Chapter 87 Returning Home on a Snowy Night (End of Main Text) "I..."
Upon seeing it was him, Lan Jia hastily wiped away her tears, pushed open the car door, got out, and coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"
Meng Cenjun was still panting. He held her shoulders and pulled her arm, touching and probing her here and there, carefully checking her over before finally asking, "Are you...are you alright?"
Lan Jia angrily pulled her hand away: "What does it matter to you whether I live or die?"
He choked up, "It's my fault, I shouldn't have let you come out alone."
She looked at him, her eyes red, waiting for him to continue.
Then she heard Meng Cenjun say to her in a hoarse, almost humble voice, "The roads are slippery because of the snow, shall I take you home?"
"I'll take you to the airport..."
Lan Jia's chest heaved violently, and large tears rolled down her cheeks. Suddenly, she burst out with a curse: "Get out of here!"
She pushed him with all her might: "Who asked you to deliver it? Who asked you to deliver it? Get out of here right now!"
Meng Cenjun stumbled as she pushed him, each word like a knife stabbing into him.
"Lan Jia..." he said weakly to her, "I'm worried about you, I'm worried about you being alone."
"Who cares what you do? Where were you all this time?" Lan Jia completely broke down, pointing her finger at his nose and yelling, "Meng Cenjun, you're sick, you're absolutely insane!"
She tried to push him away again, but when she couldn't, she hit him, and then started sobbing, "Do you know what you're doing? I have no idea what you're doing..."
Meng Cenjun stood there without moving, letting her vent her anger by hitting him. For a moment, all that remained was endless sorrow.
Yes, she's right, he is sick, he's terminally ill.
Of all the people in the world, he didn't want her to see him in this inhuman state.
Since being with him wouldn't bring her happiness, and since he was destined to be a burden to her, how could he selfishly keep her by his side any longer?
Having made up her mind, Meng Cenjun was afraid that she would regret it immediately, so she made up her mind and said to her, "I know very well what I am doing."
"Lan Jia, you really need some healthy, open and aboveboard love."
"What I can't give you, others will give you more."
“It’s getting late,” he said, pulling her hand and speaking with a strained yet cruel tone, “Get in the car, I’ll take you to the airport.”
Lan Jia smiled, a smile through her tears, and pried his fingers apart one by one.
"Okay, you said it yourself."
"I don't need you to send it to me anymore."
She looked at him, her smile vanishing abruptly, replaced by an unprecedented malice and hatred.
“Meng Cenjun, listen to me carefully.”
"I never want to see you again in this life, in the next life, and forever, ever, ever again!"
After he finished speaking, all was silent.
In the swirling snow, the two stood stiffly facing each other under the dim streetlights, snowflakes falling all over their heads.
Ten years of companionship, yet so close, yet worlds apart.
Severing the last ties of family with her own hands, Lan Jia didn't immediately feel immense pain and sorrow.
She was completely numb. She turned around and walked forward unsteadily.
A car was approaching from the front. It braked suddenly and a person jumped out in a hurry.
"Lan Jia!"
Qiao Zimu rushed over and pulled her into his arms: "How are you? Are you hurt?"
Lan Jia was unable to speak, her face was pale and weak, and she could only keep waving her hands.
He glanced at Meng Cenjun not far away, and when he met her gaze, he felt a deathly aura emanating from her, and a sudden chill ran down his spine for no reason.
Not daring to cause trouble and miss the opportunity, he quickly helped Lan Jia into the car and hurriedly started the engine.
The two people disappeared quickly.
Only Meng Cenjun remained, emaciated, standing in the snow.
On the way to the airport, Lan Jia was trembling all over.
The car's heater was on full blast, and Qiao Zimu's coat was wrapped tightly around her, but she still felt cold—a cold that seeped into her bones.
Hearing her teeth chattering, Qiao Zimu asked tenderly, "Shall I go buy you a hot drink?"
Lan Jia shook her head, rubbed her hands together, and breathed into them to warm them up, but she couldn't get them warm.
"Don't stop, keep going, go as far as you can."
Seeing her like this, he felt a pang of heartache: "What were you two talking about just now? Everything was fine, how did it turn out like this? I shouldn't have let you come back alone!"
The carriage was silent for a moment, then a faint sobbing sound came from inside, intermittent and growing louder and louder.
"It's over, Xiao Qiao, it's completely over between him and me..."
Qiao Zimu didn't know what to say, so he handed her two tissues and offered a dry, comforting remark: "At least you still have me."
"It will pass quickly, things will get better, let's change our environment and start a new life."
"It's not getting any better," she sobbed incoherently, blowing her nose. "It's so uncomfortable!"
"I feel so awful, I feel like I'm going to die!"
Thinking of the culprit, Qiao Zimu's face darkened: "He abandoned you, he let you go, it's not worth being so heartbroken over him."
Hearing this, Lan Jia felt resentful, but she cried even louder.
She hated his heartlessness, and hated herself even more for being so weak-willed; even though she was hurt so deeply, she still couldn't let go.
Qiao Zimu knew what she was thinking, and he became even more frustrated and angry. He didn't dare to say or persuade her, for fear that she would change her mind again. He just wanted to take advantage of the fact that her resolute thoughts hadn't dissipated and get her away from this place of trouble in one go.
Only by flying far away can she stop thinking about him all day long and stop getting hurt.
After rushing all the way, I finally arrived at the airport, only to be told that my flight was delayed.
After completing the formalities, the two had no choice but to sit in the waiting area and wait.
After settling her in, Qiao Zimu got up to buy hot cocoa.
Lan Jia sat there absentmindedly, startled by the sudden ringing of the telephone.
She was afraid it was that person, yet she also hoped it was that person.
But she knew he would never call her again.
"Hello."
"Lan Jia, Happy New Year!" It was already past midnight when Su Yuanyi's cheerful voice came through the receiver.
"Happy New Year, Yuanyuan," she said softly.
"How are things going with you two? Are you together yet?"
Hearing these words, Lan Jia felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing her heart.
"I'm at the airport, I'm leaving."
Su Yuanyi was shocked: "No way! My God, who is this person? You were about to leave with another man, and he didn't even try to stop you?"
"Hmm, maybe I'm not that important to him at all. I'm just overthinking it."
"I'm so sorry, Lan Jia, it was such a terrible idea. I didn't understand the situation properly before coming up with a solution for you. Sigh, now that you've messed things up like this, I really feel..."
"It wasn't your fault, Yuan Yuan. Now it's all over, and I've completely given up on you."
"Then tell me honestly, are you alright right now? I'll fly over from Suizhou to be with you immediately if you need me."
Lan Jia's nose stung with tears, and she wiped them away. Just as she was about to say something, she heard a series of firecrackers going off on the other end of the line. After the firecrackers stopped, she heard a deep male voice speaking in Suizhou dialect: "Yuan Yuan, we're one short for the mahjong table. Aren't you going to come and fill in?"
Su Yuanyi shouted from afar, "I'm not coming! I'm busy right now. Let my second brother do it!"
After hearing this, Lan Jia swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
It's the Lunar New Year, a time when people are having a joyous family reunion; how could she possibly disturb them?
"Lan Jia, Lan Jia? Are you still listening?" Su Yuanyi asked worriedly.
Lan Jia forced a smile: "I'm here. I'm fine, don't worry, have fun."
"Alright, stop lying. Why pretend to be strong at a time like this? Just cry in my arms."
Lan Jiazhen smiled.
The corners of her lips curved into a smile, but the smile quickly faded, and she fell silent.
Su Yuanyi understood, and simply asked, "I'll introduce you to some of my brother's friends another day. They're all incredibly handsome guys. Do you want to?"
"You should keep it yourself."
Yuan Yi laughed heartily and asked without any hesitation, "Is it because you're still thinking about him?"
Lan Jia was furious: "Yuan Yuan!"
"Actually, there's something I've been keeping from you. I'm not telling you now to offer advice; the facts are right in front of you, so you can judge for yourself."
"Um."
“Last time, I called Meng Cenjun and told him about your pregnancy, and I also gave him a good scolding. He promised me then that he would propose to you.”
"Lan Jia, whether you are pregnant or not, he will propose to you."
Lan Jia gripped the phone tightly: "Perhaps, marriage will allow them to keep me under their control. That's not love."
"Fool, what about now? Didn't he let you go?"
"Think about it, someone who used to be so controlling is now willingly letting you go. What does that mean?"
Lan Jia remained silent, her heart pounding wildly, filled with unease.
Just then, another phone call came in; it was from Zhou Qin.
Just as she was hesitating whether to answer, Su Yuanyi said, "Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to play mahjong."
"Think carefully about what I just said."
The other end hung up after I finished speaking.
The phone call from Zhou Qin was still ringing.
She took a deep breath, thinking she wanted to hear what he had to say, but was interrupted by voices behind her.
Qiao Zimu was standing there looking at her, holding two cups of hot drinks.
Are you leaving?
He didn't answer, looking at her swollen eyes, like a rabbit's.
When they were little, he cried countless times in front of her, and each time she would tease him, saying he looked like a big yellow dog peeing. He was furious and always wanted to find a chance to mock her back. Now that they're grown up, he sees her tears, but he just can't bring himself to say anything.
That was clearly a pitiful rabbit, an injured rabbit that he was determined to protect at all costs.
How could he possibly stand by and watch her suffer and get hurt again?
Qiao Zimu smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Lan Jia, I have something to tell you."
"Is it very important?"
"Right now."
Lan Jia stood up and had no choice but to hang up on Zhou Qin's call.
Time passed quickly, the snowfall gradually subsided, and the previously delayed flights took off one after another.
Thousands of lights illuminate homes as families celebrate the festival.
It's past midnight, and the whole city is still running smoothly.
Anfeng Road remains deserted, with people coming and going.
The downstairs living room was a mess, with tables, chairs, and ornaments overturned and broken into pieces.
Upstairs, only Lan Jia's bedroom was neat and clean.
The night was long, and the whole house was deathly silent.
After an unknown amount of time, a loud, explosive sound suddenly came from the void.
Someone violently flung open the door and barged in, their footsteps thundering as they rushed upstairs.
Meng Cenjun suddenly opened her eyes, as if she had been resurrected from the dead, and immediately sat up in bed.
At the same time, Lan Jia arrived, covered in snow, panting as she looked at him.
The force of the impact sent Meng Cenjun staggering back several steps before she fell onto the carpet, the medicine bottle in her hand rolling away and pills scattering all over the floor.
Lan Jia used both her hands and feet, almost writhing around him, hugging him here and there, but she felt it was never tight enough. Finally, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly, tears falling like raindrops onto his face.
"Why...why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
Why didn't you tell me?
"If I had known... if I had known, I would never have left..."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things to you, they were so hurtful, I really shouldn't have..."
"Brother, I'm so sorry..."
A myriad of emotions surged up, like a volcanic eruption, shattering all the knots in her heart.
Lan Jia held him tightly, not thinking about anything, not caring about anything, just wailing incessantly.
Just like countless times since she was a child, she hid in his arms and cried like a newborn baby.
Meng Cenjun trembled all over, his hands shaking as he hugged her waist tightly, as if he had lost her and found her again. He used all his strength to tighten the grip, as if he wanted to merge his bones and blood together.
"Lan Jia, Lan Jia, Lan Jia..."
He couldn't say anything else, he could only murmur her name, and with each murmur, a tear would slide down his cheek.
"Please don't go with him, okay?"
"I need you."
“I really… need you.”
Lan Jia nodded frantically, agreeing while sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm not leaving anymore. From now on, I'll stay by your side! I want to be with you!"
"Brother, no matter what happens, we'll never be apart..."
"Please don't push me away anymore, okay?"
“How could I?” he said hoarsely and painfully. “How could I… You have no idea how much I love you.”
Lan Jia burst into even louder sobs.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
"If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have argued with you so many times!"
"It doesn't matter anymore, it doesn't matter anymore, Lan Jia."
"Because now, I will tell you clearly."
"I love you, I love you so much, I will only love you."
Lan Jia nodded, nodding repeatedly.
"I heard it! I heard it!"
"I also want to tell you clearly."
"I've thought it through, and I'm absolutely certain."
"I love you, I love you, I love you..."
Before they could finish speaking, the two of them couldn't help but shed tears and hugged each other tightly.
Meng Cenjun buried his head affectionately in the crook of her neck, feeling as if he had regained what he had lost, and slowly smiled.
He thought that his heart had been resurrected.
Lan Jia cried for an unknown amount of time, venting her emotions until her voice became completely hoarse.
Meng Cenjun helped her sit up, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and wiped away the wetness from her face before saying seriously, "There's something I've always wanted to ask you formally."
Lan Jia stared at him blankly and said, "You're not going to propose to me, are you?"
He fell silent, his eyes filled with tenderness and helplessness.
Lan Jia knew she had guessed right, and smiled through her tears: "Yuan Yuan told me everything."
Meng Cenjun got up, opened the bedside table drawer, and took out the exquisite octagonal ring box.
Lan Jia didn't even look at the ring; she was already bursting with excitement like fireworks, rushing over and eagerly answering him.
"good."
"I agree."
"I do." "I do, I do, I do..."
Meng Cenjun sighed with a mixture of happiness and helplessness: "Actually, I had prepared a very long proposal speech."
Lan Jia secretly kissed his ear: "Then you have to tell me every day."
He smiled and said okay.
Right now.
The small lamps inside glowed softly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Snowflakes were falling softly and gently outside.
Amidst the vast expanse of white, Qiao Zimu gazed out the car window at that single, warm yellow light and smiled with relief.
He suddenly remembered the question Meng Cenjun had asked him in Galveston.
Now, he has finally found the answer.
(End of text)
Author's Note: The main story ends here for now. Ahhh, I'll write the ending remarks later. A whole bunch of side stories are on their way (some minor plot holes will also be filled in the side stories). Or if there are any side stories you'd like to see, feel free to tell me in the comments. Okay, I just finished finishing the rankings, my mind is all over the place, I'm going to wash up first.
P.S.: This chapter was written in a hurry and will be revised later.
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