Chapter 114 An Unforgettable Night

Lin Yu put on his coat and mask, told Chen Guang he was going downstairs to pick up some takeout, and then went out alone.

The entire neighborhood was eerily quiet, with every household's doors and windows tightly shut. Only a few people in protective suits carrying out disinfection work could be seen. The festive atmosphere that should have been there was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a desolate and quiet scene.

She unconsciously adjusted her collar and quickened her pace toward the gate. From a distance, she could see Jiang Chuan standing tall and straight outside the yellow police tape.

He borrowed a cart from the gatekeeper and bent down to put the two boxes of items he had brought on it. As Lin Yu approached, she saw him stuff two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes into the gatekeeper's arms, asking him to help take them to her doorstep.

A black mask covered most of his face, revealing only two deep eyes that scrutinized him inch by inch through the wisps of hair on his forehead.

The two stood at opposite ends of the police line, silently facing each other. Finally, Lin Yu broke the silence. "Nothing you want to ask?"

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"No!"

"Did you eat properly?"

"have!"

Are you scared?

"fine!"

"Don't open the door to strangers."

"Know."

"Remember to start the car, otherwise the battery might die..."

"Hmm..." Lin Yu's expression was calm, but his tone pressed on relentlessly. "That's all?"

Jiang Chuan's gaze lingered on her face, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before he finally said softly, "It's good that you're alright."

Lin Yu lowered his eyes and took a deep breath. "He's not really my colleague, he's just here to be stationed on-site. He's staying downstairs temporarily and will go back after the New Year."

We don't usually interact much, but we had a meal together today because of the holiday.

"Banban..." Jiang Chuan's voice tightened, as if he wanted to stop her, or perhaps he wanted to stop himself from listening any longer. "You don't need to explain these things, if..."

“He was my college classmate…” Lin Yu interrupted him, stubbornly continuing, “I did have a bit of a crush on him back in school, but we were never together, and we never will be…”

"On my birthday, he treated a few of us friends to a meal. That painting was just a birthday gift from him."

“I admit I shouldn’t have ridden the motorcycle with him. I was just angry with you at the time. I think I won’t do it again.”

Jiang Chuan remained silent for a moment, simply gazing at her. The two maintained a perfect distance, avoiding any contact, their skin even hidden beneath their clothes.

But their intertwined gazes betrayed unspoken emotions. After a long silence, he slowly nodded, his voice low and hoarse as he replied, "Understood."

Jiang Chuan suddenly remembered the morning he came to find her after the National Day holiday. He remembered the few days he chased after her to Hong Kong after learning she was still single, only to bump into her there. Now, he realized he had been going to great lengths to find someone closer to him all along.

At that moment, he suddenly realized his own despicable nature. He had been hoping, hoping that she, too, harbored a secret she couldn't bear to see the light of day. That way, perhaps she could easily forgive his shameful past and his filthy thoughts.

He never claimed to be a virtuous gentleman, despised the hypocritical rules of civilized society, and was indifferent to the emotions of others.

In public, he is always elegant and impeccably proper. But once his bottom line is crossed, he doesn't hesitate to tear off his disguise, sever all social ties, and become his most authentic self.

A cold-blooded, ruthless, and extremely selfish bastard who tramples on the dignity of others.

But at this moment, he felt an unprecedented fear. He was afraid that Lin Yu would see through this disguise and recognize who he truly was. He was afraid that her clear gaze would illuminate the filth deep within his soul and uncover the sordid truth that had been embellished.

He knew this day would come sooner or later, but he wasn't ready to face the trial yet.

Lin Yu looked at him and simply nodded, swallowing back the words she wanted to say. At that moment, she suddenly remembered something more important. "Jiang Chuan, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

"Okay." Jiang Chuan agreed almost without thinking.

On the way back, Lin Yu was still hesitant, wondering if it was appropriate to entrust her aunt's affairs to Jiang Chuan. But she had no relatives or friends in Shanghai, and in this life-or-death situation, she seemed to have no other choice.

Having received a bribe, the gatekeeper, pushing his cart, struck up a conversation with enthusiasm. "Young lady, your boyfriend is really great, both generous and respectable!"

Lin Yu simply smiled, and after moving the things to the door, politely declined the old man's offer to help carry them inside. The door opened from the inside as soon as the key touched the lock.

Chen Guang blocked the doorway, wearing her cartoon-patterned apron that was noticeably too small for his tall frame, making him look particularly comical.

"It takes this long to pick up takeout?" He leaned against the door frame, raising an eyebrow as his gaze swept over the box behind her.

Lin Yu's gaze lingered for a moment on Chen Guang's tight cartoon apron, but she didn't respond to his words. Instead, she followed the aroma towards the kitchen. "Cooking again? We haven't even finished off the leftovers from lunch yet."

The familiar tone between the two sounded like that of a couple who had been together for many years. A smile appeared in Chen Guang's eyes as he casually wiped the water stains off the cutting board.

“Isn’t this how it is during the New Year? The first day is a grand feast, and on the first day of the New Year, we start eating leftovers.” He said, poking at the twice-cooked ribs with his chopsticks. “May you have abundance every year, until the seventh day of the New Year.”

Lin Yu went to the stove, lifted the bubbling pot lid, and the aroma of stewed green beans and pork ribs wafted out. He probably found it in the supplies distributed by the neighborhood committee.

She took the ladle without looking back and gave instructions. "I'll watch the pot. Go to the door and help me move some things."

Upon hearing this, Chen Guang untied his apron. The kitchen was too narrow, and when he turned around, his chest was almost pressed against her back.

The warm apron gently fell from Lin Yu's head. His slender fingers brushed aside the tangled strands of hair, his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin on the back of her neck.

The apron straps tightened little by little in his hands, outlining her slender waistline, making it look like she was half-embracing him from behind.

Lin Yu was about to break free, but he had already pulled back, as if the intimacy just now was just her illusion.

The cardboard box Jiang Chuan sent was packed full, enough to sustain her for two months of isolation. Inside were some skincare products she hadn't packed up when they broke up, and a few old books.

A stack of photos slipped out from between the pages of the book. Lin Yu picked them up and saw that they were photos they had taken in Japan.

The top picture has slightly curled corners. In the picture, Jiang Chuan's right hand is tightly holding her shoulder, and she is leaning back and sinking into his arms, laughing heartily. Behind them is a large expanse of wildly growing green grass on Ruocao Mountain.

Lin Yu remembered that Jiang Chuan had always been fond of roll-to-roll cameras. He always said that film would never deceive him, and that every frame was a slice of time.

At this moment, these photos, which were developed at some unknown time, are like expired letters, recording the regrets that the two could not express.

She squatted down next to the cardboard box and looked through it briefly. In the end, she only picked out the food that was easy to spoil and sealed the rest of the food with the box and pushed it under the bed.

This was probably the most desolate New Year's Eve in Lin Yu's memory. There were no firecrackers, no visiting relatives and friends, and he could only squeeze with Chen Guang into the small sofa in the rented room, eat at the low table in the bedroom, and watch the awkward Spring Festival Gala performance on TV.

She couldn't help but think back to this time last year, when she wasn't with Jiang Chuan yet, but he had already accompanied her to visit all her relatives in her hometown.

The noisy clinking of glasses in my memory contrasts sharply with the quiet New Year's Eve dinner at this moment, leaving me with mixed feelings.

Lin Yu thought of Lin Min, who was far away in Shandong, and made a phone call, but no one answered after two attempts.

A bad feeling inexplicably welled up inside her. After hanging up the phone, she sent her mother a WeChat message, telling her to remember to call her back after seeing the missed call.

Chen Guang put down his chopsticks and looked at Lin Yu's worried profile. "Actually... have you considered going back to Linjiang? It's closer to home."

"Go back for what?" Lin Yu tossed his phone back onto the sofa, glancing at Chen Guang with a self-deprecating smile. "Haven't you noticed? I'm barely making ends meet in Shanghai anymore."

Chen Guang was about to speak when Lin Yu interrupted him. "Don't tell me you're going to mess with your mother's connections."

Chen Guang's mother, Qin Fei, remained a persistent obstacle between the two. He lowered his eyes and paused. "It has nothing to do with her, this time it's..."

"I don't want to talk about this..." Lin Yu interrupted, as the sound of gongs and drums from Sichuan opera face-changing began to play on the television, Lin Yu's grandfather's favorite program.

She put down her chopsticks and took a tissue to wipe her mouth. "How's Cheng Yuan's situation?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guang lowered his head and took a sip of his cola. "He's willing to take responsibility; now he's just waiting for your friend's approval. Don't worry. That kid's a coward; he can't cause any trouble."

Lin Yu's fingertips unconsciously traced circles on the table, leaving a blurry watermark. "That's true, but they've barely even met. Besides, Cheng Shi's due date is in June."

"Don't think about it anymore." Chen Guang suddenly leaned forward and grasped her slightly cool hand.

The Sichuan opera suona suddenly rose in pitch, gongs and drums resounded, and the painted-face martial arts actor flipped over, his red face instantly turning black. "Leave this to me, you can rest assured."

After eating dumplings, Chen Guang cleaned up the dishes, wiped the coffee table, and put the leftovers in the refrigerator. When he returned to the bedroom after washing the dishes, he found Lin Yu already curled up asleep in a corner of the sofa.

The blue light from the television flowed silently across her face, casting flickering shadows on her emotionless complexion.

As midnight struck, the closing theme of "Unforgettable Tonight" began to play, and this New Year's Eve, which was of great significance to him, quietly came to an end.

He quietly turned off the TV, squatted down in front of the sofa, and gazed silently at Lin Yu's face. It seemed that only in moments like these could she truly let her guard down around him.

Her right hand was under her cheek; she wasn't sleeping soundly, her brows slightly furrowed, and her breathing was shallow and nasal. The warm air from the air conditioner made her earlobes glow pink, and a few stray hairs clung to her sweaty forehead.

Chen Guang reached out and brushed aside a few stray strands of hair, his knuckles inadvertently brushing against her burning earlobe. Lin Yu's breath brushed against the inside of his wrist, carrying the familiar scent of shampoo.

He held that position for a long time before finally bending down and carefully lifting her up in his arms.

In her sleep, Lin Yu unconsciously snuggled closer to him, her hair brushing against his chin. He bent down and placed her on the bed, tucking her in. Suddenly, Lin Yu's phone vibrated on the bedside table.

Seeing that it was a video call from Yao Fangfang, Chen Guang picked up the phone, gently closed the bedroom door, walked to the kitchen, and pressed the answer button.

On the other end of the screen, Yao Fangfang was clearly surprised that Chen Guang would answer the phone, and it took her a while to speak. "What's going on? Where's Banban?"

"I'm asleep." Chen Guang leaned against the refrigerator door, now learning to be sparing with his words, afraid that others wouldn't have a chance to misunderstand him.

"What do you mean, 'asleep'? Explain yourself clearly, and stop with this nonsense."

Yao Fangfang's tone was clearly impatient, indicating that she was completely unaware of the situation in Shanghai and assumed that Chen Guang was up to some trick again.

Chen Guang had no intention of teasing her, and briefly explained the situation on the ground.

A brief silence fell on the other end of the phone. After a long pause, Yao Fangfang finally spoke softly, "I had dinner with your parents before the New Year, and we talked about you..."

She paused. "Your mother doesn't show it on her face, but you can tell she's really angry with you."

"Well, we had a few words of argument." Chen Guang toyed with the lighter in his hand and said casually, "After all these years, I can't possibly meet her expectations forever."

"You need to be clear about your own situation and do the work in advance so that it doesn't end up like it did back then, where both sides suffer."

Yao Fangfang would occasionally give Chen Guang a few words of advice, fearing that their relationship might reach an irreparable point.

Just before hanging up, Chen Guang suddenly remembered his father mentioning something strange about Zhang Yunzhou's father's job change a few days ago, so he casually asked, "How is Zhang Yunzhou doing lately?"

Yao Fangfang sighed. "Things have been tense lately. An investigation team from above has thoroughly investigated everything from top to bottom. Now the fire has spread to his father."

The matter was of great importance, and she couldn't say much over the phone. "Right now, it seems only the scope of my responsibilities has been reduced; it's hard to say what else might happen."

Chen Guang understood that the comfort offered over the phone was ultimately limited, but he still assured her, "I'll ask my family for more details in the next couple of days. Don't panic, just enjoy the New Year."

He and Zhang Yunzhou's father were comrades-in-arms for many years and held important positions in the military system, so the two families have always had a close relationship.

In such a position, it's impossible to be completely clean and innocent. As the saying goes, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish." Sometimes, even if you don't do it yourself, your subordinates will push you forward.

Chen Guang couldn't figure out the specifics, but based on his father's few words, he deduced that the problem might not be too serious, and was probably just the usual rash actions of a new official. He pondered this to himself, preparing to find a time to have a proper talk with his father about it.