Chapter 105 A Precious Gift
That night, Lin Yu had another sad dream.
She dreamt that on a pitch-black night, she boarded a swaying bus. Halfway through the journey, the bus suddenly caught fire, and the out-of-control bus rushed towards a damp riverbank.
Everyone was forced off the bus. In the crowd, Lin Yu saw a kind-looking old lady standing not far away. She tremblingly grabbed her hand and said that she couldn't find her way home and insisted that Lin Yu take her back.
His wrinkled hands, cold as ice, gripped her wrist tightly, and he held her close as they staggered along the dark riverbank in the boundless night.
Lin Yu didn't know the old lady at all, nor did she know where she lived, but her footsteps seemed to have a mind of their own, traversing the thick darkness and escorting the old lady to her doorstep.
As the outline of the old house gradually emerged in the darkness, the old woman suddenly grabbed Lin Yu's hand and burst into tears. She said she was her mother, and had been waiting for her by the river for many years, finally welcoming her home.
In his dream, Lin Yu felt a strange heartache, as if icy river water had washed over his chest.
She realized that she had already died the moment the bus exploded, but everything happened so suddenly that her consciousness was still caught between life and death, wandering aimlessly in the world.
Lin Yu finally understood, and knelt down at his mother's feet, crying, begging her to help him free his trapped soul.
The mother's face turned deathly pale, like mist blown away by the wind, drifting further and further away. Behind her, the house twisted and collapsed in the darkness, turning into a desolate graveyard.
It turns out that the mother had passed away many years ago, but because she was worried about her daughter, her soul lingered and waited patiently at the boundary between the living and the dead.
Lin Yu woke up amidst heart-wrenching sobs, her pillow soaked with tears. Even back in reality, the dull ache in her chest lingered for a long time.
Unable to fall asleep again, Lin Yu glanced at the time and guessed that Lin Min should have already gotten up, so he called his mother.
The phone was answered after only a few rings, and a tired voice came through the receiver. "What's wrong?"
"Mom, I just had a nightmare." Lin Yu's voice still had a noticeable nasal tone from crying.
"What did you dream about?" There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Lin Min's gentle inquiry.
“I dreamt that I died, and you came to take me home.”
"But actually you're dead too, and the house has become a grave. I'm terrified, and I don't even know where to go in my dreams."
“If you say it out loud, the dream will be shattered. Don’t be afraid.” Lin Min’s voice suddenly became exceptionally clear, as if she were standing right next to Lin Yu.
"Mom, are you scared?" Lin Min knew that her daughter was talking about more than just the dream; she was also talking about Lin Feng.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. Everyone goes through this, sooner or later."
Lin Min keenly sensed that her daughter's low spirits weren't solely due to her aunt's illness. "Has something been bothering you lately?" she asked softly. "Is work not going well? Or... are you having relationship problems?"
Although Lin Yu had a lot to say, she didn't want to cause her mother any more trouble at this critical juncture. She simply shook her head gently, and remembering that Lin Min was blind, added, "It's nothing, I'm just a little worried about Auntie."
Lin Min sighed, her voice lowering. "...Your aunt has suffered so much in her life." She choked up as she spoke of her sister. "I hope this time...she can pull through."
Lin Min comforted her daughter a few more times, then said she had to go to school and hung up the phone. At that moment, a knock sounded at the door; she knew without a doubt it was Chen Guang.
Before parting yesterday, perhaps because of his own bitterness and urgent desire to confide in someone, Lin Yu inexplicably revealed everything about Lin Feng.
To everyone's surprise, after listening to her story, Chen Guang solemnly concluded that her bad mood was due to insufficient dopamine secretion, and immediately volunteered to take on the responsibility of urging her to run.
Even more outrageous, shortly after he got home, he sent her a detailed exercise plan, which made Lin Yu's temples throb. She mentally slapped herself several times, wishing she could go back to the moment before she confessed and cover her mouth.
The doorbell rang three more times, with a mixture of enthusiasm and annoying urgency.
Lin Yu walked over and opened the door in a few steps. Chen Guang was standing there wearing a light gray tracksuit. He looked clean and refreshing, like a male college student who had not been corrupted by the workplace.
"It's 6:37." He glanced at his watch, looking just like a personal trainer she'd paid for. "Change your clothes. We're leaving in three minutes. Remember to be punctual tomorrow."
Lin Yu wrapped her pajamas tighter, leaning sleepily against the doorframe. "Whoever told you to go find them..." she yawned, her voice slurred.
"I haven't gotten up this early since the college entrance exam. It's freezing cold, I'm going back to sleep." He said, and started to close the door.
Chen Guang reacted quickly, blocking the door and preventing her from succeeding. A smile played on his lips, revealing his canine teeth.
A cold wind slipped in through the crack in the door, making Lin Yu shiver and instantly dispelling most of his sleepiness. The two of them were locked in a struggle through the door, but in the end, Lin Yu succumbed to the other's persistent gaze.
Ten minutes later, wrapped in a thick scarf, she reluctantly followed Chen Guang to the riverside park behind the residential area.
Lin Yu stood on the red plastic track, leaning against the railing with his neck hunched, his gaze sweeping around.
The sun had just risen, and the park was quiet. As far as the eye could see, there were only two or three egrets standing by the water and a few old men who bumped into trees, shouting and laughing in a self-satisfied manner.
Chen Guang reached out and pulled Lin Yu's arm, leading her in warm-up exercises. Since it was the first day, he only arranged a two-kilometer jog. He let Lin Yu run ahead while he followed behind, reminding her to adjust her posture and breathing from time to time.
Who knew that after running less than 800 meters, Lin Yu's speed slowed down significantly, and he finally stopped, bent over, and gasped for breath.
"I can't... I really can't run anymore..." She hunched over, waving her hands, her breathing rapid. "Please spare me, the air is too dry, it hurts my throat when I breathe it in."
"It seems that winter is indeed not a good time for exercise; one should just stay in bed and rest."
Chen Guang didn't know what was wrong with him. Ever since he confronted her last night, he had changed tactics, finding all sorts of ways to make things difficult for her. Right now, he grabbed her arm and half-forced her to keep running forward.
"Banban, with your physical condition, everything you do will be very strenuous." He meant that she should pay attention to her physical fitness when she works, but Lin Yu heard his words and found them to be full of ambiguity.
She glared at him fiercely, wanting to tell him that the exercises she did in private didn't require her to exert any effort at all. But then she thought it was pointless to talk to him, so she snorted and turned her head away.
Lin Yu stumbled and struggled to finish the two-kilometer run. He felt weak all over, but his mind became unusually clear.
The cold air broke through her diaphragm and filled her lungs, as if the stuffiness and oppression of the past few days were being expelled from her body with each deep breath.
The two were resting by the railing when Lin Yu turned his head and saw Chen Guang typing on his phone. Out of curiosity, he went over to take a look and saw him editing a post for his WeChat Moments.
"Why have you been posting so much on WeChat Moments lately?" Lin Yu asked, suddenly remembering that just a few days ago, he had seen Lin Yu share photos of himself snorkeling in Sanya on WeChat.
"Your company should have regulations against distributing these things indiscriminately, right?"
Chen Guang didn't answer Lin Yu's question immediately. He edited the photo and sent it out. Putting away his phone, he raised an eyebrow at the clueless person beside him and smiled meaningfully, "Don't worry, I set up a group; it's only visible to a select few."
......
A month later, Lin Feng's surgical wound was healing well. Based on the pathology report and physical assessment, the doctor formulated a first-phase chemotherapy plan for her.
The day before treatment began, the nurse implanted an infusion port in Lin Feng's arm. After everything was ready, Lin Feng specially asked Lin Yu to come to the hospital to shave her head.
The scissors pierced her glossy black hair. With a sharp snip, in a swift motion, her aunt's prized braid fell to the ground. Lin Yu looked at the scattered black hair and knew that the real battle had only just begun.
The first chemotherapy session lasted two days. To save money and allow Lin Feng to rest better, Zou Lang and her uncle would pick her up and take her home to recuperate after each infusion.
As the medication took effect, side effects began to appear: persistent nausea, lingering fatigue, and a rapidly diminishing appetite caused the once plump Lin Feng to lose weight at a visible rate.
Lin Yu added the attending physician on WeChat, carefully recording every change in her aunt and promptly reporting back to the doctor so that the treatment plan could be adjusted as needed.
After the first chemotherapy cycle ended, Lin Feng returned to her rented room, gathering her strength for the next round of treatment.
Lin Yu shuttles back and forth between work and the hospital, and also tries to keep in touch with her mother whenever she has a spare moment. She's constantly spinning like a top.
Only then did she understand Chen Guang's intention in forcing her to run. If it weren't for the physical training she had undergone during this period, she probably would have been overwhelmed by such a high-intensity schedule long ago.
That day, she had just left the hospital and was walking home when her phone suddenly rang. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. She pressed the answer button, held the phone to her ear, and waited for the other person to speak first.
"Hello, are you Ms. Lin Yu?"
"Yes, who are you?"
"This is an Audi dealership. The car you ordered has arrived. We'd like to confirm when it would be convenient for you to come and pick it up?"
"A car?" Lin Yu was completely confused. "Are you sure you're not mistaken? I didn't order a car."
"Please wait a moment." There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of papers being turned over. "Here's the thing, the system shows Mr. Jiang Chuan's name as the registered owner, but you are the registered owner."
Lin Yu's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his phone. Suddenly realizing something, he paused, then asked, "Can I return this car?"
After returning from Anji, Jiang Chuan would accompany her to practice driving whenever he had free time, and would always casually ask her what car brands she liked. At the time, she thought it was just casual conversation, but now, after their breakup, those conversations have finally pieced together the complete truth.
This car was a gift he had prepared long ago.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." The voice on the other end of the phone adopted a businesslike tone. "The color of this car was specially ordered and took more than two months to arrive. Returns and exchanges are not supported."
Two months? That's exactly the number of days they broke up. Lin Yu felt a pang of sadness. After hanging up the phone, he decided to go to the 4S store in person.
Two hours later, a brand-new dark green Audi S3 carefully drove into the residential area.
Lin Yu gripped the steering wheel, her palms sweating. She couldn't recall the parallel parking techniques Jiang Chuan had taught her. The car was stuck crookedly at the edge of the parking space, unable to move forward or backward.
Finally, two elderly men who were taking a stroll couldn't bear to watch any longer. One of them gestured with his hands behind his back, while the other stood with his hands on his hips and directed from behind. Like two living parking sensors, they struggled for a while before finally helping her park the car crookedly in the parking space.
Lin Yu turned off the engine but didn't get out of the car immediately. He sat in his seat for a while, lost in thought. He didn't know what he was thinking; his mind was a jumbled mess, and the more he tried to sort it out, the more confused he became.
She wanted to take out her phone and call Jiang Chuan to ask him to drive the car away, or she wanted to drive directly to his law firm and hand the keys over to Yuan Jie or Zhang Hengyuan.
Thoughts arose and then faded, but in the end, they could only be abandoned. The screen went out, and the phone was placed face down on the lap.
Lin Yu thought that now was not the time; at least they should wait until Lin Feng's chemotherapy cycle was over.
She convinced herself of this, but knew it was just an excuse to procrastinate.
She knew she hadn't figured out how to face him yet. Should she thank him casually, or should she throw the car keys at his face and pretend she'd never seen through his true feelings?
But she knew she couldn't keep it for too long, no matter what. The car was just what she wanted; every detail, from the color to the features, reminded her how precious the gift was.
She feared that once she got used to this kind of life, she would become accustomed to the warmth of being well taken care of, and it would be difficult for her to return to her own life, which was full of hardships and tribulations.
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