Chapter 62 Shen Li's Blindness...
The fifth day after Shen Li went blind was the anniversary of the deaths of Jiang's father and grandfather, and City A welcomed its first snowfall of the year.
Outside the window, everything was covered in white snow. Inside the ward, the heating was on, and Shen Li sat on the sofa, letting Jiang Huaichuan do whatever he wanted.
Jiang Huaichuan carefully wrapped the scarf around Shen Li's neck.
He said he would dress warmly when he went out, but looking at the cold weather outside the window, his eyes were full of displeasure.
The soft touch made Shen Li bury her chin in the cashmere and rub it against it. Noticing Jiang Huaichuan's mood, Shen Li couldn't help but laugh out loud.
As in previous years, on the anniversary of the death, Jiang Huaichuan took Shen Li to the Jiang family's old house to pick up Jiang's mother and visit the deceased.
But this year is different. The first snowfall this year was sudden. Overnight, the temperature dropped a bit. Shen Li only woke up a few days ago.
Although Shen Li has been acting like nothing's wrong these past few days, eating and sleeping well, and even going along with Lu He'an's antics during the day, Jiang Huaichuan knows that this is all just a facade. Shen Li's health is deteriorating day by day.
These past few days, Jiang Huaichuan has been holding Shen Li in his arms. Only in the silent stillness of the night can one see the pale weariness beneath his peaceful smile.
Jiang Huaichuan's hands patiently and gently patted the back of the person in his arms, his warm fingertips gliding across the slightly furrowed brow, leaving a trail of tender affection.
On the eve of the anniversary of his death, Jiang Huaichuan stared blankly at the falling snow outside the window. He held Shen Li on his lap and gently stroked his back in Shen Li's favorite position.
Shen Li rested her chin on Jiang Huaichuan's shoulder, tilted her head, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Can we not go tomorrow?"
Jiang Huaichuan said "we," but Shen Li knew he was referring to herself.
Shen Li lowered her eyes, concealing the reluctance in them.
Next year, there might not be another chance.
"I want to go."
Jiang Huaichuan paused, remained silent for a long time, and finally uttered a dry "Okay".
He knew Shen Li so well, how could he not know what Shen Li was thinking?
——
As the car entered Qingshan Cemetery, Jiang's mother stared blankly out the window.
Time really flies; it's already been six years.
The car was parked 200 meters away from the Lu Family Cemetery. It was a short walk up the bluestone bricks to get there.
Jiang's mother suddenly came to her senses. Her gaze fell on the car window, where her own face was reflected. She stared at it for a while, then raised her fingertip and gently touched the corner of her eye, smoothing out the fine lines.
She flashed a bright smile, just like when they first met.
Jiang's mother held Shen Li's right hand, and the biting cold wind suddenly weakened. A gentle breeze blew through the stray hairs at her temples, which she gathered up: "Let's go, they're getting impatient."
Jiang Huaichuan, carrying two bouquets of flowers—one of white lisianthus and the other of white chrysanthemums—followed slowly behind the two.
A man was already standing in front of the grave, his back slightly hunched. Noticing the movement, he turned around to look.
Jiang's mother paused, and placed Shen Li's hand in Jiang Huaichuan's palm: "Brother, you've arrived very early."
Jiang Zhirong glanced at Jiang Huaichuan behind him and chuckled, "As you get older, you can't sleep anymore." He paused, then added, "I'm going to sit in the pavilion over there for a while; my legs are really giving out."
The white chrysanthemum was placed in front of Grandpa Jiang.
Jiang's mother took out a handkerchief and wiped the surface of the tombstone: "Dad, I've brought Huaichuan and Xiaoli to see you again."
"Everything is normal at the company, so you don't need to worry."
"I've been busy lately, please don't mind... and please bless the two children with health and safety."
Jiang Huaichuan tightened his grip on Shen Li's hand.
...
Jiang Huaichuan handed the white bellflower to his mother, which she had tied herself that morning with a pink ribbon bow. Jiang's mother stepped forward.
Jiang's mother's tone became lighter, and she greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see."
The petals of the white lisianthus were pressed against the man's chin in the photo. He was smiling, as if he could smell the fragrance of the flowers. A gentle breeze blew by, raising a few petals, silently responding to his wife.
"I was planning to bring you some pastries, but it didn't work out. Don't worry, I'll definitely bring you some next time."
Jiang's mother rambled on for a long time, saying whatever came to mind like a young girl.
Jiang Huaichuan stood beside Shen Li, silently gazing at the familiar person in the photo.
In his memory, his father was strict but not rigid, and his mother was gentle but not indulgent. Jiang Huaichuan spent his childhood in the midst of a passionate youth.
In high school, he fell in love with heavy metal music and got into rock. When Jiang's father first saw the video, he thought he was dreaming. Was this boy who was swaying wildly to the music his son?
Mr. Jiang didn't understand. Just then, his assistant submitted an invitation to a music gala at Jiang Huaichuan's high school. Normally, Mr. Jiang would never attend such an event due to his busy schedule, but this time, he changed his mind.
He wanted to see what this thing was.
Jiang's father, who was specially invited to sit in the front row, felt like he was almost deaf when he left. Sitting in the car, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at his son, who was wearing a sleeveless vest and had a large silver chain around his neck. After hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to utter only one sentence: "Take care of your ears."
Jiang Huaichuan only played rock music for less than half a semester before developing other hobbies. His father often didn't understand, feeling that it was inconsistent with the Jiang family's traditions and completely unorthodox.
Whenever Jiang Huaichuan felt that his father would stop him, he would always receive an awkward expression of concern.
"Protect your knees."
"Protect your eyes."
When Jiang Huaichuan fell in love with racing, his father grumbled for a long time before finally saying, "Take good care of yourself... never mind, just take good care of your whole body."
After talking for a long time, Jiang's mother swept away the dust from her husband's tombstone. With red eyes, she looked at Shen Li and Jiang Huaichuan standing behind her and smiled apologetically: "It's my fault. I talked too much and left you two standing there. I'll go wait for a while."
Jiang Huaichuan embraced Shen Li, unsure of what to say. After a few brief words, he fell silent.
Over the years, Jiang's mother often said that he was becoming more and more like his father, meaning that he had become much more taciturn and withdrawn.
After the worship ceremony, the group walked down the bluestone path.
Jiang's mother went to the cemetery service hall to donate money, something she does every year on this day.
Although Shen Li couldn't see, he could sense that Jiang Zhirong wanted to say something to Jiang Huaichuan, so he made an excuse to go to the toilet and left.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhirong narrowed his eyes: "Xiao Li is very sensible." Jiang Zhirong looked at Jiang Huaichuan, "Speaking of which, it's been more than a year since we last saw each other. How have you been lately?"
Jiang Huaichuan remained silent, and Jiang Zhirong showed no annoyance.
"I heard you've been having someone look at villas in Tianjing Manor lately. The environment there is nice, suitable for recuperating. I heard..."
Jiang Zhirong paused, his voice carrying an eerie coldness, and continued, "Shen Li is not doing well."
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Huaichuan's eyes, and he parted his thin lips slightly: "It's none of your business."
Jiang Zhirong relaxed: "Look at you, so anxious. Your father would never talk to me like that."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaichuan finally lifted his eyelids, his deep, unfathomable black eyes staring intently at Jiang Zhirong, and said meaningfully, "Chairman Jiang, he and I are not the same person."
Jiang Zhirong's casual eyes suddenly sharpened. He straightened up slightly and looked at Jiang Huaichuan, his breathing becoming heavier.
Jiang Zhirong carefully observed Jiang Huaichuan, but couldn't detect anything unusual on his face. After a long while, he relaxed his shoulders and smiled, "Of course I know. Although you two look alike, you are ultimately... different."
When Shen Li returned, Jiang Zhirong had already left.
The staff led the person to the table. Shen Li was about to sit down when she reached out and grasped Jiang Huaichuan's hand. Shen Li realized what was happening and asked, "Are you leaving?"
"Hmm." Jiang Huaichuan led the person to sit down on the stool next to him. "You've broken down."
Shen Li: ...
What did you say to him?
Shen Li didn't ask; he knew Jiang Huaichuan had his own plans. His left hand, inside his pocket, traced the sharp edge of the paper.
That evening, they had dinner at the Jiang family's old house. After dinner, seeing that Shen Li looked tired, Jiang's mother quickly asked her son to take Shen Li back to the hospital.
——
Shen Li's eyes recovered after taking a nap two weeks later.
At that time, Jiang Huaichuan was sitting on the sofa having a video conference. It was near the end of the year, and Jiang Huaichuan should have attended the meeting at the company, but he was worried that all of Shen Li's medicines would go through Lu Mingxuan and him.
Even now, Jiang Huaichuan is still shaken when he recalls that day.
Lu He'an received an invitation to the Lemon TV New Year's Eve Gala this year, which is a good opportunity to increase his popularity. However, Lu He'an was reluctant to go, lying by Shen Li's hospital bed.
Why not go?
Shen Li patted Lu He'an's head. He had recently gotten his hair permed; it was fluffy and felt great to the touch, which Shen Li liked very much.
"I don't want to go."
"Nonsense." Shen Li gently patted his head. "Were you bullied?"
Lu He'an shook his head: "No."
Seeing that Lu He'an didn't want to talk about it, Shen Li didn't bring it up again, but he remembered it. He was afraid that Lu He'an would be bullied and not say anything, so he asked Song An to investigate it secretly.
Before Song An could reply, Shen Li overheard Lu He'an and his agent talking in a corner at the end of the corridor.
"I really can't leave. Don't you have other people working for you? Zheng Yun sings quite well, let him perform."
The agent was going crazy. If someone likes Zheng Yun, why wouldn't they invite her?
Agent: "My goodness! I've seen people fight over resources, but I've never seen anyone give them up! Just tell me, why are you so unwilling to go?"
After a long while, Shen Li heard Lu He'an say, "I can't leave. You know Shen Li's current situation. He has helped me so much, I can't be ungrateful."
The agent choked.
Shen Li leaned against the wall, and after a few breaths, he turned and walked towards the ward.
Later, after Lu He'an returned, Shen Li didn't bring it up directly. Instead, he started by asking who was at the party, then what song he was assigned, and finally he said—
"But I want to see it. The doctor said my eyes will be better in a few days, and then I can go to see it in person."
In the end, Lu He'an still went, and even brought Shen Li a seat ticket that day.
Shen Li was happy, but Jiang Huaichuan remained silent, staring at the seat ticket as if he could see something interesting in it.
Jiang Huaichuan spent most of his time at the hospital with Shen Li. On the days he was away, Shen Wenyuan and Shen Ci would take turns coming over. Days passed until this day.
——
Shen Ci: "Xiao Li, I'll be there soon. I brought you some dried mangoes."
The phone call had just ended when the light turned green ahead. Before he could even start moving, Shen Ci felt the rear of his car get bumped.
Shen Ci quickly pulled the handbrake and got out of the car, only to see a taxi with its front end right next to the back of his car.
"Um, sorry." The driver, wearing a black hat, smiled awkwardly. "I was in a hurry to pick up my passengers, and I started moving a bit too fast when the light turned green. Sorry, sorry."
Shen Ci glanced at the back of the car; there was a large hole in it, but it wasn't a big deal. He could just go through insurance.
Shen Ci waved to the driver, saying that everyone has a hard time, but the driver's face turned red. He pulled Shen Ci and said, "How about I compensate you a few hundred yuan? I can't live with myself if I don't."
Unable to resist, Shen Ci was in a hurry to see Shen Li, so he had no choice but to agree.
The whole thing took no more than three minutes, but things almost went wrong during those three minutes.
The nurse skillfully disinfected the back of his hand. Shen Li frowned, feeling that something was not right.
The nurse lifted her hand.
No! These are a man's hands!
Shen Li withdrew his hand without changing his expression and said, "Wait a minute, I'm going to the restroom."
Shen Li quietly picked up her phone and walked towards the bathroom.
Suddenly, a force pulled him from behind and pressed Shen Li back onto the bed.
Who exactly are you?
"You don't need to worry about it." The nurse snatched Shen Li's phone and threw it away. "You're not going to live anyway."
"Surprise!"
The ward door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, startling the nurse, who looked up.
At the doorway, Lu He'an's smile froze on his face. His pupils dilated, and the next second, he grabbed a metal plate from the side: "What the hell are you doing?! Someone come quick!!!"
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