“Mom, I made two types of fillings. I also made some soup. Do you want to eat now, or later?”
“Put it aside for now. I’m not hungry yet. The rest of you can go ahead.”
Zhong Chufeng glanced at Tang Yuanyuan, then he said, “Then, you guys should head back. You don’t need to come again this afternoon. Have a good rest after lunch.”
Hearing that, Mrs. Zhong felt surprised. “Didn’t I ask you to bring food for all of us?”
“Bring food? For what? There are too many people here. Besides, I only made enough dumplings for two.”
In other words, Zhong Chufeng had not arranged for Yuchi Yishu and Tang Yuanyuan to stay for lunch. The meaning hidden behind his words was crystal clear.
Upon hearing those words, Mrs. Zhong nearly jumped out of bed to slap him and ask him what the hell was going through his head. However, she had just undergone a surgical operation. Besides, Yuchi Yishu and Tang Yuanyuan were still around. Thus, she held herself back, smiling as she said, “Oh, child; Yishu and Yuanyuan came to the hospital to visit me. They even took care of me! How could you only make enough for two? How about this? Put the dumplings aside. I have nothing going on here anyway. Chufeng, why don’t you take Yishu and Yuanyuan out for lunch? You can return after lunch.”
“How can I do that?” Zhong Chufeng shook his head, objecting to her suggestion immediately. “I can’t leave you in the hospital alone.”
“Mrs. Zhong, it’s fine. We’ll just go home to have our lunch. We’ll come again tomorrow to visit you.”
Helpless, Mrs. Zhong could only agree. “Alright then. Take care on the road and drive safely!”
After the two left, she gave Zhong Chufeng a resentful look. “You fool.”
Zhong Chufeng said nothing. He had done it on purpose after all. When he only made two portions of dumplings, Yuchi Yishu had asked him, “Why don’t we make enough for four while we’re at it?”
“There’s no need for that.” Zhong Chufeng curled his lips. “I may have feelings for her, but what is most important to me is her happiness, not obtaining her.”
Afterward, Yuchi Yishu said nothing else.
As they were leaving, Tang Yuanyuan followed behind Yuchi Yishu. Her gaze seemed a little lost. Yuchi Yishu had always seemed so slim. Moreover, he held his back straight while walking—it was as upright as his personality and his heart.
She liked Yuchi Yishu as he was, but… so many people have said that she was young and might not understand her own emotions. They also mentioned that she should give other people a try before she could understand her feelings. Should I try?
She was certain of her feelings, but when all the voices by her side were leaning toward one direction, she began to doubt herself. Am I wrong? Otherwise, why would everybody else’s words contradict what I believe in?
As she was deep in her thoughts, she unconsciously slowed down and lowered her head. She didn’t even notice that Yuchi Yishu had stopped in his tracks. Thus, she walked directly into him.
Bam!
“What are you thinking about?”
A deep male voice floated toward her from above. Tang Yuanyuan subconsciously glanced up and coincidentally met Yuchi Yishu’s deep gaze. “Yishu?”
“You’re walking while thinking about other things; what if you knocked into somebody?”
“I’m sorry.” She lowered her gaze. “I was lost in my thoughts for a bit. It wasn’t intentional.”
She didn’t want to walk and think at the same time either. Unfortunately, she had subconsciously begun to mull over certain things while they were leaving. After that, she got absorbed in her thoughts, leading to her current predicament.
“It’s fine this time since I’m by your side. However, you must not do something like this if you are alone. It’s very dangerous.” Yuchi Yishu tried his best to warn her about the dangers of walking alone; his tone was very gentle. “For example, if you failed to pay attention while walking on the road, what do you think will happen then?”
She was about to say something, but he interrupted her again, “The results are unpredictable. That’s why we should not think about other things while driving or walking. You can think about it when you’re not moving about. If you really can’t control yourself, then stand in place without moving. Do you understand?”
After saying that, he reached out and rubbed her head.
“I got it, Yishu.” At first, she wanted to tug at the edges of his shirt. She reached out for a moment, then suddenly recalled what she was pondering just now. Her hand froze in mid-air. A long while passed before she withdrew her hand and let it drop to her side.
It so happened that he saw everything that took place. Pausing, he felt as if his heart was being gnawed at by ants. “Let’s go. What do you want for lunch?”
Although she didn’t want to be caught up in her thoughts again, her mind was in a mess. Thus, she answered in a panic, “I’m fine with anything.”
“Are you tired?”
“Huh?”
“Do you want me to send you home?”
Go home? Tang Yuanyuan gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. Does Yishu not want to eat with me? Her eyes flickered, then she nodded after a moment. “Okay, let’s go home then.”
“Okay. Go home, have lunch, then take a good rest. School is going to start soon.”
“Yishu, are we going to the hospital again tomorrow?”
“You don’t want to visit again?”
“No, it’s not that.” She shook her head. “I just feel that Mrs. Zhong is acting a little strangely.”
Initially, she wanted to take care of Chufeng’s mother. However, the words Mrs. Zhong said to her today made her uncomfortable. If Mrs. Zhong planned to regard her as her future daughter-in-law, then she would definitely crush all the expectations Mrs. Zhong had of her.
Hearing that, Yuchi Yishu’s steps paused slightly. “Mrs. Zhong just underwent surgery. It’s quite normal to say something strange at this time. Don’t take it to heart.”
“But, what if she said that she wanted Chufeng and I to be in a relationship?”
He froze in his tracks. Thus, she followed suit. Along the bustling corridor, she raised her head and stared at him seriously. “Yishu, are you like them? Do you think that I’m still young and mentally immature? Is that why you won’t get into a relationship with me? Are you afraid that I will regret it?”
He had not expected her to bring up this topic here. Reaching out to rub her head, he said, “What nonsense are you thinking about? Aren’t you tired after running about the whole morning? Don’t you want to go back to rest?”
“Yishu, don’t change the subject. I’m asking you this question very seriously.”
Her expression indicated that she wanted to hash things out clearly. Thus, he had no choice but to drag her to the side where it was quieter. “Calm down.”
Her eyes were red-rimmed. She knew that her actions were going overboard, but she was starting to doubt herself after listening to so many people saying similar words to her recently.
“Let’s go back and rest. We can discuss this matter on another day, okay?”
She said nothing in reply. With her eyes lowered, she looked rather pitiful. After a long while, she finally nodded.
On the way home, the atmosphere between them was much stiffer. Leaning against the wall of the car, she closed her eyes and slept, refusing to speak to Yuchi Yishu. On the other hand, Yuchi Yishu felt too embarrassed to disturb her.
Tang Yuanyuan opened her eyes as they arrived home. As she removed her safety belt, she said, “Yishu, I understand your standpoint. I will also figure it out myself. Since you think I’m not mentally mature enough yet, I will work hard to become mature.”
After saying that, she left without waiting for his reply.
