Chapter 88. No further replies popped up on the phone...
No further reply popped up on the phone.
It was as if she deliberately didn't explain, or as if she didn't realize at all what kind of waves this statement could stir up in his heart.
Cheng Mingdu stared at the screen, his brows furrowed, his jawline revealing a hint of coldness. He abruptly stood up, grabbed his coat and draped it over his arm, then strode quickly into the office.
"Mr. Cheng, the meeting is about to begin..."
Pei Jiezheng walked out of the conference room with his notebook and, seeing this, spoke up to remind him.
"Take good meeting minutes and send them to me tonight." After saying this, Cheng Mingdu stepped into the elevator.
As the car drove out of the underground parking lot, it was already dark, with only the last rays of the setting sun reflected on his solemn and imposing brows.
Even a second on a red light feels like an eternity.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, but his mind was filled with the image of her leaving eight years ago—silently, without even a word.
When he returned home that day, to their shared home, he found her presence still lingering, but the suitcase in the storage room was gone.
Before she left, she covered the floor lamp in the bedroom with a layer of white lace fabric.
Everything inside was just as she liked it, but the house was now empty.
He never wants to experience that fear again.
Upon arriving at the airport, Cheng Mingdu strode into the international departure area, his eyes scanning like radar as he spotted the slender figure standing outside the security checkpoint almost instinctively.
Ye Yuying, dressed in a simple trench coat and holding a cup of coffee, stood at the end of the long queue, as if waiting in line, ready to step into the security checkpoint at any moment.
His breath hitched for a few seconds.
My heartbeat felt like it was being squeezed.
He strode forward, and before she could react, one hand had firmly gripped her left wrist, which was not on a cane.
"Ye Yuying, where are you going again?"
Ye Yuying was taken aback, looked up and saw him, clearly surprised: "Why are you here?"
He didn't answer, but asked again, his eyebrows furrowed, almost as if he were forcibly suppressing his emotions: "What about your company? What about Echo? Are you planning to abandon all of this, just like..."
Just like when I abandoned him eight years ago...
Just then, the announcement at the security checkpoint started, the background music carrying a hint of farewell, casting a gloomy atmosphere over the scene.
She didn't answer immediately, but looked at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Then, she suddenly laughed.
His smile was clean, relaxed, and tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"Why would I leave?" she said softly, her tone softening. "I'm just here to see you off."
She pointed to the figure in front of her and waved.
Cheng Mingdu's eyes flickered slightly: "...Li Song?"
She nodded and pointed towards the security checkpoint: "His vacation is over, and he's going back to Germany to continue working."
The tense atmosphere gradually dissipated after those words were spoken.
Cheng Mingdu stood there, the anxiety and exhaustion from running dozens of miles in the wind suddenly dispelled by her words.
He exhaled calmly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, suppressing the almost absurd embarrassment.
He looked down at himself; although he was dressed neatly, his mind was in turmoil. This was the first time he had ever rushed around before a meeting like this.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Ye Yuying smiled again and said softly, "What? Did you think I was going to leave?"
Cheng Mingdu looked at the smile in the corner of her eyes, then finally looked away, saying in a flat tone, "...No."
"You're lying." She called him out directly, but her eyes softened a little. "But you're just in time. You can drive me home, so how about we go grocery shopping together?"
He glanced at her: "How are you going to walk with your legs like that?"
"Then take your time strolling around." Ye Yuying looked up at him, her eyes bright.
Cheng Mingdu stared at her for a few seconds, and several times he wanted to peer into her eyes to see what was really there.
Ye Yuying used to love going to the supermarket, even if she didn't buy anything.
That hasn't changed at all.
Ye Yuying handed him the coffee in her hand, "Help me carry this, you can have some too."
Cheng Mingdu glanced at the figure at the security checkpoint and refused, "I'm not thirsty."
Ye Yuying smiled and said nothing more.
The two walked out of the airport side by side. Cheng Mingdu walked very slowly, as if subconsciously matching her unsteady steps.
As they passed a flight of stairs leading to the parking lot, Ye Yuying walked a little slowly. Normally, Cheng Mingdu would have helped her in this situation, but this time she reached out her arm first and said, "Help me."
After walking down the stairs, the car was parked not far away; it wasn't very cool at dusk today.
She tilted her head and said, "If you hold my leg, it won't hurt as much, and it will be easier to get support."
Cheng Mingdu silently supported her, using a gentlemanly hand.
She looked ahead in the wind and uttered only one word: "Cold..."
In that instant, the warmth of her palm seemed to penetrate her trench coat and reach her body. She greedily savored it all, repeating it to herself over and over again.
—This time it's real, not a dream.
*
Inside the car.
The air fell silent instantly, with only the ticking of the second hand on the dashboard remaining.
Inspired by something, Ye Yuying has recently changed her gloomy demeanor and occasionally reveals some previously unknown aspects of herself to Cheng Mingdu.
Before Cheng Mingdu started the car, a soft, slender finger slipped into the palm of his right hand, like prying open a lock, and just like that, it squeezed its own finger in without any explanation.
Cheng Mingdu glanced down and calmly added, "Why are you making so many small moves lately?"
She curled the corners of her lips and said matter-of-factly, "Can't I hold my brother's hand?"
Cheng Mingdu's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and upon hearing this, he slowly withdrew his hand from hers.
He didn't look at her, but stared straight ahead, his voice low: "I know Echo isn't Li Song, it's the voice AI you developed."
Feeling somewhat bored, Ye Yuying withdrew her hand and nodded truthfully: "Yes."
"What is your relationship with Li Song?"
She didn't say anything.
Doctor-patient relationship.
Silence is like the night wind flowing through the window, sweeping across the heart layer by layer, leaving a slight ache.
She looked at him, her gaze lingering for a moment, then a slight smile played on her lips before she said, "Boyfriend/girlfriend relationship..."
The air froze, turning into Thor's hammer, which struck directly into his heart.
Ye Yuying said calmly, "Is that not allowed?" She glanced at Cheng Mingdu's profile, feeling both excited and a little scared.
Years later, her quirks remained the same; it seemed she was only satisfied when she saw Cheng Mingdu lose control.
Because this person rarely showed his emotions, only at times like this could she sense how much lingering affection he harbored in his heart...
The air was extremely oppressive, and the train carriage with its windows tightly shut was like a furnace.
Cheng Mingdu didn't speak, his breathing was almost forcibly suppressed, his knuckles were tightly gripping the steering wheel, his veins were bulging, and even his palms were white.
“Okay.” He barely uttered the sound, almost inaudible, as if he had squeezed his throat shut. “Of course.”
"It's your freedom to choose who you want to date."
He turned the steering wheel, and the car slowly drove away from the airport exit, as if he and that self-deceiving statement had fallen into the quiet and dull night.
Ye Yuying didn't respond. She glanced at the rearview mirror with a mischievous look, her expression indifferent as she examined her own expression. A strong, indescribable, and unexplainable thrill ran through her.
After a long while, she finally turned to look at him and asked softly, "Are you angry?"
He glanced at her sideways and said in a nonchalant tone, "No, I'm not angry."
She looked at him, her eyes brightening: "That's good."
Ye Yuying lowered her head and chuckled, asking somewhat casually, "You just ran to the airport, did you think I was trying to run away again?"
Cheng Mingdu remained silent.
The feeling was vivid and clear, like being thrown into an ice cellar, where even breathing was frozen.
She suddenly stopped smiling, looked ahead and said, "I can guarantee that I won't have any disagreements with you while we're together."
She turned to look at him, her voice as soft as if she were telling a secret: "Cherish the present moment..."
These words, once spoken, were like a thin layer of snow covering a fire; they did nothing to extinguish it, only adding to its pallor.
If the time for parting truly comes, I will say goodbye to you properly this time.
After these words were spoken, the carriage fell silent.
For a moment, Ye Yuying felt a bitter taste in her breath. Her fingertips twitched as if she wanted to grasp something, but nothing came out.
*
As soon as she entered the supermarket, Ye Yuying's eyes lit up, and her undisguised happiness was plain to see on her face.
Cheng Mingdu got out of the car with a dark face. He saw her limping to unlock the shopping cart. In that instant, he felt that some things didn't need to be pursued so much.
She's still alive and well, right under my nose.
What more could I possibly want? Cheng Mingdu chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Ye Yuying searched for a long time but couldn't find the coin.
He sighed, took a few steps over, and took the coin from her hand, his movements carrying a hint of helpless compromise. "Couldn't you have waited for me a moment?"
Ye Yuying turned to look at him: "It's been so long since we went grocery shopping together, I'm a little excited."
Her little scheme was so obvious, yet she readily admitted it, making me feel ticklish and uneasy.
Cheng Mingdu pulled out the shopping cart, said nothing more, and simply pushed the cart, accompanying her slowly towards the vegetable section.
When she stood in front of the potato stall carefully selecting potatoes, the vibrant sense of life she exuded was something Cheng Mingdu had never seen before.
She never used to cook...
Now, she seems to be able to do everything.
"Do you still remember the brand of fermented bean curd that I liked?" Ye Yuying asked, stopping in front of the refrigerator.
Cheng Mingdu paused for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "I remember."
He not only remembered the brand of fermented bean curd, but also her favorite yogurt, the drinks she disliked, her preference for unsweetened chocolate, even her favorite laundry detergent scent and the brand of sanitary napkins…
She resisted trying new brands, even something as simple as dish soap.
This person who was so resistant to trying new things actually got a new boyfriend...
This fleeting thought abruptly extinguished the lively atmosphere of the supermarket.
Cheng Mingdu's knuckles gripped the shopping cart handle tightly, his knuckles white, but his eyes remained fixed on her back.
In that instant, a certain emotion surged up in his chest like a raging flood, as if ready to devour him at any moment.
She was simply picking out milk, but he felt as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss, and that he would lose control if he lost focus for even a moment.
The greatest control he can exert is to maintain the calm of the moment, but that does not mean he is unmoved.
"Why are you with him?" he finally asked, his voice low and restrained.
In what way is he better than me?
Ye Yuying didn't turn around, as if she hadn't heard, and continued to look down at the packaging boxes.
The air was so quiet that only the supermarket's background noise could be heard—"Today's promotion: 10% off when you buy two fresh fruits and vegetables."
Cheng Mingdu pushed the shopping cart forward, feeling somewhat agitated.
She slowly made her selections, then turned around, put the tofu into the shopping cart, and pointed ahead with a look of surprise, "There are samples over there, let's go check it out."
As soon as she finished speaking, she took his arm and, with her other hand on her cane, pulled him over.
Those carefree words, carrying a gentle, dull meaning, made his pent-up frustration vanish before he could even voice it.
He tried to convince himself, as she had said, to cherish the present moment.
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Author's Note: 50
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