Free Web NovelChapter 427: Chapter 427: Yanxi 35
Of course, Xu Yanxi understood her father’s concern. "I get it. I know you’re just worried about me, Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll live a good life."
Xu Jinwu huffed. "I don’t know why, but the older you get, the more I seem to worry about you."
All Xu Yanxi could do was laugh. Her laughter eventually broke through Xu Jinwu’s grumpiness, and he turned his attention to his food, deciding it was better not to look at her.
Picking up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks, Xu Jinwu remarked, "Your cooking has gotten pretty good lately. This braised pork is actually decent."
Xu Yanxi feigned being touched. "Wow, that’s not easy. I finally managed to get a compliment out of you."
Xu Jinwu wanted to smile, but then he thought of Tan You’s past behavior, and the smile died on his lips. He felt the urge to ask, but he swallowed the words. Some things just couldn’t be forced.
He was already content enough that his own daughter had come back to him.
During winter break, Xu Yanxi mostly stayed with Xu Jinwu in her hometown. She had expected it to be peaceful, but to her surprise, that group of Tan You’s students managed to find their way to the countryside.
Xu Yanxi paid them no mind, but she was a little surprised. "Song Yuan, your company is doing so well. Is it really okay for you to be away from the office?"
Song Yuan replied, "It’s time for my annual leave anyway. We don’t go back to work until the sixth day of the New Year. Teacher, we’re planning our wedding for this May, and you have to sit at the head table."
"Without you, where would Jin Li and I be today?"
These were students Tan You had carefully nurtured, so of course Xu Yanxi wouldn’t refuse his request. "Alright, I’ll definitely be there. From the sounds of it, you’re planning a big wedding?"
Song Yuan nodded. "Yes. After all, Jin Li is a popular streamer, and my business is doing pretty well. If we don’t make the wedding a grand affair, there will be unpleasant rumors about her."
Jin Li leaned against Xu Yanxi. "I wish I weren’t so famous. I’m actually really envious of Little Snow and Xiuzai. They had a small, cozy wedding, witnessed only by the most important people in their lives."
"Our wedding may be large, but the genuine sentiment... to be frank, there are a lot of business interests tangled up in it."
Xu Yanxi gently poked her on the forehead. "Your professions are different, and you deal with different circles of people. But it doesn’t matter what the outside world thinks. As long as you and Song Yuan are devoted to each other, that’s all that matters."
Song Yuan squeezed Jin Li’s hand. "Don’t worry, Teacher. I’ll work hard to protect our little family. Now that we’ve chosen each other, we’ll stay on this path together, unwavering."
Xu Yanxi looked at the group of young people in the room. "This is wonderful. I’m so happy to see you all doing so well."
Jin Xiuyu, who had shamelessly tagged along, finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Teacher, don’t you like my Uncle Sheng? I even went to your place to find you, but you weren’t there."
No one was surprised at the mention of Uncle Sheng. After all, their condition for bringing Jin Xiuyu along was for him to get the scoop on Sheng Zhou. This group of students was fully aware of what had happened between him and Xu Yanxi.
Xu Yanxi smiled, not at all embarrassed to discuss her personal life in front of her students. "Sheng Zhou is indeed an excellent man. You could even say that our core values are almost perfectly aligned."
"If it were just a question of compatibility, then rationally, we should be a good match. But love and marriage can’t be sustained by logic alone; they require emotion."
"We both agree that love isn’t the most important thing to us—it’s just a small part of our lives. But it’s precisely because we know we’re the same kind of person in that regard that I can’t accept him."
"This might make me sound like I have a double standard, but I still want to find someone who isn’t stingy with their emotions. Sheng Zhou... he’s too cold. He can’t give me that kind of emotional connection."
Jin Li sighed. "I think it’s not that he *can’t* give it, but that he *won’t*. If you genuinely like and admire someone, you’ll naturally be willing to do anything for them."
Xu Yanxi let out a small laugh. "I don’t need him to do anything for me. I’m not after anyone’s money or power. The only thing that can make me stay is genuine affection. If that’s not there, why would I even bother being with someone?"
Jin Xiuyu was finally starting to understand. "I think Uncle Sheng is just too proud. He probably never imagined you’d reject him after he expressed his interest, Teacher."
"Well, that’s his problem. I have the right to say no, don’t I?" Xu Yanxi shrugged. "Look, I’m doing just fine on my own. It’s not like I absolutely need a man in my life. But if I’m going to choose to date or get married, there has to be some fundamental emotional connection."
"If that’s missing, and it’s just about whether our circumstances are a good fit, then I don’t see the point. After all, life on my own is perfectly comfortable."
Xu Jinwu had been listening in the whole time. He finally understood why Xu Yanxi had come back to the countryside so early—she was hiding from someone. But after hearing what she had to say, Xu Jinwu found he had no objections.
He didn’t approve of women being dramatic enough to live or die for love, but if there wasn’t even a shred of warmth in a relationship, that was just too cold. He’d rather his daughter live a comfortable life by herself.
"Someone as wonderful as you, Teacher, deserves to be with someone who truly adores you." Jin Li was unconditionally on Xu Yanxi’s side; she clearly understood her point.
Xu Yanxi could only offer a small portion of her heart to love, yet she required her partner to give far more. To others, this might seem like a double standard. After all, if you can only give so little yourself, how can you demand so much from someone else?
Zheng Xue mulled this over for a long moment before speaking. "In that case, I guess the Teacher and I are the same when it comes to love. It doesn’t hold much weight in my heart either. But Xiuzai has always been so good to me, always taking the initiative."
Li Xiuzai countered, "That’s different. You might not place a high value on love, but the part of your heart that you do reserve for it is filled entirely with me. I’m more than satisfied with that."
Zheng Xue replied, "That’s why I’m so lucky to have met you. But sometimes I wonder if it’s unfair to you, because you put in so much effort for me."
Li Xiuzai argued, "You’ve done so much for me, too. Love is all about mutual effort and taking care of each other. Sure, I gave you my paychecks from the very beginning, but you’ve organized my entire life and kept everything in perfect order."
"All I did was provide the money. I don’t have to worry about any of the day-to-day things. That’s your contribution."
"You’re so outstanding. Several men have confessed their feelings to you over the past few years, and you rejected every single one. Some of them were more accomplished than me, came from better families, and had better jobs. Isn’t that a sacrifice?"
"We should focus on actions. You just don’t say it out loud, but you’ve actually done so much. As for who puts in more emotional effort, as long as we both accept the dynamic, then it’s valid and it works."
Listening to Li Xiuzai’s rare long-winded speech, Xu Yanxi smiled. "This is the first time I’ve ever heard Xiuzai say so much. I think I understand now. Whether you love someone or not isn’t about what you say, it’s about what you do."
