nearly a week, she hadn’t gone on many dates with Yan Wenhua. Every time Yu Tian asked, the excuse was always the same—Yan Wenhua was spending time with his son.

Three strikes and you’re out.

How many times had it been now?

Yu Tian couldn’t help but feel resentful toward Yan Ming.

She hadn’t expected him to be such a mama’s boy.

Every time he clung to his father, it prevented her mother from enjoying dates with Yan Wenhua. This wouldn’t do!

After pondering all night, Yu Tian had a sudden brainwave.

If she took the initiative and occupied all of Yan Ming’s time by sticking close to him, wouldn’t that leave her mother free to date Uncle Yan?

Yu Tian wasted no time. The next day, after finishing her livestream on recipe preparation, she packed up all the dishes and headed to the First Affiliated Hospital.

To conquer Yan Ming, she would start by conquering his stomach.

For some reason, Yan Ming seemed surprised to see her today.

“Why are you here?” He pursed his lips slightly, glancing at the towering stack of food containers in Yu Tian’s hands. “Should I call Qi Sihao for you?”

Yu Tian cleared her throat and declared earnestly: “No need to call Qi Sihao. I’m here for you, Brother Yan Ming.”

“I thought deeply about it last night. Though Qi Sihao is a friend, his importance pales in comparison to what you mean to me.”

Yu Tian had mentally prepared herself before coming, resolved to flatter Yan Ming shamelessly. To avoid stumbling, she had even written out a script of compliments and memorized her lines.

Sure enough, Yan Ming looked up.

Yu Tian gave herself a mental boost and pressed on: “During university, you were always my idol. Back then, you were like a distant symbol to me—I didn’t even know what you looked like. But even so, your excellence shone brightly enough to guide me forward.”

Yan Ming raised an eyebrow slightly: “Didn’t you say that abstract idols aren’t as important as real, heartfelt friendships? I quite agree with that statement.”

“No, no, no! You’re no longer just an abstract idol to me now! You’re someone I truly know! I realized this yesterday! The closer I get to you, the more I see how amazing you are—you’re handsome, fit, smart, kind-hearted, gentle, generous…”

“I’m neither kind nor generous.”

Caught off guard by Yan Ming’s interruption, Yu Tian stumbled. He leaned back calmly, watching her with amusement.

Yu Tian stuttered: “Holding grudges… holding grudges is good too…”

“First, people who hold grudges, especially over small matters, tend to have excellent memories—a key to success in life, especially for those of us in medicine. A sharp memory is essential for becoming an excellent doctor. Second, holding grudges reflects clear boundaries between love and hate. In modern society, repaying kindness with kindness isn’t always virtuous; sometimes it shows a lack of principles and backbone. Lastly, holding grudges can motivate us to improve—to grow stronger in order to settle scores. Therefore, holding grudges drives progress…”

Yan Ming chuckled: “You make some good points. But have you asked who it is I hold a grudge against?”

Yu Tian fawned: “Whoever it is that made you hold a grudge must be despicable! Who is it? Do I know them?”

Yan Ming didn’t answer but subtly glanced at Yu Tian.

“…”

Yu Tian froze, pointing at her own nose: “Don’t tell me it’s me?”

Yan Ming smirked, gazing at her meaningfully: “What do you think?”

“…”

So it was about yesterday’s meal delivery?

Even Yu Tian was momentarily speechless, leaving the atmosphere awkward.

Thankfully, Yan Ming eventually broke the silence.

He looked at her twice: “There’s no need to bring meals anymore, given that your mother and my father…”

In truth, Yan Ming had been surprised that Yu Tian came to deliver food today.

After all, their parents had already split up. Logically, she had no reason to ingratiate herself with him anymore.

But before he could finish, Yu Tian interrupted him—

“Brother Yan Ming, don’t say that. This has nothing to do with our parents. I just genuinely wanted to bring you food!”

Yu Tian spoke without thinking too much. She knew Yan Ming had likely overheard her conversation with Qi Sihao yesterday, so she was determined to redeem herself at every opportunity.

Though her intentions behind delivering meals were indeed self-serving, in modern society, honesty often led to loneliness and the extinction of one’s genetic lineage. Honest people were practically an endangered species!

Yu Tian didn’t want to go extinct as one of them.

Regardless, she had to beautify her intentions.

“My actions have nothing to do with our parents’ situation. No matter how things develop between them, my motives remain purely personal.”

Yu Tian shyly smiled: “I simply wanted to get to know you better…”

She thought her words were innocuous, but Yan Ming’s face betrayed a strange expression.

He glanced at her, pausing: “You’re acting out of personal interest?”

Yu Tian nodded: “Yes.” After a moment, she added tactfully: “Of course, the current state of our parents’ relationship does help push things along for us.”

This was undeniably true.

If her mother and Yan Ming’s father ended up together, they would legally become step-siblings. Such a familial bond would naturally deepen their connection, ensuring regular interactions and fostering a closer relationship.

Flattery needed to be balanced—too much would come across as insincere.

Only a mix of truth and embellishment reached the pinnacle of artistry.

Yet, for some reason, Yan Ming’s expression grew even stranger after Yu Tian’s words.

“What do you mean by that?”

Under his probing gaze, Yu Tian flipped her hair and thrust the food container into his hands without further explanation: “Exactly what you’re thinking!”

What else could it mean? Wasn’t it about hoping to become one big, happy family in the future?

Yu Tian found Yan Ming’s slowness puzzling, but she quickly composed herself.

“And, um, Brother Yan Ming, are you free tonight? I heard from Qi Sihao that you’re not on duty tonight. There’s a new mall near the First Affiliated Hospital—I’ll treat you to dinner and we can check it out!”

She was determined to occupy all of Yan Ming’s post-work hours, ensuring he had no time to interfere with her mother’s dates!

Fearing he might have time to refuse, Yu Tian immediately adopted an expression of cheerful finality: “Then I’ll wait for you here after work.”

Glancing at her watch, she pretended to rush off for another appointment, slipping away quickly.

Completely unaware, Yan Ming watched her retreating figure with an expression akin to seeing a ghost.