Aunt Wen stopped at the right moment. She had raised Xing Zheng and knew best the grievances he had endured during his growth. It was unrealistic to expect him to forgive Xie Qin Jia and Xing Sha completely.
"Jing Chu has grown up now. Shouldn't you two consider the wedding?" Aunt Wen said. "If you start preparing now, it will be just in time when Jing Chu is a little over a year old."
Aunt Wen's words reminded Xing Zheng, "It is indeed time to prepare."
His execution was always astonishing. The very next day, he began contacting designers to prepare the wedding dress and rings. Lin Mei was not in a hurry. After Jing Chu's arrival, most of her attention was diverted to him, and she didn't have many aspirations for the wedding, but it still had to happen.
Xing Zheng suddenly became very particular about rituals, ensuring every small detail was finalized. He was responsible for all the wedding arrangements, and Lin Mei became a hands-off manager. When he presented his plans, she would offer suggestions, and that was all.
Preparing for a perfect wedding was not easy. Xing Zheng spent over three months preparing. By the time the finished wedding dress and rings were ready, it was the end of the year. Adhering to the principle of not holding major events before the new year, the wedding date was set for April of the following year, which allowed more time for preparation.
For this wedding, Xing Zheng engaged several designers to collaborate, and he personally handled all communication with them, leaving Lin Mei completely hands-off.
Another Spring Festival arrived. In the blink of an eye, Jing Chu was already over a year old. He had learned to walk and call out "Daddy" and "Mommy." His daily joy was babbling in a way that adults couldn't understand.
This Spring Festival, Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue came to Nanjiang City to spend it with their family. The Zhuhua Villa became much livelier.
The elders valued rituals and bought many festive decorations from the supermarket, hanging them around the house. The Nordic-style villa was suddenly adorned with many red lanterns and ornaments, which looked out of place but created a festive atmosphere and a sense of home.
Jing Chu was a child who knew how to please people. To get an orange, he sat on Lin Zhengde's lap and kept calling out "Grandpa," his pronunciation unclear but enough to delight Lin Zhengde, whose smile never faded. "Jing Chu is so smart, calling so well. Here's a reward of an orange."
After getting the orange, Jing Chu went to kiss Lin Zhengde. The juice from the orange got on Lin Zhengde's face, but he was oblivious, only laughing with joy. Lin Mei was amused by her son's cleverness. "How are you so good at charming people?"
She wondered who he took after; she couldn't have been this good at acting cute when she was little, let alone Xing Zheng.
After eating his fill of oranges in his grandpa's arms, Jing Chu got down to play. He went to Xing Zheng, grabbed his trouser leg, and said, "Daddy, horse, horse."
Having eaten, he was looking for entertainment. Xing Zheng usually played various games with him every day, so Jing Chu naturally treated his father as a playmate.
Xing Zheng also enjoyed this role. As soon as Jing Chu mentioned it, he lifted his son onto his shoulders. With his nearly 1.9-meter height, Jing Chu had an exceptionally wide view. Children don't know fear and laughed happily. He grabbed Xing Zheng's neck and hair, "Daddy, Daddy!"
Xing Zheng ran around the living room. As he ran, Jing Chu's laughter grew more joyous. Even Jiaozi, the dog, was stirred, barking and excitedly jumping towards Xing Zheng. The spacious villa was filled with merriment.
Lin Mei always felt a sense of relief mixed with disbelief when she saw Xing Zheng interacting with Jing Chu. He had grown up in such a deficient environment and endured years of mental illness, yet he had become such a qualified father. Only he himself likely knew the effort involved.
Even as his wife, she didn't know how much he had sacrificed behind the scenes, and Jing Chu was worthy of his efforts; the father and son had never had any conflicts.
After Jing Chu was born, Xing Zheng's temper and personality had changed considerably. He rarely smiled before, but now, just looking at Jing Chu would bring a smile to his face, revealing a row of teeth with a youthful charm.
Xiao Yue watched the scene of father and son playing and remarked to Lin Mei, "Xing Zheng's personality has changed a lot."
Lin Mei nodded. "He's very good to Jing Chu."
"I didn't expect them to get along so well, father and son," Xiao Yue said. "He must have put in a lot of effort. Your father and I are relieved. Jing Chu will grow up with a good personality in this environment."
After a few words with Lin Mei, Xiao Yue suddenly remembered something and asked in a low voice, "Is it still the same with him and his parents?"
Lin Mei nodded. "Let nature take its course."
Their family was living well. Lin Mei never mentioned Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia to Xing Zheng. They would visit occasionally, and while Xing Zheng wouldn't turn them away, he wasn't overly warm either.
Jing Chu, however, had a good relationship with his grandparents because they always brought him many toys and snacks, making him very happy.
During Spring Festival, Lin Mei invited Lan Lan and Feng Feng over for dinner. Since having children, the three of them had fewer opportunities to go out and gather, so they usually met at home. On the afternoon of the third day of the new year, the two of them arrived at Zhuhua Villa together.
As soon as they entered, Lin Mei noticed Feng Feng's haggard complexion, looking as if she hadn't slept well. She asked, "Were you up late?"
Feng Feng nodded. "Wen Zhouyuan had a fever last night."
Lin Mei's expression was complicated. As a reflex, she exchanged glances with Lan Lan, who also looked helpless. Lan Lan had already lectured Feng Feng on the way.
Last year, Wen Zhouyuan was diagnosed with sepsis. Not long after, Feng Feng got together with him. After treatment, Wen Zhouyuan's condition improved significantly, but he still had occasional fevers. Feng Feng always worried about his condition worsening and took care of him personally every time.
Last month, Wen Zhouyuan's daughter arrived, and Feng Feng took on the role of stepmother. Coupled with year-end work, she was swamped and almost fell ill.
As friends, Lin Mei and Lan Lan felt heartbroken, but this was Feng Feng's well-considered decision, so neither of them felt it was appropriate to say too much. Lin Mei carefully asked, "Is Wen Zhouyuan's health okay recently?"
"It's alright," Feng Feng said. "His fever has subsided, which is why I came."
"I thought you would bring him with you," Lin Mei said.
"That was the original plan," Feng Feng said. "Next time. He's eating at home with his daughter."
Xiao Yue still didn't know that Feng Feng had broken up with Shen Su. During dinner, as they discussed Lin Mei and Xing Zheng's wedding, Xiao Yue casually asked, "Feng Feng and Shen Su have been together for so many years, right? When are you planning to get married?"
Her words caused a silence at the table.
Feng Feng didn't feel awkward. She said to Xiao Yue, "Teacher Xiao, Shen Su and I separated a long time ago. My boyfriend is someone else."
Xiao Yue was very surprised. They seemed to have such a good relationship; how could they just break up?