Sheng Ting once again looked toward Shen Weiyi and said, "I hope she can trust me a little more, and have a little more confidence in both me and herself. Being together inherently requires mutual accommodation and contribution. There’s no need to feel indebted to one another, nor to feel as if one is shouldering the other’s life." The words that followed, he said to Shen Weiyi, "You can’t calculate the cost of emotions, nor the ratio of input to output, and life cannot be anticipated in every detail. I like you, and so I’m willing to make sacrifices for you, just as you like me and are willing to treat me kindly."
"Hmph, nice words, but didn’t you still leave her alone to go study abroad?" Shen Juanzhi interrupted him.
"Dad, didn’t I say that it was me who asked him to go?" Shen Weiyi couldn’t help but speak out in Sheng Ting’s defense.
"Don’t you talk!" Shen Juanzhi glared at her.
Worried that speaking out for Sheng Ting would only exacerbate the disapproval, Shen Weiyi chose to remain silent. After giving Sheng Ting a look that said ’you’re on your own,’ she got up and headed to the kitchen. Soon she returned with a cup of hot milk, handing it to Shen Juan, "You haven’t had breakfast yet, drink some milk to tide you over."
Shen Juanzhi’s expression softened considerably.
Deep down this girl still cared about him. His affection for her wasn’t for nothing.
Seeing Shen Weiyi look over, Sheng Ting gave her a reassuring smile before he continued, "Although I chose to study abroad, I never planned to give up on this relationship. Liking someone isn’t just a feeling, nor is it a simple statement. It also involves responsibility, and planning and hopes for the future. If I want to be with her properly, I must consider our future. Time and distance may dilute feelings, but I believe that, as long as the love is strong enough, none of these are obstacles. I want to stand better by her side, to let her be with me without any burdens."
This was the first time Shen Weiyi had heard him express these thoughts.
Originally, she had unilaterally initiated their breakup, hoping he would go abroad, without ever asking his opinion. Yet, he had thought of so much on his own, even planning out their future.
Shen Weiyi felt a bittersweet sensation in her heart.
She turned to Shen Juanzhi and said, "Dad, did you hear everything? It was all a misunderstanding before, we didn’t really break up."
After finishing the milk in his hand, Shen Juanzhi stood up from the sofa and said, "Fine, stay for lunch. I’ll ask the auntie to add a few more dishes. I’m too old to stay up late, I need to sleep a bit more. Let Secretary Jiang know I won’t be coming to the office this morning, have him postpone all of today’s work until the afternoon."
"Got it, Dad!" Knowing that he was relenting, Shen Weiyi couldn’t help but laugh.
"Thank you, Uncle," Sheng Ting also stood up and said, "Uncle, you can rest assured, I will take good care of Weiyi, and I won’t let you down."
Shen Juanzhi paused mid-step, turned around, and with a not so pleasant look said to him, "Don’t speak as if I’m about to marry my daughter off to you. I’m doing this for her happiness, it doesn’t mean I accept you. I won’t oppose you two dating, but if in the future you’re considering marriage, you’ll still have to pass my test. However, that’s no rush, we can discuss that later."
He wasn’t in any hurry to marry off his daughter, after all.
Seeing him suddenly bring up marriage, Shen Weiyi felt a rush of embarrassment. Who was in more of a hurry?