Chapter Forty-Six: A Perfect Match

“Oh? From what I’m hearing, you seem to know quite a lot about Xu Wenrui’s family situation,” Kang Ge feigned surprise. “I thought you two haven’t been together for very long, that you were probably still in that heady, mysterious stage of early romance.”

“How deeply you know someone can’t be measured by time,” Deng Chun retorted, unwilling to yield. “Some people spend their whole lives with someone and, even on their deathbed, can’t say what their partner likes to eat or their favorite color. Others may spend only a brief time together, yet they become soulmates!

You can’t even begin to imagine how perfectly Xu Wenrui and I fit together! We’re like two adjacent puzzle pieces—perhaps the patterns and shapes are different, but we’re the most complementary pair!

Xu Wenrui’s parents merely brought him into the world and raised him, but they don’t truly know him, nor have they tried to. Their presence is a burden for Xu Wenrui; they make his life so much harder!”

“That serious? Did Xu Wenrui actually tell you that?” Yan Xue asked.

“Of course. If he hadn’t, do you think I could read minds?” Deng Chun, sensing that Yan Xue and Kang Ge were siding with Xu Wenrui’s parents, spoke with a trace of resentment. “You shouldn’t be fooled by how Xu Wenrui always seems so energetic and confident in front of others, as if he’s got everything under control. That’s not really the case.

When I first met him, I thought that, too—I thought he was one of those golden boys to whom everything comes easily, always in command, unruffled. But after we got together, I realized that wasn’t true at all.

I know what you think of me, and I’m sure you’ve heard about Xu Wenrui and that Wu Beibei, right? Back when they were together, everyone thought they were the perfect couple—handsome and beautiful, a match made in heaven, pleasing to the eye. Then, after they broke up and Xu Wenrui got together with me, I’m not unaware of what people have been saying.”

“And what have they been saying?”

“They say Xu Wenrui was dumped by Wu Beibei, took the blow hard, had his pride crushed, and so gave up on himself, decided pretty girls weren’t reliable, and settled for me instead, seeking a sense of security.

Some say even nastier things—I know all of it, but I’ve never let it get to me.

Even at the start, when I first got together with Xu Wenrui, I had my doubts. I wondered why someone as outstanding and handsome as him would choose me.

But as we spent more time together and I got to know him better, I understood that we really were meant to be. He’s already so attractive—he doesn’t need a trophy girlfriend for show. What he needs is a warm harbor, someone with whom he can put down all his burdens and just be himself.

I know I’m not as pretty as Wu Beibei, but what I can give Xu Wenrui is something Wu Beibei never could.

I’m a competent listener, a perfect supporting role. Maybe that sounds self-effacing to you, but it’s just the truth. I’m not as good-looking as Xu Wenrui, I can’t sing or play the guitar, I don’t have his talents, but being someone like me—a supporting presence and a listener—is exactly what he needs, irreplaceable.”

Hearing her say this, Yan Xue grew curious. “Would you mind if I asked—how do you and Xu Wenrui get along on a daily basis? What do you mean by being a ‘supporting role’? Are you talking about appearance or something else?”

“Why don’t we start at the beginning? These bits and pieces are hard to follow,” Kang Ge suggested. “Since you’re here and clearly not in a hurry, why don’t you tell us how you and Xu Wenrui started out—who pursued whom?”

Yan Xue wondered if Deng Chun would be willing to reminisce about her relationship with Xu Wenrui in such detail, expecting her to refuse. To her surprise, Deng Chun nodded readily.

“There’s nothing I can’t say,” she replied, the trace of anger on her face vanishing, replaced by a slightly bashful sweetness. “I was the one who pursued Xu Wenrui. I’d always liked him, but when he was dating Wu Beibei, I held back—I do have moral standards, unlike some people,” she added with a pointed glance, which Yan Xue and Kang Ge tactfully ignored.

“Later, when Xu Wenrui and Wu Beibei broke up—by the way, the rumors got it all wrong—it wasn’t Wu Beibei who dumped Xu Wenrui, but the other way around. Xu Wenrui broke up with her out of spite, but Wu Beibei agreed too readily, and that’s what really hurt him and made him so downcast.

I already liked him, so I paid attention to how he was doing. Seeing him in that state—haggard and lost—I went to check on him, show concern, and take care of him.

I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I’m actually pretty straightforward. I may look thin and timid, but I’m not. I’m brave—if I know I like someone, I’ll go after them without hesitation and express my feelings!”

“Good for you!” Kang Ge gave her a thumbs-up. “I admire people who are bold and honest about their feelings!”

Clearly pleased, Deng Chun smiled at Kang Ge. “That’s exactly how I am. So, since I liked Xu Wenrui, and he’d broken up with Wu Beibei, I pursued him openly!

People say I took advantage of his vulnerability, and I admit Xu Wenrui wasn’t at his best then—but I don’t think I took advantage of him. He wasn’t himself, sure, but it’s not like he’d lost his mind!

In the end, he saw the benefits of being with me, realized this was the life he wanted. In love, being cared for is a kind of happiness, isn’t it?

When he was with Wu Beibei, she couldn’t do anything. Tried to wash his pants once and ended up cutting her finger, then cried and whined until he had to comfort her.

With me, he never has to worry. I wash the clothes he doesn’t want to take to the laundromat because he’s afraid they aren’t clean, and I do it thoroughly. He doesn’t care much about food, but even though I’m not the one cooking at school, I plan all his meals to make sure they’re tasty and nutritious.”

“So after you and Xu Wenrui got together, you took care of every aspect of his life? Handling everything for him—doesn’t that get exhausting?” Yan Xue asked.

She was genuinely curious, because for her, just keeping her own life in order took enough effort; the idea of caring for every detail of a healthy boyfriend’s life was almost incomprehensible.

“How could doing little things for the person you love be tiring? It’s happiness, pure and simple!” Deng Chun looked back at Yan Xue in puzzlement. “Do you think that way because you’ve never truly loved someone?

I suspect you’ve never really been in love, or at least never felt that kind of all-consuming affection that makes your life feel complete just because that person is in it!

I think we spend our whole lives searching for a sense of worth. For some people, that comes through work, through study, whatever. Ultimately, we all want to prove one thing—that we’re needed, and in being needed, we are valuable.

You can choose to work yourself to the bone every day so your boss feels he needs you, or study desperately so your parents pin all their hopes on you, or so your teachers need you to boost their bonus.

You all find that normal—nobody thinks it’s strange or unworthy. It’s the same for me! I give to Xu Wenrui, he feels happy because of it, he needs me, I get affirmation and feel valued. Why is it such a stretch to understand?”

“My friend, are you sure you’re not a philosophy major? Your worldview is fascinating—quite the doctrine!” Kang Ge remarked, his tone ambiguous as to whether he was praising or mocking.

Deng Chun took it as praise and smiled shyly at him. “You flatter me. I’m not a philosophy major; these are just my most honest thoughts.”

“So, you won Xu Wenrui’s heart by caring for him so thoroughly?” Kang Ge pressed.

Deng Chun seemed to drift back in memory, then nodded. “Yes. I’ve been all in from the start, invested everything in our relationship, never discouraged by his parents’ attitude. As long as Xu Wenrui needs me, even if he hesitates for a time under pressure from his family, I believe we’ll overcome that obstacle and walk through life together.

I have a clear plan for our future. Xu Wenrui is talented and charismatic, destined for great things. My role is to be his steadfast support, his capable wife.

He’ll need to devote himself to his career, so I’ll take care of everything at home, so he can come back after a hard day to a warm, welcoming home, without worrying about children or parents.

That’s vital for a man. Only men without ability want their wives to share the financial burden. Capable men shield their wives from the storms outside, so their women can focus on family, raise bright, talented children, and create a warm home.”

“So your highest aspiration in life is to marry a man, have children, and take care of the whole family?” Yan Xue found it hard to believe.

She had no objection to women focusing on family—it was a personal choice, as valid as a strong career drive. But Deng Chun’s attitude sounded as if she’d lost herself entirely, planning to merge her identity with someone else’s. Yet, coming from her, it almost sounded heroic.

“What’s wrong with that? Everyone has a purpose from birth,” Deng Chun replied, straightening her back. “You’ve seen wildlife documentaries, right? In nature, males are often more beautiful, they go out and claim territory, hunt; females lay eggs and raise young. That’s the natural order—you can’t defy it.”

Yan Xue turned away, pretending to look at the clock on the wall, so Deng Chun wouldn’t see her rolling her eyes.

What a joke—male animals more beautiful than females! In many species, females are bigger, stronger, better fighters!
And as for males doing all the hunting—without female lions hunting in teams, who knows how long the males would survive!

“Hearing you talk, you do care for Xu Wenrui in every detail. But didn’t you say your value lies in being his best listener? What did you mean by that?” Kang Ge asked, clearly intrigued.

“Being his best listener means letting him share what’s on his mind. He doesn’t confide in anyone else, but he opens up to me because I make him feel relaxed—the exact opposite of the pressure his parents give him. With me, he doesn’t have to fear criticism. He can express his feelings and be himself, not the perfect son in a mask he wears for his parents.”