Chapter 22 Chapter 22 No One Can
The weather has been very bad in recent days. It started raining again when we were going down the mountain in the evening. It gets dark early in winter and the temperature is not low during the day. Just when everyone thought the weather was getting warmer, a rainstorm came unexpectedly at night, and the street corners were full of pedestrians taking shelter from the rain.
The road on the mountain was slippery and the visibility was poor. The two people waited in the car for the rain to stop. Warm wind filled the enclosed environment. Tang Ningyue ate roasted marshmallows while drawing on the car window. The temperature was not low enough and there was humidity, so the words she wrote quickly disappeared. She had no interest in continuing and turned to look at Li Jinglang next to her.
Her eyes were always staring straight ahead, unconcealed, like a lion in the animal world that had been hungry for days seeing a lame antelope.
Li Jinglang pursed his lips, not feeling uncomfortable at all, perhaps even enjoying being looked at like this. He seemed to be constantly accepting...everything about her.
"Talk to me." Tang Ningyue propped up her head. "So boring."
The car was too quiet, and the sound of rain falling outside the window was rustling, like white noise played specially.
"What do you want to talk about?" he said.
He always spoke very little and didn't like talking, but he was afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of her because he didn't want to make her unhappy.
"What do you talk about with girls at school?"
“…I’ve never talked to girls.”
He answered sincerely, but she didn't believe him and scoffed, "There are no girls in school who like you?"
"No." He said it firmly, and his eyes like springs met her gaze again.
"No one likes me..." The warm light from the car hit his brow, leaving a deep shadow on his overly thin profile. "Don't you know..."
Li Jinglang suddenly turned his head to look at her. They were very close to each other. Tang Ningyue stared into his eyes. The feeling that he had grown up became clearer. It seemed that the distance was too close, so close that she could almost smell the unique masculine scent on him.
He was very thin, but he didn't look frail. Instead, his sharp bones were exposed, and his stubborn and hard temperament was revealed.
Li Jinglang did not have a gender ambiguous period, not even when he was a child. He was even rarely praised for being cute. It seemed that it had always been like this, but Tang Ningyue had not looked closely before.
Tang Ningyue is a person with strong family values. In fact, she really misses the time when she was with Zhou Su and Li Jinglang as a family. The feeling of being tightly wrapped in love made her so happy that she wanted this kind of atmosphere when she was with her biological mother. She was even willing to listen to her and stop contacting Zhou Su, but she did not get equal value in return.
The long-term imbalance made her biased, and even fell into Xu Qingye's sweet trap... The more she thought about it, the more biased she became. Tang Ningyue took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it.
At least the current situation after growing up is not bad. I am financially independent and can control my own life. I don’t have to be bound by any so-called family ties anymore.
"You're still holding a grudge?" Tang Ningyue looked away and sipped her chestnut hot milk, which Li Jinglang had queued for half an hour to buy. She clearly didn't want to drink it that much. "That was so long ago."
He always blamed her. Tang Ningyue felt that she would never be able to repay the debt she owed to him in her childhood. They were all children back then, and it wasn't like they had committed any heinous crimes...
Li Jinglang stared at the steering wheel, hummed muffledly, and said nothing more.
"Then I'll compensate you, okay?" Tang Ningyue couldn't stand his pitiful look. She didn't know who he learned this from. When he was a child, he was always a thorn in the side when he was angry, but now he has learned this.
"how..."
Before Li Jinglang finished the last two words, someone knocked on the car window twice, and a familiar shadow appeared on the misty passenger window.
Before he could lock the car, Tang Ningyue had already rolled down the window, still in a bad mood.
"What brought you here?"
She frowned and looked at him. Sheng Shiyang was soaked, with rain on his face. He looked even more pitiful than the person in the driver's seat.
"Aunt Zhou told me that you and Jinglang went hiking." Sheng Shiyang spoke with a slightly nasal tone, as if he had a cold.
Li Jinglang's eyebrows twitched and he was speechless.
"Yueyue, it's all my fault. Please forgive me, okay? I will listen to you from now on. I will do whatever you ask me to do. I will never make any demands again. I'm sorry."
"Tsk..." Tang Ningyue frowned, as if remembering that there were other people around, and pushed Sheng Shiyang's shoulder, "Let's talk outside."
"good..."
Sheng Shiyang's voice was hoarse, and he deliberately coughed twice after he finished speaking, which made Tang Ningyue's tone less tough. Li Jinglang felt uncomfortable when he heard his voice, and frowned the moment Tang Ningyue moved.
The parking lot was not very big. The two people stood on the opposite hillside. Sheng Shiyang held up a black umbrella to block the light rain, and a large area of the umbrella was placed over Tang Ningyue. His already wet shoulders were now soaked with water.
That umbrella is so big...
Men are better at gaining sympathy than women.
Li Jinglang would not comment on someone casually, but Sheng Shiyang's pretentious attitude really made him uncomfortable, especially when he saw Tang Ningyue's satisfied expression, the steering wheel in his hand was almost torn apart by his grip.
He thought of the soap operas he had watched with Zhou Su before. Those delicate and artificial women were always more popular. Both men and women liked this kind of thing.
But Tang Ningyue is such a superficial person. She likes beautiful faces. Li Jinglang discovered this very early. Even though her attitude towards him was always good and bad when they were children, she would still kiss his face affectionately and say he was beautiful.
Sheng Shiyang also has a beautiful face, but unlike him, Sheng Shiyang's face doesn't have those sharp edges, it's soft and non-aggressive...
The two people struggled for a long time in the drizzle. In the end, Tang Ningyue was just like in all the TV dramas. She was held in the man's arms, stroked on the back, and coaxed gently, and gradually gave up her struggle.
The tacky routine was played out in front of him. Li Jinglang slammed the steering wheel hard and slumped back in his chair, his eyebrows and eyes hidden under the brim of his hat, making it impossible to see his expression.
Zhou Su called at an inopportune time, but the person on the other end asked questions cheerfully.
"Jinglang, when will you and Ningyue be back? I asked Auntie to cook for you."
"immediately."
"Tell Ning Yue to answer the phone. I got her the bag she wanted to give as a gift last time. Ask her if she wants it gift-boxed."
"She's not next to me." Li Jinglang paused, his eyes suddenly narrowing dangerously as he stared intently at the two people kissing not far away. "She just went to the bathroom. You should call her before we get in any further."
The black umbrella was tilted halfway, and the two of them pressed tightly together, completely ignoring the fact that the rain had soaked their clothes.
The kiss lasted only a moment, then was interrupted by a phone call. Li Jinglang finally turned off the lights, leaned back, and gently closed his eyes. "Tang..." he murmured, "Ning Yue..."
-
The phone call did not call Tang Ningyue home. Li Jinglang no longer wanted to recall how he sent the two of them to that bastard's apartment. In short, when he drove away, the lights in the living room had been turned off, but Tang Ningyue did not come out.
The last message I received from Tang Ningyue was: Go back.
Li Jinglang wanted to reply, "What about you?"
In the end, he still didn't type out the three words. He had no stance, no identity, as if all these years of getting along with her, who was closer than family, was a joke. He and she had been together longer than anyone else, and their feelings were deeper than anyone else's, but he was always the first one she gave up on.
Who is he to her?
She has a boyfriend, her own younger brother, her own family, and many friends. Which side does he belong to?
Could she answer him?
A momentary panic might fade over time, but constant panic would only lead to him taking various drugs day after day.
Li Jinglang skipped dinner that night. Tang Ning didn't come home that night, so he stayed awake until dawn. The next day, she didn't come home either, not during the day or at night. All day, Li Jinglang barely managed a glass of juice, which he only managed to swallow after his aunt persuaded him for a long time.
But before he could hold on until the evening, he vomited out all the juice, along with the bile. His mouth remained dry for a long time, but he just wiped the corners of his mouth dully, and even the action of rinsing his mouth was mechanical.
As the year draws to a close, Zhou Su becomes even busier. Li Jinglang doesn't have to go to school during the winter break, and he spends the whole day at home fiddling with his aircraft. His aunt tells Zhou Su that he's become obsessed, fiddling with those things without eating or talking. He's been taking medicine, but it doesn't seem to be working, and his condition is getting worse.
Zhou Su was probably used to Li Jinglang's behavior. The sudden change some time ago surprised her for a while, but sure enough, he soon returned to normal.
"Call Ningyue."
In the end, the aunt still persuaded Zhou Su in this way. Although she only cooked and left every day, she still watched Li Jinglang grow up. She really couldn't bear it, and she couldn't accept Zhou Su's lukewarm attitude. Perhaps she never believed that he would change for the better.
"Don't disturb her."
Li Jinglang hid behind the door in the corridor and heard Zhou Su's words coming out of the receiver. Finally, the aunt hung up the phone silently and left quietly.
Two days of insomnia gave him a splitting headache. He was alone at home and it was so quiet that he could even hear the sound of breathing. He was a little afraid of such a silent space. Sitting alone in the corridor, it seemed that he could be closer to the sky outside.
On the third night, Tang Ningyue suddenly came back, as usual, humming a song and carrying the latest bag. The sound of her high heels could be heard as soon as she got out of the elevator.
"Jinglang?"
Tang Ningyue exclaimed in surprise when she saw the group huddled at the door. The thin black figure just moved slightly and there was no further reaction.
"Why are you sitting here?" Tang Ningyue walked over quickly and half-knelt in front of him. His scarlet eyes met hers, making her heart sink.
Li Jinglang was not happy with the dehydration. His mouth was cracked, his body was stiff, and his skin was cold. He only looked at her for a moment before hiding his head in his collar. His voice was so hoarse that he could hardly speak, "Don't look at me..."
"Go back first."
Tang Ningyue didn't press him, but touched his hair and responded gently.
She supported him, just like she supported the drunk Sheng Shiyang that day, but he had to pay a more painful price than Sheng Shiyang. But it had nothing to do with her, it was all his own fault.
Li Jinglang refused to go back to his room, so Tang Ningyue had to help him to the sofa and covered him with a down quilt.
The floor heating in the room was turned on very high, but when Tang Ningyue came back with water, he was still not warm. She supported herself and sat beside him, letting Li Jinglang lean his back against her arms so that she could use the strength to support him. She then put the cup to his lips and slowly fed him.
"Let's go to the hospital." She said, "Why are you so cold?"
"I'm fine..."
He shook his head, the end of his hair brushing against her neck, and a warm touch pressed tightly against the back of his neck.
Very comfortable.
"you...."
Before Tang Ningyue finished speaking, the phone on the coffee table began to vibrate, and the caller ID showed that it was Shi Yang.
She glanced at Li Jinglang, who had his eyes half-closed, and picked up her phone.
"Are you leaving?" Li Jinglang asked before Tang Ningyue could speak after the call was connected.
"..." Tang Ningyue was stunned.
"Yueyue? Yueyue?" The continuous calls from the other end of the receiver brought her back to her senses.
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Have you got the things?"
Hearing this, Li Jinglang moved slightly, found a more comfortable position in her arms, and gently sniffed the fragrance on her body.
"I might not be able to go." Tang Ningyue glanced down at Li Jinglang, frowning slightly, "Jinglang feels a little unwell."
"Not feeling well? Do you want me to go up and take him to the hospital?"
Li Jinglang still didn't say a word. He stretched out his arms and lightly wrapped them around Tang Ningyue's waist, snuggling in her arms. Li Jinglang would never do such an intimate action normally, but today he was sick and his mind was not clear.
People always receive some favoritism when they are uncomfortable, and he is no exception.
"No, your own affairs are more important. Don't delay your trip."
"It's not a problem, Yueyue, please don't worry about bothering me, okay?"
"Company matters are more important. You've worked so hard for so long, don't delay. I can handle this. Besides, I was going to have fun with you anyway, so it doesn't matter whether you go or not. There'll be plenty of time later."
"Okay, I understand."
Li Jinglang finally closed his eyes again and breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Jinglang took some medicine and lay down. He had a low fever and was a little dehydrated. Tang Ningyue sat by the bed with him for a long time. During this time, she seemed to have received a call from Zhou Su. Li Jinglang vaguely heard Zhou Su's voice. Her tone was not good, as if she was blaming him for secretly torturing herself again.
"If you stay with him, he seems to be feeling better."
"Don't worry, Aunt Zhou, I will accompany him, don't worry."
He didn't know if it was because of the medicine, but he felt his body was light and the discomfort he had just felt gradually faded away, and he felt inexplicably relaxed.
In his hazy consciousness, a pair of delicate and warm hands stroked his forehead and cheeks, and like when he was a child, a pair of eyes looked at him carefully.
Li Jinglang sometimes feels fortunate that he still has a face like this to keep her.
Tang Ningyue didn't know when she woke up. She was cleaning up the wreckage of the airplane models in the room. Various scattered components that were completely shattered after hitting the windows and walls were scattered all over the floor, like an accident scene.
Almost all the aircraft in the room were damaged, except for the one she gave him, which was still intact and placed in a locked glass cabinet.
"Are you awake?" She turned her head and glanced at his dark eyes, then called his name gently. "Are you feeling better?"
He stared at her, his eyes darting around following her movements, which was inexplicably cute, and she couldn't help but laugh and gently rubbed the side of his face.
"If you feel uncomfortable next time, tell me, okay? If I hadn't come back today, would you have hurt yourself?"
"....." He stared at her and still said nothing.
"Answer when you hear it," she said.
"I heard it." He responded obediently.
"If you have something to say, just say it, ok?"
"Yeah." He answered again.
She smiled again, then stood up and prepared to leave.
Li Jinglang grabbed her hand uncontrollably and said in a louder voice, "Don't go."
Being pulled by him, she turned back, but he was nervous about letting go of her hand. His voice was lowered and he murmured, his eyes still wide open staring at her, "Don't go... Stay with me, stay with me, okay?"
"I won't leave. I'll make you some apple juice, okay?"
She walked to his side again, took his hand and rubbed it gently. Li Jinglang was a little dazed, and a warm feeling rose and then quickly subsided.
Will she take care of Sheng Shiyang like this... She should treat him better, lie down with him and hug him...
Li Jinglang took her hand and held it tightly, as if he was afraid that she would leave again. His greed suddenly increased. He didn't want her to see Sheng Shiyang again. The urge to occupy all her love reached its peak.
No one can take away...
No one can.
No one can!
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