Chapter 881: Those Years, Those Stories 3
Seeing Song Yinyin’s confusion, President Shi Mai’er gave a self-mocking smile and asked, "You must find it strange, don’t you, why your mother would be the one to bring up breaking up?"
Song Yinyin nodded.
He shook his head and let out a soft sigh. "It’s not just you. Even I still can’t make sense of it.
I went to look for her many times back then, but she always gave me the same answer—she said we weren’t suitable, that I couldn’t give her the passion she wanted. But I don’t understand. When we were together, wasn’t our relationship always very stable?"
"You think she was just looking for an excuse?" Song Yinyin asked in return.
"Mm."
President Shi Mai’er nodded.
"After that, she said it was because I’m from S Country, and that her father—your grandfather—would never accept a foreigner as his son-in-law."
Song Yinyin was startled once more.
Although her grandfather had passed away many years ago, in her memory he’d always been a gentle and kind person, not some rigid, old-fashioned, stuck-in-the-past type. How could he care about something like that?
She was still pondering when she heard President Shi Mai’er go on:
"I tried many times, I even went to your mother’s home to see your grandfather, but I couldn’t even get to meet him. I was thrown out by their butler before I could.
Later, I could only choose to give up. After I graduated, I went back to S Country, and after that, I never heard any news about your mother again."
They just broke up like that?
Song Yinyin couldn’t help feeling a pang of emotion.
What a pity...
"Many years later, I came back to Imperial City, and I secretly went to see your mother. I found out she was married and had a lovely daughter. Oh, and that was you... But I had no idea that she wasn’t actually her husband’s child, that she was really mine and your mother’s..."
When he reached the most painful part, President Shi Mai’er’s expression turned gloomy and desolate.
"I thought she was living a happy life, so I left Imperial City quietly, carrying my blessings for her. But I never imagined that her husband treated her badly... If I had known about your existence, I would definitely have tried to take you and your mother away back then..."
President Shi Mai’er’s face was full of remorse and guilt, and heavy tears rolled down.
By this point, Song Yinyin already understood everything.
She picked up the thread of what President Shi Mai’er had been saying and continued:
"And then, just a few days ago, I put that light green sweater on you, and you recognized it. That’s when you started to suspect my identity. Then you heard me mention Song Huaizhong, and only then did you realize my mother hadn’t been living well, right?"
"Mm."
President Shi Mai’er responded and nodded.
"At first, I didn’t think in that direction, but I kept feeling that your face looked very much like Yueru’s, and so many of our habits were similar too. Do you still remember the scene when we first met?"
Song Yinyin nodded and said, "I remember. It was in the VIP conference room of the Imperial City municipal government. The first moment I saw you, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness..."
As she spoke, she recalled the scene from back then.
"I was the same as you. The first moment I saw you, I found you very familiar. I even asked you about it. Actually, when I saw you then, you made me think of my mother."
Song Yinyin inclined her head slightly. She did indeed look very much like her mother.
"You and I played a four-hand piece together, and I was really surprised at the time. That piece is so difficult, yet you could play it, and you coordinated with me so seamlessly, as if we’d played it together many times before..."
President Shi Mai’er said quietly, "That was the piece your mother and I often played together when we were in love."