The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

But her fingers slowed down noticeably as she scrolled through her phone. Xu Momo noticed that her lips pursed slightly when she said the word "him".

As her roommate for more than four years, Xu Momo was too much like Shen Wanyu. This roommate looked carefree, with colorful dyed braids and smoky makeup, like a delinquent girl, but in fact she was more stubborn than anyone else.

The more you force her to do things she doesn't like, the more rebellious she becomes. She's more affectionate towards cats than people; when she worked at a cat café, she could talk to the cats all day long.

So directly persuading her to go home definitely won't work; we need to change our approach and start with her own upbringing to evoke her empathy.

"Do you know what I was like in high school? I was even more rebellious than you are now. Back then, I argued with my mom every day, dyed my hair, got my ears pierced, skipped classes to go to internet cafes, and felt that they were too controlling and didn't understand me at all. The rules they set for me were suffocating. Once, my mom came to my school and scolded me in front of the whole class. I ran away in a fit of anger and didn't come home for several days. Later, I found out that my mom was worried about me and searched for me outside all night in the pouring rain. When she got home, she had a high fever and almost developed pneumonia. At the time, I thought I was really cool and that I had won. Now, thinking back, I feel like a complete jerk. It wasn't until I went to college that I slowly understood that parents also have their limitations. They are just ordinary people who make mistakes and say the wrong things, but their love for us is real. It's just that sometimes they don't know how to express it." Xu Momo's voice trembled a little at the end, and she was genuinely moved.

Although she said these words to complete the task assigned by Lin Feng, they were actually her true feelings that she had kept hidden in her heart for a long time.

Shen Wanyu remained silent for a long while.

He finished the can of beer, placed the empty can on the bedside table, and unconsciously fiddled with the pull tab, his voice muffled. "I'm different from you. At least your mom came to the school to see you. My mom left when I was very young. My memories of her are just a few faded photos and a blurry recording. In the recording, she's cooking in the kitchen, telling my dad that Wanyu must learn to dance when she grows up, that she wanted to learn since she was little, but we didn't have the money. Later, my dad got busier and busier with work and had no time for me. Then he remarried, found a new wife, and had a son. From then on, I felt that home was no longer my home. The way he looked at that son was completely different from how he looked at me. That woman—I don't want to call her Mom—was polite to me on the surface, but I could feel that she only saw me as someone she had to tolerate. You say my dad had a hard life, I understand. But understanding is one thing, I just can't get over that hurdle."

"Your dad remarried perhaps to find someone to take care of you. His methods might not be right, but his intentions weren't necessarily bad. That younger brother is also your own brother; he didn't do anything wrong. You can't push everyone away just because you hate your dad. Your dad has had a tough time these past few years, supporting the whole family and working hard. There must have been many times when he had no choice in what he did. I think you should try to have a good talk with your dad, even if it's just sitting down for a meal and listening to what he has to say. Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival a time for family reunions? Do you know what I was doing last Mid-Autumn Festival? I was eating mooncakes alone in my dorm, and my mom video-called me. My dad was standing right next to me, and the two of them were crowding in front of the camera, vying to talk to me. At that moment, I decided I would never be rebellious again. Go look at them, and you'll see how quickly they age. Your dad can't stay young forever. When he's really old, if you want to talk to him again, he might not be able to hear you anymore."

Shen Wanyu leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling, and remained silent for a very long time.

Xu Momo thought she wouldn't speak anymore. Then she suddenly said, "I'm going hiking tomorrow, do you want to come? There's a temple on the mountain, I heard it's very efficacious. I'm thinking... burning incense for my mother." Her voice was very soft, and her tone carried a softness and hesitation that was rarely seen in her.

Xu Momo's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show any unusual expression on her face. She simply smiled naturally and said "okay," leaning against the headboard and looking at Shen Wanyu's face, which was slightly flushed from the alcohol. She silently planned how to report today's progress to Lin Feng later.

At least she mentioned her mother, which is a breakthrough.

She was completing the task Lin Feng had assigned her step by step. While Shen Wanyu went to the restroom, she picked up her phone and sent Lin Feng a message: "Wanyu's tone has softened. She's going to take me to the mountain to burn incense for her mother tomorrow. I think it's going to work."

When Lin Feng received Xu Momo's message, he was leaning back on the hotel sofa, looking through the documents sent by the company.

A short message appeared on the phone screen. After reading the message, I put the phone on the coffee table and tapped my fingers lightly on the sofa armrest.

Sanqingshan, a famous Taoist mountain on the outskirts of Kyoto known for its precipitous cliffs, was a place he had seen mentioned in Kyoto travel guides. Shen Wanyu chose this place mostly because of the Sanqing Temple on the summit, which was said to be very efficacious.

This was a good opportunity for a chance encounter; the mountain was spacious, and pretending it was a coincidence would seem much more natural. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Xu Momo, telling her to definitely come along tomorrow and report back on their movements.

In the afternoon, Xu Momo sent another message saying that Shen Wanyu had gone out, carrying a bag in her hand. When asked where she was going, she hesitated and wouldn't say, and looked a little embarrassed.

Lin Feng leaned back on the sofa and looked at the message. Just as he was about to reply, his phone vibrated again. It was a WeChat message from Shen Wanyu, asking if he was free that evening. She wanted to invite him to dinner to thank him for helping out in the cafeteria that day.

After reading the message, Lin Feng smiled; it was like she was throwing herself into his arms.

He first sent Xu Momo a message, briefly explaining the situation, and then transferred 100,000 yuan to her, asking her to go to the International Finance Center to pick out a set of mountaineering equipment for him, from head to toe, and sent her the sizes. He told her to keep the rest of the money for herself, and to go back to the hotel to wait for him after buying it.

Xu replied quickly with several messages, saying she would definitely complete the task, and asked him what color and brand he liked, and reminded him to drink more water because of the hot weather outside.

Lin Feng did not reply to the following messages. At this moment, he had already gotten into a taxi and was heading to the place Shen Wanyu had arranged to meet.