Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1132

Chapter 1132: Heart To Heart Talk ( 1 )
Thirty minutes later, lunch was ready, and Li Shu went to call everyone to eat while Xie Xuanzi prepared the table.

After everyone was seated, no one spoke or moved their chopsticks. They all looked at Doctor Xie with a smile. Usually, the host would say a few words to the guests before they started the meal. So, they waited for some chit-chat before eating.

Unexpectedly, Doctor Xie hated this kind of socializing the most. When he saw no one move their chopsticks, he said with a frown, “What? You need me to feed you? If you don’t want to eat, get out.”

The moment they heard his words, everyone’s smile froze instantly. Father Pan looked at his wife and asked her with his eyes what they should do. He didn’t know whether they should leave or not.

Li Shu sighed in her heart and picked a dish for her grandpa while saying, “Grandpa, you like eating fish, so eat more.”

As soon as Doctor Xie saw his granddaughter pick the best part of the fish for him, his annoyance disappeared instantly. With a smile on his wrinkled face, he nodded and said, “Okay, you also eat more.”

After placating her grandpa’s mood, Li Shu looked at everyone and said, “Everyone, please have a taste. The food won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

Hearing her words, Mother Pan quickly nodded and said, “Thank you for the meal, Doctor Xie, Xiao Shu.”

“Grandma Pan, it’s just a leftover meal. I hope you won’t be offended with the lack of hospitality,” Li Shu replied.

When everyone heard her polite words, they were taken aback. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be around ten years old. But her behavior and words were much more mature than children her age.

Although they had some doubts, when they glanced at Doctor Xie and Xie Xuanzi, their doubts lessened. As the children of the Xie family and raised by the eldest master himself, it was normal for her to be better than her peers.

While the meal started with awkwardness, it ended on a pleasant note thanks to Xiao Yiguan and Li Shu. After helping clean up the table and wash the dishes, the Pan family took their leave and walked back to Li Chenmo’s house.

Knowing that the uncle and nephew had matters to discuss, Xiao Yiguan decided to go to the mountain foothills and take a look. He was curious about the mountains in this area.

His mother keeps praising these mountains for the rare resources there which made him interested. It would be great if he could find a wild ginseng in the mountains and give it to his father.

As for Li Shu, she had a lot of homework assigned by her teachers and Chen Jianmin. To pursue her dream of becoming a doctor like her grandpa, she had to work harder and dedicate more time to studying. So, she locked herself in her room and focused on what she was doing.

While she was immersed in her studies, Doctor Xie was leisurely sipping wine in the living room. Sitting across from him, Xie Xuanzi was anxious but showed no sign of it, thanks to the disciplined upbringing by his grandfather and father.

Both sat silently for a long time before Xie Xuanzi finally asked, “Uncle, are you really not going back with me?”

Hearing this, Doctor Xie let out a snort and replied nonchalantly, “I thought you could hold out longer. In the end, you couldn’t even wait for thirty minutes.”

Noticing the ridicule in his uncle’s tone, Xie Xuanzi responded helplessly, “Uncle—”

Before he could finish his words, Doctor Xie raised a hand and interrupted, “I have told you, I won’t go back to that place. If you are worried about your father pressuring you to marry, I can write a letter for you asking him to not interfere with your marriage.”

Hearing this, Xie Xuanzi froze. Although he was indeed under his father’s pressure to marry, he had never mentioned it to his uncle. How could he possibly know?

Glancing at his nephew, Doctor Xie asked, “Curious how I know?”

“Uncle, do you have people watching us?” Xie Xuanzi asked cautiously.

Doctor Xie snorted when he heard this and replied, “Who cares about your Xie family? I don’t need spies to guess that you are being forced into marriage. It’s not like this is the first time happening in the Xie family. Only fools believe that influential families allow their children to marry for love.”

Xie Xuanzi fell silent as countless memories flooded back to him. He recalled what had happened to his uncle and the tragic fate of his cousin, who had been beaten to death for marrying a poor yet educated man.

Thinking of that day, he clenched his fists tightly. Even after all these years, he still harbored deep resentment toward his grandfather for killing his cousin. That’s why, on the day the old man passed away, he refused to see him one last time.

This decision made him the subject of gossip for years, branding him as unfilial. His reputation hit rock bottom, but he never regretted it. What his grandfather had done was cruel and undeserving of forgiveness—or the title of “grandfather.”

Noticing his nephew lost in thought, Doctor Xie sighed and poured him a cup of wine while saying, “Xuanzi, I know you still carry resentment in your heart. But the past can’t be changed. All you can do is live in the present and strive to be better in the future.”

Xie Xuanzi stared at the wine for a long time before asking, “Uncle, have you forgiven him?”

Doctor Xie, understanding the unspoken reference to his father, replied, “If I had forgiven him, would I still be living here?”

“Then why are you telling me this when you can’t do it yourself?” Xie Xuanzi pressed.

Looking at his nephew, Doctor Xie sighed and said, “Xuanzi, hatred is a double-edged sword. When you hate someone, you are not punishing them—you are punishing yourself.”