novelraw Chapter 105: Arranging a Blind Date
Chapter 105: Arranging a Blind Date
He twitched his fingers, trying to push himself up, but a sudden wave of dizziness forced him back down.
His superiors had forced him to take leave, saying, "You almost died. Stop acting like a tough guy and stay in bed!"
That phone call lasted a full ten minutes.
They even threatened to suspend him from duty until he was fully recovered.
He opened his mouth, wanting to argue.
But in the end, he just sighed softly and closed his eyes in resignation.
He couldn’t refuse it, so he could only accept his fate.
But strangely, the more he slept, the more tired he felt.
He had thought more rest would restore his Primordial Energy.
But sleep was like a black hole, sucking away all his energy.
He woke up each day more exhausted than the last.
The more he tried to recuperate, the weaker he became.
He was eating refined meals and drinking soups brewed with expensive medicinal herbs.
Yet his complexion grew more ashen by the day.
But whenever Ding Qin brought him the soup, she would look at him with such expectation.
He didn’t have the heart to refuse and could only force himself to drink it all.
For days on end, he couldn’t even be bothered to go down the stairs.
Ding Qin and Ling Zhenkang were frantic with worry.
The two of them conferred countless times in private, digging out the family’s heirloom medicinal recipes and asking people to fetch old hens and wild Ganoderma mushrooms from the countryside. They wished they could pile every nourishing thing imaginable in front of him.
Fearing a relapse of some internal injury, they called specialists late into the night. They even started arranging matchmaking sessions for their son.
The doctor on the other end of the line was silent for a long time after hearing a few of the symptoms.
He only said it would be best to get a full check-up and then offered nothing more.
This, in turn, only made them panic more.
"Old Ling, if we don’t find someone for him soon, our family line will be cut off!"
Ding Qin sat on the sofa, her hands clasped tightly.
"Anxun is in this state... what if... what if something happens to him? Will the Ling family line just end with us?"
They didn’t notice someone outside the window, listening to every word.
Ling Zhiwei was crouching under the old scholar tree in the corner of the courtyard, clutching a handful of fallen leaves.
When he heard the words "end with us," he shot to his feet.
"Shanshan, don’t be afraid! I’ll go talk to Grandma and Grandpa! This can’t happen!"
"Fourth Brother! Don’t go!"
Shanshan rushed out from behind the house, her steps stumbling and her face filled with panic.
She lunged forward and clamped her hand tightly over Ling Zhiwei’s mouth.
"I’m begging you... don’t go... I don’t want to make things even uglier for the family..."
She half-dragged, half-pulled him away, her nails digging deep into his arm.
"Stop making a scene. I think this is fine."
"Having his own wife and kids—isn’t that the most normal thing in the world?"
"You really think so?"
Ling Zhiwei stopped struggling and turned to stare at her.
But this time, Shanshan lowered her head, her gaze drifting to the ground. She didn’t dare look at him at all.
"Of course. I’m just an adopted daughter. How could I stand in the way of Dad living a normal life just because of me?"
Ling Zhiwei was speechless.
It wasn’t his place to interfere in something like this.
In the end, all he could do was awkwardly change the subject.
"The weather’s getting cold. You’re not wearing much, be careful you don’t catch a cold."
But this time, Shanshan didn’t respond immediately like she usually did.
Her silence was unsettling.
Even when facing other relatives, she would just force a smile.
When she was alone, she would always retreat silently to a corner of her room.
The sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the tips of her hair, but it couldn’t reach her heart.
Gradually, everyone in the family noticed that something was wrong.
"Hey? What’s been going on with Shanshan lately?"
"Zhiwei, did you upset her again? She’s always doted on you the most. If you keep messing around, see if I don’t teach you a lesson!"
"Mom! I really didn’t! This really has nothing to do with me!"
Ling Zhiwei waved his hands frantically, his face a picture of grievance.
"I haven’t even argued with her for days! She’s not ignoring everyone because of me!"
Jing Shu Cui narrowed her eyes, looking her son up and down.
Ling Zhiwei felt his skin crawl under her gaze. His face flushed red with anxiety as he waved his hands and explained.
"Mom, don’t look at me like that, it really wasn’t me! If you don’t believe me, you can go ask Grandpa and Grandma! They’ve been talking about Little Uncle’s business every day for the past few days, and I heard everything!"
"What does that have to do with them?"
Jing Shu Cui snorted, her tone suddenly severe.
"Looks like you’re itching for a beating! How old are you, still learning to lie and pass the buck? You think I don’t know what you’re up to?"
Before she had even finished speaking, she spun around and headed for the broom rack by the door, reaching for a broom.
Seeing this, Ling Zhiwei was scared out of his wits. Without a second word, he bolted for the door.
"Mom! Don’t hit me! It’s really about Little Uncle! Hitting me won’t do any good!"
He shouted as he ran.
Reaching the doorway, he screeched to a halt and shouted back into the room.
"Grandpa and Grandma are setting Little Uncle up on blind dates! Shanshan says it’s fine, but she’s actually miserable about it!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had been too blunt and quickly turned to flee.
But before he could take a single step, he ran headfirst into a solid chest.
"OW! My nose!"
Ling Zhiwei cried out in pain, stumbling back two steps while clutching his nose tightly.
Ling Anxun looked down at him.
"What did you just say? Who are Grandpa and Grandma setting up on blind dates? When did this happen?"
Ling Zhiwei shivered, his nose stinging and his ears ringing.
He looked up at his Little Uncle, only to see the man’s chiseled face was completely expressionless.
"Uh... L-Little Uncle, what are you doing here?"
However, his attempt to change the subject failed completely.
He recounted everything he had heard and seen over the past few days, not leaving out a single word.
He also mentioned how Shanshan would smile and agree on the surface, but then fall silent for long periods.
Ling Anxun listened quietly, his expression growing darker and darker.
’No wonder...’
’No wonder Shanshan’s eyes have been so evasive whenever she’s seen me lately.’
His heart suddenly felt as if it had been viciously squeezed.
’I never planned on getting married in this lifetime.’
’It’s not that I don’t want to, but that I don’t dare.’
He wanted to make things clear to Shanshan, to tell her himself that the blind dates were all a misunderstanding and that he’d never had any intention of remarrying.
But every time he tried to talk to her, she would find some excuse to avoid him.
Too much homework, she had to study, she needed to help Grandma clean her room...
He had sought her out several times, but not once had they been able to have a real conversation.
Ling Anxun stood in the doorway, his fingers tightening unconsciously until his knuckles turned white.
’I should just forget about being gentle,’ he thought, ’drag her into a room, close the door, and get everything out in the open once and for all.’
Just as he was about to move, the doorbell suddenly rang.
He pulled back his foot and turned toward the front door.
Ling Zhiwei took the opportunity to rub his nose and slip away behind the living room sofa.
Ling Anxun opened the door.
Standing outside was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing a pure white maxi dress.
"Hello, Auntie, Uncle. My name is Fang Jianing."
As soon as Ding Qin heard this, her face lit up with a smile and she hurried over.
"Oh my, come in, come in! I’ve heard so much about you. You’re such a beautiful and sensible child!"
Ling Zhenkang, also sitting on the sofa, gave a discreet nod of approval.
Just then, Shanshan came running out of her room.
When Ding Qin saw her, her heart tightened, and she quickly let go of Fang Jianing’s hand.
"Shanshan, come here, come to Grandma."
"This is the daughter Anxun raised, Ling Xueshan. We call her Shanshan for short."
Ding Qin introduced her with a smile, her gentle tone unable to hide her pride.