Chapter 9 (6)
"Did you really say that?" Yu Shuang widened his eyes.
"At that time... the situation was urgent..." he explained.
"Are you serious?" Yu Shuang still couldn't believe it.
Bai Yuankai smiled and agreed.
Yu Shuang gasped. She had always acted boldly, but Yuan Kai's actions still surprised her. Her opponent wasn't some princess from a small country; it was Jia Jie! Jia Jie! A middle-aged widowed woman with children, busy in the restaurant!
"This isn't a joke," Yu Shuang chided him. "You can handle it, but Sister Jia might not. Be cautious." Yuan Kai quickly said he was definitely being cautious, so for now, the situation would remain vague. After a while, Yu Shuang calmed down and said, "Old Bai, if you've thought it through and made up your mind, I'll support you no matter what you do. But I'm worried about Sister Jia getting hurt. At this age, this is the only chance of success, and we can't afford to lose."
This was her true feeling. She rejected Kang Long because she felt she couldn't afford to lose.
"You are opposing it." Yuan Kai scored full marks in reading comprehension.
"I'm afraid you'll regret it."
Bai Yuankai said sadly, "Sometimes, feelings just can't be thought about too carefully."
"When it comes to love, you don't need to think about it, but when it comes to marriage, you must think about it." Yu Shuang said seriously.
"She is hiding from me now." Yuan Kai said.
"I have to hide from you too."
"Why?"
"Pressure," Yu Shuang leaned back in his chair and stretched. "It takes a lot of courage to date someone like you."
"I'm a monster?" Yuan Kai joked.
"Big monster." Yu Shuang laughed.
"How do you feel, or do you represent other people's feelings?" he continued.
"On behalf of Sister Jia, on behalf of all female compatriots, you are too outstanding and insecure."
Yuan Kai disagreed, "Shouldn't people strive for excellence?"
Yu Shuang sighed, "Few people buy luxury goods, and not many buy defective goods either. Most people choose mid-range products, which is the mainstream."
"Are you mid-range?" Yuan Kai asked.
"Nonsense," Yu Shuang complained, "Of course it's high-end, luxurious, and unparalleled in the world."
The two of them bantered a bit more. Yuan Kai asked Yu Shuang how things were going with Kang Long lately. Yu Shuang replied casually that things were still the same.
Yuan Kai said that his father seemed to be in poor health recently.
"Is this true?" Yu Shuang was nervous.
"He said he's in the hospital. I wanted to go, but Old Kang wouldn't let me." Yuan Kai stopped there. After saying goodbye, Yu Shuang's heart was pounding, and she couldn't help but feel something was wrong. She called Kang Long, but his phone was off. Yu Shuang breathed a sigh of relief, called a taxi, and headed straight to Kang Long's house.
It's getting dark.
Yu Shuang looked up and saw that the lights were on in Kang Long's house.
Go upstairs and knock on the door, knock knock knock.
A middle-aged woman opened the door. Yu Shuang slammed on the brakes, greeted, and said, "I'm looking for Kang Long." The woman was calm and said, "Xiaokang isn't here."
"When will he be back?"
"Who are you?"
"His friend." Yu Shuang said quickly, and added, "A good friend."
The woman invited her in for a seat. Yu Shuang didn't hesitate, following her into the living room. How familiar this place was to her! Not long ago, she and Kang Long were busy making babies here... But how much time had changed... The woman busied herself with pouring tea. Yu Shuang was alone in the living room, looking around aimlessly.
She suddenly noticed a portrait on a small table in the corner, in black and white, with fruit piled up on either side. She walked closer to take a closer look.
Chairman Kang stared at her from the photo.
Yu Shuang felt as if a thunderclap had exploded overhead. Her face was distorted by the shock. The woman returned to the living room with tea. Yu Shuang pointed at the photo, speechless. The woman sighed and said, "He passed away peacefully."
Yu Shuang could hardly stand and had to hold on to the corner of the table.
Chairman Kang died? When did it happen? Why didn't anyone tell her? How could this happen? Why?! Why don't good people live long?! Why?! Yu Shuang couldn't contain himself and burst into tears in front of the woman.
The train sped away. Yu Shuang couldn't stop crying. Chairman Kang had died of pancreatic cancer. It happened so quickly, from the onset of the disease to his passing. But even if it had happened sooner, it would have been enough for her to visit and say goodbye. Why hadn't he told her? Okay, Kang Long was mad at her? Was Chairman Kang confused too? On second thought, it seemed Chairman Kang had a reason not to see her. She had broken his son's heart, and by extension, his own. Yu Shuang suddenly understood why Chairman Kang had repeatedly proposed marriage, urging her to marry Kang Long. Perhaps he already knew about his illness by then. The poor old man hoped to see his son married before his death! But his pride wouldn't allow him to be honest. Could he say to Yu Shuang, "I'm dying, marry my son"? But that would only leave Yu Shuang with endless regret. She could get married! She could! Getting married was easier than dying! She could! It was too late.
A small bridge flows under the water. At the entrance to Kang Long's old house, Yu Shuang peered in. The aunt said Kang Long was escorting his father's ashes back to his hometown. He would probably stay for a while. Yu Shuang stepped over the threshold and headed inside. Kang Long was just about to leave. She saw him and called out. He seemed not to hear her and quickly walked out.
She chased him. He quickened his pace.
"Kanglong!" she shouted, her voice mournful.
He didn't intend to pay attention to her and went on his own way.
"Stop!" she shouted even louder.
The boat slid through the river. Kang Long hopped on board, and Yu Shuang quickly followed, bouncing onto the sampan. The boat swayed, and the boatwoman quickly used the oars to steady it. Kang Long went to the bow, and Yu Shuang followed closely.
"Can you please stop being such a gummy bear!" he raged.
He rarely does this.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Yu Shuang was still gasping for breath.
"It has nothing to do with you." He said firmly.
"That's what it's all about!"
"My dad doesn't want to see you. He won't let me tell you."
Yu Shuang was stunned. Chairman Kang had forbidden her from saying this. Just because she refused to get married?
Kang Long said in one breath, "It's impossible for us. We won't get married, have children, have a family, or anything. Why should I ask you to attend my funeral? Why should I ask you to share this pain?!"
"I do!" she shouted, her back arched and her neck stretched.
"I don't want to!" Kang Long said, "I'm tired of this ambiguity! My dad doesn't want to either!"
Yu Shuang gritted her teeth and said, "Let's get married tomorrow, no, today. Today is a good day." She looked around for approval and her eyes met the boat girl. The boat girl immediately smiled and said, "A good day... It's a good day..."
Kang Long remained dejected. "Thank you for your charity, but I don't need it anymore." He used to hate Chairman Kang, hated him for abandoning him and his mother at such a young age, hated him for not fulfilling his fatherly responsibilities over the years, hated his roughness, his ruthlessness, his domineering nature, his ostentation. But when he finally left this world—his body annihilated—he discovered how deeply he loved him. He finally understood Yu Shuang's pain. He used to jokingly call himself an orphan. Now, he was a complete orphan. So, let him be alone, for the rest of his life.
"Don't you love me anymore?" Yu Shuang asked courageously.
Kang Long said calmly, "There's no love between us anymore."
"What is love?! Is love so important?"
"Is everything okay now?"
"Can we start over?" Yu Shuang pleaded. Suddenly, she remembered the sugar-roasted chestnuts she'd brought from the big city—Kang Long's favorite—and quickly pulled them out of her bag. "Look at these," she said as she took them out, "from Baoding Prefecture. They're small and sweet, freshly harvested. You can't even find them in the wild..." she chattered on.
The boat reached a small pier, and Kang Long was the first to disembark. Yu Shuang quickly followed. The boatwoman stopped her and said, "Little girl, you haven't paid yet." Yu Shuang had no choice but to pay. When she looked up again, Kang Long was gone. Yu Shuang handed the candied chestnuts to the boatwoman and jumped ashore.
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