My Groom Ran Away

Every year, Ruan Zhiyin would put everything down and go to Xishan to sweep her parent’s graves.

Previously she would go with her grandfather and Lin Cheng would also put on a good mask and go. But now, she was the only one left.

Ruan Zhiyin had a short impulsive thought, but she quickly dismissed it. She had thought about asking Cheng Yuelin to accompany her to the graves, but she had decided against it in the end. She had a momentary feeling of disappointment.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll go with you.”

Ruan Zhiyin’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at him.

Cheng Yuelin smiled kindly and raised an eyebrow. “After thinking about it, drinking soup at home is also good.”

After speaking, he patted her head and slowly said. “In the future, if you want something, say it. Do not hide it, okay?”

Ruan Zhiyin was slightly stunned. She smiled as she answered, “Okay”.

///

On Thursday, the two did not go to work.

The driver came by in the morning to pick up the two and head to the cemetery.

Ruan Shengwen and his wife had died more than ten years ago, and they were buried together in the cemetery on Xishan Mountain on the south side of the city.

The Bentley parked near the entrance of the cemetery at the foot of the mountains. They had ordered a few bouquets of hibiscus flowers. Cheng Yuelin retrieved them from the trunk and they both slowly walked towards the mountain.

The morning sun was not too strong, and it had rained the day before, so the wind was cool and refreshing. They could also smell fresh earth. About halfway up the mountain, the two encountered a family of three who had come to sweep the graves with their children. Perhaps they had gotten tired from the walk, but the innocent voices of the children whining to be carried could be heard.

Looking at the people walking away, Ruan Zhiyin’s gaze followed their backs. After they had gone farther away, did she come back to her senses and laughed. “I used to be jealous of other people’s parents.”

When she had been kidnapped, she was just four years old, so her memories of her parents were quite blurry. She could only remember a mother figure who had a gentle voice.

In the orphanage, in order to relieve the director’s burden, the older children would learn to take care of their new younger siblings and they would mature quickly. After she had returned to the Ruan family again, she was not able to meet her parents, so they could not spoil her either.

So being spoiled and pampered by others was not something Ruan Zhiyin remembered had ever experienced. But after seeing the bedroom her parents had prepared for her, she could see that each item had been chosen with care. Her parents had clearly loved her, otherwise they would not have looked for her for so many years. To avoid situation from being awkward for when she had returned, her parents also had not considered having another child.

Cheng Yuelin gazed at her sad eyes and held her hand. He smiled and said, “You do not need to be jealous of others. You also have one.”

Ruan Zhiyin paused and took a deep breath before she nodded. “That’s right. I do.”

Even though her parents were no longer here, Ruan Zhiyin believed that they would be like other parents as well and love her unconditionally.

Finally, they arrived in front of a familiar gravestone. The two faces in the photo were very young.

The man looked mild-mannered and dignified but was not too handsome. The woman’s eyes were smiling gently, and her features were somewhat similar to Ruan Zhiyin’s.

Ruan Zhiyin placed down the flowers in her arms and took out a handkerchief. She then slowly wiped away the dust covering the gravestone.

Cheng Yuelin stood like a statue. After standing there silently for a while, he knew that she had things she wanted to say, so he walked a bit farther away to give her some space.

After the man left, she instantly felt a bit lonely.

Actually, Ruan Zhiyin did not have much that she wanted to say. Previously when she came, she would just speak one simple sentence, “I have been well. Don’t worry.”

After thinking about the things that had happened recently, Ruan Zhiyin quietly said, “Mom, Dad, Grandpa passed away last month, and he is buried with Grandma.”.

“The family home is empty now. I’ve given Uncle Liu and Auntie Chen some retirement money and they have retired to their hometowns.”

“The man just now was Cheng Yuelin, he is a classmate from high school. We have… gotten married. I’m doing well. You do not need to worry.”

After saying these things, it did not seem like there was anything else to say. After being silent for a moment, she added another sentence. “Mm, maybe next year, I think… I will come back with him to see you guys.”

She gently touched the photos on the gravestone and then stood up. From not far away, she could see Cheng Yuelin walking over.

Cheng Yuelin looked at her expression. Seeing that everything seemed normal he also relaxed and asked, “Done speaking?”

“Yes.” Ruan Zhiyin nodded her head.

“Okay, then let’s go.” The man’s voice fell and seeing that she still had a couple bouquets of flowers. He furrowed his brow and asked. “Why do you still have two bouquets?”

She had ordered four bouquets today and Cheng Yuelin had assumed that they would be for her parents. But she had only left two at the graves.

Ruan Zhiyin did not answer except her eyes smiled as she looked at him. “Cheng Yuelin.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go to one more place.”