Chapter 36

[Are you asleep?]

When Youyi sent a message to Fu Cheng, it was already 2 a.m.

She had run out of the house and wandered away from the neighborhood, looking up at the pitch-black night, feeling disoriented.

She was supposed to take the high-speed train back in the afternoon.

After sending the message with no reply, Youyi knew he must be asleep at this late hour.

She didn’t want to disturb him.

The snow outside had completely melted, leaving only a bit of dampness in the roadside grass. The cold seeped into her bones. Just then, her phone rang.

It was Fu Cheng calling.

Youyi answered, and before she could speak, he asked, “Where are you now?”

Fu Cheng put on his coat, grabbed the car keys, and went out, his voice serious yet comforting, providing a sense of security to her cold heart.

“I’m near Jingsheng,” she answered vaguely.

Jing Sheng was a 24-hour convenience store. Youyi spoke softly, and her reply was unfocused. Fu Cheng didn’t press further. He opened the map, switched to her neighborhood, and searched for “Jingsheng.”

It was 500 meters away.

Fu Cheng was already in the underground parking garage. The sound of the car unlocking and the door opening came through the phone clearly.

He didn’t ask more questions and simply said, “Do you want to go home?”

He could hear her sadness and a hint of pain in her subdued tone.

He knew her so well that he could tell her feelings from her restrained voice.

Without needing her to say much, he understood what she was thinking.

Then he asked if she wanted to go home.

That question nearly broke her down.

She had just left home, feeling lonely here, and then heard him say there was still a home she could return to.

It’s more than 300 kilometers from Shenglin to her place by highway, and it takes three hours at the fastest. It’s two o’clock in the morning now, and it will be five o’clock in the morning when he gets there.

“Find a place to wait for me,” Fu Cheng said. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

He would get there as quickly as he could.

Youyi didn’t say anything. He simply said he was coming. She opened her mouth, but the words stopped at the tip of her tongue.

Although it felt troublesome and overly sentimental, she hoped he would come.

Fu Cheng started the car’s navigation, set the phone aside, and kept it on speakerphone without hanging up.

“Is there somewhere nearby you can go? Find a place to stay warm.”

A hotel or even a McDonald’s or KFC would be fine. It was too cold outside to stay for long.

Walk 100 meters ahead, and there’s a McDonald’s, open 24 hours, brightly lit at the corner.

Youyi said, “There’s a McDonald’s ahead.”

Fu Cheng replied, “Okay, go there now and don’t hang up the phone.”

He wanted to hear her voice at all times.

Inside McDonald’s, there was only one employee. When she walked in, they explained that they only had chicken burgers available at the moment, nothing else.

Youyi said it was fine and ordered a chicken burger.

She gazed out the glass window.

Three hours ago, she had an argument with her parents.

It was because they insisted she start preparing for graduate school. As a girl studying internal medicine, they wanted her to return to their local hospital after graduation and get a position.

Youyi didn’t agree.

Most students in their field would take the graduate school entrance exam, and Youyi should be no exception. But she hadn’t decided what she wanted to do in the future, whether to go into clinical practice or academics.

Or perhaps, if she pursued a different field that she was passionate about?

Was that possible?

But her parents spoke to her in a very forceful tone, arranging her life just like they did with her college major. They said that this path was a very good option for a girl.

Returning home to become a doctor would make it convenient for anyone in the family who fell ill to go to the hospital.

Moreover, she would have connections, which would be even better.

At the moment she refused, long-standing conflicts finally erupted.

Their accusations were painfully familiar.

She was the kind of obedient girl who never argued with her family. She would only choose to avoid conflict when she felt communication was no longer possible.

She wasn’t very hungry for the burger. After a few bites, she felt it was choking her. The employee in the back room was napping, so Youyi just stared out at the street.

Her phone was still on.

The call had not been hung up.

“How much battery is left on your phone?” Fu Cheng asked. “Did you bring a charger?”

Youyi replied, “I left my backpack at home.”

Leaving her backpack meant she wasn’t planning to return.

If Fu Cheng didn’t come today, she would stay out and take the earliest high-speed train home the next morning.

Fu Cheng’s voice, mixed with the sound of wind and a slight electrical hum, came through clearly. “I’m almost off the highway. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Youyi, just wait a little longer.”

He would arrive soon.

Youyi obediently replied, “Okay.”

After Fu Cheng exited the highway, he shared his location with Youyi so she could see where he was minute by minute. As the two points got closer, Youyi left McDonald’s.

She immediately recognized Fu Cheng’s car.

Fu Cheng saw Youyi as well.

He parked the car by the roadside, opened the door, and as soon as he stepped out, she rushed into his arms.

She buried her face against his chest, hearing his strong heartbeat. At that moment, she seemed to understand what destiny was.

Destiny was the fact that, despite not being related by blood, he was more dependable and trustworthy than anyone she was related to by blood. He knew her heart was soft and fragile, so he drew close to protect it with his own solid walls.

The person she trusted the most had become him.

He came hundreds of kilometers to pick her up without asking for any reason, always being her strongest support no matter what happened.

There was no doubt or misunderstanding.

Perhaps that’s the meaning of marriage.

It’s not very profound, but it gave her another path to choose from.

Fu Cheng didn’t ask her for the reason but inquired, “Do you want to leave now or rest a bit?”

Youyi had left a note in her room before she left, knowing it would make her family even angrier, but she did it anyway.

In all these years, this was her first act of rebellion.

“I want to go home,” Youyi said.

After a pause, she hesitated and said, “Never mind, let’s rest for a while.”

Fu Cheng asked, “What’s wrong?”

Youyi looked at him.

“I’m afraid you’re too tired.”

After saying this, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. She felt that her recklessness had caused Fu Cheng a lot of trouble.

It didn’t matter whether he hadn’t slept, whether he had to work the next day, or whether he had other important things to do—

“Because you’re heartbroken?” Fu Cheng didn’t expect this reason.

Youyi nodded.

She blinked away the tears.

Fu Cheng was silent for a couple of seconds.

He said, “No matter when, if you need me, I’ll always be there.”

They had recited their wedding vows when they registered their marriage.

In sickness and health, in youth and old age, through storms and hardships.

In the military, an oath is the highest form of respect, a solemn declaration of resolve. From that moment on, his words had always held true.

On the way home, Youyi told Fu Cheng about what happened the previous night. The sky was brightening as the sun slowly rose.

“I actually don’t like arguing, but over the years, they have never considered what’s best for me.”

She had always envied other people’s parents, who respected their preferences and allowed them to grow freely. No matter what she chose, she never received even a bit of recognition from them.

Fu Cheng remained silent, just listening.

Before long, Youyi curled up in the passenger seat and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she was already home.

She changed into her loungewear and lay in bed, covered by a soft blanket, as if she were sinking into a giant cloud of cotton. The room had the air conditioner set to a comfortable 22 degrees, and a newly bought humidifier was spreading a soothing mist.

The bouquet of tulips on the vanity was as fresh and delicate as when she had left, with what seemed like water droplets clinging to the leaves, the petals gently swaying and watching her with a tender bloom.

It was 10 a.m. on Sunday, the last day of New Year’s.

As soon as she sat up, Fu Cheng entered the room.

Youyi looked up at him with longing eyes.

He knew she needed his embrace at this moment.

So Fu Cheng sat down and reached out to her.

Youyi moved closer and nestled into his arms, wrapping her hands around his waist. As she made contact with his body, she let out a soft sigh of relief.

She needed Fu Cheng.

She needed his embrace and his chest to comfort and reassure her, hoping he would also hold her hand and let her feel his vibrant presence.

The next moment, Fu Cheng gently squeezed her fingers.

Youyi’s heart ached with emotion.

Fu Cheng truly knew what she needed.

“On the way back, I reflected on whether the argument was partly because I also had some faults.”

Youyi, always so gentle, would first look for faults in herself.

“They aren’t having an easy time either.”

“As long as you felt it was right at that moment, then you were not wrong.”

Fu Cheng spoke with his usual firmness, his words as powerful as his commands.

“Before becoming a daughter and a wife, you are first and foremost yourself.”

First be Ding Youyi, first think only of yourself.

Youyi looked up at him.

Fu Cheng’s face was just an arm’s length away from hers. He asked softly, “Are you hungry now?”

Youyi nodded.

Since last night, she hadn’t had a proper meal. Her stomach was extremely empty. She hadn’t noticed her hunger before due to her distress, but now she felt much better and was hungry.

“I’ve made some food for you. If you’re hungry, eat more.”

Fu Cheng paused, then said, “If you still feel unhappy after eating, tell me. I’ll think of ways to cheer you up.”

Youyi’s heart felt a wave of sweetness.

When he said he would “cheer her up,” she could clearly feel his pain, tenderness, and a touch of helplessness.

“Fu Cheng, why do you like me?” At this moment, she suddenly wondered why Fu Cheng liked her so much, what made him treat her so well despite everything.

Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “why do you like me,” but rather…

Why do you like me so much?

Fu Cheng did not answer.

He held her fingers in his palm and after a long pause said, “Many things don’t necessarily need a reason.”

Youyi nodded, finding his words reasonable.

Even the depth of the Chinese language couldn’t answer all the questions.

Fu Cheng paused again, his chest vibrating as his voice grew deeper.

“Again and again, but I need you.”