Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 70: Do You Have to Appease Someone Even If You Did Nothing Wrong?

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Do You Have to Appease Someone Even If You Did Nothing Wrong?

Shen Yubai was smart, perceptive. He knew that if he asked Shen Sinian directly if there were any grudge or grievances between Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan, he would definitely not get an answer.

So, taking a roundabout approach and asking about their relationship, he might get a vague response.

After sending the message, Shen Yubai stared at his phone in contemplation. Before Shen Sinian’s emergence, he hadn’t heard of any discord between Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan. Of course, it might also be that he didn’t care about the grievances between girls, so he was unaware.

However, Xu Chuning’s personality didn’t seem like one to cause trouble intentionally. Nowadays, she almost always approached issues with the intention of making a big problem small, and a small problem smaller.

So, that just left the future.

But in the future, what would cause the two of them to have a conflict?

Shen Yubai couldn’t figure it out.

Suddenly, he thought of the rumors at school. Could it be because of him? That seemed unlikely.

Shen Yubai had a bit of self-awareness, relatively speaking. It seemed improbable that Xu Chuning would be unhappy with Xu Zhiyan because of him.

Of course, it might be that Xu Zhiyan unilaterally regarded Xu Chuning as a thorn in her side, but if that were the case, then it should be Xu Zhiyan who disliked Xu Chuning, not Shen Sinian who disliked Xu Zhiyan.

The more he thought about it, the more Shen Yubai felt like he was probably overlooking an essential thread.

But what was the critical thread he was missing? He didn’t have any clues for the time being.

As he was pondering this, his phone chimed.

Shen Yubai lowered his gaze; it was a reply from Shen Sinian: [Average.]

Shen Yubai knitted his brow: [Are you sure it’s just average?]

Shen Sinian: [Yes.]

But that wasn’t true.

In the future, the relationship between Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan was far from being just average because Xu Zhiyan hated Xu Chuning. She felt like Xu Chuning had stolen everything she possessed, Shen Yubai, and the Xu Family parents.

However, Shen Sinian wasn’t clear whether Xu Chuning’s feelings toward Xu Zhiyan were hate or simple dislike. He had never heard Xu Chuning discuss this with him. He had only heard Sang Menglan mention a tiny bit about Xu Chuning’s return to the Xu Family.

Just based on that event Sang Menglan had discussed with him, Shen Sinian knew that Xu Zhiyan was a person he disliked.

Whether Xu Chuning disliked her or not, he wasn’t sure. But he certainly disliked her.

To prevent Shen Yubai from probing any further, Shen Sinian changed the subject: [Why are you suddenly asking about this?]

Shen Yubai: [Just asking casually.]

Shen Sinian: [...Oh, so you actually care about other girls’ business.]

Shen Yubai: [?]

Shen Sinian: [Xu Zhiyan.]

Shen Yubai speechless: [When did I ever care about her?]

Shen Sinian: [Isn’t asking about her relationship with Ningning showing concern for her?]

Seeing this message, Shen Yubai genuinely felt like going next door to call Shen Sinian out and ask him straight what was really going on in his mind. How could asking about Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan’s situation be considered as showing concern for Xu Zhiyan?

He could have a different guess.

Seemingly knowing what Shen Yubai might think, Shen Sinian sent him one more message: [If you like Ningning, I have a piece of advice for you.]

Shen Yubai was just about to say when he ever expressed liking her.

But Shen Sinian’s message came first: [Don’t ever mention other girls’ names.]

This, Shen Sinian understood very well.

For girls, if a guy even mentions another girl’s name, they would get upset.

Moreover, the girl Shen Yubai mentioned was Xu Zhiyan. If Xu Chuning found out about this, her unhappiness would amplify.

Reading Shen Sinian’s message, Shen Yubai smirked: [You seem to understand quite a bit.]

Shen Sinian: [Of course, this is something the future you told me.]

Shen Yubai: [?]

Shen Sinian: [I don’t remember clearly, but probably when I was in elementary school, a recently graduated female university student came to your company. Once, when discussing some project out of town, a manager brought this female university student along, and then you mentioned this female university student while on a call with Ningning.]

Shen Yubai: "Don’t slander me."

In the future, he likes Xu Chuning, so it’s impossible for him to do something that would wrong her.

Shen Yubai is very confident in himself about these matters.

Shen Sinian: "I didn’t say you cheated."

Shen Yubai: "I would never cheat."

Shen Sinian: "Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Shen Yubai: "...Go on."

Shen Sinian: "Anyhow, I’m not certain of the details, but the gist of it is Ningning got mad at you after hearing the name of a female college student from you."

Shen Yubai: "She gets mad even though I did nothing wrong to her?"

Shen Sinian: "After you pacified her back then, you told me, from now on, if you like a girl, it’s strictly forbidden to mention another woman’s name, even if she’s just a subordinate or colleague."

Shen Yubai: "I pacified her?"

In the future, he would have to pacify someone even if he didn’t do anything wrong?

Shen Sinian: "Yeah, what, you wanted Ningning to pacify you instead?"

Shen Yubai: "..."

He really hadn’t dared to think that far.

He just really wanted to know, how his future self had brought up that girl’s name, causing Xu Chuning to get so angry.

Because the present Xu Chuning doesn’t seem like someone who would get upset over just a name. Even with his school rumors involving Xu Zhiyan, she was indifferent.

With these thoughts, Shen Yubai let out a disgruntled hum.

Heartless.

While they were deep in conversation, Xu Chuning, who was helping a senior with homework in a rental room, sneezed. You Shuzhen, after finishing her washing up, heard it and asked with concern, "Did you catch a cold?"

"No, I don’t think so." Xu Chuning rubbed her nose, "Mom, I’m not that fragile."

You Shuzhen cast a disapproving glance, "I’ll boil some hot water for you. I know the weather is hot and young people like to drink cold water, but cold water isn’t good for your health."

She murmured as she went to boil water, "You should still drink more hot water."

Xu Chuning listened and chuckled in response, "I know."

She turned around, "Mom, you should drink more water, too."

You Shuzhen doesn’t like drinking water.

Maybe it’s not that she doesn’t like it, but she just tends to forget.

When she’s busy, she could forget to even use the restroom, let alone drink water. You Shuzhen would just hold it in, and Xu Chuning was really worried she would harm her body that way.

You Shuzhen looked up at her, "I know, go do your homework, I’ll bring it to you when it’s ready."

Xu Chuning watched her silhouette under the light and suddenly realized, without knowing when, You Shuzhen had aged quite a bit. There were more lines on her face, and from her current angle, she could see a few strands of white hair.

Looking at this scene, Xu Chuning’s eyes grew unexpectedly sore. She pursed her lips and responded with her head down, "You’ve worked hard."

You Shuzhen: "Boiling water isn’t hard."

Xu Chuning did not continue the conversation.

Boiling water wasn’t hard, but raising her, maintaining this home, persisting for so many years, all that was hard.

Xu Chuning would occasionally put herself in someone else’s shoes and think, if it were her, she wasn’t sure she could be as positive as You Shuzhen, persisting day in and day out for so many years.

Persisting for a wish that might never come true.

As Xu Chuning was thinking, her phone inside the drawer dinged twice. She took it out and saw three QQ messages from Shen Sinian.

Shen Sinian: "He just asked me about your relationship with that girl."

Shen Sinian: "...Are you really not going to let me tell him your true identity?"

Shen Sinian: "Can I know the reason why?"

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