t

  Fu Cheng said, “I’ve come to take you and Niannian home.”


  She had heard these words more than once in her dreams before, and looked forward to them. Yet, she would always then have to remind herself that it was impossible. Feeling like it was all somewhat surreal, Fang Yunyao bit her lips as she turned to look at Fu Cheng……

  She forcibly resisted the urge to say what she just could not: Okay.

  “Let’s go home, okay?” Fu Cheng asked once more.

  Fang Yunyao finally closed her eyes, not saying a word as she shook her head slowly but firmly. Then, she buried her face in Little Niannian, still sobbing slightly in her embrace as she mumbled indistinctly, “Mum, Mum……”


  No one spoke. They all waited for Fang Yunyao to look up again.

  Still carrying Little Niannian with one hand, she wiped her tears and adjusted her hair rather uneasily with the other, forcing a smile.

  Then, she said earnestly, “Fu Cheng……I, I was telling the truth. Ms Fang is really married. Sorry, you’re too little. I can’t afford to wait for you. I’m not that silly. So……it was my fault for leaving without a word back then. I’m sorry for that.”


  Fu Cheng was taken aback, feeling rather exasperated at Fang Yunyao’s earnest yet childish ways. She was……still lying? Who could that fool?

  “No, I really am married,” Seeing how everyone was looking at her, Fang Yunyao insisted rather flusteredly.

  Fu Cheng’s heart ached. Even though there were still many things he did not understand, there was clearly so much helplessness hidden in the background of this mediocre performance. She said that she wasn’t that silly. Over the past two years, she had struggled painstakingly, insisting on giving birth to their child despite it being totally irrational to do so. What was this if not silly?

  Even without knowing the truth and the greater hurt that lay behind this, Fu Cheng was already dead furious at himself.

  Still, now was not the time for self-blame. Just like Huang Yaming said, it was best to be forceful at a time like this.

  “In that case, tell me how old Niannian is. Also, what’s her full name?” Fu Cheng demanded.

  Fang Yunyao opened her mouth but could say nothing.

  “She’s over a year old, yes? Our daughter, Fu Qing,” Fu Cheng said, “Did you get married immediately after leaving back then? And just so coincidentally, the person you married is surnamed Fu too?”


  At this point, everyone felt that Fang Yunyao could simply no longer deny it.

  Yet, she still nodded, saying, “Right, exactly. It is rather coincidental.”


  One had to admit that this childish side of her was also adorable and innocent.

  Fu Cheng concluded that Huang Yaming was right and there was simply no reasoning things through here. He walked over to Fang Yunyao and Niannian, leaned down towards the latter and said, “Just look for yourself. Niannian looks like me more than she looks like you.”


  Fang Yunyao was audibly crying a little as she shook her head, firmly insisting, “Does not.”


  Fu Cheng was crying too as he looked at her, saying with the utmost earnestness, “She does.”


  Fang Yunyao persisted, “Does not.”


  Fu Cheng persisted too, “Does so.”


  Everyone was left speechless as the tearstained couple began to argue……if this could even be considered an argument.

  Little Niannian was befuddled as she looked left and right, thinking that they were playing with her.

  The spectating gang could no longer stand to watch on. Huang Yaming exchanged glances with Xu Tingsheng and smiled wryly before he stepped forward and said, “I say, Ms Fang, Fu Cheng, can you not be so childish? Come, I’ll be your judge. Let me take a look……”


  “She does look like him. No one would believe it if you said this isn’t Fu Cheng’s child,” He said decisively.

  Alone and without reinforcement, Fang Yunyao was still about to protest when Song Ni walked closer to them and reached out, requesting, “Let me carry Niannian for a bit, Ms Fang. No one was a match for Fu Cheng just now.”


  She received Niannian from Fang Yunyao.

  Then, she asked, “Who picked up the thermos? And who knows how to make milk?”


  Zhang Ninglang raised the thermos flask. Ning Xia raised her hand.

  “Here, Ms Fang, pass your backpack over……” Song Ni got Fang Yunyao’s backpack and called everyone else over, saying, “Come, let’s make milk for Niannian. Niannian’s hungry……”


  They all scooted over to a corner where they made milk and played with Niannian, even sang.

  Fang Yunyao and Fu Cheng were standing face to face.

  Xu Tingsheng smiled as he walked over, saying, “There’s a place to sit there. You two should have a good talk.”


  Then, he leaned in and whispered into Fu Cheng’s ear, “It’s related to your parents.”


  Xu Tingsheng was able to deduce this based on the events in his previous life. He had actually already had his doubts and worries back when Fu Cheng had mentioned his parents going to the hospital to visit Fang Yunyao. What had transpired afterwards had proven this to be true.

  He had not told Fu Cheng about this before because he did not wish for him to get estranged from even his parents when Fang Yunyao had already left. That would be very difficult to bear.

  Now, though, he had to say it.

  Fu Cheng turned and stared incredulously at Xu Tingsheng.

  Xu Tingsheng nodded firmly.

  This now was the most painful moment for Fu Cheng. Previously, despite the hurt, there was much he did not know and much that could be the case. He had once thought that maybe Ms Fang ultimately still minded the age gap between them, believing that it was unrealistic as she dared not entrust her entire future to him.

  It was because of this that when Fang Yunyao had said she was married over the phone……Fu Cheng had believed her……

  Now that he knew where the root of the problem lay, things now were evident for all to see. Having been rejected and pressured by his parents, Fang Yunyao had suffered in silence, gifting him his happiest memories before leaving to suffer, toil and give birth to their child……

  Looking at Fang Yunyao’s haggard face, Fu Cheng extended his hand but retracted it, saying, “Sorry, dear. I’ve let you and Niannian down. Give me a chance to redeem myself. Give me a chance to properly take care of you two.”


  A bashful look appeared on Fang Yunyao’s tearstained face.

  “You, you……watch what you say.”


  He had called her Fang Yunyao, even jokingly Yaoyao before when they were closer……still, Ms Fang remained his most preferred and habitual form of address for her. This was the first time he was calling her dear. It was not a joke.

  “Watch what? This is just how it is. There are many of us, Niannian is still in our hands and you’ve got nowhere to run. You can’t still say that you don’t like me anymore and already married somebody else, right?” Fu Cheng continued, “Let’s get everything settled here.”


  Looking at Fu Cheng, Fang Yunyao asked indignantly, “What do you mean there are many of you, Niannian is still in your hands and I’ve got nowhere to run……”


  “Actually, we’ve already discussed it earlier. We’ll abduct you back first if that’s what it takes,” Fu Cheng didn’t look at all like he was joking.

  “You’d dare?”


  “Yes, I’d dare,” Fu Cheng paused momentarily, then asked, “Life must have been really difficult for you and Niannian these past two years, right?”


  He finally reached out towards her. Fang Yunyao flinched, but did not evade it in the end. Fu Cheng stroked her face, wiping the tears beneath her eyes with his thumb.

  She raised her head and looked at him.

  “What is it? What do you want to tell me?” Fu Cheng asked.

  He was waiting for her to pour out her grievances.

  Fang Yunyao looked at her clothes and adjusted her messy hair as she asked rather panickedly, “I’m, I’m much older than before, aren’t I? All haggard. Have I turned ugly?”


  Indeed, women are always inevitably concerned about this aspect, especially in front of the one in their hearts.

  “You’re still so beautiful. You and Niannian are both so beautiful,” A smiling Fu Cheng answered.

  “Nonsense.”


  “Really.”


  “Niannian is very beautiful.”


  “That’s right. That’s because you are.”


  “Didn’t you just say that she resembles you more?”


  “She takes after both of us,” Fu Cheng pondered for a moment before he asked, “Is Niannian from unable to forget(念念不忘)?”


  Fang Yunyao was overcome by bitterness, her eyes reddening once more as she was finally unable to keep up her facade.

  Looking at Fu Cheng, she nodded, “Yeah……I really miss you. Niannian and I often watch your videos. I always tell Niannian that this is Dad. When Niannian was a little bigger, I carried her and took a three day train ride to that bar in Yanzhou to see you. We hid in one corner but still got chased out by someone……they were so fierce……I just wanted to let Niannian look at you……”


  Fang Yunyao was crying and venting loudly here in a heartfelt outpouring of emotions.

  So such a thing had happened.

  Xu Tingsheng looked at Huang Yaming and said, “You’re a goner.”


  Subject to a whole ring of furious gazes, Huang Yaming said, “I really deserve to die.”


  Imagining that particular scene, they were all involuntarily overcome by emotion.

  And much less Fu Cheng.

  Two years ago, Fang Yunyao had been incomparably strong, quietly soldering on unwaveringly in the face of the sudden drama that had then consumed her life. At this moment, however, the barriers of her heart collapsed. She finally returned to being that fragile, not so courageous girl she was in truth, leaning against Fu Cheng’s shoulder as she poured out the grievances of her past two years……

  “It was so very difficult to find a job when I was bearing Niannian. And then I conducted lessons with a bulging stomach all the way till I was sent to the hospital.”


  “Because of me, Niannian was born prematurely. She was so tiny when she was born……Niannian and I, we both nearly died, you know?”


  “So many people laugh at me. They also laugh at Niannian for not having a Dad.”


  “.……”


  Fang Yunyao beat her fists down upon Fu Cheng’s chest, sobbing hysterically.

  Fu Cheng……

  Stabbing, stabbing, stabbing……one by one, blades were piercing into his heart.