Early the next morning, when Ruan Yu opened her eyes, she saw that Teng Yi was already awake, lying on his side beside her, gazing at her tenderly.
“Good morning,” seeing her awake, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.
Ruan Yu yawned, her eyes curving into crescents as she snuggled closer to him. Teng Yi promptly wrapped her tightly in his embrace, following her scent to kiss the crown of her head, ears, and neck… Though they had kissed all night, he still couldn’t get enough, as if her body was coated with some addictive poison.
Ruan Yu felt tingles all over from his teasing. Her previous drowsiness completely vanished. Lying on his arm and staring at the plain white ceiling, she felt strangely empty inside.
“Starting today, I’m officially unemployed,” Ruan Yu said.
“What? Having regrets?”
“Not regrets exactly, just feeling a bit lost.”
Teng Yi understood this feeling. When people step out of their comfort zone or familiar environment, it’s natural to feel unsettled, but everything will improve once they get through this transition period.
“Lost about what? Is the great Director Ruan worried about having nowhere to go?”
Ruan Yu looked up at him: “What if I have nowhere to go?”
“The bar needs a hostess, interested?”
“No.”
He rolled over, pinning her beneath him, and invaded her defenses in an instant when she least expected it.
Ruan Yu let out a whimper, clutching his back tightly. Though she hurt him with her grip, he wouldn’t let her go, only possessing her more dominantly. Just as Ruan Yu was about to break down, she heard him whisper: “Little Fish, you have no choice in the matter.”
“…”
The beautiful morning hours were thoroughly spent in bed.
After getting up, they went downstairs together for breakfast.
After being worn out all night, Ruan Yu felt hungry enough to eat a cow. She ordered a bowl of three-delicacy noodles, a basket of vegetarian dumplings, a glass of fresh soy milk, and an egg, wolfing it all down.
“Eat slower, no one’s fighting you for it.”
“I’m hungry,” she didn’t even look up.
Teng Yi watched her cheeks puff out like a hamster, looking cute and amusing, and couldn’t resist taking a photo with his phone.
“Don’t take pictures, I’m a public figure, I have an image to maintain.”
“I won’t share it, just keeping it for myself.”
“What’s the use of keeping it?”
“To educate our children later,” Teng Yi put away his phone and added, “As a negative example.”
Ruan Yu: “…”
She glared at him while he grinned.
“Any other plans?” Teng Yi asked.
“Nothing for now.”
“Then on our way back, let’s stop by Sanmenxia to visit Grandfather,” Teng Yi suggested.
Ruan Yu froze.
“Why suddenly think of Grandfather?”
“It’s not sudden, I’ve always remembered.”
Teng Yi had always remembered his promise to Grandfather when leaving Sanmenxia that he would visit when he had time. But these years, he’d encountered too many things, barely managing himself, and hadn’t fulfilled his promise.
Now that he’s reunited with Ruan Yu, they should naturally visit Grandfather first, explain why he broke his promise all these years, and seek the elder’s forgiveness.
“Grandfather has passed away.”
“…”
Now it was Teng Yi’s turn to freeze.
“Three years ago, from heart disease,” Ruan Yu put down her chopsticks, lowering her eyes with undisguisable regret and sadness.
A thousand emotions surged in Teng Yi’s heart.
He reached out and held Ruan Yu’s hand.
So during these years, not only had he lost family and suffered, but she had too.
“Ruan Yu, I’m sorry. I didn’t know about Grandfather…”
Ruan Yu shook her head: “Even I didn’t know he was sick, how could you have known? It’s all my fault. I was busy with studies when studying, busy with work when working, and never properly spent time with him. When he left, he was all alone.”
As she spoke, tears fell.
Teng Yi wiped her tears and pulled her into his embrace.
“I understand the pain of losing family, and I know no one can ease this pain no matter how they comfort you. After Madam Shen Bing passed, I always thought perhaps there was fate even between family members. Being able to walk a portion of life’s path together, supporting each other, is already a gift from destiny. We shouldn’t be too greedy. The past is past, all we living can do is live well, so they won’t worry about us in heaven.”
Ruan Yu nodded: “Should we still go?”
“Yes.”
No matter what, Teng Yi needed to go back. He wanted Grandfather to know he had returned to China and was now by Ruan Yu’s side, and would always be by her side. He could rest easy now.
–_–
After leaving Xiancheng, Ruan Yu and Teng Yi detoured to Sanmenxia to pay respects to Grandfather.
With all these turns, by the time they returned to Liao City, it was already nine in the evening. After getting off the highway, Teng Yi planned to send Ruan Yu home to rest first, but midway, he received a call from Rui Shu.
Rui Shu said Teng Hao got into a fight and was now hospitalized, asking them to hurry to the hospital.
This news frightened them both.
A fight?
How could he fight while in a wheelchair?
Teng Yi hung up, his expression grave, and turned toward the hospital without another word.
When they arrived at the hospital, they ran into Rui Shu coming out of the doctor’s office with examination reports.
“What happened?” Teng Yi grabbed Rui Shu.
“I don’t know either. When he left home today, he told me he had a dinner appointment to attend in the evening. I found it strange since he usually hates attending dinner parties. I wondered who had enough influence to convince him.”
“Who?”
“I asked, but he wouldn’t say. When he left his face was tense, very unusual. Then in the evening, I got a call saying he’d gotten into a fight and was in the hospital.”
“Who did he fight with?”
“Zhou Xu, the crown prince of Jingtai.”
“Zhou Xu?”
Teng Yi hadn’t heard this name before, but Ruan Yu knew it. That day when Teng Hao mentioned Yun Shen to her, he had mentioned this name.
“Zhou Xu is Yun Shen’s current boyfriend. I heard they’re about to get engaged,” Ruan Yu said.
Teng Yi and Ruan Yu exchanged glances, immediately guessing what had happened.
So, it was for Yun Shen.
Six years ago, Teng Hao fought for her.
Six years later, Teng Hao still fought for her.
Fate comes and goes, begins and ends, everything is destined.
The three entered the ward together.
Teng Hao sat on the hospital bed, a bruise at the corner of his mouth, several scratches on his face, and his arm in a cast. Seeing Teng Yi and the others, he looked away.
“You brat!” Teng Yi walked to Teng Hao’s side and grabbed the back of his neck.
Teng Hao remained silent, expecting his brother to scold him, but heard Teng Yi say: “You brat, getting into a fight without calling me!”
His tense expression relaxed slightly.
Teng Yi looked Teng Hao up and down: “Any other injuries?”
“No.”
“Why did you fight?”
He fell silent again.
Ruan Yu stepped forward and gave Teng Yi a meaningful look.
Teng Yi stepped aside.
“Teng Hao, was it because of Yun Shen?” Ruan Yu asked gently.
He remained silent.
Ruan Yu put an arm around his shoulders: “Silly boy, I know you’re hurting, but if you can’t talk to us about Yun Shen, who can you talk to? We care about you and Yun Shen too.”
“…”
“Teng Hao.”
“That bastard doesn’t deserve Yun Shen,” Teng Hao finally spoke, his voice tinged with anger.
Tonight’s dinner, Teng Hao originally wasn’t going to attend, but when he heard Jingtai’s Zhou Xu would be there, he changed his mind and agreed to go.
He thought since Zhou Xu was Yun Shen’s boyfriend, perhaps Yun Shen would come too. Although he had reminded himself countless times that his connection with Yun Shen should end perfectly with their meeting at the concert that night, he still couldn’t help thinking about her, missing her, unwilling to miss any chance to see her.
Unfortunately, Zhou Xu came alone, with no sign of Yun Shen beside him.
Meeting again, Zhou Xu was still as courteous as their first meeting. Whether speaking with Teng Hao or others at the table, his manners and bearing were perfect, but after a few drinks, that hypocritical mask began to slip.
First, he made crude jokes to the young waitress, driving her away. Then he started smoking openly, filling the private room with smoke, ignoring all requests to stop. Later, as they chatted, someone mentioned Yun Shen, and when everyone praised her beauty, he became angry.
“Don’t mention that woman, always facing me with a dead expression. Beautiful? What use is beauty? No matter how beautiful, she’s still just a mute! I’m not afraid to tell you all, that if it weren’t for her old man saying he’d give forty percent of Haike Group’s shares as her dowry, I wouldn’t marry her! Who knows if our future children will also be little mutes! Hmph, if that happens, it would affect my descendants’ genes…”
Teng Hao immediately hurled his cup, the crash startling everyone in the room into silence.
Beast!
So he hadn’t truly loved and accepted Yun Shen’s disability, he only loved Haike’s shares, loved the Ren family’s money!
Beast!
Even if he only loved Haike’s shares and the Ren family’s money, he shouldn’t humiliate his future fiancée like this in public!
Teng Hao’s heart felt like it was being sliced by knives.
Yun Shen was someone he cherished so deeply that he forced himself to wish her well, how could such a beast humiliate her like this?
Zhou Xu nearly got hit by the cup, was stunned for a few seconds, and then immediately flew into a rage.
“Fuck, what’s your problem? Trying to kill someone?”
He lunged at Teng Hao, but the surrounding friends were unable to hold him back.
The two quickly became entangled in a fight.
One tall and strong, one in a wheelchair, the match seemed uneven, but in actual combat, Zhou Xu was all show. For Teng Hao, who had been working out for years, this beast was no match in terms of strength. He could only scratch and claw like a woman, and finally, seeing he couldn’t win, he simply pushed over Teng Hao’s wheelchair, taking advantage when Teng Hao fell to throw punches and kicks, salvaging some face.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already contacted Uncle Sun. I’ll get justice for you in this matter,” Teng Yi spoke from the side.
“I don’t care about that. I didn’t lose this fight, but Yun Shen… No matter what, Yun Shen can’t be with someone like that.”
Yes, even if she couldn’t be with him, it definitely couldn’t be someone like that.