Chapter 36: Don’t regret it only after losing

After Qing Hang left, Cheng Wanyue cried even harder.

She stood right at the elevator entrance, visible to everyone going up and down, but she made no attempt to hide or retreat. Only then did Yan Ci realize that she had merely not wanted Qing Hang to see her tears earlier.

In front of the person she loved, there was always a certain pride that couldn’t be compromised.

As for others, she didn’t care.

“Can’t go back to drink, want to stay in the car for a while?” Yan Ci shielded her from the curious gazes of passersby. In her current state, going home would only worry Cheng Yanqing.

Cheng Wanyue didn’t speak, only nodding slightly.

Her high heels were newly bought. Her previous job paid a monthly salary that barely covered the cost of a basic pair of this brand. After playing around for over two months, she had had her fill.

The shoes were beautiful, but not very comfortable. She had just taken them out of the shoe cabinet before leaving.

This was the first time she wore them, and they were a bit uncomfortable.

Yan Ci got into the car and turned on the air conditioning, then went to buy water and tissues. By the time he returned to the car, the taxi driver had also delivered Qing Hang’s phone.

Cheng Wanyue was still crying, her emotions not improving but becoming even more aggrieved than when she argued with Qing Hang.

In recent years, she rarely cried. Even during her time in the sterile ward, she often made them laugh instead.

Yan Ci took out a bottle of mineral water, loosened the cap, and handed it to Cheng Wanyue. “Because of the person you met in the hospital parking lot?”

“... It’s his senior sister.”

“In school, people usually call her that. Even after graduation, a senior is still a senior. Others probably call her that too; it’s quite normal and doesn’t imply anything romantic.”

“It’s not about the title,” Cheng Wanyue lowered her head to wipe away her tears. “They have so much to talk about—shared pursuits, common topics—but I can’t understand any of it.”

That morning at the hotel, when Li Yu called Qing Hang, Cheng Wanyue was right there.

Yan Ci didn’t know Li Yu, having only met her once in the parking lot. His first impression was that she and Qing Hang were very similar.

“Work is just work. Being serious and responsible about work is an essential professional quality in his field. When you talk to your friends about music, instruments, or fashion, we don’t understand either. Does that make you look down on us? No, so Qing Hang wouldn’t look down on you either. There are plenty of highly educated, high-IQ medical talents around him, but there’s only one Cheng Wanyue.”

“... But he told others about what happened between me and him.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Yan Ci watched her tears fall drop by drop. “Maybe like you now, he got drunk and let it slip unintentionally.”

“I wouldn’t say it even if I were drunk,” Cheng Wanyue turned her head. “And... he hasn’t contacted me for days.”

“Being busy isn’t an excuse. Maybe... maybe he’s afraid you’d get annoyed. Don’t you dislike others clinging to you?”

After a long while, she muttered softly, “... He’s not just anyone.”

“You need to tell that to Qing Hang,” Yan Ci lowered the car window to let in some air. “Cried yourself out? I won’t interfere with what’s between you two. I can’t help you beat him up, but I can help your brother comfort you.”

Cheng Wanyue leaned against the car door, hiding her face in the darkness. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Yan Ci started the car, driving slowly to prevent Cheng Wanyue from getting carsick. “Staying in a hotel, I can’t take care of you. It’s better to send you home to sleep.”

“Cheng Yanqing will scold me.”

“You’ve cried so much; he’ll only feel sorry for you. How could he have the heart to scold you?”

Before they reached home, Cheng Wanyue had already fallen asleep. Before calling Cheng Yanqing, Yan Ci slipped Qing Hang’s phone into her bag.

With the phone in her possession, Qing Hang would have a reason to come find her.

Cheng Yanqing rushed out of the elevator, and after Yan Ci briefly explained the situation, he stood by the car, silently watching Cheng Wanyue’s tear-streaked face without saying anything.

The car was stuffy, and there wasn’t much room to stretch. Cheng Wanyue moved slightly, and her forehead bumped against the car door. Cheng Yanqing extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in his hand and gently lifted her out.

Yan Ci followed upstairs to help with the keys and open the door.

Cheng Yanqing didn’t wake Cheng Wanyue. Unable to change her clothes, he still wanted her to sleep comfortably, patiently removing her makeup and wiping her hands and face.

When his girlfriend was still in the country, he often dragged her home from the dance floor. This routine was something he was very familiar with.

The next day, after Cheng Wanyue woke up, her head was pounding. She couldn’t remember how she got home. Cheng Yanqing took a day off and cooked a pot of porridge, waiting for her to get up.

She had slept all night, but her eyes were still swollen, her clothes wrinkled, and her complexion not good. After taking a bath, she looked slightly better.

Cheng Yanqing was frying eggs and bacon in the kitchen, and the aroma wafted into the bathroom. Cheng Wanyue quickly dried her hair and wandered around the living room with Mei Qiu in her arms a few times.

“Brother, why aren’t you at work?”

“I took a leave.”

Cheng Wanyue knew exactly why. “You should scold me.”

“Who says you can’t act up? Mom gets moody at this age too,” Cheng Yanqing smiled as he fed her a piece of bacon. “But no matter what happens, never be afraid to come home. Compared to seeing you return looking disheveled, it worries us more to think of you alone outside.”

“I won’t drink anymore.”

“Just a little bit is okay; don’t overdo it.”

“Mm-hmm!” She hadn’t swallowed the bacon yet, speaking with a muffled voice. “Did I throw up on Yan Ci yesterday?”

Cheng Yanqing said, “No, he was also kept up by you until late last night. Call him later.”

Her appetite was poor after drinking, and Cheng Wanyue ate very little. Her whole body felt uncomfortable, lying down didn’t help her sleep, and it wasn’t until the afternoon that she prepared to call Yan Ci. While searching for her phone, she dumped everything out of her bag onto the table and noticed an extra phone.

The screen saver was her photo, but it wasn’t hers, nor could it be Yan Ci’s.

Two minutes before Cheng Wanyue called Yan Ci, Qing Hang borrowed Zhou Heng’s phone to contact him. Their conversation wasn’t finished when Yan Ci hung up on Cheng Wanyue’s call.

Yan Ci continued their previous topic. “We won’t discuss who’s right or wrong in other matters for now, but leaving her alone there is a major fault.”

Qing Hang’s emotions were flat. “Aren’t you there?”

He would strive for every opportunity for his future. For him, Cheng Wanyue was further away than those life goals.

Yan Ci only had two hands. Last night, after stopping Cheng Wanyue, he didn’t have the energy to stop Qing Hang. “How can you compare yourself to me? You don’t think she was crying for me, do you? What do I have that’s worth her shedding tears for? Whoever made her feel wronged should be the one to comfort her. I’m returning to Shanghai the day after tomorrow. I can’t help you, nor am I able to.”

Things went smoother than expected, and Yan Ci changed his flight ticket after finalizing the contract. It wasn’t because of yesterday’s incident.

“Wanyue may be very willful, but her likes and dislikes are clear. Even if she dislikes someone, she would never deliberately target them. The most direct way she shows dislike is by ignoring someone, finding it annoying even to speak to them. She came to Beijing to find you; why are you still holding a grudge? Drunken words are just venting; don’t take them seriously.”

“She has already quit and is preparing to go home.”

“Quitting is just changing jobs, and going home doesn’t mean she’s going back to her parents. Last night, I kept nagging her to go home. She was just tired, exhausted, feeling jealous and wronged, and wanted to go back to sleep.”

Qing Hang fell silent for a moment. Cheng Wanyue had never been jealous of him, and he had no jealousy to make her feel.

“Why was she so angry?”

“Full of joy, she brought you dinner, only to see another woman sitting on your desk with the jade pendant you gave her. She knows about the things between you two. Tell me, wouldn’t that make her angry? Over the years, who else has she brought meals to? I bet even Cheng Yanqing hasn’t received such treatment.”

Qing Hang hadn’t mentioned Cheng Wanyue to anyone. He himself didn’t dare to recall those memories, let alone talk about their past with others.

Yan Ci was biased towards Cheng Wanyue, and he admitted it.

“Qing Hang, having Wanyue back as she used to be is something many people wish for. Her health isn’t great; every time she gets a check-up, the doctors say she’s anemic. Her parents, Cheng Yanqing, Cheng Yuzhou, Zhou Yu, her uncle and aunt, and of course, including me—all of us hope she can be as healthy and happy as before. The most common thing in her house isn’t cosmetics, clothes, or jewelry—it’s talismans for peace.”

Cheng Wanyue didn’t want Qing Hang to know, so he couldn’t say it directly.

“Qing Hang, don’t wait until it’s too late to regret.”

Yan Ci told Qing Hang that his phone was with Cheng Wanyue. He was smoking, and Qing Hang was smoking too.

An hour later, Yan Ci finally returned Cheng Wanyue’s call. “Are you sober now?”

Cheng Wanyue pulled the blanket over her face. “Quickly forget about me last night—it’s so embarrassing.”

“I recorded it. I’ll show it to you when you get married.”

“… You might as well blackmail me.”

“Talking about money hurts feelings between friends.” After laughing, Yan Ci stopped teasing her. “Qing Hang’s phone is in your bag. He will come to get it soon. You can bring it to him if you want, whatever works for you.”

Cheng Wanyue closed her eyes. “I won’t deliver it.”

“Then wait for him to come to you, but you might have to wait a bit longer,” Yan Ci paused for a few seconds. “He got into a car accident…”

“Car accident?” Cheng Wanyue abruptly sat up from the bed. “When? Where? Is it serious?”

Yan Ci sighed. “It’s hard to say.”

“Forget it, I’ll go see for myself.”

Without even hanging up the phone, Cheng Wanyue threw off the blanket and ran towards the wardrobe, hastily grabbing some clothes to change into and leaving in her slippers.

Cheng Yanqing had gone to the company after lunch and wasn’t home.

This was the first time Cheng Wanyue regretted not bringing her car. It was always troublesome to take a taxi. She was almost out of the neighborhood when she realized she had forgotten her phone.

“Beauty,” Chi Yue spotted her from afar.

He hadn’t waited long. Although he knew it was this neighborhood, he didn’t know which building or floor. He wasn’t specifically looking for her—just passing by. When he turned the corner, something inexplicably led him to ride his bike here. By the time he realized it, he found it amusing.

Chi Yue walked up to her. “We just met yesterday. Forgot?”

Cheng Wanyue didn’t remember seeing him yesterday. “Do you have something to do?”

“Coming to get my helmet counts as something, right?”

The helmet was still at Cheng Wanyue’s place, and she needed to go upstairs anyway.

Chi Yue followed behind her, but a few steps slower, and Cheng Wanyue closed the elevator door on him. When the elevator reached the twelfth floor, she ran to open the door and then dashed inside to look for the helmet.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Chi Yue didn’t enter the apartment and waited outside.

The more anxious Cheng Wanyue became, the harder it was to remember where she had put the helmet. After opening two cabinets without finding it, she grew frustrated. “I’m in such a hurry! I shouldn’t have drunk last night. If I hadn’t drunk, I wouldn’t have lost my temper. If I hadn’t lost my temper, he wouldn’t have rushed to find me. If he hadn’t gone to find me, he wouldn’t have gotten into a car accident…”

The sound of the elevator was crisp.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chi Yue first noticed a bunch of fiery red roses, and then the person holding them—Qing Hang.

Giving flowers was normal, but no brother would give his sister roses.

So he wasn’t her brother.

Chi Yue recalled the look in Qing Hang’s eyes when he looked at Cheng Wanyue last night—it didn’t seem like how a brother would look at his sister.

The atmosphere outside wasn’t good, but Cheng Wanyue continued to chatter away inside, oblivious.

“He doesn’t even have his phone. Who knows how he got back? He got into a car accident, and no one feels sorry for him or cares about him. Instead, I scolded him…”