Chapter 86 Ye Yuying had only been home for a few days…

Ye Yuying had only been home for a few days, leaving early and returning late every day. She noticed a faint musty smell in the house and assumed it was due to poor ventilation, so she made sure to open the windows before leaving.

When she got off work, she went to the orthopedic hospital, not for her own treatment, but because Aunt Pan, who lived on the same floor, had fallen down the stepladder. The old lady's daughter was in Singapore and couldn't come back for a while, so she called Ye Yuying to ask her to go to the hospital to check on her.

If you need anything, just let me know. I'm just worried that Aunt Pan will have to tough it out on her own.

The other party's phone number was obtained from the property management office, which Ye Yuying understood. After get off work, she took a taxi directly there.

On the eighth floor of the inpatient department, the corridor lights were somewhat dim, the floor was covered with common tiled flooring, and the ward doors were next to each other.

She went to the nurses' station, gave them her room number, and was led to a double room at the very back.

Aunt Pan was lying in bed, looking fairly well. Her wrist was in a splint and had a patch to reduce swelling. When she saw her come in, she was slightly surprised: "Why did you come in person, young lady?"

Ye Yuying pulled up a chair and sat down, then chuckled softly, "Your daughter was worried and asked me to come and check on you, afraid that you might need something but wouldn't want to ask?"

Her tone was natural, her eyes gentle, "Is there anything that hurts particularly? What did the doctor say?"

"It's nothing serious about the bones, just a slight fracture in my wrist. I'll need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Don't worry," Aunt Pan sighed. "When you get old, you have to accept it."

"It's good that everyone's alright." Ye Yuying nodded, glanced around the ward, and saw a bottle of mineral water and two oranges on the bedside table. "Is anyone staying with you tonight?"

"The nurse said it's not necessary for now, and someone will come to change my dressing tomorrow during the day. If you're busy, don't stay too long." Aunt Pan patted her hand. "At your age, the people you should be concerned about aren't old women like me, but your own affairs."

Ye Yuying was taken aback, feeling that the words carried a sense of life that was somewhat unfamiliar to her.

"Me?" Aunt Pan said with a gentle gaze, "It's true that my daughter is worried that I won't tell her if something's wrong, but I've actually come to terms with it. When I was young, I was like you, always thinking about minimizing myself so as not to cause trouble for others. Later I realized that the mistake back then wasn't that I was thinking too much, but that I didn't dare to think that I deserved to be taken care of."

She paused, her gaze drifting to the ceiling of the ward, as if floating away: "My old man passed away suddenly the year before last, he just couldn't catch his breath. Do you regret it? Yes, I regret it, but I only regret not sitting with him a little longer, not talking to him a little more."

Ye Yuying remained silent for a moment, not responding immediately, but tightening her grip on the water glass slightly.

Aunt Pan said in a very soft tone, "Don't think about the future. If you miss the present, it will be too late to say anything if the person is really gone."

At this moment, Ye Yuying thought of her life-or-death surgery.

The night was deep outside, and the light and shadows flickered in the ward, making even the air seem a little quieter.

*

Ye Yuying has been feeling uneasy lately. She visited Aunt Pan several nights in a row, but Aunt Pan was discharged from the hospital not long after.

Before leaving get off work in the evening, Ye Yuying received a call from the property management.

"Ms. Ye, the water pipe in the tenth-floor apartment burst, and water is seeping into the north wall of your bedroom." The other party's tone was polite yet cautious. "You might need to go back and check it out..."

After Ye Yuying returned home and checked, she found that it was indeed as the property management had said.

But she wasn't surprised at all, because she had already noticed the unusual air conditions.

The paint on the north wall of the bedroom was bulging from being soaked in water, and it was peeling off in some places, revealing a damp, grayish-white base layer.

The air was filled with a faint smell of moisture, which made one feel suffocated.

She opened the window to let in some fresh air, stood there for a while, and then tried sitting on the edge of the bed. The mattress was already a bit damp, and you could feel the subtle moisture when you pressed it.

What's even more chilling is that she had no idea whether the water leaking from upstairs was hygienic or not; after all, the property management company often downplayed the issue.

She frowned and dialed the property management's number: "How long will it take to repair?"

"We will contact the upstairs neighbors as soon as possible to deal with the water pipes. As for the walls, they can only be repaired after they are completely dry, which will take at least two or three days. It's best not to live there for the time being, for the sake of health."

"Okay, I understand." She hung up the phone calmly, wondering whether she should talk to someone else.

No one was too happy about the idea of ​​her staying there. Ding Chu's place was quite far away, and it would take her an hour to commute by subway. Her legs probably wouldn't be able to fit on the subway.

Staying in a hotel is nice, but good hotels are very expensive, and after all, she can't use the money Feng Ting gave her like that.

So she decided to make that call anyway, even though she thought she might regret it before she did. But she could feel a faint sense of anticipation in her rapidly beating heart.

When Cheng Mingdu reappeared downstairs at her company, he was in a car driven by his driver. He was sitting in the back seat, and through the rolled-down window, she could see him holding a tablet in one hand, looking down at something with a focused expression, probably reviewing some documents.

Ye Yuying got into the car. He glanced at her but didn't say anything. He simply changed the navigation from the company to home.

"Thank you for your help," she finally said.

“No trouble at all.” He said in a normal tone, “There are many rooms and an elevator inside, which will make it easier for you to move around.”

"Thanks."

Cheng Mingdu didn't look at her, and casually asked, "Aren't you going to your boyfriend's house?"

He wasn't asking you to leave, so his tone was very casual, but it still carried a hint of coldness.

Ye Yuying remained calm and asked in return, "We're not even married yet, is it appropriate for you to be running to his house like this?"

He didn't say anything more, and turned his gaze back to continue browsing the electronic documents.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, yet a subtle tension remained.

Ye Yuying admired his unchanging profile, and her thoughts drifted as she recalled how she had broken her own promises years ago.

Normally, she would force herself not to think about these things for fear of getting too caught up in them, but today she personally released herself from the shackles, letting herself indulge in boundless fantasies.

She thought optimistically that since her leg was already crippled, so be it; it would be rather pathetic to have such a conservative mindset.

*

Dinner was prepared by Cheng Mingdu.

Although he is a very good cook, he doesn't cook often, yet his skills are surprisingly proficient.

Steamed cod, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and yam and pork rib soup—each dish was simple yet exceptionally light and comforting, as if specially prepared for her to nourish her body.

"Your cooking is better than before?" Ye Yuying leaned back in her chair and took a sip of soup.

"I had some stomach problems for a while, so cooking for myself was cleaner," he said calmly.

"Mm." She nodded in agreement.

She lowered her head and took a bite of a yam, her eyes indifferent, a strange sense of familiarity quietly growing in her heart.

After the meal, she offered to help clear the dishes, but he wouldn't let her move, saying that her leg injury had just healed and it wouldn't be good if she slipped and fell again.

She didn't persist in the end.

She sat in the living room for a while, scrolling through her phone, and received an unread text message.

It was sent by Lai Chung Fai:

Remember to keep warm and take your medicine as prescribed.

She stared at the text message for a few seconds, then quietly locked the screen.

When Cheng Mingdu came out of the kitchen, she was already sitting on the sofa, her legs curled up, draped with the light gray blanket he often used in the living room.

Only one floor lamp was on, its soft light casting a soft glow on her shoulder, enveloping her in a tranquil and gentle atmosphere.

Cheng Mingdu was somewhat surprised. Before, she would sit on the sofa in his place with a serious demeanor, but today she was unusually relaxed.

He didn't know what to say, so he found another sofa, sat down, and quietly watched random entertainment programs on TV.

Both of them were distracted because they didn't recognize any of the people in the entertainment industry, and watching TV was just for show.

"Would you like some milk before bed?" He stood up, trying to break the ambiguous silence.

She thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay."

He walked towards the kitchen, she remained seated, and her phone screen lit up again.

That undeleted text message still lies there quietly.

She neither clicked on it nor replied.

She simply murmured softly, as if talking to herself:

"I'm sorry to bother you again tonight."

"Of course." Cheng Mingdu reappeared, holding a cup of warm milk, which he handed to her.

He said clearly, word by word: "After all, we are family."

Ye Yuying took the milk, ran her fingers around the rim of the cup, and looked up at him.

Seeing his nonchalant expression, she was somewhat surprised. She didn't drink her milk. "Then... could you hold me while we sleep, like we used to, as family?"

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Author's note: I might need to revise this later; it's time to get a job.