Together Forever - Chapter 37
Volume 2, Chapter 37: Waiting For You (1)
She read the last line several times, unable to believe it.
Eight weeks had passed since he left.
It was late April, and Shanghai was starting to warm up. Spring and autumn were short here; the temperature seemed to jump from winter’s chill to summer’s heat. He had left bundled up in a thick down jacket; when he returned, he would probably be able to wear a light shirt…
Tong Yan climbed into bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if she should go to his apartment and wash all his shirts and light jackets, so he’d have clean clothes when he returned.
She still had the key.
But she was afraid of missing him too much there, so she had avoided going.
Now that he had said he was coming back soon, she could go this weekend.
She turned over, her face pressed against the pillow, but sleep eluded her. She turned on the bedside lamp and started working on her Physics problems. Shen Yao, who was about to sleep, looked at her in surprise, thinking she had finally been driven mad by Physics. “Don’t scare me, Yan Yan. It was just a midterm; are you having a breakdown?”
Tong Yan tapped her cheek with her pen. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
Shen Yao didn’t understand, while Tong Yan continued working on her problem sets, a smile playing on her lips.
The Physics midterm was scheduled for Wednesday evening’s study hall.
Since it was just a midterm, the proctoring wasn’t strict. Zhao Yin placed a stack of exam papers on the front desk and had the students pass them down, row by row. Tong Yan, sitting in the back, listened to the sighs and groans from the front as she received the last paper.
Perhaps it was because she had retaken the course four times, or perhaps it was the tutoring from Zhao Yin and Gu Pingsheng last semester, but the questions seemed relatively straightforward. She spread out the exam paper, and just as she was about to start, her phone rang.
Preoccupied with the exam, she had forgotten to turn it off.
It was an unknown number, and she hesitated for a moment. Students in the front rows turned around, curious to see who was bold enough to have their phone on during an exam.
“All phones must be turned off before the exam,” Zhao Yin walked towards her from the podium. “That’s the rule.”
Tong Yan quickly turned off her phone.
“Sorry, Teacher Zhao,” she said quickly. “It’s off now.”
Zhao Yin checked the phone, then said, “Don’t violate exam rules again.” She took the phone and placed it on the podium. “You can collect it after class.”
Tong Yan didn’t reply, returning to her exam.
She tried to focus, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the call. Unknown numbers usually meant telemarketers, but this time, she had a bad feeling… She twirled her pen nervously.
Thankfully, the exam wasn’t difficult.
As the time limit approached, she finally put down her pen.
Zhao Yin was already grading the submitted papers. Tong Yan handed hers in slowly, saying softly, “Teacher Zhao, I’m finished… Can I have my phone back?”
Zhao Yin looked at her for a few seconds, then, glancing at Tong Yan’s paper, said, “Take it.”
Outside the classroom, a few students were comparing answers. Seeing Tong Yan emerge, they asked if she wanted to calculate their scores together. She held up her phone, indicating she needed to make a call.
The classroom was in the upper campus, and it was the end of class, so the hallways were crowded.
She walked through the throngs of students, down the stairs, and finally reached the vending machines. The call connected. “Yan Yan?” an unfamiliar voice, but someone she knew.
She couldn’t quite place it.
“It’s me, Auntie Liu. We met at your grandmother’s place during the winter break.”
“Auntie Liu?” She finally recognized the voice. It was the doctor from PUMCH, the one who had told her about Gu Pingsheng and SARS. “Sorry, I was in an exam.”
“It’s okay. I couldn’t reach your parents, so I called you,” Auntie Liu’s voice, echoing slightly, sounded calm and composed. “Can you contact your parents?”
“My parents…” Tong Yan had a bad feeling. “They’re… not easy to reach. Is there something urgent? You can tell me.”
“You’re in Shanghai, so far away. I shouldn’t burden you with this, but Yan Yan, you’re twenty years old now; it’s better that you know.” Auntie Liu’s voice softened. “Your grandmother had a checkup last month. I just received the results. It’s breast cancer. I haven’t told her the diagnosis yet. Don’t worry too much. Try to contact your parents, and come back to take care of your grandmother. We’ll take it one step at a time. Cancer isn't as frightening as it sounds.”
Tong Yan was speechless.
Auntie Liu continued, her voice gentle and reassuring, explaining the situation and the next steps.
The call ended just as a large class was dismissed.
She wasn’t sure what the class was, maybe Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism, but over two hundred students poured out of the classroom, chattering and laughing. A few girls stopped at the vending machines, discussing their drink choices. Tong Yan stood there numbly, watching them insert coins and retrieve their drinks.
After a loud clang, one of the girls smiled at her. “We’re done. Your turn.”
Tong Yan didn’t move, didn’t speak.
The crowd thinned, until only a few stragglers remained.
Leaning against the vending machine, she called home. After a long wait, a familiar voice answered. “Hello?” She whispered, “Grandma.”
The call lasted only three or four minutes. She casually mentioned that her midterms were over and that she could come home for a visit before the May Day holiday. Her grandmother’s happiness was evident, but she still tried to dissuade Tong Yan from spending money on the train ticket. Tong Yan, hearing nothing amiss in her grandmother’s voice, felt slightly relieved and vaguely mentioned receiving a scholarship, which would cover the travel expenses.
Perhaps because of the shock, she was calm by the time she returned to the dorm.
Lu Bei’s mother had also had breast cancer, and having spent so much time with them, she knew a little about the disease.
First, she needed money. Whether it was traditional Chinese medicine or chemotherapy, it would be expensive.
The treatment was a bottomless pit; medications costing tens of thousands of yuan would last only a couple of weeks.
And someone needed to be there to care for her grandmother full-time.
Sitting at her desk, she tried to organize her thoughts, her gaze unfocused, staring at the computer screen.
Multiple windows were open, displaying information on Beijing's real estate market, breast cancer treatments, and even personal accounts of battling the disease.
Shen Yao, ending a long, sweet phone call with Cheng Yu, looked at her curiously. “Tong Yan Wu Ji, what’s wrong?” Tong Yan turned to her. “I need to take a leave of absence, or… drop out this semester.”
Shen Yao’s expression froze. “Yan Yan, are you really pregnant?”
Unable to explain the complicated situation, she gave a vague answer.
But at this point, no amount of mental preparation was enough. She needed someone to talk to, someone to listen to her plans… She rested her forehead on the edge of her desk. “There’s a serious problem at home. I have to go back. I only have Maritime Law and Physics this semester… Do you think I should apply for a leave of absence, or…?”
“Don’t scare me,” Shen Yao pulled up a chair and sat beside her. “Do you need help? Is it really that serious? We only have half a semester left, and then we’re basically free. What could possibly require you to go back to Beijing for so long? Can’t your parents handle it?”
She hummed in agreement.
Ever since she filled out her high school application, she had known she would have to face more and more challenges alone.
But… it felt like everything was happening at once.
Without warning, tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. Shen Yao, initially oblivious, only noticed when she asked what was wrong and saw the wet streaks on Tong Yan’s legs. She pulled Tong Yan closer and saw her face covered in tears, silently crying.
Shen Yao was truly alarmed.
She stammered, trying to comfort her, but nothing seemed to work. She kept handing Tong Yan tissues. “Yan Yan, when you’re done crying, tell me what happened. We’ll figure it out together…”
Tong Yan grabbed handfuls of tissues, wiping her eyes until they were swollen. Gradually, she calmed down. “Do you think I should take a leave of absence?” This time, Shen Yao didn’t joke, seriously considering the question. “It’s not a bad option, but it doesn’t seem worth it. You’re not like me; I have six classes this semester, while you only have two. Honestly, many people skip most of their classes and just show up for the exams… Taking a leave of absence is a big deal. If you really need to go back for half a semester, why not talk to your teachers? Maybe they’ll let you take the final exam when you get back.”
Shen Yao’s advice was sound.
Tong Yan considered it. It might actually work.
She remained silent. Shen Yao continued murmuring words of comfort, but unsure of the details, she didn’t pry.
Seeing Tong Yan open her email, she relaxed slightly and stood up. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know. If you’re afraid to talk to your teachers, I’ll go with you.”
Tong Yan hummed in agreement, hugging Shen Yao’s waist, her face pressed against her clothes. “Don’t worry, I won’t hesitate to ask for your help.”
“Don’t you worry either. When Teacher Gu gets back, I’ll make him pay for all this,” Shen Yao said, deliberately mentioning Gu Pingsheng to cheer her up.
Tong Yan understood her intention, but hearing his name only made her feel worse.
After Shen Yao went to take a shower, Tong Yan opened her email, staring at the “0 messages” notification.
After fifteen minutes, she closed her email, found Gu Pingfan’s number on her phone, and called her.
Pingfan answered quickly, her voice hushed. “Yan Yan?”
“Yes,” Tong Yan walked out onto the balcony, watching the people below. “I’m sorry to call so late… It’s just… I haven’t received any emails from him in the past few days, and I’m a little worried.”
Under the streetlights, two couples strolled hand in hand, whispering and laughing.
An ordinary night, an ordinary, enviable campus romance.
“Hold on,” Pingfan said, and after a long pause, Tong Yan heard a door close. “I’m with him now; he’s fine. What’s your email address? I’ll send you some pictures.”
Tong Yan gave her the address.
Gu Pingfan seemed to be speaking cautiously, only briefly mentioning the situation, her voice gentle and reassuring. By the time Tong Yan returned to her room, there was a new message in her inbox.
Surprisingly, it was a video.
Or rather, a still image in video format.
In a dimly lit hospital room, he lay asleep in bed. From the camera’s perspective, brighter light filtered through the blinds, creating a sense of tranquility.
As she watched, she had the illusion of being there, holding her breath, afraid to wake him.
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