Jiang Lulian was taken aback. "Yutong, you're not feeling well? Where does it hurt? Why didn't you tell me?"
If he had known, he certainly wouldn't have brought her to eat Japanese food.
Jiang Lulian felt guilty and regretful, realizing he hadn't been considerate enough.
Earlier in the car, he had only asked if there was anything she didn't like to eat.
When Ming Yutong said she wasn't picky, he had taken her to the Japanese restaurant he liked.
Ming Yutong hadn't actually planned to eat anything. She just wanted to clear things up with Jiang Lulian.
After clarifying, it would have been awkward to sit down and eat together.
But now, hearing Fu Yinxiu's remarks, Ming Yutong found it ironic. She didn't respond to Jiang Lulian's question.
Instead, she sarcastically addressed Fu Yinxiu, "How many times did I compromise for you in the past? What right do you have to criticize others now?"
Fu Yinxiu fell silent.
Reflecting on the past, he realized Ming Yutong had always compromised for him.
She preferred quiet and didn't like sports, especially extreme sports. Yet, she followed him into surfing, even though she was scared, just to be with him.
She hadn't been so independent and strong back then.
Now, some men might dislike her strong personality and prefer a more traditional, submissive woman, like Jiang Lulian.
But if she had been more like that, even Jiang Lulian might have liked her more.
Back then, Ming Yutong was just a 23-year-old girl in her first love, naturally wanting to be with her partner as much as possible. It was a normal feeling.
But he didn't understand.
At 26, with more experience and self-proclaimed maturity, he should have understood better.
But in reality, he was the immature one.
Looking back now, it seemed laughable.
Every time, Ming Yutong was the one compromising, changing herself for him, even when she didn't like it.
He liked spicy food, but Ming Yutong couldn't handle it.
Yet, because he liked it, she accompanied him to try the famous hot pot and Sichuan restaurants in New City.
At first, she wasn't used to it. Her stomach always felt uncomfortable after meals, but she kept it to herself.
It was only later, when the housekeeper mentioned that Ming Yutong had previously visited the hospital for stomach issues, that he found out.
Ming Yutong was like that, ignoring her own preferences, always putting his happiness first.
What was even more infuriating was that over the past seven years, he had never truly reflected on his behavior or realized what was wrong.
Only recently, after misunderstandings were cleared up, did he begin to reassess his past actions and recognize his mistakes.
The fact that it took him this long to realize his faults was the most maddening part.
Ming Yutong's words left Fu Yinxiu speechless.
What he didn't voice was the fear that Ming Yutong, unwilling to compromise for him now and instead accommodating Jiang Lulian, might be because she had developed feelings for Jiang Lulian.
Did she find Jiang Lulian's feelings sincere enough to be moved?
Ming Yutong appeared to be an independent, strong woman. Yet in matters of the heart, she was very much a "little woman."
Once she developed feelings for someone, she would prioritize them above everything else, putting their needs first and loving them wholeheartedly.
The thought of her being with another man, not only being intimate but also taking care of him so thoroughly, putting him first and loving him wholeheartedly, pained Fu Yinxiu deeply.
These were things that had once belonged to him, which he had squandered due to his own failures.
"I won't make you compromise for me anymore. You don't need to ignore your own preferences for my sake," Fu Yinxiu said, holding Ming Yutong's wrist.
"So, don't accept others, okay? In the past, it was you indulging me. I understand now, truly. From now on, let me pamper you. Don't force yourself to accommodate others."
"You don't have to do that. Don't put yourself in a difficult position," Ming Yutong replied.
Seeing that Fu Yinxiu's words were becoming more unreasonable, Jiang Lulian stood up.
If Fu Yinxiu continued, he would come off as a selfish person who lacked consideration.
"Yutong, I'm sorry for the oversight this time. It won't happen again," Jiang Lulian said.
Fu Yinxiu sneered, "Yes, but there will be other issues. Apologizing frequently makes apologies lose their value. It's better not to do things that need an apology in the first place."
Jiang Lulian, anger rising, had a difficult expression.
"What right do you have to say that?" Ming Yutong looked at Fu Yinxiu with contempt.
Jiang Lulian's oversight was a minor issue compared to the harm Fu Yinxiu had caused her.
This time, Fu Yinxiu had no response.
Ming Yutong's words were the truth, leaving him unable to refute them.