Chapter 102: A Heart-to-Heart Talk
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Mu Chen pressed his body closer to Song Ning’s body as he said, “You should address me in a more intimate manner…”
Song Ning hurriedly called out, “Husband!”
Mu Chen said, clearly satisfied, “Mm, that’s more like it!” As he held onto her, he kissed her cheeks before he said, “From now on, you should address me as such. You’re the only one who’s allowed to call me husband…”
Song Ning let him hug her as she nuzzled against his chest. The tension from earlier had dissipated so she reached out and placed her hand on his waist before patting it gently like how one would pat a child. Then, she asked softly, “Mu Chen, do you still hate your father?”
Mu Chen did not reply for a long time.
Song Ning continued patting him gently. When she was young, her mother would pat her in this manner. Even when she had grown up, whenever she was unhappy, she would seek comfort in her mother’s arms. She would get into her mother’s bed, and her mother would pat her just like this to comfort her. At that time, she would fall asleep, and when she woke up, everything seemed better.
.
Just when Song Ning thought Mu Chen had fallen asleep, he suddenly said, “I don’t want to hate him anymore.”
Startled, Song Ning stopped moving her hand for a moment before she continued patting him again.
Mu Chen sighed softly. He sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. He seemed to be sorting his thoughts as he held Song Ning’s hand. After a few moments, he finally said, “The years following my mother’s death, I really hated him to the bones. Whenever I saw him, I wished I could strangle him to death. That was how deep my hatred was. There was one time where we had a really bad argument. He and that woman were so frightened at that time because they could tell I really wanted to fight them to death. The stress took a toll on Grandma’s body eventually. By the time I came to my senses, it was already too late…” His voice was laden with regret and sorrow when he spoke.
Song Ning continued to hold his hand to comfort him.
“At that time, I wanted to leave this house that made my mom sad and never come back. Grandma even agreed to it. However, the day before I left, Yu called me and said that Grandma fell ill. That’s when I realized my father and that woman weren’t home at all. Only Yu was left to take care of Grandma. For that reason, I decided to stay with Grandma.”
“So they left?” Song Ning asked gently. She had heard from Yu that Mu Chen’s father and stepmother were not in the country.
“Yes, I chased them out!” Mu Chen said indifferently. It could be seen that his father did not hold any place in his heart. His father was just someone he had blood ties with.
“Your relatives must be afraid of you since you even dared to chase your father away…” Song Ning said.
“Yes. During those two years, I was like an injured beast. None of them dared to provoke me. Moreover, I was able to expand the Mu Group, and they benefited from it as well. How could they have the guts to provoke me? They only care about themselves, how could they speak up for my father? I only listen to Grandma. If she wanted me to kneel, I’d kneel. If she wanted me to stand, I’d stand. Grandma was the one who helped me stabilize my position in the Mu Group since there were many factions in the company. If it were not for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and the Mu Group wouldn’t be where it is today,” Mu Chen said.
Although Mu Chen had spoken in a casual tone, Song Ning knew this matter had left a deep impression on him. During those years, he and his grandmother must have suffered a lot. When she thought about this, she could not help but feel distressed. She instinctively tightened her hold on him.
Mu Chen said softly, “I don’t hate him anymore…”
Song Ning looked at him, puzzled.
He explained, “I realized that hating him not only caused me pain, but it caused Grandma pain as well. I stopped hating him because of Grandma. However, whether he lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me. If he had truly cared about me and my mother, he wouldn’t have done such a shameless thing. In any case, it’s not worth it for me to punish myself because of such a person. Moreover, the person who’s in the most pain is Grandma who’s forced to choose between her son and grandson. If I don’t let go of the hate, she’d be in even more pain and blame herself for this. Therefore, I chose to let go of hate. I consider it as repayment for his part in giving birth to me.”
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Song Ning nodded. “Letting the hate go is like setting yourself and Grandma free from the pain…”
Mu Chen nodded. “That’s right. I don’t care about his well-being, but Grandma and I have to live well! I want Grandma to be happy for the rest of her life. However, it was not easy at all no matter how hard I tried to make her happy. It was not until you showed up that she became truly happy. Look at how energetic and happy she is every day. It’s all because of you…”
Mu Chen smiled and gently stroked Song Ning’s hair. He discovered that she liked small affectionate gestures such as this, and she would unconsciously mirror his gestures. This was a kind of comfort that calmed and soothed both of them. He said tenderly, “Ningning, you’re truly a blessing for Grandma, me, and Cheng Che.”
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Song Ning smiled. “Cheng Che is truly filial to Grandma!”
Mu Chen nodded. “He’s more filial than those people in the Mu family. Therefore, sometimes blood ties don’t dictate love. Blood ties and love are not mutually exclusive. Sometimes, love has nothing to do with how long one knows each other. Our family is perfect now. Don’t let those irrelevant people hurt what we have. You won’t be alone anymore in the future. You have a husband, a grandmother, and even Cheng Che, a brother-in-law who’s a hardcore fan of yours. Don’t be afraid of anything. You’ll always have our full support…”
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Upon hearing these words, Song Ning’s tears fell quietly onto Mu Chen’s pajamas. She nodded slightly. “Alright.”
