Chapter 39 : Long Time No See (2/2)

She really didn’t want to talk to either of these straight men.

On the other end of the line, Song Ye leaned back in his seat and chuckled.

“Lu Youchuan’s next to you?”

“We’re putting up couplets.”

“Then listen to him.”

Jiang Nanshu paused but didn’t reject him again.

Song Ye was quiet for a few seconds, then asked softly,

“Do you want to come out tonight?”

“No.”

Jiang Nanshu looked down at her toes and softly refused.

“I want to stay home for the next few days and spend time with my mom.”

Song Ye stared blankly through the windshield.

He pulled a cigarette box from the glove compartment, took one out, and put it to his lips, then rolled down the window.

Jiang Nanshu heard the distinct “click” of a lighter and subconsciously asked, “You smoke?”

She had never seen Song Ye smoke.

Back in high school, lots of boys smoked, but not Song Ye.

Even during their recent close interactions, she hadn’t smelled any smoke on him.

He always smelled clean and cool, with a hint of a very pleasant woody scent.

The man hummed in affirmation.

“Occasionally.”

Lately, he had been feeling restless and a bit stifled sometimes, he just couldn’t help it.

“You don’t like it?”

he asked in return.

Jiang Nanshu blinked.

“No, it’s not like I can control you anyway.”

“Jiang Nanshu.”

Song Ye called her name with a cold tone.

“…Yeah?”

Leaning back in his seat, Song Ye held the cigarette between his long, bony fingers, letting it rest outside the window.

He tapped off the ash and smirked faintly at himself.

“I don’t know what you’re mad about, but… It’s New Year’s, can you say something nice to me?”

His words sounded a little pitiful, and that stirred something in her.

She pressed her lips together, then gave a small laugh.

In Cantonese, she said, “Gung Hei Fat Choi.”

“…Fine.”

Song Ye let out a quiet, sardonic laugh and replied in Cantonese as well, “Gung Hei Fat Choi.”

“……”

Jiang Nanshu was surprised.

His Cantonese was actually quite good, and his voice sounded really nice.

After hanging up, she noticed Lu Youchuan watching her with crossed arms and an amused look.
“You two dating or not?

Sounds like you are, but you’re acting like high schooler so pure it’s suspicious.”

Jiang Nanshu looked at him.

“When you’re in a relationship, every phone call’s X-rated?”

“Well, not exactly.”

Lu Youchuan realized that this cheap little sister of his had quite a sharp tongue.

Jiang Nanshu said lightly, “We’re not dating.”

But then again… it wasn’t exactly innocent either.

They’d kissed a few times and nearly slept together.

After a moment’s thought, she pulled out her phone and sent Song Ye a red envelope.

After all, he did say “Gung Hei Fat Choi.”

That night, after the New Year’s Eve dinner, Song Ye accepted the red envelope.

As if to return the favor, he sent her one too.

In past years, it was just Jiang Nanshu and Jiang Yu celebrating the New Year.

This year, with Lu Mingkun and Lu Youchuan, it was much livelier.

She always stayed up with Jiang Yu to watch the entire Spring Festival Gala, but this year she couldn’t make it.

Before they even got to “Can’t Forget Tonight,” she was already dizzy with fatigue.

Jiang Yu noticed something was off.

She reached out to touch her forehead.

“Oh no, you’ve got a fever?”

“I’m burning up again?”

Jiang Nanshu thought she was just drowsy and touched her forehead.

“Probably just a low-grade fever.”

“When did the fever start?” Jiang Yu asked.

“Last night,” Jiang Nanshu admitted.

Jiang Yu scolded her a bit and went to get her some fever meds.

Lu Youchuan asked with concern, “Should we go to the hospital?”

It was the middle of the night, on New Year’s Eve no less.

A fever wasn’t that serious.

Without even thinking, Jiang Nanshu replied, “No, just take the medicine and I’ll be fine.”

After taking the meds, Jiang Yu sent her back to bed.

“Tomorrow, if you’re still feverish, we’ll go to the hospital and get some blood work done just to be safe.”

Sitting on the bed, Jiang Nanshu looked up.

“Aren’t we going visiting tomorrow?”

Lu Youchuan’s grandparents were still alive and lived with his uncle.

Normally, they’d spend New Year’s Eve together.

But because of Jiang Yu and Jiang Nanshu’s relationship with Lu Mingkun, the visit was postponed to New Year’s Day.

Since Jiang Yu and Lu Mingkun had registered their marriage, Lu Youchuan’s grandparents now counted as Jiang Yu’s in-laws proper etiquette required her to go pay respects.

“If you’ve got a fever, then don’t go.

We’ll handle it.

There are kids over there, we don’t want to risk spreading it.”

Jiang Yu touched her head.

“You can go on the Lantern Festival instead.

I’ll let your Uncle Lu know.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yu left her with a night light and a few reminders before going out.

Her phone wouldn’t stop vibrating.

It was all New Year’s greetings, and she didn’t respond to most of them.

Just as she was about to set the phone down and sleep, a familiar number popped up with a text:

[Nanshu, Happy New Year.]

Jiang Nanshu stared at her phone, stunned for a moment.

Then she set it on the nightstand and pretended not to see it.

What she didn’t expect

I was to run into Chen Qingyue at the hospital the next night.

On the afternoon of New Year’s Day, Jiang Nanshu had a fever again.

Jiang Yu and Lu Mingkun went to visit relatives, so they had Lu Youchuan take her to the ER for tests.

After the check-up, she needed IV fluids.

Looking at the drip bags, she figured it’d take about two hours.

She told Lu Youchuan, “Go back and eat first.

Come pick me up afterward, and bring me something to eat.”

But Lu Youchuan refused.

“No way, I’ll stay and take care of you.”

“There are nurses here.

If something happens, I’ll call them.

It’s not like I’m fragile.”

She’d been living alone in Shenzhen for years.

Every time she got sick, she went to the hospital by herself.

“You should go. The kids are probably waiting for you to hand out red envelopes.”

She urged him a few more times before he finally left.

Back in the car, Lu Youchuan thought for a moment, then called Song Ye.

Wrapped in a puffer jacket, Jiang Nanshu sat on a hospital chair getting her IV.

By the time she was on the third bag, she was dozing off.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly

A voice called her name from above.

“Nanshu.”

Jiang Nanshu looked up on instinct

And froze when she saw who it was.

The hospital lighting was bright.

Chen Qingyue stood before her in a down jacket and sweatpants, his handsome face carrying concern as he looked down at her.

“What happened to you? Came alone for an IV?”

Snapping out of her daze, Jiang Nanshu looked down and answered quietly, “Fever.”

Her gaze dropped to his legs, then lifted again. “You?”

“My mom’s hospitalized.”

Chen Qingyue’s tone was flat, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

He’d come over to handle some paperwork, and had caught sight of a familiar figure at first, he thought he was mistaken.

Jiang Nanshu didn’t ask further. It wasn’t her business.

Chen Qingyue sat down next to her, legs slightly apart.

The long pants he wore made it hard to tell which leg was a prosthetic.

Silence fell between them, neither knew what to say.

Chen Qingyue tilted his head to look at her, gaze focused.

“It’s been a long time.”

Jiang Nanshu wasn’t sure how to respond.

Truthfully, she held no real grudge against Chen Qingyue.

They were both victims of fate, twisted circumstances not of their own making.

The ones at fault were her father and his mother.

And honestly, he had it worse losing a leg.

Compared to that, she couldn’t bring herself to be completely indifferent toward him.

“You’re back working in Jiangcheng now?” Chen Qingyue asked again.

She nodded. “Mm.”

He looked down at his own leg for a moment, then, after a long pause, turned back to her.

“Nanshu… do you have a boyfriend?”

The question caught her off guard.

She hesitated, then looked up. “Yes.”

“Who is it?”

His voice was low, a little tense.

“You don’t know him.”

Jiang Nanshu frowned slightly, thinking of Fang Xu.

“You… did you say something to them? Why did Fang Xu think we used to date?”

Even though it was the New Year, the hospital was still crowded, especially the emergency room.

The noise and chaos filled the space.

Chen Qingyue leaned against the back of his chair.

His expression didn’t change much, but something in his eyes was heavy.

He looked sideways at her, gaze complicated.

“If it hadn’t been for that accident

If you hadn’t transferred schools,

If we had taken the college entrance exam together

We would’ve ended up together.”