Chapter 37: No Traces Left, Might as Well Lie Flat

Liang Chunmei blushed at her son’s words. "Old Chen just occasionally greets me, don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Yang draped his arm over his mother’s shoulder and said, "Sister Chunmei, Old Chen is a good man. He’s honest and steady, much better than my old man, who left us with a mountain of debt. Who knows? In a year or two, you might even give me a younger sibling to keep me company. You won't be so lonely then, wouldn't that be nice?"

Liang Chunmei spat at her son. "It seems your brain really is fine, you have no sense of propriety. Even though your father has been missing for over a year, he isn't officially gone yet, and here you are, a son, encouraging me to find a new partner."

Jiang Yang snorted coldly. "He gambled away money abroad and saddled us with all that debt; even if he came back, I wouldn't acknowledge him."

As the mother and son spoke, Xiaoqing had already ducked into the kitchen, bustling about energetically. Liang Chunmei looked at Jiang Yang, then at Xiaoqing, who was working like a devoted young wife, and her expression turned suggestive. "Have you two made up now?"

Jiang Yang lowered his voice slightly. "Sister Chunmei, let's put that aside for a moment. Actually, there are a few things I wanted to ask you. Before I had the car accident, did I ever mention to you that I wanted to confess my feelings to someone?"

"Yes, you did!" Liang Chunmei answered bluntly.

Jiang Yang felt a surge of joy; it seemed asking his mother earlier would have saved him so much trouble. "Then did I tell you who that person was?"

"You certainly wanted to tell me."

Jiang Yang was shocked. "What do you mean, 'I certainly wanted to tell you'? Does that mean I never actually said it?"

"It wasn't that you didn't want to say it; it was that I didn't want to listen." Liang Chunmei instantly extinguished Jiang Yang’s hopes.

"Sister Chunmei, are you really my mother? Why wouldn't you want to listen?" Jiang Yang felt like he was falling apart; he couldn't believe he had a mother like this.

Liang Chunmei explained with a smile, "At the time, you called and said you were planning to confess to a woman and propose to her at the same time. I said that was wonderful, as it showed you were serious about love, and if you intended to walk through life with someone, you should go ahead and confess bravely. Mom supports you!"

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

Liang Chunmei chuckled. "What’s there to ask? You’re twenty-four, not a child. You should make your own decisions regarding the major events of your life; why would I need to pry into that? If I gave my opinion and you ended up unhappy, wouldn't you just blame me? Besides, it wasn't even certain if your confession would succeed. Once she agrees, then I can ask about her, right?"

Jiang Yang’s mouth twitched. "Sister Chunmei, you really are laid back. You wouldn't even ask a single question about your son's life-long commitment."

"You’re a grown man, why would I worry about that? Hey, is the person you were going to confess to Xiaoqing? I saw the way she looked at you when she came back, is there something going on between you two?"

Jiang Yang almost coughed up blood. Mom, you just said you were laid back, and now you're acting like a gossip? Now the only potential lead had been cut off by her, and since he had amnesia, how was he supposed to know?

"Sister, what are you and Jiang Yang whispering about? You aren't talking about me, are you?" Liang Xiaoqing emerged from the kitchen, smiling as she carried a tray of steaming food.

Liang Chunmei replied, "Nothing, just talking about his accident. Xiaoyang said he..." She turned and saw Jiang Yang frantically signaling her with his eyes, and she immediately changed her tune. "...said he was lucky to survive this time, and that from now on, he will cherish his life and be grateful for everything!"

Jiang Yang exhaled in relief. Although his mother could be carefree at times, she was sharp when it mattered most and had at least provided him with a cover.

"That goes without saying; not just Jiang Yang, all of us should cherish life." Xiaoqing clasped her hands together, a smile playing on her lips. "Since I'm back, I also have some good news to share."

"What good news?" Jiang Yang and his mother asked in unison; it had been too long since this family had heard any good news.

"I won't be going back to the United States. I’ve decided to work here, and..." Xiaoqing’s beautiful eyes turned toward Jiang Yang. "I’ll be working right here in S City!"

Jiang Yang’s expression stiffened. This was clearly aimed at him. He hadn't even figured out the situation with Wang Ruolan and the other women, and now this game of "Werewolf" had gained another player.

Liang Chunmei’s face lit up. "That’s wonderful! Are you going to be working at a fund company again?"

After graduating, Liang Xiaoqing had worked in the financial sector in the U.S. Two years into her career, she had invested all her savings into a small fund company. Unfortunately, not long after its founding, the company’s investments failed, and it went bankrupt, leaving her in a dire situation. Liang Chunmei and Jiang Yang had known about it at the time, but because they were buried in their own massive debt back home, they hadn't told her. It was only after all their debts were cleared that Liang Chunmei finally informed her.

When she found out, she was heartbroken, saying that if she had known about the family's troubles, she would have found a way to pay off the debt no matter what. Jiang Yang had retorted that she was barely surviving abroad herself—what was she going to do, sell her soul or her kidney? Because of this, they had gotten into a heated argument over a video call, resulting in twenty days of silence between them. By the time they saw each other again, she had already returned to the country.

"This time, I'm working at a venture capital firm called Sunshine Capital. I'm just starting as a junior staffer," Xiaoqing said, serving a bowl of soup to both Jiang Yang and Liang Chunmei.

"Sunshine Capital? Isn't that company just down the street from us?"

"Yes, it's in the building across from yours. The boss, Su Qing, is a legendary woman. The story of how she went to prison and, after her release, used five hundred million to leverage a fifty-billion acquisition 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 here in S City."

Jiang Yang quickly buried his head in his soup, staying silent. It was best to say little when it was easy to say the wrong thing. Although he couldn't be certain who he had intended to confess to, he knew that the last time Liang Xiaoqing had visited was over six months ago. That meant that if he had been riding his electric scooter to confess to someone that night, it probably wasn't her.

He could feel that he cared deeply for Sister Xiaoqing, but for that very reason, if she wasn't the one his heart belonged to, he needed to be clear with her as soon as possible to avoid hurting her.

With his mind made up, Jiang Yang felt a little more at ease. During the meal, he even joked around, and for a moment, the family enjoyed a harmonious atmosphere. After dinner and cleaning up, his mother said she was going downstairs for a walk and left the house, leaving only Xiaoqing and Jiang Yang behind.

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

People's Park was a place Jiang Yang had frequented as a child. Every time Liang Xiaoqing came to visit from her grandfather's house, she and Jiang Yang would go there to play.

"Sure," Jiang Yang thought, feeling that this was the perfect opportunity to clear things up.