But her life was complete, while her son's life...
Shaking her head, Feng Linwan felt helpless.
Her eldest son had inherited his father's disposition in matters of the heart; he wouldn't bloom for a hundred years, and when he finally did, he'd mess it up.
A headache!
She wanted to say a few words, but Rong Jingyang would always reply, "Okay, yes, no problem, I'll be careful," and he'd change very quickly.
But the next time—
It was as if he'd forget as soon as he turned around.
As a mother, Feng Linwan worried herself sick over her son. The moment she detected any emotional fluctuation from her daughter-in-law, she would immediately buy gifts to cheer Du Ruoxin up.
But how did they reach the point of divorce?
Feng Linwan couldn't help but reflect, had she done too much?
Had her son become lazy because of it, no longer paying attention to Ruoxin's needs, thus causing their feelings to grow distant?
Sigh.
She had forgotten that newly married couples needed each other's company, mutual understanding, and to go through a passionate courtship, followed by unwavering mutual support, to last.
As the saying goes, how can one see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain?
Therefore, Feng Linwan consciously stopped interfering and stopped appeasing her wife for her son.
"Grandma, it's almost dark, how much longer until Mommy gets here?" Rong Doudou looked towards the road, her gaze filled with longing.
"I'll call and ask." Feng Linwan took out her phone from her pocket. Seeing this, Rong Jianshen quickly hugged his granddaughter, easing his wife's burden.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
Du Ruoxin wouldn't let Cristiano approach her. The moment he moved slightly, she would flinch like a startled bird, inching further towards the door.
Cristiano really wanted to pull her closer, to be more assertive, but he was afraid that her stubborn nature would smear the blood on his hands, worsening the wound.
"Zzz—"
Du Ruoxin's phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother-in-law calling, she slid to answer, bringing the phone to her ear. "Mommy."
"Mommy, are you back? I picked so many sweet and big loquats, waiting for you to eat them together."
As soon as the call connected, Rong Doudou's voice, like a lark's, came through.
Du Ruoxin smiled brightly. "Thank you, Doudou. Mommy's work isn't finished yet, I'll be a little while longer."
Rong Doudou, holding the phone on speaker, pouted. "Mommy, hurry up, Doudou is hungry."
"Okay, Mommy will be as fast as possible. Doudou, if you're hungry, eat first, don't wait for Mommy."
"Okay, Mommy, bye-bye."
"Bye-bye."
After hanging up, Du Ruoxin sniffled, putting on a face that looked like she was about to cry, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I like Rong Jingyang."
"For eight years,"
Du Ruoxin said.
The reason she came out with her elder brother was twofold: first, for her elder brother's safety, and second, she needed to have a frank talk with him.
She didn't want to be caught between Rong Jingyang and her elder brother; it was too exhausting and would lead to a breakdown.
"When I was 15, Daddy took me to a piano competition. I saw him playing 'I Love You, China' on his saxophone on the street."
At that time, the crowd around him was three layers deep, causing a traffic jam.
Unable to pass through, captivated by the beautiful music, and moved by the patriotic sentiment, Du Ruoxin got out of the car. Because she couldn't squeeze into the crowd, she stood on the hands of two bodyguards and finally saw the most dazzling man in the crowd.
Perhaps it was meeting a kindred spirit in a foreign land; that glance stole her sight.
"The second time we met was at a banquet. Daddy was talking business with someone, and I was bored, wandering around. He mistook me for a waitress."
So she served him for an entire night.
"The third time, I found his residence and told him I liked him and wanted to date him."
Listening to Du Ruoxin talk about their romance so sweetly, Cristiano's eyelids twitched. "..."
Eight years ago, he was 23 and undergoing family trials, so busy he couldn't spare a moment.
For four full years, he traveled the world, familiarizing himself with industries, tempering his character, and undergoing various business challenges.
It was precisely because of these four busy years that she had fallen in love, and the person she liked wasn't him?
Cristiano felt a mix of emotions.
"But he called me a green-behind-the-ears brat and kicked me out."
After that, it was her finding ways to pester him every day.
Knowing that Rong Jingyang was pursuing his doctorate at Harvard Business School, Du Ruoxin transferred to the business school. In fact, at that time, she already held dual bachelor's degrees in design and law.
She was also the youngest, most mysterious, most low-key, and least attention-seeking genius girl in her class.
But Rong Jingyang always thought she was very poor, a pitiable working student, so she didn't approach him using her identity as a Rothschild heiress.
Du Ruoxin was the name her mother gave her, her Chinese name.
However, because this Chinese name was entered into the Rothschild family genealogy, she had barely used it since.
Hiding all her brilliance and fame, Du Ruoxin went to business school and shamelessly attended Rong Jingyang's classes every day.
Even if she dozed off, caused trouble, disrupted things, or ate in class, wherever Rong Jingyang was, she was sure to be there.
Cristiano: "————"
Hearing this, his face became extremely unsightly.
He squeezed the words through his teeth, "So, I thought you were finally willing to learn business knowledge, but it was just to chase Rong Jingyang?"
Du Ruoxin had a very high IQ and learned everything quickly.
She mastered all design-related knowledge, such as jewelry design, fashion design, architectural design, and interior design, with ease.
Only the word "business" did she never touch.
Her father and he both hoped Du Ruoxin would achieve something in business and manage the family enterprise in the future.
But despite excelling in everything else, she was clueless about business.
"Yes," Du Ruoxin admitted generously, "To chase Rong Jingyang. Wherever he is, I am."
In fact, it wasn't that she disliked business or didn't want to make a grand showing.
It was just that her mother had made her swear before she died that after going to the Rothschild family and acknowledging her father, she could like and delve into any profession: lawyer, doctor, designer, actress.
But one thing was forbidden – business.
Her mother didn't want her to do anything related to money.
Du Ruoxin never understood the reason but had always adhered to it, until later.
Her father had the idea of having her and her elder brother undergo family trials together and eventually manage the family business.
Du Ruoxin's life began to change.
The cat she had raised for several years suddenly died.
Her favorite drafts, drawing papers, and jewelry disappeared.
The flowers she raised were gone.
Even her usually gentle and amiable stepmother, who always greeted her with a smile, became colder than before.
Her mother had said, "Xin'er, you are your father's mistake, but you are the best gift from heaven to your mother."
"When you go to the Rothschild family, don't make your stepmother unhappy."
"No woman can bear her husband's betrayal..."
The naive Du Ruoxin had always known that her stepmother harbored animosity towards her. Although she rarely showed it, she could feel it.
As a result, she lived her days in trepidation.
Realizing that her stepmother didn't want her involved in family business, Du Ruoxin began to feign ignorance.
This was also why she had chosen to marry Rong Jingyang under a pseudonym and become a full-time wife.