Chapter 92 (The Finale)
Chapter 92
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a heavy snowfall blanketed Chenyang in white.
In previous years, this small town in Jiangnan would only experience a bit of damp and cold sleet during the Spring Festival. But this year, it was different. Overnight, the world turned white, the green tiles were covered with frost, the willows along the riverbank were covered with ice crystals, and even the stone slabs were soft and filled with footprints.
Shen Qingyuan was standing in the entryway, tying her scarf with her head down, when her phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from a colleague at the hospital, asking if she could hand over her shift early on the evening of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year—the tone was casual, but her fingers still tightened slightly as she held the phone.
She softly agreed and hung up the phone, but a strange unease rose in her heart: it seemed that something was waiting for her, making her afraid to wholeheartedly go to this appointment.
After hanging up, Shen Qingyuan quickly received a phone call.
"I'm downstairs, come down quickly!"
It is Ye Chuyang.
"With such heavy snow, why did you drive here by yourself? Is the road easy to drive on?"
"It's easy to drive. There's not much snow on the road, and the temperature in Chenyang is high, so the snow on the asphalt will melt quickly."
Ye Chuyang laughed at her for nagging like a little mother.
As she came downstairs, Ye Chuyang saw her from afar, quickly walked a few steps to meet her, and took the gift from her hands.
"We already have too many gifts at home, and you're still buying more."
Shen Qingyuan: "When visiting someone's home, one should always show some courtesy."
She bought the black tea that Ye's father liked and donkey-hide gelatin for Su Qin. She wasn't sure if it was a bit stingy, but it was within her budget.
She lagged behind, slowly trudging through the snow. The temperature wasn't low; the snow would probably melt quickly.
"What's wrong?" Ye Chuyang put his things in the trunk of the car, walked up to her, straightened the corner of her scarf, and asked in a low, warm voice, "Are you unhappy?"
She shook her head: "It's nothing, I'm just... a little nervous."
He took her hand, their fingers intertwined, the warmth of his palm dispelling the chill.
"Are you afraid my parents won't like you?"
She didn't answer; her eyelashes drooped, like butterfly wings covered in snow.
It's not that I'm afraid I won't like it—Aunt Su Qin is very gentle, and we were already quite friendly when we met last time. Although I've never met Mr. Ye, I've heard Ye Chuyang say that his father is easygoing and approachable.
She was afraid that she wasn't good enough, afraid that she didn't deserve the light in his eyes, afraid that this hard-won stability would be shattered by a thoughtless word or an unintentional glance.
Her life had been shattered, and although it had been mended, the seams were still visible, and occasionally one could sense that she was no longer as fearless as before.
"Alright," he said, pulling Shen Qingyuan into his arms. "Don't be nervous, silly girl! They like me, and of course they like what I like."
Looking back now, he met her parents in Jicheng without any real preparation, and he didn't need any of this mental preparation at all. Looking at her nervous expression, what's wrong with him? He seems a little smug!
Upon actually meeting Ye Chuyang's parents, Shen Qingyuan's tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed.
They were more easygoing than she had imagined.
Ye Mingyuan, Ye's father, was a man of few words, but his eyes were gentle, and he always asked "Is it too hot?" before serving tea. Ye Qin, Ye's mother, was even more enthusiastic in a way that was just right—she didn't put on airs as an elder, but instead took her hand as soon as they met, her eyes slightly red: "Qingyuan, we should have gone to wish you a Happy New Year first. If it weren't for you taking care of Yangyang all this time, how could he have recovered so quickly?"
Su Qin recalled the scene of her son in a wheelchair half a year ago and felt a little scared.
Shen Qingyuan quickly waved her hand, her ears slightly warm: "Auntie, please don't say that. I'm a doctor, and also... a friend, it's all only right. Besides, Yangyang usually takes good care of me."
“Friends?” Su Qin smiled meaningfully, her eyes filled with warmth. “Then they must be ‘special’ friends.”
I specifically instructed the nanny to cook what dishes, and she went out early in the morning to pick me up. She came to visit on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. My son had never had such a good friend before.
The girl was smart and beautiful, and Su Qin knew her background well; the more she looked at her, the more she liked her.
Ye Chuyang was ladling soup for Shen Qingyuan when he heard this and paused, the ladle almost hitting the rim of the bowl. He glanced at his mother and said in a feigned helpless tone, "Mom, if you keep praising her like this, Dr. Shen will think our family wants to rely on her."
Su Qin glared at him, feigning anger: "Who told you to interrupt me? I want to talk to Qingyuan."
"I'm sorry to interrupt your endless thanks." He gently pushed the soup bowl in front of Shen Qingyuan. "If we keep talking, the food will get cold."
Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.
The table was already set with light and comforting dishes: steamed sea bass, shepherd's purse and tofu soup, garlic broccoli, chestnut chicken, and a pot of yam and pork rib soup—all of Shen Qingyuan's favorites.
Her heart softened, and she looked up at Ye Chuyang. He looked back at her, winking at her without making a sound.
During the meal, Su Qin only asked a few questions in a low voice about how busy she was at work and how her parents were doing, her tone as if she were concerned about her own child.
After dinner, Su Qin took her to see the snow in the neighborhood. Several plum trees were in full bloom, their red blossoms contrasting beautifully with the snow.
Ye's father took photos nearby, first taking a solo photo of Ye Chuyang, and then calling Shen Qingyuan over so that the two young people could take a group photo next to the winter plum tree.
The old man didn't say anything, but he understood perfectly well.
“Actually,” Su Qin pulled Shen Qingyuan aside and said with a smile, “we’ve known about you for a long time. Your Uncle Ye and I also watch the news.”
Shen Qingyuan was stunned. She had really forgotten. She assumed that her parents didn't pay attention to gossip news and naturally assumed that her elders didn't either.
In the eyes of Ye's parents, what the two of them were doing today was nothing more than children playing house!
Su Qin turned her head, her eyes filled with a smile and a hint of seriousness: "Qingyuan, today isn't about 'meeting the parents,' it's about 'getting to know the family.' Don't be nervous, and don't be shy. Come often, okay?"
Ye Chuyang's voice drifted from afar. He was making a snowball and I vaguely heard a few words: "Mom, don't scare people again!"
"Who scared him?" Su Qin replied with a smile, then winked at Shen Qingyuan, "Look, he's getting anxious."
A gust of wind blows, and the snowflakes on the trees fall to the ground, falling silently and in a fine, soft motion.
The fragrance of plum blossoms is intoxicating.
Shen Qingyuan suddenly felt that this snowy day had become incredibly warm because of these few red plum blossoms, a table of hot dishes, and the phrase "recognizing family."
-
On the fifth day, Ye Chuyang went to the Shen family again.
I've been on annual leave for three days now.
"Freshly baked crab roe xiaolongbao," he whispered, leaning close to her ear, "I was afraid you'd get tired of dumplings."
We've definitely eaten dumplings far too many times. Nan Lan is busy kneading dough in the kitchen; we'll probably have to eat them again today.
but……
Shen Qingyuan: "With you coming and going so frequently, the neighbors will start gossiping."
He laughed self-righteously: "Let it spread, it's going to spread sooner or later anyway."
Nan Lan called out, "Yuanyuan, who's here? Is it your third aunt's family?"
"Uh, it's Xiao Ye."
Shen Qingyuan remembered that her third aunt's family had come to visit today.
"Xiao Ye, come in quickly!" Nan Lan said, coming out to greet her.
Shen Qingyuan: "My third aunt's family is coming today, they should be here soon, why don't you go back first?"
"Why are you trying to send Xiao Ye away? Since you're here, let's get to know each other and have a meal together!" Nan Lan treated him like one of her own. "You guys chat, I'll go make dumplings."
My aunt's cousin is a fan of celebrities. If she saw Ye Chuyang, there's no way she wouldn't recognize her. She would go crazy. Shen Qingyuan felt this was inappropriate.
Nan Lan went into the kitchen and continued making dumplings.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Before anyone could react, Shen Qingyuan shoved him into her room, saying, "Quick, get out of here!"
Ye Chuyang laughed: "Keeping a beauty hidden away!"
She closed the bedroom door before opening the main gate. Sure enough, it was her third aunt and her family of three. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and auspicious greetings, and the living room immediately became lively.
-
Shen Qingyuan's room wasn't large, but it was very tidy. The sheets and duvet cover were light purple, and with the air conditioning on, it was quite warm.
The winter sun shines through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the desk and bookshelves.
Ye Chuyang had intended to sit and play on her phone for a while, but her gaze was drawn to the books on the bookshelf. There were many literature and professional books placed vertically on her desk.
Ye Chuyang ran his finger along the spine of the book. Inside was a notebook with no writing on the spine. He casually pulled it out.
After flipping through two pages, the boy grinned mischievously. The title page had the words "Shen Qingyuan" written on it, and it started with the time and weather—it was a diary.
Judging from the creation time, it was during my senior year of high school.
He hesitated for three seconds with his eyes closed, then gently opened the book. "Sorry, Shen Qingyuan, I was just too curious."
The diary entries mostly express the feelings of that year, self-discipline, and self-criticism for laziness. No wonder it's Shen Qingyuan; it's practically a self-whipping of the soul.
He flipped through the pages quickly, skimming them, and noticed that one page contained slightly different content:
I saw a cute little black dog on the street today. It had big, watery eyes, soft, folded ears, and a wagging tail.
The little black dog barked and said, "Shen Qingyuan, I like you."
so cute! ! !
I'd like to keep it at home, but I don't have the time. The college entrance exam is more important; choosing the university and major I want to attend is crucial.
Nothing else matters that much. But the puppy is so cute, waaaaah.
Among Shen Qingyuan's many diary entries filled with self-encouragement and introspection, this one is quite unusual. Is this really Shen Qingyuan?
She was clearly a girl whose heart had been melted by cuteness, and she couldn't help but use wavy lines and exclamation marks to express her joy even in punctuation.
In a diary filled with "self-criticism," this entry is like a fairytale bubble that has broken into reality, light, soft, and shining out of place.
He looked at the date and suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.
He remembered the date; it was the day his art exam results were released. It was a watershed moment in his life, so he remembered it very well.
It was also the day he called Shen Qingyuan to the playground and confessed his feelings to her.
He looked back again, and saw the little black dog barking and saying, "Shen Qingyuan, I like you."
That's right, that's what she wrote. That night, he probably wouldn't have said those words to anyone else but himself, or even some little black dog.
Unless, of course, "the little black dog" is him!
Oh, I see!
-
The living room fell silent as Shen Qingyuan quietly pushed open the door and entered.
"My aunt and the others said they're going to buy some things and have left. Do you want to take this opportunity to go home?"
He didn't say anything, but looked up at her with a serious expression.
"Ye Chuyang, what's wrong? Are you angry? I'm only doing this for your own good..."
"Shen Qingyuan, come out with me for a moment."
"Hmm?" She felt inexplicably nervous.
The two went downstairs. It was cold, and there were few people in the neighborhood, except for the occasional elderly person taking a stroll.
"What exactly happened?"
He grabbed her wrist, feeling a mix of annoyance and relief at being exonerated: "Shen Qingyuan, I knew it! My charm back then couldn't have been that insignificant."
"ah?"
He pulled the diary out of his pocket and waved it in front of her.
Her expression changed drastically. She rushed over and snatched the diary, her voice trembling: "You...you read it?"
He tucked the diary back into his coat, then swept her into his arms. "You little black dog, aren't you, Shen Qingyuan? Don't insult me like that!"
She struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, so she buried her face in his chest and muttered, "Who told you to rummage through my things..."
"How would I know my little girl has been thinking about me since high school if I didn't look through it?" He lowered his head and kissed the crown of her head, his smile gentle. "Now I have proof. I'll have to keep this diary safe!"
"Who's after you?" she denied, her heart pounding. "Could there really be such a little black dog?"
"Really? Then how come it can talk? And why does it say 'Shen Qingyuan, I like you'?" He rested his chin on the top of her head, hugging her so tightly that she could hardly breathe, and interrogated her: "Tell me, why did you write me as a little black dog?"
He always thought he was a fool who was blindly pursuing someone, but he didn't know that she had also been moved by him, only that she had secretly hidden that feeling in a diary.
"I...I don't want anyone else to know." She gasped, surrendering.
From the age of 10, Shen Qingyuan discovered that her mother would sometimes secretly read her diary. When she encountered something she really wanted to write down, she would choose to write it in a "coded" style.
I had completely forgotten about it, but he brought it up again.
An elderly man taking a stroll passed by in the distance. He stopped and turned to look at them as if he were watching a spectacle.
Ye Chuyang released her, then suddenly realized, "Shen Qingyuan, you were right to reject me back then!"
"Um?"
"If I were to fall in love and have you on my mind all the time, and couldn't stop thinking about you, it would be hard for me to persevere and achieve fame overnight. Yes, it's better to refuse."
Shen Qingyuan: "..."
He's quite good at convincing himself.
Shen Qingyuan: "...Whatever makes you happy!"
The old man in the distance had already walked away sometime ago.
Eleven years later, her secret was finally deciphered by the person who most needed to know.
Sigh, I originally wanted to cultivate a cool and aloof persona, to have him under my thumb forever. In the future, I'll definitely have to come up with some new methods…
Will the future be interesting?
Her world is actually full of aging, disease, permanent disability, and even death.
A world war might break out soon, so let's hold out a little longer until then! Yeah, with this person!
(End of article)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
