Ruan Yu stayed by Teng Yi’s bedside for a long time, but he showed no signs of waking. Rui Shu said it must be due to the medication in the injection and suggested Ruan Yu go home and return tomorrow. Ruan Yu agreed; after all, she needed to change out of her borrowed attire.
Coming down from the second floor, she saw Teng Hao sitting alone by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hall, facing the gentle lights flickering in the courtyard, lost in thought.
Hearing footsteps, Teng Hao turned around.
“How’s my brother?” he asked.
“He’s fine, just sleeping. Don’t worry.”
Teng Hao nodded: “Are you leaving?”
“Yes, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
He nodded again.
“Get some rest. I’m going now.”
Teng Hao remained silent as he watched Ruan Yu go to the doorway to change shoes. Then he activated his wheelchair and quietly followed her.
“What is it?” Ruan Yu sensed he had something to say.
“Top Scholar…” Teng Hao pressed his hands on his wheelchair, gazing up at the second floor. “I don’t know how you feel about my brother now, and I have no right to ask about your love life, but could you please help him, for the sake of your past feelings? It’s all my fault. My condition isn’t because of him, but his state is entirely my doing. Now I’m just a useless person, I can’t do anything for him, I can only beg you…”
“Teng Hao.” Ruan Yu crouched down, holding his hand, meeting his gaze. “You’re not useless. Don’t say that, don’t even think that. As long as you’re well, he’ll be fine too. Don’t worry, I won’t leave him. All these years, there’s been no one else in my heart but him.”
“What about Luo Sheng?”
“He’s just my friend.”
Teng Hao breathed a sigh of relief.
Heaven knows how worried he’d been, afraid that this precious reunion might end with watching someone else steal her away.
Ruan Yu stood up: “I’m going now. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow.”
It was already midnight when Ruan Yu returned to Duo Garden. The community was peaceful, but before she could reach her parking spot, she saw Luo Sheng’s sports car occupying her space.
She parked at the curb and went to knock on Luo Sheng’s window. He was playing a game inside. Seeing her return, he pointed at his phone and mouthed: “Give me two minutes.”
Ruan Yu wouldn’t wait for him. She went straight to open her door and enter.
Luo Sheng quickly followed, took a few steps, remembered something, and went back to retrieve a bouquet from his car.
“Hey, hey, wait up!” He slipped inside just as Ruan Yu was about to close the door.
Once inside, he handed her the flowers.
“Here, for you. I delivered them personally today, aren’t you touched?”
Ruan Yu didn’t take them.
“Why won’t you take them?”
“Because I dare not move.”
Luo Sheng gave her an exasperated look, placed the flowers on the coffee table, and collapsed onto the sofa, yawning before continuing his game. He didn’t state his purpose for coming, but Ruan Yu knew why he was there.
Ruan Yu poured him a glass of water and sat across from him.
“Since you’re here, let’s talk properly.”
“Why so serious?” He looked up from his screen. “Makes it sound like we’re breaking up.”
“Not breaking up, just being clear.”
“Clear about what?”
Ruan Yu pointed at the bouquet: “Don’t send me flowers anymore.”
“Are you telling me not to send flowers, or not to pursue you?”
“Both.”
Luo Sheng put away his phone and leaned close to Ruan Yu’s face, looking at her seriously.
“You think I’ll stop just because you tell me to? Aren’t you underestimating Young Master’s determination? Listen, Ruan Yu, I may seem carefree usually, but I’m serious about you.”
“I know you’re serious. It’s because I know that I feel guilty.” Ruan Yu sighed. “But Luo Sheng, I can’t love anyone else.”
Whether receiving the most beautiful flowers or the most enviable confessions, she could only think of Teng Yi.
Because he had given her all these things before.
The sweetness of the past had already become a sugar coating, wrapping around her layer by layer, preventing her from feeling moved or falling in love again.
Luo Sheng didn’t speak, but you could see he was holding back his frustration.
“I’m sorry. Blame me if you want, I just don’t want you wasting time on me.” Ruan Yu felt guilty.
“What waste of time? My time isn’t that precious. Besides, I understand everything you’re saying. After pursuing you for so many years, how could I not have some sense of whether I can succeed or not?” Luo Sheng looked at the vases full of fresh flowers in the living room. “Don’t feel burdened by what I do. I just want to try a little harder. If I don’t try, and simply lose to those four words ‘he came back,’ I won’t be satisfied.”
“Are you satisfied now?” Ruan Yu probed.
Luo Sheng shook his head: “Not yet.”
“Then what would it take?”
He looked at her, his eyes suddenly filled with deep emotion.
“I need to see him treat you well. Then I can give up.”
–_–
Ruan Yu tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Although things had been cleared up on both sides, her heart still felt unsettled, worried about Teng Yi and his illness.
As soon as dawn broke, she got up to dress and wash, made some sandwiches, and packed them to take to the Teng house.
Driving to Jin Ting, she discovered the small trees in the Teng family courtyard were sprouting new buds and flowers – all jasmine. Those little white flowers, blooming one by one, seemed to bloom right into her heart.
Ruan Yu loved the sight, bending to smell from one plant to another, momentarily forgetting to ring the doorbell, until she saw Teng Yi running over from the direction of the small park. Only then did she straighten up.
He was still wearing black sportswear, but not the same outfit as last time – this time it was short-sleeved.
Teng Yi had spotted her from afar too. He had been jogging over, but seeing her standing at his doorstep, his steps suddenly halted, then resumed, one by one, at a walking pace.
Ruan Yu wasn’t in a hurry. She waited until he walked closer before asking: “Why are you out running so early?”
Having fainted just last night, he should be resting properly instead of exercising. Even if he wanted to build up his strength, this wasn’t the right time.
“Why can’t I run?” Teng Yi countered.
This question completely silenced Ruan Yu.
She remembered that when she went downstairs last night, Rui Shu had told her to pretend she didn’t know about Teng Yi’s fainting spell. Because of his pride, he had even hidden it from Teng Hao but living together as brothers, such things couldn’t be concealed forever. However, besides Teng Hao, no one outside knew about Teng Yi’s illness. And the person he most wanted to keep this news from was probably Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu understood Rui Shu’s meaning and had agreed, but in her worry, she had almost let it slip.
“I mean, it’s still cool in the morning and evening, why are you wearing so little to go running? You’ll catch a cold.”
Teng Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave Ruan Yu a look.
Ruan Yu felt somewhat guilty, but fortunately, he didn’t pursue the topic.
“Why are you here so early? Something up?” Teng Yi asked.
“Oh, I made some sandwiches to bring for… Teng Hao, for Teng Hao to try.” Ruan Yu showed him the lunch box in her hand.
“Teng Hao has already gone to the company,” he said flatly.
“Gone to the company?”
“What? You bring him breakfast without checking first?”
“We agreed on it last night, he must have forgotten.”
“Last night?” Teng Yi seemed to be recalling what happened last night. “At the charity gala, you were discussing breakfast?”
“Why can’t we discuss breakfast at a charity gala? We didn’t just discuss breakfast, we talked about lunch and dinner too. I might be bothering your family for all three meals these next few days.”
Teng Yi stayed silent, just listening to her make things up.
“Since Teng Hao’s gone, you probably haven’t had breakfast yet. Well, lucky you.” Ruan Yu said, walking toward the doorway.
After a few steps, she noticed Teng Yi hadn’t followed and immediately turned back.
Teng Yi was still standing in place, watching her motionlessly.
“Why are you staring at me? Open the door! I’m already here, aren’t you going to let me in to sit?” She pointed at the door, acting like a proper guest.
Teng Yi thought for a moment, didn’t say much, just went forward to open the door for her.
They entered the house together.
Some window on the north side must have been open, as Ruan Yu caught a draft upon entering and coughed a couple of times. Teng Yi immediately turned around alertly to look at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Afraid of making a scene, she covered her nose and mouth, unable to answer immediately.
He became even more worried.
“I’ve had the house cleaned, and the cat hasn’t been back, you…”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Ruan Yu waved her hand. “It’s just a normal cough, not an asthma attack.”
He glanced around the room and went to close the window on the north side.
Ruan Yu watched him with a smile.
“What now?” He felt uncertain about her smile.
“Did you know I would come to your house again?”
“What do you mean?”
“You had the house cleaned and didn’t let the cat come back, wasn’t that to prevent my allergies from triggering my asthma? Doesn’t that mean you knew I would come to your house?”
Ruan Yu’s words came out like a tongue twister, making one dizzy, but she knew he understood.
Teng Yi took off his sports band and went to pour a glass of water at the table.
He just drank water, not responding to her words.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Host Ruan has said everything, what else can I say?” His tone seemed to both acknowledge his care for her and not.
“Am I wrong?”
“You’re right, but how can Host Ruan be sure you’re the only one allergic to cat hair around me?”
“Who else? If there’s such a coincidence, I should meet them.” She parried his words skillfully.
Teng Yi took a deep breath, suddenly lifting the corner of his mouth in a smile.
It had been so long since she’d seen him smile, it felt like a lifetime ago.
Ruan Yu was stunned.
“Sit down first, I’ll go up to take a shower and change.” Teng Yi avoided her gaze and turned to go upstairs.
Ruan Yu watched him go up. After the footsteps in the stairwell fell silent, she took out the sandwiches she’d brought and arranged them one by one on the dining table.
After a while, Teng Yi came down changed, looking fresh and clean, but as he passed by her, she caught the smell of cigarette smoke.
He had been smoking again.
Rui Shu had mentioned last night that currently, Teng Yi was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol, viewing these two things as his medicine for coping with stress.
“You’ve been smoking?” Ruan Yu asked directly, completely unaware that she now sounded exactly like a managing wife.
Teng Yi seemed equally unaware. He lowered his head to smell his clothes, then politely said sorry.
“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to yourself. Smoking early in the morning isn’t good.” Ruan Yu rummaged through her bag and pulled out a strawberry-flavored lollipop. “When you want to smoke in the future, eat candy instead. They say eating candy can help curb cigarette cravings.”
Teng Yi: “…”
Smoking early in the morning isn’t good, but eating candy early in the morning is?