Chapter 37

Sang Nian took a taxi to the coffee shop and returned in Wen Yan's car. Wen Yan didn't drive himself; the driver was Uncle Zhao, the Wen family's driver, whom Sang Nian had met a few times before.

After getting in the car, Sang Nian tried to speak several times, but couldn't find a suitable opportunity. Wen Yan was always busy, either on the phone or looking at his phone. Sang Nian was certain that he knew she was coming to see Liu Wenyuan and had dropped what he was doing to come find her.

Sang Nian had never been so cherished before. When he saw the dark circles under Wen Yan's eyes, his nose suddenly stung and his eyes instantly filled with tears. But he didn't want Wen Yan to see, so he turned his face away and looked out the car window.

Suppressed sobs echoed in the carriage. Wen Yan noticed that Sang Nian's shoulders were trembling slightly. He sighed inwardly, then put away his tablet and said to Uncle Zhao, "Uncle Zhao, raise the barrier." Uncle Zhao did as he was told.

Wen Yan reached out and turned Sang Nian's shoulder towards him, wiping away his tears as he asked, "Why are you crying?"

Sang Nian kept shaking his head. He didn't know why he had been crying so much lately, as if some strange switch in his body had been flipped. In front of Wen Yan, he seemed to have no need to pretend to be strong; he could cry whenever he wanted.

"Don't cry, Niannian, your crying breaks my heart," Wen Yan said, then he hugged Sang Nian tightly. Sang Nian's thin shoulders trembled a few times in his arms, before gradually calming down. Wen Yan gently patted Sang Nian's back, silently comforting him. After what seemed like an eternity, Sang Nian's emotions gradually subsided.

“I’ve disturbed your work again,” Sang Nian said, sniffling. Wen Yan’s hand landed on Sang Nian’s face, brushing away the stray hairs from his forehead, then he looked into his eyes and said, “Comforting Nian Nian doesn’t count as disturbing her. I did it voluntarily.” After saying that, he suddenly brought his face close to Sang Nian’s, his gaze slowly moving from Sang Nian’s eyes to his rosy lips.

"But I need some benefits."

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned in and kissed Sang Nian's lips without giving her any chance to react.

The kiss was light and fleeting, devoid of any passion. Sang Nian couldn't tell whether it was a perk for Wen Yan or a way for Wen Yan to comfort herself.

But in any case, a warm current rose in his heart, warming his limbs.

"How did Brother Wenyan know I was here?"

Sang Nian nestled in Wen Yan's arms and asked softly. Wen Yan smiled and gently tapped Sang Nian's nose, saying, "No matter where you are, I will know. If you want to see Liu Wenyuan, you can just tell me, and I will come with you to see him. I'll worry if you see him alone every year."

"Worried about what?"

Wen Yan sighed, "I'm worried he'll take you away from me."

Sang Nian paused, looked up at Wen Yan, seemingly hoping to see a joking expression on Wen Yan's face, but he didn't see one.

Wen Yan is serious!

Sang Nian held Wen Yan's hand tightly and said to him earnestly, "Brother Wen Yan, don't worry, I won't leave you unless... unless you don't want me anymore."

Wen Yan hugged Sang Nian tightly and whispered in his ear, "I won't leave you. Let's get married after I'm done with this busy period, okay?"

marry?

Sang Nian's brain suddenly went blank. He stared blankly at Wen Yan, almost forgetting to react. Only tears, stained with the emotions he hadn't had time to express, suddenly dripped down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying again?" Wen Yan smiled and wiped away his tears. "Are you too surprised or unwilling?"

Sang Nian chuckled. He was already handsome, and his tearful smile made him even more unforgettable and captivating.

"There's no reluctance, so Brother Wenyan is proposing to me?"

"Well, this occasion is neither formal nor grand enough to suit Nian Nian, so Nian Nian can look forward to it."

Okay.

As Sang Nian spoke, she rested her head on Wen Yan's shoulder, following his gesture. Wen Yan stopped working, and the incessant phone calls ceased. The time they spent alone together felt exceptionally peaceful on their way home.

As they got out of the car, Wen Yan suddenly said to Sang Nian, "Come with me tomorrow, I'll take you to meet someone."

Who is it?

"Someone you miss very much."

The only people Sang Nian missed deeply in this world, besides Wen Yan, were Qiu Yang. But Wen Yan was always by his side, while Qiu Yang was long dead. He thought for a long time but couldn't figure out who Wen Yan was going to take him to see. Just a second before falling asleep, he suddenly thought of Ye Shu. It had been a long time since he'd seen Ye Shu; they now communicated only via text messages, and their occasional video calls were always abruptly ended by Wen Yan's forceful insistence.

So Wen Yan is going to take him to see Ye Shu?

The next morning, Sang Nian went out with Wen Yan. This time, Wen Yan drove himself, and Sang Nian sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. The familiar scenery grew farther and farther away, and when Sang Nian came to her senses, she realized that Wen Yan had already driven onto the highway. So she asked him, "Aren't we going to see Ye Shu?"

"What?" Wen Yan was slightly distracted. He glanced at Sang Nian and saw his puzzled expression. He knew that Sang Nian had misunderstood, but he did not explain. Instead, he said mysteriously, "You'll know when we get there. It's still early. Nian Nian can take a nap first."

Sang Nian said no need, "I'll chat with you, I'm afraid you'll be bored on the way." But after only a few words, Sang Nian fell asleep. Wen Yan looked at his pure and innocent sleeping face, a smile in his eyes. A while later, Wen Yan stopped at a service area to refuel, and when he opened his phone, he saw a new message under the pinned message.

When will you arrive?

Wen Yan: "Soon, within half an hour."

As they filled up the gas tank and got into the car, Sang Nian slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes and asked Wen Yan, "Have we arrived yet?"

Looking at him, Wen Yan raised her hand and ruffled his soft hair, letting out a laugh.

"Almost there, have you had enough sleep?"

Sang Nian awkwardly covered his face and said, "I've had enough sleep." Then he took out his phone and saw that a full three and a half hours had passed since they set off, and he had slept for almost three hours. He'd been sleeping way too much lately, like a little pig.

Thinking of this, Sang Nian's face flushed slightly.

Ten minutes later, the car exited the highway. Sang Nian glanced at the sign at the highway exit and suddenly widened his eyes.

"Dingzhou? We've arrived in Dingzhou?"

"Yes, we'll be there soon, don't rush, Nian Nian."

Sang Nian gripped the seatbelt tightly, his knuckles slowly turning white. He moved his lips a few times, repeatedly glancing at Wen Yan, wanting to ask something but unable to utter a word. He was afraid that if he asked, Wen Yan would deny it, and his heart could no longer bear any more hurt.

But once the thought formed in his mind, he could no longer suppress it. This unease, mixed with a sense of hope, reached its peak when Wen Yan stopped the car in front of the gate of a private estate.

Sang Nian had no idea that such a large private estate existed in Dingzhou. He had lived in Dingzhou for eleven years and had never heard of such a beautiful place. The estate must be filled with flowers. Although it was winter, Sang Nian could smell the sweet fragrance of flowers.

After getting out of the car, Wen Yan walked to the passenger side and pulled Sang Nian, who had been in a daze, out of the car. Only then did he notice that Sang Nian's hands were ice-cold. He rubbed Sang Nian's hands and said to him, "Let's go inside."

The manor gates were tightly shut, with only an inconspicuous side door leading to a guardhouse. Inside stood a muscular man who looked like a retired soldier. He simply nodded at Wen Yan, then picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "Mr. Wen has arrived."

Sang Nian followed nervously behind Wen Yan.

Upon entering the manor, Sang Nian saw a car parked by the roadside, and Wen Yan led him into it. The car drove for about ten minutes before stopping, and Sang Nian stumbled out of the car, only to find an unexpected person standing in front of him.

Sang Nian's only impressions of Sang Jing were that he picked her up and took her abroad; nothing more. Sang Jing was practically invisible in the Sang family, or rather, an outsider. He didn't have to follow any of the rules set by Sang culture, and he didn't even live in the Sang family home.

I heard that he was kicked out of the Sang family by Sang Wenhua because he liked men, and Sang Jing only got a small share of the Sang family's assets.

"Mr. Sang."

Wen Yan greeted them first. Sang Nian gripped Wen Yan's hand tightly and slowly lowered his head. He didn't want to see anyone from the Sang family, let alone greet them. Sang Jing didn't seem to care about Sang Nian's reaction. He nodded slightly to Wen Yan as a greeting, and then led the two of them into the villa.

Wen Yan put Sang Nian's hand into the pocket of his coat and whispered in his ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

The villa was warmly heated, and Sang Jing led them straight to the third floor. As they turned a corner on the second floor, Sang Nian heard a light running sound from downstairs, followed by a chilly breeze carrying the scent of flowers. When Sang Nian came to his senses, he found a man, or rather a boy, standing in front of Sang Jing, who was a head shorter than him.

He was holding a bouquet of pure white flowers, white roses.

"Oh, you've all arrived! I just finished picking some flowers from the greenhouse, let's go in together."

As he spoke, he turned around and greeted Sang Nian.

"You are so beautiful. Seeing is believing. I've always been curious about you since I heard Ah Jing and Mr. Wen talk about you. Today I finally get to meet you."

Sang Nian lowered her head shyly.

"Let's go inside and talk."

After Sang Jing finished speaking, he took the man's hand and continued walking forward. Sang Nian glanced at their tightly clasped hands and moved her fingers. Wen Yan looked down at Sang Nian and said with a smile, "He is your uncle's lover."

Upon reaching the third floor, Sang Nian caught a faint smell of disinfectant wafting from the corridor. His brow furrowed slightly, and he grew increasingly uneasy.

Sang Jing stopped at the door of the innermost room.

Wen Yan pulled Sang Nian and pushed open the door to go inside.

The moment the door opened, Sang Nian heard the beeping of the medical equipment, and his heart jumped into his throat.

Wen Yan took a half step back, and Sang Nian was able to see the entire scene inside the room.

Then he saw a person lying on the bed.

The person's eyes were closed, and they wore an oxygen mask; their thin face was lifeless.

Despite her eyes being blurred by tears, Sang Nian still managed to make out the person's face immediately.

"elder brother!"

He screamed, trembling, and then lunged to the bedside, raising his uncontrollably trembling hand to grasp a hand placed beside the bed.

It's hot!

It's hot!

It's a fresh-faced Qiu Yang!

Qiu Yang is not dead!

No longer needing to hold back her tears of grievance, Sang Nian cried uncontrollably, like a child who had finally found a home.