Princess Carry

After settling Xia Xiaochan, Xiang Yang and Jin Cang went to the hospital to visit Jin Changan as planned.

The two of them strolled in a clean alley in Taipei with few pedestrians in the afternoon. A few snow-white Yoshino cherry trees raised their snow-like braids in time, dancing in the wind.

"Xia Xiaochan told you about my dad?" Xiangyang asked, without much emotion in his tone.

Jin Cang's heart skipped a beat, and he was a little flustered, "I'm sorry, I... shouldn't I know too much?"

He glanced at Xiangyang, his eyes filled with apology and uneasiness. He wondered if the information he knew would make Xiangyang feel uncomfortable, as if he had been spied on.

Xiangyang shook his head and said lightly, "I will tell you sooner or later." He turned his head to look at Jin Cang with a calm gaze.

He knew Jin Cang's concerns and understood his reaction.

There were some things he hadn't intended to hide, but it didn't seem appropriate to discuss them too deeply at the moment. He trusted Jin Cang, and he also trusted their mutual understanding.

"Really?" Jin Cang was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Xiang Yang to be so frank. He had always thought that Xiang Yang's family was a taboo topic that he couldn't discuss if he could avoid it.

"Yeah." Xiang Yang replied softly, retracting his gaze and continuing to walk forward. He knew that Jin Cang still had many questions in his mind, but he didn't intend to continue. Some topics needed to be digested slowly.

Jin Cang followed Xiangyang, watching the cherry blossom petals fall gently and cling to his shoulders in a poetic and picturesque manner.

Xiang Yang's honesty made him feel trusted, which was a good feeling. He knew that this meant their relationship had taken a step closer.

Jin Cang did not ask any further questions. He knew that this story must be very long and heavy.

Xiangyang raised his head, squinting at the sunlight on the treetops. He turned to look at Ah Cang. In the soft light, like the out-of-focus lens in a movie montage, he seemed to be smiling even though he wasn't. "My father and I live in the same city, but we... haven't seen each other for a long time." He said softly, his tone relaxed, as if he was talking about someone else. "He, once... was not a qualified father."

"I...I don't know what to say." Jin Cang really didn't know how to respond, but his eyes were burning with genuine concern.

Xiangyang smiled and ruffled his hair out of habit. This time, he didn't have to stand on tiptoe. "No need to say anything." He took another step. "Some things, you just need to know."

As Jin Cang listened to Xiang Yang's words, the scene an hour ago flashed back to his mind.

After buying the strawberries, Xia Xiaochan didn't rush back to the restaurant. Instead, she pulled him to sit under a banyan tree at the entrance of the alley.

Xia Xiaochan opened one of the strawberries and handed it to Jin Cang, then picked up one and ate it herself. The juice spread a bright red around her lips.

"Uncle Xiang won a major award at an international film festival, and for a long time after that, he filmed films abroad. The years when they were growing up needed their father the most, and when their mother was ill, were also when he was furthest away from home..."

Jin Cang took the strawberry and listened attentively. He cherished the opportunity to gradually get into Xiangyang's story, which he didn't know yet.

Xia Xiaochan picked up another strawberry and continued, "Xiangyang's mother has a mental illness. Severe depression has led to schizophrenia. The doctor said there's a chance it runs in the family. Uncle Xiang asked Xianghai to study medicine because he wanted to learn more about the disease and how to prevent it, not to force his life..."

She changed the subject, her tone lamenting, "Don't be fooled by Xiangyang's appearance of not caring about anything right now. He has a lot on his mind. It doesn't match his age. He's already experienced things prematurely."

Jin Cang nodded, and his understanding of Xiang Yang deepened.

Ah Cang thought about the Xiangyang described by Xia Xiaochan, and felt distressed unconsciously. He moved his body closer to Xiangyang.

Xiangyang naturally held his hand, without any hesitation about other people's gazes. The two handsome and tall boys walked hand in hand with high spirits.

"Sister Xiaochan said...Uncle Xiang is in the hospital?" Jin Cang couldn't help but ask one more question, still showing concern.

"I had a heart stent placed, minimally invasive surgery, and I'm recovering well. Aunt Lingjuan is taking care of me..."

Xiangyang answered smoothly. After the heavy stone in his heart was lifted, his tone softened, comforting A Cang and himself.

"Aunt Fan is a woman who has done our family a great favor. She is Xiaochan's mother. She used to be a most respected actress and was like a sister to my mom. After my mom got into trouble, she didn't care about the media rumors and simply retired from the film industry. She has never left my dad, my brother, and me." Xiangyang said, with respect for Fan Lingjuan in his tone.

Then, Xiangyang spoke out of his feelings and said a few words that even he himself felt unfamiliar with.

Those words were spoken from his mouth for the first time, or rather, they flashed into his mind for the first time.

He stared ahead, his eyes vague. "These past few days, I've been spending time with Uncle Jin. He told me he envied my father for having such a filial son like me. Suddenly, I had a revelation... It made me think, maybe I could try to look at my past with my father from another perspective..."

"Sister Xiaochan said that people often drift apart when they repeatedly miss each other's chance to speak openly..." Jin Cang continued. He looked intently into Xiangyang's eyes, feeling that when Xiangyang spoke these words, he was like a lost child finding his way.

Xiangyang suddenly stopped and looked at him with a smile in his eyes.

"What are you laughing at?" Jin Cang felt a little confused by his gaze.

"It turns out that it's so cute when children talk like adults." Xiangyang said with a smile, and once again reached out and rubbed A Cang's hair.

Jin Cang glared at him, his face deliberately fierce, but his ears were slightly red. "Do you know what a 'princess hug' is? If you were suddenly hugged by a child, wouldn't you feel embarrassed?"

Xiangyang was startled when he saw him suddenly stride towards him. He wanted to struggle, but it was too late. Jin Cang lifted him up horizontally in the air.

With his feet off the ground and his body held firmly, Xiangyang's heart was pounding, and he felt embarrassed and annoyed. "Put me down!"

Jin Cang took advantage of the fact that no one was around and bent down to kiss his lips.

The kiss had the sweetness of strawberries, mixed with the warmth of Taipei's flower season sunshine.

Xiangyang's struggle gradually softened, he put his arms around Jin Cang's neck and closed his eyes.

It was not until many years later, when Xiangyang recalled this fateful journey, that he suddenly realized that at the beginning, he stayed to save Ah Cang from his thorny situation, but unexpectedly, in the end, it seemed that he was the one who was truly redeemed.

He thought he was giving light, but he found that he was also illuminated by the light.