Suddenly, the door is fiercely pushed opened. A medium-sized man, looking about 60-70, full of prestige and vigor stood at the door.
ZhouXiang felt that he looked familiar but his brain was still in a state of confusion. It took him three to four seconds to fully recognize that this is the person he often saw on TV. He is YanMingXiuâs grandfather, a significant well known figure in the government, YanDeJiang.
At this time, ZhouXiang didnât feel nervous. He couldnât even get himself to wipe the tears off his face as he stared at the person who had just entered.
When YanMingXiuâs mother saw her sonâs dispirited emaciated self, with tears strewn all over his face, she felt immensely pained. She tried to alleviate the situation at hand, âDad, you just came back. Got take a rest first. Leave the childrenâs matter to us.â
YanDeJiang ignored her as he slowly moved his eyes from ZhouXiangâs face to YanMingXiuâs face. When he spoke, his voice is very slow but sounded powerfully resonating, âCrying like this, how shameful.â
YanMingXiu wiped his face and softly muttered, "Grandpa."
"Didnât eat for how many days?" YanDeJiang glanced into the room and frowned with dissatisfaction.
âJust ate,â YanMingXiu stubbornly turned his face to the side.
âIs not eating going to solve the problem? This same old trick, your dad had used it back then when he refused to the join the army. I was still able to make him give in.â
YanMingXiu didnât say anything.
ZhouXiang had a bit of difficulty breathing under such high pressured situation.
YanDeJiang glanced at ZhouXiang and said, âMnnnn ... young people falling in love... as though itâs a matter of life and death, isnât that stupid? If you really have the time and energy, why not go do something useful."
There was not a sound in or out of the room, nobody even dared to take a deep breath.
âYoung man, go back. This is our family matters. Outsiders donât need to intervene.â YanDeJiang said faintly as he looked at ZhouXiang. Every one of his words made ZhouXiang felt so ashamed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. He stood up almost automatically and headed toward the door.
YanMingXiu bolted from the sofa and stepped in front of ZhouXiang. Wiping his tears with his voice trembling, âYouâre not allowed to leave.â
YanDeJiang raised his voice, âYou dare!"
ZhouXiang wanted to push YanMingXiu away but he wasnât strong enough. He didnât dare to look at YanMingXiuâs eyes. It made him feel pained.
YanMingSu came over and pulled YanMingXiu aside, âLet him go back first. This wonât solve the problem.â
âNo way. Ge, I canât let him go. What am I going to do if he leaves and not come back?" YanMingXiu was still tightly gripping onto ZhouXiangâs sleeve, refusing to let go.
YanMingSu patted his face and lowered his voice, âLet go first (referring to ZhouXiangâs sleeves). Iâll help you think of a way. Let go.â
Everyone was looking at them. ZhouXiang felt so overwhelmed. He kept his head lowered with his ears red. His entire person felt weak and listless.
YanMingXiuâs paranoia is a bit abnormal.
YanMingSu had no choice but to say something in his ear. YanMingXiu deeply furrowed his brows and finally let go of his hand reluctantly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
ZhouXiang pulled his arm back. With his head lowered, he rushed out of the door. YanMingXiuâs motherâs voice sounded behind him, "Son, youâre making mom feel very hurt...."
The car that picked him up was waiting downstairs. ZhouXiang rushed into the car. His tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.
He leaned back in the seat and reached his hand out to cover his eyes, his tears continued to well up around his eyes. He cried quietly. He kept asking himself. Is doing this right? Is it right or not? If itâs not, then does he have the courage to go back?
Even when the car arrived at the downstairs of his home, he didnât have an answer. Itâs just that every time he thought of leaving YanMingXiu alone there and he himself escaped, the pain in his heart felt as if it had been pierced with a knife.
He didnât know how he got upstairs. After entering the home, even ChenYingâs shocking expression didnât make him come back to his senses. He went straight into his room and flopped down on the bed.
ChenYingâs worried voice sounded from outside the door but she didnât come in.
ZhouXiang closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. He slept very deeply. When he woke up, it was dark outside. ZhouXiang felt an excruciating migraine. It was particularly painful, as if his head is about to crack open.
He sat up unsteadily and stared blankly at the darkness outside the windows. He canât see anything outside. There was nothing.
âXiang Ge... I have always liked you.â
âXiang Ge... can I really not be forgiven?â
âXiang Ge...."
In his mind, all he kept repeatedly hearing and seeing is YanMingXiuâs voice and face. ZhouXiang felt that he had been possessed.
His mouth is extremely dry. He walked out of his room, intending to go into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. However, as soon as he opened the door, he found the living room brightly lit. ChenYing is sitting on the sofa looking at something.
Hearing movements, ChenYing turned her face and glanced at him sadly.
ZhouXiang glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already passed two oâclock in the middle of the night. He forced himself to liven up but his voice is still lifeless, âMom, how come youâre not asleep?â
âAh Xiang, come here.â
ZhouXiang sat next to ChenYing.
He thought that ChenYing would definitely ask him about what happened today. His eyes are so swollen that it was hard to see anything. ChenYing canât possibly not notice. Unexpectedly, ChenYing didnât ask. Instead she pointed to the photo album in front of her, "This was taken when you were six years old. At that time, your father was still alive.â
ZhouXiang looked at her, not understanding.
âIf your father is not dead, I donât have to work so hard, you also donât have to work so hard."
ChenYing sniffed her nose, âAh Xiang, sometimes, I feel that it would have been better if I had just died, then I wonât give you so much trouble.â "
âMom, how can you say that?â
ChenYing looked at him deeply, âAh Xiang, what mom said that day is too harsh. Donât take it to heart.â
"I wonât."
âActually, do you like him? Tell me the truth, do you like him?â
ZhouXiang lowered his head and didnât say anything.
"You like him. But could his family accept you."
He already got an extremely accurate answer to this question. ZhouXiang shook his head.
âYou also know it yourself. So you must not be foolish to get your feet stuck in this ditch and canât pull yourself out. That would be too terrible.â
ZhouXiang slowly closed his eyes.
âââ
The 7th day of the Lunar New Year was unusually long. ZhouXiang didnât go out. Every day, he just stayed home, lost in his own thoughts.
CaiWei and LanXiRong called him to go out but he made some excuses to refuse them.
Putting the phone near his hand, he knew he was waiting for someone to call him, but didnât know whether or not he wanted that call to come. This kind of anxiety is about to make him crazy.
Having stayed home for the third day, ChenYing finally couldnât stand it anymore and handed him a mirror to look at himself.
ZhouXiang glanced once. He felt that he still looked quite good. This young man is quite handsome, even if he was dejected to such an extent, he still had his charms. He wanted to laugh at himself, but the laugh is more unsightly than crying.
ChenYing caressed his hair, âHow come you are so foolish? As long as you like him, mom is willing to support you but mom is most afraid of seeing you in pain... most afraid of seeing you hurt.â
ZhouXiang took her hand and gently patted her back, âMom. Donât worry. Who hasnât gone through a breakup in their lives? Give me some time. Iâll be fine. Donât take this so seriously."
He didnât know whether he is comforting ChenYing or comforting himself. Only he, himself knows that he would never love any other person as he had loved YanMingXiu in his life. He had already given up a life, how could there be another person who can still make him give in to that extent.
ChenYing shook her head, not knowing what to say.
The phone call that ZhouXiang was waiting for never came. But instead, YanMingSu came. YanMingSu rang the doorbell to his home. The moment ZhouXiang opened the door, the emotions in his heart is like the oceanâs surging waves, almost fiercely drowning him to death.
End of the chapter