Chapter 109 — That Stage

In Lin Xiaowen’s life, she had lost count of how many times she had sighed at the cruelty of fate. Yet, amidst all the coldness from above, she was grateful to have Xu Ningning by her side.

When she heard from Su Nian that Ranran was currently with Xu Ningning, the weight that had long hung over Lin Xiaowen’s heart finally lifted.

“Step aside!” Cheng Yishu placed himself between the two of them. Lin Xiaowen looked at Su Nian with deep gratitude, but to Cheng Yishu, the scene before him was painfully awkward.

“Will you just tell me clearly or not…” Cheng Yishu anxiously stared at Lin Xiaowen. “Is that Sinan really only Ranran’s uncle? Not her father?”

The worry that had plagued Lin Xiaowen was temporarily eased, and she relaxed slightly.

She sat down with a sigh, somewhat uncomfortable, and said, “When have I ever said Sinan was Ranran’s father? I only said Ranran is a child of the Si family, a member of the Si household…”

“Then who is Ranran’s father?” Cheng Yishu didn’t want to beat around the bush any longer. He was afraid of missing or misunderstanding something again.

Lin Xiaowen’s expression faltered, unsure how to explain, when Su Nian spoke up.

“Ranran’s father is Sinan’s older brother, who was also a martyr of the People’s Liberation Army… His name was Sidao.”

“A mar… martyr?” Cheng Yishu was momentarily stunned. “Sidao? Randong…”

A cascade of questions suddenly found their answers. Cheng Yishu collapsed onto the seat beside Lin Xiaowen, staring blankly in a certain direction.

So, Xiaowen had no direct relation to Sinan!

No, they did—uncle and sister-in-law!

But that couldn’t be all. If it was just that, then why would all these tangled affairs arise later?

At the banquet, Sinan introduced Lin Xiaowen as Madam Si, their gestures laced with a kind of ambiguous intimacy that drew attention…

Everything suddenly clicked in Cheng Yishu’s mind. He looked up at Lin Xiaowen and murmured, “I understand now.”

Su Nian, tired of paying him any mind, slumped onto a nearby sofa, looking at this handsome yet empty-headed celebrity and wondering what he could possibly understand.

Lin Xiaowen shyly asked, “You understand… what?”

Cheng Yishu turned sideways to face her, grabbed her hand firmly, and said solemnly, “Sinan is the heir of the Randong Group. Ranran is a child of the Si family—more importantly, the only child of Sidao… That’s why Sinan wants to bring you and Ranran back to the Si family. His main aim is to prevent Ranran from growing up and coming back to compete with him over the inheritance.”

Cheng Yishu was filled with righteous indignation, brimming with contempt for the so-called general manager of the Randong Group.

Suddenly, Su Nian burst out laughing uncontrollably. Cheng Yishu looked at him, puzzled and annoyed.

“Am I wrong?” Cheng Yishu asked seriously.

Su Nian rubbed his temples, wondering how he had ever thought this naive boy could take good care of Lin Xiaowen and her child.

“Then tell me, why did you suddenly lose so many endorsements and jobs for no reason?” Su Nian wanted to open his eyes to the truth.

Cheng Yishu was taken aback but replied, “Of course it’s because Sinan found out about my relationship with Xiaowen and deliberately sabotaged me!”

“Exactly,” Su Nian continued, “But why? Is it just to threaten Xiaowen into leaving you?”

“What else?” Cheng Yishu grew impatient at Su Nian’s teasing. “Maybe it’s because I’m more handsome!”

Lin Xiaowen twitched and couldn’t help but smile quietly.

Cheng Yishu turned to her, displeased at her smirk, and flicked her forehead with a finger.

“Am I wrong?”

“No,” she replied.

Su Nian didn’t want to waste more words and explained plainly, “It’s jealousy. And anger.”

“Jealousy?” The moment Cheng Yishu heard that word, he almost jumped up.

“Are you crazy? You’re saying Sinan likes Xiaowen? How is that possible… They’re relatives, and Xiaowen is his brother’s…”

But he couldn’t bring himself to finish the last two words. Because he refused to admit that Lin Xiaowen belonged to someone else. Even if that person was a martyr, even if it was in the past, he wouldn’t accept it.

“To others, this might sound outrageous. But to the Si family, it’s nothing unusual,” Su Nian said evenly.

Cheng Yishu, furious, shouted at him, “Just spit it out! Don’t keep teasing me like this!”

Su Nian frowned, inwardly thinking, ‘And they call this an idol? Worse manners than a common rogue…’

Clearing his throat, Su Nian continued, “The Manchu people have a tradition dating back to their ancestors: when a brother dies, his younger brother marries the widow. The Si family is a direct descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan… After Sinan met Xiaowen, he felt she was completely different from the girls he usually encountered, so…”

“I swear!” Cheng Yishu jumped up before Su Nian could finish, cursing loudly.

“That bastard… he actually…” Cheng Yishu fumed for a long moment, unable to find the right words. Then, a sudden flash of inspiration hit him, and he blurted out, “It’s simply outrageous!”

Su Nian shook his head in disbelief.

Lin Xiaowen, however, was amused. It had been a long time since she had seen Cheng Yishu so talkative.

“You’re still laughing!”

Cheng Yishu looked at her reproachfully, his tone tinged with both pain and self-blame.

“I thought you left me because Ranran’s father recognized you… That’s why you left me. Nian was right, I’m such an idiot. I didn’t even bother to find out the truth and just relied on assumptions. I had no idea you were bearing so much…”

Furrowing his brows, Cheng Yishu looked at Lin Xiaowen apologetically, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

“How could you be so foolish? If Nian hadn’t come today, would you have kept this from me forever?”

The thought of possibly missing out on a lifetime together made Cheng Yishu shudder with fear and only deepen his self-reproach.

“If because of me your life and career have been hindered, what will you have to face the possibly even more difficult future ahead of us…”

Lin Xiaowen looked at him earnestly and continued, “You always say you don’t like this industry or this work, but do you know how captivating the confidence and brilliance you radiate on stage are? And Da Lingzi always tells you to check out the fan groups—not just to get closer to your fans, but to see how many people have become better because of you, how many are inspired by you and shine in their own fields for society…”

Lin Xiaowen smiled softly at him, her small hands firmly clasping his large ones as she continued.

“You’re just blinded by those negative emotions, hiding your love for the stage. Maybe you were used to seeing that gaze fixed on you every time you performed… But Yishu, if you truly feel the passion and expectations of those who love you in the audience, I believe that will be the start of you finding yourself again, falling in love with the stage anew…”

Cheng Yishu’s heart, which had been racing wildly, slowly calmed in just a few minutes—perhaps even less.

Because Lin Xiaowen had spoken all his innermost thoughts.

How could he not love the stage that made him the center of attention?

How could he have forgotten the exhilaration of singing freely and dancing with abandon in the spotlight?

But the person who gave him all this had left, and those eyes that had always watched him were gone.

So he began to subconsciously reject and resist it.

He quietly convinced himself that he hated the stage…

He thought no one knew, just as no one could truly understand him—until this little woman came along and understood him all along.