Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian

“Don’t say anything further. Luo Sang and I have decided to move out together.”

Tang Ning was shocked but she nodded her head, “I understand. I heard that Nian Junting is helping you with your career at Chuen’s company. You can’t afford to offend Luo Sang right now. You stole the lead role of the Christmas musical from Chuen, and now you want to steal all of hers.”

“Tang Ning, stop talking about Chuen. You should grow a brain of your own,” Yan Su said angrily, “Sangsang, let’s pack. I’ve found an apartment.”

“Yeah,” Luo Sang felt the warmth of their friendship and started looking for boxes to store her things.

Tang Ning glared at them both before she got up and left the room.

Luo Sang sighed before looking back at Yan Su; she felt conflicted, “Yan Su, aren’t you afraid that I am going to drag you down?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Yan Su said. She continued sadly, “When I was in primary school, I had a good friend whom I played with often. She wasn’t the prettiest and her family wasn’t well off, so our classmates often teased and bullied her. Gradually, they started looking at me funny as well. I was so young and I didn’t know better, so I distanced myself from her due to my own vanity and superficial pride. In the end… she suffered from clinical depression and committed suicide. Although she was resuscitated at the hospital, she eventually dropped out of school and left the city.”

Luo Sang was shocked after hearing her story and could hear Yan Su’s voice trembling.

“I regretted it,” Yan Su continued, “She treated me like a good friend but I didn’t return her affections. I would never forget the look of disappointment in her eyes when we met for the last time. I told myself from then on, never to treat my good friends that way again. I shall not be swayed by the opinion of the crowd and steady my heart. If only I gave her a bit more concern and care, she wouldn’t have been put in danger.”

“Yeah, I had considered killing myself before, but I was too spiteful to do it,” Luo Sang said empathetically.

“I will not let those people who hurt me live life comfortably, I will not give them the chance to rejoice over my death. Susu, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I’m just afraid, I hope you can understand. Not all my friends cut off ties with me when it happened then, but the talk and voices of gossip were too loud, a lot of them didn’t dare to walk in my company. One day if you can’t stand it anymore, just tell me.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Mr. Nian is around, he wouldn’t allow that day to come,” Yan Su smiled and patted her shoulder, “Come on, let’s pack.”

…

By noon, the two of them had packed everything and they hailed a taxi after class ended.

When they were in the taxi, Nian Junting called, “What are you doing?”

“I’m moving.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nian Junting’s voice was raised by an octave, “You should let me handle these things, even if you are as strong as a bull, you have to allow me an opportunity to prove myself.”

He was shouting over the phone; Yan Su could hear him even though he wasn’t on speaker.

Luo Sang felt the taxi driver look at her in the rearview mirror with a strange look, she blushed and lowered the volume, “I don’t have much with me, just two suitcases.”

“Why do you have so little things, that can’t be right. I’ll buy some clothes and shoes over later,” Nian Junting said grumpily, “My woman must have at least ten suitcases when she shifts house.”

“…”

“Give me the address, I’m coming over to see if the neighborhood is safe,” Nian Junting commanded.

Luo Sang sighed and gave him the address.