I’ll Hold Your Hand And Promise You A Lifetime - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Old Man Who Appeared Out Of Nowhere (2)

The four of them chatted idly for a while in the room. Shen Wei let out a long sigh.
“If your father were still alive to see you all grown up, he would’ve been so happy.”

Ding Qiang quietly stepped out onto the balcony and shut the glass door. Ning Ran was just about to get up when Yue Xi pulled her back onto the sofa.
“Jie, stay with me.”

Ning Ran saw Shen Wei give a small nod, and only then did she sit back down with peace of mind.

“Grandpa… how did my dad die?” Yue Xi asked, gently pressing her fingertips to her temples.

When Shen Wei saw her make that gesture, it felt like someone had struck him hard in the heart. Every memory of Shen Shao came crashing down like a flood. He spoke slowly.

“You and your father are so alike… even that little habit of yours—exactly the same. Sigh…” Shen Wei took a sip of tea. “Do you still remember your mother?”

A woman’s silhouette flashed through Yue Xi’s mind—white nightgown, long black hair cascading down her shoulders, standing against the light, her face too blurred to see clearly.

Seeing Yue Xi frown as she tried to recall, Shen Wei began his story without rushing.

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More than twenty years ago, Shen Shao was just a young man in his early twenties. He played the piano beautifully and had delicate, refined looks—considered a famous talent in the area. Everyone knew that Shen Wei’s son was a bit of a playboy—rebellious, frivolous, and always acting out. He drove Shen Wei mad regularly, yet refused to change his ways. With one being a martial man and the other a scholar, their personalities clashed hard. Every meeting ended in arguments, no matter how He Juan tried to mediate.

One day, Shen Wei finally had enough. He threw Shen Shao out of the house and told him to get as far away as possible.

Though Shen Shao was a scholar, not a fighter, he had pride. On the day he left, he made a silent vow: if he couldn’t achieve something that made his father acknowledge him, he would never return.

For the next few years, Shen Shao barely contacted home—until that one Spring Festival, when he showed up at the door with a quiet, gentle girl. He Juan was both thrilled and worried, afraid father and son would start another war under the same roof. But this time, Shen Shao seemed much more mature. Shen Wei thought his son had finally grown up—never suspecting that this was just the beginning of a nightmare.

Soon after, Shen Shao told Shen Wei and He Juan that he planned to marry the girl—Su Nian. The couple was taken aback by the suddenness but didn’t object. They suggested he stay home a while longer so everyone could get to know each other better. That’s when Shen Shao revealed Su Nian was already pregnant. This trip home was just to inform them. The wedding would be a small one, held in a few days.

Shen Wei strongly opposed the rushed marriage, but given the pregnancy, he fell silent, stewing in silence the whole day. He Juan, on the other hand, was fond of the soft-spoken girl who seemed devoted to their son. The two women whispered quietly around the house, afraid of adding more fuel to Shen Wei’s smoldering fire.

Although he was angry, Shen Wei didn’t dislike Su Nian. Eventually, the stubbornness in his chest eased. But he noticed something strange—Shen Shao treated Su Nian coldly, barely speaking to her, and when he did, his words were tinged with impatience. Yet Su Nian remained gentle and thoughtful.

Unable to tolerate the strangeness anymore, Shen Wei called Shen Shao into the study.
“What’s going on with you and Su Nian? You just brought her back without saying a word to us—and now she’s pregnant with your child?”

“When the baby’s born, we’ll divorce. I’ll take the child,” Shen Shao replied, lighting a cigarette.

“What kind of behavior is that? Disgraceful! After all these years of education, this is what you’ve become? Get a woman pregnant, marry her, then dump her once the baby’s born—is that what a decent man does?” Shen Wei slammed his palm on the desk.

“Dad, you don’t know the whole story, so don’t be so quick to judge me. And I’m not your soldier—I don’t take your orders. I have the right to make my own choices.” Shen Shao’s tone was firm. He didn’t want to argue further. Their father-son relationship had always been strained, and this only deepened the rift.

“You… ha! So your wings have grown strong, huh? You don’t need a family anymore? Let’s see how far you fly out there! Look at you, a disgrace!”

“Stop. Don’t talk about what you don’t know. This is my decision, and Su Nian and I have already agreed. Besides, you’re the one who’s always wanted me gone. I’ve embarrassed you, embarrassed the Shen family, right? But I have my reasons—reasons you’ll never understand. You don’t know what kind of woman Su Nian really is, but I do. So don’t yell at me on her behalf. I’m tired. You should rest too.”

Shen Wei had never seen his son like this. No matter how bad their fights had been in the past, Shen Shao was never this despondent—almost nihilistic. Shen Wei was both shocked and confused.

“Just remember what you said. I’m done nagging. A man must take responsibility for his actions.”

“I’ve had enough—more than enough!” Shen Shao roared. His emotions exploded. He turned and hurled a chair against the wall.

He Juan and Su Nian came running in, having heard the crash. All they saw was Shen Shao clenching his fists and glaring daggers at Shen Wei.

“Shao’er, he’s your father!” He Juan tugged at Shen Shao’s arm, afraid the two would come to blows.

“My father? If he really were my father, he wouldn’t ignore me. He wouldn’t explode over a stranger and treat me like trash. From childhood, all he ever did was force me to do things I hated. And if I resisted, he hit me! I’m already in my twenties, and he still points fingers at me like I’m an idiot!”

Shen Shao’s voice cracked as he vented years of suppressed resentment.
“You know what I hate most about you? That you never care how I feel. I’m your son! Yet you treat your guards better than you ever treated me! I don’t even know what I did to make you hate me so much. Everything I do is wrong—always wrong!”

Tears in his eyes, he shook off He Juan’s hand and slammed the door on his way out.

“You… I…” Shen Wei was so furious he couldn’t speak. His chest heaved, his bl00d boiling.

“Old Wei, Shao’er finally came home and you chased him away again. Watching you two like this hurts me too…” He Juan clutched her chest at the door.

“Hmph! Too much motherly love spoils the child! He’s like this because you coddled him!” Shen Wei snapped.

“Uncle, please calm down. Auntie doesn’t look well—I’ll help her rest.” Su Nian spoke gently.

In the following days, Shen Shao didn’t return. Shen Wei grew more disappointed, thinking his son would never live up to expectations or understand his hopes. Worse, the boy misunderstood him completely.

Eventually, the small wedding was held, though everyone could see the disconnect between Shen Shao and Su Nian. Shen Wei thought it was a mess and left early.

A year later, Shen Wei came home, worn and dusty, unshaven and disheveled. He carried a sleeping baby in his arms, knocked on the door, placed the six-month-old into He Juan’s arms, dropped a bundle, and left without saying a word.

When Shen Wei learned what happened, he was furious and immediately sent men to bring Shen Shao back from the train station.

Once home, Shen Shao didn’t resist. He cared for the baby with great attention—feeding her, playing with her, putting her to sleep. Yet something felt off. He was too calm, hollow even. His mind seemed elsewhere. He started drinking heavily, often passing out in a drunken heap, clutching a bottle. Sometimes he’d wake up in a cold sweat, terrified.

He Juan cried silently every night, never daring to let Shen Wei see.

A year passed. Shen Shao received a letter and locked himself in his room for days. Then, one day, he emerged groomed and neat, took the child out with him, and for several days, treated her with unusual tenderness, as if trying to make up for something. He Juan thought he had turned a corner, but Shen Wei sensed something deeper.

One night, Shen Shao tucked the sleeping baby in bed and called his parents into the study.

“Dad, Mom… I’ll have to trouble you to take care of the child from now on,” he said with deep guilt.
“She’s over two now and still doesn’t have a name. I didn’t want people to know who her parents were. I’m not worthy to be called her father.”

“You’re leaving?” Shen Wei heard the finality in his tone.

“Please listen. I might not be able to come back often. I have unresolved matters… I stayed this long for the child. But I’ve thought of a name for her. I’d like you to see it.”

With a flick of his hand, two elegant characters appeared on paper: 卿陵 (Qingling).

“Shen Qingling?” He Juan repeated softly.

“Yes. Qingling,” Shen Shao said the name tenderly. “It’s her mother’s name.”

“Huh? Then… what about Su Nian?” Shen Wei was stunned.

“Su Nian? Hah. She’s a lunatic. She doesn’t deserve to be mentioned.” Shen Shao’s voice dripped with disgust.
“If not for Qingling’s kindness, this child wouldn’t even exist.”

“Shao’er, I don’t understand… What’s going on?” He Juan was completely confused.

“Mom, all you need to know is that this child is mine and Qingling’s. No one else matters.” Shen Shao pulled a photo from his wallet and smiled like a boy.
“This is your real daughter-in-law. Her name was Meng Qingling—the love of my life.”

“This is madness. Why didn’t you marry her instead of someone you didn’t love?” Shen Wei was baffled.

“She left and never came back…” Shen Shao’s voice dropped, filled with sorrow. “She told me to take responsibility—to marry Su Nian. While she lay dying in a hospital, I was here with another woman. After she passed, I brought the child home. She loved this baby—even if she wasn’t the mother. She was so kind… so noble… she forgave all my mistakes, even accepted this child…”

He Juan and Shen Wei sat there in stunned silence, unable to process it all.