EHTM - 75

Playing with sparklers in the garden was a small, ordinary thing, but it later became quite exaggerated in the rumors.

A nurse came to change Cheng Wanyue’s dressing and asked her how it felt to be proposed to.

“It wasn’t a proposal; there was no proposal,” Cheng Wanyue explained for the fourth time, feeling calm and even a little amused. “Besides, that was during his break. He’s very dedicated to his job; please don’t misunderstand.”

Things changed when people chatted and spread rumors. The nurse had just casually asked. Qing Hang came almost every day, so the nurses all knew him.

“True affection is seen in adversity. Patient on bed 37 just got diagnosed, and her husband wants a divorce. These past few hospitalizations, her parents have been taking care of her, and her husband hasn’t visited once.”

Cheng Wanyue had seen that patient. “When they got married, they never thought it would be like this.”

“Indeed,” the nurse adjusted the IV drip and encouraged Cheng Wanyue. “Keep your spirits up, little sister, you can do it.”

After the nurse left, Cheng Wanyue checked her phone for the time. Cheng Yuzhou sent a message saying he would bring food later. After replying, she received a call from Qing Hang.

She didn’t go to the airport to see him off the day he went abroad.

The conference wasn’t live-streamed, so she couldn’t see it, but Qing Hang found a way for her to hear it.

Before going on stage, he put his phone in his suit pants pocket, and the sounds from the conference hall traveled thousands of miles to Cheng Wanyue’s ears. Even though she wasn’t there, she could feel how he handled the questions.

After the conference, he exchanged words with the academic seniors. An elderly professor, after discussing professional matters, smiled and complimented that the suit suited him well.

Cheng Wanyue heard Qing Hang say in Chinese: “This was given to me by my girlfriend.”

The other person didn’t understand, so he re-explained in English.

Cheng Yuzhou was right beside her. Despite feeling unwell, with medication affecting her appetite and sleep, her lips almost curved into the sky listening to Qing Hang speak. After hanging up, she even drank half a bowl more of porridge.

Cheng Yuzhou told Yang Huimin, who sent a voice message saying: “Good child, my daughter is truly amazing.”

Cheng Wanyue listened to that voice message several times. She was already in her twenties, and her mother praised her for being amazing just for drinking half a bowl more of porridge.

“The cherry blossoms should be opening soon, right?”

“They should mostly be open by next week. I’ll go to Jiming Temple this weekend to check.”

Cheng Wanyue asked about Zhou Yu. “How were Ayi’s prenatal checkup results?”

At the mention of Zhou Yu, the expression in Cheng Yuzhou’s eyes softened. “Very good. She wants you to pick a nickname for the baby.”

“A nickname, huh? Something cute,” Cheng Wanyue thought and thought. When she bet with Cheng Yanqing, she guessed it was a girl, so her naming ideas leaned towards girls. “How about ‘Little Crescent Moon’?”

Whatever name she picked, Cheng Yuzhou would agree. “That’s it. We’ve been calling her ‘baby’ every day, and she doesn’t even know who I’m calling.”

Cheng Wanyue felt a pang of emotion. Her efforts were indispensable in Cheng Yuzhou and Zhou Yu’s journey from campus to wedding, and she had witnessed their relationship, proposal, and marriage all along.

“Qing Hang is coming back tomorrow?”

“Yes, he’ll definitely come straight to the hospital after landing. If I can go home tonight, I’ll tell you beforehand.”

Cheng Yuzhou wanted to stay longer, but Cheng Wanyue urged him to go home, saying she was tired, so he left.

The nurse brought oral medication. Cheng Wanyue felt a little nauseous after taking it and was uncomfortable lying down, so she lay on her stomach, but still couldn’t sleep. Qing Hang messaged her as soon as he reached the hotel. She replied with an emoji, and he caught her still being awake so late.

The video call connected; he was still wearing that suit.

The camera was low, and he looked so handsome with his glasses on, looking down. Cheng Wanyue leaned closer to the screen and kissed it.

Qing Hang’s teacher was also in the room. Her voice was loud, and his ears immediately turned red. He tried to act calm, took his phone to the balcony, and showed her the view outside.

“Go to sleep. When you wake up, I’ll be back.”

“I can’t sleep, Qing Hang. Sing me a song.”

“...I can’t sing.”

“Who says you can’t? The birthday song is a song too.”

In the past, Cheng Wanyue had a performance every New Year’s Day at school. Qing Hang still remembered the song she sang in her first year of high school, called “Sea of Flowers.” He had heard it countless times since.

“Turn off the lights.”

“They’re off.”

“Cover yourself with the blanket.”

“I’m covered.”

“Put down your phone.”

“It’s down.”

“Close your eyes.”

“They’re closed.”

The phone lay face down beside the pillow. It was quiet both inside and outside the hospital room. Cheng Wanyue could hear the sound of the wind on the other end of the line. After a while, Qing Hang’s warm, deep voice came through.

“Don’t leave me, distance can’t separate us.”

“Longing turns into a sea, outside the window, unable to enter.”

...

Cheng Wanyue fell asleep. Qing Hang himself didn’t know how many times he had sung the song repeatedly. If his teacher hadn’t called him, he wouldn’t have wanted to hang up.

Li Yu came with the teacher. There was an afternoon session for the conference, and they all had to attend.

Qing Hang rebooked the earliest flight back to the country. His desire to return was too urgent; he spent his rest time looking at his phone.

Li Yu joked, “You two are together almost every day. You miss her so much after just a few days apart. Why didn’t you bring her along?”

Qing Hang knew Li Yu didn’t mean anything by it. “She can’t come.”

“Your work is so flexible; taking leave shouldn’t be difficult. Is she perhaps sick?” Li Yu looked at Qing Hang’s expression and thought, I guessed right. “Is it serious? She seemed fine when we last met. What kind of illness is it? If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say.”

Qing Hang was silent for a moment, then simply said, “It’s very serious.”

Li Yu didn’t know how to comfort him at that moment. “So that’s why you carry the ring with you.”

Qing Hang explained, “It’s not because of that. When she said she wanted to get married, I should’ve bought the ring immediately, but I bought it too late and missed the best time.”

Li Yu wasn’t surprised by Qing Hang’s thought of a flash marriage. The relationship between him and Cheng Wanyue had no transition period; every minute and second was intense. Anything that seemed impossible for him became natural when it involved Cheng Wanyue.

“After I return to China, can I go see Wanyue?”

“She doesn’t want to see anyone. We’ll get in touch when there’s a chance.”

The rest of the group was staying for a few more days, but Qing Hang returned to China first. By the time he arrived in Nanjing, it was already dark, and he went straight to the hospital.

Cheng Guoan and Yang Huimin were outside the ward, comforting each other, their eyes a little red. Qing Hang watched from a distance, waiting until it wouldn’t be awkward before approaching.

They said Cheng Wanyue had a fever, had barely eaten all day, and had developed a rash. They could only watch, unable to do anything, their hearts aching more and more.

Qing Hang played the role of Cheng Yanqing, patiently comforting them, assuring them that she would definitely get better.

When he knocked on the door, he repeated in his heart: She will definitely get better.

He knocked three times.

Cheng Wanyue wasn’t asleep. She sat up from the bed when she heard the knocking. She knew it was Qing Hang because everyone else would call her name first.

Compared to yesterday, her condition was much better today.

She threw off the blanket and rushed to the door. Before Qing Hang could open his arms, she jumped into his embrace. He had just come in from outside and still carried a chill. Her hand instinctively reached inside his clothes.

His suitcase was outside the door; his hands were empty.

“Do you have a gift?” Cheng Wanyue stepped onto Qing Hang’s feet, letting him lead her inside. “If you don’t hand it over voluntarily, I’ll have to search you.”

Qing Hang deliberately avoided her gaze. “No, I forgot. I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to buy a gift.”

Cheng Wanyue patted his pockets. “I don’t believe you. Let me see where you hid it... Aha, I found it!”

“Is this a ring?” She held up the small velvet box she’d found on him, not even bothering to open it. She just tossed it back to him and climbed onto a chair to get back into bed. “I don’t want it. Take it back and return it.”

The gift Qing Hang had bought was in his suitcase. He kept the ring with him, waiting for her to find it. “Why don’t you want it?”

Cheng Wanyue picked up her game console, looking as if she had no time for him. “I just don’t want it. No ‘why’.”

“I can’t return it, and I won’t,” Qing Hang seized the opportunity to ask her, “I picked it out for a long time. Don’t you want to see the style?”

Cheng Wanyue shook her head. She was actually very curious what kind of ring Qing Hang, who had never bought one before, would choose. Would the size be right? Would it be her preferred style? But she knew too well what Qing Hang was trying to do.

“It’s late. You should go home and eat with my parents. You’ve been on a long flight and must be tired.”

“I’ll come back later,” Qing Hang put away the ring and didn’t bring up the topic again.

Cheng Wanyue wanted Qing Hang to rest at home, but he wouldn’t listen to her. Even if he agreed, he’d still come.

In less than two hours, Qing Hang returned with hot porridge. After eating with Cheng Wanyue, he went to the bathroom for a quick wash. There was a place to sleep in the ward, and near her, he easily fell asleep.

Cheng Wanyue called him softly, getting no response. After a while, she called again, and only after confirming he was sound asleep did she get out of bed.

The lights were off, and the moonlight from outside shone in, so she wouldn’t bump into the chair.

She started with his jacket, then his pants, searching inside and out, but found nothing. Finally, her gaze fell on the clothes he was wearing.

The side closest to her was smooth, not looking like it had anything in it.

She quietly shifted position, holding her breath, thinking she’d just touch it. Maybe after she refused him, he had left the ring at home.

However, before she could make another move, Qing Hang suddenly rolled over, completely pressing down on the inner pant pocket.

She had no choice but to stay still and wait for him to roll back.

If he was carrying the ring, sleeping on his side like that, the box digging into him must be very uncomfortable.

She guessed correctly.

Not long after, Qing Hang rolled over, lying flat on his back.

This time, Cheng Wanyue easily retrieved the ring. She had only intended to open it and look, but once she saw it, she couldn’t resist trying it on.

The next second, Qing Hang grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto him.

“You were faking sleep!” Cheng Wanyue was caught red-handed. She used her hands and feet, trying to escape from this incriminating scene.

Qing Hang pressed one hand on her lower back and used the other to pick up the blanket that had fallen on the floor, wrapping her tightly. His voice held an undeniable laugh. “I was already asleep. I wonder who was feeling around on me, sighing and complaining.”

Cheng Wanyue blushed and retorted, “I was checking if you’d been eating properly these past few days. Clearly, you haven’t.”

“Then I misunderstood,” Qing Hang didn’t expose her. He shifted his body, his brow slightly furrowed. “There’s something on my back; it’s digging into my bones.”

Cheng Wanyue only realized what it was after feeling it: the ring she had dropped in her haste.

The cold ring became a hot potato, neither to be thrown nor kept.

She was still feverish, and the blanket was warm. In the quiet night, Qing Hang remained silent. He took her hand, retrieved the ring from her palm, put it on her finger, and then gently turned the ring left and right. The size was perfect.

Cheng Wanyue was overwhelmed in that moment and drifted off to sleep, dreaming that she was wearing a wedding dress, its hem truly like a river with no end in sight.

In the morning, the nurse came to take her temperature and found the bed empty. She almost thought the patient was gone, but then turned and saw the two people sleeping on the sofa, breathing a sigh of relief.

The sofa was small; even one person would be cramped.

They had to hold each other tightly to keep from falling off. She didn’t know how they managed to sleep like that.

Cheng Wanyue was still asleep. Qing Hang wrapped her in the blanket and carried her back to the hospital bed. She had only worn the ring for one night, and it still held her body heat when he put it away.

She grew weaker day by day, but she still remembered that the cherry blossoms at Jiming Temple had bloomed. Taking advantage of the weekend when Huo Zhi also came to see her, she really wanted to go outside and bask in the sun.

Cheng Yanqing worried she would catch another cold and wouldn’t let her go. “Even though it’s sunny, the wind is strong and chilly.”

Zhou Yu also said, “There are so many people going to see cherry blossoms on the weekend, Wanyue. Let’s go in a couple of days instead. The weather will be nice and warm next Friday.”

Cherry blossoms only last one to two weeks. Cheng Wanyue had been looking forward to them since the buds first appeared on the trees. Today, she didn’t need an IV, and her attending physician had already checked on her this morning.

Qing Hang was about to get up when she hooked his pinky finger.

Cheng Wanyue winked at him and whispered, “Qing Hang, let’s sneak out.”

Just like a long time ago, when they were deskmates, she found self-study boring and would give him a look across the table, “Qing Hang, let’s skip class today.”

Qing Hang averted his gaze. “No.”

Cheng Wanyue got angry and ignored Qing Hang. Others around them chatted and laughed. Qing Hang went to the nurse’s station and, upon returning, helped Cheng Wanyue with her coat. Only then did a slight smile appear on her face.

The car drove nearby, and Cheng Wanyue rolled down the window, smelling the cherry blossoms in the wind. She and Qing Hang mingled with the crowd, as happy as the other cherry blossom viewers.

Cheng Wanyue wore a blue hat, and no matter where she went, Qing Hang could find her.

The air was filled with the scent of incense. While she lit a prayer lantern for Yanci’s love life, Qing Hang went to pray for a peace charm. As long as she was healthy, he could be nothing and have nothing.

Huo Zhi always brought a camera whenever she came to Nanjing. If Cheng Yanqing held it, the lens would only capture Huo Zhi. So, most of the time, Huo Zhi took the pictures herself, and Cheng Wanyue was always the liveliest person in the videos.

They were not just friends, but family.

Qing Hang was paying. Cheng Wanyue stared longingly at the small stall in front of them. Huo Zhi zoomed in the camera. “Yueyue, what are you buying?”

Cheng Wanyue beamed. “Plum blossom cake, plum blossom cake! Anyone who eats it knows!”

She just wanted to satisfy her craving and would only take a bite.

Huo Zhi then asked, “Where do you want to go later?”

Cheng Wanyue blurted out, “Hotpot and some wine!”

Qing Hang raised his hand to press down her hat, the brim covering her eyes. She thought it was Cheng Yanqing and elbowed him without turning her head.

Yanci arrived in the evening and went straight to the dinner place. Cheng Yanqing waited for him to arrive before taking out his marriage certificate, casually tossing it onto the table, his right hand on Huo Zhi’s shoulder. “My wife, officially recognized.”

A few people were still stunned. Qing Hang was the first to clink glasses with him. Cheng Wanyue drank plain water, and he also only drank water. “Congratulations. No more climbing over balconies now.”

“You’re too kind. It’ll be your turn sooner or later,” Cheng Yanqing snapped his fingers in front of Cheng Wanyue. “Little sister, what do you see?”

Cheng Wanyue was looking at the photo on the marriage certificate. “Zhizhi is so beautiful, and you’re so ugly.”

Cheng Yanqing pretended to get up to hit her, but Yanci stopped him. Yanci had snatched some leisure time; a meal together was more valuable than closing a business deal.

Yanci chuckled and said he was going to start preparing his wedding gift money. “Consider this an early wedding feast. Congratulations! Have you set the wedding date?”

Cheng Yanqing raised an eyebrow. “The wedding’s still far off.”

Cheng Wanyue interjected, “What’s still far off? It’s only a few months away.”

Cheng Yanqing explained, “We’re both very busy this year, and Zhizhi has filming plans, so the wedding will be pushed back further.”

The phrase ‘Is it because of me?’ almost slipped from Cheng Wanyue’s lips. Qing Hang peeled an apple for her, and she ate it with her head down. She knew it was because of her, and everyone else knew too, but no one exposed that unspoken truth.

Hotpot restaurants were becoming more elaborate in their decor, and their service was getting better and better. Cheng Wanyue had been craving hotpot for a long time, but she always felt that the best hotpot was still the one they made themselves in the Cheng family courtyard during high school.

On the way back to the hospital, they passed a very beautiful road. Cheng Wanyue and Qing Hang got out to take a walk.

She told him that when the sycamore leaves grew lush in the summer, this road would be even more beautiful, whether it was sunny or rainy.

He said, “Summer will be here soon.”