Chapter 84 Staying Overnight, Hold Me Tight
After leaving the sanatorium, the sky grew even darker, as if even the clouds had been frozen.
Cheng Mingdu took her home. The two barely spoke along the way, only occasionally glancing at each other when the wind blew by the window before quickly looking away.
His car was parked at the entrance of her residential complex.
Before getting out of the car, Ye Yuying whispered, "Thank you."
Cheng Mingdu hummed in agreement and nodded slightly.
As she closed the door, he seemed to want to say something, but ultimately said nothing. The car headlights lingered behind her for a long time until she entered the building, at which point he slowly drove away.
The moment the elevator doors closed, Ye Yuying leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
The entire building was quiet, except for the mechanical sound of the elevator going up.
However, when the elevator reached the seventh floor, it suddenly made a "click" sound and all the lights flashed. Then it stopped in mid-air and did not respond.
She froze, then subconsciously pressed the buttons a few times, but nothing happened.
The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, with only the emergency lights glowing red, like some kind of ominous revelation.
Ye Yuying froze on the spot and quickly pressed the emergency call button inside the elevator.
But she waited for a long time without any response.
The elevator was eerily quiet, with only her heavy breathing as the only sound.
He fumbled for his phone, and the first number he dialed was—
Cheng Mingdu.
He answered extremely quickly, almost immediately after the first ring.
"You haven't gone far, have you?" There was a barely perceptible unease in her voice. "The elevator is stuck. I've pressed the emergency button inside, but it's not responding yet..."
She tried hard to control her tone so as not to sound flustered, but her voice sounded tight, as if it were being choked by the wind.
“Don’t be afraid,” his voice came immediately from the other end of the phone, “I’ll be right back.”
"Wait for me."
These words inexplicably stirred something within her.
A dozen minutes later, he arrived downstairs.
Contacting property management, adjusting power supply, finding spare keys—Cheng Mingdu handles all emergencies with exceptional composure and order.
Inside the enclosed elevator, Ye Yuying was completely at ease, except for the risk of the elevator slipping and falling, since Cheng Mingdu would handle everything efficiently.
As the elevator doors were slowly pried open, Ye Yuying was almost blinded by the beam of light. Then, a hand steadily reached in and pulled her out.
She didn't show much fear on her face, just some surprise that it happened so quickly.
After checking the elevator control box, the property management staff quickly arrived, their tone slightly apologetic.
“A new set of construction power lines was installed behind the building, which may have short-circuited and interfered with the power supply system here… This elevator is an older model and does not have an automatic reset mechanism, which is why it got stuck midway.”
Cheng Mingdu frowned upon hearing this: "Could there be similar problems tonight?"
The property management staff nodded, their tone uncertain: "We just contacted the power company, and they said that this area may undergo partial load testing after 6 p.m. tonight, so the probability of a power outage is not small. We are also adjusting the backup power system, but just to be on the safe side, we suggest that residents avoid taking the elevator tonight and use the stairs if possible."
"If it gets stuck again, it won't be so easy to get it out."
Ye Yuying listened without saying a word, only lowering her head and gripping her cane tightly.
The property management staff sighed and added, "If you're really worried, you can stay with relatives or friends tonight, and we'll fix it by tomorrow."
She paused, as if to say, "It's nothing."
Turning her head, she met Cheng Mingdu's gaze.
“Let’s go,” he said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion. “You can come to my place.”
She instinctively resisted: "...It's okay, don't bother."
“It’s not a problem,” he interrupted her, his tone unwavering.
“Your leg injury is still recovering tonight, and you just had a fright. If something happens again, you won’t be able to handle it yourself.”
She opened her mouth, but couldn't bring herself to say no.
Because she knew he was right.
His lips moved, but he ultimately nodded.
"If it's convenient..."
The thing to do now is to go downstairs again.
Cheng Mingdu stood beside her, glanced at the closed elevator doors, then at the narrow stairwell, remained silent for a few seconds, and then looked down at her cane.
The next second, he bent down, his movements swift and decisive, lowering his tall frame directly in front of her.
"Let me carry you down."
"...This is the seventh floor." Ye Yuying was actually quite confident in his physique, but she still felt it was somewhat inappropriate.
Cheng Mingdu did not turn around, as if he had already expected her to say this.
"Hmm, it's alright." He simply replied, his deep voice echoing in the quiet hallway, yet carrying an extremely firm sense of peace.
Ye Yuying looked down at his steady, broad back; the fabric of his clothes was slightly taut at his shoulders, highlighting his strong, upright figure. She tightened her grip on her cane, her eyes somewhat dazed.
She approached, her movements slightly slow, leaning her cane against the railing, and hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders.
He lifted her steadily, as if carrying something he already knew well, and picked up her cane behind him. He stood up nimbly, his steps not fast, but extremely steady.
The dim light in the hallway shone on his tall, straight back, and also illuminated her fingers hanging down in front of his chest—her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip, as if afraid they would fall down at any moment.
Ye Yuying lowered her eyes, looking at her shadow pressed against his back. His clean and pleasant scent was now magnified several times over.
The staircase to the seventh floor was very long, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the narrow space.
Her heart was pounding, like clear glass marbles falling from a pocket in the old days.
Several times she tried to restrain her longing for his figure and lean her cheek against his back, but she knew that it would inevitably lead to an uncontrollable situation.
It wasn't until they were almost on the first floor that she realized her chances of taking advantage of the situation were dwindling, so she cautiously approached his back with her cheek turned to the side.
They had just begun to feel the temperature and aroma more clearly when they were already downstairs.
Ye Yuying lowered her eyelashes, a hint of disappointment flashing through her heart.
The moment the stairwell door was pushed open, the wind outside rushed in, carrying the dampness of the night and the lingering chill, gently brushing past my ears.
Cheng Mingdu continued to carry her steadily on his back, without pausing for a moment, and walked straight through the small garden under the dim streetlights of the community.
Neatly planted roses and white tea bushes line both sides, their petals drooping slightly in the night, carrying a certain secret and cool emotion.
The wind rustled the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground as the trees swayed in the breeze.
She instinctively tightened her grip on her arms.
Cheng Mingdu's shoulders twitched for a moment, as if he had noticed her subtle movement.
She didn't explain or say much, but simply moved her face closer to his neck.
Because she knew that her eyes might be tinged with something at that moment, perhaps even a hint of... longing.
The scene from years ago uncontrollably surfaced in her mind: Cheng Mingdu came to wake her up and take her downstairs for breakfast. She tossed and turned on Cheng Mingdu's soft double bed in the master bedroom, her eyes still blurry with sleep, and stretched out her arms, saying, "Carry me downstairs, I don't want to walk."
The sunlight slanted in through the gaps in the curtains, falling on her face as she lazily turned over, and also on his handsome, slightly aloof eyebrows and eyes.
“Aying,” he said, his tone carrying his usual helplessness and a hint of barely perceptible indulgence, “you’re not a child anymore.”
But she deliberately hummed like a child, wrapped herself in the blanket, and looked at him with only her eyes showing, filled with an innocent yet stubborn stubbornness, "Then will you carry me or not?"
He didn't say anything more, but just bent down and reached out to pull her out of the quilt, as if he had long been unable to do anything about her.
As she nestled against his back, she smiled and leaned close to his neck, asking, "You don't think I'm heavy, do you?"
He didn't answer, but simply tilted his head slightly at the corner of the stairs and said indifferently, "How could that be?"
Looking at his clean and proper appearance in his white shirt, she couldn't help but have some wicked thoughts.
“…Brother.” She deliberately whispered in Cheng Mingdu’s ear.
After they became a couple, she stopped calling him "brother" because she hated that title. She waited many years to break free of the sibling relationship...
At that moment, Cheng Mingdu's back suddenly tensed up.
"Don't call me 'brother'," he warned, his throat dry and parched.
She smiled, leaned in and took his cool, delicate earlobe into her mouth, then quickly released it, like a sleepy and obedient cat, pretending nothing had happened.
But that morning she would be thrown onto the large sofa downstairs, and wouldn't be let off until Ye Yuying, panting, admitted her mistake.
Ye Yuying doesn't remember when her home started to become deserted, and when the gentle luxury of being allowed to stay in bed was no longer available.
Even now, she is once again lying on his back, close to his familiar shoulders and neck, and that sense of dependence that she thought she had lost for a long time is slowly awakening in the night.
She chuckled softly, her voice like the wind rustling through white tea branches, "You know what... I think I've almost forgotten what it feels like to carry you on my back."
Cheng Mingdu paused slightly.
His eyes and brows were hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
"So now... do you remember?"
Ye Yuying didn't speak, but buried her face deeper into his shoulder, as if answering everything with silence.
After a long pause, she spoke silently, but her tone didn't seem to be explaining anything, "...It's a bit cold."
A moment later, she felt him tilt his head slightly, as if to avoid the wind, and brush his chin against her temple. It was such a light movement, yet it enveloped her whole body as if she were enveloped by some faint yet profound emotion.
He said softly, "Hold on tight, it's a bit windy."
Ye Yuying closed her eyes and hummed in agreement.
Walking through the garden, the parking lot in the distance was already lit up.
She knew that if she went any further, this almost tender, silent journey would come to an end.
*
The car was quiet throughout the journey.
She leaned against the car window, her eyes vacant, as if gazing into another world through the glass, her mind filled with unease as she looked at the dazzling night view.
Cheng Mingdu glanced at her and spoke softly:
Were you scared when the elevator stopped?
She didn't answer immediately, but after a long pause, she said directly, "I'm not afraid of the dark."
I am somewhat afraid of death.
But I'm not that scared, because surgery can also be fatal...
Cheng Mingdu's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel for a moment.
The car slowly drove into a quiet area halfway up the mountain.
The night, like a thin layer of silk, quietly spread along the shadows of the trees and the stone steps.
Cheng Mingdu's villa is nestled among the trees. From a distance, its outline is sharp, like a dark, warm piece of jade in the night, unassuming yet possessing its own unique style.
The entrance garden doesn't have any overly manicured landscaping. Instead, it features old branches, vines, stone steps, and waterways laid out naturally. A few dim wall lamps hang under the eaves, their light low-key, like moonlight falling on the ground.
When you push open the door, you'll see solid wood parquet flooring under your feet, in warm tones, without the cold, ostentatious feel of stone.
"The shoe cabinet is on the right. I'll get you a pair of slippers."
Cheng Mingdu helped her to sit down on the shoe-changing chair, then skillfully opened the cabinet door and took out a new pair of women's slippers, light gray, suede, with the unopened paper label still attached.
Ye Yuying looked at him squatting in front of her and gently placing his shoes beside her feet, and was suddenly a little surprised.
"...You actually prepared women's slippers."
It was just a casual remark, but her gaze seemed to casually sweep over his downcast eyes.
She had considered the possibility that Cheng Mingdu had had female companions over the years, and accepted it all calmly.
Cheng Mingdu lowered his eyes, as if carefully straightening her slippers, his movements composed.
After a two-second pause, he said in a flat tone, "We have guests occasionally."
"Occasionally?" She raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in her voice. "So, did I... steal someone else's chance to stay here?"
She meant it as a casual joke, but as soon as she said it, even she could hear a subtle, unspoken emotion in her voice—an unconscious concern.
Cheng Mingdu looked up at her, his gaze fleeting and brief, as if he were listening intently to every thought in her words.
“No.” He paused, his gaze becoming steady. “You are the first one to stay here.”
He couldn't say that he harbored hope that Ye Yuying would one day return.
The air became still for a moment.
Ye Yuying's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't reply. She lowered her head to change into slippers, and as soon as she stood up, her knees felt a little unsteady.
"I'll help you." He helped her up, his movement natural.
After passing through the entrance hall, his tone remained calm as always: "I don't usually stay here, but I come back occasionally."
She didn't speak, but slowly looked around.
There is no trace of women here, yet it is not cold.
A row of bookshelves stood on one side of the living room, not the decorative kind. Every book was neatly arranged, some even with bookmarks. He loved reading as always.
The wooden chessboard on the coffee table is half-finished, the result of a game played against oneself. In the corner, there is even a jasmine plant with delicate white flowers, blooming quietly and pure.
"Do you grow flowers?" she asked softly.
"Hmm." He went to the kitchen to pour water, his tone still calm and even. "The taste can calm the nerves."
She pursed her lips, her gaze falling on the jasmine plant.
When the water glass was handed to her, she reached out and took it, but didn't say anything.
“My room is upstairs,” Cheng Mingdu said, standing in front of her, as if he was used to explaining the arrangements clearly: “You’ll be sleeping in the guest room tonight, the quietest one downstairs. I just turned on the water heater, and there are new pajamas in the closet.”
She nodded: "Okay."
Without excessive probing or ambiguity, he handled each step clearly and with defined boundaries, just like his usual style of doing things—never overstepping boundaries or transgressing rules.
Ye Yuying lowered her head to drink water, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walk upstairs, his figure cast a silent shadow by the night light.
Outside the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, there was a vast, dark forest.
She gazed quietly out the window and suddenly felt that the wind tonight was a little too gentle, slowly stirring up some long-suppressed tenderness in her heart.
Years later, she once again stepped into the depths of his world.
She suddenly realized that even though there were so many years of silence and loss between them, certain emotions had never truly died.
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Author's Note: 50
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