〈The Reissued Youth〉15
66. A Mother and Daughter’s Subtle Test
At the Shi family mansion by Sun Moon Lake, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow across the floor.
Inside Shi Meilin’s bedroom, a faint fragrance filled the air.
She sat at her desk, her slender fingers gently flipping through the latest issue of a fashion magazine.
Her eyes remained fixed on a spring clothing design, while new creative ideas occasionally surfaced in her mind.
Beside the desk, her cellphone lay quietly.
The screen was still showing the photo she and Cai Shinan had taken together by the seaside of Xiaoliuqiu.
In the photo, the two of them stood side by side under the sunlight, their smiles so natural that they did not look like two friends who had only recently met.
The bedroom door was gently pushed open.
Shi Yuhua entered carrying an exquisite wooden tray.
On the tray were freshly cut pieces of fruit, and her face carried the caring smile unique to a mother.
"Meilin, have some fruit."
She placed the fruit tray beside the desk and naturally sat down next to her daughter.
Shi Meilin put down the magazine and picked up a fork to take a piece of crystal-clear star fruit into her mouth.
Before she had even finished chewing, her mother casually asked:
"You went to see your boyfriend?"
With fruit still in her mouth, Shi Meilin was startled for a moment, then nodded.
Shi Yuhua looked at her daughter’s reaction, and a trace of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
"Where does your boyfriend’s family live?"
"Xiaoliuqiu."
Meilin answered indistinctly.
"Xiaoliuqiu?"
Shi Yuhua opened her eyes slightly and paused for a moment.
"Is he a fisherman?"
Shi Meilin could not help laughing.
She quickly swallowed the fruit and shook her head.
"No! Mom, where did you get that idea?"
She picked up her cellphone from the desk, opened the photo, and handed it to her mother.
"He used to be an engineer working in the Hsinchu Science Park. Later, his company downsized, so he returned to his hometown to develop his career. Now he runs a guesthouse and even bought a sightseeing fishing boat."
Shi Yuhua took the phone and carefully looked at the photo on the screen.
In the picture, Cai Shinan stood by the seaside.
His expression was calm and natural, carrying a simple and sincere quality that was different from urban men.
After looking for several seconds, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"He looks handsome, and he photographs well."
She raised her head and looked at her daughter.
"How old is he?"
"The same age as me."
Shi Yuhua nodded.
Deep inside, she seemed to have already begun planning for the future.
"Then when are you bringing him back?"
Shi Meilin lowered her head and straightened the pages of the magazine, deliberately pretending to be unconcerned.
"Maybe in the next couple of days. I’ll wait until I arrange a time with him."
Hearing her daughter say this, the smile on Shi Yuhua’s face became even more obvious.
"That’s good."
She gently patted her daughter’s hand.
"Bring him back sooner. That way, those relatives won’t keep gossiping behind your back, saying that someone with conditions as good as yours still hasn’t found a partner."
Hearing this, Shi Meilin could not help rolling her eyes.
She deliberately made a funny face at her mother.
"Let them say whatever they want!"
Although she pretended to be relaxed, Cai Shinan’s image appeared in her mind.
That man who walked with her by the sea breeze of Xiaoliuqiu and was willing to listen to her feelings.
Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted into a smile.
However, she herself did not realize—
the "fake romance" originally arranged only to deal with family pressure seemed to be quietly changing something.
67. The Promise to Go to Sun Moon Lake
Early morning on Xiaoliuqiu, the sea breeze carried a faint salty scent as it slowly drifted into the dining room from outside the guesthouse courtyard.
Inside the dining room of the Tsai family’s Japanese-style guesthouse, sunlight streamed through the windows and fell onto the wooden dining table. The family sat together, enjoying breakfast. On the table were traditional Taiwanese rice porridge and side dishes. Besides several plates of preserved vegetables, there was also a plate of fragrant stir-fried dried anchovies, golden pan-fried radish omelet, and a plate of sweet potato leaves that had just been stir-fried and was still steaming.
Qiu Xiuduan served food to her children while reminding them, “Eat while it’s hot. It won’t taste good once it gets cold.”
Tsai Shih-nan lowered his head and drank his porridge, appearing calm on the surface, but his mind was still filled with memories of the moments he had spent with Shi Meilin. That girl who had suddenly entered his life was like a ray of bright sunlight, disrupting the peaceful life he had once known.
At that moment, the telephone in the corner of the dining room suddenly rang.
“Ring—ring—”
Tsai Shih-fen put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked over to answer the phone.
“Hello, Tsai Family Guesthouse…”
When she heard the familiar voice on the other end of the line, a smile appeared on her face.
“Oh, it’s Sister Meilin. My brother is having breakfast.”
She turned toward Tsai Shih-nan sitting at the dining table.
“Brother, Sister Meilin is looking for you.”
Tsai Shih-nan was startled for a moment. He immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, walked over, and took the receiver.
“This is me.”
On the other end of the phone came Shi Meilin’s clear and confident voice.
“Shih-nan, come to my home in Sun Moon Lake tomorrow.”
Her tone was natural, as if everything had already been arranged.
“My mom, my grandfather, and my uncle all want to meet you. I’ve already arranged the schedule. I’ll send a text message to your phone later. Just follow the instructions.”
Holding the phone, Tsai Shih-nan was slightly stunned. Although he had already known that he would accompany her home, hearing her arrange everything so directly still made him feel a little nervous.
“Oh… alright.”
“Then that’s it for now! Bye!”
Before he could say anything more, the sound of the call being disconnected came from the other end.
Tsai Shih-nan put down the receiver and slowly walked back to the dining table.
Qiu Xiuduan looked at her son’s expression and seemed to have already guessed something.
“Meilin invited you?”
Tsai Shih-nan nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down.
“She asked me to go to her home in Sun Moon Lake tomorrow.”
The moment he finished speaking, his mother’s expression immediately became serious. She put down her chopsticks and looked at her son.
“Meilin’s elders want to meet you. This is not an ordinary visit. We have to take it seriously.”
She thought for a moment and began making arrangements.
“Go organize some decent clothes. I’ll go to the market and the shops to buy two boxes of local gifts. It’s your first time visiting someone’s home. We can’t be rude.”
Looking at his mother’s busy and serious manner, Tsai Shih-nan could not help but smile.
“Mom, you don’t have to be so nervous.”
Qiu Xiuduan glared at her son.
“How can I not be nervous?”
She reached out and adjusted his collar, as if he were still a child.
“When you go to someone’s home, you have to pay attention to their reactions, be polite, and know how to talk. Especially when meeting someone’s elders, the first impression is very important. Do you understand?”
Sitting beside them, Tsai Shih-fen could not help but secretly laugh.
“Brother, did you hear that? Mom is more nervous than you are.”
Tsai Shih-nan shook his head helplessly.
“I know, Mom.”
Although he agreed casually, another question had already begun to appear in his mind—
Tomorrow, he really had to enter Shi Meilin’s family as her “boyfriend.”
But this “act” they had originally agreed upon, what would it eventually become?
Even he did not have the answer.
The breakfast on the dining table remained steaming hot, but Tsai Shih-nan’s thoughts had already quietly begun traveling toward Sun Moon Lake.
68. The Test at the Shi Family Lunch
At the Shi family mansion by Sun Moon Lake, the afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the dining room. The shimmering reflections of the lake fell onto the white tablecloth, adding a warm yet dignified atmosphere. In the center of the dining room stood a large round table, symbolizing the reunion and completeness of the family.
However, today’s lunch did not feel like an ordinary family gathering to Tsai Shih-nan. He knew that this was an important ceremony: “meeting the woman’s family.”
Shi Meilin sat beside him, maintaining her usual confident and elegant smile. On the other side sat Shi Yuhua, while the main seat was occupied by the Shi family elder, Shi Tiansheng, with Shi Yulong sitting beside him.
The dining table was filled with exquisite dishes, yet Tsai Shih-nan’s mood was even more tense than the delicacies before him.
Shi Tiansheng picked up a bite of food and looked at the young man before him, revealing a kind yet scrutinizing smile.
“Shih-nan, make yourself at home. Don’t be too polite.”
Tsai Shih-nan quickly nodded, and his posture unconsciously became more upright.
“Yes, Grandpa.”
Shi Tiansheng studied him for a moment before slowly speaking.
“I heard from Meilin that you used to work as an engineer in Hsinchu Science Park. Computer engineers have good salaries. If you continued developing your career in a technology company, your future should be very promising.”
Although his tone was calm, his words actually carried the expectations of an elder regarding a younger person’s life planning.
Sitting beside him, Shi Yulong continued.
“That’s right! Shih-nan, you are still young. This is the time to work hard and build your career. After you and Meilin get married, you can stay in the city and develop together, creating your own business.”
Tsai Shih-nan listened quietly without answering immediately. He knew that they sincerely had Meilin’s best interests in mind. However, the path he truly wanted to take was not completely the direction they expected.
Shi Yuhua noticed that the atmosphere had become slightly serious, so she quickly smiled and placed a chicken leg into Shih-nan’s bowl.
“Young people have their own ideas!”
She looked at her daughter and Shih-nan, speaking gently.
“As long as your marriage is happy in the future and the two of you live well together, I have no objection to whatever career you choose. Come, Shih-nan, eat this chicken leg.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Tsai Shih-nan nodded politely.
Shi Tiansheng lifted his teacup, took a sip, and then looked at him again.
“A man should set his ambitions beyond his hometown.”
He put down the teacup and spoke seriously.
“Shih-nan, what are your plans for the future?”
The air around the dining table suddenly became quiet.
Tsai Shih-nan thought for a moment and decided to speak honestly.
“Grandpa, I want to continue working and living on Xiaoliuqiu.”
The moment he said this, the lively atmosphere at the dining table suddenly paused for several seconds.
Shi Tiansheng’s hand holding the chopsticks stopped slightly.
Shi Yulong was also stunned for a moment.
A trace of surprise, and even a hint of disappointment, flashed across both of their faces. They had originally thought that this young engineer who had once worked in Hsinchu Science Park would be willing to return to the city and pursue greater development together with Meilin.
Sitting beside Tsai Shih-nan, Shi Meilin noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere. She immediately put on a smile and tried to ease the tension.
“Grandpa, Uncle, actually after we get married, Shih-nan and I will return to Taipei and build our careers together.”
Her voice was natural, and her face still carried an elegant smile.
However, under the table, she quietly reached out and touched Tsai Shih-nan’s arm.
Then she widened her beautiful almond-shaped eyes and gave him a fierce glare.
That look seemed to remind him:
“What exactly are you saying right now?”
Tsai Shih-nan felt her gaze and was startled.
He lowered his head and could not help but smile bitterly to himself.
“I was only telling the truth… Why does Meilin seem like she is actually angry?”
The man who had originally been calm and at ease suddenly became cautious. He began paying attention to every sentence he said and every expression he made, afraid that he might once again ruin this important family gathering.
However, what he did not realize was this—
Although Shi Meilin appeared to be helping him smooth things over on the surface, deep inside, she had also begun seriously considering this question for the first time:
Was this man merely an actor in the “fake relationship” she had arranged?
Or could he possibly become the person who would truly accompany her through the journey of life in the future?
69. The Divergence by Sun Moon Lake
At the entrance of the Shi family mansion, the afternoon sunlight fell over the courtyard, while the gentle breeze from the lakeside softly stirred the treetops.
When Tsai Shih-nan and Shi Meilin were preparing to leave, Shi Yuhua specially walked to the entrance to see them off. She looked at this young man who was visiting her home formally for the first time. Her eyes showed the appreciation of an elder, but also carried a trace of concern.
“Shih-nan is an honest and straightforward child. He has his own ideas.”
Shi Yuhua held her daughter’s hand and spoke earnestly.
“Meilin, you need to respect him. Don’t force him into everything.”
Shi Meilin looked at her mother and revealed a confident smile.
“Mom, I know.”
She paused for a moment and added,
“But I will convince him. I believe that if he returns to Taipei with me, he will definitely have better opportunities for development.”
Looking at her daughter’s determined expression, Shi Yuhua let out a soft sigh.
She knew that her daughter had always been strong-minded. Once she made up her mind about something, very few people could change it.
The mother and daughter hugged briefly. Shi Meilin gently kissed her mother’s cheek.
“Mom, I’m leaving.”
“Be careful on the way.”
Shi Yuhua smiled and reminded her.
At that moment, Tsai Shih-nan had already opened the car door for her.
After the two of them got into the car, Shi Yuhua stood at the entrance and waved goodbye, watching the sedan slowly drive away from the Shi family mansion.
The sedan traveled along the road around Sun Moon Lake. Outside the window was a stretch of emerald-green lake scenery. The distant mountains were reflected on the water, creating a picture-like landscape.
However, the atmosphere inside the car was not as peaceful as the scenery outside.
Shi Meilin held the steering wheel. After remaining silent for a while, she finally spoke.
“Shih-nan.”
She did not turn her head, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“You did that on purpose just now, didn’t you?”
Tsai Shih-nan sat in the passenger seat and was stunned for a moment.
“Did what on purpose?”
He deliberately pretended not to understand.
Shi Meilin glanced at him.
“The questions my grandpa asked you.”
Tsai Shih-nan remained silent for a moment before softly answering,
“I was just telling the truth.”
He turned his head and looked out the window.
“It’s just that… you seemed a little unhappy at that time.”
Hearing this, Shi Meilin slightly frowned.
“Of course I was angry.”
Her tone clearly carried dissatisfaction.
“You said in front of my grandpa that you wanted to stay on the island. What will the elders think?”
Her hands gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly.
“They will think you have no ambition and no desire to develop toward something greater.”
Tsai Shih-nan lowered his head, his tone somewhat helpless.
“Oh… then what should I have said?”
Without hesitation, Shi Meilin immediately replied,
“You could have said—‘I will discuss this matter with Meilin.’”
She turned her head and looked at him.
“Wouldn’t that have sounded more tactful?”
Tsai Shih-nan was silent for a moment.
“Oh…”
It was only a short response, but Shi Meilin could sense his feelings from it.
She could not help but sigh.
The next second, she suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
After the car stopped, Shi Meilin unfastened her seat belt and turned to look at Tsai Shih-nan.
Her eyes contained anger, but also a trace of uneasiness.
“Could it be… that you don’t want to be with me?”
Tsai Shih-nan froze.
“Of course I do!”
He answered hurriedly.
But after the words left his mouth, he paused.
“But…”
Shi Meilin’s brows immediately tightened.
“But what?”
Her voice rose slightly.
Tsai Shih-nan looked at her and spoke seriously.
“As for returning to Taipei with you, I think we still need to discuss it further.”
Shi Meilin’s expression darkened.
“What is wrong with coming back to Taipei with me?”
She could not help but ask in return.
“Are we supposed to become like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl in the future—one living in the city and the other staying on the island?”
Tsai Shih-nan opened his mouth but did not know how to answer.
He knew that Meilin had a point.
However, Xiaoliuqiu was not merely his hometown.
It was the place where his mother was, where his younger sister was, and where he had found his direction in life again.
“Meilin… give me some time to think about it, okay?”
Shi Meilin looked at him and remained silent for several seconds.
Finally, she turned around and fastened her seat belt again.
“Okay.”
Her tone returned to calmness, but it clearly carried disappointment.
“When you have figured it out, come to Taipei to find me.”
“Oh…”
Tsai Shih-nan replied softly.
The sedan started again.
Shi Meilin stepped on the accelerator, and the car continued along the lakeside road.
But this time, the two of them no longer had the ease and sweetness they had shared on the way there.
The Sun Moon Lake outside the window remained as beautiful as ever.
Yet, for the first time, an invisible distance appeared between their hearts.
And this distance would become the first challenge their relationship would have to face in the future.
70. An Encounter Beneath the Morning Light of Taipei’s East District
Early in the morning, Taipei’s East District was bathed in sunlight streaming through the gaps between the rows of towering buildings, casting light onto the wide streets below.
One magnificent commercial building after another stood tall and imposing. The glass curtain walls reflected the sky, as well as the busy scenes of the city awakening.
On the roads, streams of traffic moved continuously. Taxis, buses, and private cars intertwined into a flowing urban landscape.
On the sidewalks, office workers in perfectly tailored suits hurried forward. Young men and women carrying coffee chatted and passed by, while the footsteps of shoppers occasionally blended into the crowd.
The entire East District was like a city machine that had started running precisely on schedule.
Shi Meilin carried an elegant handbag and walked through the bustling crowd toward her company building.
Today, she was dressed in a sharp professional suit. Her tall, slender figure and confident steps made her especially eye-catching among the crowd.
Her deep, exotic-looking facial features, combined with an elegant and coolly charming temperament, attracted the attention of many passersby the moment she appeared.
Several men walking by could not help slowing their pace and secretly observing her.
“Look, isn’t that girl unbelievably beautiful?”
One man lowered his voice, his eyes following Shi Meilin’s figure.
“Seriously. Her face, her figure, her presence—they’re all top-class.”
Another man said with a smile, his tone filled with admiration.
“I wonder which company she works for?”
The man beside him shrugged and deliberately poured cold water on their excitement.
“Why bother asking about her? A high-end imported product like that probably already belongs to someone.”
“You can’t say that.”
Another man raised his eyebrows and laughed.
“Maybe she’s still available! There’s no harm in asking.”
Their whispered conversation reached the ears of a man standing nearby.
The man was wearing a neat shirt and trousers. His expression was calm and composed, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.
He was none other than Yan Yong-kang, Shi Meilin’s colleague at the company.
He turned around, glanced at the men, and spoke in a calm voice.
“No need to guess.”
Several men were startled and turned to look at him.
With both hands in his pockets, Yan Yong-kang spoke in a relaxed and stylish manner.
“That lady is my direct supervisor. She is also the director of our company’s design department.”
The second man looked surprised.
“Really? Which company does she work for?”
Yan Yong-kang smiled slightly.
“Focus Fashion.”
The men looked at one another.
Seeing their curious expressions, Yan Yong-kang deliberately raised the corners of his mouth and spoke half-jokingly.
“There are plenty of beautiful women in the world. A woman of Director Shi’s level is not someone you can casually fantasize about. So… just take it easy.”
After saying that, he did not stay any longer. He simply turned around confidently and followed the flow of office workers into the building.
The glass doors slowly closed behind him.
Inside the elevator lobby, the crowd continued moving busily.
Shi Meilin stood among the people, her expression calm and composed, seemingly completely unaware of the small episode that had just occurred at the street corner.
After Yan Yong-kang entered the elevator, he glanced at her figure through the reflection on the elevator doors. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
In this city that hurriedly operates every day, some encounters may seem ordinary, yet quietly plant the seeds of a story waiting to unfold.
