Ruan Yu ended up getting drunk. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on Teng Yi’s bed.
She had another blackout about what happened later last night. She only remembered that before getting drunk, Teng Yi had stayed by her side the whole time, doing whatever she asked of him.
She sat up in bed and looked down at her clothes. Except for having her outer jacket removed, everything else was still properly worn. She had slept on the south side of the bed; the north side was perfectly smooth with no signs of anyone having lain there. It seemed Teng Yi hadn’t stayed in the room to sleep last night.
Ruan Yu got out of bed and walked out of the room while massaging her throbbing temples.
In the hallway, the fish tank was being cleaned. The filter pump was humming, and Teng Yi, with his sleeves rolled up on both sides, was wiping the fish tank glass with a cloth.
The white little fish in the tank seemed to recognize him, swimming freely along the path of his cloth movements. He would occasionally tap the glass with his finger to play with the little fish.
“What’s its name?” Ruan Yu spoke up.
Teng Yi turned around at her voice. “You’re awake.”
“Mm.”
“Which ‘it’?”
Ruan Yu pointed at the fish tank: “I’m asking about that little fish, what’s its name?”
“She doesn’t have a name,” Teng Yi said.
“Then what do you call it?”
“Little Fish,” he said, tapping the glass again. The white fish stopped at his fingertip, swaying its tail.
They were in perfect harmony.
“Just how many ‘Little Fish’ do you have?”
Teng Yi raised an eyebrow: “You were drinking wine last night, but after sleeping, it seems like you’ve been drinking vinegar instead.”
Ruan Yu pouted, only now realizing how jealous her tone had sounded.
“I’m not jealous at all.”
She wouldn’t admit to being jealous, especially of a fish – how ridiculous would that sound if it got out?
“Then why do you care how many Little Fish I have?” Teng Yi teased.
“Hmph, if you don’t want to tell me, fine. Just don’t call me Little Fish anymore.” Her temples were throbbing more intensely now, and she couldn’t be bothered to look at the man and fish before her.
Teng Yi, still holding the cloth, pulled her back with one arm.
“Why don’t you ask me why I call her Little Fish?”
“Don’t want to ask, not curious, don’t care.”
“Really?”
“Really!”
“Fine.” Teng Yi released her, “Go wash up, I’ve prepared all the toiletries for you.”
Ruan Yu walked a few steps away proudly, then turned back with a pretentious air.
“Why don’t you just tell me anyway? I’ll force myself to listen.”
Teng Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
“So you’re determined to be jealous of a fish?”
“Let me hear it first, then I’ll decide whether to be jealous or not,” Host Ruan maintained her proud demeanor.
“Now that you want to hear it, I don’t feel like telling anymore.” Teng Yi became equally pretentious.
He turned his back and continued wiping the fish tank.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t want to say sweet things first thing in the morning.”
“I asked you to talk about the fish, how did it turn into a sweet talk?” Ruan Yu’s eyes curved in amusement, “Could it be that you keep this ‘Little Fish’ to remind you of another ‘Little Fish’?”
“Host Ruan is so clever.”
Wasn’t that exactly why he kept it to remind him of someone?
This white fish was a moonlight fish.
When he first returned to the country, he didn’t dare to look for her and could only watch her shows at home every day. That screen was like the glass of a fish tank, making her seem within sight but out of reach.
But even though she was so close yet so far, she was still the moonlight in his heart, his eternal love.
He only had one Little Fish, just her alone.
–_–
After washing up, Ruan Yu was called downstairs by Teng Yi.
“Drink some hangover tea first, then have breakfast,” he said.
The dining table was filled with various breakfast items and two cups of hangover tea.
“Why are there two cups of tea?” Ruan Yu asked.
Teng Yi pointed to Teng Hao’s room.
“There’s another person in there.” Teng Yi’s face showed a trace of concern.
“Did Teng Hao drink last night too?”
“Mm.”
“Why? Yester…” Ruan Yu’s voice trailed off.
A date suddenly flashed in her mind.
Earlier, when she and Teng Hao saw the poster for Yun Shen’s World Tour Concert at the city square, the date on the poster seemed to be yesterday.
“He must have gone to Yun Shen’s concert,” Ruan Yu said in a low voice to Teng Yi with emotion, “After all these years, I didn’t expect Teng Hao would still be thinking about Yun Shen. I remember back then, Teng Hao liked another girl, someone named Wang… Wang something.”
“Wang Jing Yao,” Teng Yi quickly added.
“Right, Wang Jing Yao, she even came to our house before.”
Teng Yi let out a cold sneer.
This Wang Jing Yao, just mentioning her name was enough to chill one’s heart.
Back when Teng Hao had his accident and remained in a coma, the doctor told Teng Yi that perhaps finding friends whom Teng Hao wanted to see and having them talk to him regularly might wake him up.
Upon hearing this, Teng Yi immediately thought of Wang Jing Yao, the girl Teng Hao liked. He rushed to the school, but Wang Jing Yao avoided him. Teng Yi didn’t give up and waited until she came out after school, wanting to beg her to visit Teng Hao. However, to his surprise, this girl rejected him without a second thought.
She told Teng Yi: “Brother, Teng Hao and I are just ordinary classmates. Why are you asking me to see him instead of others? We’re in our senior year now, everyone is fighting for every minute to study. I don’t want to waste time or let messy things affect my exam preparation mood. I won’t go to the hospital. I wish Teng Hao a speedy recovery.”
After saying these words, Wang Jing Yao stayed far away from Teng Yi, as if afraid of being tainted by some ill fortune. Teng Yi was furious but had no standing to criticize or demand anything.
Since ancient times, it’s been easy to add flowers to brocade but hard to send charcoal in snow.
He could only think that Teng Hao must have been blind to fall for such a cold-hearted girl.
However, as the saying goes, in this world, while some are heartless, there are always those who cherish relationships deeply.
When Teng Yi returned to the hospital feeling discouraged, he met Yun Shen.
After learning about Teng Hao’s accident, Yun Shen immediately flew back to Liao City from Hong Kong. She stayed at the hospital, watching over Teng Hao for exactly three months. After three months, when Shen Bing decided to take Teng Hao to America for treatment, the whole family flew to America. Although Yun Shen didn’t fly with them initially, after they had settled in Los Angeles, she followed them there.
She kept watching over him until Teng Hao woke up…
As Ruan Yu and Teng Yi were talking, they heard a “click” sound, and Teng Hao’s door opened. Then, Teng Hao came out in his wheelchair, rubbing his temples, looking exhausted.
The same hangover state indeed.
“Morning,” Teng Hao smiled in greeting when he saw Ruan Yu.
“Morning.”
“Top Scholar Miss, did you just arrive, or did you not leave last night?” Teng Hao joked.
“What do you think?” Teng Yi asked.
“I don’t know, but of course, I’m more inclined toward the latter. If you could give me a big nephew to play with soon, I’d be more than happy.”
“What are you saying? Seems like you’re still drunk, come have some hangover tea,” Teng Yi said to Teng Hao.
Teng Hao came to the dining table and drank the tea. Though the tea was bitter, he seemed not to notice, not even furrowing his brow.
“Breakfast is so sumptuous today. Top Scholar Miss, I hope you’ll stay overnight at our house every day to save our meals.”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m abusing you at home all the time,” Teng Yi said.
“Yes, yes, yes, my brother loves me the most, just don’t know how it’ll be when he takes a wife.”
“When he takes a wife, of course, we’ll both love you,” Ruan Yu chimed in.
The brothers exchanged glances and suddenly burst out laughing together.
Ruan Yu took a few seconds to react, then her face turned bright red.
How did she so naturally put herself in the position of his wife?
“I… I… I…”
“You what, Sister-in-law?” Teng Hao laughed, “I don’t care if you try to back out now, I’ve already accepted you as my sister-in-law.”
“…”
The atmosphere at the dining table was lighter than expected, but Ruan Yu could see that although Teng Hao was laughing, his mood wasn’t truly good.
After breakfast, while Teng Yi went upstairs to change clothes, Ruan Yu pulled Teng Hao aside to ask about Yun Shen.
“Did you go to Yun Shen’s concert last night?”
Teng Hao nodded.
“Did you get to talk to Yun Shen?”
Teng Hao nodded again.
Seeing that he didn’t seem to want to talk about last night or Yun Shen, Ruan Yu was about to drop it when she heard Teng Hao speak.
“Yun Shen, she’s getting engaged.”
Ruan Yu was startled: “Engaged? So soon?”
Teng Hao remained silent.
Yes, so soon, she was about to become someone else’s fiancée.
Ruan Yu truly regretted bringing up this topic, now how should she comfort him?
“Teng Hao, no matter what, Yun Shen’s past devotion to you…”
“I wronged her. I once said things that were too harsh and hurt her heart.”
Teng Hao would forever remember those clear eyes showing both joy and sorrow when he first opened his eyes on the hospital bed.
Seeing Yun Shen as the first person when he woke up had made Teng Hao very happy too.
Back then when she hurriedly left for Hong Kong, leaving behind that heartbreaking confession, he had regretted it for so long.
But they were young then, and regret could only remain regret – he couldn’t do anything about it.
After this near-death reunion, Teng Hao was moved by her faithful waiting, moved by her unwavering dedication. He had originally made up his mind to be with her properly, but soon after, he learned that he would never be able to stand again.
This blow was fatal to him.
How could he face Yun Shen anymore, face their feelings? He didn’t even dare to live.
Teng Hao asked Yun Shen to leave him.
Naturally, Yun Shen refused. Afterward, no matter how cold he was or how much he pushed her away, she still stubbornly stayed by his side. The night before his first suicide attempt, he asked her: “Yun Shen, do you think now that I’m crippled, you’re finally good enough for me?”
Yun Shen’s face turned red.
Embarrassment, disappointment, sorrow… countless emotions swirled in those beautiful eyes.
He had thought she would cry, but she didn’t shed a single tear.
But her heart probably died at that moment.
After that, Yun Shen never appeared in his hospital room again. And he, after countless times hovering at death’s door, finally surrendered to his brother’s desperate kneeling and chose to continue living.
His body was renewed, but his heart wasn’t.
Because he had lost Yun Shen.
Teng Hao hadn’t expected to see her again.
When he learned that Yun Shen was returning to Liao City for a concert, he both looked forward to and dreaded this day. In this life, he had wronged two women the most – his mother and Yun Shen. His mother was gone, and he would never have the chance to make up for past regrets, but with Yun Shen, he owed her an apology. He knew that regardless of whether she would forgive his past hurtful words, he should go see her.
Yesterday, he had flowers sent to Yun Shen, and then he went to the venue himself.
Yun Shen on stage was even more beautiful than before. When she played Richard Clayderman’s “Autumn Whispers,” he cried.
Scenes from the past floated before his eyes. He remembered performing this piece with her, remembered her sitting quietly by his hospital bed smiling foolishly at him all day, remembered her lonely figure when she finally left… Secret “whispers” – he thought he had understood everything from her notes, but it turned out she wasn’t playing for him at all.
After the performance, Teng Hao met Yun Shen and also met her boyfriend Zhou Xu.
Zhou Xu was tall and handsome, so well-matched with Yun Shen. When he saw Teng Hao, he took the initiative to shake hands, while Yun Shen stood beside Zhou Xu, her gaze peaceful and gentle.
Teng Hao’s thousand words became just one sentence: “Yun Shen, I’m sorry.”
Yun Shen smiled and shook her head at him.
He knew she was saying it was okay.
But at that moment, he would rather she still hated him, rather she still held his hurt against her.
The past had passed, and they were just friends now.
This was a kind of relief, but also a kind of cruelty.
Teng Hao quickly left the concert venue. As soon as he got in the car, he received a message from Yun Shen.
The message was short, just one sentence.
Yun Shen said: “Teng Hao, seeing that you can stand strong again, I can rest assured.”
Teng Hao cried in the car like a lost child.
He had finally lost his girl, the girl who had truly loved him, cared for him and wanted to spend her life with him.