Together Forever - Chapter 56
Volume 3, Chapter 56: Those Days (2)
“Yes,” Tong Yan said earnestly, counting on her fingers. “I waited thirteen years to meet you, then we were separated, and you only deigned to reappear seven years later. No one has waited longer than I have. So, if anyone ever tries to come between us, you have to tell them to wait twenty years before even thinking about it.”
Appalled by her own shamelessness, she giggled, her bangs falling across her forehead, hiding her face from him, only her pale lips, curved into a smile, visible from his angle.
When she placed the IOU in front of her grandmother, the old woman’s eyes filled with tears.
For Tong Yan, her parents were a burden, and for her grandmother, her father was a lifelong debt. Although Tong Yan had resented her grandmother’s leniency during her rebellious years, her refusal to sever ties with her son, she had come to understand her grandmother's feelings as she grew older. So, when her grandmother suggested inviting her father for Lunar New Year, Tong Yan didn’t object.
On New Year’s Eve, Gu Pingsheng, surprisingly, had a drinking session with her father.
She silently counted the beers he drank, kicking him under the table four or five times, but to no avail. Thankfully, it was just beer, but even so, watching him drink glass after glass until past eleven was alarming.
“Want some water?” Tong Yan asked, kneeling on the bed and holding a glass to his lips.
“I don’t think I can handle any water right now,” he chuckled. “It’s fine; it’s just beer, no need to dilute it.”
Perhaps because of the alcohol, his voice was low and husky, a seductive murmur.
She sighed, placing the glass on the nightstand and wiping his face with a towel. “I heard it’s not good to shower after drinking, so just… let me wipe your face and hands.”
She carefully wiped his forehead, his cheeks, his chin, her touch gentle, almost maternal. Gu Pingsheng simply let her fuss over him. “My left hand,” he said, holding it out, and as she took it, his right hand reached out and caressed her cheek. “Mrs. Gu is twenty-one years old now.”
His fingers traced her eyes, her nose, then rested on her lips. “I love you, Yan Yan.”
He couldn’t hear the firecrackers exploding outside.
Fireworks were banned every year, yet every year, children, defying the ban, would set them off.
This was his first Lunar New Year in Beijing, his hometown, yet it was so quiet. He couldn’t hear the laughter from the New Year’s Gala on TV, the congratulatory messages from various embassies, or the firecrackers outside. A quiet New Year.
Even with her by his side, did he sometimes feel… isolated?
The noise was so loud it made her wince.
Gu Pingsheng looked at her, concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“Firecrackers. They’re really loud.” Seeing the relief in his eyes, understanding his misunderstanding, she quickly said, “I love you too. I love you more, so much, I could never love anyone else…”
She couldn’t help but giggle at her own words.
“So cheesy,” she said, wiping his hands with the towel.
He watched her, her expressive face, her moving lips, as a firework suddenly illuminated the sky outside. The flash of light, combined with the lingering effects of the alcohol, heightened his senses.
His gaze was intense, almost overwhelming.
Tong Yan quickly averted her eyes, gesturing for him to sleep. “Not tonight, definitely not tonight. We have to visit your grandfather’s tomorrow…”
“I know,” he smiled, his hand sliding down her waist to gently massage her tailbone. “I got your checkup results yesterday. It’s healed. Be careful in the bathroom though; another fall would be problematic.”
His touch, gentle yet firm, on that sensitive area, sent shivers down her spine. “Problematic how?”
“Another injury, even if it heals, could cause long-term problems, like pain in cold or damp weather,” he continued, his voice a playful murmur, as if reciting medical advice, his expression perfectly serious. “And… strenuous activity in bed should also be avoided.”
…
She swatted his hand away, exasperated and amused. “You can keep that advice to yourself, Doctor Gu.”
She rinsed the towel in the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she returned to the bedroom, he seemed to be drifting off to sleep, but as she approached, she saw him looking out the window.
As the firecrackers exploded outside, she snuggled beside him, watching the fireworks light up the sky. She didn’t know what he was thinking. She reached for his hand under the covers, and he turned to look at her. “Not sleepy?”
“I should be asking you that. Does alcohol make you… hyperactive?” she teased, resting her leg over his, settling into a comfortable position. “You’re usually asleep by now, unless you’re working late.”
“Don’t move,” he warned gently.
She playfully nudged his leg with hers.
He caught her ankle, and she immediately stopped, changing the subject. “Why do you like blue so much?” While hanging up the towel earlier, she had noticed that everything in the bathroom, from the towels to the shower curtain, was in various shades of blue. She hadn’t realized before just how much blue there was.
“Psychologically, blue is often associated with sadness and emotional instability,” Gu Pingsheng said, analyzing himself clinically. “That’s why the plural of ‘blue’ is ‘blues,’ meaning melancholy.”
Tong Yan chuckled, considering his words. “Too much blue is the blues. Plural blue is singular sadness.” It sounded incredibly pretentious. “If we continue like this, we’ll turn into pseudo-intellectuals.”
“That’s just a simple psychological analysis,” he said, smiling. “The real reason is… my mother liked blue. I grew up surrounded by it; it’s just… a habit.”
She nodded, snuggling closer, and closed her eyes.
It felt like things were finally looking up. Problems she hadn't thought possible to solve were slowly resolving themselves. Tomorrow, they would visit his grandfather's; she would meet his extended family on New Year’s Day…
People she had never met, but who would be her family soon.
She had only been to his grandfather's house once before, without the old man's knowledge. This time, however, it was an official visit, and as she sat in Gu Pingfan’s car, she nervously bombarded Pingfan with questions, mainly because Gu Pingsheng seemed to know nothing about his own family…
“I asked him who would be there, and he said he didn't know. I asked him if his family was large, and he said he’d only met a few of them… I asked him what his grandfather liked to talk about, and he said he didn’t know…” Tong Yan’s voice rose in exasperation. “Pingfan, how can I not be nervous? I’m so nervous I want to jump out of the car!”
Gu Pingfan laughed. “Relax. He’s telling the truth. My extended family only visits during the holidays, and since he wasn’t in the country, he wouldn’t know them. What does my grandfather like? I lived with him until I graduated high school; you can ask me.”
“Okay, so tell me,” Tong Yan asked earnestly. “Does he prefer lively children, or quiet ones?”
“Hard to say. I sometimes think he doesn’t like children at all,” Gu Pingfan teased, then, seeing Tong Yan’s worried expression, quickly added, “He likes kind children. Trust me, older people can see through appearances. They can tell what a person is truly like.”
Kindness?
Such an abstract concept…
“He used to work at the Cultural Bureau; he’s a bit… serious. You’ll get used to it,” Gu Pingfan said, glancing at her. “Don’t worry, TK and I will be there. TK didn't grow up with him, but my grandfather adores him, even if he doesn’t show it.”
Tong Yan nodded.
“But my grandfather has been ill these past few years; his health and spirits aren’t great. Be prepared.”
Tong Yan looked at Gu Pingsheng, surprised. “Your grandfather is ill?”
He nodded. “He had a liver transplant two years ago. It was successful, but his liver enzymes are still high, and he’s on dialysis.”
Tong Yan’s heart sank. Although she didn’t know what “constant dialysis” entailed, she knew it wasn’t good. And he had never told her.
She wanted to ask him but didn't want to do so in front of Gu Pingfan. She took his hand and mouthed, Why?
He seemed to have anticipated her question. He simply smiled, squeezing her hand gently, and mouthed back, I’ll tell you later.
She nodded, not pressing him further.
His family seemed welcoming. When they arrived, two aunts greeted Tong Yan enthusiastically, complaining that they hadn't prepared enough red envelopes, making her even more nervous. Thankfully, Gu Pingfan kept reassuring them, saying it was Tong Yan’s first visit and that they shouldn’t overwhelm her with their enthusiasm.
Gu Pingsheng left her in the living room and went upstairs to see his grandfather, but he didn't return. Initially, Tong Yan didn't think much of it, but after a while, she started to feel uneasy, looking at Pingfan questioningly.
Although his family was friendly, it was still her first visit, and she felt more comfortable with him by her side.
“Has it been almost twenty minutes?” Pingfan glanced at her watch, then smiled knowingly. “I’ll go check on them.”
Tong Yan nodded, holding the mandarin oranges Pingfan’s mother had offered her, as she continued answering their questions, a barrage of inquiries about her family, her background, her studies.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from upstairs, and she jumped up, startled.
Pingfan, halfway up the stairs, also heard the noise and, her face paling, rushed upstairs. The others in the living room also stood up, their expressions concerned. His two uncles quickly followed Pingfan.
Tong Yan didn’t dare follow, standing there frozen, her heart pounding…
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