Chapter 26
Just when Zou Ping was at a loss, the door of the ward was slowly pushed open. The morning light poured in from the gap in the door, stretching the shadows on the floor into long and thin ones.
Tang Yuchuan appeared at the door, his eyes a little tired, but his complexion a little better than yesterday. Next to him was a woman in her sixties, her features revealing the gentleness of time.
"Aunt Wu," Tang Yuchuan whispered, his tone full of unquestionable determination, "Do as I say, take care of her, stay with her, and stay with her every step of the way when she wakes up. If anything happens, call me anytime."
Aunt Wu nodded gently, "Yeah, I will." Then she turned to look at Tan Jing lying on the hospital bed and frowned slightly, "Miss Jing, how could you ruin yourself like this?"
Tang Yuchuan nodded and turned to Zou Ping, his eyes flashing with complex and indescribable emotions: "Wake up, let's go home."
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment, then turned her head to glance at Tan Jing who was still sleeping, and a slight worry surged in her heart: "Aren't you...going to wait for her to wake up?"
Tang Yuchuan was silent for a moment, and then lowered his voice, "No. She may not want to see me."
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment, then simply got off the bed and said, "I'm going to the bathroom to wash my face." Then she hurried out of the ward.
Tang Yuchuan looked at her back as she hurried away, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
His gaze fell back on the hospital bed, and an indescribable coldness flashed between his brows.
Her face exuded a sense of tranquility, her skin was as pale as paper, and her lips were so light that they almost blended into the morning light. Her original cold temperament was now covered by fragility, like ripples in the deep sea, quiet but heart-pounding.
The entanglements of more than a decade flooded back to him like a tide: she who had vanished at once, now standing beside his father, she who had proposed a new beginning just after his father's death, and now it was still her who committed suicide. His fingers clasped the hem of his clothes, their tips turning slightly white. Anger, loss, and a hint of resignation filled his heart.
But when I saw her quiet face and the slight rise and fall of her breathing, an indescribable emotion surged in my chest.
He lowered his eyes slightly, as if suppressing his fluctuating emotions, but he couldn't help but look at her deeply, and a pang of pain welled up in his heart. He clearly hated her, but the feelings he once had for her were like a dark river, unstoppable.
Tang Yuchuan took a deep breath and reminded himself that no matter how turbulent his emotions were, he had to remain calm, facing her and himself.
"I'm fine! Let's go!" Zou Ping pushed the door open, blinked, and gestured to leave together.
Tang Yuchuan didn't respond immediately, but simply lowered his eyelids to collect his thoughts. Zou Ping gently stepped forward and took his hand. Feeling the faint warmth and slight trembling from his fingertips, her heart tightened slightly, then unconsciously relaxed.
The ward door closed gently, the sound of shoes and wheelchairs echoed in the corridor, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant mixed with morning light.
Zou Ping couldn't help but ask softly, "Who is this Aunt Wu? Can we just leave her here?"
Tang Yuchuan looked towards the end of the corridor and said in a low voice, "When I was a child, my family had a nanny. She was trustworthy. She had a good relationship with Tan Jing and treated her like her own daughter."
After a pause, he added, as if telling Zou Ping, or as if convincing himself, "She will take good care of her and is more suitable to appear in front of her than me."
Zou Ping's lips twitched slightly, and she tried to force a smile: "If you want to let go of the past, I will accompany you. If you want to go back to the past, I am willing to do that too."
An elusive ripple flashed in Tang Yuchuan's eyes. He gently held Zou Ping's hand, applying a little force with his fingertips, as if responding, but also as if silently feeling this support.
The light from the corridor shone through the window onto the floor, making the shadows of the two people long and soft.
She leaned closer, her fingers tightly holding his hand, the warmth spreading to her palm, bringing a sense of security.
Tang Yuchuan looked at her and said, "Zou Ping, I will try my best to let the past stay in the past. Since you chose me and I chose you, I will treat you well."
Zou Ping smiled and said, "Okay, I'll believe you this time."
Tang Yuchuan looked at her smile, but his heart sank a little. In the previous moment, he almost fell into the illusion of tenderness, forgetting that besides the age gap between them, his relationship with his ex, and his concealment of her life experience.
"I suddenly feel very sorry for you." Tang Yuchuan suddenly spoke.
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment. "What are you talking about! I feel so happy to be with you."
Tang Yuchuan lowered his head, his eyes falling on the intertwined shadows of the two people on the floor. "If it weren't for me, a girl your age would have been able to have a simple love affair with a boy whose heart and eyes were filled with you, and wouldn't have been involved in so many messes."
Zou Ping raised her head and met Tang Yuchuan's gaze, saying gently but firmly, "I don't like those boys. I only like you."
Tang Yuchuan was stunned for a moment, his lips moved slightly, but he couldn't tell the truth - he promised Gu Xing.
"Zou Ping," he whispered, "There are some things I...can't tell you for the time being."
Zou Ping looked up at him, her eyes bright and calm: "It's okay, everyone has secrets."
Tang Yuchuan's expression was heavy, as if there was a shadow between his eyebrows, and his fingers were clenched tightly and turned slightly white.
Zou Ping, however, was not affected by the oppressive atmosphere. She gently held his hand with a mischievous smile on her face: "Why are you like this? Can you be a little more cheerful? I also have secrets that I won't tell you, even though I like you very much."
Tang Yuchuan was stunned for a moment, his eyes softening. She spoke lightly, but it was like a warm fire, slowly igniting the shadowed corner of his chest.
"You..." He said softly, as if he wanted to speak, but was blocked by the guilt in his heart.
Zou Ping nudged his arm. "Are you okay? Did you get enough rest last night? Do you want me to take you for a walk and get some fresh air? Or... I can take you somewhere to relax and release some stress."
Tang Yuchuan raised his eyes slightly, looked at her, and smiled: "I'm fine. It's up to you where we go today. I'll make up for what I promised you yesterday."
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment. Although Tang Yuchuan had said yesterday that he would give him time, it was not his fault that something happened to Tan Jing. She did not take his words as a promise at all. Everyone has unexpected accidents.
However, seeing Tang Yuchuan so serious, she was still a little happy.
Zou Ping smiled and squinted at him: "Okay, I'll take you to relax. You have to be happy. I don't want to see you with a sullen face."
Tang Yuchuan watched her smile, and the repressed shadow in his heart gradually faded. But his heart still surged - the warmth of Tan Jing's past, the unsolved things, lurked in his heart like a deep undercurrent, neither obvious nor easy to dissipate completely.
He nodded gently, a smile on his lips, as if saying to himself: Okay, I will try to make myself and her happier. Even if there is a shadow in my heart, I must learn to put it away and not destroy the warmth of this moment.
Light streamed through the tall windows into the corridor, casting long, soft shadows. Tang Yuchuan held Zou Ping's hand, his steps slow and steady, as if he had finally decided to put the complicated past behind him and walk towards the future with her.
In the boxing gym, Tang Yuchuan looked at Zou Ping in front of him, who was completely different from the gentle and quiet person she was when painting.
Zou Ping here is full of strength and the pleasure of catharsis, as if all the repression and negative emotions can be shattered by her fists at this moment.
"You know what?" Zou Ping swung her gloves, her eyes bright and determined. "I really like boxing. Painting can record my emotions, but sometimes the more I paint, the deeper I get into it. Boxing is different. When I'm tired and lie on the ground, I feel a kind of happiness—the joy of not thinking about anything."
Tang Yuchuan stood beside her, watching her movements quietly. The wind from her fists whistled as they hit the sandbag, as if beating out all her emotions.
"Come on, try it." Zou Ping put down her gloves and motioned him over with a smile.
Tang Yuchuan was silent for a moment, hesitated for a few seconds, and then walked to the sandbag.
His posture was standard and his movements were professional, but there was a hint of unfamiliarity in them, which surprised Zou Ping.
"I didn't realize that he had practiced this?" Zou Ping asked in surprise.
"I learned it when I was a child, but I didn't do it much later." His voice was low and calm, and a hint of alienation passed through his eyes.
Zou Ping's pupils shrank slightly, and she felt surprised and a little emotional - this usually gentle man also had such a powerful side.
"Come, try this." Zou Ping pointed to a sandbag and called Tang Yuchuan over.
Tang Yuchuan didn't want to spoil the fun, but he stopped the moment he walked over and clenched his fist.
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment, looking at his posture in front of the sandbag, frowning slightly: "What's wrong? Don't you want to fight anymore?"
Tang Yuchuan lowered his head, slowly unclenched his fists, and said in a dull voice, "I... don't want to fight anymore. You fight me."
Zou Ping stared at him blankly, her hand slightly raised, as if wanting to support him, but she was unsure if she could touch his vulnerability.
Tang Yuchuan closed his eyes, and scenes of his childhood memories flooded into his mind like a tide: his fingers were numb from practicing the piano, he was forced to stay up all night to solve math problems, his programming homework was repeatedly checked and revised, and every pronunciation in his spoken English had to be perfect...boxing was also a part of it.
Each one was like an invisible shackle, leaving him no chance to breathe.
The so-called "training" in his childhood world meant endless pressure and forced obedience.
The whistling sound of fists and the sound of boxing gloves hitting the sandbag made his heart tighten, as if he was back in his childhood when he had to be careful even when breathing.
Zou Ping approached gently, her voice soft but firm: "Tang Yuchuan, it's okay if you don't want to fight, I'm here with you."
He opened his eyes and saw her bright and determined eyes. The depressed shadow in his heart shrank slightly, but it was still difficult to completely dissipate.
He whispered, "When I was little... I was forced to practice piano, math, programming, English... boxing was also included. That time... I really don't want to recall it."
Do you really not want to recall anything? Not really.
During that time, the most memorable thing about him was his mother. No matter how hard or tiring it was, as long as his mother was still around, Tang Yuchuan was willing to give his all, even if it was something he didn't like.
However, he later discovered that his efforts were still useless.
Zou Ping squatted down, looking him in the eye, and reached out to touch the back of his hand. "I understand. Boxing wasn't just a sport for you. It was once a burden. It's all in the past now. It's so good now. You've grown up, and you can stop boxing if you want."
She helped Tang Yuchuan take off his gloves and threw one of them far away, "If you don't like it, go away!"
Then he handed the other one to Tang Yuchuan.
Tang Yuchuan's heart trembled slightly when she saw Zou Ping like this. The corners of her lips moved, but she didn't say anything. She just imitated her and threw out the other boxing glove.
At this moment, he felt a kind of warmth for the first time, a warmth that did not force him to be strong, but silently accepted his vulnerability.
Over the years, it seems that few people treat him like this.
There are many people around him who are kind to him, but they also depend on him and ask for a lot from him.
Zou Ping patted the sandbag gently and said with a soft smile, "Do you want to watch me fight for a while longer? This time is different from when we were kids. You just need to sit here and watch."
"Okay." Tang Yuchuan's answer was concise, gentle and calm, as if he was not the one who collapsed in an instant just now.
Zou Ping suddenly felt a little worried. She secretly felt that she had come up with a bad idea today. How could she bring him to the boxing gym without knowing anything about it? She originally hoped that he would be happier, but she didn't expect...
Zou Ping muttered secretly, "Piano, Mathematical Olympiad, Programming, English, Boxing..."
She originally wanted to remind herself not to make mistakes again, but she muttered something without noticing.
"What? Didn't you say you wanted me to watch you box?" Tang Yuchuan took the gloves that Zou Ping had just taken off when she helped him take them off and wanted to help her put them on.
Zou Ping dodged and took the gloves. "If you don't like it, I won't fight you. Let's go home, okay?"
Tang Yuchuan frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Why?"
"Because you don't like it, I want to make you happy and want to accompany you to do what you like." Zou Ping's voice was soft and sincere.
Tang Yuchuan looked at her, his eyes gradually softening: "But... it's also good to do what you like together. Zou Ping, you don't need to be cautious because of me, or compromise your own preferences."
Zou Ping was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head slightly. She heard him reach out and hold her hand while saying gently, "If a love requires you to give up your hobbies, then this person is not worthy of your love."
Zou Ping looked up and met Tang Yuchuan's gaze, as if she suddenly understood what he meant: in addition to love, he also wanted her to live a complete and free life.
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