Chapter 68 Hugs, hugs, don't be sad. ...
With the engagement settled, Zan Ya accompanied Yu Wu to meet with numerous designers to discuss engagement attire. Finally, after much effort, they finalized the arrangements, and Yu Wu decided to treat Zan Ya to dinner at her home.
It was only five o'clock in the afternoon. Zan Ya was lying on the sofa, massaging her temples to relax. The only sound in the house was the sound of a kitchen knife.
Zan Ya stood up, leaned against the door frame, and looked at Yu Wu's slender back. Her usually bright, baby-faced expression was tinged with worry and sorrow.
"Are you really sure?"
Yu Wu's fingertips stiffened. Without turning around, she softly hummed in agreement.
So Zan Ya didn't ask any more questions, swallowed her words of comfort, washed her hands, and came over to help.
During the meal, Yu Wu complained that her beloved Abebe teddy bear doll, which she had grown up with, was broken and she didn't know how to mend it.
Zan Ya glanced at her arrogantly.
Yu Wu chuckled, went to the room and brought out the teddy bear with its head and body separated. She then took Zan Ya's arm in a flattering manner, saying, "You're so good at this. Thank you for your hard work, Ya Ya."
Zan Ya stared at the tattered teddy bear with annoyance, really wanting to pinch Yu Wu's cheek. Her proud princess nature was exposed as she said disdainfully, "Throw it away, it's too old."
Yu Wu refused, clinging to her arm and nagging until Zan Ya finally gave in and reluctantly accepted.
The two chatted for a while about the engagement party until it got dark outside, and then Yu Wu helped Zan Ya into the car.
*
When I woke up this morning, it had rained outside, the air was slightly cool, and everything was foggy.
Yu Wu made an appointment to meet Xia Tingxue this morning.
She arrived at the coffee shop half an hour early and was surprised to find that Xia Tingxue had already arrived.
Their eyes met.
Xia Tingxue gazed at her quietly, and finally Yu Wu lowered her eyelashes, walked over, and sat down.
Yu Wu stared at the coffee flavor she usually liked in front of her, remaining silent.
She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and looked up at her.
"I didn't expect you to arrive so early."
Xia Tingxue didn't answer or look at her. The light and shadow from the window fell on her distinct, curled eyelashes, and her cheeks were almost transparent porcelain white, with a faint blush.
Yu Wu stared at her intently.
Her appearance was like a white jasmine flower after the rain, glistening with dew, possessing a purity untouched by the world's troubles, even amidst the fallen petals of the rain. Her pupils always held a limpid, autumn-like quality, and when she looked at people, there was always a hint of shyness and moisture, carrying a fragile, ingratiating vulnerability.
Do you still like Ke Yanchen?
Xia Tingxue's eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings, her fingertips caressing the rim of the cup. Her lips were pursed slightly like flower petals, revealing a hint of barely perceptible tension.
"When you were in a flirtatious relationship with Ke Yanchen in high school, did you know that we hadn't broken up yet?"
"I know."
Yuwu was surprised by her frankness.
Do you still like him?
For the first time, Xia Tingxue revealed a half-smile, half-serious expression. "What do you think?"
“I think,” Yu Wu said calmly, propping her elbows on the table, “you’re trying to provoke me.”
Xia Tingxue gazed at her quietly, her eyes devoid of sorrow or joy.
"During high school, I really wanted to be like you."
"A heart-wrenching, soul-crushing envy and longing."
Xia Tingxue's pupils suddenly widened, while Yu Wu had already stood up.
"Don't send me any more sweet photos of you and Ke Yanchen, and don't send him messages hoping he'll come back."
"We're getting engaged soon."
Yu Wu had only taken a few steps when she heard the sound of glass shattering behind her. She turned around and saw for the first time Xia Tingxue tear off her usual gentle and kind mask, her face filled with hatred, her eyelids red as she stared intently at her.
Yu Wu tilted her head, blinked, and said, "You look so alive." Then she turned and left.
*
That evening, the parents of Yu and Ke met.
Yu Wu met Yan Congrong, the gentle woman Xia Hongmian had described. Yan Congrong was slightly plump, radiating a gentle maternal glow and possessing a pure aura. Upon seeing Yu Wu, she stepped forward, took her hand, and looked at her with kind admiration, placing a valuable gift she had prepared into her hand and praising her as a good girl.
The atmosphere at the dinner was harmonious, and both sets of parents were reasonable people, so they quickly set the engagement date for next Friday.
Ye Hongmian and Ke's parents felt it was a bit rushed, but with the help of Yu Wu and Ke Yanchen, they reluctantly accepted.
Ke Yanchen put away his arrogant and unruly demeanor as a young master and became polite and well-mannered in front of his elders, which made Ye Hongmian and Yu Jianting smile from ear to ear.
After the meal, the Ke family invited them to their home, but Ye Hongmian and Yu Jianting declined with great effort. Yu Wu drove, with Ye Hongmian and Yu Jianting in the back seat.
The interplay of light and shadow through the car window allowed Ye Hongmian to lie back in the back seat and sigh, "Now I'm truly satisfied. Xiao Ke is a good kid. Yu Zi, you should bring him home so we can meet him sooner."
Yu Jianting interrupted her, "Hey, Yu Zi hadn't made a decision yet either. It's just an engagement now, so the timing of the meeting is perfect."
Ye Hongmian snorted, "Old Yu, what do you think of Xiao Ke? This kid has a good education, a good career, and he's a perfect match for our Yu Zi!"
Yu Jianting chuckled: "It looks good, but we need to learn more about it."
Ye Hongmian scoffed, "What else do you need to know? I've already investigated everything thoroughly, and this marriage is quite good."
"Alright, alright, you're in charge."
Yu Wu, who was driving in the front seat, couldn't help but feel nervous about what she would have to tell her parents when she got home, after hearing their high approval of the marriage.
She said, "Mom and Dad, I have something to tell you when I get home later."
Ye Hongmian asked, "What can't we talk about now? Why are you being so secretive?"
Yu Wu absentmindedly replied to a few words and finally arrived home.
When they arrived home, Yu Wu invited her parents to sit on the sofa in the living room and then poured two cups of tea for them.
Ye Hongmian picked up her teacup and blew on it. "What's all the mystery about?"
Yu Wu took a deep breath and confessed, "My engagement with Ke Yanchen will not succeed. I will deliberately smear him."
Ye Hongmian spat out a mouthful of tea, and Yu Jianting quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it up. Ye Hongmian exclaimed, "What did you say?"
Yu Wu suppressed the bitterness in her heart and intended to slowly recount her story with Ke Yanchen from high school. However, Ye Hongmian pressed her with questions, and Yu Jianting kept chiming in. She could only give a brief answer for now: "Back in high school, he deceived my feelings and broke my heart. So this time, I want to get revenge and make him—"
"So many years of childish jokes, childish pranks, and you still want to ruin the reputation of both families to seek revenge, making yourself a laughingstock in the whole city?" Ye Hongmian's chest heaved violently with anger, her face full of resentment as she pointed angrily at Yu Wu. "How could I have raised such a vindictive child like you? A joke from years ago has made you hold a grudge for so many years and plan revenge? How will the Ke family treat you if you do this? How will you get married after ruining your reputation?"
It felt like being hit on the head with a blunt object.
So the rest of the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
Her brain went blank, her chest felt sore and she couldn't breathe, her eyes stung, and she choked out, "Did you ever raise me? I wasn't raised by you in the first place!"
"Alright, alright, Lao Yu, listen to this. We work so hard for her, and she spends all the money we earn! She doesn't even want to come home for Chinese New Year, and if she does, she only stays for two days. We practically beg her to come home, and in the end, she blames us for not raising her. Is this your good daughter?"
Yu Jianting patted Ye Hongmian's back, his tone gentle yet stern as he spoke to Yu Wu: "Alright, Yu Zi, stop saying hurtful things. Talk to your mother properly. What exactly happened?"
"What else could it be?" Ye Hongmian's chest heaved violently with anger as she glared at Yu Wu. After calming down slightly, she spoke earnestly, "Yu Zi, why do you have to risk your reputation for revenge? When the Ke family comes to their senses and retaliates, how will you get married in the future? Don't be willful, just live well with that Ke family boy!"
“From childhood to adulthood, whenever I encounter difficulties and seek your help, I have never received what I want. I don’t expect you to stand up for me,” Yu Wu raised her eyes, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably, “But Mom, at least you should feel sorry for my tears and pain, instead of standing on your moral high ground to criticize me.”
“Now I realize,” Yu Wu wiped away a tear, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs, “that some parents really don’t love their children.”
After saying that, Yu Wu rushed out the door, ignoring all the calls from behind.
*
Yu Wu had no idea how she ended up on the bustling street. As dusk fell, the neon signs created a hazy, dreamlike sea of light.
Her heart was a desolate wasteland; she could not feel the wind, nor hear the noise of people and horns around her. Just like every time she encountered difficulties, she walked alone on the road.
On a bustling street at night, a family takes a walk after dinner; couples laugh and joke together; two sisters walk hand in hand out of a shopping mall, their joyful laughter echoing through the air... Everyone is heading towards their own destination, but she is lost and confused, unsure of where to hold back her own collapsing ruins.
Passing by the busiest intersection in Nanhai City, she squeezed into the throng of people, numbly staring at the traffic light across the street turning green.
The woman in front was holding a little girl, who was looking at her with innocent, dark eyes.
"Mom, my sister is crying."
The woman in front turned her head and glanced at Yu Wu, then quickly changed her position to create distance between them.
The little girl leaned on her mother's shoulder, watching her intently.
Yu Wu tried hard to force a smile, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't manage it. The taut string in her heart suddenly snapped, and she burst into uncontrollable tears, silently and without any effort.
She continued walking aimlessly. Everyone on the street was happy, but she was the only one who felt pain all over her body and was lonely and desolate.
All the excitement and joy did not belong to her.
Something cool settled on my brow bone, and a light drizzle began to fall on the street.
She looked up.
The rain was finer than expected, and through the lamplight, one could clearly see that the raindrops contained various neon colors. It drifted obliquely, leaving a fleeting coolness on her face. A few sycamore leaves twirled down, and she reached out to catch them, but she didn't touch any leaves; her fingertips only felt countless cold, damp drops.
Before we knew it, it was already autumn.
It was the autumn she was most miserable and hated the most.
...
Back home, I couldn't find the spare key under the greenery by the door. Exhausted and weary, I leaned against the wall, closed my eyes, and tried to clear my mind. After a while, I went downstairs to look for the building's spare key. As I went down, a light rain fell on me, making me feel sticky all over. Suddenly, I didn't want to walk anymore. I squatted in a corner, lost in thought.
Tears welled up again, but she stubbornly wiped them away.
She sniffed and muttered incoherently to herself, "I did nothing wrong. He lied to me first. He betrayed me first."
"Why should he be the only one who can hurt me..."
"Only I can guide myself..."
"...I did nothing wrong."
"...I did nothing wrong."
A light drizzle fell obliquely, soaking her clothes. Her wet hair clung to her neck and cheeks, but she paid no heed.
Yu Wu hugged her knees, shivering as she tried to warm herself.
The wind blew through her hair, the dim streetlights cast their glow, and her thin long dress couldn't keep out the chill of the autumn rain; the cool air seeped into her delicate skin.
Suddenly, a long shadow was cast in front of him, giving him an indescribable sense of oppression.
She slowly raised her head, her eyes red and disheveled as she looked at him.
Cheng Yi stood three steps away from her, getting soaked in the rain. His hair was slightly damp, his eyelids drooped, and his usual arrogance and disdain were gone, leaving only his dark pupils silently looking down at him.
He reached out his fingertips and touched his hand, which was covered in tears. His heart swelled with a bittersweet feeling, and he knelt down on one knee, pulling her tightly into his arms and giving her his warmth. Yu Wu choked back sobs and sniffled, her silent, scalding tears burning his neck and leaving deep wounds on his heart.
......
She didn't know if he knew anything, how he found her, or whether he still resented her.
But at this moment, the dim streetlights silently illuminated this world, the drizzle held fragments of light, the wind howled, a heavy heartbeat, breath held, suppressed sobs, tears falling silently, warm breath brushing against the neck, a firm and burning embrace—this was everything that Yuwu's weary and broken body perceived. It was as if they had returned to the past, to the intimacy before everything was destroyed.
Cheng Yi never asked her why she was crying; he just held her tightly, trying to reassure her.
She said, "No one can stop me from doing what I want to do."
He said, "I'll give you a hug, don't be unhappy."
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Author's Note: Ugh, the pain of rushing to meet a deadline! [crying][angry]
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