TIL - 47

Wen Huo woke up once in the middle of the night, but without full consciousness. She felt she was awake, but her eyes wouldn’t open, and her awareness was a strange mix of clear and fuzzy. She didn’t truly wake up until noon the next day, after sleeping for more than ten hours.

When she woke up, she was alone in bed. She was wearing a bra and panties, a brand she often wore. She couldn’t find any other clothes in the bedroom, so she wrapped a large towel from the lampstand around herself, rubbed her eyes, and walked out. When she got to the stairs, she heard a man and woman talking downstairs. She assumed it was the doctor and the caregiver.

Chen Cheng seemed like a courteous gentleman, but he had his boundaries and wouldn’t allow strangers to cross them. The front door was part of that boundary. She didn’t think much of it and just went downstairs. Then she was surrounded by seven or eight people staring at her.

There were so many people that she was a bit dazed and couldn’t make out who everyone was, but she was certain she saw Ruan Lihong and Su He. Two police officers’ uniforms from the Beijing local police station also caught her eye.

Su He was stunned and instinctively looked at Ruan Lihong. As expected, her face was grim, and her eyes looked wrong. The two police officers’ reactions were normal, as if they had seen this kind of scene many times. The others were Cheng Cuo, Chu Tian, and a carefree-looking Tang Jun’en in a baseball uniform. Their reactions were less pronounced than Ruan Lihong’s but more so than the police officers’.

The last person was Chen Cheng’s mother, Jin Ge. She was dignified, but she also frowned when she saw Wen Huo and patted Chen Cheng’s arm. Chen Cheng was the quickest to react. By the time Jin Ge patted him, he had already grabbed a windbreaker from a nearby stand and walked over to Wen Huo, covering her with it, shielding her from the others’ view.

After buttoning the last button, Chen Cheng turned to everyone and said, “I’m a very easygoing person, but all of you are being quite rude.”

Ruan Lihong’s eyes got redder. She walked over and gave him a nasty look. “Get out of the way!”

Chen Cheng stood in front of Wen Huo, his tall figure blocking everyone’s gaze, saving her from embarrassment. But Ruan Lihong was Wen Huo’s mother, so he still had to give her some respect. He shifted his feet to let them see each other. There were too many people, and the image of Wen Huo coming downstairs in a towel was so iconic, like something out of a movie. Half an hour had passed, and some people still hadn’t recovered from the shock of that scene.

Wen Huo finally figured out what had happened during that half hour. Su He had called the police when he couldn’t pick her up at 8 AM. This group of people had been at Chen Cheng’s house since 9 AM, but Chen Cheng had never woken her up. He had been stalling them for a long time, until she came downstairs improperly dressed.

Ruan Lihong talked to Wen Huo and gently pulled up her sleeve. She still remembered the bruises on Wen Huo’s body from the last time she picked her up. Wen Huo didn’t pay attention to her mother’s actions. Her eyes were on Chen Cheng, who was talking to the police with a humble attitude. The two officers looked to be in their late forties or early fifties. They seemed to enjoy sizing him up, their eyes scanning his tall body back and forth, looking a bit disrespectful. This was a common sight with local police officers. They had seen so much of the ugly side of human nature that they no longer had the patience they had when they first started. It was like a doctor who had been on call all day and couldn’t be gentle with every patient; their patience had been exhausted by fatigue. They could only be professional, not gentle.

But Chen Cheng wasn’t like that. His presence was tense when he was near Wen Huo, and you could feel his anger, but he never showed a hint of impatience.

Ruan Lihong’s voice brought Wen Huo’s attention back. “Did he do anything to you?”

Wen Huo thought about what happened before she fell asleep. It seemed like nothing. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

Wen Huo looked down at her clean arms and said, “Didn’t you see for yourself?”

Ruan Lihong let out a sigh of relief. “You almost scared me to death.”

Wen Huo didn’t say anything.

The three bystanders sat in the sofa area, looking at each other, not knowing what to do. Tang Jun’en had called Cheng Cuo, and he happened to be with Chu Tian, so Chu Tian came along. Tang Jun’en had made the situation sound so serious—something about Wen Huo being kidnapped, her family calling the police, the police surrounding Chen Cheng’s house, the media tracking and reporting outside. He thought something big was going to happen, but when he got there, it was all nonsense. Chen Cheng had single-handedly calmed down Su He, Ruan Lihong, and the two police officers. As for the media and reporters, there was no sign of them.

Soon, the two police officers were convinced and left. Only two groups of people remained—Chen Cheng’s and Wen Huo’s.

Ruan Lihong led Wen Huo over to Su He. When she turned back, there was murder in her eyes. She was a woman with a strong presence. You could see her flamboyant life just by looking at her eyes, which was different from Jin Ge’s unfathomable demeanor.

Her attitude was very poor, and she refused to speak directly to Chen Cheng. She felt he wasn’t worthy. “Director Jin, our second meeting isn’t very pleasant either.”

Jin Ge apologized. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Ruan Lihong didn’t listen to the pleasantries. “Can you please keep your son from harassing my daughter? He’s in his thirties, why is he acting like a boy? Does my daughter owe him something? Taking care of his child? Not returning her phone if she doesn’t agree? Are those the words of a reasonable person?”

Tang Jun’en wanted to laugh. He thought: “That’s my Teacher Chen, that move of not returning the phone if she doesn’t agree is so low, so shameless.” Cheng Cuo knew Chen Cheng’s shameless antics, and after hearing Ruan Lihong’s words, he suddenly wanted to side with Wen Huo.

Jin Ge had already talked to Chen Cheng and knew what had happened. She had already retrieved the phone and now handed it to Ruan Lihong with both hands. “I’m very sorry for making you worry, but what you said is a bit much. This is a matter between two people and their way of interacting. It doesn’t violate any laws or morals. I believe we, as elders, have no right to interfere, let alone judge them with such humiliating words.”

Ruan Lihong took a step closer, her presence intimidating. “No violation of morals? Then did my daughter’s injuries appear out of thin air? Is that what you’re saying?”

Jin Ge was unperturbed. She pulled out a scanned copy of the contract between Wen Huo and Han Bailu from her phone and handed it to Ruan Lihong. “Then is my son supposed to be lied to, played with, and fooled? Is that what you’re saying?”

Ruan Lihong saw Wen Huo’s signature and turned to look at her, shocked. Wen Huo didn’t know how to explain, so she didn’t say anything.

Chen Cheng’s calm facade disappeared. He had kept this matter a secret, and any place where information could have leaked had been sealed off. It was impossible for him to have made a mistake, but Jin Ge did know, so it must be... He looked at Tang Jun’en, who had his head buried in his collar.

Tang Jun’en was not a blabbermouth, but Chen Wenli and Jin Ge had been sighing every day because of Chen Cheng, and he couldn’t bear it.

“Even if I knew Wen Huo lied to Chen Cheng, I wouldn’t interfere. I believe young people have their own ways of resolving things, but you don’t seem to understand that. I feel it’s necessary to remind you that if we really have this out, you might not get the result you want.”

Jin Ge was a true intellectual. She was a master of communication. On the surface, she was giving Ruan Lihong a way out, but every word was a statement of her own attitude.

Ruan Lihong saw the contract and her plan was disrupted, but her years of experience in the business world were not for nothing; she was quick on her feet. “Lying is a reason to hurt my daughter? If you feel you were lied to, you can call the police, go to the media, and make it public. Let a third party judge what’s right and wrong. We’ll accept the result. But you hurt her in private? What, do you represent the law? Have you transcended the identity of an ordinary citizen to abuse private punishment?”

The two women were at a stalemate, their words like daggers. The scent of gunpowder filled the air between them, and the younger people who were watching the show fell silent.

Their auras were different, but their strength was equal. Both were in the right and both knew how to make their arguments sound more reasonable. Tang Jun’en and the others felt that Chen Cheng was innocent one moment and Wen Huo was innocent the next. Their positions were a mess. Su He didn’t have this problem, because his Chinese wasn’t good enough to understand any of it.

Wen Huo and Chen Cheng, the two people at the center of it all, didn’t seem to have any opinions. They were outside the situation and not very interested in which elder would win.

Jin Ge wasn’t trying to win an argument against Ruan Lihong. She simply would not allow anyone to slander Chen Cheng like this. Every child is precious. She could scold and hit her own child, but others? Absolutely not.

She said, “Whether Chen Cheng was a scoundrel and hit a woman is something Wen Huo has to say. If Wen Huo says yes, I will accept public judgment.”

Ruan Lihong turned to Wen Huo and asked her, word for word, “Huohuo, tell your mother, did he ever hit you?”

He had only hit her on the butt during sex. At the time, he had left her butt red, but how could she say that? Other than his fondness for using props, Chen Cheng hadn’t done anything out of line. The worst was when they had a fight, and his strong grip left bruises on her body.

Ruan Lihong took a step closer, took her hand, and gave her courage. “Don’t be afraid, Mom is here.”

Wen Huo couldn’t bring herself to say it. To say it, she would have to talk about sex. She could say dirty things to Chen Cheng, no matter how dirty, but she couldn’t say them in front of others.

Chen Cheng knew this was difficult for Wen Huo. He stepped forward and calmed the argument. “It’s my fault.”

Jin Ge was stunned. Tang Jun’en and the other two were also surprised.

Ruan Lihong breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like she had won this battle.

Wen Huo frowned slightly. Why was he taking the blame? He had never hit her. She disliked many of Chen Cheng’s actions, but she wasn’t a hypocrite. She wouldn’t mindlessly portray herself as a victim.

Chen Cheng stepped forward and apologized to Ruan Lihong. “I’m sorry. I was too rough and hurt Huohuo. I can take responsibility.”

Jin Ge lost her composure. If Chen Cheng admitted fault, then they were the ones who were in the wrong. They would be the ones judged and placed on the pillar of shame. Did he love this girl so much? Was he willing to endure this kind of humiliation?

Ruan Lihong, having won, felt relieved. She asked Wen Huo, “Huohuo, how do you want to resolve this?”

Wen Huo was still thinking. Had Chen Cheng stepped up to save her from embarrassment? Or was he afraid she would falsely accuse him of hitting her? But he knew she wouldn’t do that. So, was he saving her from embarrassment? After all, the injuries were from sex, and she couldn’t say that out loud.

Ruan Lihong saw that Wen Huo was silent and decided for her. “Then from now on, you stay as far away from my daughter as possible and never show up again.”

That was a bit harsh. Tang Jun’en held his breath, and so did Cheng Cuo.

Chen Cheng’s eyes drooped slightly, looking at the floor. It was a long time before he said, “Could we... find another solution?”

Wen Huo was behind Ruan Lihong and could only see half of Chen Cheng’s body, but she could see his face. She actually saw fear in his eyes. He was actually afraid of Ruan Lihong’s condition. When Chen Cheng looked up again, there was a little pain in his fear. “I can apologize. I can apologize publicly, but please don’t make me leave her.”

Ruan Lihong instinctively looked at Wen Huo, and sure enough, her eyes were on him. She had to admit that no woman could resist a man like this—a gentleman, deeply in love, and pitiful. Especially the pity. Once a woman felt pity for a man, she was basically done for.

Afraid that Wen Huo would waver, she decided to take her away. She said to Chen Cheng, “There’s no negotiation. If you show up in front of my daughter again, we’ll go head-to-head. If I die, you have to die, too.”

After saying that, she put her arm around Wen Huo and walked out. Su He followed.

After they left, Jin Ge put her hand on Chen Cheng’s arm and didn’t say anything. As she had said, she would not interfere with Chen Cheng’s choices. She also liked Wen Huo. She seemed very spirited, but that was different from allowing Ruan Lihong to insult Chen Cheng. Who doesn’t feel for their own child? So she couldn’t hold back. But Chen Cheng’s willingness to take responsibility meant that he had placed that girl at the very center of his heart.

To be honest, besides feeling a bit suffocated, she was also a little sour. She had raised a son for someone else. He got a wife and forgot his mother. She had fought tooth and nail for him, and he himself had surrendered. She thought to herself, “I should have a daughter in my next life. Why have a son? All they do is forget about you.” She felt a little upset, but she could also understand. She remembered that Chen Wenli had been the same way, with only his wife in his eyes. This rascal, Chen Cheng, was truly his father’s son, a “wife-ist.” She wouldn’t say anything else and wouldn’t get involved in this matter anymore. It was a thankless task, so she would just let him deal with it himself.

Once the elders left, the younger people dared to speak. Tang Jun’en took off his hat and let out a big sigh. “You have to admit, the battles between the elders are exciting. The back-and-forth was so stimulating.”

Cheng Cuo went and got three bottles of Kobe water. They needed to calm their racing hearts. Chu Tian didn’t react as much as they did. She was more jealous that Chen Cheng only had eyes for Wen Huo.

Although Cheng Cuo was also a bit shaken, he saw things more deeply than Tang Jun’en, thanks to his professional background. He said to Chen Cheng, “Cousin, that was a very clever move. It was a retreat to advance. Your mother’s opinion isn’t important. What’s important is that Wen Huo’s heart is starting to soften.” He didn’t believe that a person like Chen Cheng, who had put on a performance in front of the whole country to clear his name, would put himself in a position of fault. He was more inclined to believe that he was trying to win Wen Huo’s sympathy.

Tang Jun’en disagreed with Cheng Cuo. “Your cousin is a capable man, but that girl isn’t a pushover either. Could she really be fooled?”

Cheng Cuo looked at him.

Tang Jun’en said, “Whether it was real or an act, Wen Huo knows better than any of us.”

Chen Cheng had his back to them the whole time. After a day of chaos, his emotions had been pushed to their limit. He was about to lose control, so he asked them to leave. No matter what they said, he didn’t let them stay.

After everyone left, he leaned against the door and slowly slid down to the floor. His head hurt so much. Ruan Lihong’s words about him never showing up in front of Wen Huo again were like a curse, constantly invading and gnawing at his brain. His heartbeat was irregular, his breathing was erratic, and depression had returned. He pressed his hand to his chest, wanting to get up and take his medication, but he couldn’t stand. His body was too heavy, too heavy, and Ruan Lihong’s words were too powerful... Then he felt the oxygen getting thinner and thinner. The harder he tried to breathe, the more he felt like he was suffocating.

For so many years, he had faced his illness alone, but he never felt wronged or that it was a struggle. But with Ruan Lihong’s words about him never seeing Wen Huo again, he felt so much pain, so much injustice. But he couldn’t say a word of it. He had still apologized. He was afraid, afraid that he would really never see her again.

He slowly pulled his legs up, hugged them, and curled into a ball to suppress the trembling in his body and try to relieve the weight and pain on his shoulders. Just as he was about to have another hallucination, the doorbell rang. It was as if someone had pulled him up just before he fell into a bottomless pit. He finally managed to stand up, leaning on the wall, and opened the door.

Standing at the door was Wen Huo. At first, he thought he was hallucinating again, but she was still there after he briefly closed his eyes, so he pulled her inside. It was her! She was back! The door closed, and he hugged her tightly.

Wen Huo was held so tightly that she felt she was about to break. She pushed against his chest with her hands. “Chen Cheng...”

Chen Cheng didn’t speak. He just held her.

Wen Huo was almost out of breath. “I forgot to give you back your phone... Let go...”

Chen Cheng didn’t let her finish. “Don’t talk. Just let me hold you for a bit.”

Just for a little while, just for a moment.