Chapter 136: Entanglement
Chapter 136: Entanglement
Two or three more days passed.
Most of the shops on the street are open, and the holiday season is almost over.
Cheng Bing planned to visit Fang Yuenian at the hospital. He sent her a message in the morning to ask her why, but Fang Yuenian told him not to go, saying that she was going home to sleep tonight. He needed to take a good shower, change his clothes, and also prepare some things for Wang Jing.
However, while in the hospital, all that was needed was to take care of her mother, but coming home was a nightmare. Last time, she packed her things and left, which was manageable, but this time, having to sleep overnight was very frustrating. Fang Yuenian barely ate any dinner. Hearing her grandparents sighing at the dinner table, she simply put down her chopsticks and went back to her room.
As night fell, Cheng Bing tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep, so she got up and sat by the window.
He had been thinking a lot these past few days. He used to think that he could be there for Fang Yuenian when he was unhappy, comfort him, and face things with him. Even though Fang Yuenian had a troubled family and lacked a father's love, he thought that everything would be something he could face calmly. However, he realized that life was much more than that.
What is Fang Yuenian doing at this time? Is he able to sleep well at home?
I really wanted to send him a WeChat message, but I was afraid of bothering him. After thinking it over again and again, I sent him a short message asking, "Are you asleep?"
After counting down the minutes, about ten minutes later, Fang Yuenian replied:
"No, I just finished showering and am packing my things, don't worry."
Cheng Bing quickly replied, "Okay, I understand. Get some rest and go to sleep early."
He put down his phone, took two deep breaths, and looked out the window at the starry sky.
There was a similar starry night before the New Year. He and Fang Yuenian went for a walk. The two young people weren't bothered by the cold, so they walked and chatted with their hands in their pockets, sometimes looking at the stars, sometimes at the flowing water. Cheng Bing actually wanted to hold his hand then, and she did secretly do so, but after holding it for a short while, someone approached from the opposite direction with a flashlight, so she had to let go.
Cheng Bing stood there in a daze for quite a while. Just as she finally returned to bed and was about to go to sleep, two thuds suddenly came from outside the window.
A strange memory welled up in his mind, and without thinking, Cheng Bing opened the window and looked around. He found Fang Yuenian sitting under his window, looking up at him in astonishment in the deep night.
"You, weren't you going to sleep?" Cheng Bing was startled and, without thinking, quickly ran to open the door, led the person in, and dragged them into her room.
Fang Yuenian came over without even wearing a coat, just slippers. When he entered the room, Cheng Bing noticed that his lips were purple from the cold and his hands were freezing. Without saying a word, she quickly pulled him into the blanket and went to the kitchen to pour hot water.
Fang Yuenian was afraid of waking others, so she held her water glass and said softly, "I thought you were asleep, and I was even planning to call you to open the door."
Cheng Bing found a hot water bottle to warm his legs and said with concern, "Why did you come at this time? And you're only wearing so little clothing?"
"I wanted to sleep after my shower, but I can't," Fang Yuenian said, her eyes downcast, looking both obedient and a little aggrieved. "Can I... stay here with you today?"
Cheng Bing looked at him worriedly: "Could it be someone from your family...?"
“No,” Fang Yuenian shook her head, “They’re all asleep.”
Cheng Bing was relieved. "Then sleep here. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? Are you feeling better now? Are you still cold?"
Fang Yuenian placed the cup in his hand. "I'm a little hungry, not cold. I just want to sleep but can't. I haven't slept much for many days."
Cheng Bing leaned over and hugged him. "I'll stay with you. Wait a minute, I'll get you something to eat."
Everyone in the family was asleep, so he couldn't cook. He quietly heated some soup on the electric stove, soaked a bowl of rice and vegetables until they were piping hot, and then quietly turned off the lights and went back to his room.
Fang Yuenian wasn't that hungry at first, but with the soup and rice squatting in front of her, she felt like she could swallow the whole pot.
Cheng Bing said, "It's too hot, eat slowly."
Fang Yuenian smiled, "That's great! You don't know, I only ate two bites of rice tonight." As she spoke, she couldn't help but gulp down a spoonful of soup. "Delicious! Can you cook for me again next time?"
Cheng Bing looked at him quietly and said, "I'll cook it for you if you want to eat it."
Then he asked, "How are you going to get to town tomorrow?"
"I'm going to take the bus. My cousin and his girlfriend are leaving tomorrow, and my aunt and uncle have a lot to do too."
“I’ll take you,” Cheng Bing said, “on an electric scooter, if you’re not afraid of the cold.”
Fang Yuenian sipped her spoon and laughed: "Hey, I think we should consider learning to drive. My cousin always drives his girlfriend around; it's prestigious."
Cheng Bing smiled and asked, "Is it your cousin who has more face, or his girlfriend?"
"Yes, yes," Fang Yuenian waved her hand and continued eating. "We'll talk about it later, we'll see tomorrow."
After quickly finishing her meal, Fang Yuenian rinsed her mouth like a thief, then lay down and went to sleep.
This is the first sound and deep sleep I've had in days.
As dawn broke, Cheng Bing opened her eyes, half asleep and half awake, and found that Fang Yuenian was not on her pillow.
Feeling as if his body was being restrained, he lifted the blanket slightly and saw Fang Yuenian with her head buried in his stomach, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, fast asleep.
Cheng Bing immediately woke up. Afraid that Fang Yuenian would suffocate, he lifted most of the blanket to reveal his face, then gently covered his body tightly. He stared at him for a while to make sure he hadn't been woken up, and then slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
After sleeping for a while longer, Fang Yuenian's phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence.
Before Cheng Bing could even look, Fang Yuenian had already been awakened.
He hadn't slept so soundly in a long time. He was still confused when he woke up. He frowned and reached for his phone. Cheng Bing went over to get it for him. When he looked at it, it was Teacher Fang.
Fang Yuenian didn't rush to answer. He propped himself up on his arms and sat up, asking Cheng Bing, "Did I step on you?"
“It’s nothing,” Cheng Bing shook her head. “Answer the phone.”
Teacher Fang didn't see Fang Yuenian when she got up early, so she called to ask. Fang Yuenian didn't explain much, only saying that she would be back soon.
After hanging up the phone, Fang Yuenian was fully awake.
Looking at Cheng Bing, he smiled slightly, "I don't know why, but my grandfather seems to have suddenly become very concerned about me. The things he's said to me these past few days are equivalent to what he's said in the previous ten years combined."
Cheng Bing, worried that he would get cold, pulled him into the blanket. Unexpectedly, Fang Yuenian suddenly touched his upper body and found it icy cold. She quickly asked, "Didn't you cover yourself with a blanket? Why are you so cold?"
"I'm fine," Cheng Bing said, stroking his rather long hair. "It's still early, why don't you lie down for a while longer?"
Fang Yuenian pulled the blanket over and wrapped it around the two of them.
Cheng Bing then asked, "How is your mother-in-law?"
"It's alright, now I just cook different dishes for my mom every day and bring them over."
"And what about your grandparents?"
Fang Yuenian looked at him and said, "I'm doing well, but I'm a little worried about my life in my old age."
Cheng Bing let out a soft sigh of relief and closed her eyes.
“However,” Fang Yuenian buried her head in his arms again, as if in a daze, “Brother Cheng, there’s something I need to tell you.”
"What?"
Fang Yuenian took a deep breath to remain calm. "A few days ago at the hospital, my mother told me that if in the future... if you are good to me, I will be good to you; if you are not good to me, she told me to be decisive and think more about myself."
These words struck Cheng Bing like a hammer blow, leaving her stunned and unable to recover for a long time.
Fang Yuenian reached out and put her hand on his waist in a comforting gesture, and then said, "She also told me to treat my two older sisters well, saying that they are the people closest to me."
Cheng Bing couldn't help but exclaim, "How could she..."
“She saw our photos, and probably also my DVDs.”
Moreover, Fang Yuenian later realized that he hadn't actually paid much attention at home, especially in front of Wang Jing.
He openly maintained close contact with Cheng Bing. Because of studying and various other reasons, he carefully treasured everything Cheng Bing gave him. Although he had already handed many of these items over to Cheng Bing for safekeeping, there were still many others, such as the amulet he had worn close to his body for many years, notebooks, and photos. He even set the photo taken that day as his phone wallpaper... Fang Yuenian had no idea when Wang Jing put the bank card in his bookcase, but the discs that remained in the bookcase, even though they had been repackaged, could not be hidden from anyone.
Fang Yuenian was either too careless or too confident, because apart from Wang Jing, no one in the family was interested in his private life, and Wang Jing spoiled and respected her son excessively. When she discovered that the good son she had cherished and protected was actually "that kind of person," Fang Yuenian could hardly imagine how she could remain calm and not even say anything in opposition.
Cheng Bing rested her chin on Fang Yuenian's forehead and whispered, "I...I really..."
“I understand,” Fang Yuenian rubbed his chin. “Now there’s nothing in my family that I’m worried about. My mom will get better and live with my mother-in-law and aunt. It will be so much better than before. So I just hope that we can live well in the present.”
Cheng Bing's eyes reddened, and she gently kissed the top of his head. "Okay."
—Be more careful when you leave than when you come.
Fortunately, neither Cheng Qiuyan nor Lin Guohui were woken up. Fang Yuenian left the courtyard and told Cheng Bing to go back. But when she turned around, she saw that Cheng's father was wearing a fur hat and had his hands in his sleeves, looking like he was strolling around.
Fang Yuenian, who was still wearing Cheng Bing's down jacket, was stunned.
Cheng Bing was surprised by her grandfather's sudden appearance, so she went up to him and said, "Grandpa, why are you here so early?"
"Nothing, just wanted to check the weather and prepare to shovel some snow," Cheng replied casually, his gaze falling on Fang Yuenian with a hint of affection.
"Little Yue Nian, why are you here so early? Is there something you need to see him about?"
Fang Yuenian: "No... Grandpa Cheng, I'm fine."
"Are you in a hurry to go home? If not, his mother-in-law has cooked some noodles. Come over and have some before you leave?" Cheng's father-in-law took two steps toward him and said in a consultative tone.
Fang Yuenian stood in the morning breeze, unsure how to answer for a moment.
Cheng Jiagong walked up to him, put his hand on his shoulder, and said, "There are also pickled cowpeas. Wouldn't it be nice to eat some while they're hot? You've lost a lot of weight. You've been working too hard these past few days. You should eat more."
A hint of emotion welled up in Fang Yuenian's eyes, and she lowered her head slightly, saying, "Okay."
Cheng's father patted him on the shoulder: "Hmm, that's good. Hey Bingbing, are you ready to eat?"
Cheng Bing went along with them.
As soon as Granny Cheng saw Fang Yuenian, she put down the rag she was wiping the table and said, "Oh, little Yuenian is here? You're still wearing too little clothing. Didn't you eat breakfast? I'm making some noodles. Come over quickly and have a hot bowl."
Cheng Bing said from behind, "Mother-in-law, let me help you."
"Come here, come here," Grandma Cheng beckoned. "Go and take out some of those pickled cowpeas and cucumbers, wash them and chop them up, hurry up."
Fang Yuenian wanted to help Cheng Bing, but Cheng's father-in-law pressed her down to sit, saying, "He's fast on his own, don't worry about him."
Sure enough, the noodle soup and side dishes were served soon.
Fang Yuenian's eyes stung from the heat, but she forgot all about being reserved and ate a whole bowl of food.
I thought last night's hot rice soup would be the most comforting meal of the night, but I didn't expect to have this one waiting for me this morning. Author's Note: Thank you to my mentor 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.
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