Fu Wenxuan glanced at Fu Wenwen and gave her a flick on the forehead.
"What nonsense are you talking? If I didn't love her, would I be this upset?"
"Who knows with you! You like someone and you're still so hesitant..."
Fu Wenwen shot Fu Wenxuan a look and flicked him back.
She pulled Fu Wenxuan by the neck and whispered something in his ear.
Before long, the siblings returned to Chu Yao, each with a red mark on their forehead. kuAiδugg
"Uncle Chu, let's go outside! Leave this place to my brother."
Fu Wenwen and Lu Chengsen pulled Father Chu to the courtyard, and Fu Wenwen sat calmly, drinking tea.
Father Chu looked at the house door, waiting anxiously.
After a long while, the gate finally moved. Fu Wenxuan walked out of the house, holding Chu Yao's hand.
Seeing the blush that lingered on Chu Yao's face, all the men present understood implicitly. Father Chu looked at his daughter, who gave him a shy smile, and his heart was filled with complex emotions.
His gaze towards Fu Wenxuan deepened.
"...Dad...Dad." A young, hesitant voice sounded softly, shedding that trace of immaturity, the voice became ethereal, clear, and sweet.
Father Chu froze instantly.
He turned to look at Chu Yao in disbelief, his eyes fixed on her mouth.
Chu Yao looked at Fu Wenxuan, and under his encouraging gaze, she slowly walked to her father, offering him a timid smile.
"...Dad...Daddy!"
This time, it was more resolute. Father Chu grabbed Chu Yao's hand tightly.
"Yao Yao, you..."
Fu Wenwen was stunned. She had used some of her powers on Chu Yao, but could her powers make a mute person speak?
Had her abilities leveled up?
"She could probably always speak," Fu Wenxuan guessed after a moment of thought.
"She could indeed speak when she was young, but after a fever once, she stopped talking... The doctor said the fever had damaged her vocal cords, and she hadn't spoken since then," Father Chu stared blankly at Chu Yao, feeling as if he were dreaming.
"I... when I was little... talked... Grandma... would... hit me..."
Under the puzzled gazes of everyone, Chu Yao slowly revealed the reason.
This episode of self-imposed silence had also unlocked her previously sealed memories. She recalled her childhood, the terrifying experience at her grandmother's house before the fever that rendered her speechless.
Father Chu trembled and said regretfully, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have sent you back to your hometown back then..."
"What happened?" Fu Wenwen asked.
"When I was seven, my father died. My mother remarried a man who also had a son. To please his son, my mother did many things that hurt me. When I grew up and married Linhua, because we weren't favored, we both suffered many grievances with me," Father Chu sighed softly.
"Later, I found a job and moved out with Linhua, so we didn't go back much. Until Linhua gave birth to Yao Yao. Then, once, Linhua fell ill, and the situation wasn't good. With no one to look after Yao Yao, I sent her to my mother's to care for her for a while."
"When Linhua recovered, we went to pick up Yao Yao and found her lying on the ground in the woodshed, burning with fever. Without asking questions, we rushed Yao Yao to the hospital. The doctor said that if we had been any later, Yao Yao would have died. She stayed in the hospital for a week and barely survived."
"But from then on, Yao Yao stopped speaking. We all thought it was the high fever that made her unable to speak. When we asked my mother, they just said they didn't know and were busy in the fields."
Father Chu covered his face in pain.
"You were only five years old then! She was your grandmother, how could she be so cruel to you! And yet I treated her so well all these years."
"Perhaps Yao Yao was already somewhat withdrawn then," Fu Wenxuan said, hugging Chu Yao with concern. She couldn't speak not because of the high fever.
But because of the psychological trauma.
"I'm sorry, Yao Yao, I'm useless," Father Chu said with guilt. If he hadn't insisted on sending Yao Yao back to their hometown at that time, Yao Yao wouldn't have gone through that experience...
"Don't... blame... Dad." Chu Yao held her father's hand, wanting to help him up.
"You've just started speaking, it's best not to talk too much for now," Fu Wenwen said, holding Chu Yao's hand and instructing her.
"Mhm." Chu Yao obediently nodded, her cheeks red, and she proactively took Fu Wenxuan's hand.
"Dad... I... love... Fu Wenxuan."
It was the first time Fu Wenxuan had seen Chu Yao so proactive, her confident and resolute demeanor deeply touching his heart.
No one knew better than him how shy, weak, and insecure Chu Yao was. She had never been one to fight or compete, always calm and easygoing. Even when Chu's mother disagreed before, she wouldn't make a scene, only cry silently.
It was her lack of assertiveness that made Fu Wenxuan insecure, unsure if he was the one Chu Yao would firmly choose.
So, when the Chu family disagreed, he was lost, confused, and lacked confidence.
Ultimately, they broke up.
The trials they had both endured now had made Chu Yao more determined in her heart.
Hearing Chu Yao's resolute words, Father Chu was reminded of every time she had mustered the courage to make a request when she was little, so firm and decisive.
This time, he would not hesitate.
Looking at Chu Yao like this, Father Chu nodded.
"He is your choice, and Dad supports you."
"Young man, I'm entrusting my Yao Yao to you!"
Although he was very displeased with Fu Wenxuan, Father Chu could only agree to his daughter's plea.
"I'll handle her mother! You just be responsible for giving my daughter happiness, absolutely do not bully her, understand?"
"Yes, Uncle Chu." Fu Wenxuan looked at Father Chu and nodded solemnly.
"I will always treat Yao Yao well and will never let her suffer any grievances."
"Hmph. I'll believe it when I see it!" Father Chu scoffed at Fu Wenxuan's words.
Who couldn't say pretty words?
When Fu Wenxuan brought Chu Yao home, he took her to kneel before Chu's mother.
Upon seeing Chu Yao awake, Chu's mother looked at her in surprise.
Seeing them kneel before her, Chu's mother shook her head and quickly pulled them up.
She had just had a long heart-to-heart conversation with Mother Fu, telling her all her grievances.
After listening to Chu's mother, as a mother herself, Mother Fu completely understood why she was so anxious and uneasy about Chu Yao...
They were both mothers, and they doted on their own children.
Chu's mother had endured so much hardship and experienced the cold realities of life. She knew how indifferent and selfish the world could be, and she wanted to give Yao Yao all the beauty in this world.