Chapter 36: Returning to the Hometown

Liang Chunmei blushed at her son’s teasing. "Old Chen just happens to greet me occasionally, don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Yang draped an arm over his mother’s shoulder and said, "Sister Chunmei, Old Chen is a decent man—honest and reliable, far better than the father who left us drowning in debt. Who knows, in a year or two, you might even give me a younger sibling to keep me company. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Liang Chunmei swatted at him. "It seems your brain is fine after all, since you’ve still got that cheeky mouth of yours. Even though your father has been missing for over a year, he’s not technically gone yet, and here you are, pushing me to find a new partner."

Jiang Yang snorted coldly. "He gambled away our money and left us with a mountain of debt. Even if he came back, I wouldn't acknowledge him."

As the mother and son spoke, Xiaoqing slipped into the kitchen, bustling about with focused energy.

Liang Chunmei looked at Jiang Yang, then at Xiaoqing, who was working away like a dutiful daughter-in-law. Her eyes turned mischievous. "Have you two made up now?"

Jiang Yang lowered his voice. "Sister Chunmei, let's put that aside for a moment. I actually have a few things I need to ask you. Before I had the accident, did I ever mention to you that I was planning to confess my feelings to a woman?"

"I did!" Liang Chunmei answered bluntly.

Jiang Yang felt a surge of hope. It seemed he should have asked his mother sooner. "Did I tell you who it was?"

"You certainly *intended* to," Liang Chunmei’s words instantly extinguished his hope.

Jiang Yang’s mouth twitched. "What do you mean, 'I intended to'?"

"You called me and said you planned to confess your feelings to a woman and ask for her hand in marriage at the same time. I told you that was wonderful—it showed you were serious about love and committed to a future with her. I told you to be brave and go for it, that your mother supported you!"

Jiang Yang’s eyes widened. "That’s it? And… I didn't tell you who this woman was? Or, as a mother, shouldn't you have at least asked what your future daughter-in-law was like?"

Liang Chunmei smiled. "Why would I ask? You’re twenty-four, not a child. You can handle your own life’s major decisions; why should I interfere? If I gave my opinion and you ended up unhappy, wouldn't you just blame me? Besides, you hadn't even confessed yet. If she agreed, I could ask about her then, couldn't I?"

Jiang Yang’s mouth twitched again. "Sister Chunmei, you really are carefree. You didn't even bother to ask about your son’s lifelong commitment."

"You’re a grown man, why should I fret over it? By the way, is that woman Xiaoqing? The way she looked at you when she came back was different. Is there something going on between you two?"

Jiang Yang felt like he might faint. His mother had just said she was carefree, yet now she was gossiping? Great, the only potential lead he had was now dead. Where else could he look for clues?

"Sister, what are you and Jiang Yang whispering about? Surely you aren't talking about me?" Xiaoqing walked out of the kitchen, smiling as she carried a plate of steaming food.

Liang Chunmei said, "Nothing, just talking about his accident. Xiaoqing, he was saying..." She saw Jiang Yang frantically signaling her with his eyes and shifted gears immediately: "...saying he’s lucky to be alive and that he’ll definitely treasure his life and be grateful for everything from now on!"

Jiang Yang let out a sigh of relief. His mother might be flighty, but she was sharp when it counted and had covered for him.

"That’s for sure. Not just Jiang Yang, all of us should treasure life." Xiaoqing clasped her hands together, a smile playing on her lips. "I have some good news to tell you, too."

"What good news?" Jiang Yang and his mother asked in unison. It had been a long time since this family had heard any good news.

"I’m not going back to the United States. I’m going to stay and work here in China, and..." Xiaoqing’s beautiful eyes turned toward Jiang Yang, "...the job is right here in S City!"

Jiang Yang stiffened. She was coming for him. He hadn't even figured out the situation with Wang Ruolan and the other women, and now this game of "Werewolf" had added another player.

Liang Chunmei looked delighted. "That’s wonderful! Are you still working for a fund company?"

After graduating, Xiaoqing had worked in finance in the United States. Two years in, she had invested all her savings into a small fund company. Not long after it was founded, the company failed, and she had fallen into a dire situation as a minority shareholder. Liang Chunmei and Jiang Yang had known about it at the time, but they hadn't mentioned it to her while they were struggling with their own massive debts in China. Only after all their debts were paid off did Liang Chunmei tell her. Xiaoqing had been heartbroken, saying that if she had known the family was in such deep trouble, she would have borrowed money from anywhere to help pay it off. Jiang Yang had retorted that she was struggling to survive on her own abroad—what was she going to do, sell her organs? They had gotten into a huge fight over video call, stopped speaking for twenty days, and only reconciled once she returned to China.

"This time I’m working for a venture capital firm called Sunshine Capital," Xiaoqing said, serving a bowl of soup to both Jiang Yang and his mother.

Although it wasn't his field, Jiang Yang had heard of Sunshine Capital; it was a major player in the venture capital world.

He asked, "Why leave the fund company and switch to venture capital?"

"The company’s boss, Su Qing, is a legendary woman. She spent time in prison, and the story of how she used five hundred million to leverage a fifty-billion-dollar acquisition after her release is a myth in the investment world. I might learn a lot working there." She paused, resting her chin on her hand, and looked at Jiang Yang with a smile. "Of course, there’s another important reason: the company is in S City."

Jiang Yang buried his head in his soup, staying silent. It was best to keep quiet when one was prone to saying the wrong thing. Although he couldn't be sure who he had intended to confess to, Xiaoqing had last visited more than half a year ago. That meant if he had been riding his electric scooter to confess that night, it probably wasn't her. He could feel that he cared for Xiaoqing, but for that very reason, if she wasn't the one, he needed to be clear with her as soon as possible to avoid hurting her.

With that decision made, Jiang Yang felt a bit more relaxed. They chatted and joked throughout the meal, and for a moment, the family atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

After dinner, once the dishes were cleared, his mother said she was going downstairs for a walk, leaving Xiaoqing and Jiang Yang alone.

Xiaoqing took off her apron. "Jiang Yang, walk with me to People's Park."

People's Park was where Jiang Yang used to play as a child, and Xiaoqing had joined him there every time she visited.

"Sure," Jiang Yang thought, this was the perfect opportunity to set things straight.