Tenant's Secret Love

Chapter 133: First encounter with Darren

Renee on the other end of the phone was silent for a long time. This silence was obviously due to anger. I suddenly felt that I was really mean. Not only did I steal her photos, but I also insulted her in a personal and offensive manner.

"Lucas, it doesn't matter how you insult me, but you have to explain to me the matter of stealing the photos."

Facing Renee's questioning, I felt a little guilty. I don't like her, and I wouldn't want her photos even if she gave them to me. But I couldn't tell her my real motive, so after a while I said, "Kong Yiji (a character in Lu Xun's book) already said that stealing photos is not stealing."

"Do you think I didn't go to elementary school? People were talking about stealing books, not stealing photos," Renee's tone became more and more displeased.

"Yes! Books are printed to be read, and photos are taken to be seen. The essence is the same."

Renee: "..."

"That... I just said your photos look like they've been poisoned, and that seems a bit excessive! In fact... you're really quite beautiful, and those photos of you are very cute... You know that there's no chance in life that I'll ever see you like that, so those photos that I've stolen are very precious to me!" After a long time, I spoke sincerely.

Renee was silent again, and finally stopped talking about the photos. She said to me, "Remember to bring my lunch later, and call me when you arrive, I'll come and pick you up."

Renee hung up after she finished speaking, but I didn't react for a while. It seemed like she just said she wanted to pick me up herself, not delegate it to her assistant. I heard her right, I definitely heard her right!

A moment later, my 'Stubborn-Father' had already prepared lunch. I told him that Renee was busy at work and wouldn't have time to come back for lunch, so I would take it to their office later. My father still nodded calmly, so I felt that Renee really had over-thought it. Assuming that my father thought of her as my girlfriend, then he wouldn't feel anything if he didn't just hug me, but even slept in the same bed with me. After all, it's the 21st century, isn't it!

During dinner, my father and I got to talking. The topic that concerned him most was, of course, my mother. I asked him, "How is my mother doing these days?"

"She plays mahjong less often."

I was a little saddened by this answer, which was typical of my stubborn father. I had really let my mother down by giving up on Daphne.

I could also understand her heartache at the thought of me getting married so soon. In her mind, Daphne was the perfect person for me to marry.

After a long silence, I finally asked my father, "Have you been fishing less recently?"

"What fish are you fishing in the middle of winter?"

I was silent. I had initially intended to use this joke to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too heavy, but I didn't realize that it would make him even more emotional.

He took a sip of wine and asked me again, "Lucas, what is Renee's family like?"

After he asked this, I finally confirmed that he really did consider Renee to be my girlfriend, and thought that I had given up Daphne for her, so he was much calmer than my mother had been.

Whatever he thought, I had no need to hide anything about Renee's family situation, so I told him everything I knew.

After my father had finished listening, his expression seemed a bit solemn, and after a long while, he asked me again, "What about her mother?"

I was taken aback. It seemed that Renee had never mentioned her mother to me before, and I didn't want to be presumptuous and ask. I then shook my head and said to him, "I don't know, she never mentioned it."

"This girl is pitiful. You have to treat her well. If you have time during the New Year's holiday, take her back to Xuzhou with you, so that she won't be alone and helpless in Suzhou."

I tentatively asked, "Dad, you really don't mind about her family? And our families are not suitable for each other!"

"I have always advocated that you choose your own relationships, so I can accept you going back to Xuzhou and choosing Daphne, and I can also accept you going back to Suzhou and living with Renee. The key is that before you make any choice, you must consider whether you can really go on with the other person and make a good life together... Something like what happened with Daphne must never happen again, you hurt Daphne's feelings too much!"

I was silent. The reason for my silence was self-blame. The love that began hastily with Daphne was a major mistake in my life. I was extremely selfish in this relationship, selfishly hoping that Daphne would save me from my suffering, and selfishly failing to fulfill my responsibilities as a boyfriend.

Thinking about it now, Daphne is the only woman in my life that I have wronged. So my father was right, I need to learn from this and not let down another woman who may appear in my life.

...

After dinner, my father packed the rest of the meal in a thermos and said to me, "You can give this to Renee. I have to catch the 1 pm train to Xuzhou, so I'll be going now."

"I thought you were going to stay in Suzhou for a few more days this time!"

"Everything's been taken care of, and there's other work to be arranged at the office."

"Oh, then please be careful on the road," I said.

He nodded and then picked up his old briefcase to prepare to leave.

I suddenly shouted at him with a hot head, "Dad..."

"What else?"

"...don't you think I'm not good enough for Renee? I don't even have a proper job yet!"

Stubborn-Father looked at me and smiled, saying, "I have confidence in my son. Work hard and become Renee's support in the future, so that this girl won't suffer anymore!"

My father's words made my eyes burn. It turned out that he never looked down on me as a useless son. His words gave me an inexplicable and powerful driving force. I will work hard and say goodbye to the old me in the struggle...

My 'stubborn father' just left, taking a misunderstanding with him. The reason I didn't explain is because no explanation would be convincing anymore.

After all, Renee had gone to Xuzhou to find me, after all, I returned to Suzhou and still lived in her house, after all, I still secretly hid her photos, and last night she snuggled up to me and my father walked in on us.

All of this made me hallucinate, hallucinating that Renee was my rightful girlfriend.

...

I drove the little Prince Alto, which already belonged to me, to Jumei at high speed, and it was just past 12 o'clock, lunchtime.

Because we had contacted each other beforehand, when I arrived at the visitor registration office in Jumei, Renee was already there, waiting for me.

After a quick check-in, I followed Renee as we walked and chatted, but neither of us mentioned the photos again. I felt that after my rambling explanation, Renee was too tired to argue with me, and I could finally own those out-of-print photos in an aboveboard manner.

Walking down the aisle leading to the general manager's office, I suddenly saw a group of people coming towards me around the corner. The leader was a middle-aged man with some grey hair and a hard face that belied his age. He had a very powerful aura, and the people behind him seemed deferential.

We soon met, and he stopped, sizing me up. With a faint smile on his hard, gloomy face, he asked Renee, "Renee, is this your friend?"

Hearing the way he addressed Renee, I immediately understood that the man in front of me was probably the notorious Darren!