Chapter 1084: 720: Don’t Worry, We Have a Lifetime Ahead of Us (6,000)

"By the way, did you actually already know that the old man and the old lady were going to announce you inheriting the position of Family Head?""I really didn’t know."

"Then why did you act so calm..."

"Though I did kind of expect it."

Yin Shixiu replied, "The old man is already eighty, and these past two years his body’s really not what it used to be. It’s the same with the old lady. The matters of the family really shouldn’t be tiring them out anymore."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng pressed along the nerves in his leg, her technique growing more and more skillful.

"Once you’ve reached the age where you should be enjoying your twilight years, then you should properly enjoy your twilight years."

Su Xiaomeng unconsciously puckered her lips and muttered,

"I’m just telling you this, don’t you go telling Mom and Dad..."

"Go on."

"I’m really scared."

"Scared of what?"

Su Xiaomeng’s hand paused for a moment. She took a deep breath and exhaled two words, "Responsibility."

"..."

"I’m not as capable as you. I honestly feel like I can’t carry the burden and responsibility of the Yin Family."

"Then... what should we do?"

Yin Shixiu asked with a soft chuckle, as if he didn’t really take it to heart.

Xiao Meng tipped her head back,

"Hey, can’t you tell I’m asking you for advice? How do you end up throwing the question back at me?"

"Meng Meng."

"What?"

"Unless we get divorced. But... the Yin Family’s rules are right there. If we get divorced, I can’t continue as Family Head either."

"Yin Shixiu! What are you saying!"

Su Xiaomeng abruptly stood up, her face dead serious, anger flickering in her eyes.

Yin Shixiu blinked. He hadn’t expected Su Xiaomeng to suddenly jump up like that. He hurriedly cleared his throat and tugged at her hand,

"I haven’t finished what I was saying yet, don’t get worked up so fast."

"What more is there to finish! You think you’re so great now, actually daring to toss the word divorce around!"

"Meng Meng... I just said it casually. How could I possibly have any thought of divorcing you?"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng just stared at him coldly like that.

That joke from Yin Shixiu really wasn’t a big one, but... it hit the landmine in Su Xiaomeng’s heart.

She’s already experienced the pain of being widowed, and now he’s actually joking about divorce...

"The Yin Family’s responsibility, that burden—I’ll carry it, Meng Meng... you don’t have to be afraid, okay?"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng looked at him lowering his voice, carefully trying to soothe her...

She knew too that her reaction was in fact a bit much.

Yin Shixiu pulled her closer, letting her lean against his legs, gently stroking her hair,

"Have you ever thought that the reason the old man and the old lady didn’t tell us beforehand was because they were afraid you’d shrink back, afraid you’d refuse..."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng froze for a moment.

"They feel guilty toward you, so they were afraid that if they brought it up to your face, you’d turn them down. And if you did refuse... what would they do then?"

Yin Shixiu asked.

Su Xiaomeng pressed her lips together,

"I never thought about refusing... it’s just..."

"Not even out of spite, you never thought about refusing?"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng fell silent. Yin Shixiu’s words hit the nail on the head.

"There’s really nothing to be scared of, Meng Meng... I’m a half-cripple sitting in a wheelchair, and even I’m not scared. You’re so outstanding—what do you have to be afraid of?"

Yin Shixiu said with a soft laugh.

Su Xiaomeng leaned against his legs, and couldn’t help but pout again...

She mumbled,

"Don’t butter me up like that..."

"Haha!"

Yin Shixiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud, which earned him nothing more than a big eye-roll from Su Xiaomeng.

This really wasn’t a good topic, so Su Xiaomeng took the initiative to jump away from it,

"The University of Bath sent me an email asking how to handle my enrollment status..."

"And you—what are you thinking?"

"I want to keep studying. I never planned to just drop it."

"Good, then keep studying."

Yin Shixiu answered, holding her hand.

But Su Xiaomeng didn’t look all that happy; instead, a bit of hesitation came over her face,

"If I want to keep going, I can sit for the exams with my cohort after Christmas. If I pass the exams, I can move up with them. If I don’t, I’ll have to repeat a year."

"Mm."

Yin Shixiu nodded, listening to her continue.

"If I have to go back to Bath to take the exams, I won’t be able to go with you to Munich."

"I’m going to Munich for treatment. The rehab period is very long; I can’t expect you to stay by my side the whole time."

"I’m willing to stay by your side the whole time!"

Su Xiaomeng blurted out.

"Do you still remember how hard it was when you applied to Bath?"

"..."

"Whether I’ll be able to stand up again isn’t determined by whether you stay with me—it’s determined by medical technology. Bath won’t keep your enrollment forever. In comparison, you going back to Bath and me going to Munich... that’s the best choice."

Su Xiaomeng looked at Yin Shixiu...

She kept staring, and her eyes slowly turned red...

"What’s wrong?"

Su Xiaomeng sniffed, turned her face away, like she was actually angry.

"Meng Meng?"

"You’re really that willing to let me go..."

Yin Shixiu felt completely defeated. Sometimes women are really impossible to appease.

"Then are you willing to give up your studies?"

"I..."

Su Xiaomeng hesitated for a moment, then looked at Yin Shixiu, her expression serious and resolute,

"If you open your mouth and say you want me to go to Munich with you, I’d be willing to give up my studies."

"No."

Yin Shixiu reached out, wrapped his arm around her neck, pressing his forehead to hers,

"Meng Meng, I can’t bear to be without you, and I can’t bear to let you give up your studies. But... these past few years, I think we’ve already come to really understand each other."

"Understand my ass..."

Su Xiaomeng snorted.

Yin Shixiu could only sweat inwardly. Even though Su Xiaomeng had just cursed at him, he still patiently tried to persuade her,

"Even ’understand my ass’ is a kind of understanding..."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng’s eyes widened as she stared at Yin Shixiu, who was spouting nonsense without blushing or missing a beat.

"I like how you are when you’re at university."

"..."

"I like how you look when you’re holding professional books and studying them so seriously."

"..."

"Besides, it’s not like we won’t see each other. We can video chat, call each other. When the holidays come, you can bring Shuangshuang and Huang Huang to Munich, and if my rehab goes well, I can go to London too."

"Bottom line is, you’re just willing to be apart from me!"

After all his heartfelt persuasion, Su Xiaomeng hadn’t taken in a single word.

Seeing her stubborn little face, Yin Shixiu felt helpless.

It wasn’t that he was willing to be apart from her—it was just that... the rehab process would be too grueling.

He was afraid he could grit his teeth and get through it, but she might not be able to.

The fourth and fifth stages of surgery had both had issues. When he came out of the operating room, Su Xiaomeng’s face was completely changed, actually looking scarier than his, the one undergoing the operations.

Even if the University of Bath hadn’t emailed her, he would’ve found a way to keep her in Beijing or London.

He had never planned on letting her go to Munich with him.

"You’re the one who said it... Meng Meng..."

"What did I say?"

Su Xiaomeng lifted her chin, frowned, and looked at him with outright disdain.

"Don’t rush things. We still have a whole lifetime, a whole lifetime..."

Yin Shixiu murmured into her ear, not giving her much chance to question, and pulled her into his arms.