Chapter 128 The Bed That Couldn't Bear the Burden

Lin Yu was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep, sinking into the collapsed mattress.

Jiang Chuan looked at the shocking marks on her back, and the gloom in his heart eased a little. He tucked the blanket around her, brushed his fingertips through her sweaty temples, and tucked the stray hairs on her cheeks behind her ears.

He stood quietly by the bedside for a while before getting up and quietly closing the bedroom door. Pushing open the door, Jiang Chuan took the bag hanging on the handle and saw the enrollment brochure that Chen Guang had stuffed inside.

Lin Yu opened her eyes in complete darkness. The heavy curtains blocked out the outside light, making it difficult for her to tell whether it was day or night.

She reached to her side, groping around the disheveled bed, only touching the sunken mattress and the lingering warmth of her body. The wall clock pointed to 3:30.

Lin Yu pulled on a nightgown, dragged his aching body out of bed, and walked barefoot across the wrinkled clothes on the floor. He pushed open the bedroom door, only to find the entire room empty except for himself.

Jiang Chuan had probably gone out to buy food, so she didn't think much of it and took a quick shower. When she came out of the bathroom, her hair was still dripping wet, when she received a call from him.

"Where did you go?" Lin Yu answered the phone, held it to his ear, and dried his wet hair with a towel.

"woke up?"

"Um."

"Pack up, bring two drivers up in half an hour." She heard the sound of a car turning on the other end of the phone and guessed that he was on his way back.

"What?" she asked instinctively.

"I'll get you a sturdier bed." Jiang Chuan chuckled softly over the phone, instantly reminding Lin Yu of the chaotic scenes from noon, making his ears burn.

She hung up the phone, turned around and looked at the bedroom. The messy sheets were crumpled on the collapsed bed board, the floor was a mess, and the whole room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

Lin Yu strode over, ripped off the completely unusable bed sheet, and stuffed it, along with the clothes and pants, into the washing machine. He then pressed the start button and opened the window to let in some fresh air.

While waiting for the workers to arrive, she bought some groceries on a fresh food app, preparing to put into practice the recipes Lin Min had sent her a few days earlier.

Just after placing the order, the doorbell rang. Lin Yu opened the door, and two workers in dark blue overalls were standing at the door, supporting several large cardboard boxes.

She stepped aside to let them in. She watched as they deftly unpacked and moved the items in one smooth motion. In less than twenty minutes, they had disassembled the old bed into several planks and carried them outside, while the frame of the new bed and the thick mattress were placed back in their original positions.

Lin Yu was taken aback. "Installation not included?"

"Your husband specifically instructed that," the worker replied while sorting through the disassembled cardboard boxes. "He said he would come in person." After saying that, the two of them lifted the bed frame one after the other and walked towards the door.

Less than ten minutes after they left, the doorbell rang again.

Jiang Chuan stood outside the door, holding his car keys. He was dressed in a sharp suit and looked calm, as if he were the only one who was exhausted after the absurdity of the entire noon.

"Did it arrive?" He loosened his tie with one hand, carrying a brand-new toolbox in the other, his gaze passing over Lin Yu's shoulder and looking towards the bedroom.

"Yeah, they're all piled up in the bedroom." Lin Yu took the toolbox, opened the lid, and inside were neatly stacked sets of installation tools. "Why didn't you just have the installer assemble it?"

Jiang Chuan took off his suit jacket and hung it behind the door, then glanced at the instruction manual he had taken out. "It's for you to use, so it's better to be careful."

As he spoke, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his well-defined forearms with several bright red scratches that were particularly eye-catching. Lin Yu was momentarily tempted and quickly looked away.

She followed Jiang Chuan into the bedroom and watched him walk around the bed frame scattered on the floor. Finally, he knelt on one knee on the wooden floor and began to install it methodically.

“If this kind of assembled furniture isn’t assembled securely the first time, it will become looser and looser with use.” Lin Yu watched him align the two side rails and realized that he might be talking about more than just a bed.

She leaned against the door, watching Jiang Chuan kneeling on the ground, focused on his work, and couldn't help but laugh. "Attorney Jiang, I didn't know you had this skill?"

Jiang Chuan didn't stop what he was doing, only glancing at her with a slight smile. "Want a husband who's buy one get ten free?"

"...Give me ten?" Lin Yu teased him deliberately. "Then I need to test your battery life properly and see if it overheats and crashes when started simultaneously."

"Don't mess with me, Banban!" He lowered his head and continued tightening the screws, his voice carrying a warning that was not quite clear in meaning.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, gently bathing Jiang Chuan. He bent over to secure the bed frame, the fabric of his shirt taut with effort, outlining the vigorous lines of his arms and making them appear exceptionally full of life.

With each movement, the contours of his back muscles stretched and contracted beneath his white shirt, the fabric slightly damp with sweat, clinging to his skin.

Lin Yu unconsciously tightened his arms around him, his gaze sliding from his slightly furrowed brows and tightly pursed lips all the way to his bobbing Adam's apple.

She then realized that Jiang Chuan's serious demeanor seemed to have a fatal attraction for her.

He tightened the last screw, let out a long sigh of relief, and stood up to dust off his sawdust-covered trouser legs. "All done."

Jiang Chuan unpacked the newly bought mattress and laid it on top, then gestured with his chin towards Lin Yu. "Come and try it out."

Lin Yu sat at the foot of the bed and leaned back, sinking into the perfectly firm mattress. It was a simple solid wood bed in a light natural wood color, which was her favorite style.

The mattress she chose was very tasteful; the moment she lay down, the perfect support made her squint in comfort. She turned to her side, hooking her fingertips around Jiang Chuan's and gently tugging. "Won't you try it together?"

"How do you want to try?" Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, two of his fingers were held in Lin Yu's palm, letting her lead them, a playful smile appearing in his eyes.

"Just... static testing." Lin Yu looked at him pitifully, blinking her eyes to show weakness, and secretly scratched his palm with her fingers.

Jiang Chuan glanced at his dusty shirt and stood still. "I'm dirty."

"It's okay... I don't mind." Lin Yu pulled hard, and he fell down, the mattress shaking.

Jiang Chuan was about to get up, but Lin Yu pressed his shoulders down and pushed him back down. The two lay side by side, looking up at the ceiling.

A moment later, she turned to look at Jiang Chuan's face, which was inches away from hers. His eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, his nose was high and straight, and there was a faint, helpless smile on his lips.

"Thank you," Lin Yu said softly, "not just for the bed."

Jiang Chuan turned his head to the side, his gaze as deep and still as a pond. He reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs by her temple, and said in a low voice, "You're welcome."

The simple response contained so much love that could not be expressed in words.

Lin Yu suddenly sat up, leaned closer to Jiang Chuan, and his hair brushed against the tip of his nose, bringing with it a faint fruity fragrance.

"Are you hungry?" Her eyes sparkled, glistening with eager anticipation. "I bought groceries; I'll let you try my cooking today." Before Jiang Chuan could respond, she sprang up from the mat and nimbly jumped off the bed.

Jiang Chuan sat up, bracing himself with his arms behind his back. For the first time, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. He smiled and flicked her delicate nose with his finger. "Should we contact the fire department beforehand?"

"Don't look down on me." Lin Yu grabbed his hand and pulled him up, then gently kissed his cheek. "Go take a shower, you're all sweaty."

Jiang Chuan did as instructed, walked to the wardrobe, found the pajamas he had previously left with Lin Yu, and raised an eyebrow. "You still have them?"

"Don't overthink it, it's just because it's too expensive." Lin Yu leaned against the door, giving him a half-smile. "I was planning to pack it up and send it back to you, but I just haven't had the time."

"That's good..." Jiang Chuan nodded, pinched Lin Yushi's cheek as he passed by, and went straight into the bathroom.

Lin Yu didn't try to figure out the deeper meaning behind his "It's fine." Did he mean the clothes were too expensive? Was he relieved that she hadn't thrown away the things he left behind? Or was he implying that she ultimately couldn't bring herself to completely erase him from her life?

She hummed a song as she turned around, tied on her apron, and began preparing dinner.

Jiang Chuan quickly took a shower, his hair still dripping wet, and casually draped Lin Yu's towel over his head. Pushing open the door, he was greeted by the familiar aroma of food.

The taste was very similar to the cooking her stepfather had made for her back home last Chinese New Year. Hearing the voice, Lin Yu, without turning around, handed over the bowl. "Get me two bowls."

Jiang Chuan took a porcelain bowl from the cabinet and handed it over. He noticed something cooking in a clay pot on the stove. Lin Yu turned his head and noticed his gaze.

"Didn't you want to eat the porridge I made last time when we were at the CDC? Perfect timing... I'll make it for you again today!"

Jiang Chuan then realized that the porridge Lin Yu had cooked for him back then was far more than just letting him taste something again. It was more like a silent redemption; her pure love for him had carried the power to heal his wounds from the very beginning.

That feeling, every day that followed, constantly reminded him of Lin Yu's unique significance to him.

He walked behind her, gently wrapped his arms around Lin Yu's waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. Water droplets from her hair dripped down her neck and slid into her collar.

Jiang Chuan rarely showed such a vulnerable side, and Lin Yu's heart softened.

She understands that human nature is complex, and love is not a black-and-white fairy tale.

So she is trying to accept Jiang Chuan's complexities, hoping that with her help, he can find a way out through self-management and stop being so hard on himself because of the shackles of the past.

Lin Yu's cooking skills were limited, so in a hurry he only made a steamed mandarin duck, a plate of stir-fried bok choy, and a pot of hot porridge sprinkled with diced ham.

Jiang Chuan seemed to eat more than he had ever eaten at any other meal. However, his expression remained normal, revealing nothing of the sort.

Lin Yu wondered to himself if he was just trying to save face by taking the bowl from the other man when it was empty. "Don't force yourself if it's not good..."

Jiang Chuan looked up at her, a smile appearing in his eyes. He quickly removed the fish bones with his chopsticks and placed a piece of snow-white cheek meat into her bowl. "Have some confidence in yourself."

Lin Yu didn't like eating fish, but since it was her cooking, she figured she could probably swallow it without batting an eye even if it turned into charcoal. She put the fish in her mouth and was surprised to find that it actually tasted alright. Uncle Liu hadn't lied to her after all.

Jiang Chuan had not fully recovered from COVID-19 for less than a week. However, the days of quarantine had left him with a lot of company business to attend to, and he was actually busier than usual after leaving the quarantine center.

Looking at his slightly pale lips, Lin Yu couldn't help but ask, "You seem to have lost weight again? Have you not been eating properly lately?"

"Are you too busy with work? Or are you worried about your grandmother?"

Jiang Chuan scooped up a spoonful of porridge, slowly chewing the soft, sticky rice grains, and only spoke after swallowing it completely. "She's eighty-five years old this year, and it seems there's nothing to worry about."

The mid-stage of Alzheimer's disease typically lasts two to ten years, and the fog of memory is slowly engulfing Grandma's world.

She has recently stopped obsessing over hysterical struggles and paranoia, and has gradually come to accept a chaotic world that even her closest relatives cannot access.

Her sense of time began to become disordered; she felt drowsy during the day but unusually clear-headed at night. The elderly woman, who could barely hold a conversation a few years ago, now found even the simplest greetings extremely difficult to understand.

Jiang Chuan knew this day would come sooner or later, and he could and had to be prepared for it, just like when he said goodbye to his parents.

Life always involves farewells, but unlike the sudden passing of his parents, this time he will witness his last loved ones slowly disappearing before his eyes, day after day.

He appeared remarkably calm, as if he had already accepted all the cruel arrangements that fate had imposed on his loved ones.

But Lin Yu had seen stacks of medical documents, their edges curled from repeated readings, and densely covered with annotations in his study drawer. She knew he wasn't completely oblivious to the loss of his loved ones.

For him, expressing vulnerability was tantamount to losing control, which was absolutely dangerous. It wasn't that he wasn't in pain, but rather that he feared pain itself and used all his psychological defenses to prevent himself from experiencing its existence.

She gently placed her palm on the back of Jiang Chuan's hand, which was resting on the edge of the table, and felt the helplessness and repression revealed by his cold fingertips. "When you have time, let's go see her together."

This time, no matter who the old man mistook her for, or even if Jiang Chuan didn't recognize her, she wouldn't feel hurt anymore, nor would she back down.

She knew that in these moments when Jiang Chuan wouldn't allow himself to be vulnerable, she had to be the one to preserve his right to be vulnerable.