SYLM Chapter 87

Chapter 87 “Sit with me for a while.”

Outside the window, neon lights flickered, and soft moonlight streamed through the window onto the balcony, draping the night in a hazy veil.

Inside, under the warm yellow light, Chen Lu placed the last dish on the table. Four dishes and a soup, a feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds.

The aroma of steamed bass mixed with the sweet and savory scent of Coke chicken wings. Fresh boiled shrimp and refreshing cold spinach salad were paired with a rich tomato and egg drop soup. The table was laden with food, making one’s mouth water and fingers itch.

Duo Duo sat at the table, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the dishes, her little nose twitching as she sniffed the aroma, unable to resist swallowing her saliva.

As soon as dinner officially started, Duo Duo couldn’t wait to grab a piece of Coke chicken wings, which she had been eyeing for a long time. After taking just one bite, her crystal grape-like eyes instantly narrowed into small crescent moons. The little girl praised excitedly, “Mommy, Chen Lu’s Coke chicken wings are even more delicious than yours!”

Gu Wan Jun chuckled lightly. She pulled out two tissues and placed them next to her daughter, preparing for what was to come. She responded gently, “Yes, Mommy really doesn’t have much of a talent for cooking.”

Hearing this, Chen Lu’s hand paused slightly as she was serving soup. She looked up at Gu Wan Jun, a complex emotion welling up in her heart.

Five years ago, Gu Wan Jun was indeed not good at cooking.

But even though she wasn’t skilled, she would still cook porridge for her when she had a fever.

She wondered if someone’s cooking skills had improved after becoming a mother.

Chen Lu stirred the soup in front of her with a spoon, suddenly realizing that she and Gu Wan Jun had missed a whole five years.

Five years. How many five years does one have in a lifetime?

At the dinner table, Duo Duo chattered non-stop. While gnawing on a chicken wing, she shared the interesting things that happened at kindergarten today with Gu Wan Jun:

“Mommy, the teacher praised my drawing today! I also drew a little rabbit. Chen Lu, do you like little rabbits?”

“……”

Chen Lu was eating with her head down. After hearing Duo Duo’s words, as if something came to her mind, she gently hummed “Mmm,” with a tender expression.

Gu Wan Jun smiled and reached out to rub her daughter’s little head, but her gaze drifted towards Chen Lu.

The once cunning little rabbit had now grown up.

She wondered if she could still belong to her alone.

After dinner, Chen Lu took the initiative to clear the table, just like before. Her movements were skilled and efficient.

Gu Wan Jun, whose ankle was still injured, sat on the sofa, her eyes following Chen Lu’s back. She watched the busy figure in front of the sink, her heart involuntarily rippling.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Chen Lu picked up her bag and prepared to leave.

Seeing Chen Lu about to leave, Duo Duo, who was organizing her precious storybooks, immediately ran over, her little hand tightly grabbing the corner of Chen Lu’s clothes. The little girl looked up, her eyes filled with reluctance:

“Chen Lu, don’t go! Play with Duo Duo a little longer, okay?”

“……”

Chen Lu looked down at Duo Duo, her heart softening.

But she really couldn’t stay any longer.

Chen Lu squatted down and gently pinched Duo Duo’s cheek, her tone gentle:

“Duo Duo, be good. Chen Lu has to go back to brainstorm for her new book. When there’s another opportunity, Chen Lu will come to see you again, okay?”

Duo Duo pouted her little mouth, tears twinkling in her eyes, as if she was about to cry at any moment: “But Duo Duo doesn’t want Chen Lu to leave…”

“……”

Chen Lu pursed her lips, clearly at a loss. At this moment, Gu Wan Jun tiptoed over, patted her daughter’s shoulder gently, and comforted her softly:

“Baby, Chen Lu has work to do. Let Chen Lu go back today, okay?”

“……”

Hearing this rescue, Chen Lu thought Gu Wan Jun would stop there and not press further. She felt a surge of gratitude. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but she didn’t expect that this sentence would be immediately followed by another:

“Mommy will add Chen Lu’s WeChat later. When Duo Duo misses Chen Lu, she can send Chen Lu a message and ask her to come see us, okay?”

“……”

Chen Lu’s face instantly darkened. She looked up at Gu Wan Jun, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness and annoyance.

She thought this person was really being so kind, but it turned out she was after her WeChat.

After their last meeting five years ago, Chen Lu changed all her contact information. Two months later, she went to Canada. After returning to China this time, even though she had “accidentally” run into Gu Wan Jun several times, the other party still didn’t have her contact information.

As a result, this time, the abacus beads were hitting her in the face.

Chen Lu was speechless, but looking at Duo Duo’s expectant eyes, she finally compromised. She took out her phone and added Gu Wan Jun on WeChat.

After the request was accepted, the familiar blue solid color profile picture and the little rabbit profile picture were reunited after a long absence. After so many years, neither of them had changed their profile pictures.

Everything seemed the same, but everything had changed completely.

After seeing Chen Lu off, Gu Wan Jun took Duo Duo to wash up and go to bed.

In the bedroom, Gu Wan Jun sat by the bed, gently telling her daughter a fairy tale story, her voice as gentle as if she was coaxing a kitten to sleep. Duo Duo nestled in the quilt and asked in a milky voice, “Mommy, does your foot still hurt?”

Gu Wan Jun smiled and shook her head: “It doesn’t hurt anymore. Duo Duo doesn’t need to worry.”

Duo Duo nodded, then suddenly blinked her eyes and asked innocently, “Mommy, it would be great if Chen Lu could live with us.”

“……”

Hearing her daughter’s words, Gu Wan Jun was stunned for a moment, her heart fluttering. She looked down at the little girl in the quilt and asked cautiously:

“Duo Duo wants Chen Lu to live with us?”

“Of course!”

Duo Duo nodded without hesitation, instantly becoming a Chen Lu fan: “Chen Lu is beautiful, smells good, tells stories, smiles at Duo Duo, and cooks delicious food! Besides Mommy, Duo Duo likes Chen Lu the most!”

Listening to her daughter’s words, Gu Wan Jun’s heart softened, but she couldn’t help teasing the little girl:

“What about Tang Ying? Tang Ying is also beautiful and smells good. Except for not being able to cook, Tang Ying is also very nice to Duo Duo. Doesn’t Duo Duo like Tang Ying?”

“Hmm…”

Duo Duo tilted her little head, frowning, as if she was seriously considering this question of the century. After a while, she sighed, her little face full of embarrassment:

“Duo Duo also likes Tang Ying, but Tang Ying has a very quick temper and always drives so fast. When I took Tang Ying’s car home after school today, Duo Duo almost threw up.”

“……”

Children’s hearts are the purest but also the most delicate. Obviously not expecting this answer, Gu Wan Jun couldn’t help but laugh. After thinking for two seconds, she asked again:

“What about Grandma and Grandpa? Doesn’t Duo Duo like Grandma and Grandpa?”

“……”

After thinking hard for a while, Duo Duo pouted her little mouth and said aggrievedly:

“Mommy, don’t make things difficult for Duo Duo. Duo Duo can’t answer.” Her little eyebrows furrowed together, and the little girl subconsciously asked back: “Mommy always asks Duo Duo questions. Now it’s Duo Duo’s turn to ask Mommy. If Duo Duo asks Mommy whether Mommy likes Duo Duo more or Chen Lu more, how would Mommy answer?”

“……”

Like mother, like daughter. This saying is really true.

Gu Wan Jun was stumped by the question, the tips of her ears hidden behind her long hair turning slightly red. She stammered for a long time before squeezing out a sentence:

“Um… there’s no way to compare. Mommy’s love for Duo Duo and Mommy’s love for Chen Lu are not the same kind of love…”

“How are they different?” Duo Duo blinked her big eyes and asked innocently.

“……”

Another moment of speechlessness.

Gu Wan Jun blamed herself in her heart for why she had brought up this topic, while thinking about how to answer in order to end the conversation.

However, before she could open her mouth, Duo Duo, who loved to think, threw out another fatal question:

“Mommy’s eyes have stars in them when she looks at Chen Lu, but not when she looks at Duo Duo. Mommy also always peeks at Chen Lu. Why is that?”

“……”

Gu Wan Jun’s ears turned even redder. She coughed lightly and quickly changed the subject with a fairy tale story.

Duo Duo, ah, Duo Duo, you are Mommy’s precious baby. If you keep asking, Mommy won’t be able to handle it.

The nights in big cities are not as quiet as in small counties. The streets are noisy, with heavy traffic and bustling crowds, like a never-ending tide.

However, all of this was shut out by Chen Lu after she arrived home.

The heavy security door seemed to completely isolate the outside world. The room was silent, with only Chen Lu’s own breathing echoing in the empty room.

The apartment Chen Lu was currently renting had a minimalist style, with almost no unnecessary decorations. The white walls, gray floors, and sparse furniture made it feel particularly cold. The living room only had a black leather sofa, a glass coffee table, and an LCD TV hanging on the wall. A potted green plant stood in the corner, its leaves slightly yellowed, as if it had been affected by its owner’s lonely emotions.

Arriving in the kitchen, Chen Lu went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of ice water. The chilling coolness permeated through her palms to every inch of her skin. She twisted open the cap, tilted her head back, and took a sip. The ice water slid down her throat, as if it could temporarily extinguish the irritability in her heart.

Returning to the living room, Chen Lu, who had changed her clothes, walked to the sofa and sat down, curling her legs up to her chest. Her somewhat absent gaze unconsciously swept across the empty room, and a sense of emptiness welled up in her heart for no reason.

The silence after the excitement felt particularly cold.

Sure enough, she shouldn’t have stayed at Gu Wan Jun’s house for dinner tonight.

Chen Lu frowned, silently scolding her soft-hearted self. Just then, her phone vibrated on the coffee table, breaking the silence in the room.

Glancing at the screen, it was a video call initiated by her friend Jiang Zhen Zhen in their small group of three.

Chen Lu pressed the answer button, and Jiang Zhen Zhen’s face immediately appeared on the screen.

The other party was wearing a white coat, with laboratory instruments and test tubes in the background. She was clearly still busy with those experimental studies. Her already thin face carried a hint of fatigue, but her eyes were still gentle and bright, just like Jiang Zhen Zhen in her student days.

Just as the two were about to start reminiscing, Fu Yi Wen’s face also appeared on the screen.

Fu Yi Wen’s background was clearly at Tang Ying’s house. Behind her was Tang Ying’s exquisitely and warmly decorated living room.

Of course, this warm and exquisite arrangement was all the work of Fu Yi Wen. Otherwise, Tang Ying’s apartment would probably be even emptier and more minimalist than the apartment Chen Lu was currently renting.

However, at this moment in the video, Fu Yi Wen’s state was out of tune with the warm setting behind her. Her eyebrows were tightly locked, her eyes were dim, and the corners of her mouth were drooping. She looked as if she was being crushed by something heavy.

“Zhen Zhen, you’ve finally appeared. It’s like you disappeared after going to Germany for graduate studies. I can’t find you all day long.” Fu Yi Wen’s tone carried a hint of complaint, but more of it was helplessness.

Jiang Zhen Zhen smiled wryly and rubbed her temples: “There’s no way, my studies are too busy. I have endless experiments to do every day. I’m afraid I won’t be able to graduate on time. By the way, how have you been lately?”

“……”

As soon as these words came out, Fu Yi Wen and Chen Lu were silent at the same time.

Looking at the expressions of her two friends in the screen, Jiang Zhen Zhen sighed in her heart, not knowing how to advise them for a moment.

The people she had been close to since childhood were all here, but her two good friends had chosen to hang themselves on their respective crooked-neck trees, troubled by love.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about these things.” Jiang Zhen Zhen sighed and tried to change the subject. “Do you have any interesting things going on lately?”

“……”

In the following chat, the three simply shared some daily trivia, but the topic always revolved around emotions.

Before long, Jiang Zhen Zhen was called away by her advisor, and hurriedly exited the group video.

Only Chen Lu and Fu Yi Wen were left on the screen.

Normally, Fu Yi Wen was always the one to liven up the atmosphere, but today she was uncharacteristically silent.

Noticing her friend’s abnormal emotions, Chen Lu took the initiative to ask:

“What’s wrong? You look like you’re in a bad mood.”

“……”

In the video, Fu Yi Wen lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the corner of her clothes, her voice a little hoarse: “It’s nothing, just a little tired.”

Hearing this, Chen Lu frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy. Afraid of touching her friend’s sore spot, she was about to change the subject, but Fu Yi Wen in the video suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly red:

“Chen Lu, just now… Tang Ying abandoned me and left.”

Fu Yi Wen’s voice was a little choked, as if she was about to cry at any moment. She told the story of what had just happened.

Chen Lu’s heart tightened as she listened, and she quickly asked, “Where are you now?”

“I’m still at her house.” Fu Yi Wen sniffed, trying to make her voice sound calmer.

Chen Lu frowned, feeling angry: “She’s already left. What are you waiting for her for? Go home quickly.”

Fu Yi Wen lowered her head, not daring to look Chen Lu in the eyes, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible: “But I want to wait for her… What if she comes back and needs someone to take care of her?”

“……”

Chen Lu was so angry that she almost threw her phone. She was about to scold Fu Yi Wen awake, but the person in the video suddenly looked up, her eyes with a hint of bitterness:

“Chen Lu, don’t talk about me either. Didn’t you also go to Gu Wan Jun’s house? You probably just got back too, right? Neither of us can let go of them, so let’s not judge each other.”

“……”

Chen Lu was choked by these words. She opened her mouth, but found that she couldn’t find a reason to refute.

Yes, wasn’t she the same way?

In the video, the two stared at each other, falling into silence.

After a few seconds, Chen Lu adjusted her emotions and was about to say something, but Fu Yi Wen on the other side of the video suddenly stood up, her eyes lighting up: “Tang Ying seems to be back. I won’t talk anymore!”

Before the words were finished, the video call was hung up.

Staring at the black screen, Chen Lu felt annoyed. Fu Yi Wen’s words kept echoing in her ears, like a thorn stuck in her heart.

Just then, her phone vibrated again.

Speak of the devil, Chen Lu looked down and saw a message from Gu Wan Jun.

[Chen Lu, are you home yet?]

Staring at these words for a long time, Chen Lu narrowed her eyes.

Did she want her to reply? No way.

Chen Lu coldly locked the screen of her phone and threw it on the sofa, got up and went to the bathroom.

A minute later, oh, no, not even a minute, the sound of restless footsteps echoed in the living room. Chen Lu, who returned to the living room, picked up her phone, frowned and replied with a single “Mm”, and then ruthlessly threw her phone back on the sofa, turned around and went to the bathroom with a gust of wind.

On the other side.

After hanging up the phone, Fu Yi Wen rushed to the entrance and saw Tang Ying, who was reeking of alcohol. The woman’s cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes were somewhat blurred, but she still carried that cold and sharp demeanor.

Seeing that Fu Yi Wen was still waiting for her, Tang Ying kicked off her high heels and walked barefoot on the floor, her tone complex: “You haven’t left yet?”

Seeing that this person seemed to have drunk a lot, Fu Yi Wen’s heart tightened. All the grievances, anger, and disappointment were forgotten. She quickly stepped forward and gently grasped Tang Ying’s wrist, her tone gentle: “You’ve had too much to drink. Sit down and rest for a while.”

Tang Ying did not resist, allowing Fu Yi Wen to lead her to the sofa.

Fu Yi Wen turned around and went to the kitchen to boil water, her familiar movements carrying a hint of panic. She took out honey and made a cup of honey water as quickly as possible. When she returned to the living room, she found Tang Ying leaning on the sofa, her eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

Fu Yi Wen felt a pang of heartache. She tiptoed to place the honey water on the coffee table, and then took out a soft blanket from the cabinet, carefully covering it over Tang Ying’s legs. Her movements were extremely light, for fear of waking her up.

However, just as Fu Yi Wen was about to back away, Tang Ying suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. The woman’s eyes were still closed, her somewhat hoarse voice revealing a rare trace of tenderness:

“Sit with me for a while.”

“……”

Fu Yi Wen’s pupils dilated, feeling like her heartbeat had skipped a beat. She obediently sat down next to Tang Ying, her body unconsciously leaning closer to Tang Ying, so that the person could lean on her more comfortably. However, her two hands, placed neatly on her knees, but unconsciously trembling slightly, still betrayed her flustered heart, and the sound of her drumming heartbeat echoed in her chest.

Fu Yi Wen didn’t dare to move, even her breathing was lightened, for fear of breaking the silence of this moment. She carefully lowered her eyes and secretly looked at Tang Ying’s profile. The woman’s nose was high, her eyelashes were long, and her skin looked particularly soft in the warm yellow light.

The more she peeked, the faster her heart beat. Fu Yi Wen felt her throat was a little dry and swallowed unconsciously.

“Your heart is beating fast.”

“……”

Tang Ying spoke suddenly, causing Fu Yi Wen’s body to stiffen, and a layer of red flushed her cheeks. She opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say, so she could only mutter in a low voice: “If you want me to praise you, just say it.”

Hearing this, Tang Ying chuckled softly, rubbing her head on her shoulder, but didn’t say anything more.

Fu Yi Wen’s heart beat even faster. She hesitated for a long time, finally plucked up the courage and asked softly: “Are you tired?”

Tang Ying didn’t open her eyes, just nodded lightly, her tone with a hint of weariness and melancholy: “Mm, very tired.”

Fu Yi Wen felt like someone had severely pinched her heart. She bit her lower lip and tentatively asked: “What happened? You can tell me.”

“……”

Such a simple sentence seemed to touch a certain nerve in Tang Ying. The person who was originally leaning on Fu Yi Wen’s shoulder stiffened, and then immediately sat upright, the weariness on her face instantly replaced by coldness. Tang Ying rubbed her temples, her tone indifferent:

“It’s nothing. It’s getting late, you should go back.”

After speaking, Tang Ying lifted the blanket, picked up her bag, got up and prepared to return to the bedroom.

Realizing that this person was habitually avoiding the issue again, Fu Yi Wen stood up quickly, her voice with a hint of urgency:

“Tang Ying, I’m not a child anymore.”

“……”

The subtext of this sentence was obvious, how could Tang Ying not understand, her steps paused, but she didn’t turn around. The two stood in a stalemate, after a few seconds, Tang Ying’s tone was slightly gentler, but still calm and alienated:

“I’m tired, I want to rest. If you don’t want to leave, just pick a room as before.”

“……”

As soon as the words fell, Tang Ying went straight upstairs to return to the bedroom.

A few seconds later, the voice-activated lights on the second floor lit up, and the inexplicably glaring light made Fu Yi Wen’s eyes a little sore. She stood in place, a sense of powerlessness welling up in her heart. Helplessness, disappointment, pain… all kinds of emotions intertwined, making her almost unable to breathe.

Fu Yi Wen took a deep breath, turned and walked into the kitchen, carefully wrapping the dishes on the table, which had been heated over and over again but never touched, with plastic wrap and putting them in the refrigerator.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to straighten and arrange Tang Ying’s high heels, which had been kicked into a mess.

In the bedroom on the second floor.

Not until the sound of the door closing downstairs did Tang Ying, who had thrown herself on the bed a few minutes earlier, slowly open her eyes and sit up.

That little bit of alcohol was nothing to her. Sometimes she was annoyed by her own ability to not get drunk.

Like tonight.

The bedroom was not lit, Tang Ying’s expression was not clear. She took out a paper envelope from her purse. Inside, there were photos of her and Fu Yi Wen in the same frame.

Whether it was the deliberate design of the stalker or the fact that it was so, the two people in the photos didn’t have any actual intimate actions, but you could still see a hint of ambiguity from them.

At the same time, a few hours ago, her mother Tang Lan’s words echoed in Tang Ying’s ears –

“Recently is a special period. Many people are racking their brains to find my weaknesses. Besides your philandering father who is full of scandals, I really didn’t expect that you would also drag me down.”

“You’re not young anymore. If you’re not married, it’s fine to play with those young people, but Tang Ying, you’re married. You are now a married woman. Do you think those people in the Jiang family are blind?”

“To be honest, I’m not interested in or care about who you are with privately, but hide your tail and don’t affect me. If these photos appear in my office again, don’t force me to personally deal with your cats and dogs.”

“……”

In the memory, her mother’s serious and cold voice revealed a hint of anger. Tang Ying sneered, and placed the photos on the ground one by one. She picked out two with the best angles and examined them carefully.

The person who took these photos was also not good, to make the little chubby girl’s beautiful face look like this.

Tang Ying muttered in a low voice, a sinister coldness flashing in her eyes. She collected the photos, leaned against the headboard, and looked out the window.

Since the photos were not taken by Tang Lan’s people, who would be the mastermind behind it, Tang Lan’s political opponents, or those people from the Jiang family?

The night was deep, and the moonlight shone in through the gap in the curtains, reflecting on Tang Ying’s face, making it look particularly cold.

Fu Yi Wen.

Tang Ying closed her eyes and whispered this name, her tone not revealing any emotions.

Night, how long.