Fang Yunyao was sobbing as she poured out her pent up grievances and feelings of the past two years upon the shoulder of that person who was seven years younger than her. She was just like a little girl who had been wronged as she lamented to the one she had once relied on.

  The gas delivery man had demanded 3 yuan for carrying the bottle of gas upstairs. Unwilling to pay that money, she had tried to carry it herself, yet had simply been unable to lift it with her strength……

  Her injuries throbbed whenever the sky was overcast and it rained. It really hurt and gave her many a sleepless night.

  Niannian had fallen sick in the middle of the night a few times, but she had not been able to get a taxi. She had carried Niannian with her mother holding an umbrella, braving the torrential rain……

  Overcome by emotions, Fang Yunyao laid bare whatever came to mind, be they major or minor. Only those words which Fu Cheng’s parents had said back then, the root of all that had befallen her, she withheld.

  Even as could be seen her kind nature, worry and helplessness were also manifested herein. The weighted scale measured thus. On one side was she and her daughter. On the other was Fu Cheng’s parents, and maybe even Fu Cheng’s future as they claimed. Fang Yunyao did not know how she could request this of him.

  She did not wish to force Fu Cheng to choose and also had no real confidence of successfully convincing Mr and Mrs Fu.

  Meanwhile, the others had already finished feeding Little Niannian the milk and were happily taking turns to carry her, snatching here and there. Huang Yaming and the others believed a happy ending was nigh.

  Rubbing away her tears and snot, a red-faced Fang Yunyao pried herself off Fu Cheng and faced the whole gang.

  “I……” Being unfamiliar with some of those present, she was inevitably left at a loss for words.

  “No need to feel embarrassed, Ms Fang,” The ever-sociable Tan Yao said cheerily with a hand on Ye Qing’s shoulder, “It’s just seven years. I’ve found one who’s ten years older than me……see, isn’t it perfectly good anyway?”


  Ironically, as Tan Yao and Ye Qing had never thought about their future together, no obstacles had appeared in their relationship as of now.

  Ye Qing shot him a glare before smiling at Fang Yunyao, “Hi, Ms Fang. We can hang out more next time, when you’re in Yanzhou.”


  Fang Yunyao nodded awkwardly. Being a woman, she recognised that Ye Qing was completely adorned with branded goods that might amount up to a few hundred thousand……her ex-students, Fu Cheng included, were associating with people of an increasingly higher level.

  She did not exactly feel inferior, but she still did hesitate slightly.

  It was more awkward for Xu Tingsheng, but he really had no way around it. In the end, he called over Little Xiang Ning who was playing with Little Niannian and said to Fang Yunyao, “Ms Fang……this is Xiang Ning. I suppose you’ve heard of her before?

  Fang Yunyao had once heard from Fu Cheng that Xu Tingsheng liked someone named Xiang Ning. Seeing the young girl before her at this moment, she hid her startlement and composed herself, smiling, “Oh, yes.”


  Little Xiang Ning greeted sweetly, “Hi, Ms Fang.”


  Then, she said, “I really like Niannian, Ms Fang. Can Niannian stay at our house when she’s come to Yanzhou?”


  Fang Yunyao had no way of giving a direct response as she diverted the topic.

  Xu Tingsheng told Little Xiang Ning to get back to playing before he turned back and asked Fang Yunyao, “Can we talk, Ms Fang?”


  Earlier, he had noticed that regarding the most fundamental problem of Fu Cheng’s parents, Fu Cheng had not known how to bring it up while Fang Yunyao had also said nothing about it. This was just not something Fu Cheng could ask and get an answer to, in truth.

  Xu Tingsheng had to do it.

  Deductions aside, Xu Tingsheng still wished to know about this in greater detail so he could better come up with a solution. If this problem was not resolved, Fang Yunyao and Fu Cheng would never be able to live a stable, peaceful life together.

  As the two of them walked downslope, it was Fang Yunyao who first spoke, “So, to think that in the end, you and Apple still……at that time, I thought that……”


  “We are still good friends,” Xu Tingsheng smiled, “Right, she’s about to perform in the New Year’s Gala. She’d have come along this time, otherwise.”


  “Yep, you’re all becoming more and more remarkable,” Fang Yunyao smiled.

  The way she spoke with Xu Tingsheng was actually different from the rest. Whether subconsciously or through real judgment, she knew that Xu Tingsheng was more mature compared to them. It was he who had constantly taken care of the others, and all those major, qualitative changes that had happened to them, including Fu Cheng, were also related to him.

  It was also precisely because of this that when Xu Tingsheng finally asked, “Ms Fang, what did Fu Cheng’s Mum and Dad tell you back then? What is it that they’re concerned about? Can you tell me?”, Fang Yunyao eventually told him everything that had been said at the hospital, the call from Fu Cheng’s grandfather included.

  “Don’t tell Fu Cheng about this. I don’t want him to be put in a spot. Also, there’s no way of resolving this. If they had left me with but the slightest bit of hope that day, I would have persisted. But there’s really no way. I can’t really be that selfish……” Fang Yunyao said.

  “What are you planning to do now then? You definitely won’t be able to get rid of Fu Cheng however much you try,” Xu Tingsheng said, “Also, what about Niannian? Can you really let her be without a father just like this?”


  Fang Yunyao did not answer as tears flowed down her face.

  “With Niannian, it might be different,” Xu Tingsheng said calmly but earnestly.

  Fang Yunyao raised her head and looked at him before nodding, “I, I’ll consider it again then.”


  Obtaining the forgiveness or compromise of Fu Cheng’s parents in this way would actually not be a happy thing, because it was more like a form of ‘begging’. Still, a glimmer of hope was evidently visible in Fang Yunyao’s eyes now. While she was clearly the person suffering numerous injustices, she was still willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of Fu Cheng……

  Fu Cheng was mentally exhausted to the point of breakdown from all he had learnt. He learnt what Ms Fang and Niannian had suffered, that when he had been basking in the limelight up on stage, soaking in the applause, they……had been suffering in a dark corner, having come all the way just for a look at him.

  Fu Cheng rested his head on his knee. He had never hated himself with such a vengeance before.

  Fang Yunyao was also worn out from crying.

  It was the same for her mother.

  Little Niannian was tired from playing and was feeling sleepy.

  After some consideration, Xu Tingsheng asked for everyone else, Little Xiang Ning included, to continue on the tour while he, Song Ni, Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng drove the trio back home.

  In the car, Huang Yaming proposed eating lunch together. Ms Fang said no.

  Knowing that she needed time, Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng did not force her.

  They pulled up at the side gate of the private school. Song Ni and Fu Cheng sent the trio up while Xu Tingsheng and Huang Yaming stayed in the car. “Think it’ll all be settled?” Huang Yaming asked. “If only it could be that easy,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  After a while, Fu Cheng and Song Ni returned.

  “How did it go?” Huang Yaming hastily asked.

  His face deathly ashen, Fu Cheng replied, “She said, she said that she wants to continue living here. She won’t go back with me……also, I can come to visit she and Niannian when I’m free. She won’t avoid me again.”


  What was the meaning of that? Why?

  Huang Yaming didn’t get it, Song Ni didn’t get it, but Xu Tingsheng did. This was Fang Yunyao’s compromise. While she could not chase Fu Cheng away again, she was also helpless in the face of his parents. Therefore, she chose to give up a part of it, the marriage and daily life……

  She meant to treat Fu Cheng as the husband who would only return home on occasion……

  “Have you prepared yourself to face your parents?” Xu Tingsheng asked Fu Cheng.

  Fu Cheng nodded, “I wanna be with Ms Fang and Niannian, even if it means death.”


  “Abduct ‘em,” Xu Tingsheng said.