Together Forever - Chapter 39
Volume 2, Chapter 39: Waiting For You (3)
It was early June, the beginning of summer.
They were both dressed lightly. Since she was at home, she was wearing a short skirt and a loose-fitting T-shirt. His hand rested on her bare arm, but it wasn’t warm like it should be in summer. Tong Yan touched his hand, then his arm, puzzled. “Are you cold?”
Or was it because of his health?
“No,” he took her hand, examining it closely. “What’s this sticky stuff on your hand?”
“Pork trotters,” she gestured to a bowl on the counter. “My blood test showed a low level of something, and the doctor recommended injections, but they’re really painful… Someone in my ward told me eating a pork trotter every day would help.” She picked up a piece and fed it to him. “It actually works.”
Gu Pingsheng chewed thoughtfully, as if savoring a delicacy.
She watched him, every nuance of his expression, every subtle movement.
Was this a blessing from heaven?
Her grandmother’s surgery had been successful, with no signs of metastasis, and he was finally back.
“I haven’t had your cooking in a while,” he said.
Tong Yan smiled. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go grocery shopping later and make it for you.”
Before she could finish, he gently lifted her chin with his hand.
“Yan Yan?” her grandmother’s voice called from the bedroom, slightly muffled by the closed doors.
She answered, trying to push his hand away.
Gu Pingsheng didn’t release her, instead nuzzling her lips, like a child still craving sweets. Hearing the bedroom door open, she gave up struggling and kissed him, her lips parting slightly.
A brief, deep kiss, devoid of technique.
When they parted, she gasped for air and quickly pulled away.
At the same moment, the kitchen door opened, and her grandmother peeked in, a look of surprise on her face. Tong Yan froze, her hands clenching nervously.
“Xiao Gu is here?” Her grandmother’s face softened into a smile.
It was like a sudden burst of sunshine, as warm and welcoming as the sunlight streaming through the window.
He seemed completely at ease, greeting her grandmother, even mentioning the schedule for her final round of chemotherapy. He seemed to have learned all the details of her condition… He must have visited the hospital.
The hospital where he had interned, battled SARS, and said goodbye to his mother.
After her grandmother returned to her room, Tong Yan waved her hand in front of his face.
Gu Pingsheng turned to her. “What’s wrong?”
“How did you know? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? Did Pingfan help you find the apartment? What about the one in Shanghai… Are you going back to the university?”
“I’ve asked a former classmate to recommend suitable schools. I’ll probably continue teaching at a university in Beijing. You’ll be interning here next semester, and your grandmother needs someone to take care of her, so it’s better that I stay here. The apartment in Shanghai has been sold. Pingfan helped me find this one. I paid for it in full; it all went smoothly…” He stood by the window, looking tired. “Any other questions?”
“Yes, the first and second questions…” she said. “How did you find out? When did you find out? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”
“Zhao Yin visited me last week. She was in the US for an academic conference.”
That single sentence explained everything.
The apartment she had rented was a one-bedroom.
Seeing how tired he was, Tong Yan let him sleep on the sofa. It was an old, narrow sofa, barely big enough for him, but he quickly fell asleep.
Tong Yan covered him with a thin blanket, then took out the groceries from the refrigerator, placing the frozen meat and fish in the sink to thaw while she washed and prepared the vegetables.
He was still asleep when she finished.
She sat down, watching him, her chin resting on her hand.
His face was so close she could see his eyelashes.
He stirred in his sleep, his brow furrowing as if in discomfort. Just as she was about to wake him, he opened his eyes.
“Does your leg hurt? Your hip? Or somewhere else?” she asked anxiously.
He didn’t answer, sitting up on the sofa.
Still slightly sleepy, he looked at the abundance of ingredients she had prepared. “Are we having guests?” Tong Yan glanced towards the bedroom, making sure her grandmother was still asleep, then wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning. “I’m going to make you lots and lots of delicious food. I raided the refrigerator; we have enough for three days.”
“That’s wasteful.”
“Just this once,” she said, then, seeing his expression, added, “Okay, I’ll put the rest in the refrigerator for later.”
He folded the blanket and patted the sofa beside him, inviting her to sit.
Suddenly remembering something, she retrieved a bankbook from a hidden corner in the kitchen and handed it to him. “This is the money from selling the apartment, for Grandma’s medical expenses. There’s about 300,000 yuan left.”
He took the bankbook and flipped through it. “I have some savings; don’t worry.”
“That’s not what I meant. I want you to keep it for me.” She thought for a moment, then added playfully, “Put it in your account. If it runs out, you’ll have to support us. And whatever’s left will be Grandma’s retirement fund.”
Since her grandmother’s illness, her father had only visited two or three times.
He had seemed genuinely concerned before the surgery, even staying overnight, and had been particularly enthusiastic when she mentioned selling the apartment. She had been surprised, even touched, wondering if hardship truly revealed a person's true colors. But during his second visit, he had started making plans for how to divide the money from the sale.
How much to invest in the stock market, how much in futures, even how much to spend on lottery tickets.
As if the money would magically multiply, solving all their problems…
Naturally, they had a falling out. His parting words were, “I’m going to sue you!”
Thankfully, despite his tirades, she had held onto the money…
“Should I set up a joint account?” Gu Pingsheng didn’t ask for an explanation, handing her back the bankbook. “We can do it tomorrow.” “No,” she quickly refused. “Just put it in your name.”
He chuckled, patting her head. “Aren’t you worried about protecting yourself?”
She had been so focused on finding legal loopholes to protect the money that she hadn’t considered protecting herself from him.
Her answer was indeed unlike that of a law student.
Even Shen Yao, as carefree as she was, had insisted on drawing up a formal contract when she and Cheng Yu started their online business together. They had even stipulated that in case of a breakup, neither party’s new partner would be involved in the business… Two law students, spending days meticulously drafting a contract, the epitome of rationality.
“Mr. Gu, have you forgotten? Once we’re officially married, I’ll be the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.”
She held up her hand, showing him the ring.
She had been wearing it for so long that a faint mark had been left on her finger. She had only taken it off once, while washing clothes at the hospital, worried it might fall down the drain. That was the first time she had noticed the mark.
Her first thought had been, Oh no, if I wear it until I’m fifty or sixty, there will be a permanent ring around my finger!
Midway through washing the clothes, she had been struck by the absurdity of her own thoughts, looking up at the mirror and laughing.
The next day, Gu Pingsheng accompanied her to the hospital for her grandmother's admission.
It was her seventh and final round of chemotherapy.
After the previous series of tests, Auntie Liu had asked the department head to review the results and CT scans. The conclusion was that the previous rounds of chemotherapy had been effective. Auntie Liu had scheduled this hospitalization. As they were settling in, Gu Pingsheng ran into some acquaintances.
Or rather, many acquaintances.
He was at the nurses’ station checking the schedule for the next day’s tests when Auntie Liu, fresh out of surgery, came to check on Tong Yan’s grandmother.
“Yan Yan, I just heard from the oncology department head that Gu Pingsheng contacted him about your grandmother’s condition,” Auntie Liu said, smiling. “His mother was the deputy director of cardiac surgery here; she has many old friends here who will definitely take good care of you. I’m relieved.”
Tong Yan didn’t know what Gu Pingsheng had said. Since she had previously introduced him as her university lecturer, she avoided going into too much detail about their relationship, simply giving vague answers.
By the time everything was arranged, her grandmother had fallen asleep.
Her grandmother usually kept a regular sleep schedule, going to bed at 8:30. Chemotherapy always made it difficult for her to sleep, so Tong Yan was glad she was finally getting some rest. She quietly drew the curtains and led Gu Pingsheng out of the room.
“Want to go for a walk?” he asked, standing in the corridor.
“Where to?” Tong Yan didn’t want to dampen his spirits, but she couldn’t leave her grandmother. “I can’t go; I need to stay here. Why don’t you go home and rest?” She could tell he hadn’t fully recovered.
“I’m fine,” he said. “There’s a nurse here. Come with me for a walk; we’ll be back in half an hour.”
She considered it. Since her grandmother had just been admitted, there shouldn’t be anything urgent.
As they left the hospital, the city was aglow with lights, bustling with activity.
PUMCH was close to Oriental Plaza and Wangfujing. He walked slowly, and she matched his pace. They strolled through the square, past couples carrying shopping bags, tourists taking pictures of the Chang’an Avenue night scene, elderly people taking a leisurely stroll, and children playing on skateboards…
Although she had spent months in this area, accompanying her grandmother to the hospital and even staying there for extended periods, she hadn’t had a chance to relax and enjoy the surroundings like this.
She had assumed he just wanted a casual stroll, perhaps reminiscing about a familiar place. But when he led her into a women's clothing store, she realized he was there to buy her clothes.
He browsed the racks, carefully selecting a few items and handing them to her to try on.
Flustered by his unexpected gesture and the saleswoman’s enthusiasm, she quickly tried on two dresses. While the saleswoman was attending to other customers, she turned to him. “Why are you suddenly buying me clothes?”
Gu Pingsheng leaned back on a black sofa, watching her through the mirror.
She was wearing a light blue dress. Since she wasn’t wearing sandals, her feet were clad in the store’s wooden clogs, two sizes too big, making her look a bit comical.
But there was a certain… endearing awkwardness to it.
Seeing he didn't answer, she assumed he was in pain again and walked over to him, her voice laced with concern. “What’s wrong?” He looked at her, seeing the worry in her eyes, the constant anxiety she couldn’t seem to shake off.
He finally smiled. “When I was in the US, I realized there were so many things I hadn’t done. Like this, strolling through a mall with you, watching you try on clothes.”
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