Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: “I Can’t Accept All This with a Clear Conscience.”

Leaving a guest alone in the living room while the host does something else in the bedroom is an extremely rude thing to do.

Although it was said that Chen Yanxing was the one cooking, in the end, all the dishes on the big table were made by Lin Qian alone. It wasn’t until dinner was ready that the two of them finally came out of the room.

Their clothes were a bit disheveled, faces flushed, and there were even marks at the corners of their lips.

No one knew exactly what had happened, but it was as if everyone knew.

Xia Lingxuan instinctively frowned and turned her head away, though she didn’t say anything.

She really can hold back, Shen Mengke noticed the fleeting change in Xia Lingxuan’s expression and couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly.

She unconsciously touched her still-sore lips. Chen Yanxing, like a clingy dog, insisted on leaving marks on her just to provoke Xia Lingxuan.

Chen Yanxing had pressed her against the door and kissed her deeply.

Shen Mengke had slightly tilted her head up, responding to the kiss.

Ever since Shen Mengke had said “let’s do something even more outrageous,” the two of them had instantly clicked, barely exchanging a word.

Sometimes Shen Mengke felt they had a disturbing amount of tacit understanding in this area.

As she was lost in thought, she sat down at the dining table naturally.

Shen Mengke took the main seat without any intention of serving others, focusing solely on the fragrant, flavorful food in front of her.

Everything had been prepared by Lin Qian alone. The dishes hadn’t even all been brought out when Shen Mengke already started eating.

Chen Yanxing glanced at Xia Lingxuan. Her expression was clearly unpleasant.

She curled her lips silently. Why should Xia Lingxuan still tolerate her daughter liking someone so rude and ill-mannered?

But she did.

Xia Lingxuan had Shen Jinli wheel her over to the table. Looking at the dishes, she said to Shen Mengke, “Keke, how’s Lin Qian’s cooking?”

Shen Mengke took the first bite with trepidation, but once the fish entered her mouth, her eyes widened in surprise.

She quickly nodded, “Delicious.”

Xia Lingxuan smiled, “Then would you be willing to come to my house? Lin Qian can cook more for you, and the things you liked earlier—we’ve got plenty more in storage.”

Shen Mengke paused while picking up another bite. She couldn’t help but look up at Xia Lingxuan and saw in those wrinkle-framed eyes a kind of patience—no, it was more like indulgence.

The kind that could spoil a child if coming from any other mother.

Her arm suddenly went numb, the sensation traveling from her fingertips to her heart. She instinctively averted her gaze but couldn’t escape Xia Lingxuan’s warm look.

She suddenly understood something.

Xia Lingxuan didn’t like her—might even dislike her behavior—but Chen Yanxing liked her.

And when someone is striving for something important, they’ll always make concessions—whether with money or emotions.

She was Xia Lingxuan’s concession.

She could tolerate a rude, ill-mannered girlfriend entering her home all because of Chen Yanxing’s affection.

A sourness welled up in Shen Mengke’s chest. She looked at Chen Yanxing again, who had just pulled out a chair to sit down and paused slightly as their eyes met.

Chen Yanxing could clearly see what she was thinking. Now it depended on her response.

In truth, Shen Mengke didn’t know why Chen Yanxing refused to go back to the Xia family. In her eyes, the Xia family was far better than the Chen family—if only for Xia Lingxuan’s patience. Did Chen Zhiyu have any? No. He would probably walk out the moment Shen Mengke entered and might even scold her under the guise of being a senior.

Shen Mengke didn’t want to keep acting anymore. So when Xia Lingxuan tried to show kindness, she remained silent—after all, this wasn’t her home turf.

In contrast, Chen Yanxing was acting even better than her—barely eating anything during the whole meal, constantly peeling shrimp, deboning fish, and serving soup for Shen Mengke.

She didn’t stop for a second.

Even Shen Mengke, not to mention Xia Lingxuan, couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

But Xia Lingxuan remained cheerfully patient. Ever since her leg injury, she ate very little due to decreased activity. After just a few bites, she was full and began peeling shrimp for Chen Yanxing.

Yet Chen Yanxing placed the plate of shrimp in front of Shen Mengke.

Shen Mengke: “……”

She glanced at Xia Lingxuan’s obviously sour expression, then at Chen Yanxing. Still expressionless, Chen continued her act and calmly ate the shrimp.

A dinner that appeared calm on the surface but was filled with under-the-table sparring finally ended. Just as Shen Mengke thought today’s “performance” was over, Xia Lingxuan suddenly announced she would stay the night.

“No!” Shen Mengke blurted out, sitting up straight and staring at Xia Lingxuan.

This time, she truly couldn’t agree. Letting Chen Yanxing move in was one thing—she could take care of her, and… other things were convenient too. But this?

Shen Mengke had a very strong sense of territoriality. If someone she wasn’t close with stayed over, she’d feel completely uncomfortable.

Besides, Xia Lingxuan couldn’t go upstairs. The bedrooms were all on the second floor, and that would be a hassle.

She looked at Chen Yanxing, who also nodded. “It’s not convenient.”

“Then Xixi, will you come home with me tonight?” Xia Lingxuan asked.

Chen Yanxing shook her head. “No.”

“Then I’m not going either.”

Everyone was stunned by Xia Lingxuan’s sudden stubbornness. Lin Qian didn’t know what had happened in the living room earlier and assumed Xia Lingxuan just liked Shen Mengke very much. But Shen Jinli, who had seen it all, couldn’t stay quiet anymore.

She said, “Aunt Xia, it really isn’t convenient for us to stay here.”

“Who’s ‘us’? I’m the one staying,” Xia Lingxuan replied, turning to Chen Yanxing. “Xixi, Mom really likes Keke. Tonight…”

Chen Yanxing abruptly stood up, her expression sour. “I want to talk to you alone.”

Because of the wheelchair, the living room was left to the mother and daughter. Lin Qian cleaned in the kitchen, while Shen Jinli followed Shen Mengke back to her room.

As soon as she entered, Shen Mengke visibly relaxed. She slumped onto the couch. “Make yourself at home.”

Shen Jinli leaned against the wall, glanced around the room, and smiled. “Nice performance.”

“You saw through it?” Shen Mengke sighed. “I’m starting to doubt my career. Maybe I’m not cut out to be an actress.”

“It’s not that you acted badly. It’s that your conscience weighs too heavily. You can’t play the bad guy.”

Shen Mengke hummed softly and closed her eyes.

She was truly tired—mentally exhausted.

“You have someone, so why did you go on a dating show?” she suddenly asked.

Shen Jinli paused. “What?”

Shen Mengke opened her eyes and sat up. “Chen Yanxing said you’re her sister-in-law, so you—”

“This show isn’t going to air anyway. I didn’t come here looking for love…”

Shen Mengke froze, mouth agape. After a long while, she finally found her voice. “What?”

But Shen Jinli suddenly went quiet, pressing her lips together. Being alone with Shen Mengke made her too relaxed, and she’d slipped up.

“Say something!” Shen Mengke stood, staring at her. “What do you mean the show won’t air? So we filmed those two exhausting episodes for nothing?”

As she spoke, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Fan Shi with details of the next recording location and schedule.

Shen Mengke laughed. She gripped her phone, suddenly feeling powerless.

“You knew before recording started?” she asked.

Shen Jinli nodded. “I thought you all knew…”

Shen Mengke slumped back onto the couch. She was starting to piece everything together.

Things weren’t any easier for Chen Yanxing.

She sat silently on the sofa, head down.

Xia Lingxuan didn’t speak either, just stared at her quietly.

Chen Yanxing had spent a long time preparing mentally. But the moment she looked up and saw tears falling from Xia Lingxuan’s eyes, she panicked.

“You…”

Xia Lingxuan wiped her tears and shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just sad I didn’t get to watch you grow up.”

“In my memory, you’re still a little baby. I didn’t expect that the next time I saw you, you’d already be this big.”

Chen Yanxing stood stiffly, unsure of what to say.

“You don’t like Mom, do you?” Xia Lingxuan looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes, her expression so pitiful and fragile that Chen couldn’t say anything harsh.

“No, it’s not that…” she stammered, hands waving nervously, unsure of what to say.

“If you don’t want to live in the Xia household, that’s okay. China’s a big country—tell me where you want to live, and I’ll get you a home there.”

“You don’t have to come back. Just don’t stop me from seeing you, okay?”

“I don’t need you to talk to me. I just want to be able to see you when I miss you.”

“I won’t object to whoever you love, as long as they’re good to you. I’ll give them whatever they want—as long as they don’t hurt you.”

“Xixi… no, Yanxing, if you don’t want to change your name, I’ll change how I address you.”

Chen Yanxing turned her head, eyes red, but not a single tear fell.

She stared at the distant chandelier, filled with conflicting emotions. Xia Lingxuan was too good to her—so good it made Chen Yanxing feel guilty.

She didn’t know what to say. But she just didn’t feel any connection to the Xia family—or to Xia Lingxuan. Not even the slightest familial bond.

Nothing at all. She didn’t want to go against her heart and hurt the people who cared about her.

She took a deep breath, turned to look at Xia Lingxuan, met those tear-reddened eyes, and slowly crouched down—going from looking down to looking up.

Her hands were held tightly by Xia Lingxuan. She hesitated, then began:

“Mrs. Xia, you’re a good person. I don’t want to hurt you, truly. But right now, I still can’t accept all of this with a clear conscience.”

“I can’t do it and feel at peace.”

She didn’t know what the real Xia Xinqi would have been like, but she knew it wouldn’t be like her.

She was a disappointment—a letdown to a mother.

Suddenly, Xia Lingxuan gripped her hands tighter. “These things were always yours. Why do you need to prepare yourself to accept them?”

“Bl00d ties are unchangeable. They bind the heart and the bl00d. Yanxing, all the kindness I show you is what you should have received. It’s a mother’s instinct—something even animals understand.”

“It’s not guilt. It’s love. It’s longing. It’s a heart that wants to see you happy, always.”

“I know you need time. Before you fully accept that I’m your mother, just call me Aunt Xia, like Jinli does. Is that okay?”

“Don’t reject my love. Take your time. Ten years, twenty years—I can wait.”

Chen Yanxing couldn’t help but look up. For the first time, her tears finally fell.

Of course she knew—letting her daughter call her “Aunt” was like cutting that bond with her own hands.

Every time she heard it, her heart would bleed.

But still, she made that compromise.