Together Forever - Chapter 32
Volume 2, Chapter 32: No More Past (2)
He was in the habit of waking up early, usually around six.
The person beside him seemed exhausted, curled up in a ball, sleeping soundly, her long hair spread across the pillow. Perhaps the room was too warm; her cheeks were flushed.
He watched her for a long time, then picked up his phone and sent a message to Pingfan:
I’ve decided to have the surgery in the US. TK
His phone buzzed almost immediately: Really? I’ll make the arrangements right away.
He chuckled wryly. I was a doctor once; I think I can handle the arrangements myself. TK
After sending the message, Gu Pingsheng glanced at Tong Yan again. Her cheeks seemed even redder.
He gently slipped her arm out from under the covers. After a while, her breathing evened out, and the color returned to her face.
Pingfan’s reply popped up: If you insist on making your own arrangements, at least let me know who you choose as your surgeon. You’ve already had one surgery; this one will be more complex, with a longer recovery period. Be prepared.
He simply replied, “Okay,” then put down his phone and got dressed.
When Tong Yan woke up, he wasn't in the room, and there were no sounds coming from outside.
Reaching for her clothes, she found them neatly folded and covered with a clean bath towel on the floor. It was an odd gesture, but when she picked them up, she realized they were still slightly warm, not cold like they usually were on winter mornings.
She got dressed and took a couple of steps, then, as if remembering something, she turned back and lifted the covers. She froze, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She quickly pulled back the bedsheet and stared at the evidence beneath, almost in tears. She couldn't exactly replace the entire mattress, could she?
In the end, she opted for selective blindness, simply changing the bedsheet.
The washing machine was on the balcony. Although enclosed, it was still considerably colder than inside. Worried the machine wouldn’t clean the sheet thoroughly, she soaked it in cold water in the sink. Just as she turned on the faucet, she heard the living room door open. She quickly stuffed the sheet into the washing machine and dried her hands on her clothes.
“What are you doing out here in the cold?” Gu Pingsheng asked, taking off his black coat as she approached.
…
Tong Yan hesitated, unable to utter a word.
What could she say? How could she explain?
He noticed her reddened fingers, took her hand, and examined it closely. “Washing something?”
She nodded.
He was silent for a few seconds, then seemed to understand. He tried to suppress a smile but failed, chuckling softly. “Don’t bother washing it. Just throw it away. I’ll take it to the dry cleaners tomorrow.”
Tong Yan looked at him, surprised. “That’s not right…”
Him, a man, taking a stained sheet to the dry cleaners…
Gu Pingsheng’s smile widened. He pulled her close. “It’s fine.”
As he warmed her hands, Tong Yan felt something cool slide onto her finger. A simple, unadorned ring now encircled her ring finger.
“I’m not very familiar with Shanghai, so I couldn’t find the perfect one for you.” His voice, so close to her ear, was clear and distinct. “I know this isn’t ideal, but since you’re still a student, this style will do for now.”
She stared at the ring, speechless.
Her hand, still slightly red from the cold water, was enveloped in his.
Silence filled the air, broken only by her ragged breathing. Finally, she looked up. “Gu Pingsheng, are you… proposing?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, unexpectedly.
An unexpected ring, an unexpected proposal, everything unexpected.
It was so unromantic. How could he be so unromantic?
“Just making it official. I believe I stated quite clearly that only within marriage is sex the ultimate expression of intimate love. Any sex outside of marriage is wrong.” He looked at her, a playful glint in his eyes. “So, last night, you essentially accepted my proposal, right?”
Tong Yan laughed through her tears, unable to respond.
“My parents were a teacher and student,” he leaned against the glass door of the balcony, holding her close. “I’m their illegitimate child. That’s why my relationship with my mother was always strained. We even had a huge fight the night she passed away. That same night, I met you.”
“You remind me of my younger self: strong sense of right and wrong, impulsive behavior. I wanted to shake you awake, so you wouldn’t end up like me, full of regret for past actions years later.” His palm gently caressed the side of her face where she had been slapped. “When I saw you again, I don’t know why, but I felt this urge to protect you, and I forgot that I was your teacher. I’m sorry, Yan Yan. When I realized my feelings for you, my first instinct was to run away.”
She looked up at him. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
He continued, “Running away is not what a man should do.”
Tong Yan finally smiled. “Is that it?”
He smiled back, not answering.
She leaned closer. “So, is that the end of your one and only proposal? That’s all you’ve got?” Clearly, she couldn't expect any grand romantic gestures from him.
He could turn even the most touching moment into a self-criticism session. It was endearing.
“There’s one more important thing,” Gu Pingsheng added after a moment’s thought. “I’m not… completely healthy.”
Tong Yan shook her head, about to speak, but he stopped her.
“But I’ll do my best to recover.”
He pulled another ring from his pocket and held it out to her. “So, will you?”
For a moment, Tong Yan was speechless.
Then she chuckled softly, took the ring, and carefully slid the small silver band onto his ring finger. Who proposed with two rings, keeping one for themselves?
Probably only him.
Gu Pingsheng's hands were elegant and well-proportioned. She remembered when they first met again, she had remarked that they were like the hands of a surgeon from an American TV show.
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
Perhaps that was the real reason he had left the operating room.
A pang of sadness welled up within her. She paused, her finger resting on his ring, then looked up at him. “In sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, I will be with you always.”
Years ago, when she had first seen a wedding scene in a movie, she had been moved by the priest’s words: “In sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Back then, she was too young to fully understand the true meaning of “in sickness and in health,” “for richer, for poorer.” But perhaps because of her family background, she had always held a high standard for marriage. Yet, this impulsive decision felt completely right.
Gu Pingsheng took her hand.
He gently lifted her ring finger and kissed the ring.
The pale winter sunlight seemed to have no effect on the warmth within the room.
Since she had classes the next day, she returned to school that evening.
The taxi, as usual, stopped near the classroom building, far from the dorms. As Gu Pingsheng helped her with her suitcase, someone called out her name.
Tong Yan looked up instinctively, and Gu Pingsheng, following her gaze, turned around.
“Teacher Zhao.”
Tong Yan greeted her awkwardly.
It was a little past eight. Most students had just returned to campus; few were keen on studying the night before classes officially started. The area around the classroom building was unusually deserted. It was a surprise to see Zhao Yin here.
She seemed equally surprised. She glanced at Tong Yan’s suitcase, then smiled at Gu Pingsheng. “I heard you’re taking a leave of absence this semester. Is something wrong at home? Or were your checkup results not good?”
“The checkup results weren’t ideal,” he replied briefly.
Zhao Yin seemed familiar with his medical history. After a brief exchange, she turned to Tong Yan, smiling. “The practice test I gave you during our tutoring sessions showed good results. You should be fine in Physics this semester. But keep working hard; a high GPA will give you an advantage when applying to graduate school.”
Tong Yan nodded, watching her walk away. Once she was out of earshot, she turned to Gu Pingsheng. “Does Teacher Zhao… like you?”
“Seems so,” Gu Pingsheng considered for a moment, then said deliberately, “Seems like she’s liked me for a long time.”
…
Right.
Tong Yan had a feeling Physics this semester would be even more unbearable.
After a moment, she couldn't help but ask, “Do you think she… noticed?”
“Noticed what?” He handed her the suitcase handle.
She took it, resting one hand on the suitcase while holding up her right hand. She had deliberately kept her hand out of her pocket, just in case.
“I don’t know.” The wind was strong, and he pulled her hood up. “When you come back to Beijing for your internship in your senior year, we’ll register our marriage.” She paused, then realized what he meant and gave a soft “mm-hmm.” Remembering he couldn’t hear her, she said more clearly, “Okay.” Then, after a moment, she asked, “Why do we have to register in Beijing?”
“Residency rules. Marriage registration must be done in one of the parties’ registered place of residence.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he admitted frankly. “I just learned that today. I thought as long as we had our passports, we could just go to any government office and register.”
Her procedural question answered, she gradually grasped the implication of his words.
He had intended to finalize everything today?
“Were you planning to take advantage of my impulsive state and get everything done in one go?” she looked up at him. “People always say you shouldn’t make decisions when you’re overly happy or upset. 98% of those decisions turn out to be mistakes.”
“Impulsive?” he repeated her words.
She grinned, as if she had gotten away with something. “Fine, I admit, I’ve had my eye on you for a long time. This wasn’t impulsive.”
“Since when?” He seemed genuinely intrigued.
“Since last semester, when you walked into the classroom,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Since you clearly saw me the moment you entered, but pretended not to until I spoke to you first.”
“I was simply curious how that little girl from years ago had become so beautiful.” He smiled, patting her head. “And you kept staring at me, completely unabashed.”
The streetlight glowed behind him.
He had called her out but had also subtly admitted that he had noticed her too.
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