PDGUT - 23

No matter how you look at it, Yan Wenhua’s infidelity was the root cause of all the trouble. Even though Yan Ming had helped cover it up, the primary fault lay with Yan Wenhua.

Yu Tian knew her own actions weren’t entirely justified, but people tend to defend their loved ones. Thinking about the hurt her mother would endure because of this, Yu Tian found it hard to stay calm and rational—she couldn’t help but direct her anger towards Yan Ming.

However, one issue at a time: Yan Wenhua’s infidelity and Yan Ming’s complicity should be criticized. But being caught gossiping behind someone’s back warranted an apology and perhaps dinner as recompense.

After dinner, she apologized for her earlier behavior, clearing any debt she owed to Yan Ming. The rest—the wrongs committed by Yan Ming and Yan Wenhua—could be settled later.

Yu Tian had eaten with Yan Ming several times and traveled together on multiple occasions. However, this time walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him felt much more awkward.

Yan Ming appeared perfectly natural, but Yu Tian couldn’t share his composure.

Fortunately, Yan Ming didn’t seem intent on making things difficult for her. He chose an affordable seafood restaurant and led Yu Tian inside.

Not long after Yu Tian sat down, she realized they were lucky to have arrived early. Moments later, the restaurant filled up, and soon the waiting area by the entrance was packed with people.

Though affordable, the restaurant had a pleasant ambiance. The walls were lined with aquariums where guests could select fresh fish, shrimp, and shellfish, which the kitchen would then prepare.

“I don’t have any special feelings for Gao Mei, so you don’t need to worry or try to eliminate competition,” Yan Ming said while flipping through the menu. His tone was calm, his fair fingers turning the pages—a scene that might have been beautiful if not for Yu Tian feeling like he was plucking at her already frayed nerves.

Ah...

Had her attempts to undermine Yan Ming for Qi Sihao’s benefit been so transparent?

Yu Tian cautiously glanced up at Yan Ming: “So... you’re not angry?”

Yan Ming looked up from the menu, meeting her eyes: “Would my anger change anything?”

Indeed, it wouldn’t—but was it her fault? Wasn’t it Yan Ming and Yan Wenhua who broke their word first?

At this point, Yu Tian decided to dispense with subtlety and have an open conversation.

“I apologize for speaking ill of you earlier—it was wrong of me. Since you’ve brought it up, let’s take this opportunity to discuss everything openly.”

However, after she spoke, Yan Ming’s expression became complicated, his gaze drifting away: “Are you sure now is the time to talk about this? If you press me for an answer, I’m afraid I’m not ready.”

Yu Tian was exasperated.

How could he not be ready?

What excuse was he preparing now?

“What do you mean, not ready...”

Just as Yu Tian was about to launch into a righteous rebuke, her gaze swept over to the entrance where a middle-aged couple walked in, holding hands. The woman bore a striking resemblance to her mother!

Before Yu Tian could react, the woman turned her face—it wasn’t just a resemblance; it was her mother!

Her mother had indeed returned from the short trip today. They had spoken on the phone earlier, and Yu Tian confirmed her safe arrival with a friend. According to Ms. Song Chunxiang, she had plans with the friend who picked her up, so Yu Tian hadn’t expected to see her here.

After a moment of shock, Yu Tian’s eyes fixed on her mother and the strange man’s intertwined hands.

Clearly, this wasn’t just a friend—or even a relative—it was a complete stranger, never before seen in either her or her mother’s social circles.

Their clasped hands spoke volumes about their relationship.

Yu Tian’s mind was in turmoil.

Her mother’s laughter and the intimate exchange of glances with the man clearly suggested a romantic relationship. Yet...

Thankfully, Yan Ming’s back was to the entrance and he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

Yu Tian nervously watched as her mother and the man showed interest in the restaurant, checking the menu at the entrance before joining the queue at the end. It seemed they intended to dine here.

This was disastrous!

Yu Tian couldn’t believe it.

It appeared both Yan Wenhua and her mother had been unfaithful!

She couldn’t fathom this situation—was her mother retaliating for Yan Wenhua’s infidelity? Or had they agreed to some modern open relationship? That would explain Yan Ming’s nonchalance.

Before she could sort it out, instinct took over—now wasn’t the time for Yan Ming to find out. She needed to calm down, gather facts, and plan her next move.

Once she talked to her mother and understood the situation, she could address the rights and wrongs and hold everyone accountable.

If Yan Ming saw this scene now, it would be unbearably awkward.

Even in a breakup, there should be dignity!

As Yu Tian had done when she discovered Yan Wenhua’s infidelity, she didn’t confront them directly. In modern society, civility and tact were important—even breakups should be handled gracefully. Now wasn’t the time for Yan Ming to see her mother.

However, perhaps bored with waiting, Ms. Song Chunxiang led the man to the glass aquarium wall, intending to pick out fish first.

From Yan Ming’s position, he couldn’t see them unless he looked up and slightly to the left.

“Any dietary restrictions? What would you like to eat...”

At the critical moment, just as Yan Ming raised his head, Yu Tian quickly stood up and forcefully turned his head towards the right-side aquarium.

In her panic, she pretended to enthusiastically show him the fish: “Brother Yan Ming! Look!”

A few seconds’ deviation saved an otherwise disastrous encounter.

Thanks to her quick thinking, Yan Ming’s gaze missed Ms. Song Chunxiang as she walked past.

Seeing her mother return to the waiting area with the man, Yu Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But that relief was short-lived.

Having resolved one issue, Yu Tian suddenly realized she was now in another predicament—

In her haste, she hadn’t considered the consequences. Her hand was still pressed against the back of Yan Ming’s head.

In her urgency, Yan Ming’s face was almost pressed against hers.

Yu Tian had no doubt that if she lost her balance, their noses would collide.

Compared to her flustered state, Yan Ming’s gaze was insightful and calm.

He didn’t struggle, maintaining the original distance and action, calmly looking at Yu Tian.

After a moment, Yu Tian finally heard Yan Ming’s voice—

“What are we looking at?”

Yu Tian felt like one of the fish in the surrounding tanks, the sound reaching her ears distorted and slow through the water, unreal.

Being so close, Yu Tian even felt the subtle airflow from Yan Ming’s voice as he spoke. Her face reddened, and her heartbeat quickened.

Compared to her awkward silence, Yan Ming slightly raised an eyebrow, pointing at the glass tank in front of them, expressionless: “This?”

Following his gaze, Yu Tian looked at the tank in front of her.

Then she fell silent.

Who could tell her why, among all the fish and shrimp in other tanks, the one in front of her contained only bullfrogs?!

Yu Tian stared at the bullfrogs, and the bullfrogs stared back at her.

Yan Ming’s eyes stayed on her: “Yu Tian, tell me, what’s so interesting about this? Is this why you dragged me over here?”

Yan Ming’s brow furrowed slightly: “You really...”

Yan Ming began to shift his gaze elsewhere.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Yu Tian couldn’t let Yan Ming suspect or discover anything!

With no other choice, she grabbed Yan Ming’s hand again, forcibly turning his head back to the aquarium.

But saying nothing was clearly not an option.

Facing Yan Ming’s increasingly suspicious gaze, Yu Tian steeled herself and blurted out: “Brother Yan Ming, look! These two bullfrogs... these two bullfrogs are mating!”

“...”

Yu Tian had no idea what she was saying anymore. She felt utterly disoriented, but at this point, she had no choice but to persevere. Meeting Yan Ming’s astonished gaze, she coughed lightly, trying to remain calm. Staring at the bullfrogs, she forced herself to comment, very much on the verge of collapse but pretending to be composed: “These two bullfrogs appear to both be male. I wanted you to see that even in the bullfrog world, there are homosexuals!”

“...”

An indescribable expression appeared on Yan Ming’s face.

Yu Tian couldn’t hold on any longer.

Without any preamble, she grabbed Yan Ming’s hand and roughly pulled him towards the restaurant exit: “These two bullfrogs engaging in such indecent public behavior has offended my sense of morality. I can’t continue eating here, Brother Yan Ming. Let’s go somewhere else!”

Leaving the restaurant would ensure safety!

However, after pulling Yan Ming out of the restaurant and regaining her composure, Yu Tian fell silent again.

Yan Ming’s gaze was scrutinizing, making Yu Tian’s scalp tingle.

Fortunately, she quickly came up with an idea: “I heard there’s a food night market on Chunbai Street. Why don’t we go there? After eating, I can buy you some health supplements at a nearby pharmacy!”

Chunbai Street was just a few minutes’ walk away. Yu Tian didn’t dare to look directly into Yan Ming’s eyes but pretended to be calm and resolutely pulled him forward.

It wasn’t until the cool outdoor breeze gradually cooled her heated face that she realized she was still holding Yan Ming’s hand.

Yu Tian’s head felt feverish, and almost instinctively, she let go of his hand as if slightly electrocuted.

She became nervous and uneasy, while Yan Ming remained composed, calm, and collected.

Although the night breeze was cool, Yu Tian felt the air was scorching.

The interplay of night and neon lights flowed over Yan Ming’s fair profile, creating a highly mesmerizing scene. Despite knowing it was impolite to stare at someone’s face, her gaze, after wandering aimlessly for a bit, returned to that face.

Yan Ming’s face seemed to have magnetic poles; due to the inevitable laws between magnetic poles, Yu Tian found herself helplessly drawn to look at him.

Yan Ming quickly noticed her gaze. He slightly turned his head, fixing her with his deep, beautiful eyes. His full, diamond-shaped lips gently parted, and a low, spell-like tone flowed out.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Because of her mother’s earlier episode and her own actions to avoid Yan Ming seeing her mother, Yu Tian subconsciously felt guilty and uneasy.

Wasn’t her behavior essentially different from Yan Ming’s previous concealment?

But the shock of her mother’s infidelity hit Yu Tian hard, leaving her mind in turmoil, feeling like she was riding a tiger and couldn’t get off. After pulling Yan Ming away from the seafood restaurant, she didn’t know what to say.

Regardless of what Yan Wenhua did, her mother’s infidelity was wrong.

Her previously righteous indignation towards Yan Ming deflated.

Though she avoided a direct encounter between her mother and Yan Ming, she still had to come clean.

Feeling a sense of compensation and guilt towards Yan Ming and unable to find a topic, she subconsciously started flattering him.

Yu Tian’s plan was well thought out. A smiling face doesn’t get slapped. She would first work on flattering Yan Ming, and once he was pleased, she’d figure out how to introduce the topic. In a more relaxed atmosphere, she would confess what happened earlier and then talk about Yan Wenhua’s infidelity.

Thus, Yu Tian looked up at Yan Ming and smiled sincerely and innocently: “Brother Yan Ming, has anyone ever told you that you’re very handsome?”

Since the conversation was leading here, she would start by praising Yan Ming’s appearance. This statement would surely elicit at least a thank you from him, and then she would seize the moment to praise not only his looks but also his character, portraying him as a paragon of beauty and kindness in the new era.

In short, she would lavish him with praise, to the extreme.

Especially emphasizing his generosity and kindness, so that when she confessed later, bound by the high praise she just gave him, he wouldn’t be able to get angry.

As Yu Tian braced herself, waiting for Yan Ming to reply with a normal “thank you,” she heard his answer—

“Yes, patients who can’t get an appointment with me often flatter me like this.”

“...”

Yu Tian faltered, just about to praise Yan Ming for his inner beauty as well as his outer beauty when Yan Ming continued—

“If they want me to add an extra bed, the usual next steps involve starting to praise me for not only looking good but also being good, having excellent professional skills, and great medical ethics…”

Yan Ming listed all the praiseworthy points about himself, effectively walking his own path and leaving Yu Tian with no road to follow.

After finishing, he looked at Yu Tian with a faint smile: “Anything else?”

“No more…”

Yan Ming was like the top student who never follows the script. When the tutor asks students to take turns expressing their opinions, as the first speaker, he covers all possible viewpoints, leaving nothing for the others to say.

Yet, even though Yan Ming blocked Yu Tian’s broad avenue of flattery, after she raised her hands in surrender, he frowned: “So my merits are quite few, easily listed and done.”

“...”

Yu Tian felt that Yan Ming was an extremely difficult man to please, perhaps because he was good-looking, so he was rather pretentious.

She inwardly evaluated fairly: such a man really wasn’t suitable as a boyfriend, because he seemed very finicky. Maybe relying on his looks, he got upset easily and needed to be appeased.

However, the keyword “boyfriend” reminded Yu Tian of her mother…

Everything that happened just now was too sudden. Seeing her mother holding another man’s hand, Yu Tian’s first reaction was to prevent Yan Ming from finding out, at least avoiding an awkward situation and handling it calmly. But now, gradually calming down, overwhelming self-reproach and shame made her inner turmoil unbearable.

What on earth was going on?

She was like sitting on a small, turbulent boat, struggling to maintain balance amidst wind and rain. But precisely at this time, Yan Ming’s gaze kept falling on her, like waves crashing on her already damaged ship, making her sway uncontrollably.

The short journey hadn’t even reached the night market snack street yet, and Yu Tian had already given up.

She decided to stop looking for random topics and instead have an open and honest talk with Yan Ming.

This matter had to be confessed.

Tonight, she would confess.

Otherwise, Yu Tian felt she wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight due to her self-reproach.

Her moral compass tormented her, making it impossible to suppress the matter and handle it later at home.

“Brother Yan Ming, I think it’s necessary to openly discuss the matter we didn’t have time to talk about in the restaurant.”

Yan Ming was taken aback, obviously not expecting Yu Tian to bring up the old issue. He slightly furrowed his brow, his expression somewhat unnatural: “I thought this matter was over, because now might not be the right time to talk about it.”

Yu Tian felt disheartened: “I know.”

Their parents met through matchmaking but possibly both cheated behind each other’s backs. No matter when this matter was discussed, the timing would never be mature enough.

But reality couldn’t be ignored.

Yu Tian took a deep breath and looked at Yan Ming: “Brother Yan Ming, I think we won’t be able to become siblings. But even if we can’t be siblings, I think we can still interact in another way. We can still be...”

Just as Yu Tian’s words “friends” were about to leave her mouth, Yan Ming quickly interrupted her—

“Yu Tian, I still want to focus on my work right now. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

What did focusing on work have to do with their parents’ relationship?

Previously visibly relaxed, Yan Ming now appeared on high alert. It was as if he carefully considered how to phrase things properly. He rarely looked nervous, but his reaction was clearly off.

His expression was serious, but his eyes weren’t as candid. He glanced at Yu Tian and then quickly shifted his gaze.

“You need to think carefully. Once certain words are said, even friendship might not be possible.”

Ah...

So Yan Ming’s attitude towards relationships was that as long as both parties could maintain appearances despite mutual infidelity, they should turn a blind eye and make do. But once the truth was revealed, it was over?

This completely contradicted Yu Tian’s beliefs about marriage and love.

Though her connection with Yan Ming was entirely due to their parents, Yu Tian hadn’t expected Yan Ming to be so heartless.

Did his words mean that unless their parents succeeded, he didn’t intend to have any further involvement with her? So mentioning their parents’ infidelity meant they couldn’t even be friends?

Though cold, it fit Yan Ming’s persona.

Not being able to be friends with Yan Ming was indeed regrettable. If it were before, Yu Tian definitely couldn’t accept it, but now, having interacted more with him, her idol filter had gradually faded, and her mindset had calmed significantly.

Being cold and distant was hard to please.

Having too many opposite-sex friends easily aroused jealousy.

Being busy with work left little private life.

Prioritizing patients over others.

Lacking life skills.

Being overly straightforward and missing subtext…

Upon reflection, Yan Ming had a lot of flaws.

Not being friends anymore was fine.

Yu Tian wasn’t a child anymore, long past the age where losing a friend would make her cry for days.

For adults, the most important thing was to part ways amicably and gracefully.

Though there would be disappointment and melancholy, it wasn’t unbearable.

After all, it wasn’t a boyfriend, just a friend—not irreplaceable.

In this day and age, who lacks friends so much that they must cling to someone unwilling to be friends?

Thinking about her previous efforts, goodwill, and enthusiasm, Yu Tian felt a bit aggrieved and felt it was not worth it, considering the sunk cost wasn’t low. She thought Yan Ming might overlook it due to her sincerity and their shared alumni status.

Even if she and Yan Ming stopped interacting, she had learned a lot from him and consulted on many medical issues. Reflecting inwardly, it wasn’t a loss…

Although she could pretend not to know about her mother’s infidelity, her moral compass prevented her from siding with family over righteousness.

Even her mother, regardless of whether Yan Wenhua cheated first, cheating was wrong without any justification. Her mother’s wrongdoing required her to step up and apologize.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Yu Tian ultimately couldn’t reconcile with her conscience. She took a deep breath and decided to fully confess her thoughts—

“The last time I saw your father meeting someone for a blind date, I was pretty angry. You thought it was nothing, but I found it intolerable as a matter of principle. However, I may not have the right to criticize your father now because just now, I saw… My mother seems to be seeing other men.”

Once she started, Yu Tian didn’t hide anything, pouring everything out: “Earlier, when I dragged you out of the seafood restaurant, it was also to prevent you from seeing my mother dining with another man.”

“But I can’t turn a blind eye, nor can I be hypocritical. I think you deserve to know this. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to you. How you view it and whether you decide to tell your father is your choice. How they develop afterward isn’t something I can interfere with. I respect your decision and our parents’ choices.”

“From my perspective, two people who just got together through matchmaking and are supposed to be in the honeymoon phase are already seeing other people. Clearly, there wasn’t much chemistry between them.”

Hearing that Yu Tian’s mother was also dating and dining with another man, Yan Ming’s face darkened. He slightly furrowed his brows, as if unable to believe what Yu Tian was saying.

Yu Tian thus averted her gaze: “I really wanted us to be siblings and hoped that your father and my mother could remarry, making us legal step-siblings. But reality is such that we truly lack the缘分 to be written into the same household register and become one family.”

Yan Ming’s face grew increasingly grim.

But even so, Yu Tian felt she still needed to be honest about what she wanted to say.

“I’ll talk to my mom when I get home. I don’t approve of her behavior, and I’ll tell her about your father’s earlier blind date. Beyond that, I won’t interfere. They both did wrong, and as adults, they should take responsibility for their actions and decide how to handle the aftermath.”

Yu Tian’s expression was earnest: “Since you feel that after revealing this, our families can’t become one, and you don’t want to be friends anymore, and you’ve repeatedly warned me to consider carefully before speaking, otherwise we can’t even be friends, it seems you’ve long sensed something amiss in our parents’ relationship but chose to turn a blind eye. I understand choosing the same approach might be more mature and tactful, but personally, I can’t accept this method.”

Yu Tian took a deep breath: “I know laying everything out like this might be embarrassing and awkward, making you uncomfortable. You’ve tried several times to stop me and avoid this situation, but I prefer clear rights and wrongs. So, please forgive my selfishness in handling this.”

Yu Tian somewhat understood Yan Ming’s thoughts. Like some husbands who cheat, their wives might not be unaware, but as long as the husband doesn’t make it too obvious or excessive, she pretends not to know, continuing to deceive herself and maintaining a seemingly harmonious family. To many, dignity might be more important than true happiness. Life goes on, and near enough is good enough.

But Yu Tian couldn’t agree.

Yet, she understood the unevenness of the world and the differences in values among people.

“Given the current situation, if you feel uncomfortable, find it awkward and strange, and don’t want to associate with me anymore, then I accept that.”

Yu Tian believed her words were rational, reasonable, and gentle.

After all, though her mother cheated, Yan Ming’s father wasn’t idle either. With both sides at fault, Yu Tian had been sufficiently objective and neutral, apologized where necessary, showed no favoritism, hid nothing, and extended full acceptance and tolerance toward Yan Ming’s subsequent reactions and attitudes.

But for some reason, Yan Ming looked utterly unable to accept it. His voice was practically gritted teeth: “So the open and honest talk you mentioned is this?”