Chapter 51 Happy Birthday
Feeling guilty, Hua Cheng and Hua Yu didn't exchange more than a few words before making an excuse to leave.
As she stepped out of the high-rise building, Hua Yu glanced at the black wristwatch on her wrist.
Ever since Yun Jin gave him the watch, he followed her example and wore it on his left wrist, never taking it off again.
I only glanced at it casually today, but suddenly I noticed that there were a few more cracks on the dial. Upon closer inspection, however, I couldn't see any change.
Hua Yu frowned, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
After getting rid of the two troublesome guys, Yun Jin went back home, put the gifts away, and called Liu Zhuang as she walked out: "Brother Pang..."
Ten minutes later, she appeared at the entrance of Liu Zhuang's garage.
Liu Zhuang came running out in his pajamas, holding a long bunch of car keys: "Why did you suddenly decide to drive my car to the company?"
"It's my birthday today, and I want to drive a different kind of car," Yun Jin said.
Liu Zhuang chuckled: "Choose whatever you like, the birthday person is the most important today."
The garage door slowly rose, revealing a variety of valuable vehicles neatly arranged, quietly waiting for the birthday celebrant to choose.
Yun Jin didn't look inside: "I'd like to drive the blue sports car you customized, is that alright?"
Liu Zhuang exclaimed in shock: "We're so in sync! I was even planning to drive that car today!"
He bought that car two years ago. He liked it a lot when he first got it, but he got tired of it after driving it for only two days. After that, he left it in the underground parking lot and never drove it again.
He suddenly remembered the car last night, so he got up in the middle of the night to wash and clean it, thinking he would drive it today. He didn't expect that before he could even drive it, Yun Jin came to ask for it.
"Don't drive today," Yun Jin said unhurriedly. "The two helpers I found for you have arrived. You two can help decorate the house."
"Alright, here's the key." Liu Zhuang was always generous to her, and agreed without hesitation.
Yun Jin took the keys, drove the car out, and was about to leave when she saw Liu Zhuang still standing there, so she rolled down the window and said, "Brother Pang."
"Hmm?" Liu Zhuang leaned closer.
Yun Jin gave him a deep look, smiled, and said, "It's nothing, I'll be going now."
"Slow down," Liu Zhuang waved, signaling her to leave.
The sports car slowly drove out of the underground parking garage, its wheels making a dull thud as they rolled over the speed bumps.
Liu Zhuang watched her until she disappeared. Just as he was about to go home to change his clothes, he turned his head and saw two burly men. He was immediately startled: "You, who are you?"
"Hello Mr. Liu, we are assistants sent by General Manager Yun to assist you," one of the burly men said respectfully.
Liu Zhuang's lips twitched: "Where did you come from..."
The two burly men exchanged a glance, unsure how to respond.
Fortunately, Liu Zhuang didn't dwell on it too much and waved his hand, saying, "Never mind, let's go."
"Where to?" the two asked hurriedly.
Liu Zhuang: "Where else can we go? We can find a decoration company. I've already contacted one. Now we can just go over and choose a template."
"No need, Mr. Liu, the decorations have already been delivered." A burly man pointed ahead.
Liu Zhuang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a large truck.
Another burly man said, "President Yun said that he hopes Mr. Liu will personally decorate the venue for his thirtieth birthday party, and not delegate it to others."
Liu Zhuang: "..."
As soon as Yun Jin arrived at the company parking lot, she saw a message from Liu Zhuang: "Little sister, are you trying to work me to death?"
Yun Jin smiled silently and sent a message to Xiao Zhou.
Xiao Zhou quickly arrived with the support staff, and upon seeing her, he immediately smiled and said, "President Yun, happy birthday."
"Thank you." Yun Jin got out of the car and gestured for them to lock it.
The logistics staff locked all four wheels and added a ground lock to ensure that no one could move the vehicle.
Xiao Zhou stood to the side, holding back for a while, but finally couldn't help asking, "Mr. Yun, why did you lock the car?"
“This car is no good,” Yun Jin said, glancing at him. “Give me the keys later, and the spare too. Also, have someone keep an eye on it to make sure that no one but me can touch this car.”
Although Xiao Zhou was puzzled, he still nodded in agreement: "Okay."
After locking the car and getting the keys, the two of them took the elevator upstairs together.
As the CEO of Yuncheng, my birthday is actually busier than usual, especially since it's a full year.
From the moment Yun Jin entered the office, she received all sorts of birthday wishes on the phone. After a few words, the conversation would veer off to the project, and then back to "Happy Birthday."
Feng Wan and Feng Che also sent messages. Feng Wan was still recuperating and couldn't come back to celebrate her birthday, so she sent flowers and gifts to her office early in the morning. Feng Che had nothing to do today, but he also said he couldn't come.
Yun Jin had been wondering how to refuse Feng Che's visit without hurting the child's feelings, since there was a woman named Hua Yu in the family who couldn't be seen by others. Now, she didn't need to think of any other way; he simply wasn't planning on coming.
Yun Jin spent the entire morning on the phone, and the afternoon was filled with meetings one after another. Everywhere she went, she heard "Happy Birthday," making her want to run home and sleep.
Fortunately, this only happened during the day. Once it was time to leave work, everyone tacitly stopped bothering her. She changed cars, blasted loud music, and appeared at her doorstep amidst intense electronic drumbeats.
Looking at the closed door, she stood still for a moment, turned her head and exchanged a glance with the two people behind the flower bed, then took a breath and pushed the door open to go in.
The moment the door opened, colorful ribbons burst out, and the crowd that had been hiding at the door shouted "Happy Birthday!" with laughter.
Yun Jin looked up and saw Liu Zhuang, Hua Cheng, and Lan Li—the same familiar lineup, except that Hua Yu was there today, and Feng Che was missing.
"Thank you, you've gone to so much trouble." She ignored the cramping pain in her wrist and smiled in agreement.
Lan Li put her arm around her shoulder: "Finally thirty, hey, are you happy?"
"Yes, I'm happy." Yun Jin nodded.
Liu Zhuang: "Beibei's maternal grandparents had a fight, and your sister-in-law and Beibei went to mediate. They can't celebrate your birthday with you tonight, but they'll make it up to you tomorrow."
"Okay." Yun Jin smiled and didn't seem disappointed.
Before Liu Zhuang could say anything more, Hua Cheng suddenly squeezed in and pulled Yun Jin out of Lan Li's arms: "Happy birthday, baby!"
After saying that, he was about to kiss him, but Hua Yu reacted quickly, covering his mouth and dragging him away.
"Ugh... Wife, save me!"
"Who's your wife?" Hua Yu said with a dark face.
Hua Cheng struggled desperately: "She is my wife, we have a marriage certificate."
"What proof? She's not your wife!" Hua Yu sneered.
The two started arguing right away. Lan Li, used to it, went to the kitchen to help. Liu Zhuang pulled Yun Jin aside and showed her the results of the whole day.
"I glued this flower wall on one by one, and I blew up these balloons one by one. The two helpers you found for me were too incompetent. They just stood there doing nothing and followed me around. I was up all by myself until 5:30 in the afternoon!" Liu Zhuang became more and more heartbroken as he spoke, and pretended to wipe away his tears.
Yun Jin: "Didn't Hua Cheng and Hua Yu come to help you?"
"No, I don't know what they were up to. They went out early this morning and just got back," Liu Zhuang said.
Upon hearing this, Yun Jin turned to look at the two who were still fooling around.
The two sides agreed to a truce.
Hua Cheng: "We discussed it and decided to give you another gift in addition to what we had this morning."
"What do you mean by 'decided to do it together'? It was clearly my idea," Hua Yu said unhappily.
Hua Cheng glanced at him: "Without my cooperation, could you have delivered it?"
"you……"
Seeing that another argument was about to break out, Yun Jin immediately turned her gaze away and looked at Lan Li on the sofa.
Lan Li put down the sunflower seeds, dusted off imaginary dust from her hands, and asked loudly, "Shall we cut the cake first or eat first?"
"Cut the cake."
"Let's cut the cake."
Hua Yu and Hua Cheng spoke at the same time, glanced at each other, and then, with stern faces, released each other's collars.
Liu Zhuang snapped the lights off, and the large living room lit up with blue fairy lights. Combined with the flower wall and balloons, it felt like being at the beach in summer.
Lan Li slowly appeared pushing the cake cart. Just as Hua Yu was about to ask why there were no candles, Hua Cheng conjured a bag out of thin air and skillfully handed it to Yun Jin.
Before Yun Jin turned nineteen, she had never celebrated her birthday. On her first birthday, she saw Hua Cheng putting candles on the cake and couldn't resist her curiosity, so she asked if she could do it herself.
From then on, she lit her own birthday candles every year.
Living is a remarkable thing, so whether it's Yun Jin or Hua Cheng, they never use simple number candles or sparklers for their birthdays, but rather ordinary candles one by one.
With each passing year, you gain one more hair, each hair representing an extra year of remarkable self-improvement—a unique kind of heroism.
Lan Li, Liu Zhuang, and Hua Cheng watched Yun Jin with smiles as she placed the candles on the cake, but none of them stepped forward to help.
Friends and lovers for many years have formed a tacit understanding that belongs only to them. Hua Yu stood by and saw the 12-year gap once again.
"It's installed," Yun Jin said.
The crowd applauded and cheered, and Hua Yu clapped along with them. In her gaze toward Yun Jin, there was a subtle emotion hidden within.
Hua Cheng and Liu Zhuang were in charge of lighting the candles, and soon the large cake was ablaze with light.
The candles were burning fiercely today, and to avoid damaging the cake, Hua Cheng hurriedly pushed Yun Jin to the front, saying, "Quick, quick, make a wish!"
Yun Jin obediently closed her eyes and clasped her hands together: "My first wish."
Hua Cheng exaggeratedly stretched his ear out.
"I hope Huacheng lives to be a hundred years old," Yun Jin said.
Hua Cheng laughed, but Liu Zhuang and Lan Li scoffed.
"It's been so many years, Yun Jin, can't you come up with something different?" Lan Li complained. "You always make your first wish for Hua Cheng."
"Yun Jin loves me so much, what can I do?" Hua Cheng said helplessly.
Hua Yu's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Yun Jin's cheeks, which were flushed red by the candlelight.
Lan Li and Liu Zhuang were both laughing, and he also smiled in response.
"My second wish," Yun Jin said slowly.
The group fell silent and looked at her simultaneously.
Yun Jin: "I hope Hua Yu is healthy and safe."
Hua Cheng clicked his tongue, while Hua Yu laughed.
"...What's the difference between this and wasting a wish?" Lan Li was still complaining.
Liu Zhuang also began to protest: "No way, I'm jealous! I have to be in the third wish!"
Yun Jin opened her eyes and looked at him through the cake: "Okay, the third wish is for Fatty."
Liu Zhuang held his heart in anticipation.
Yun Jin closed her eyes again, her drooping eyelashes revealing a hint of seriousness.
After a few seconds of silence, she opened her eyes, blew out the candles, and applause and "Happy Birthday" rang out again.
Hua Yu turned on the light, and Hua Cheng was responsible for pulling out the candles.
When he pulled out the last one, Hua Cheng couldn't help but laugh: "Wife, you stuck in three extra ones."
"What? Three more were inserted?" Lan Li chimed in, joining in the fun.
Hua Cheng: "Yes, there were originally thirty sticks, but now there are 33 sticks."
"Yun Jin, you're so careless," Lan Li chuckled.
Facing their ridicule, Yun Jin remained calm: "Sorry, I made a mistake."
The living room was lit again, and Hua Cheng pestered Yun Jin, asking her what wish she had made. Yun Jin glanced at him and said she would tell him when it came true.
"What else could it be but wishing for Fatty to make a fortune?" Liu Zhuang, being the one wishing for the person in question, wasn't particularly curious.
Hua Cheng retorted, "It could also be that he made a wish for Liu Beibei not to saw the violin anymore."
"...How dare you humiliate my precious child! Take this!"
Liu Zhuang roared and charged forward. Hua Cheng screamed and tried to grab Hua Yu, but Hua Yu immediately stepped back and asked Lan Li, "What should we do next?"
"Next up is the gift-giving segment!" Lan Li announced loudly.
Liu Zhuang carried Hua Cheng back like he was carrying a tattered sack, and handed the box that had been placed on the ground to Yun Jin: "Your sister-in-law picked this out."
"No need to think, it's definitely a bag."
"It's another bag, isn't it?"
Hua Cheng and Lan Li spoke at the same time, exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but give each other a high five.
Liu Zhuang laughed: "That's right, it's another bag."
“Every year it’s bags, but I’m more creative. I give clothes.” Lan Li proudly handed over hers.
Hua Cheng opened his mouth to laugh, but when he met Lan Li's gaze, he shut up.
"What did you two give as gifts?" Lan Li asked.
Hua Yu: "I already gave it to her this morning."
Hua Cheng: "We've already sent them, but there's still one more gift, which is..."
Before he could finish speaking, Hua Yu handed Yun Jin a neatly folded A4 sheet of paper, which infuriated Hua Cheng, who repeatedly called him despicable.
"Even though you already knew the result, I still want to give it to you," Hua Yu said earnestly.
Yun Jin looked at him for a few seconds, then took the A4 paper and slowly unfolded it.
"What? What?" Liu Zhuang leaned closer and saw a brain scan.
The conclusion at the bottom of the image states: No clear abnormal signals were observed.
It is a very healthy brain scan.
Liu Zhuang's eyes instantly reddened, and he turned away, sobbing softly a few times.
Lan Li had never experienced that hopeless time, but seeing such images still moved her deeply.
Yun Jin stared at the picture for a long time, her lips seemed to curve upwards slightly, or perhaps not. She just looked at it quietly, as if she had spent a very long night alone.
But thankfully, dawn always breaks.
The lively atmosphere just moments ago suddenly became somewhat deserted because of this picture.
Hua Yu's original intention in giving this gift was not like that. She was at a loss for a moment and subconsciously looked at Hua Cheng, who was more experienced than her.
Hua Cheng lived up to expectations, smiling as he picked up Yun Jin and spun her around twice: "Wife, you're amazing! You found the cause of this illness that even medical science hasn't proven. You're truly incredible!"
“Yes,” Liu Zhuang rubbed his eyes and turned back with a smile, “Yun Jin, you are truly amazing. If it were me, even if I got a watch that could travel through time, I definitely wouldn’t know how to use it to save people. But you were able to come up with a research project from an unknown small laboratory and find a way to save Hua Cheng from this research project. You are really amazing.”
Hua Yu nodded as well: "Yes, impressive."
Yun Jin chuckled, and was about to say something when Lan Li came over carrying a bottle of champagne: "Impressive President Yun, the cake is cut, can we eat and drink now?"
“She’s about to have her period, she can’t drink these,” Hua Cheng immediately shielded her behind him, “I’ll drink with you!”
"Who needs you to keep me company? Hua Yu, come here and have a drink with me," Lan Li called out.
Hua Yu looked embarrassed: "I'm not very good at drinking."
"Not really?" Lan Li's eyes lit up. "Great! Let's drink until we drop tonight!"
Hua Yu: "..."
Hua Cheng chuckled and put his arm around Liu Zhuang: "Hey Fatty, wanna have a drink?"
"I won't drink," Liu Zhuang, who usually enjoys drinking, refused. "I might have to pick up your sister-in-law later, so I don't dare to drink."
Hua Cheng was a little disappointed, but expressed his understanding.
Just as the two were about to sit down, Yun Jin suddenly handed Liu Zhuang a drink. Liu Zhuang took a sip and then noticed something was off: "Why is it a little spicy?"
“Because it’s a cocktail,” Yun Jin said.
Liu Zhuang: "..."
"Ah, in that case, you can't go pick up your sister-in-law." Yun Jin frowned slightly.
Liu Zhuang: "...Why do I feel like you're doing this on purpose?"
"What am I after?" Yun Jin retorted.
After thinking about it, Liu Zhuang was convinced: "That makes sense."
The food was ordered from a nearby five-star hotel; the cake was cut just as the food was being served.
Because Hua Yu was there, the group didn't dare let the hotel staff in and completed the handover directly at the door.
Hua Yu watched them bustling around, then stood alone behind the sofa.
Hua Cheng was displeased when he saw him standing still: "Go get the things, I'm going to rest."
After saying that, he sat down on the sofa and didn't move.
Hua Yu was speechless, but she still obediently went to help.
The food was served and the wine was opened. A group of people raised their glasses to celebrate Yun Jin's thirtieth birthday.
It was a rare moment of relaxation.
Yun Jin drank two glasses of wine, her face flushed slightly, and nestled on the sofa with a smile, giving off an unreal feeling as if she were in a dream.
Her wrist was still spasming, and her pulse was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pierce through her skin and flesh, but she knew it was all an illusion. Her pulse was normal, her wrist wasn't injured, and there was no way she would feel pain.
Things will be better after today.
After today, everything will be alright.
Yun Jin pinched her brow and suddenly realized that Hua Yu was not there. She put down her cup, followed her senses, walked through the living room, through the corridor, and finally appeared in front of the French windows on the balcony.
The balcony lights were off, and Hua Yu sat there quietly, all alone, like a wandering soul from another world.
When he heard footsteps behind him, Hua Yu paused for a moment but did not turn around until the familiar scent reached his side. Only then did he turn around with a smile.
"Why are you unhappy?" Yun Jin exposed his facade.
Hua Yu paused for a moment, then said, "I'm not unhappy."
Yun Jin quietly met his gaze.
Her pupils were very dark, as dark as the boundless night outside the window.
Too profound and mysterious for Hua Yu to ever see through, yet she always gave herself to him so easily.
He pursed his lips and lowered his head: "I'm really not unhappy, I just... suddenly missed Fatty."
Fatty is in the living room.
But the fat guy here isn't his fat guy.
Ironically, in the time and space that truly belonged to him, there weren't many people or things that belonged to him. When he watched their festivities, the only person he could think of was Liu Zhuangzhuang.
Only Liu Zhuangzhuang.
Yun Jin looked at his lowered head, and after a moment of silence, she reached out and pinched his ear.
This gesture was so intimate and indulgent that Hua Yu's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"You must feel uneasy staying here," she asked gently.
“No…” Hua Yu looked up, her eyes firm. “With you here, I feel at ease.”
Yun Jin raised the corners of her lips, not exposing his pretense: "If you really miss him, go back and see him."
Hua Yu chuckled: "You forgot? I just went back two days ago."
Ever since he figured out the watch's bug, he would go back every five days to spend some time with Liu Zhuangzhuang before leaving again.
“I know I’m a nuisance here,” Hua Yu said softly, “a nuisance to all of you. I know I should go back, but… I don’t want to leave. Can you promise me you’ll never pressure me to leave?”
He really didn't want to leave, even knowing that he was a nuisance, a burden, and a liability, he still didn't want to leave Yun Jin.
Hua Cheng once mocked him, saying that he and Yun Jin had only known each other for less than half a year, so how much love could there be? He didn't answer at the time, but just rolled his eyes at him.
The truth is, love isn't a unit of length, but a unit of depth. Even if it's only for six months, he loves her very much. Just thinking about leaving makes him feel like he's going to die, so he clings on and refuses to leave.
He really didn't want to leave.
But if Yun Jin lets him go...
Hua Yu waited in vain for Yun Jin's reply, and her heart sank slowly.
"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave." Yun Jin suddenly spoke up in the silence.
Hua Yu suddenly looked up, her eyes red, and even her breathing was trembling.
Looking at the night outside the window, Yun Jin smiled silently: "Don't leave. No matter how things turn out, as long as you can live, nothing else matters."
She turned to look at Hua Yu and reached out a finger to wipe the corner of his eye.
Hua Yu noticed the dampness on her fingertips, remained silent for a long time, and then tentatively lowered her head.
As his face loomed larger and larger, Yun Jin did not flinch, letting his kiss land on her lips like a feather.
World peace in this second.
Three bottles of champagne and two bottles of red wine were opened, and a bunch of cocktails were consumed in the process. Liu Zhuang and Lan Li finally got Hua Cheng drunk, but the two of them were also dizzy. It was a case of hurting the enemy eight hundred and themselves a thousand.
Lan Li called a designated driver and went home to sleep. Liu Zhuang also wanted to go home, but Yun Jin stopped him.
"Stay at my place tonight," she said.
Liu Zhuang shook his head: "That won't do, well... your sister-in-law isn't home, I have to go back and watch the house."
“You’re drunk and need someone to take care of you,” Yun Jin said, frowning.
Liu Zhuang still refused, so Yun Jin had no choice but to let him leave. As soon as he stepped outside the door, he almost fell, but luckily a figure flashed by and quickly caught him.
"Hmm...hmm?" Liu Zhuang looked up in confusion, then surprised when he saw who it was. "You, aren't you the helper Yun Jin found for me?"
The burly man and Yun Jin inside the door exchanged a glance and said respectfully, "Mr. Liu, President Yun asked me to escort you back."
"Alright..." Liu Zhuang leaned against him, feeling dizzy. "Thank you for your help."
The burly man responded and helped him walk outside.
Yun Jin originally wanted to go over and see, but unfortunately there was a drunkard in the living room crying and shouting for his wife, so she had to close the door and go back to the living room.
"Where's my wife... my big wife!"
Hua Cheng tried to sit up, but after struggling for a moment, he fell back onto the sofa. His eyes were red because he couldn't find his wife.
Yun Jin stepped forward and nudged his shin: "I'm here."
Hua Cheng's gaze gradually focused, and after recognizing who it was, he sniffed and struggled to get up again.
But it still failed.
"Waaaaah, wife..." His eyes were glistening with tears, he seemed truly drunk. "I think I'm not going to make it, my body... it's getting worse and worse, what should I do, wife? If I die, what will you do all by yourself..."
Hearing the commotion, Hua Yu returned from the balcony and looked at him coldly: "Even if you die, I'll still be there for you."
Hua Cheng looked at him with difficulty, his eyes filled with even more tears: "Wife, sob sob, how could you bring that pretty boy home, how could you bring him home..."
Yun Jin: "..."
Hua Yu: "..."
Hua Cheng was heartbroken and soon burst into tears.
Yun Jin sighed and reached out to pull him: "You're drunk, let's go back to your room..."
Hua Cheng suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Hua Yu's expression instantly darkened: "Don't push your luck!"
Hua Cheng ignored him and hugged Yun Jin tightly like a child hugging a toy, whispering in her ear, "Is this pretty boy your big secret?"
This is because he drank too much alcohol, and his memory has degenerated to the time before he went to the same county.
Yun Jin's eyelashes fluttered, and she said, "No."
"So your big secret is..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yun Jin was rescued by Hua Yu.
Hua Cheng stood up unsteadily, but then fell back onto the sofa.
"Go back and rest," Hua Yu said softly. "I'll take care of him."
Yun Jin glanced at the whining Hua Cheng, then at the cold-faced Yama Hua Yu, and unusually asked with some uncertainty, "Can you do it?"
Hua Yu sneered: "Don't worry, there won't be any problems."
"Wife!" Hua Cheng suddenly sat up, then fell back down.
Hua Yu ignored him and urged, "Let's go quickly."
Yun Jin still had places to go, and seeing his firm attitude, she simply left.
After she left, Hua Cheng called out "Wife" a few more times, but gradually quieted down because no one came.
Hua Yu looked at the mess in the room, remained silent for a moment, and then picked up a broom.
It's already the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, winter has arrived.
The house was warm with the heating on, and Hua Cheng quickly fell asleep under the influence of alcohol, lying motionless on the sofa.
Hua Yu began to clean up the mess, occasionally checking on Hua Cheng's condition.
The house was too big and too quiet, so Hua Yu turned on the TV and tuned it to the Pingcheng News Channel, listening to the sound while she worked.
Time passed slowly, and before she knew it, it was already past eleven o'clock at night. Hua Yu finally cleaned the house spotless, and when she turned her head, she found that Hua Cheng had woken up and was staring at her.
Hua Yu paused, then asked, "When did you wake up?"
"Half an hour ago," Hua Cheng said, his voice still a little unsteady, but he wasn't as drunk as before.
Hua Yu laughed: "You're awake and you don't even know how to help me with any chores? Are you...?"
"That's fine then," Hua Cheng suddenly said.
Hua Yu frowned: "What do you mean?"
"I saw you and Yun Jin kissing on the balcony."
Hua Yu suddenly fell silent.
Hua Cheng raised his arm to cover his eyes: "Let's leave it at that. If she's happy, the three of us can live together. It's better than this stalemate, where she has to leave home after her birthday."
Hua Yu was stunned for a moment, not reacting immediately.
The living room was quiet, except for the news playing on the television.
After a long silence, Hua Yu's phone suddenly vibrated. He trembled for a moment before taking out his phone to check the message.
It was sent by Yun Jin: Fatty is making a fuss about going out, but I'm not in the neighborhood right now. Can you help me stop him?
Hua Yu was puzzled and wanted to ask her where she had gone at this time, and also how she knew that Fatty was making a fuss about going out.
But he didn't ask anything, just replied "okay" and walked out.
Hearing the noise, Hua Cheng asked, "Where are you going?"
“Fatty wanted to go out, but Yun Jin told me to stop him,” Hua Yu said.
Hua Cheng quickly got up and followed along, swaying unsteadily: "I'll go too."
"You're so drunk, can you please not cause any more trouble?" Hua Yu was unwilling to take him along.
Hua Cheng scoffed lightly: "I'm already awake. Look how straight I'm walking, how..."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly tripped over his own feet and fell straight forward.
In front of it is an art piece, a cartoon bear holding a small, sharp fork. If Hua Cheng falls down, he will be poked in the eye.
Hua Yu's heart tightened, and without thinking, she rushed over.
The two adults collided, and Hua Yu instinctively grabbed Hua Cheng. The next second, the two of them fell heavily to the ground.
Like an old-fashioned anime panel, the moment Hua Yu's wrist hit the ground, the background turned black, and the battered watch shattered into pieces with a soft sound.
The sound was so faint, practically insignificant compared to the news broadcast on television, yet it sounded like an earthquake to the two people who heard it.
Hua Cheng sobered up completely, staring at his shattered watch on the floor, stammering, "I...I didn't mean to..."
"Hua, Cheng!"
Hua Yu's eyes turned completely red, and she punched Hua Cheng in the face.
Hua Cheng's lips split open instantly, and bright red blood seeped out. He didn't fight back, but just explained frantically. Hua Yu wouldn't listen to anything he said and beat him up like a madman.
Hua Cheng had been drinking, which made him less responsive, but the pain was real. After being beaten repeatedly, he became angry: "I really didn't mean to, can you calm down!"
Hua Yu ignored him and fought back with red eyes. Hua Cheng was hit a few more times. Taking advantage of Hua Yu's unpreparedness, Hua Cheng flipped over and pinned Hua Yu to the ground, raising his fist high.
Hua Yu glared at him angrily, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't even blink.
Seeing Hua Yu like this, Hua Cheng just couldn't bring himself to do it, and the next second he was pinned to the ground and beaten by Hua Yu again.
"Oh no, am I going to die at this kid's hands today?" Hua Cheng felt dizzy and unreal.
The broken watch lay quietly on the ground, as if it had been knocked down, or as if it had reached the end of its life after being used up.
Hua Yu's mind went blank, and he had lost even the most basic ability to think. When the sharp ringtone of his cell phone rang, he suddenly came to his senses and realized that he had somehow grabbed an ashtray in his hand and was about to throw it at Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng lay on the ground with one eye squinted, coughing up bloody foam, barely clinging to life.
The phone was still ringing. Hua Yu trembled as she put down the ashtray and picked up the phone from the side.
It was a call from Fatty, but the phone belonged to Huacheng.
Hua Yu tossed her phone to Hua Cheng and knelt down to pick up her broken watch.
Hua Cheng spat out a mouthful of blood, struggled to pick up his phone, and spoke in a slurred voice, "Brother Pang..."
"Hua Cheng! What's wrong with Yun Jin? Why did she send two people to stop me from leaving the house? I ignored them, so they tied me up in the house!"
Liu Zhuang's devastated voice came through the phone, and for a moment Hua Cheng thought he had misheard: "Who? Yun Jin? To kidnap you?"
Before Liu Zhuang could speak, another unfamiliar voice rang out: "President Hua, this is what President Yun instructed: Mr. Liu is not allowed to leave the community tonight."
"Did you hear that? Did you hear that? She won't let me leave the neighborhood!" Liu Zhuang became even angrier. "Beibei won't sleep at her grandma's house and insists on coming back. Your sister-in-law doesn't have time to take her, so I have to go pick her up. Now Yun Jin has me tied up at home. How am I supposed to go pick her up?"
"Calm down first," Hua Cheng hissed in pain as he pulled at the wound on his lip. "How are you going to go after drinking so much?"
"I'll take a taxi!" Liu Zhuang said angrily.
Hua Cheng: "..."
Yes, you can take a taxi.
He took a deep breath and was about to speak when the television suddenly switched to broadcast an emergency news report.
A major traffic accident occurred at the intersection of Huaicheng Road and Changjiang Road. A truck driver, who was driving under the influence of alcohol, crashed his fully loaded truck into a high-voltage power line, causing a fire that resulted in a power outage in a large area nearby. The driver died at the scene, but fortunately, the fire was extinguished in time, preventing further casualties.
The intersection featured in the news is the only route from their neighborhood to Beibei's maternal grandmother's house.
Yun Jin sent Hua Yu a message for the first time, about ten minutes ago, when Fatty first started making a fuss about going out.
Given Fatty's driving speed, if he had managed to leave safely back then, he would probably be passing through that intersection right now.
On the TV, the female anchor was broadcasting with a serious expression, while Liu Zhuang was still cursing in the receiver. Hua Yu was holding the broken pieces of her watch and sobbing in suppressed voice. Hua Cheng stared at the TV screen, feeling for a moment that all sounds were leaving him.
Despite having no prior connection, he suddenly remembered the landslide in the same county, which seemed out of place at the time.
Yun Jin's arrival was so coincidental; she coincidentally found Chenjia Village, coincidentally passed by that road, and coincidentally rescued him from the falling mud and rocks when the disaster struck.
No, that's not right either. Her arrival wasn't by chance. Long before the rainy season started, she had been urging him to go back, but he kept delaying. So she went to the same county and rode her motorcycle to find him at six in the morning.
She had been away from the county for eleven years and hadn't been back for eleven years. She accurately predicted the rainy season, a time when even weather forecasts were inaccurate.
Accidents are frequent during the rainy season in the same county, but not every rainy season brings one, and she isn't someone who's overly anxious about the unknown. But she seemed certain that if she didn't go to find him, something would definitely happen to him, and it would definitely happen in Chenjia Village.
Yes, Chenjia Village.
She seemed to know in advance that he would definitely go to the places he went to randomly, so she didn't waste time elsewhere and went directly there.
He recalled all the things he had done recently, each one worthy of her anger, but she never did. She just looked at him indifferently, as if she had already experienced them all and was too lazy to get angry.
He recalled an earlier time when Fatty had just returned from abroad. She, who was usually aloof, suddenly rushed over and gave Fatty an unusually warm hug, as if they had been reunited after a long separation, as if they had finally met again after a lifetime.
He remembered the big secret she had told him.
Just a few hours earlier, he asked her if her secret was Hua Yu, and she said no.
What else could this secret be?
Hua Cheng thought of the cemetery plot he had his eye on but had been snatched away. He remained silent for a long time before dialing the number of General Manager Liu of the real estate company with trembling hands.
The call was answered quickly, and the other party's voice came through: "Mr. Hua, what's wrong?"
"That cemetery..."
“Mr. Hua,” Mr. Liu sighed, “it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that the other party refuses to sell. And please don’t ask me for her personal information. Leaking customer data is a major taboo in our industry. If word gets out, I’ll really be finished…”
"Is it Yunjin?" Hua Cheng suddenly asked.
Mr. Liu choked for a moment, unsure of what to say.
In the brief silence, Hua Cheng lowered his eyes and said, "I understand."
After hanging up the phone, he struggled to his feet, his vision blurring intermittently, but not because of the injuries Hua Yu had left on him, nor because of the alcohol.
Even now, he still has no idea about Yun Jin's secret, but he can foresee that it will surely cause him immense heartache.
Now, he's going to embrace that heartbreaking secret.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The countdown to the end of the main story has begun!
Ah... I've finally gotten to this point. I've really planted a lot of foreshadowing earlier, afraid it wouldn't be obvious enough, afraid it would be too obvious, and even more afraid it would be revealed prematurely. I think some friends have mentioned the plot in the same county. I was really scared to death at the time... The secret of Yun Jin is about to be completely revealed to everyone. See you tomorrow night at 9 pm!
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