Chapter 26 Rainy Season: "Should we sleep in separate rooms?"
Lin Fei pulled her hand back and stepped back to Liang Yanzhe's side.
She couldn't bring herself to say "I won't go" to Zhong Shuwen, but her retreating action betrayed her.
Fearing that Zhong Shuwen would be unhappy, Lin Fei quickly explained, "I... wasn't ready."
“I’m not lying to you.” Zhong Shuwen was so anxious that she spun around on the spot. “Grandpa has already been taken to the emergency room. He keeps wanting to see you one last time. Let’s go see him, okay? I’m just afraid… this might be the last time we see each other.”
Zhong Deshou worked too hard when he was young, and his health deteriorated day by day as he got older.
Lin Fei hesitated, even wondering why she should go back to see her grandfather. She wasn't close to him; in fact, they had no feelings for each other. When she heard he was sick, she was mostly indifferent.
Moreover, every time they meet, while everyone else is happy, she alone needs to mediate for a long time.
Liang Yanzhe shielded Lin Fei behind him without changing his expression and said to Zhong Shuwen, who was pacing back and forth outside the door, "Go back and pack first. There's no rush now. We'll discuss it when it's light."
Zhong Shuwen reached out to push Liang Yanzhe away, intending to try to persuade Lin Fei again.
Liang Yanzhe pressed down Zhong Shuwen's hand, which was halfway raised, his eyes icy cold: "Don't push her too hard."
“Don’t forget, my grandfather was your mentor.” Zhong Shuwen said this in a very low voice.
Liang Yanzhe's expression remained unchanged: "I know, but whether she wants to return to Hong Kong or not is a different matter. You have to give her time."
“I…” Zhong Shuwen knew that if Lin Fei was unwilling, no one could persuade her.
Liang Yanzhe gave her an ultimatum: "Go back first, don't pressure her, I'll get back to you later."
Right now, the only person who can persuade Lin Fei is Liang Yanzhe. Zhong Shuwen tried to speak several times, but in the end, she gave up and went back to the house across the street to wait for news.
The door closed, restoring the quiet of the early morning, but everyone's heart was in suspense, no longer at peace.
Lin Fei, leaning against the wall, asked him in a gloomy tone, "Are you going to try to persuade me too?"
“No.” Liang Yanzhe walked over, put his arm around her shoulder, and led her to the living room.
Lin Fei broke free from his hand, curled up on the single sofa, bent her legs, hugged her knees tightly, and subconsciously adopted a defensive posture.
“I have no feelings for him. Seeing him only makes me feel uncomfortable, depressed and suffocated. I don’t like Hong Kong either. I feel very uncomfortable and depressed there. My heart aches with every breath I take.”
She looked at him, her eyes shattered: "Even now, are you still going to try to persuade me?"
Lin Fei felt somewhat uneasy as he poured out all his grievances.
Will Liang Yanzhe be angry at such a willful act?
Will I get impatient with her?
However, it didn't happen.
Liang Yanzhe squatted down in front of her, his gaze level with hers, his eyes filled with a gentle light.
He said, "I won't try to persuade you, but I want to share my thoughts with you."
Lin Fei was a little embarrassed, so she looked at him but didn't say anything.
“You’ve worked hard preparing for the opening lately, and you’ve already arranged your work for the next few days. Why don’t you take a few days off? I have to go back to Hong Kong. If you don’t want to, I’ll convey your concern to your teacher on your behalf. If you do want to, I’ll accompany you to the hospital when we get to Hong Kong. We definitely won’t stay there long. I’ll take you sightseeing at other times.” Liang Yanzhe observed Lin Fei’s expression and noticed that her attitude had softened slightly. He took her hand and said, “Feiwen, you’ve been showing signs of binge eating lately. I want you to be happier and not push yourself too hard.”
Lin Fei could not refuse the gentle and caring words.
After a moment's thought, she slowly nodded.
She stretched out her hand, and he immediately understood, bending down to pull her into his arms.
He patted her back gently and said with a faint smile, "You've done very well. Don't feel pressured. Leave the rest to me, okay?"
His body temperature made her feel at ease, and her aversion to the port city lessened.
She kept telling herself that this time was different, that with him by her side, things wouldn't be as bad as before.
Before dawn, Liang Yanzhe packed their luggage and sent a message to Zhong Shuwen, asking him to buy plane tickets for all three of them.
Zhong Shuwen sent nearly ten thank you messages, the first time she had received such a kind response since Liang Yanzhe and Lin Fei got married.
The two of them asked the hospital for leave, and after reporting the reason, the leader quickly approved it.
With a 10 o'clock flight, Lin Fei was wide awake and decided to tell Chi Xin what she needed to do in the coming week, asking her to pass it on to Aunt Ruo.
Chi Xin reassured Lin Fei that she could handle this small matter.
At the end of the conversation, she asked, "Will you come back?"
Lin Fei smiled helplessly: "Reply: All my savings are invested in the Zhuang brocade intangible cultural heritage shop. My rising sign is Taurus, I love money more than anything, so don't worry."
Chi Xin: [I'm just worried that your family will give you too much and you won't value these few coins.]
Lin Fei: [What others give is never the same as what you earn yourself. Besides, what my family can give, Dr. Liang can also give, so why should I? Are you afraid I'll abandon you?]
Chi Xin replied dismissively: "I was worried you weren't feeling well, but you're making me laugh. You seem to be in great shape. Go ahead and get busy, don't bother me."
Lin Fei smiled. This cousin of hers is really stubborn.
With everything arranged, it was time to head to the airport for check-in.
The conversation at the door in the early morning was not pleasant. Lin Fei was someone who was afraid of conflicts with people close to her, and even more afraid of direct arguments, so she deliberately walked on the other side of Liang Yanzhe, keeping a distance from Zhong Shuwen.
Zhong Shuwen noticed, but his phone kept ringing, so he had to deal with the urgent matter first.
Once on the plane, Lin Fei couldn't escape it.
Business class tickets were sold out, so the three of them were in economy class, with her sitting between the two.
Lin Fei kept talking to Liang Yanzhe to avoid accidentally making eye contact with Zhong Shuwen.
After the plane took off, the flight attendants began serving drinks.
Lin Fei pulled out his eye mask, intending to pretend to be asleep.
Zhong Shuwen asked unhappily, "Lin Shufei, are you planning to never talk to me again?"
"I...no," Lin Fei said guiltily, looking away.
Chung Shu-wen: "I acted impulsively this morning, and I apologize to you. There's no need for us to suddenly become distant; I feel really uncomfortable."
These words did not make Lin Fei feel better. She was worried that he might think she was bad at handling conflicts between relatives and friends and had a terrible temper.
Lin Fei didn't reply and pretended to be asleep, leaning against Liang Yanzhe.
"You..." Zhong Shuwen got angry when she didn't get a response.
Liang Yanzhe's icy gaze swept over her, and Zhong Shuwen swallowed all her words.
"What does she mean? Is she going to argue with me to the end?" Zhong Shuwen was puzzled. What had he done to offend her?
Liang Yanzhe draped his coat over Lin Fei's shoulders.
Using her coat as cover, she shrank further in, making sure Zhong Shuwen couldn't see her little movements, and then quietly pulled down her blindfold.
Liang Yanzhe glanced at Zhong Shuwen, who was handling urgent work on his computer.
Making sure no one was watching, Liang Yanzhe lowered his head and gave Lin Fei a light, fleeting kiss on the lips.
Lin Fei was startled, but dared not make any noise, so she tightened her grip on his sleeve.
Liang Yanzhe smiled gently, and Lin Fei, infected by his emotions, also smiled.
In the afternoon, the plane landed in the port city.
As the humidity rose, the damp cold intensified, and Lin Fei felt that even his down jacket wasn't keeping him warm anymore.
Liang Yanzhe had booked a car in advance, and the driver was waiting at the airport exit early.
Zhong Shuwen was just about to suggest that the Zhong family had sent a car so they could go back together and visit the hospital on the way.
Seeing that Lin Fei and the driver had already walked away, he gave up the idea.
If I suggest going directly to the hospital, I estimate she will react even more strongly.
"Ah Wen." After seeing Lin Fei off, Liang Yanzhe deliberately turned back.
Zhong Shuwen crossed her arms, still bothered by what had happened on the plane: "What happened?"
Liang Yanzhe: "If you have any disagreements with Fei Wen in the future, don't have a serious discussion with her about who is right and who is wrong. It will only make her feel anxious and uneasy."
"Then what should we do?" Zhong Shuwen asked, annoyed.
The one who was unhappy was not Lin Fei, but Liang Yanzhe.
Even if they are husband and wife, they have not spent as much time together as he has spent with Lin Fei, which makes him seem unqualified as a cousin.
"Say a few nice words to her. Instead of arguing about who is right and who is wrong, ask her what she wants to eat tonight." Liang Yanzhe also noticed that Lin Fei subconsciously avoids direct conflict when dealing with issues with her relatives. He doesn't think it's a flaw because everyone's personality development is related to their upbringing. She was a left-behind child from a young age, with her parents not around. She is easily uneasy because of the seriousness of her other relatives and is afraid of being abandoned at any time.
Zhong Shuwen slowly closed her lips and pursed them: "Okay, I understand. I'll call her later."
He added, "This time it definitely won't be serious."
Lin Fei leaned against the window, curious about what the two were talking about. Unfortunately, he couldn't read lips, so he could only tell from their expressions that the topic was quite serious, and Zhong Shuwen even seemed a little angry.
Bored, she breathed on the window, drawing circles on it, leaving marks that looked like cat paws.
It was not yet 3 p.m., and the sky outside was overcast, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.
Winter had already arrived, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was overthinking things, or if the weather in the port city was just like that, as if she were in the rainy season at this moment.
The rainy season when she left.
Liang Yanzhe had not yet returned. The rain fell softly, gradually growing heavier, as if it were endlessly telling a story, just like her current mood.
The door opened, and Liang Yanzhe's coat smelled of cold rain. He deliberately sat far away from her, afraid that she would get cold.
He told the driver his destination in Cantonese.
—The apartment where she and he once lived.
Lin Fei leaned his head against the window, the cold glass against his forehead, which relieved the dizziness somewhat.
The car sped through the rain, the scenery rushing past, rainwater meandering along the windowpane, and distant mountains shrouded in mist, along with a few luxurious villas, were faintly visible.
The Liang family was among them.
"Aren't you going back to the Liang family?" Lin Fei asked.
Liang Yanzhe took off his coat and sat closer to her: "No, we're only staying for three days, we'll stay in the apartment."
"Don't we need to visit them either?" Lin Fei didn't know Liang Yanzhe's relationship with his family and was afraid he would misunderstand, so she explained, "I haven't visited any of my family's elders since we got married. Is that inappropriate?"
“I’ve already said it, they won’t mind. Don’t forget, it was Grandma and your grandfather who discussed our marriage.” Liang Yanzhe comforted her, “Take a nap? I’ll call you when we get there.”
Lin Fei didn't snuggle into his arms as usual, but leaned back against the car window, watching the lingering rain kiss this jewel-like, bustling city.
The car was parked downstairs at the apartment building. Lin Fei was revisiting the place, his feelings a mix of emotions.
The apartment is cleaned regularly and is very hygienic.
The room was furnished exactly as it was before she left, just as she remembered.
However, there is one difference from last time.
The room that she was never allowed to enter was now open to her.
Lin Fei stood at the door of the master bedroom and jokingly asked, "Should I knock before I go in?"
"Come in and change your clothes." Liang Yanzhe put down his luggage and went back to the door to greet her.
Lin Fei closed the door, wrapped her arms around Liang Yanzhe's neck, and tiptoed to kiss him.
Unfortunately, he didn't cooperate, and the kiss landed on his chin.
"Be good." He didn't even realize his voice was a little hoarse.
Lin Fei let go of him, fell directly onto the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Liang Yanzhe placed his pajamas at the foot of the bed: "The food you ordered is almost here. It's from your favorite private restaurant. Change your clothes before you come out."
Lin Fei delayed for a few minutes, playing on his phone in bed.
Tu Xia and Liang Yanru somehow found out that the weaving workshop had caught fire, and they asked her in the group chat how things were going.
Lin Fei typed dejectedly: "The fire was a minor incident; I've already taken care of that. Now I'm facing something even more troublesome than the burning house."
Tu Xia: [What's wrong?]
Liang Yanru: [I think I know some information.]
Tu Xia: [Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me already!]
Liang Yanru: [My parents told me that Zhong Sheng suddenly fainted and was hospitalized. Yan Ze is Zhong Sheng's student, and now he's married to Mu Mu, so he's practically his grandson-in-law. He'll definitely be going back to Hong Kong to visit him, and Mu Mu will naturally be going with him.]
They all knew how much Lin Fei disliked his maternal family, and if possible, he wouldn't even want to acknowledge them as his relatives.
Lin Fei: [You guessed right, the person is already in Hong Kong, and is barely alive.]
Tu Xia, not fully aware of the situation, asked again: "Mu Mu, is your relationship with your maternal family really that bad? As far as I remember, your maternal family paid for all your living expenses and tuition in college, didn't they?"
Liang Yanru: [Have you been hanging out with He Jingshi too much? Have you forgotten that Mu Mu later refused her grandfather's financial aid? She applied for student loans for tuition, and earned her living expenses by making doll clothes.]
Tu Xia sent a few awkwardly smiling emojis.
Liang Yanru asked, puzzled, "Mumu, why did you refuse your grandfather's financial help back then?"
Lin Fei: [I didn't think too much about it, I just wanted to minimize my contact with them after leaving the port city.]
Tu Xia: [My Mumu is amazing, a truly strong and independent woman. I admire her. When you come back, I'll treat you to my treasured wine.]
Liang Yanzhe was urging her from outside, so Lin Fei hurriedly ended the chat, quickly changed her clothes, and went out.
After chatting with her friend for a while, her mood improved a lot, and she was no longer as pessimistic as she had been when she first landed. She was able to muster the energy to deal with her in-laws.
It was almost five o'clock, and the rain was still falling outside.
Zhong Shuwen called.
Lin Fei stared at it for a few seconds before answering: "It's me."
"Have you finished eating?" Zhong Shuwen's voice was gentle, a stark contrast to her usual tone.
Lin Fei was startled: "Brother, are you possessed? Why are you speaking in a high-pitched voice?"
Zhong Shuwen's good temper lasted less than two seconds before she broke down: "I care about you, but you still criticize me. You're too hard to please."
Lin Fei laughed: "I was just kidding you."
After exchanging a few jokes, the previous unpleasant atmosphere vanished, and the two were back to normal, at least they wouldn't feel awkward around each other anymore.
“I’m calling to tell you something important,” Zhong Shuwen said. “Grandpa is out of danger, but he hasn’t woken up yet and needs to be hospitalized for observation. Please come back tomorrow.”
His voice was full of exhaustion, so Lin Fei stopped teasing him and obediently agreed.
This phone call was like a pardon for Lin Fei. Thinking that she didn't have to see her grandfather for the time being, she ate half a bowl more rice.
Liang Yanzhe didn't want to expose her; she had been depressed all day and couldn't muster any energy for anything. It was better for her to stay happy.
Neither of them slept well last night and they wanted to go to bed early to catch up on sleep, but the uninvited guest disrupted their plans.
Zhou Hui knocked on the apartment door, carrying two large bags of late-night snacks.
Lin Fei opened the door and asked in surprise, "How did you know we were back in Hong Kong?"
"I knew the moment your plane landed. Don't forget, my wife is the future head of the Liang family. Getting information on someone is a matter of minutes." Zhou Hui was incredibly proud, practically wagging his tail and puffing out his chest as he spoke.
"Keep your voice down, it's too noisy." Liang Yanyi, who was walking behind, pushed Zhou Hui aside and went inside first.
Lin Fei asked, puzzled, "What are you trying to do?"
“It’s rare for you to come back to Gangdu, so as your sister and brother-in-law, we definitely had to come and see you.” Zhou Hui already considered this place his home. “Sister-in-law, you’re welcome.”
Lin Fei's lips twitched slightly.
She didn't feel embarrassed; she just thought, how could he be even more E-cup than her!
When Liang Yanzhe came out of the study and saw the two people in the living room, he showed the same expression as Lin Fei had when he saw them: "Aren't you busy?"
“I’m not busy.” Zhou Hui put his hands on Liang Yanyi’s shoulders. “Xiao Yi canceled a multinational conference to come see you, brother.”
Liang Yanyi glanced at her coldly: "Noisy."
Zhou Hui shut up and diligently poured Liang Yanyi a drink.
The moment Lin Fei saw that the late-night snack was beef offal, he no longer minded their late-night disturbance. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began to eat heartily.
"Dr. Liang, let's go together." She didn't forget to invite him.
Liang Yanzhe sat down next to Lin Fei, barely touching his chopsticks.
The couple on the opposite sofa, for some reason, were pushing each other with their arms close together.
"Do you have something to say?" Lin Fei put down his chopsticks, feeling a little flustered.
If it was a trap, she had already eaten quite a bit. As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," and she was afraid they would make requests that she couldn't fulfill.
Suddenly, even beef offal doesn't taste good anymore.
Zhou Hui cleared his throat: "This is what happened..."
"Get to the point."
The two siblings spoke in unison, even their tones were almost identical.
"We're planning to have our wedding next week. Could you stay until after the wedding?" Zhou Hui asked, feeling extremely uneasy.
Lin Fei fell into deep thought.
She couldn't wait to return to Jiangdu after seeing her grandfather tomorrow; she didn't want to stay a moment longer.
Liang Yanzhe smiled and said, "It seems like it makes no difference whether we participate or not."
Liang Yanyi's expression changed, and she put down her chopsticks.
"Honey, calm down." Zhou Hui gripped Liang Yanyi's hand tightly to prevent her from doing anything irrational.
“Besides, the whole of Hong Kong will be paying attention to your wedding, and all your relatives will be coming back to Hong Kong to attend the wedding banquet. It’s not appropriate for me to be in such an occasion.” Liang Yanzhe didn’t hide his thoughts from anyone and told them directly.
Liang Yanyi turned around, trying to calm her excited emotions.
"Calm down, don't overthink it," Zhou Hui advised her gently.
Liang Yanyi couldn't hold back any longer, turned around, and said, "So you're not even going to my wedding because it's not suitable? Then who's going to walk me down the aisle?"
Liang Yanzhe said nonchalantly, "There will be a suitable candidate."
"No! And there won't be!" Liang Yanyi raised her voice, her eyes bloodshot.
You could tell she was really angry.
Liang Yanzhe remained calm and composed: "Xiao Yi, you can walk by yourself."
"I know, you're still holding a grudge about what happened back then, you still hate me!" After shouting these words, Liang Yanyi realized that she had said something she shouldn't have, tearing down the last thin veil between them.
Liang Yanyi grabbed her handbag from the sofa and rushed out the door.
"Brother, sister-in-law, I'm sorry. Xiao Yi was just saying things in anger. Please don't take them to heart. It's getting late, so we'll have to go now. We'll come to visit you another day." Zhou Hui bowed apologetically and quickly followed Liang Yanyi, afraid that she might leave him behind in a fit of anger.
Lin Fei bit her chopsticks, looking troubled.
Isn't this a conflict between siblings? How come she's the one who ends up feeling awkward?
She still had a large plate of beef offal left to eat, and she would feel bad if she wasted it.
About five minutes have passed.
"You eat." Liang Yanzhe cleaned up the unused dishes and went back to his bedroom first.
Lin Fei ate until he was about 70% full, then quickly tidied up and sat in the living room for a while.
She wasn't good at comforting people and was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making the situation worse, so she thought she would go back to the bedroom later to give Liang Yanzhe some private space.
Lin Fei's gaze drifted to the door of the room she used to live in. After hesitating for a moment, she got up and walked over.
Her hand rested on the handrail, but before she could turn it, Liang Yanzhe came out from the house across the street.
"It doesn't seem like we were the ones arguing, does it?"
"Do you want to sleep in separate rooms?"
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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers] Of course not!
Still 66, continuing to ask everyone for nutrient solution and comments, mwah!
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