Chapter 74 Our Affairs - New Year's Eve Dinner
Thinking she couldn't leave empty-handed, she bought a few decent New Year's goods as gifts in the luxury section of the supermarket and walked out of the supermarket carrying them in her hands.
The mall was already packed with people, and the sounds of gongs, drums, fireworks, and firecrackers filled the air. The shoving crowd was like an out-of-control torrent, carrying her forward.
She struggled to use her crutches, trying her best to avoid the crowds.
She looked up at the road signs, searching for the direction of the parking lot, and leaned against the wall, waiting for the crowd to disperse.
But she waited and waited, and the direction of the parking lot was clear, only twenty meters away from the elevator, but the surging crowd showed no signs of slowing down.
Fearing that the driver would have to wait too long, she made up her mind and decided to bite the bullet and walk forward. She stumbled and almost fell in the crowded throng.
Just when she was struggling with every step, the elevator doors opened and a tall, familiar figure stepped out. He found her in the crowd and his strong, large hand steadily supported her elbow.
"Follow me this way."
Cheng Mingdu stepped aside to help her push through the crowd, making it a little easier for her to move forward. She focused all her attention on how to steady her cane, feeling embarrassed to rely too much on Cheng Mingdu for support.
In the distance, a teenager was playing with his family when he suddenly stepped back without noticing Ye Yuying behind him. Although Cheng Mingdu reacted quickly, Ye Yuying's shoulder was still bumped and her body swayed.
He almost fell over.
Cheng Mingdu instantly steadied her falling posture with both hands, his cold gaze falling on the careless boy, whose parents hurriedly stepped forward to apologize.
After this little incident, the hand that was originally supporting her with one hand became both hands, giving the illusion of wrapping her in his chest. She felt Cheng Mingdu's warm breath on the tip of her ear, and her ears instantly turned a little red.
On the way to the underground parking garage, she stared intently at the road, trying to distract herself. With Cheng Mingdu escorting her, her cane was practically useless.
A strange thought kept popping into her mind: if only this road to the underground parking garage could go on forever.
She looked up and saw Cheng Mingdu standing beside her. His eyes were calm and restrained, yet they held a deep-seated tenderness.
“I…I thought you sent a driver,” she said softly.
"I was just about to leave, and I'll pick you up on the way." He didn't explain much, but simply held her elbow tightly, protecting her as she broke through the noise and entered the underground parking lot.
Ye Yuying knew that Cheng Mingdu didn't live nearby, so it was impossible for them to go by the same route.
The entire journey was silent; the underground parking garage was quiet and dark, like another world.
Her heart was pounding, and she got into the car, panting. Cheng Mingdu closed the door for her gently and carefully.
"Fasten your seatbelt," he said.
With a simple sentence, she was about to turn around to find her seatbelt when a hand beat her to it and fastened it for her.
This situation makes her seem like a child who needs to be taken care of.
As Cheng Mingdu sat down in the driver's seat, she inadvertently glanced at his wristwatch, which flashed in the dim light of the parking lot, faintly reflecting the current time.
Whenever she saw that there was still plenty of time, she would feel a sense of relief.
It was as if her thoughts had returned to a certain day in the past. Whether it was then or now, their relationship had always been subtle, both unfamiliar and familiar, both distant and filled with heartbeats, leaving her heart never at peace.
This is a true reflection of her in front of Cheng Mingdu.
The car started and drove into the streets shrouded in night.
Outside the car window, the lights of thousands of homes flickered and flowed, like countless sparks converging into a river, slowly leading them back to the place of their memories.
Neither of them spoke. Ye Yuying felt that the other party had already kindly invited her home for the New Year, so she shouldn't appear too cold.
She feigned interest, gazing at the pedestrians outside the window and the congested shopping mall in the distance, and remarked, "There are so many people today."
People can't always avoid saying something pointless when there's an awkward silence.
Just when everyone thought the conversation might remain awkward, Cheng Mingdu spoke up: "Everyone's rushing home to reunite with their families."
When he uttered the last two words, his voice became even deeper.
Ye Yuying's gaze flickered as she looked out the window. She looked down at her unusually pounding heart, as if she could see the wings of a blue butterfly fluttering and burrowing into her heart a moment before.
“…Mmm.” Ye Yuying responded softly.
I don't intend to discuss the deeper meaning of reunion anymore.
After a brief silence in the carriage, Cheng Mingdu couldn't help but ask, "Why did you go to the supermarket alone tonight?"
Ye Yuying paused for a moment, then subconsciously touched the smooth head of the cane with her finger: "Buy some things, and get some fresh air."
Cheng Mingdu frowned, his voice slightly restrained: "Where is that person who calls you Aying? Why would they let you come out alone at a time like this?"
She didn't react at first, and it took her a few seconds to realize that he had misunderstood something.
He must have caught a glimpse of Echo's message to him that day.
But she found it strange that he addressed her as "the one who calls you Aying" instead of a more direct term like "boyfriend" or "date."
Even in her teenage years, she felt that Cheng Mingdu's words were impeccable, so she would naturally over-interpret his every word, and she was still doing so unconsciously at this moment.
She considered whether to explain, but then remembered that Echo's data was her absolute secret...
“Oh…he’s busy,” she said softly, deliberately not explaining too much. “It’s the New Year, everyone has their own plans.”
Cheng Mingdu pursed his lips slightly, his gaze darkening, a sudden, inexplicable resentment welling up inside him. He didn't know whether to be angry at the person in Ye Yuying's heart, or dissatisfied with her nonchalant attitude.
But he had no standing, much less the right to question it.
"You should open your eyes wider..."
Ye Yuying had now detached herself from the lies she had woven and was carefully considering her own judgment...
She harbored demonic intentions towards the upright and honest Cheng Mingdu, with whom she spent every day, since adolescence. How will she ever be able to smooth things over...?
She's already very ambitious.
The atmosphere froze again.
The Cheng family mansion was brightly lit, and Ye Yuying noticed that the courtyard decorations were no longer what they used to be; she hadn't set foot here for more than eight years.
Since her falling out with Jiang Xinxue, she has no right to set foot in the Cheng family again.
She suppressed the urge to look around, even to see if the little attic where she used to live was still there...
After walking through the lobby and getting on the elevator, a wave of warmth washed over me the moment the elevator doors opened.
Only a few maids were busy in the kitchen, while a simple yet plentiful meal was laid out in the living room, with pairs of bowls and chopsticks on the table.
It was just the right arrangement for four people. In such a large family, you could count the number of people celebrating the Lunar New Year in the old house on one hand.
Ye Yuying glanced around discreetly, counted the number of people, and realized that there were exactly four of them, including herself.
A slight thought crossed her mind: "Do they already know I'm coming?"
"Yes, I called ahead to tell you." Cheng Mingdu took off his coat and handed it to the aunt, then turned around and naturally took Ye Yuying's coat, handing it to the aunt through his hand.
This time, the Cheng family did not treat her according to the standards for children, but instead allowed her to participate in the entire process in accordance with the proper etiquette for adults.
Ye Yuying remained silent. She sensed Cheng Mingdu's deliberate arrangement, but a secret joy rose in her heart, which she quickly suppressed with reason.
Cheng Yiling walked in from the warm glass room where fresh flowers were stored outside. She was wearing an elegant, dark purple velvet cheongsam and holding a bunch of freshly cut white wintersweet that still had dew on it.
She has a gentle and graceful demeanor, and time seems to have been exceptionally kind to her.
She was about to place the winter plum blossom in her hand into the antique vase in the living room when she looked up and saw Ye Yuying standing in the entryway.
Cheng Yiling paused slightly, a joyful and gentle smile appearing on her face.
“Yu Ying is here,” her voice was like a Suzhou storytelling performance, gentle and melodious. “We heard you recently returned to China and have been very busy with work. We’ve wanted to see you for a while, but we were afraid of bothering you…”
This natural way of addressing her instantly dispelled most of Ye Yuying's unease.
Cheng Yiling casually handed the flowers in her hand to the aunt standing beside her, and then walked gracefully toward Ye Yuying.
Unlike her usual polite distance with other guests, she stepped forward, extended her hand, and very naturally took Ye Yuying's hand, which was not carrying a gift, and gently patted the back of her hand.
"Come and sit down," she said, pulling Ye Yuying towards the sofa in the living room. "You must be tired from the journey, right? Mingdu too, it's so late to pick you up, and it's all messy outside."
"...Auntie, Happy New Year." Ye Yuying felt a little uncomfortable being pulled by her, but she couldn't resist this sudden and warm closeness.
She squeezed out this name from her throat, a name she had used for many years.
"Alright, alright," Cheng Yiling's gaze inadvertently swept over the silver-gray cane beside her, her smile faltering slightly, "What happened to your leg?"
Ye Yuying didn't try to hide it too much, saying, "It's just a sprain, nothing serious."
Cheng Yiling was particularly concerned about health issues. "Should we ask Dr. Xu to take a look?"
Ye Yuying quickly declined, "It's no problem. It's not really appropriate to have Dr. Xu come over during the New Year."
Cheng Yiling was very understanding and instructed, "Put the cane aside. We have an electric wheelchair at home, so you don't have to struggle so much."
At home.
These two words, like the warmest and most irresistible current, instantly enveloped Ye Yuying's heart.
Ye Yuying then remembered what she was still carrying. Feeling a little embarrassed, she handed over the paper bag with the understated logo.
"Auntie, this is... a small token of my appreciation for you and Grandpa."
"You silly child," Cheng Yiling said with a smile, taking the package without looking inside. She simply placed it on the coffee table beside her. "It's better to have someone come back than to bring anything else."
She sat down next to Ye Yuying, took her hand, and carefully examined her.
“You’ve lost weight,” she said, her tone revealing undisguised concern. “Your eyebrows and eyes are more relaxed, and you look even better.”
"More capable and more...remarkable than I imagined."
This heartfelt, unpretentious compliment made Ye Yuying less nervous, but she remained reserved.
She looked at the elder in front of her, who had given her the purest kindness from beginning to end.
Her usually fixed eyes finally couldn't help but blush slightly at the corners.
Cheng Yiling didn't say anything more. She simply took her hand and sat her down on the mahogany sofa with thick cushions. Then, she went to the tea room to get a purple clay teapot and poured her a cup of warm jujube and ginger tea.
"Warm yourself up first."
Ye Yuying took the cup of fragrant ginger tea and whispered, "Thank you, Auntie."
Just then, a few loud coughs came from the front hall, followed by an elderly man in a dark blue Tang suit with a thin frame, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, who came out from the inner room.
He was the patriarch of the Cheng family, Cheng Mingdu's grandfather.
Ye Yuying's heart leaped into her throat again. She quickly put down her teacup and struggled to stand up from the sofa, using the armrest for support.
"Grandpa, Happy New Year."
The old man walked up to her, and his eyes, though aged, were still as sharp as an eagle's. The moment he looked at her, the corners of his eyes curved into a kind smile. "Yu Ying is here."
This is how Old Master Cheng does things. There are no unnecessary pleasantries, but a simple greeting is enough to show how much he values it.
The New Year's Eve dinner was eaten very quietly.
Only four people were seated at the large mahogany round table.
Over the years, Cheng Jianian and Jiang Xinxue have been absent from each other's lives. After Jiang Xinxue's mental state deteriorated, he resigned from everything in the Cheng family and devoted himself to accompanying Jiang Xinxue.
The Cheng family has a rule of not speaking while eating. Most of the time, even the sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering together is barely audible.
Ye Yuying knew she was a reserved guest visiting for the first time.
She kept her head down, taking small bites of the food in her bowl, trying her best to minimize her presence.
Just like many years ago.
At this moment, she could only be thankful that the forbidden relationship between her and Cheng Mingdu was known only to them; otherwise…
The Cheng family, known for its strict family traditions, would likely not take this relationship seriously even if there were no blood ties.
She chewed the crab meat in small bites, and at that moment, she felt that she could even become siblings with Cheng Mingdu again.
At least, she still has a "home".
After the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone chatted about everyday things. Ye Yuying rarely spoke, but she would always give a polite and appropriate response at crucial moments.
The old man, who had been silent all along, took out two thick red envelopes with the character "福" (fortune) printed in gold from his pocket.
He first handed one of them to Cheng Mingdu.
Then, he handed another one to Ye Yuying.
Ye Yuying was both amused and exasperated: "Grandpa, I'm almost thirty, do I still have to receive New Year's money?"
"No matter how old you and Mingdu are, you're still children in my eyes."
Ye Yuying was completely stunned. She stared at the red envelope, unsure whether to accept it or not.
She looked at Cheng Mingdu for help.
The latter nodded slightly, and Ye Yuying accepted the gift with some shame.
After dinner, the old man was helped back to his room by the housekeeper for his daily health maintenance and rest.
Cheng Yiling also received a phone call, and said with a smile that she had arranged to meet her old friends for many years to play a few rounds of cards. She then put on her fur coat and gracefully said goodbye.
In the large, warm, antique-style living room, suddenly only Ye Yuying and Cheng Mingdu remained, along with a few cleaning ladies silently cleaning in the distance.
Because the heating was too strong, the air suddenly became somewhat subtle and hot again.
The safe, purely familial atmosphere that existed at the dinner table just now, created by the presence of elders, has quietly dissipated.
Instead, there was a quiet that belonged only to the two of them, filled with the past and secrets, a quiet that made hearts race.
Ye Yuying held the cup of red date and ginger tea, which had long since gone cold, and unconsciously rubbed her fingertips back and forth on the warm cup.
She didn't dare look at him.
After a long silence, it was Ye Yuying who broke it.
As if to confirm something, or perhaps talking to herself, she spoke slowly in a very soft, tentative tone:
"Grandpa and Aunt...they probably don't know about our past, right?"
She didn't say what "thing" it was.
But she knew he would understand.
Cheng Mingdu was sitting on the sofa next to her, holding a financial magazine in his hand, seemingly flipping through it casually.
Upon hearing her words, his hand, which was turning the pages of the book, paused almost imperceptibly.
He did not answer immediately.
Instead, he raised his eyes, his gaze calmly settling on her. That gaze was like an invisible net, enveloping her entirely. Then, in an equally calm, even somewhat knowing, tone, he asked in return:
"What's up?"
These few words stirred up a storm in Ye Yuying's already chaotic heart.
What's up?
It was that undisturbed afternoon in the Qizhi Xiaozhu where she clung to him like a koala, unrestrained and carefree.
It was that night in the study late at night when he turned her around and pressed her against the French windows, using a kiss full of aggression and punishment to make her completely fall into depravity.
Or perhaps... those words she wrote in her diary, filled with taboos, pain, and love, every single one about him...
How should she answer?
Ye Yuying felt her cheeks burning intensely at that moment. She could clearly hear her heart pounding loudly because of his question.
She looked at him, at his cool, handsome face, devoid of any expression, at his dark, deep eyes, waiting for her answer.
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Author's Note: 50
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