Chapter 196: I'm Afraid Of My Love For You
Chapter 196: I'm Afraid Of My Love For You
Cheng Xi clutched her face in her hands, unable to believe that her dream had actually taken place…… She was so embarrassed she felt the urge to smash her head against the wall and just die there!
Cheng Xi’s parents and Cheng Yang stood there, staring at her dazed expression. Cheng Yang even took advantage of the opportunity to tease, “What’s the matter? Did you do something you shouldn’t have while you were drunk last night?”
His mother glared at him. “Be more serious. This is your sister we’re talking about!”
And then she called Cheng Xi over nicely. “Come, come. Have some food first.”
But her amicable tone was what tipped Cheng Xi off that her mother was also suspicious, and that she was actually planning on interrogating her when her guard was down. Cheng Xi had no choice but to resort to her acting skills. As she walked towards the table, she conspicuously muttered, “My goodness, I thought that Cheng Yang picked me up last night, so I vomited all over him……”
Cheng Yang always managed to steer the conversation off-topic. “Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that you would do your best to vomit on me if I fetched you?”
His mother shot him superciliously, hinting at him to shut up.
“Then who sent you back?”
“My colleague. Strange, I clearly remember calling brother, but I actually don’t have a record of it……”
Cheng Yang started laughing again. “Given your low alcohol tolerance, would you even remember to do this after falling drunk?”
When Cheng Xi’s father saw that her expression really didn’t look too good, he interrupted. “If you know you have a poor tolerance, you shouldn’t drink that much in the future…… Though, since it already happened, don’t worry about it too much. Just apologize next time you see them and treat them to a meal while you’re still here.”
Cheng Xi’s mother nodded sagaciously. “That’s right. If you can’t, then invite your colleague to have a meal with us. I remember that some of your colleagues really liked the food that your father and I made.”
And with that, Cheng Xi had successfully diverted the topic away from her being drunk to her inviting guests over for a meal, and to which dishes her parents should prepare.
As her parents started excitedly discussing their best dishes, Cheng Xi relaxed, content that she had successfully averted another disaster.
……
It seemed that her colleagues’ farewell banquet was actually just a prologue to a whole chain of such events, as Cheng Xi spent the majority of the next few days just drinking and eating out. It started when Su Feng invited her to get a meal together, and while they were eating, news of her departure spread to the other group chats Cheng Xi was in, and her old classmates all started talking about it. Tian Rou even directly called her out: @Cheng Xi, you better come out here! You’re leaving for Gansu, but you didn’t even tell us about it?!
Cheng Xi and Su Feng were chatting all the while, so Cheng Xi didn’t notice the commotion in the group chat until she started getting calls from Tian Rou and the rest of her old classmates.
And so, she could only reply back in the chat: I’m leaving in three days, so let’s get together and meet up tomorrow.
She then put her phone away, smiled at Su Feng, and said, “Alright. It seems like I’m going to get drunk again tomorrow night.”
Su Feng looked at her disparagingly. “It looks like you’re looking forward to it.”
Cheng Xi unexpectedly began blushing. She blinked a few times. “There are only so many occasions in life where one can get drunk, aren’t there?”
Su Feng laughed at her. “Isn’t it particularly easy for you?”
“Hey, hey, hey. Good friends don’t expose each others’ weaknesses. I’ll do my best to improve my alcohol tolerance. Then, when I come back, I’ll get thoroughly drunk with you.”
“Alright. I’ll be waiting for it. You better come back.”
“I will.” Although Cheng Xi said that, she wasn’t even that certain herself. Despite her relocation being supposedly temporary, all of her documents, data, and connections had been transferred over. Thus, unless she quit, it’d be somewhat difficult for her to come back, at least through the current system.
Cheng Xi and Su Feng both understood these implications, but neither of them explicitly brought it up. “The future is unlimited. Based on your talents, you’ll likely come back if you want. I’m just worried that you might become too attached to your patients there, to the point where you won’t want to return.”
“But I’d still come back, even if it’s just to see all of you again.”
But coming back just to see them would mean that she’d only be a visitor passing through this city. Time and space eroded all things away, and Su Feng didn’t want their relationship to break away under the weight of years and miles. “I met you too late.”
“It’s not late at all! Technology will extend our lives and time indefinitely.”
Cheng Xi put on a fabricated commercial tone as she said this, finally making Su Feng laugh. She then honestly said, “Don’t be upset! Send me off happily, as working over there has been something that I’ve truly wanted to do for quite a while. In a sense, this is going to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine. That’s something to be happy about, right?”
Su Feng didn’t say anything more on the subject. When the two of them finished their meal and separated, Cheng Xi suddenly felt an urge to call Lu Chenzhou, ignore everything that had happened, run over, and check on how he was doing. However, she resisted the temptation to do so.
She thought back to what he had murmured into her ears. “Cheng Xi, I don’t dare to love you too much. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to stop myself from breaking your wings, so…… if you can, you should fly far away from me.”
Even though she didn’t know what kind of emotional torment he was going through, she knew that he was doing his best to deal with it. At this time, she didn’t want to interrupt him and test his patience.
If what he truly wanted was for her to leave, then she’d simply do so.
Cheng Xi opened the window next to her, feeling the warm June wind wash over her. She planned on going to bed as soon as she got home. That way, she wouldn’t have to think about anything anymore.
But when she got out of the taxi, a familiar voice called out to her. “Cheng Xi.”
Cheng Xi was slightly shocked to hear that voice, and when she turned around, she saw Shen Wei standing by the security guard’s office. She was clearly pregnant, and was also garbed in a pale green maternity dress. Perhaps it was because she was about to be a mother, but it seemed like some of her usual shrewdness had been replaced by a few strands of maternal softness.
“Why are you here?” Cheng Xi quickly ran forward to help support Shen Wei. “It’s dark. You should be more careful.”
This was a subconscious reaction on Cheng Xi’s part, but Shen Wei couldn’t help smiling and embracing her. “Cheng Xi, I thought that you didn’t plan on speaking with me ever again.”
Cheng Xi was caught speechless.
Feeling the warm wetness on her shoulder, Cheng Xi sighed and patted Shen Wei’s back. “What nonsense are you saying?”
Only after Shen Wei had her fill of crying did she let go.
Cheng Xi teased her. “It’s only been a few days. What happened to that prideful Shen Wei?”
Shen Wei’s voice was downcast. “It’s all my fault. In the end, what’s a little pride compared to your job?”
Cheng Xi was a little surprised, as she didn’t expect that Shen Wei had already learned about everything in this small period of time. But it wasn’t appropriate to talk about her matters out here in the open, so she nudged Shen Wei slightly. “Don’t be like this.” After she thanked the security guard, she led Shen Wei away. “To my place?”
Shen Wei nodded.
When Cheng Xi got back, her parents were still over at her place. Both of them were happy to see Shen Wei, and Cheng Xi’s mother even rubbed her stomach as she asked, “How many months in are you?”
Cheng Xi and her father sat to the side, listening to the two of them talk about the pregnancy. Her father turned to Cheng Xi and expressionlessly commented, “Your mother’s been wanting to raise a grandson.”
Cheng Xi immediately responded, “Let brother have one then!”
Cheng Xi’s father burst out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter.
After some more chatting, Cheng Xi’s parents finally went to sleep. When Cheng Xi and Shen Wei were alone, Shen Wei looked at her luggage on the sofa as she sighed and said, “I’m really sorry. I never thought that that slut would target you.”
She gritted her teeth and determinedly said, “I’ll make her regret what she did.”
Cheng Xi wanted to sigh. Evidently, the motherly aura that she thought she’d seen around Shen Wei had just been an illusion; Shen Wei was clearly as intense as ever.