Together Forever - Chapter 26
Volume 2, Chapter 26: I Can Hear You (2)
I miss you too.
She typed the words, hesitated for a long time, then pressed send. Her face, pressed against the cool glass, flushed with heat. It was so cheesy, so saccharine, she could hardly stand it…
Perhaps he had fallen asleep; he didn't reply.
Tong Yan dozed off against the train window. When she woke up, it was past seven. She checked her phone; still no message. That was odd. Gu Pingsheng usually kept a regular schedule, waking up around 6:30 every morning… Lost in thought, she barely registered the senior sister placing a cup of instant noodles in front of her. “It’s so easy to tell when someone’s in love. When my boyfriend and I first started dating, we exchanged over a hundred texts a day. My thumb joint got inflamed.”
Tong Yan just smiled, pointing at the noodles. “Isn’t it a bit early for something so greasy?”
“I’m starving,” the senior sister said cheerfully. “Want some?”
She was famished too. Then she remembered the snacks Gu Pingsheng had packed for her. Not wanting to carry them, she had put them in her suitcase, which was now stored in the overhead compartment. Retrieving it would be a hassle.
Between hunger and laziness, laziness won. She poured herself a cup of hot water instead.
In the morning bustle of the train, people were getting ready for the day, brushing their teeth and washing their faces. The juniors who had been so lively the night before were now fast asleep, curled up together. Tong Yan chatted with the senior sister while anxiously checking her phone. As the train approached Beijing station, a message finally popped up.
Almost there? TK
Tong Yan's spirits lifted instantly. Yes, almost at the station. You’re up.
I should say, I haven’t slept. TK
Haven’t slept? Tong Yan was puzzled. What had he been doing all night?
Before she could reply, another message arrived: Is there only one exit at Beijing station? I’ll wait for you at the main entrance. TK
Tong Yan was momentarily stunned, then understood. The train attendant's voice came over the intercom, welcoming them to Beijing. The senior sister tossed her empty noodle cup into the attendant's garbage bag. “Is someone picking you up? Want a ride with my boyfriend?” The senior sister lived near Tong Yan and often gave her a lift.
Tong Yan quickly shook her head. “No, thanks. A friend is picking me up.”
“A friend?” the senior sister grinned. “No way, little Tong Yan, you have another admirer in Beijing?”
Tong Yan smiled wryly, unable to explain that it was the same person.
After deliberately lagging behind the crowd, she pulled her suitcase and hurried out of the main entrance of Beijing station. She easily spotted him amidst the throngs of people. Everyone was bundled up in thick down jackets, but he was wearing the lighter coat he usually wore in Shanghai. As she approached him, her heart pounded, the scene feeling almost surreal.
Gu Pingsheng saw her and opened his arms, beckoning her closer.
Only after she was in his embrace did he exhale. “It’s freezing.”
She nuzzled his coat, her nose slightly stuffy. After a moment, she looked up at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be back in a few days? And you’re dressed so lightly! You’ll catch a cold.”
He playfully touched her cheeks with his hands; they were icy cold. “You said you missed me, so I came early.”
Tong Yan took off her gloves and placed her hands over his. “Mr. Gu, must you be so touching?”
Her eyes were stinging.
“Alright, the truth is,” Gu Pingsheng smiled, “I missed you suddenly.”
Tong Yan retrieved his gloves from his pocket and placed them in his hands. Then, unwrapping her own scarf, she stood on tiptoe, trying to wrap it around his neck. “But I can't stay with you long. I need to go home first. This afternoon…” she calculated the time. “Can I come find you after lunch?”
“No rush,” he stopped her and rewrapped her scarf around her neck. “I’ll be in Beijing for the entire winter break.”
She nodded, suddenly silent.
Only now, after rushing out to meet him and being held in his embrace, did it truly sink in that he was really here.
He looked at her questioningly, and she simply smiled, stood on tiptoe again, and kissed his cold lips. If he could do something so incredibly touching, then she could certainly kiss him at the train station.
Gu Pingsheng raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes, but he didn't say anything.
There were no classmates or teachers here.
This was the city where they had first met. He was Gu Pingsheng here, not Teacher Gu.
Back home, she quickly showered and changed into clean clothes. As she watched her grandmother cook in the kitchen, she couldn’t stop smiling, her happiness so apparent that her grandmother looked at her curiously, asking if she had done particularly well on her exams. Tong Yan leaned against the doorframe, biting her lip, and after a moment of silent laughter, replied, “Yes, I got a 94 in Commercial Arbitration.”
He would be in Beijing for the entire 29-day winter break.
Tong Yan was mentally calculating how many days she’d have to stay home and how many she could spend with him when a knock interrupted her thoughts. She casually called out, asking who it was, and heard a woman’s voice reply, “Yan Yan, it’s Mom.”
The air stilled. She froze, and after a long pause, her grandmother wiped her hands and opened the door.
Even as her mother sat down, smiling at her, Tong Yan still couldn’t quite believe it. She quietly sat on a small stool in front of the sofa. People often complimented her on her looks; she had inherited most of her features from her mother. Looking at her mother, now in her mid-forties, she could hardly see any difference from when she was in her thirties.
Her grandmother, seemingly expecting her mother's visit, engaged her in light conversation. Tong Yan listened quietly, unsure of what to say. Her mother had called occasionally over the past six months, but after years of estrangement, they had little in common.
“Yan Yan, are you seeing anyone?” her mother asked suddenly.
Tong Yan nodded. “Yes.”
“A classmate?” her mother’s smile was warm.
She thought for a moment, then nodded again, without speaking.
That was their only exchange during the entire afternoon.
It wasn’t until after her mother had left that evening that she remembered her promise to meet Gu Pingsheng. She checked her phone; there were no messages. He hadn't contacted her.
Curled up on the sofa, phone in her lap, she suddenly felt a strong urge to see him.
She didn’t even know what she wanted to say; she just wanted to be with him.
“Your mother has been visiting frequently these past few months,” her grandmother said, handing her a ripe persimmon and a small spoon. “After the divorce, she and your father fought constantly over the apartment. This year, for some reason, she seems to have let it go, saying neither of them wants it and that she’s transferring ownership to you.”
Tong Yan took the persimmon without a word.
She scooped out the soft flesh with the spoon.
A rich, familiar taste of home.
Her grandmother seemed to want to say something more but stopped.
Tong Yan didn't pry. The year she got accepted into university was when her parents' fight over the apartment was at its fiercest. Her mother had waved the divorce agreement from four years prior, stating that it clearly stipulated the apartment belonged to her and that her father would only receive 100,000 yuan. However, in just four years, the apartment's value had quadrupled, and her father wasn't willing to lose out.
During that tumultuous argument, fearing her father would sell the apartment to invest in the volatile stock market, leaving both of them with nothing for retirement, she had sided with her mother, mentioning the legal validity of the agreement… For the next two years, her father had badmouthed her to anyone who would listen.
He had said terrible things, all because of that apartment. An apartment that no longer felt like home.
After finishing the persimmon, she took the seeds to the kitchen. As she was washing the spoon, she heard her grandmother answer the phone. She spoke softly at first, but her voice gradually rose in anger, trembling as she said, “Yan Yan is your daughter! How can you say such things about her?”
Tong Yan guessed it was her father. Not wanting to make things difficult for her grandmother, she stayed in the kitchen.
She busied herself wiping down the counters.
Only after the call ended did she emerge, pretending she hadn’t heard anything, and asked cheerfully, “I’m going out to meet some classmates. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, okay?” Her grandmother told her to come home early, then retreated to her room, wiping her eyes.
Stepping outside, she realized how cold it truly was.
The wind was biting, stinging her face. Even with her scarf pulled up to her eyes, she was still cold. She ended up ducking into the nearest Parkson mall, wandering through the brightly lit cosmetics section on the ground floor to kill time.
Perhaps because of the approaching Lunar New Year, the mall was crowded.
As she walked aimlessly, she stopped abruptly.
The other half of the floor was dedicated to shoes, and every counter was busy with people trying on shoes. But amidst the crowd, three figures stood out. For a moment, she wanted to turn away, but Lu Bei had already seen her. He walked towards her without hesitation. Fang Yun Yun, who was trying on shoes, glanced up, then casually returned to admiring herself in the mirror.
Lu Bei’s mother, however, looked at Tong Yan with surprise.
“Tong Tong,” Lu Bei reached out, as if to take her hand. “My mom wanted me to come over and say hello.”
Tong Yan discreetly evaded his hand. “I’m meeting someone. You should go back to them.”
“Are you on winter break? Can I visit you tomorrow?” Lu Bei’s voice was hurried, as if afraid she’d misunderstand.
But among the four of them, she was clearly the outsider.
Tong Yan smiled faintly. “No. My boyfriend would be jealous, and so would your wife.”
The glittering decorations reflected her smile, highlighting the distance between them.
“Lu Bei,” his mother finally called out.
Lu Bei remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Tong Yan.
His mother called his name again.
“I’m leaving. You should go back.”
Seeing he still hadn’t moved, Tong Yan turned and walked away.
Fearing he might follow, she quickly pushed open the mall doors and disappeared into the crowd. She walked until she reached a nearby bus stop, then sat down on the bench, pulled out her phone, found Gu Pingsheng’s number, and called him.
He answered quickly, his voice filled with concern. “What’s wrong? Send me a message.”
The wind carried his voice away, making it sound distant. Tong Yan bit her lip, and finally, the tears came. He asked again what was wrong, then fell silent. She sat there at the bus stop, crying for a long time, until her scarf was soaked. He still didn’t hang up.
In the end, she was the one who ended the call.
He quickly sent a text: What happened? TK
With numb fingers, Tong Yan typed: Nothing. My phone was on the sofa, and I accidentally sat on it, hitting the call button. I can’t believe I kept you on the phone for so long… Why didn’t you hang up? Long distance calls are expensive.
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