Let's Do Some Questions - Chapter 93

The next day, Song Man saw Song Qinglan at home, who was leaving with her. Her mother liked the whole family to arrive together, so she arranged a consistent time for the family to go to the old residence for the New Year in one car, as they did every year.

Song Qinglan’s makeup was a bit heavy. When she saw Song Man, she looked away.

Seeing her like this, Song Man’s mood suddenly improved a lot.

Song Zici was whispering about company matters with Song Qinglan. Song Man wasn’t interested in listening and played on her phone by herself.

In the gaps while chatting with Chu Fengqiu, Song Man suddenly heard topics similar to arranged dates and immediately pricked up her ears.

“That family’s boy is quite good. He graduated from the School of Economics and Management and can help you a lot in the future.”

“Mom, I will consider this myself. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Song Qinglan looked a bit weary and was very impatient with this topic.

Song Qinglan had always maintained a respectful attitude in front of Song Zici. This kind of defiance was the first time.

The atmosphere in the car suddenly became stagnant. Song Man remained silent, observing how things unfolded.

“It’s okay if you don’t like this one, we can find the next.”

Song Zici continued talking as if to herself, as if she hadn’t heard the unhappiness in Song Qinglan’s words.

“Mom, I have my own plans. Finding the kind of partner I want is my own business. I hope you can respect my wishes and not interfere too much.”

“Of course, I won’t force you to marry someone you don’t like. It’s good that you have your own choices, but I just hope your choices are right, not wrong.”

Song Zici’s words were meaningful. Before Song Qinglan could say anything else, she changed the topic.

In previous years, the family atmosphere during New Year relied entirely on Song Man to lighten it, making it look like a close-knit family. But this year’s situation was different.

Song Qinglan was both feeling stifled by the truth being revealed between her and Song Man and annoyed by Song Zici’s relentless pressure regarding a partner. She arrived at the old residence almost with a stern face, only putting on a smile when she saw her grandfather.

Song Man politely greeted her grandfather. He nodded with a smile, took Song Qinglan’s hand, and walked in while talking to Song Qinglan.

Song Man’s maternal grandfather’s attitude towards Song Man was okay, but his attitude towards Xu Qinglang was colder.

Song Man squeezed her dad’s hand. Xu Qinglang returned a gentle smile, seeming not to mind.

Actually, if you swapped the genders in this scene, it would be a typical wealthy family situation in other households.

Song Qinglan’s father also came from a wealthy family, but wasn’t keen on business. He liked music and was a pianist. He had poor health since childhood. Being with Song Zici could be considered a good match.

While Song Man’s dad came from an ordinary family. At first, he was just Song Zici’s assistant, always giving people the feeling he had climbed the ranks.

The mental pressure has always been great. However, Xu Qinglang has never felt resentful. Although his wife is a bit of a strong woman, she’s not unreasonable either. Her decisive and efficient manner is what he admires most, and when she’s tired, she’s willing to lean on his shoulder. No matter what outsiders say, they just need to live their own lives well.

Song Zici and Song Qinglan went to the study to talk with her grandfather. Song Man just wandered around with her dad.

“Dad, don’t take it to heart. Grandpa is just like that.”

Anyway, his attitude hasn’t changed in over ten years, making it seem like her dad just joined the family.

“It’s okay, I stopped caring a long time ago. I don’t care if others acknowledge me or not. As long as your mom, you, and I are doing well, that’s enough.”

Song Zici had no intention of hiding her relationship with her husband. It’s just that the combination of boss and assistant, for others, might be an envied pampered wife, but when it comes to Xu Qinglang, people always feel he’s being supported/kept.

“Are we going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house tomorrow? I want to eat the food Grandma makes.”

Song Man’s paternal grandparents live in a town not far from Qingcheng. It’s also not far from Sulan Town. Song Man planned to go find Chu Fengqiu in Sulan Town after visiting her grandparents.

“Your grandma has been missing you too. I called her yesterday.”

Song Man nodded with a smile on her face, her face showing anticipation.

Although her maternal grandparents didn’t dote on her, Song Man’s paternal grandparents really doted on Song Man. When Song Man went during New Year or holidays, they would go to great lengths to make delicious food for her.

“Oh right, when I leave Grandpa and Grandma’s place, can I go directly to find Chu Fengqiu? Her maternal grandparents’ place isn’t very far from Grandpa and Grandma’s.”

Song Man shook Xu Qinglang’s arm, saying her real intention in a spoiled manner.

“Okay, you can spend more time with Fengqiu. I think that child is very good. And she helped your grades improve so much. You must thank her properly. Remember to bring more gifts when you go to her house. That child hasn’t had it easy either.”

When her dad was saying the first part, Song Man was still muttering inwardly that she and Chu Fengqiu were already close enough to sleep in the same bed. Then her attention was completely drawn by the latter part her dad said.

“What’s wrong with her? I always felt Uncle Chu’s relationship with her wasn’t very good.”

“Actually, I’m not very clear about this matter either. It was when your Uncle Chu was chatting with me. He always said he felt sorry for that child and didn’t know how to make it up to her.”

Xu Qinglang wasn’t very clear about the inside story either, but judging from his old friend’s expression, the guilt was quite deep.

Song Man wanted to ask more about Chu Fengqiu, but was interrupted by someone coming to greet them.

After greeting all her cousins (both maternal and paternal), Song Man’s dad had already gone to find her mom. After Song Man finished dealing with everyone, the topic had already passed. Seeing her parents and elders talking, Song Man also knew it wasn’t the time to ask questions.

Although she wasn’t favored by her maternal grandfather, due to her personality, Song Man still got along well with her various older and younger female cousins at home.

Everyone was very bored during New Year. The young people gathered together, some teasing Song Man about being on Nanshan Road yesterday. Song Man chuckled a few times, but her mind wasn’t on it.

She was thinking about Chu Fengqiu. She was a bit lost in thought about how she spent New Year’s in previous years. After all, the situation was the same every year. The only difference was the age, and the people she saw were largely the same.

Xiao Yiyi from her third aunt’s family fluttered over and hugged Song Man’s leg, calling out “Jiejie” in a milky voice.

Song Man only liked obedient children, and Yiyi happened to be the well-behaved type. So she opened her arms and hugged Yiyi onto her lap.

She had seen this little one when Yiyi was just born. At that time, the little one had just been born, her face was red and wrinkled, incredibly ugly. Now the little one can walk and run.

Time really flies. Some things feel like they just happened yesterday, yet in the blink of an eye, it feels like a long time has passed.

Someone took out cards and started playing Dou Dizhu, inviting Song Man to join.

“I’ll just watch, you guys play.”

Song Man stroked Yiyi’s chin. She still needed to chat with Chu Fengqiu, she didn’t have time to play.

“Song Man has changed, ah. In the past, you were the one who played the happiest. I see you’re always staring at your phone, is something going on?”

An older cousin teased, and others laughed along.

“Are you asking if I have a wife? I have several in my house, do you think something’s going on?”

Song Man played dumb and steered the topic away. Everyone thought of her signing a life-and-death waiver and racing on Nanshan Road, saying she had courage.

The people playing cards were in the middle. Song Man sat on the outer edge, holding her phone, waiting for Chu Fengqiu to reply.

She was idle here, but Chu Fengqiu was a bit busy over there. She had to help her maternal grandparents with things. Just now, she even sent her a picture of ingredients, and also took a picture of the river outside the door. The river flowed calmly, just like life.

Staying at the old residence for the afternoon, the main event was the New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening. There were quite a few people from the main and collateral branches combined. This was even counting conservatively. The Song family had quite a lot of relatives. Adding up three generations, there were many descendants.

After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, they could go back. Song Man, as part of the main branch, still had to stay because her mom had to stay to accompany her grandfather. Of course, they couldn’t leave either.

During the New Year’s Eve dinner, even sitting at the same dining table, Song Qinglan didn’t give Song Man many glances, almost avoiding eye contact with Song Man.

Seeing Song Qinglan like this, Song Man actually found it amusing.

Although Song Qinglan was older than her, had experienced more things than her, and had seen bigger storms than her, sometimes Song Man felt that Song Qinglan was actually more childish than her, even more fond of self-deception and avoiding things than her.

She wondered if liking someone gave you some kind of strength. Song Man thought about having Chu Fengqiu supporting her from behind, supporting all her thoughts and actions, and she seemed to become much more courageous.

So when she saw Song Qinglan around the corner, Song Man called out to her.

“Jie, come here, let’s talk.”

“I still have some things to deal with here, you…”

Song Qinglan spoke, looking like she was about to turn and leave in a hurry.

“Jie.”

Song Man called out again, looking at Song Qinglan’s profile.

Song Qinglan paused as if stuck, then turned around.

“Come to my room.”

There was a hint of weariness in her tone, and her eyes held an unconcealable confusion.

When Song Qinglan heard that sentence yesterday, her mind was actually blank.

She thought she had shown Song Man an illusion, while she herself stood aside and watched. Thinking about it now, what she saw was also an illusion given by Song Man.

The first moment Song Qinglan knew the truth, her feeling wasn’t that she had been tricked, but the helplessness of her lie being exposed.

She thought for a long time during the night. Actually, she wasn’t willing to admit that she had too much affection for Song Man, so much so that on the day the lie was exposed, the fear of losing Song Man was greater than the fear of her own intentions being discovered.

“What do you want to talk to me about?”

It wasn’t that Song Qinglan hadn’t thought about speaking first to explain something to Song Man or state something, but her mind was full of thoughts, yet she didn’t know how to express them.

The truth lay before them, pale and powerless. It seemed that any explanation or negotiation carried a hint of awkwardness.

Song Qinglan asked herself in the night, did she really do something wrong?

She felt what she did was human nature, and she never wanted to harm Song Man to death. She couldn’t righteously stand on a moral high ground to condemn Song Man for anything. After all, Song Man was born within marriage, not out of wedlock. Only she was in an awkward position.

Who could, three months after their own father’s death, show a good face to their mother’s new husband? And have no ill feelings towards their half-sister? Song Qinglan wanted to tell herself she didn’t do anything wrong, but the guilt in her heart lingered.

“Let’s talk openly and honestly about everything between us.”

“When did you know?”

Song Qinglan stood opposite Song Man. She was actually not as tall as Song Man. Only wearing high heels could she look Song Man in the eye.

“A long time ago, when I was twelve.”

“That really was a long time ago.”

Song Qinglan murmured, a little lost in thought. She had thought Song Man only found out in recent years, through others.

If it was back then, then it could explain the change in Song Man’s attitude. It could also explain Song Man’s transformation. After all, it was from that time that Song Man started letting herself go and just messing around.

“Then you acted better than me.”

Song Qinglan narrowed her eyes. If Song Man knew back then, it would be impossible for her to let things develop in the direction she had planned at the time. Yet in terms of performance, Song Man was so cooperative with her. That means Song Man was also acting.

All that stuff about being ignorant, not liking to study, and having bad grades was fake. The sudden rise in grades was also fake, because she already had that level.

Song Qinglan carefully looked Song Man up and down, showing a self-mocking smile.

“I originally always thought you were an ignorant child. It seems I underestimated you.”

Before just now, Song Qinglan had thought Song Man was a troublesome and immature child. Now it seems she was wrong. She underestimated this sister whom she had watched grow up, thought she understood well, but was actually a stranger to her.

“Stop, I’m not here to argue with you. Can we just communicate properly?”

Song Man got goosebumps seeing Song Qinglan like that. How could these words coming from Song Qinglan’s mouth sound like she had been scheming all along, making people dislike it?

“How do you want to communicate with me?”

“I’m just here to make it clear to you, I have no interest whatsoever in what you want. There’s no conflict of interest between us. If you like being the heir, then be the heir. If you like working, then work. Anyway, I don’t like it. Don’t always use your ideas to guess what I’m thinking.”

Song Man spat out a string of words, only feeling relaxed and comfortable. She had wanted to say this for a long time.

What you, Song Qinglan, like is not necessarily what she, Song Man, likes. It might even be something she wants to avoid.

“Is that so?”

Song Qinglan neither confirmed nor denied.

She didn’t actually like this power that much either. It was just the only thing she could grasp onto.

“Of course it is. Otherwise, why would I act like that? It wasn’t entirely acting either, being a slacker actually felt pretty good. People wouldn’t have high expectations, there was no pressure at all, living was super carefree.”

“So you mean, you won’t be acting anymore from now on?”

“Yes, I won’t pretend anymore. I hope you won’t let Mom and Dad know about this, especially my dad,” Song Man looked at Song Qinglan, her expression serious. “I don’t care how you see my dad, but my dad sincerely hopes the family can be harmonious and has always treated you like his own daughter. You don’t have to respond, but don’t expose your schemes in front of him and make him sad.”

When Song Man mentioned Xu Qinglang, Song Qinglan’s expression turned three points colder.

“Although saying this is very offensive and unpleasant, I’ve held it in for a long time. You should know how your father passed away, right? It has nothing to do with my dad. Even if it wasn’t my dad, could you stop Mom from having a new relationship with someone else?”

Song Man didn’t actually mean to shift all the resentment onto Song Zici with these words. She was just stating a fact.

“So you mean, from the moment you found out until now, you’ve been hiding it because you were afraid of hurting your dad?”

“You’re focusing on strange points. That’s only part of it, you should know it was also because of you.”

Song Man looked at Song Qinglan. Some words felt overly sentimental when she thought about them in her heart, but when she spoke them out, she felt it was okay.

“Before knowing about this, I always sincerely treated you as my older sister, looked at you like a biological sister. You were the person I liked the most in the world at that time. When I knew all of this was just a lie and you even wanted to ruin my life, do you know how I felt?”

Song Man tried to state it in a calm tone, but she wasn’t not wronged in her heart.

At that time, she was really wronged to death. And she couldn’t tell anyone. She also had to face Song Qinglan’s poisoned gestures of goodwill. And she had to be told by her dad that her sister was so good to her, and she should be better to her in the future.

Now she knows the truth and hasn’t been truly ruined. But if she didn’t know, what would she have become? Song Man herself didn’t know.

Attempted murder is also a crime. You can’t say that just because a bad thing wasn’t accomplished, it can be treated as if nothing happened.

“Don’t scheme against me anymore in the future. If there’s anything, just tell me directly, okay?”

Song Man looked at Song Qinglan, waiting for Song Qinglan’s answer.

Song Qinglan was silent. The atmosphere was so quiet it was a little tense.

“Do you still remember the birthday gift I gave you?”

Song Qinglan said.

“That was my heartfelt gesture.”

Song Qinglan had thought for a long time about what to give Song Man as a birthday gift. She originally wanted to buy something Song Man liked, but she wasn’t willing to buy Song Man a motorcycle, it was too dangerous. In the end, she fell for the diamond necklace named ‘Sincerity’ at first sight.

Although she knew Song Man didn’t like wearing dresses or formal gowns, and the opportunities to wear that necklace would be very few, she still gave this gift.

Song Man was stunned for a moment, then reacted.

“Then it’s settled. If you lie to me again, I won’t talk to you.”

“Okay.”

Song Qinglan watched Song Man’s happy retreating figure. She didn’t actually feel much relief in her heart.

Too many things were mixed up in her mind, making her feel a bit of a headache.

She liked to think everything through clearly before doing it. Thinking about it now, there are many things in the world that can’t be completely clear.

Song Man returned to her room and happily flopped onto the bed.

It felt really good to have talked it out.

She looked at the time on her phone, waiting for midnight to wish Chu Fengqiu a Happy New Year.

At 23:59, Song Man dialed Chu Fengqiu’s number. The phone rang a few times and was immediately picked up.

“Chu Fengqiu! I talked things out with my sister!”

Even after they started dating, Song Man didn’t give Chu Fengqiu any pet names. Sticky names didn’t quite fit her style. When saying something important, she liked calling Chu Fengqiu by her full name like this, feeling it sounded especially nice.

“How did it go?”

“She agreed, we’ll interact normally from now on. Anyway, no matter what she thinks, I’ll just be myself!”

“En, no matter what she thinks, you must live happily.”

“Then just wait until school starts, I’ll push you off the top spot!”

Song Man’s words were full of fighting spirit. She didn’t care how others saw her or how amazed they were. The main thing was to have some fun/flirt with her girlfriend.

“Oh right! The white stockings you promised me for my birthday! You didn’t wear them!”

Song Man suddenly remembered this matter, remembering her ‘benefit’.

“If you pass the placement test at the start of the semester, I’ll wear them for you to see.”

“You’re cheating!!!”

The sound of fireworks suddenly rang out from the other end of the phone. Song Man’s accusing voice was drowned out by it.

Fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited on Song Man’s side, but they are allowed in Sulan Town.

Song Man saw that the time was already midnight. She didn’t even care about talking about benefits at this moment and quickly shouted into the phone:

“Chu Fengqiu, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, my Manman.”

The sound of fireworks blooming seemed to dispel all the gloom of the old year, blooming in the night sky with beautiful hopes and expectations for the new year.

Song Man looked at the dark night sky outside the window. Although there were only faint stars in the night, she seemed to be able to see the fireworks that Chu Fengqiu was seeing.

“Chu Fengqiu, we have to stay together forever!”

Amidst the sound of fireworks, Song Man raised her voice and said loudly to her lover on the other end of the phone.

Song Man once thought that dating had to be thrilling and exciting to be fun, like speeding on a motorcycle on a race track, chasing speed and heartbeats. Even if accompanied by danger and palpitations, it was also exhilarating.

Thinking about it now, love isn’t something to be played with.

Just thinking of Chu Fengqiu seemed to make her mood especially buoyant, an uncontrollable joy. Without too many reservations, just the unrestrained freedom of youth, made Song Man cherish it even more.

Being able to tell the right person you like them at the right time is truly a happy thing.

“We will definitely be together forever.”

Chu Fengqiu said with certainty, her eyes clear and firm.

It wasn’t easy to meet you, how could I let you go easily?

By chance encounter, a few simple words, yet they express the boundless joy of a lifetime.