Chapter 49 Upon returning to Beijing, as expected…
Back in Beijing, I still couldn't adjust; the winter was very cold, bone-chillingly cold.
Ji Qingyu racked his brains trying to figure out what Ji Ran meant by making that call, and whether he had some hidden cards up his sleeve. He even absurdly wondered if the other party was just calling to reminisce.
On the eve of the surgery, Ji Qingyu still went to see Ji Ran.
The prison was located in a remote area, surrounded by a small hill. Ji Qingyu walked for a long time before she saw the prison fence.
The visiting time was only fifteen minutes. When the prison guard saw Ji Qingyu, his eyes widened. Ji Qingyu looked back warily, but the next second a piece of paper and a pen were handed to him. The prison guard said excitedly, "Teacher, I'm your fan."
Ji Qingyu was momentarily stunned. He actually had fans? He was both amused and flattered as he took the pen and signed it for him.
Songshan, just like its name suggests, is a cold place covered with pine trees. Ji Qingyu walked in under the guidance of the prison guard and stopped in front of the iron bars of the visiting room.
Ji Ran was still the same. The once vibrant flower had faded after its peak. He was handcuffed and stared coldly at Ji Qingyu, but it was hard to see any trace of his former brilliance.
Ji Qingyu pulled out a chair and sat opposite Ji Ran.
"Do you have any cigarettes?" That was the first thing she asked.
“I don’t smoke,” Ji Qingyu replied.
"That prison guard over there has some. He doesn't like me and never gives me cigarettes. Can you get me one?" Ji Ran seemed really craving nicotine. Ji Qingyu thought for a moment, then stood up and went to get some for him, lighting it for him through the bars.
Smoke billowed up, the white smoke spreading irregularly in the air. Only then did Ji Qingyu realize that he already had a child and couldn't keep smelling smoke. He stood up and took two steps back. Seeing him like this, Ji Ran's suspicions were confirmed. He stared at Ji Qingyu's lower abdomen for a couple more seconds, and then he understood what else was going on.
He scoffed, "You actually dare to come here."
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you?
"How will you harm me?" Ji Qingyu asked, "Will you strangle me with your handcuffs?"
"It's not impossible." Ji Ran smoked his cigarette very heavily and quickly, as if he wanted to chew the tobacco leaves along with the cigarette. His eyes also held a fierce look when he looked at Ji Qingyu.
"Ji Qingyu, do you know that I have never regretted doing so much for you?"
"Really?" The cigarette had burned two-thirds of the way through when Ji Qingyu moved closer to the window. "Actually, I still miss those days in high school when you would call me out during breaks and share the candies you made with me."
"Those were just poorly made, defective products. I only did it to earn your trust." Ashes fell, landing on the smooth metal table, making everything around them look dusty.
"Really? I think it tastes pretty good." Ji Qingyu started to feel cold. He had worn thin cashmere socks and the lightest scarf when he went out today, which was a real mistake.
Ji Ran fell silent, his hand clenching and unclenching until the last bit of his cigarette burned out. He stared at the ashes on the table and fell into silence.
"Why did you call me here? Do you want me to witness your defeat?" Ji Qingyu asked.
"Ji Qingyu, you've won now. How does it feel?" Ji Ran grinned.
"I never thought about winning." Ji Qingyu sighed inwardly, somewhat surprised. "So you really came here to catch up with me."
"A dying man's words are good," a thought suddenly came to Ji Qingyu's mind, and she figured it probably applied to a villain like Ji Ran as well. But Ji Qingyu didn't want to waste any more time with him, so she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Ji Ran made a gurgling sound in his throat, as if he had made up his mind, and called out to Ji Qingyu, "I didn't do what happened to your mother. I never thought of tampering with her surgery."
"Does it still matter?" Ji Qingyu continued walking towards the door, leaving Ji Ran behind.
Ji Ran said from behind, "Hey, you know what? Only you would play that one-sided friend game."
"Who are you trying to impress with your haughty attitude? Who are you trying to give charity to? Let me tell you, you just gambled and got lucky. If it weren't for Fu Han, you would have nothing left by now!"
"Is that so?" Ji Qingyu remained calm. The white scarf was too easy to get dusty in this place, and he didn't want to get covered in Ji Ran's cigarette ash again. Where did those malicious and negative feelings come from? Why did Ji Ran inflict so much evil on him? He no longer cared at all.
The prison guard opened the door and asked Ji Qingyu, "Fifteen minutes haven't been up yet, are you leaving already?"
"Well, that's all I have to say. There's nothing more to add." Ji Qingyu smiled, then added as if remembering something, "Don't forget to give him a few more cigarettes in the future."
As he was leaving, he noticed a familiar car parked at the foot of the mountain. As soon as he got in, Fu Han grabbed Ji Qingyu's hand and hugged him from the side.
"What did he say to you?" His voice was almost a whisper, with a slightly sticky ending. Fu Han's breath tickled Ji Qingyu's ear. Ji Qingyu turned her head uncomfortably and pushed Fu Han away.
“We talked a lot.” Ji Qingyu pushed Fu Han’s face. He felt that Fu Han was like some kind of large canine. Maybe it was because winter was coming. In any case, he was gradually becoming more clingy.
"Did anyone say anything bad about me?" Fu Han asked.
"Yes, they say you're insidious, ruthless, and vindictive." Ji Qingyu tried to push you away a few times but couldn't, so she said expressionlessly.
Honestly, he thought Ji Ran had some other tricks up his sleeve. He was going to have surgery in less than a week, and he might only have less than a week left to live. Yet he still had the leisure to waste half a day on Ji Ran.
He once considered Ji Ran his best friend. Ji Ran was like a bright, almost blinding sun that burst into his dull, even miserable, high school life. But now, he discovered that the so-called sun was just a mixture of toxic substances. If it really burned, it would not only emit black smoke but also damage the environment. The burned matter would be blown away by the wind, leaving only a handful of ashes.
He didn't want to delve into what kind of feelings Ji Ran harbored for him—whether it was hatred, disgust, jealousy, or something else... In any case, at the foot of this pine-covered mountain, Ji Qingyu took one last look up. In that gray building hidden in the forest, they had just ended their final farewell.
It only lasted fifteen minutes.
But right now, there are more important things waiting for him to deal with.
"You know I only act like that with people I dislike," Fu Han said softly. "I don't dislike you, and I hope you won't dislike me either, okay?"
Ji Qingyu did not reply.
He wondered what a life would do if it were less than seven days old. Ji Qingyu didn't know either; he just spoke instinctively.
"I want to take you to meet someone... oh no, I should say two people."
The cemetery in Dongcheng was very clean. Ji Qingyu didn't expect that he would have to climb two mountains in one day. The cemetery keeper was the same one he had seen before. When he saw Ji Qingyu, he asked if he wanted to buy flowers.
Ji Qingyu nodded. Sure enough, the flowers in front of the tombstone had withered again, falling dryly to the ground, which made everyone feel depressed.
Ji Qingyu cleaned up the bouquets that had become less attractive and looked at the two tombstones in front of her.
Fu Han seemed to understand something, and his voice lowered: "Which one is our child?"
“This is it,” Ji Qingyu pointed to one of the smaller ones, “the other one is Mom.”
"Aren't you curious how I know all this, about the first child, and everything else?" Fu Han gently pulled Ji Qingyu's hand.
"Anyway, Ji Ran told you all of this, right? As long as there's the slightest clue, you'll dig up everything. And Ji Ran is the kind of person who will retaliate tenfold against anyone who causes him pain. You're quite similar in that respect." Ji Qingyu smiled. He was wearing a black trench coat today, with a white scarf around his neck. He reached out and grabbed the scarf, burying his chin in it, and shrugged with a smile.
"Remember this place. If you have time in the future, please come and visit them more often." Ji Qingyu didn't want to make the atmosphere so heavy.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Fu Han reached out and pulled Ji Qingyu into his arms. His kisses landed on Ji Qingyu's cheek, light but frequent. "You have to come with me."
Let's hope so.
Ji Qingyu didn't know if he would have another chance. He didn't reply. Fu Han placed the flowers in front of the tombstone and said as if making a promise, "The flowers in front of the tombstone will never wither again."
Ji Qingyu was relieved; Fu Han was a man who always kept his promises.
A week has never gone by so fast.
Ji Qingyu lay in bed, staring at the bright light on the ceiling. The cold air in the hospital made him feel sad. He understood why so many people suddenly became depressed during this season.
Luo Sheng and Nannan were both there. Ji Qingyu didn't tell anyone else to avoid adding to the sadness, but even so, everyone's expressions really looked like they were going through a life-or-death separation.
Ji Qingyu talked to Luo Sheng the most, and he also told Luo Sheng the location of the tombstone, hoping that he could go and see it when he had time.
Nannan's eyes reddened. Ji Qingyu couldn't bear to see this, so she smiled gently at her and wiped away Nannan's tears. "Don't cry. Our Nannan doesn't look pretty when she cries. Crying for so long will make your eyes uncomfortable."
Fu Han watched him from the side. Ji Qingyu suddenly wanted to say something, but he could only feel Fu Han holding his hand.
Forget it, what else is there to say?
Ji Qingyu didn't speak, but looked back at the ceiling. He thought that if he said anything now, Fu Han would have an even harder time getting over it if he left.
He knew all too well the taste of heartbreak. "A dying man's words are kind," and this saying applied not only to Ji Ran but also to himself.
Fu Han's eyes dimmed further. His trembling hand gripped Ji Qingyu tightly as he struggled to ask, "You've said everything to them, so what about me? Don't you have anything to say? Not a single word?"
Isn't this guy always able to keep everyone under his control? These days, he almost doesn't recognize Fu Han anymore.
Ji Qingyu shook her head, closed her eyes, and the doctor started pushing the bed. With a creaking sound, they went down the elevator and were pushed into the operating room. The lights came on, and the operating room door slowly closed in front of Fu Han.
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