Together Forever - Chapter 54

Volume 3, Chapter 54: Slice of Life (3)

She instinctively clutched his shirt, and Gu Pingsheng, seeming to sense her unease, gently patted her waist.

“Yan Yan,” her father spoke first, holding two large orange bags. “I remember you like mandarin oranges, so I bought you some.”

Her mother was known for her beauty, while her father seemed to have aged considerably.

He took off his hat, revealing mostly white hair, although he wasn’t even fifty yet.

“Just in time for the New Year’s celebrations,” her grandmother said, taking the bags and heading to the kitchen. “It’s Friday; stay for the weekend. We can have a nice dinner when Xiao Gu gets back from work.”

Tong Yan leaned against the cabinet, stunned, unsure how to react to this unexpected encounter. Gu Pingsheng had never met her parents and had never asked about them. She had always intended to tell him everything, eventually.

But she hadn’t expected it to happen like this, on an ordinary morning, catching her completely off guard.

Her father opened the shoe cabinet, carefully looking for guest slippers, his gaze scanning the neatly arranged rows of shoes. He straightened up, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

Tong Yan remained silent, unsure of what to do.

Gu Pingsheng, however, walked over to the cabinet, retrieved a pair of new slippers, and placed them at her father’s feet. “These should fit.”

“Xiao Gu, Xiao Gu, you shouldn’t have…” her father said quickly, placing his hand on Gu Pingsheng’s arm.

Gu Pingsheng, unable to hear him, simply straightened up, then, seeing her father’s lips stop moving, smiled. “I’m having some trouble with my hearing at the moment. If you speak clearly, so I can read your lips, that would be helpful.”

Tong Yan walked over and instinctively took his arm.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, your grandmother told me, it’s fine,” her father repeated, quickly changing his shoes, then carefully placing his own shoes on the mat by the door, so as not to dirty the floor.

Seeing her father’s awkwardness, Tong Yan’s initial coldness softened slightly. But the memories of his infrequent visits since her grandmother’s illness, and his attempts to get his hands on the money from selling the apartment, still cast a shadow over her heart. She watched him sit down on the sofa, clutching his hat, still unsure how to speak to him.

Gu Pingsheng glanced at his watch, quickly ate breakfast, then retrieved his suit jacket from the bedroom, ready to leave for work. Tong Yan followed him to the door, their conversation hidden from view.

“Come home early,” she said anxiously.

He smiled and, leaning against the wall, kissed her silently. His lips tasted of soymilk. She leaned against the cool stone, her hand resting on his waist.

A sound came from the kitchen.

She instinctively turned her head, listening.

“Yan Yan, listen to me,” Gu Pingsheng’s voice was close to her ear. She turned back, and he mouthed, For cancer patients, a positive attitude is essential. For your grandmother’s sake, be happy today.

She nodded slowly, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. Come home early.

His smile deepened. Okay.

She smiled back, leaning against him, her worries momentarily forgotten.

She watched him open the door, then took a deep breath and turned away. Just as the door closed, Gu Pingsheng suddenly raised his voice. “Dad, I’m going to work. I’ll be back early tonight for dinner.”

Her father jumped up, looking towards the door. “Okay, take care.”

“He can’t hear you, remember?” her grandmother chuckled.

Seeing the genuine joy on her grandmother’s face, Tong Yan’s heart softened. “I’m going to study. Take your time.”

She spent the entire day in her room, poring over her bar exam review books, reading every word, every line, with more focus than she had during the actual exam. Through the closed door, she could hear the muffled sounds of her grandmother showing her father around the apartment, carefully explaining every detail.

The name she heard most often was “Xiao Gu.”

She was still slightly apprehensive during dinner, worried something might happen. But the evening passed peacefully, and after her father left, she still couldn't quite believe it. It had been a surprisingly pleasant family dinner, almost… dreamlike.

“Actually, when I was little, my dad was a good father, a very honest, hardworking man, though he didn't talk much,” she said, lying in bed, looking into Gu Pingsheng’s eyes. “Then… maybe after the divorce from my mom, he changed. He still didn't talk much, but he became obsessed with the stock market, borrowing money from everyone, always saying, ‘If I had five million yuan, I’d show all those who look down on me!’”

Gu Pingsheng sat on the floor beside the bed, his hand resting on the edge, a faint smile on his lips. “That’s not a reason to lose your father.”

Tong Yan’s gaze flickered.

His obsession with the stock market was like gambling, accumulating debt, draining their family’s resources. He neglected his parental responsibilities, shirking his duty to support his family… She had wanted to list all his faults, then remembered his own father, a renowned nephrologist, who seemed to be nothing more than a name to him.

Thirty years, barely a handful of encounters; what kind of upbringing was that?

The soft glow of the wall lamp illuminated his face. She reached out, tracing his features, from the bridge of his nose to his lips, then playfully poked his dimple. “Whenever I see you, I just want to take care of you… even though you’re ten years older than me. It’s strange.” His skin was smooth and soft, almost enviably so.

Gu Pingsheng raised an eyebrow. “What did you say?”

“Nothing, I was talking in my sleep,” she grinned, pulling the duvet over herself. “It’s nice to finally have a peaceful New Year… Can I visit your family for New Year’s greetings?”

She looked at the light reflected in his eyes, her heart filled with anticipation. Hearing his soft “okay,” she burrowed under the covers, a silent giggle escaping her lips, her excitement mirroring the day she received her university acceptance letter.

After all this time, she could finally visit his grandfather’s home, as his wife.

Just before the Lunar New Year, a blizzard hit Beijing, lasting three days and paralyzing the city. Taxis were impossible to find. Despite the approaching holiday, Gu Pingsheng’s workload, due to his international clients, hadn’t decreased. To make time for their vacation, he worked late every night.

Shen Yao initially complained about the cold and snow in Beijing, then, realizing Tong Yan’s distraction during their phone calls, she accused her of being a lovesick housewife, waiting for her husband’s return…

Tong Yan ignored her teasing, picking up a book from his nightstand.

It was filled with handwritten notes, mostly in English, which she couldn't understand, but she guessed it was related to his lectures.

“Yan Yan.”

Her grandmother entered the room.

Tong Yan put down the book. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Her grandmother sat down on the edge of the bed. “I need to discuss something with you.” She hesitated, and Tong Yan had a bad feeling. As expected, her grandmother’s next words were about money. “I want to use the money from selling the apartment to pay off your father’s debts.”

“No!” Tong Yan sat up abruptly, then winced, as the sudden movement sent a sharp pain through her tailbone. “We need that money.”

She shouldn’t have expected anything different.

She imagined her father’s persuasive arguments, her hand tightening around the edge of the duvet.

But seeing her grandmother’s expression, remembering Gu Pingsheng’s words, she couldn’t get angry, not when it would upset her grandmother. She forced herself to calm down and said, “You’re getting older; you need to save money for your retirement. What if… something happens to me? Who will take care of you?”

Her grandmother’s voice was calm, but her tone was firm.

“Your father is truly remorseful this time. You know, those families he borrowed money from, they’re not wealthy; they were just hoping to earn a little interest. But he hasn't repaid them in seven or eight years…” Her grandmother recounted the past, dredging up old memories.

Every word a painful reminder of things she had tried to forget.

Her grandmother even said that her biggest worry wasn’t Tong Yan, who was sensible and responsible, but her irresponsible son. If she died, how would he survive with all his debts…?

Tears streamed down her grandmother’s face.

Tong Yan, her own eyes filling with tears, wiped her grandmother’s cheeks. “It’s not that I don’t want to support him. When he’s older, when he can no longer… play the stock market, I’ll take care of him…”

She had never seen her grandmother cry like this. Even during the agonizing pain of chemotherapy, she had never shed a tear, yet now, she sat there sobbing uncontrollably. Tong Yan’s own tears flowed freely, unable to speak, unable to offer any comfort.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Gu Pingsheng entered the room, loosening his tie, then looked up, his gaze taking in the scene.

He tossed his tie and jacket onto the bed, walked over to Tong Yan, patted her shoulder, then crouched in front of her grandmother, gently reassuring her, not asking for explanations, simply saying that everything would be alright, that he and Tong Yan would take care of it.

Perhaps it was his medical background; his words held a certain authority, a calming reassurance.

After a while, her grandmother stopped trying to persuade her, silently wiping her tears. Gu Pingsheng retrieved a warm, damp towel from the bathroom and handed it to her. “It’s late; you should rest. I’ll talk to Yan Yan.”

“You two have had it rough… truly rough…”

Her grandmother stood up, her shoulders slumped, and quietly closed the door behind her.

The soft click of the lock echoed in the room.

He sat down beside Tong Yan, who was wiping her tears with the edge of the duvet, her eyes red and swollen. Gu Pingsheng sighed and, leaning his forehead against hers, chuckled softly. “My heart isn’t very strong. If you keep crying, I might have a heart attack.”

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