Together Forever - Chapter 57
Volume 3, Chapter 57: Those Days (3)
Pingfan’s mother patted her shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
She had no idea what had happened, so what was there to comfort? But she had a bad feeling, a premonition that something terrible had happened upstairs.
Her fears were soon confirmed. Hearing footsteps descending the stairs, she and Pingfan’s mother looked up and saw Gu Pingsheng walking down alone, a hastily applied bandage on his forehead.
The white gauze, secured with white tape, was a stark contrast to his skin.
She stared at him, frozen, as he approached and stopped in front of her. “Yan Yan, let’s go home.”
Tong Yan looked at him, speechless.
She simply nodded, not asking any questions, and followed him to the door. As he descended the stairs, the bright light made him look pale and distant, reminding her of their first encounter, the young man sitting on the floor, leaning against a white wall, a sheet of paper in his hand.
She had felt this same… detachment then.
His gaze, as he looked at her, seemed to shut out the rest of the world, as if only they existed, sharing a silent understanding.
They had arrived in Pingfan's car, but now, they stood on the street, trying to hail a taxi. Taxis were hard to find in Beijing, especially on New Year’s morning. Thankfully, Tong Yan was familiar with the subway lines and, taking his hand, said with a smile, “Teacher Gu, Doctor Gu, Lawyer Gu, how about we take the subway? I don’t think you’ve ever been on it before.”
Gu Pingsheng sighed softly, then smiled. “Okay.”
Tong Yan smiled back, her grip tightening on his hand as they descended the subway stairs. Her heart pounded, a delayed reaction to the earlier shock, her legs feeling slightly weak after the long flight of steps.
Her apartment and the courthouse were both accessible by bus, so apart from that night she had taken the subway to find him, she hadn’t been on it in years.
It wasn’t crowded, being a holiday.
There were even a few empty seats in their car.
A broken window, hastily covered with newspaper, rattled loudly as the train sped through the tunnel. They were sitting on the far right side of the car, and she leaned against the wall, occasionally glancing at him.
Gu Pingsheng, sensing her gaze, said, “I had a… disagreement with my grandfather. He hasn’t been well these past two years, and his temper has been… unpredictable.” He gestured to the bandage on his forehead, a wry smile on his lips. “Thankfully, we always have first aid supplies at home, and thankfully, Pingfan is a… doctor, albeit not yet fully qualified.”
His tone was light, dismissive.
It was more or less what Tong Yan had guessed. She looked at him silently, then after a moment, asked, “Was it because of me? Pingfan mentioned your grandfather’s illness on the way here. It’s been so long, and you never told me. When you were teaching in Shanghai, you often said you had things to do at home. Was it because of your grandfather?”
She mentally calculated the timeline, his family problems coinciding with her own, one crisis after another…
“Does he not like me?” she asked.
The subway stopped, and a wave of passengers, carrying bags and packages, crowded onto the train.
Despite the noise and commotion, he remained focused on her. “Yan Yan, it has nothing to do with you directly. It’s because of my mother. My grandfather… disapproves of teacher-student relationships. He can be quite… prejudiced.” The answer wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Except for the wound on his forehead.
Thankfully, they had gone on their short vacation, and her grandmother had gone to Tianjin that morning.
They wouldn’t have to face her worry and questions.
Perhaps because of his medical background, Gu Pingsheng had a well-stocked first aid kit at home. Following his instructions, she carefully cleaned and bandaged his wound. It wasn’t a deep cut, but the sight of the blood still made her heart ache. “Should you get a tetanus shot?” she asked.
“No need,” he chuckled. “The object that hit me was clean, and Pingfan cleaned the wound thoroughly.”
She carefully applied a fresh bandage. “Mei Ren, you’re injured. But trust me, no matter what you look like, I won’t dislike you.”
She gently kissed the bandage on his forehead.
She shifted her position, and they sat facing each other, cross-legged on the floor, their gazes locked, the open first aid kit between them.
She had dressed up for the visit to his grandfather’s, wearing a delicate blue headband, her long hair loose around her shoulders, making her face seem even smaller. She was naturally slender, no matter how much she ate.
“Yan Yan, you look beautiful today,” he said softly.
She smiled. “Anyone who can be a campus emcee has to be reasonably attractive. It’s just… being with you has overshadowed my own… radiance.”
He playfully flicked her forehead. “So our daughter will be beautiful.”
Tong Yan nodded enthusiastically, then her smile faltered. “Why… haven’t we… had a baby yet…?” she asked, blushing slightly, then quickly changed the subject, embarrassed. “It’s my fault,” he said calmly.
Tong Yan stared at him, her eyes wide. “Is that another… side effect of SARS? Infertility?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I just didn't want you to feel pressured. I’ve been taking precautions.” He patted her head gently. “It’s a good thing too; if my grandfather knew you were pregnant, he probably wouldn't have seen us today.”
Tong Yan was relieved. The conversation returned to his grandfather’s reaction, and she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “It’s okay. We’ve been through so much; this is just… another hurdle.” She repeated his earlier words. “You said these are problems that need to be addressed, sooner or later.”
He smiled. “You’re a good student.”
“Not just a good student,” she closed the first aid kit and leaned closer, kissing him gently. “While bandaging your wound, I realized I have the potential to be a great nurse. So you’re Doctor Gu, and I’m Nurse Tong. You’re Teacher Gu, and I’m Student Tong Yan. See? Perfect pairings.”
Gu Pingsheng, initially puzzled, then gradually understanding her meaning, looked at her, his expression shifting from surprise to amusement. “I need to re-evaluate my understanding of you, Mrs. Gu.”
“It wasn’t my idea; it was Shen Yao’s. She likes… Japanese adult films… and she told me about them,” Tong Yan said, then, seeing his expression, quickly added, “I swear I’ve never watched any…”
Their flight to Saipan was scheduled for that night.
They had planned to have dinner at his grandfather’s, then return home to pack and head to the airport. Now, with the unexpected turn of events, they had the entire day free. Tong Yan changed all the bedsheets and curtains, then started doing laundry, keeping herself busy to avoid thinking about what had happened that morning.
Standing by the washing machine, restless, she gathered more clothes, soaking them in the basin, using up almost an entire bottle of detergent.
Gu Pingsheng’s phone had been buzzing constantly with messages; she assumed it was Pingfan updating him about the situation at home. Lost in thought, he suddenly appeared in the doorway, handing her his phone. “Pingfan wants to wish you a happy Lunar New Year.”
Tong Yan dried her hands and took the phone.
“Yan Yan?”
“Yes.”
“No one expected what happened today. My grandfather… he’s still deeply affected by my aunt’s death. And with you and TK also being a teacher and student, it’s understandable that he… overreacted. I tried to convince him to… pretend, for your sake, but you’ve been with TK long enough to know how stubborn he can be,” Pingfan said with a wry chuckle. “But it’s okay, it’s not a big deal. I’ll talk to him.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Yan Yan, I really like you, I do. TK and I have always been close. I first met him when he was five, when he came back to China for the first time. He couldn't speak Mandarin very well, let alone the Beijing dialect, and he was so handsome that none of the other kids liked him. But I was learning English, so I liked hanging out with him, the little ‘American’…”
Tong Yan had never heard Pingfan talk about their childhood; it was a surprise.
Gu Pingsheng leaned against the doorframe, watching her, a silent observer. Hearing the washing machine beep, Tong Yan pointed to it, and he walked over, clumsily opening the lid and taking out the wet curtains.
“He can be quite annoying sometimes. If he likes something, he won’t let anyone else touch it, let alone share it. But… he’s not so bad. He has very simple tastes. For example, he loves broccoli. He could eat an entire meal of just rice and broccoli. Just avoid that, and you can have all the meat and fish you want; he’ll just eat his broccoli, completely ignoring you.”
Tong Yan couldn’t help but smile.
From Pingfan’s stories, she could imagine Gu Pingsheng as a child, an endearingly annoying little boy.
“So, Yan Yan, he loves you so much; you’ll be very happy.”
Tong Yan hummed. “As happy as… broccoli?”
Pingfan laughed. “Definitely happier than broccoli.”
Gu Pingsheng, amused by her laughter, watched her curiously. Tong Yan pointed to the balcony, indicating he should hang up the curtains. Once he left the bathroom, she asked Pingfan, “Is it really because of his mother that he refuses to wear a hearing aid?”
Silence.
After a long pause, Pingfan finally replied, “He loved his mother very much, so… he’ll probably never forgive himself. I only heard him talk about it once, at my aunt’s funeral. He had had a fight with her that day, said some hurtful things, and then she… committed suicide.”
Tong Yan was stunned.
“My aunt had severe depression, often threatening suicide, but it was always for attention. That day, after their fight, TK was in the next room. He heard the commotion but didn't check on her, thinking it was just another… episode. But it wasn’t.”
So he didn’t want to hear anything anymore, any sounds from this world…
Pingfan continued, her voice soothing, trying to comfort her. But Tong Yan’s mind was reeling from the revelation about his mother’s suicide, finally understanding his outburst that day they first met, when he had slapped her, a complete stranger…
He had been in such despair, projecting his own pain onto her.
She placed the phone on the counter, lost in thought, continuing to load the washing machine. A shadow fell across the room, and she turned around to see Gu Pingsheng leaning against the doorframe, watching her silently.
The rhythmic rumbling of the washing machine filled the silence.
Their gazes met, and for a moment, the world faded away.
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