Cheng Kou's parents came to the hospital to visit Xia Linchen. They had watched their child grow up, and now he had become like this. Song Qingwu felt distressed when she saw him, and her eyes secretly turned red.
Xia Linchen, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He treated his elders with respect but not distance, and made a joke when it was time to do so.
When leaving, Xia Linchen said to Cheng Kou, "It's not convenient for me now. Please go and see Uncle Cheng and Aunt Song off."
Cheng Kou agreed, followed his parents out of the ward, got into the elevator, and walked to the outside of the hospital building.
When they reached the roadside, Cheng Kou said, "Let's take a taxi back."
Father Cheng waved his hand and said, "It's not far. The weather is so nice, your mother and I will walk home."
Cheng Kou followed his parents' advice and told them to be careful on the road.
Father Cheng thought for a moment and asked, "You have been in the hospital these two days, where is Xiao Su?"
Cheng Kou was stunned, then gritted his teeth and told the truth.
"Nonsense." Song Qingwu frowned and said unhappily, "How can you be so unreliable, kid?"
Cheng Kou looked at her father for help, but her father just sighed repeatedly.
"Koubao, you are so immature."
Cheng Kou lowered his head and said nothing.
The more Song Qingwu thought about it, the angrier she became: "You were the one who insisted on being with her, and now you are the one who gave up so easily. Cheng Kou, is this what I usually teach you?"
Cheng Kou lowered his head even lower and cried out pitifully: "Mom..."
"Don't act pitiful in front of me." Song Qingwu glanced at her, "If you keep doing this, people won't want you anymore, and you won't even have anywhere to cry."
Father Cheng advised: "Don't scare her like that. If she really starts crying, I won't be able to stop her."
"I feel ashamed." Song Qingwu sighed, "It was our family that opposed giving her a hard time in the first place, and now she's doing this again... Oh, what do you think she will think of us..."
Cheng Kou carefully pulled her hand and said, "Mom, I was wrong. Can't I go and admit my mistake to him..."
"Do you think you can escape?" Song Qingwu glanced at her and taught her, "People pamper you because they like you. But there should be a limit to being willful. Breaking up easily will hurt each other's feelings. In the long run, even the best relationship will be worn out."
"I see. I'll go find him tomorrow."
After seeing her parents off, Cheng Kou returned to the ward in a depressed mood. Xia Linchen was chatting and laughing with the nurse, and when she saw her come in, the nurse said goodbye to Xia Linchen with a smile.
Cheng Kou asked him, "Do you want to eat anything?"
Xia Linchen shook his head and smiled, "You've been feeding me since I woke up yesterday. You can't even force-feed me like this. Do you want to turn me into a greasy middle-aged uncle?"
"You, even if you are an uncle, are a good-looking uncle." This is true. It is indeed rare to find someone who can wear the same style of hospital gown so well.
"Did you take the wrong medicine?" Xia Linchen asked with a half-smile, "Why did you change your attitude and praise me today?"
Cheng Kou just sat there looking at his fingers. The ward suddenly became quiet and the atmosphere was a little weird.
Under normal circumstances, Cheng Kou would tell him whatever was on her mind. Even if he couldn't give her any advice, he could help her sort out the problem and relieve her depressed mood.
But since she knew his feelings, things suddenly became awkward. The way they had been getting along for years was no longer applicable, and they were all trying to find a new balance.
"Hey, Cheng Kou, just say what you want to say. It's so uncomfortable to hold it in." Xia Linchen has never been a timid person, and at this moment he chose to be frank.
"I told my mom and she scolded me."
"Hey, isn't that inevitable?" Xia Linchen smiled, "According to Aunt Song's temper, you will obviously be scolded for doing this. It's a foregone conclusion."
Cheng Kou scratched his head and said frustratedly: "Being scolded is not a big deal, the main thing is..."
She didn't finish the second half of the sentence, so Xia Linchen continued for her: "The main thing is that you know you are in the wrong, but you don't know how to go to Su Yan to make peace."
"You are really the worm in my stomach." Cheng Kou smiled foolishly, feeling a little sad. Such understanding must be based on long-term attention.
"It's just a matter of words." Xia Linchen reminded her, "Do you still want to continue with Su Yan?"
She did, of course she did. She was so tormented in just one day that she wished she could never be separated from him for even a second.
But considering Xia Linchen's feelings, she found a tactful way to express it and just said "hmm".
Xia Linchen smiled knowingly and said, "So why are you still hesitating? Tell him your idea honestly. As for whether he accepts it or not, it's none of his business."
He naturally knew in his heart that Su Yan didn't take Cheng Kou's so-called "breakup" seriously at all.
What really bothered him was probably being abandoned. His background, his self-esteem, and his pride could not allow this.
He was very angry at that time and didn't want to argue with Cheng Kou at all, so he had to choose to leave.
It's almost time for everyone to calm down. If Cheng Kou just gives in, the matter will be over and everyone will pretend it never happened.
"Here, my mother will be here in a while. You must be tired after taking care of me all day. You can go back to rest or apologize to Su Yan. Anyway, I won't keep you here."
Cheng Kou packed her things and walked out of the ward with her bag on her back. There were not many people in the hospital corridor, so she stayed at the door of the ward for a while before walking slowly towards the elevator.
In fact, what they said was not wrong, but she was still afraid. What if Su Yan changed his mind and refused to forgive her during this day? What should she do
During the few months she had been with Su Yan, he had been doing his best to play the role of the "perfect boyfriend" and spoiled her beyond measure.
She was immersed in the joy of happiness, and no one reminded her that there should be a limit to being spoiled.
Once he crossed the line, he would no longer wait for her.
Cheng Kou gripped the strap of the bag tightly with his fingers. The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. The more panicked he became, the more he couldn't help but think in the worst possible direction.
She felt a little uneasy and wanted to find Su Yan immediately to talk things out.
She walked very fast. If running was not prohibited in the hospital corridors, she would probably have run very fast.
When she passed by a window, she looked out. The sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, was now covered with dark clouds and a heavy rain was about to fall.
Cheng Kou took out her cell phone, and before she could dial, Cheng's father called her and told her that he and Song Qingwu felt the weather was not right on the way so they took a taxi, and they have now arrived home safely.
Cheng Kou felt relieved, and Cheng's father told her to cheer up, be brave and not be afraid, because at worst she could come back to him and cry.
Cheng Kou knew that her father must have made the call without her mother's knowledge, otherwise if Song Qingwu heard what he had just said, he would definitely have snorted coldly in response.
With Cheng's father's support, she felt strong in her heart and was filled with infinite courage.
But unexpectedly, not only was the weather bad, but the elevator also broke down.
Xia Linchen's ward was on the sixteenth floor of the building. Cheng Kou gritted her teeth and decided to go down the stairs.
Something in her heart seemed to urge her to hurry up, so she quickened her pace and almost half-ran over the threshold separating the inpatient department and the stairwell.
Someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms with a little force. A familiar scent filled her nostrils, and Cheng Kou grabbed the person's clothes, thinking it was a dream.
Maybe the elevator was repaired, and there was no one in the stairwell at the moment. The only sound in the silent space was Su Yan's heartbeat.
Cheng Kou stepped back a little, looked up at him, and saw a blush on his fair and handsome face, with some crystal beads of sweat overflowing.
"You..." Cheng Kou opened his mouth first, but didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Su Yan didn't care and said, "The elevator is under maintenance, I ran up."
He was breathing slightly as he spoke, his eyes were clear and full of soft light.
Someone asked stupidly, "What are you doing up here?"
Su Yan chuckled and slowly kept the secret: "Of course it's urgent."
"What's the matter? Why are you trying so hard?" She asked even though she knew the answer. Her anxious heart strangely calmed down.
Su Yan raised his eyebrows, and a mischievous look appeared on his usually indifferent face: "This is a lifelong event, it is extremely urgent, there can be no mistakes."
Cheng Kou couldn't help laughing and asked, "Aren't you angry when I treated you like that?"
Su Yan thought, of course I am angry. If I meet someone with a bad temper, I will be pissed to death by her. But I have pursued you with so much hardship, why should I give up
Su Yan smiled, which was rare, and his bright eyes showed a hint of tenderness, which made Cheng Kou fall deeply into his heart involuntarily.
"If you take one step back, I must take two steps forward. I can't let you get away, can I?"
Su Yan looked at her steadily, and his expression contained not only liking but also a deeper love.
He took her hands, moved them away from his shirt, which had been rubbed with marks, and then held them firmly in his palms.
"Koubao, I will only say these words once." Su Yan paused, and opened his thin lips slightly. "I don't want anything to happen to Xia Linchen, and neither do you. I won't say it's not your fault. You can feel guilty and take care of him. But this guilt will be borne by both of us. You have to remember that we advance and retreat together. It doesn't make sense for us to love each other happily but not be able to bear this responsibility."
"Also, I thought about it all night at home yesterday, and I found something I've never said to you." Su Yan smiled faintly, "Koubao, I love you."
As he uttered the last sentence, Cheng Kou burst into tears. She quickly wiped them away with her hand, took a step forward to meet his half-bent body, and kissed him accurately.
Inside the ward, Zhuang Wanhua looked at her son's face facing the window, with a faint smile on her lips.
Xia Linchen recalled the sound of Cheng Kou's footsteps which gradually quickened, and imagined the scene in the garden downstairs - green grass, blooming flowers, and fluttering butterflies.
Cheng Kou was like a beautiful butterfly. He watched her flap her wings and fly, embracing the sky that belonged to her.
Su Yan took Cheng Kou's hand and returned to Xia Linchen's ward.
Zhuang Wanhua felt a little strange and thought Cheng Kou had forgotten something.
Xia Linchen was slightly startled and asked in surprise: "Why are you two back again?"
Su Yan's eyes revealed some joy, and he said, "I have contacted the best ophthalmologist in the country, and now I am here to help you transfer to another hospital."