Chapter 86 N - Solemn
Upon arrival, I thanked them and asked for their contact information, saying I would treat them to a meal another day.
Chu Beiling waved her hand and said with a smile, "You're too kind, Wenwei. There's no need for a meal. If we want to go back to school again that day, you can just take us in."
She casually brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently: "Okay, just contact me when the time comes."
Xing Yu nodded slightly and took his leave.
I watched their car drive away.
Chu Beiling is still the same as before. Compared to Xing Yu, who is distant and has a cold aura that makes people afraid, she is gentler and more patient, making people unable to resist wanting to get closer. Just one smile can awaken her heart flutter.
Just like when Chu Beiling casually picked up her dropped meal card and handed it to her back then, he smiled like a gentle breeze.
I still remember it vividly.
However, after that bombshell, not only her, but most of the girls in the class knew they would never have a chance.
Later, Chu Beiling went abroad and disappeared completely, leaving Xing Yu to live like a walking corpse.
All she ever wanted was for the two of them to be happy, and that's still true now.
Xing Yu glanced at the rearview mirror, and Ren Yi walked into the hotel with several glances back, disappearing from sight: "Going back to Xigao as an art teacher like Ren Yi isn't so bad."
Chu Beiling's gaze shifted from the window to Xing Yu: "You..."
After a long pause, he continued, "You're still angry about this?!"
His answer stunned Xing Yu.
Recalling what happened back then, Chu Beiling felt a mix of emotions, but—
He said, "I'm sorry, I don't regret it."
Whether it was being with Xing Yu or temporarily separating from him, it was a decision he made solemnly and cherished. Chu Beiling had felt regret, sadness, and resentment, but she had never regretted it.
If given the chance again, he would still make the same choice.
Xing Yu said, "I have some regrets."
Chu Beiling's pupils trembled slightly, and he couldn't utter a word.
Xing Yu drove the car into the parking lane and parked it. He turned to look at him and said, "Hangzhou is beautiful in all four seasons. West Lake has a different kind of beauty at different times. Beijing turns into the Forbidden City when it snows, which is really beautiful."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Over the years, I've been wondering, is it really worth missing out on such beautiful scenery for the sake of some so-called future?"
Chu Beiling sighed dejectedly, "Xing Yu, don't romanticize the path we didn't take. Our lives aren't like a PRG game without a save function, where we can restart and see if another choice is really as wonderful as it seems."
He thought for a moment and then added, "I'm sorry, sometimes I'm actually... quite stubborn and self-righteous."
Feeling a tightness in his chest, Xing Yu rolled down the car window to let in some cold air, but then, remembering that the air conditioning was still on and Chu Beiling was beside him, he rolled it back down.
After a moment of silence, he responded to his previous statement: "I'm not angry, and you don't need to apologize to me again and again."
Xing Yu turned his head to meet his gaze: "That's my choice. No one can force me to make a decision unless I want to."
For him, there is no difference between being an art teacher and making animation.
He would always be willing to support Chu Beiling's choice, especially since Chu Beiling's choice was partly related to him.
Chu Beiling wasn't the only one who was stubborn and self-righteous.
Even if he considered another possibility, Xing Yu knew that even if he could start over, he would still make the same choice, and the outcome would never change.
Ultimately, Xing Yu was still bothered by jealousy. For the past ten years, it wasn't him who had been by Chu Beiling's side, but Zhu Qing'an.
A gust of wind blew by, and a few remaining withered leaves from the ginkgo tree overhead fell onto the windshield.
Xing Yu lowered the car window, retrieved the ginkgo leaves, and placed them on the center console.
Chu Beiling picked up a ginkgo leaf and looked around: "How did you bring the ginkgo back?"
"I don't know," Xing Yu said. "It's still early, let's go to the nursing home to see Grandma Chen."
Chu Beiling's heart sank for no apparent reason, and then he nodded.
The car drove back onto the main road. Xing Yu stopped at the edge of the zebra crossing and waited for the pedestrians to cross. He then opened the storage box inside the center console, took out a charcoal pencil and a carving knife, and handed them over.
Chu Beiling blinked: "Hmm?"
Xing Yu: "The withered leaves are too ugly, you should revamp them."
Chu Beiling stared at the charcoal pencil for a long time without taking it.
After a moment of hesitation, he smiled calmly and said, "Let's talk about it when we get home. It's too bumpy in the car to use the carving knife."
Xing Yu looked at him. The pedestrians on the zebra crossing had all crossed, and the cars behind him were honking their horns to urge him on. He looked away, drove forward without saying much, just like before, it was just an ordinary conversation.
Perhaps Xing Yu also knew how far-fetched this answer was. Let alone now, in a car moving at a constant speed, even in the past, they could walk and paint with their easels on, without any disruption—
A bitter taste rose from deep in my throat.
Chu Beiling turned his gaze to the receding street scene outside the window. Xing Yu glanced at him briefly before looking at the road ahead.
When they arrived at the nursing home, Grandma Chen hadn't gotten up from her afternoon nap yet, so Xing Yu and Chu Beiling gathered around her bedside.
Grandma Chen looked much older than the last time I saw her; she seemed to be withering away in a linear fashion.
Xing Yu reached out and felt her pulse; there was only a faint beat. He breathed a sigh of relief and gently shook Grandma Chen's arm, calling to her, "Grandma Chen, we're here."
Grandma Chen's eyes were half-open, just a slit in the air.
Chu Beiling reached out and took Grandma Chen's hand: "Grandma Chen, how have you been feeling lately? Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, would you like to come home with us?"
Grandma Chen's face was now covered in wrinkles, and her beautiful peach blossom eyes slowly opened, revealing a clear gaze: "Fanfan, you're finally back. Xiaoyu has been waiting for you for so long, and I've missed you too."
Chu Beiling's nose tingled slightly: "Yes, I'm back."
Grandma Chen held his hand tightly, her rough fingers rubbing against the back of his hand: "You're not leaving again this time, are you?"
Chu Beiling nodded: "Okay, I'm not leaving."
"That's wonderful!" Grandma Chen smiled.
She had lost most of her teeth, and when she smiled, her mouth would wrinkle up, revealing a few scattered teeth and pink gums.
Xing Yu asked, "Grandma Chen, Fanfan is back now. Do you want to come home with us?"
Grandma Chen smiled and shook her head: "No, I'm doing just fine here."
Xing Yu and Chu Beiling both wanted Grandma Chen to go home with them, but the old lady insisted, so the two of them didn't say anything more and left everything to the old lady's wishes.
Grandma Chen had forgotten that they had met just a month ago, but thankfully she was lucid this time.
She asked many questions, which Chu Beiling answered one by one, and he and Xing Yu chatted with the old lady.
Grandma Chen asked, "When are you getting married? Grandma Chen is waiting to go on stage and give you the rings."
They had only recently reconciled and hadn't even considered this matter.
The two exchanged a glance, and whether it was due to a tacit understanding, a desire to reassure the elderly person, or simply their own intentions, they both blurted out almost simultaneously:
"Soon."
Xing Yu and Chu Beiling exchanged a glance and then looked away.
Grandma Chen smiled and patted Xing Yu on the shoulder: "Marriage is a big deal. Go get the almanac from my drawer and I'll pick a good day for you two."
Xing Yu smiled and shrugged, then got up and walked to the wardrobe. He took out the old lady's red almanac from the drawer and handed it to her.
Grandma Chen reached under her pillow for her leopard-print reading glasses, carefully put them on her nose, and began to turn the pages of the almanac slowly and stiffly, but very earnestly.
Xing Yu and Chu Beiling watched quietly. Grandma Chen seemed dissatisfied no matter what she did, and after searching for a long time, she still couldn't find a day that pleased her.
The feeling of discussing marriage became more real as Grandma Chen flipped through the calendar.
Although Chu Beiling hadn't thought about it beforehand, in fact, he had never thought about it before.
He has always been a staunch non-marriage advocate and has never thought about dating. He only wants to spend the rest of his life painting, and dating and marriage would restrict his freedom.
Xing Yu has always been the exception.
Chu Beiling turned her head to the side: "Once we're married, we'll be bound together until death do us part."
Xing Yu said, "Grandma Chen isn't that old-fashioned, and there's no need to worry about her having any regrets. Besides, Grandma Chen will forget about today's events tomorrow. It's not worth risking the rest of her life for this."
Their words were both a question and an answer. The two of them didn't say anything more, tacitly agreeing to the matter and quietly waiting for Grandma Chen.
Half a day later, Grandma Chen finally picked out a day she liked: "Take a look, what do you think of this day?"
Xing Yu and Chu Beiling went over to look together—October 18th, Saturday.
Xing Yu asked Chu Beiling for his opinion, and he didn't have much of an objection. Xing Yu then unlocked his phone and created a new note: "Get married."
The wedding date was set for ten months from now. At the same time, Xing Yu and Chu Beiling hoped that Grandma Chen could make it to that time so they could go on stage and present the rings to them.
The three of them chatted in the ward for a while until Grandma Chen was too tired and fell asleep again, at which point the two left the ward.
Grandma Chen didn't plan to go home with them, and there was nothing to do at home anyway. Chu Beiling and Xing Yu decided to come and keep Grandma Chen company whenever they had free time during the Lunar New Year's Eve and Spring Festival holidays.
These past few days, they haven't been too busy. They have projects coming up, and when they get busy, they don't even have time to catch their breath. They try to spend as much time as possible with Grandma Chen.
Early the next morning, the two returned to the nursing home and helped the volunteers clean the place inside and out, put up Spring Festival couplets, and hang lanterns, making the nursing home festive.
In the afternoon, Xing Yu and the volunteers went to the kitchen to help, while Chu Beiling accompanied the caregivers to play with the elderly residents who stayed at the nursing home.
Chu Beiling was eloquent and knew how to make people happy, making the elderly laugh. In just half a day, he gained a lot of fans, who all wanted to introduce him to potential partners.
He glanced at Xing Yu, who was busy coming and going, and explained to the old man with a smile, "I have a girlfriend, and we're getting married in the second half of the year."
The elderly people who gathered around all looked regretful.
Fireworks and firecrackers are now prohibited in the city. After the New Year's Eve dinner, Xing Yu and Chu Beiling helped the volunteers clean up the mess in the restaurant.
Back in the lobby, some elderly people had already gone home to rest, while a few energetic seniors remained.
Xing Yu and a volunteer who can play the piano performed a duet of "Happy New Year" and "Unforgettable Tonight" on two pianos.
Chu Beiling distributed the gifts he had brought for the elderly, and gave the rest to volunteers to distribute the rest the next day. He then joined the elderly audience in listening to the stories.
Chu Beiling had a glass of red wine that had already been decanted beside him, and he drank it one glass after another until Xing Yu came down, took the wine glass from his hand, and put it on the table: "You've drunk too much, don't drink anymore."
Chu Beiling laughed and said, "I know what I'm doing; this little bit of wine won't get me drunk."
Xing Yu glanced at the nearly empty wine bottle; in such a short time, he had drunk the whole bottle.
He approached Chu Beiling again, his face not flushed, and his mind clear: "Your alcohol tolerance is so good now?"
Chu Beiling: "I've honed my skills over the years."
Xing Yu: "There's no way around it when it comes to socializing, so I try to drink as little as possible in private."
Chu Beiling: "I'm trying to control myself and I don't want to let alcohol control my emotions. Alcohol, nicotine, and vodka... anything addictive is no good. I'm just a little happy today."
Volunteers led games on stage, and after the games, the elderly began to perform, creating a lively atmosphere.
Chu Beiling leaned on Xing Yu's shoulder: "It's been a long time since it's been this lively. Just like the previous arts festival, every year I'm dragged onto the stage to be a monkey. Actually, being a monkey isn't so bad... Brother Yu, I've been listening to 'Unforgettable Tonight' for ten years without missing a single one, and I've even read the cast and crew list."
Xing Yu understood this seemingly random and nonsensical sentence.
His Adam's apple bobbed: "If you miss home so much, why don't you go back to China?"
Chu Beiling looked up, smiled at him, and buried her face in his neck again: "Xing Yu, I'm sorry."
Xing Yu raised his hand and pinched the soft flesh of his neck: "Why are you always apologizing?"
As the alcohol took effect, Chu Beiling's thoughts flowed slowly: "Why?"
Xing Yu: "Hmm, why?"
The television in the lobby broadcast the countdown to the Lunar New Year.
Chu Beiling gripped Xing Yu's collar tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, Xing Yu would disappear in the next second: "Xing Yu, Happy New Year."
Xing Yu: "Happy New Year."
Chu Beiling assured him, "Xing Yu, I will not let the same thing happen a second time, never a second time."
He smiled frankly: "We've all become more responsible adults now. We won't be forced to make choices like we were back then, and we won't repeat the same mistakes."
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