You hidden in my heart - Chapter 65.2

Chapter 65.2

When the mother and the daughter entered the living room, they were welcomed by Lu Yuling’s piano playing. 

Li Xining couldn’t watch the programme on TV last night; she only watched a small clip on Weibo. The phone screen was small, and the view wasn’t as expansive as the TV. Now that she’d watched Lu Yuling’s piano performance on TV, she was once again captivated by the young man in white at the piano.

Zhao Hailan, Mr. Li, and Mrs. Li were all focused on the screen. 

When Yu Wenyin and Li Xining entered the living room together, they noticed that the mother and daughter had returned.

Seeing her granddaughter, Mrs. Li asked, “Xiaoyao, have you eaten yet?”

Li Xining replied, “Not yet.”

“Oh, then let Aunt Lin make something for you.” 

Aunt Lin was the family’s nanny. The old lady said this while quickly getting up, eager to find Aunt Lin to prepare a meal for her granddaughter.

Yu Wenyin quickly reassured the old lady. “I’ll take care of it, you just enjoy the TV.” 

Li Xining settled onto the nearby sofa, while Zhao Hailan took a seat across from her.

As soon as she sat down, Zhao Hailan smiled and asked, “Xining, I heard you’re going abroad in your junior year. Which school will you be going to?”

Li Xining answered, “London College of Fashion.” She realized Zhao Hailan was trying to bond with her.

Zhao Hailan continued with the questions. “How long will you be gone?”

Li Xining replied, “Four years.”

Zhao Hailan remarked, “When you come home from school, Yuling will surely have made a name for himself. Then you two can just tie the knot right away.”

Hearing that, Li Xining felt a little uncomfortable.

 At that moment, Mr. Li jumped into the conversation, looking displeased. “If you have something to say, just say it straight. Why bring up marriage? Our youngest is still too young.”

Even though the old man was keen to see his granddaughter married sooner rather than later, he felt it was his duty to bring it up. It shouldn’t be mentioned by outsiders, especially not by the Zhao family.

 Zhao Hailan quickly backtracked and said, “Sorry, don’t be upset; it’s my fault. I won’t mention it again. I promise I won’t bring it up again.”

This time, it was Old Lady Li who was annoyed by Zhao Hailan’s words. “What’s the point of dating if you don’t talk about marriage? Not discussing marriage isn’t good; you’ll end up regretting it.”

Zhao Hailan quickly corrected himself again with an apologetic smile. “Look at what I did today. Just a slip of the tongue! What I meant to say is, whenever you decide to marry your granddaughter, I’ll be ready to pick her up anytime.”

That seemed to make the old couple happy.

Realising that, Zhao Hailan sighed in relief and finally got to the main topic. “By the way, Xining, is Yu Ling thinking about signing with an agency right now?”

‘Of course, there are options; otherwise, how would he debut?’ But Li Xining knew that Zhao Hailan’s question wasn’t just casual chit-chat. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to be truthful. “Yes, there are quite a few people interested, but he hasn’t made up his mind about which one to go with.”

Zhao Hailan asked, “Has he thought about Zhengxing?

Li Xining shook her head. She knew that Wang He, the vice president of Zhengxing, had tried to talk to Lu Yuling several times, and she had even attended one of those meetings. But each time, Lu Yuling had rejected him without hesitation.

Later, she asked Lu Yuling why he was against collaborating with Zhengxing. His response was simple. “I don’t like Zhao Hailan.”

Honestly, Li Xining still hoped he would agree to sign since Wang He was a top-tier agent in the entertainment industry. Any artist he managed usually made it big. She wanted Lu Yuling to partner with the best.

However, on the other hand, she respected Lu Yuling’s thoughts and felt it was important to be in sync with him. If he didn’t want to sign with Zhengxing, she wouldn’t pressure him into it. She was also particularly concerned that he might get upset if he found out about his past, so she never mentioned Zhengxing around him. She was afraid she would accidentally reveal the matter which should be hidden.  However, after her recent chat with her mom in the garage, her viewpoint changed.

‘Zhengxing really is the perfect match for Lu Yuling. Zhao Hailan would definitely back him up and make sure he isn’t sidetracked by any unnecessary drama.’

Still, she felt unsure because she didn’t want to mislead Lu Yuling or manipulate his feelings under the pretence of helping him.

Then, Zhao Hailan looked at her with pleading eyes and said, “Xining, can you help your uncle convince him?”

Li Xining bit her lower lip and stayed quiet.

Seeing this, Zhao Hailan earnestly said to her again, “Xining, Yu Ling means a lot to me. Please, I really need your help, okay?”

Li Xining was taken aback by Zhao Hailan’s humble plea. She felt a bit flustered at that moment. Even though Zhao Hailan owed Lu Yuling, he didn’t owe her anything. Plus, he was an elder and a close friend of her father. It was hard for her to handle such a request. But… she still couldn’t agree to it. Feeling awkward, she replied, “Uncle, he said he doesn’t want to sign with Zhengxing, and I don’t want to pressure him.”

Zhao Hailan quickly responded. “It’s not about pressuring him. Uncle just wants you to convince him. If you can’t even persuade him, then Uncle won’t bother you again.”

Li Xining remained firm in her stance.

At that moment, Mr. Li sighed and spoke to his granddaughter with a hint of resignation, “Just go and try to convince him. If you can, great. If not, then let it go.” The old man was quite practical in his thinking. He understood that Yu Ling wouldn’t be at a disadvantage by siding with Zhao Hailan, so he encouraged his granddaughter to persuade him.

Zhao Hailan earnestly pleaded once more. “Xining, Uncle is begging you.”

In that instant, Li Xining felt like she was standing on a precarious bridge, caught in a tough spot. She didn’t want to go against Lu Yuling’s wishes, having carefully nurtured his feelings, worried that he might break down, yet everyone around her was urging her to act.

She suddenly felt tears welling up.

Clenching her teeth, she fought back the urge to cry. After a long silence, she finally relented, though she didn’t say a word, just nodded.

Zhao Hailan let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Xining; Uncle truly appreciates your help.”

However, she felt like a traitor, letting Lu Yuling down repeatedly.

If he ever fell apart one day because of this matter, she knew she could never forgive herself.

It was quite late, and since Zhao Hailan had gained some hope, he said goodbye and left.

Have a nice day!