Chapter 21
Sang Nian came to the cemetery again, carrying flowers that Ye Shu had personally wrapped in his arms, and as usual, a box of chocolates in his hand. For the past six months, he had brought a box of chocolates every time he came, various brands and flavors, never repeating the same one.
He thought Qiu Yang would like it.
This time, however, Sang Nian didn't open the chocolate. Instead, he sat in front of Qiu Yang's tombstone and took a small bottle of medicine out of his pocket. He shook the bottle, as if presenting a treasure, "Brother, this contains the sleeping pills I've saved up over the past six months."
“I can’t sleep every night, so I got this medicine from a doctor.”
“But I don’t want to eat it…” Sang Nian glanced at the portrait of Qiu Yang that he had drawn from memory on the tombstone and smiled. “The medicine is too bitter.”
He opened the medicine bottle and poured the sleeping pills into his palm. "Brother, I'm such a coward. I kept saying I would avenge you, but I couldn't do anything."
Qiu Yang's unexpected death was always thought to be caused by Sang Yu, but after leaving the Sang family, he hired many private investigators to investigate, and the results of the investigations all showed that it was an accident.
But it doesn't matter now. Whether it was an accident, intentional, or whatever, he doesn't care anymore. There's nothing left in this world for him to cherish. He doesn't know why he's still living so shamelessly, and even indirectly caused someone's death.
Although Sang Ning's death wasn't his fault, the blame lies with Sang Wenhua, Sang Yu, and everyone who pressured him to marry Liu Jingyuan. Without their orchestration, Liu Jingyuan wouldn't have had such ulterior motives at the funeral.
He told himself this every day: it wasn't his fault, it had nothing to do with him. But he still couldn't get over it. He couldn't forget the image of Sang Ning lying in a pool of blood, he couldn't forget Tao Wanru's vicious curse, and he couldn't forget the furrowed brows Wen Yan would unconsciously show every time he saw him after that.
He was too tired.
He tried to embrace a new life and make new friends. But no matter what he did, when he returned home alone, he felt himself being gradually swallowed by darkness, unable to break free, and then slowly suffocating in the boundless darkness.
Today is Sang Ning's birthday, which is also his death anniversary. Ironically, he has never celebrated his birthday before. Before Sang Jing brought him back to the Sang family, he had no idea when his birthday was. Although Qiu Yang wanted to celebrate it for him, he refused, saying that it was enough for Qiu Yang to celebrate his birthday, and he didn't need it. Later, after returning to the Sang family, he learned his birthday, but he still didn't celebrate it.
He did tell Qiu Yang his real birthday, but by then this year's birthday had already passed, so they could only agree to celebrate together next year.
Fate played a cruel trick; the only person who wanted to celebrate his birthday died.
He had originally planned to bring a cake, since this was the last time, but then he thought that since he had never had one, he shouldn't be so sentimental, lest Qiu Yang laugh at him.
Sang Ning looked up at the sky. The autumn sky was clear and cloudless, a deep blue, and the wind carried the joy of harvest. Everything was so peaceful and serene. Just like many years ago at this time of year, Qiu Yang had taken him to the rice paddies to collect the rice ears scattered by the combine harvester.
However, this peaceful scene is likely to be disturbed by him. Sang Nian gave a wry smile, wondering what Ye Shu, the only person he could call his friend now, would look like when she saw the scheduled email he sent her. Would she be shocked or would she cry and curse him?
However, he couldn't control her anymore, so he could only trouble Ye Shu, since she always claimed to be his best friend.
Sang Nian took one last look at Qiu Yang's portrait, then slowly stuffed all the pills in his hand into his mouth. This time, he couldn't feel the bitterness anymore; he chewed and smiled, as if he were eating candy.
In his hazy state, he saw someone rush over and then hug him tightly.
Is that your older brother?
Did his brother come to take him away?
Ye Shu was sitting idly on the garden swing in front of the flower shop, basking in the sun. Just as she was marveling at how wonderful life was, she suddenly sneezed, and then she heard her phone's email notification sound.
She doesn't usually use email, and very few people know her email address. I only remember that Sang Nian communicates with her via email; otherwise, it's just spam.
But since she had nothing better to do, Ye Shu opened her emails in a good mood. The first unopened email was from Sang Nian.
Didn't Sang Nian go back to Dingzhou to see his brother? Why would he send her an email?
Ye Shu was completely baffled. After clicking on it and glancing at it hastily, she trembled all over and froze. Only after reading to the end did Ye Shu realize that it was Sang Nian's suicide note. He didn't explain anything else, but only asked her to collect his body and bury him next to his brother's grave.
Ye Shu rushed into the flower shop, almost trembling, quickly grabbed her bag, pulled out her car keys, and turned to leave for her car. But as soon as she stepped out of the shop, she bumped into someone, the violent impact sending her sprawling backward.
But she didn't fall. Instead, someone grabbed her arm tightly. When she opened her eyes, she saw Tao Zeqian looking anxious and asking if she was alright.
Ye Shu shook her head, "Thank you, but I'm sorry I have something to do today. I'll thank you properly another day."
"What happened?" Tao Zeqian asked anxiously.
Today is Sang Ning's birthday. On his way to visit Sang Ning, Tao Zeqian ran into Wen Yan. Seeing the flowers in Wen Yan's hand, he realized that he hadn't bought anything. Since he happened to be passing by Ye Shu's flower shop, he decided to buy a bouquet.
Ye Shu didn't have time to explain. Tears streamed down her face. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Then she said to Tao Zeqian, "I'm going to Dingzhou now. My friend..." She glanced at Tao Zeqian, "...your cousin, Sang Nian. Something might have happened to him." Although she should say that something definitely had happened to him, Ye Shu couldn't bear to say it. She only hoped that Sang Nian would still be alive when she arrived.
"What's wrong with him?"
This question wasn't asked by Tao Zeqian. Ye Shu looked to his side and realized that Wen Yan was also there, so she briefly explained Sang Nian's situation.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yan frowned deeply. After a moment's thought, he said to Ye Shu, "Your current condition is not suitable for driving." He was absolutely right; Ye Shu was trembling all over and couldn't even hold the steering wheel.
"I'll take you there." After saying that, she handed the flowers in her hand to Tao Zeqian. "Please tell Ningning for me." Tao Zeqian glanced at Ye Shu, hesitated for a while, and finally made up his mind.
"I'll go with you."
On the way there, reminded by Wen Yan, Ye Shu found the cemetery manager's phone number and called him.
“Yes, a man named Sang Nian came early this morning.” The administrator checked the visitor register. “He comes almost every month.”
Ye Shu covered her mouth, her eyes already blurry with tears. "Is he still there?"
"I don't know, there were a lot of people today, I didn't notice. Sigh, I don't know what happened today, several groups of people came this morning, the last one got off the bus and rushed in. I shouted for a long time to register, but he wouldn't listen. In the end, his driver got out of the car and came to register him."
The administrator started talking and couldn't stop. Ye Shu wanted to interrupt and hang up, but then she heard him say, "But when he came out, it seemed like he was carrying someone in his arms. I couldn't see clearly from a distance, but I did see that the person's face was very pale..."
Wen Yan turned her head, picked up her phone, and asked, "What's his name?"
"Huh?" The voice on the phone suddenly turned into a man's. The administrator was startled and paused for three seconds before replying, "It seems his surname is Liu. Let me check. Yes, his name is Liu Wenyuan."
Wen Yan gestured for Uncle Zhao to pull over. "Okay, I understand." He then handed the phone back to Ye Shu and continued, "The person in Liu Wenyuan's arms should be Sang Nian."
Ye Shu: "Really? So Niannian is saved?"
Wen Yan's gaze was deep. He didn't answer the question, but instead made a phone call.
"Check which hospital Liu Wenyuan is in now."
The person on the other end of the phone replied "Okay," and then Wen Yan hung up the phone and instructed Uncle Zhao to continue driving.
"Go to Dingzhou."
Given the urgency of the situation, if Sang Nian were still alive, Liu Wenyuan wouldn't risk taking her back to Haishi for treatment. Shortly after getting on the highway, Wen Yan received a phone call and changed her destination to a private hospital in Dingzhou.
In the private hospital room, Sang Nian lay on the bed, his eyes closed, his face deathly pale and lifeless. If the doctor hadn't told Liu Wenyuan that Sang Nian had been resuscitated, he would have thought that what was in front of him was just a cold corpse.
If it had been any later, if he hadn't sent someone to follow Sang Nian...
He dared not think about it, but he was very fortunate that although Sang Nian had always rejected him, he had never given up on Sang Nian. That was why he sent people to follow Sang Nian every day and report on Sang Nian's movements to him.
He knew Sang Nian's purpose in coming to Dingzhou today, and he also knew it was Sang Nian's birthday, so he followed along. He planned to book a hotel to celebrate Sang Nian's birthday, and while he was choosing a cake flavor for Sang Nian, the person he sent to follow Sang Nian suddenly called. He frowned and answered the phone, only to hear the person on the other end say that something was wrong with Sang Nian.
So he immediately took a car and rushed over. When he arrived at Qiu Yang's tombstone and saw the lifeless Sang Nian, his heart jumped into his throat.
Fortunately, it was delivered in time, and thankfully the doctor said most of the medication he was taking was expired.
Liu Wenyuan held Sang Nian's thin hand, filled with remorse. He should have forced Sang Nian to stay by his side, watching him every day to prevent him from doing anything foolish. But he was too busy; for the past six months, he had to deal with the dissatisfaction and resentment of the other directors and clean up the mess left behind by Liu Jingyuan.
Recently, the Sang family snatched a huge amount of business from them, keeping him so busy that he couldn't spare a moment. He only managed to squeeze out a day because it was Sang Nian's birthday today.
I just never expected something like this to happen.
Liu Wenyuan reached out and touched Sang Nian's face, his movements gentle and full of tenderness. Finally, his hand stopped on Sang Nian's bloodless lips.
He stared at Sang Nian's lips for a long time before finally turning his head away and taking a deep breath.
The text message notification sounded, and Liu Wenyuan opened it to check. After just one glance, he pursed his lips, then pushed open the door and walked out expressionlessly.
Outside the door, Ye Shu was crying uncontrollably, and Tao Zeqian was comforting her the whole time. A meter away, Wen Yan was standing.
Liu Wenyuan's eyes darkened.
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