Chapter 351: I Will Wait for You Forever
Watching Tang Yuanxiao’s expression, Su Li couldn’t help but recall his smile from back when he came home on leave to Xinghua Village, the time Little Tang Mo called him "Daddy."
It was a brilliant, pure smile—a little dazed, but so genuine.
No matter what had happened, Tang Yuanxiao was truly good to Little Tang Mo. Even with everything that had occurred because of Mrs. Tang, that one fact was undeniable.
In her past life, he had spent over twenty years searching for Little Tang Mo, and in the end, he had stayed by Little Tang Mo’s side for the rest of his life.
As Su Li thought about this, her feelings grew complicated.
"You... you can go see Little Mo more often when you have time. Even though Little Mo doesn’t call you Dad anymore, he remembers how good you’ve been to him."
Su Li let out a breath. "Gradually, he’ll accept you again."
Tang Yuanxiao listened and nodded. "I will. No matter what, I’ve said it before—I’ll be his father for my entire life."
’That’s something that will never change. Even if Little Tang Mo is never close to me again, that fact won’t change.’
Su Li nodded. "Okay. But... when you come, please be discreet. Don’t..."
’Don’t let Mrs. Tang know, and don’t let anyone else know either.’
Su Li couldn’t resist the urge to caution him.
Little Tang Mo seemed to be back to normal, but Su Li still didn’t dare let him see Mrs. Tang just yet.
Mrs. Tang was a unique case, and Su Li had no idea when Little Tang Mo would be able to see his grandmother without feeling burdened by it.
Tang Yuanxiao understood what Su Li had left unsaid.
His expression darkened for a moment, but he nodded. "I understand."
He changed the subject, suddenly bringing up Yang Jiu.
"When I first heard that he had turned himself in, I just thought he was a despicable person. I assumed he’d been bribed, that he’d taken money to do it."
From ancient times to the present, there has been no shortage of people willing to be scapegoats.
Whether they do it voluntarily or under duress, they get some benefit, take the fall for a crime, and spend a few years in prison. Plenty of them get out and start a new life.
In ancient times, people would even take the place of someone sentenced to death by beheading.
Tang Yuanxiao had heard of such things far too many times.
"I started looking into him, but I never expected to find out he did it for his daughter."
"I found his daughter, and when I saw what she was like, it left a really bad taste in my mouth."
Su Li also had complicated feelings about Yang Jiu.
"I thought about it a lot at the time. I even tried to put myself in his shoes and wondered what I would do in his position."
At that moment, Tang Yuanxiao thought of Little Tang Mo.
Su Li remained silent. It was impossible to truly put oneself in another’s shoes for something like that. Until you were in that exact situation, you could never know what choice you would make.
Tang Yuanxiao let out a breath. "Let’s not talk about these unpleasant things."
He watched the cars drive by on the road and spoke to Su Li, his voice full of reminiscence.
"Back before we got divorced, you told Momo that we were going to separate. Do you know what he said to me that time you went back to school, when Momo and I went to his grandmother’s house?"
Su Li was curious. "What did he tell you?"
"He said he didn’t want us to separate. He said I was stupid for not making you like me, so he was going to teach me how to win you over."
Tang Yuanxiao recalled with a smile.
"He taught me three things. First, he told me to smile more."
"Second, he said I had to be good to Mom. He taught me to talk to you often, to listen to what you say, to save the best snacks for you, and to comfort you and cheer you up when you were sad."
"And I had to protect you and not let anyone bully you."
"I was so shaken when I heard him say that. Even now, thinking back on it, I still feel it."
’Back then, I found it both moving and amusing. Now, looking back, the complexity of my feelings is indescribable.’
Tang Yuanxiao’s heart was a mess of emotions, and so was Su Li’s.
This was the first time she was hearing this.
She’d never imagined that Little Tang Mo could have said such things at that age.
’And to this day, Little Tang Mo has done everything he said he would.’
’He has done absolutely everything he could for me.’
Remembering how Little Tang Mo had stroked her hair again and again while she was in the hospital bed, Su Li’s heart felt a pang of bittersweetness.
"He really is something..."
Tang Yuanxiao watched her expression. "It’s moving, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately."
’So happy, and yet so brief.’
"If time could turn back, Su Li, do you think we would still end up like this?"
Lately, Tang Yuanxiao wasn’t just reminiscing about happy memories; he was also having that strange dream again and again.
Over and over, he saw Su Li’s resentful gaze as he choked her.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he kept having the dream. The more he dreamt it, the more he thought about how much Su Li must have suffered when she was falsely accused.
Every time he startled awake and saw how alone he was, he would consider a possibility.
’If time could go back, what would I do?’
’Would I let all of that happen again?’
’No. I absolutely wouldn’t let any of it happen.’
’Not Su Li being framed for selling Little Tang Mo, not Su Li being framed for having an affair with that fool, and not all the things Mrs. Tang did afterward.’
’If time really could go back, I would have had Su Li and Little Tang Mo move to the base with me as soon as possible. I would have kept Su Li and Mrs. Tang apart.’
’It would be unfilial, but I would never let Mrs. Tang leave the village and trigger that madness in her blood.’
’It would have been so much better to let her live a quiet, virtuous life in Xinghua Village, safe and sound.’
’Even if she had to endure some village gossip, it would have been far better than ending up in jail and partially paralyzed.’
Tang Yuanxiao had been thinking about this every day. Carried by the topic of conversation, he looked at Su Li and blurted out the question.
"If time could turn back, Su Li, do you think we would still end up like this?"
For Su Li, this question wasn’t a hypothetical.
Because for her, time had already turned back.
She looked at Tang Yuanxiao, thought for a moment, and gave a firm nod.
"Yes."
’Even if time could turn back again, Tang Yuanxiao, we would still end up exactly where we are now.’
’No matter how hard I tried, we were always destined to end up here.’
’Hadn’t she already proven that?’
Tang Yuanxiao never expected Su Li to give him an answer like that.
"What did you say?" He froze for a second. "You said we would?"
’Time would go back, and they’d still end up like this?’
Su Li nodded. "Yes."
Tang Yuanxiao shook his head. "How can you think that...?"
He paused for a moment, his expression turning serious as he looked at Su Li.
"I don’t think we would. If time could turn back, Su Li, we wouldn’t be like this."
His gaze was resolute and composed.
"You would still be my wife, and Momo would still be my son."
Su Li stared at Tang Yuanxiao, taken aback. Just as she was about to speak, he continued.
"Su Li, I can’t imagine marrying any other woman. I don’t want anyone else as my wife. You’re the only one I can accept."
Tang Yuanxiao’s fists clenched and unclenched.
"I’ve been lying awake the last couple of nights, thinking... In this life, unless I can win you back, I’ll probably just be alone forever."
"I’ve suddenly realized how short life is. Human life is so fragile; you never know when it might just end."
"After surviving a near-death experience and going through everything that’s happened recently, I suddenly just want to cast everything aside and live according to my heart."
Tang Yuanxiao looked up, meeting Su Li’s eyes directly.
"Su Li, if you ever want to come back, to choose again... just remember that I’ll always be waiting for you."