#49: Adoption?

In Qing Hang’s memory, the Cheng siblings often got into fights over a single sentence.

Cheng Yuzhou didn’t transfer back to Baicheng No. 1 High until his third year, but he was no different. Even during meals, they’d fight, then dust themselves off and continue eating like nothing happened.

When faced with outsiders, they were united. But when alone, they were each other’s greatest threats.

In her first year of high school, Cheng Wanyue had been rehearsing for a New Year’s performance. When she heard that Cheng Yanqing had been beaten up, she ran home in full costume—not to stop the fight, but to stir the pot.

Despite her earlier harassment, Wanyue had already moved on like it was no big deal. Even if she was brave, she should’ve at least been more cautious.

As soon as they arrived in the neighborhood, she had already put the incident behind her. After exiting the elevator, she walked on tiptoes so her heels wouldn’t make noise.

She held her breath as she quietly inserted the key and turned the lock.

When the door opened, her and Qing Hang’s eyes met Cheng Yanqing’s. He stood frozen in the living room, holding a keyboard, his face indescribable.

“You’re back?” Cheng Yanqing tried to stay calm. “Qing Hang, you couldn’t keep her for even one night?”

Qing Hang replied coolly, “She missed you too much. Had to come back and see you first.”

Cheng Wanyue nodded in agreement.

Cheng Yanqing’s mouth twitched. His slippers felt like they were nailed to the floor—he couldn’t move.

“Zhi Zhi,” Wanyue waved at Huo Zhi, who was on the couch. She pulled Qing Hang inside. “This is Qing Hang.”

Huo Zhi glanced at Cheng Yanqing, silently telling him to move aside so she could get a better look at the handsome guy.

He stepped back, hiding the keyboard on the shelf.

Only then did Qing Hang notice Huo Zhi. She wore a white shirt and blue jeans. Her chestnut hair draped smoothly over her shoulders—looking like a classy good girl.

But in the car, Wanyue had warned him—Huo Zhi’s looks and personality were polar opposites. She was not to be messed with.

“Ah, the future brother-in-law,” Huo Zhi smiled politely. “Hello.”

As she raised her hand, Qing Hang saw the bold tattoo on her inner wrist.

He suddenly understood why Wanyue said Cheng Yanqing was in for a rough night.

“Hello.”

“Come in and sit. We’re all family. Wanyue, have you eaten?”

“Yep,” she answered, pulling Qing Hang to the loveseat. “He worked late. Just came to pick up some clothes.”

Huo Zhi gave Qing Hang another once-over. “Doctors must be busy. You have time to date Wanyue? She’s not easy to chase.”

“I just started working. I don’t have much time now, but it’ll get better.”

“Just having time isn’t enough. Our Wanyue is loved by many.”

“No one could love her more than I do.”

Huo Zhi had expected him to be quiet, but he turned out to be surprisingly direct. It wasn’t just sweet talk—it felt like a truth etched into his bones.

“Then you’d better work hard. Let’s aim to have the wedding together.”

Qing Hang’s gaze followed Wanyue as she moved. She and Huo Zhi whispered together about who knows what.

The cat, Coalball, sat on Qing Hang’s foot, lazily flicking its tail over his ankle.

Cheng Yanqing, awkwardly sidelined, looked completely out of place. Huo Zhi hadn’t spoken to him once since entering. He shot Qing Hang a look—begging him to take the walking disaster (Cheng Wanyue) away.

“I thought you were just picking up clothes. It’s getting late—aren’t you going to pack?”

“Pack up,” Cheng Wanyue managed to respond to him while finishing her conversation with Huo Zhi before standing up. “Qing Hang, let’s go inside.”

Qing Hang cooperated with her. “What should we bring?”

She opened the wardrobe. “Bring everything you wear and use.”

The door was left open. Huo Zhi’s anger multiplied as time passed; arguing with Cheng Yanqing was a minor issue. The calmer she appeared, the bigger the problem was. Cheng Yanqing didn’t care about losing face anymore—after all, they would be family sooner or later. Qing Hang might be even more shameless when comforting Cheng Wanyue.

There was no shame in making his girlfriend happy.

“Dear, are you hungry? Let me cook you a bowl of noodles.”

Huo Zhi twirled the ring on her finger out of boredom. “I’m on a diet, I’m not eating.”

“What diet? You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“But I’m still far from being like those actresses.”

“Who says that? Actresses look good on camera, but off-camera, they’re too thin, which is unhealthy.”

“Hmm. Hugging an actress feels different. What’s it like hugging your ex-girlfriend?”

Cheng Yanqing wished he could slap himself. “Dear, don’t be mad. I swear, it was just two seconds, three at most.”

Huo Zhi recognized the man in the photo by his silhouette—it was Cheng Yanqing. She only knew Qin Hua, but they weren’t close friends.

“Where did he hug her?”

“She was drunk and lost her balance,” Cheng Yanqing replied earnestly. “It was just a light touch on the shoulder.”

Cheng Wanyue couldn’t resist stirring the pot. “He hugged her waist. Qing Hang, you saw it too, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Qing Hang nodded while picking up the suitcase, holding Cheng Wanyue’s hand with the other as they walked out.

Cheng Yanqing had glared at them four times already. If they didn’t leave soon, they’d be kicked out.

Cheng Wanyue packed all her documents. The day after tomorrow was National Day, so she could stay at Qing Hang’s place until Cheng Yanqing came to take her back to Nanjing.

The elevator was empty. She quietly leaned over to Qing Hang’s ear. “I told Zhi Zhi where I put the leftovers from last time. Cheng Yanqing will definitely thank me for this.”

Waiting for the delivery guy was excruciating.

Qing Hang sighed helplessly. “But you also exposed yourself.”

Cheng Wanyue, “...”

A miscalculation!

“Zhi Zhi is two years younger than me. How dare Cheng Yanqing tell me what to do?”

Qing Hang said, “Girlfriends and sisters are different.”

Cheng Wanyue suddenly remembered her senior year of high school when Grandpa Qing was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer in the hospital. To avoid affecting Qing Hang’s college entrance exam, they kept it a secret from him.

Cheng Guo’an had planned to adopt Qing Hang and gathered the whole family to discuss it.

If Cheng Wanyue hadn’t opposed it back then, Qing Hang would have been her older brother eight years ago.

“Dad once wanted to adopt you. Did you know?”

Qing Hang was unaware. “Adopt?”

“Yes, but I disagreed.” That day, Cheng Wanyue cried and threw a tantrum. She adored Grandpa Qing, and knowing there was little hope for late-stage stomach cancer made her heartbroken. He was Qing Hang’s only family.

But if Qing Hang became her brother, what would their relationship be?

“No matter what he said, I refused. I didn’t eat for a whole day, cried, threw fits, and even threatened to harm myself. He had no choice but to drop the idea. Qing Hang, we almost became siblings. If he had asked for your opinion first, would you have agreed?”

The dull sound of the suitcase wheels scraping against the ground couldn’t drown out Qing Hang’s firm response.

“No.”

“Why? Don’t you want a family? My parents were so kind to you.”

“I can’t betray Uncle Cheng and Aunt Yang.”

“Just calling them Mom and Dad doesn’t mean betrayal. Why would it?”

He squeezed her fingers gently. “You know why.”

“Afraid of... incest...” Her unfinished words were cut off by Qing Hang’s kiss.

The leaves above rustled in the wind as they kissed under the lamplight.

After parting, Qing Hang leaned down to kiss her again. “We’re not blood-related. Even if Uncle Cheng adopted me, we wouldn’t be...”

He couldn’t bring himself to say the word.

Cheng Wanyue smiled. “Though we’d both call them Mom and Dad eventually, it’s still different... What are you looking at?”

Her short hair was tucked behind her ear, and Qing Hang noticed that the moon-shaped earring she’d worn for so long was missing.

“One earring is gone.”

“Huh? It’s missing?” Cheng Wanyue touched her earlobe. “That was a birthday gift from Ah Yu. I wonder if I dropped it at the studio? Or maybe it fell off during that psycho’s harassment?”

“It was too dark to see clearly tonight. Tell me the exact location, and I’ll look for it tomorrow.”

“You don’t have work tomorrow?”

Qing Hang had been working overtime these past few days and only cleared his schedule for tomorrow. “I’ll check on patients in the morning and attend a meeting. After that, I should be free.”

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“I’ll wake up early. You stay home and sleep.”

Although Cheng Wanyue often grew tired of jewelry, she always cherished anything Zhou Yu gave her.

Suddenly losing it made her gloomy throughout the journey.

After Zhou Heng moved out, the room was empty, but Qing Hang still brought Cheng Wanyue’s suitcase into his bedroom. She had intended to console Cheng Yanqing but lost the mood after misplacing her earring.

After showering, she sat cross-legged on the bed. Qing Hang draped a towel over her head and crouched in front of her.

“Princess Rapunzel, I won the bet. I get to make one request, right?”

“But you already used it up.”

“That night doesn’t count.”

“How dare you cheat?” Cheng Wanyue pounced on him, grabbing his neck. Losing his balance, he fell backward onto the floor, and she sat on top of him.

Qing Hang’s palm rested beneath her knees. Without his glasses, his damp hair was slightly messy, and the dim yellow light added a wild edge to the smile in the corner of his eyes.