Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 429, Section 427: Mother and Daughter's Nighttime Talk

In the afternoon at Yalong Bay in Qiongzhou, sunlight filtered through the dense coconut groves, casting dappled, swaying shadows on the white floor of the villas.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, warm scent, drifts through the open French windows, gently stirring the sheer curtains.

Gao Yuanyuan lay half-reclined on a lounge chair by the pool, her belly protruding high, covered with a thin linen blanket.

Watching her future mother-in-law, Zhang Xiulan, bustling between the kitchen and living room, she felt both a little uneasy and warm.

Zhang Xiulan took the earliest flight of the day, arriving much earlier than Wang Sheng and his group.

When she arrived, Gao Yuanyuan had just woken up from her afternoon nap. Seeing Zhang Xiulan, who looked travel-worn but anxious, she was surprised but even more moved.

“Auntie, why did you come first? Please sit down and rest, have some water.” Gao Yuanyuan was about to get up.

"Don't move! Lie still!" Zhang Xiulan quickly stepped forward and pressed her down. Her gaze immediately fell on her protruding belly. Her eyes were complicated, showing concern, heartache, and a sense of relief—she had finally seen the person in person.

After putting down her simple luggage, Zhang Xiulan didn't even have time to drink some water before starting to check the villa's environment inside and out, confirming the security and medical care situation. She then took Gao Yuanyuan's hand and carefully asked her about her recent diet, sleep, and physical reactions, leaving no detail unmentioned.

After everything was settled, the two sat in the living room. Zhang Xiulan sighed, took Gao Yuanyuan's hand, and spoke with an undeniable sternness to her absent son: "Yuanyuan, I'm so sorry you had to go through all this! That brat Wang Sheng, how dare he keep such a big thing a secret until now! When I see him, I'll give him a good scolding! He's so irresponsible and has no sense of duty whatsoever!"

Gao Yuanyuan quickly shook her head, explaining on Wang Sheng's behalf: "Auntie, it's not Sheng-ge's fault, it's... it's just that I didn't know how to say it beforehand, and he really is too busy and under a lot of pressure..."

"Being busy is no excuse!" Zhang Xiulan interrupted her, her tone still angry. "No matter how busy he is, can he be more important than his wife and children? A man should be responsible! His recklessness has left you here alone, living in fear. It's all the fault of the Wang family!"

She changed the subject, looking at Gao Yuanyuan's pale but still beautiful face, her tone softening instantly, filled with the tenderness of an elder: "You've suffered, child. Pregnancy and childbirth are so difficult, how can you manage without an elder to take care of you? Don't be afraid, Auntie is here. If you need anything in the future, just tell Auntie."

Gao Yuanyuan's eyes welled up slightly, and she nodded vigorously. Zhang Xiulan's attitude largely eased her worries about the Wang family's stance.

As evening approached, the sound of a car engine could be heard outside the villa.

Wang Sheng, Wang Baoguo, and Gao's parents, a group of four, arrived.

The atmosphere in the living room instantly became somewhat subtle and heavy.

Both Wang Baoguo and Gao's father maintained relatively composed expressions, but their brows betrayed the weariness and worries of their journey.

Gao's mother's gaze immediately locked onto her daughter. She walked over quickly, looked her up and down, her eyes filled with worry, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"Dad, Mom." Gao Yuanyuan stood up with Zhang Xiulan's help.

"Sit down, don't get up." Madam Gao pressed down on her daughter's shoulders, her gaze lingering on her round belly for several seconds before slowly shifting away. She nodded to Zhang Xiulan and Wang Baoguo, "In-laws, thank you for making this trip."

Zhang Xiulan quickly waved her hand: "It's not hard work, it's not hard work at all. We should have come earlier!"

Wang Sheng instructed the servants to take everyone's luggage inside, and everyone took their seats in the spacious living room. After the initial pleasantries, the conversation inevitably became somewhat heavy.

On behalf of the Wang family, Wang Baoguo once again expressed his sincere apologies to Gao's parents.

Zhang Xiulan chimed in, criticizing her son while praising Gao Yuanyuan.

Mr. and Mrs. Gao are respectable people. Although they had some grudges, they couldn't say anything harsh in the face of their in-laws' humble attitude. They only emphasized that they hoped Wang Sheng could truly take responsibility and ensure the future life of Yuanyuan and the children.

Wang Sheng remained mostly silent, but his attitude was clear. He reiterated his commitment to take full responsibility and briefly mentioned the "safety" considerations he had previously discussed with Gao's parents.

Dinner was served at the villa, where the chef prepared light yet nutritious dishes.

During the meal, the atmosphere was barely maintained on the surface of harmony, but everyone knew that some things needed to be discussed in a more private space.

After dinner, Wang Sheng accompanied his two fathers to the living room for tea and chatted about men's topics. Wang Baoguo and Gao's father mainly asked Wang Sheng about his career, and their tone was much more relaxed.

Zhang Xiulan took Gao Yuanyuan for a walk by the pool to help her digest, gently explaining the precautions for late pregnancy and sharing her own experiences from back then.

Meanwhile, Gao's mother seized an opportunity to wink at Gao Yuanyuan, and the two of them tacitly went into the bedroom on the second floor and closed the door.

Only one warm yellow wall lamp was on in the bedroom, providing soft lighting.

Outside the window, the night was deep and the sound of waves could be faintly heard.

Gao's mother pulled her daughter to sit down on the sofa by the window, held her hand, and carefully examined her face, as if trying to find something in it.

“Yuanyuan,” Gao’s mother began, her voice low and tinged with barely perceptible difficulty, “Tell me the truth. Wang Sheng…besides you, does he have other girls?”

She wasn't blind, nor was she ignorant of human relationships. How could a young man as outstanding as Wang Sheng, with immense resources and wealth, lack temptations?

His reason for not getting married "for safety reasons" sounds reasonable, but upon closer examination, isn't it just an excuse?
Is there a more complex emotional relationship hidden behind this?

Gao Yuanyuan met her mother's probing and worried gaze, but her face did not show any panic or shame at having her secret exposed.

She was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly and readily admitted it.

“I know.” Her voice was calm, even strangely composed. “I knew from the beginning. I wasn’t the only one.”

Madam Gao's heart sank, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on her daughter's hand: "You knew?! Then you...you still..."

“Mom,” Gao Yuanyuan grasped her mother’s hand in return, her eyes clear and firm, as if she had given it much thought, “what do you think is the meaning of life?”

Gao's mother was taken aback by her daughter's abrupt question.

Gao Yuanyuan didn't wait for her answer and continued slowly, "From a biological point of view, isn't it about reproduction and passing on genes?"

As a doctor, Gao's mother couldn't deny this, and she nodded: "From a purely biological point of view, that's certainly true."

But humans are social animals; they must have correct values ​​and morals, and abide by ethics and laws! You can't...you can't indulge him like this! This...this is outrageous!" Her tone was filled with heartache.

“Indulgence?” Gao Yuanyuan repeated the word softly, a complicated smile appearing on her lips. “Mom, you and Dad gave birth to me and handed over control of my body to me. I’m very sure that I’m responsible for my body.”

She paused, her gaze fixed on the boundless darkness outside the window, as if staring into her own heart: "Is there anything fundamentally wrong with having children with someone I don't love, or someone mediocre, compared to having children with someone I love, someone who is among the best of my peers?"

“But he has more than just you! This is not right!” Gao’s mother emphasized the general social norms.

“Mom,” Gao Yuanyuan turned around and looked at her mother, her eyes unusually clear, “Even without Wang Sheng’s appearance, ever since I entered this industry and became famous throughout Asia with ‘A Little Thing Called First Love,’ do you think I still belong to the category of ‘ordinary people’?”

She tilted her head slightly, with a hint of self-deprecation, or perhaps it was a small joke: "Although I haven't become an immortal and can't live forever... I am a 'celebrity,' a public figure. My life, my choices, are destined to be beyond the measure of ordinary people."

Her tone gradually became firm: "Even if I hadn't gotten pregnant, I wouldn't have broken off this relationship with him. But at the same time, I don't want to expose this relationship, and I don't want to ruin my fledgling career and the little bit of ambition in my heart that I don't want to be ordinary."

I might choose to never get married, unless... everything could go back to before I entered this industry, allowing me to live a simple and ordinary life.

She shook her head, refocusing her gaze with an undeniable clarity: "But reality doesn't allow for 'what ifs.' I know clearly that my current choice is not wrong."

I have a child with the person I love, and I will develop my career in a different way. In the future, I will wholeheartedly raise our descendants—using their father as a negative example, to teach them to grow into people with correct moral values, a sense of responsibility, and ability.

Mom, don't you think this is also a kind of... righteous inheritance?

Gao Yuanyuan's gaze was intense, without a trace of confusion or grievance, only a kind of determination and planning for her choices that had settled after struggle.

"The children's father may not conform to traditional moral standards in his personal feelings, but his ability, his vision, what he has done for Chinese films, and the courage and responsibility he has shown are all worth learning from and inheriting."

What I want to teach him isn't how many women he had, but how he built his career, how he took responsibility, and how he protected what he wanted to protect in this complex world, including us.

Gao's mother stared blankly at her daughter, speechless for a moment.

Her daughter's words were like a key, unlocking a corner of her mind that had never been touched before.

She viewed this matter through the lens of intellectual moral fastidiousness and worldly perspective, neglecting the unique circumstances her daughter faced, the significant changes within herself, and the conscious and pragmatic choices she made in this complex relationship, based on reality and the future.

This is not a naive young girl blinded by love, nor is it a subservient act of compromise.

This is a shocking yet logically consistent choice made by a modern woman with an independent career and the ability to think, after weighing all the pros and cons and recognizing the true nature of herself and the other party.

What she values ​​is no longer just the security that a marriage certificate brings, but something more essential—the continuation of superior genes, the opportunity for career transformation, and the cultivation and "inheritance" of the next generation in an unconventional but acceptable way.

Gao's mother's gaze became incredibly complex, filled with shock, confusion, and heartache, but also, faintly, a hint of... relief.
Or rather, it is a helpless acceptance of the fait accompli and the daughter's strong will.

She gazed at her daughter's calm yet resolute face for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh before gently embracing her daughter.

“You…have grown up.” Gao’s mother’s voice was choked with emotion, but more than that, it was filled with an indescribable feeling. “You chose this path yourself, so…don’t regret it later.”

Nestled in her mother's warm embrace, Gao Yuanyuan felt the gentle movements of the fetus within her. She closed her eyes and said softly but firmly:
"I won't regret it, Mom."

(End of this chapter)