☆ 30. Testing

The person standing at the door was Fu Junyan, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. After not seeing him for half a month, he looked much thinner, his figure visibly gaunt, with sharp and clear lines on his profile, as if carved by a knife, his original warmth replaced by a cold and desolate air.

Ji Meng felt guilty towards Fu Junyan.

That day, his despairing and pale expression left a deep impression on her. She felt she hadn’t been decisive enough earlier and hadn’t handled Fu Junyan’s feelings well.

These past few days, after returning from night school, she had been compiling information about the herbal medicines she knew into texts, intending to repay this debt.

However, since it was a large project, it wasn’t finished yet.

“Brother Junyan.” Ji Meng took a deep breath, pushed the cart forward, and called out to him with a smile.

Fu Junyan was hesitating whether to knock on the door when he heard her melodic call. His hand, which had been raised slightly, paused for a moment, and then he turned his head with a smile:

“Mengmeng.”

It was still that warm smile, but the weariness on his face gave it a hint of bitterness, making him appear more haggard.

“Why did brother Junyan come here?”

Ji Meng pushed the cart forward, took out her keys to unlock the courtyard gate, and after Qiuqiu greeted Fu Junyan, she asked as naturally as she could.

“The old man got two jars of this year’s new tea and some fruit, so he asked me to bring some for you,” Fu Junyan replied, glancing at the items by his right foot.

It was only then that Ji Meng noticed he had brought a lot of things, with several boxes of packaged fruit and two jars of metal-sealed tea.

The Fu family often sent gifts to the Ji family—sometimes it was nutritional supplements, sometimes seasonal fruits and vegetables. Whatever Fu Yuanshan received, they would always share a portion, but this time it seemed a bit too much.

“Why so much? Did Grandpa Fu ask you to bring everything?”

“No, my unit sent a share too, and there’s too much at home to eat, so I brought it over. There’s a box of cherries inside, quite sweet. Qiuqiu should like them.” Qiuqiu doesn’t eat sour fruit, she only mentioned it once, but Fu Junyan remembered.

“Great! Qiuqiu quickly thanked Uncle Junyan. He remembers you.”

The debt of gratitude is the hardest to repay, especially one that cannot easily be pushed away. Ji Meng opened the door, suppressing her heavy feelings, and smiled at Qiuqiu.

Qiuqiu glanced at her mother, then at Fu Junyan, whose gaze was uncontrollably locked onto her mother. She fiddled with her fingers and obediently expressed her thanks.

Fu Junyan really liked Qiuqiu, he had once thought of treating her like his own, and he still cared for her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t remember what she liked to eat. Seeing the little girl looking at him sweetly to thank him, he smiled and reached out to pat her head.

After moving the items into the living room, Qiuqiu went to her room to put down her backpack, while Ji Meng went to the cabinet to get a water bottle to pour tea for Fu Junyan. However, he stopped her:

“No need. I just came to drop something off. It’s time for me to go.”

“It’s almost time for dinner. You should stay for a meal before leaving.”

Ji Meng’s hand was stopped, and her expression paused for a moment. After a while, she forced a smile and said,

“Mengmeng, you don’t need to be like this.”

Fu Junyan could see Ji Meng’s discomfort, the forced politeness that came with it.

Because he saw through her, he felt worse inside.

No matter when, he hoped that the girl he liked would be calm in the face of anything, even when facing him.

These days have been tough for Fu Junyan. Ever since he saw her husband, who had been dead, return that day, he realized he was completely ^[1]“Out of the picture” means that someone is no longer involved or relevant in a particular situation. It often implies that they are no longer a factor in decision-making or influence.out of the picture. The sense of hopelessness he felt was harder to accept than when he first learned she had married.

To be precise, they had only seen each other twice since their reunion, but some people just have that inexplicable connection, an understanding, and then they fall deeper.

He locked himself in his room for three days, trying to let go like before, but it was impossible. The more he tried to forget, the clearer the shadow in his mind became, sinking deeper into his thoughts. Every moment, every glance, was filled with her smile and frown.

Later, he thought, if he couldn’t forget, then he wouldn’t try to anymore.

He didn’t have a throne to inherit in the Fu family, and when he dies, there’s a nephew who can help with the burdens. He didn’t feel the need to find someone to spend his life with, just watching her was good enough.

One admirable thing about the old man was that he always left room for maneuvering in everything he did, he could turn any situation around.

That day, the old man’s response allowed the Fu and Ji families to continue their interactions, and he could still appear before her as an elder brother.

He spent a week coming to terms with everything, adjusting his mindset, and today he finally felt he could appear before her as her elder brother as calmly as possible.

However, even as an elder brother, he couldn’t stay too long in the absence of family, for her reputation.

This was just fine, taking a look at her and confirming that she was doing well was enough.

“I want to apologize for what happened earlier. I put pressure on you.”

Fu Junyan stopped Ji Meng’s hand as she withdrew it, letting it hang at his side in a fist, then lowered his gaze and continued:

“It was my own one-sided wish, it had nothing to do with you. You don’t need to feel burdened or take it to heart… Moreover,”

Fu Junyan said this, spreading his hands with a playful smile.

“Moreover, before we came to eat, didn’t we agree? If it works out, it’s a joy for everyone, if not, we can still be brother and sister.”

“Honestly, I’m thinking that being brother and sister is quite nice.”

“Couples can get divorced, facing difficulties and parting ways, but brother and sister can be together for life, right?”

“I may not be as considerate and understanding as Ji Qiao, but I should still qualify to be your brother, Mengmeng.”

After saying that brother and sister can be lifelong, Fu Junyan seemed to truly feel relieved. The smile on his face became more relaxed, and his tone softened.

Among Fu Shiyan, Ji Qiao, and Fu Junyan, Fu Junyan was the youngest, and he automatically placed himself in that position.

“Of course you qualify.”

Ji Meng understood Fu Junyan’s intent. She withdrew her hand from the cabinet and smiled back at him, feeling more at ease.

“Then it’s settled! Starting today, I’ll be your third brother, so if you need anything, just let me know.”

Seeing Ji Meng’s smile finally seemed less forced, the heaviness in Fu Junyan’s eyes faded, and he genuinely smiled back. He then raised his hand to check his watch:

“Alright, I really should go now, I have things to do today. Once Uncle Fu brings back Qingyu, we can get together for another meal.”

“Okay.” Ji Meng nodded in response and added, “I’ll walk you out.”

“No need. What’s the point of sending me off? I can close the door myself.”

Fu Junyan waved his hand, then thought of something and turned back: “By the way, do you still need to find the leather-making master?”

“I’m free lately, I can take you to him. His place is quite complicated to find, even if I draw a map, it won’t be easy for you. Or should I have the master come find you?”

Fu Junyan spoke casually, and it was clear he had truly decided to let go. Ji Meng wasn’t someone who hesitated, she nodded back casually:

“The leather master is currently busy with summer clothing production and won’t be able to start on leather goods until at least the end of April, so I’ll contact you, brother Junyan, then.”

“Sounds good. Call me when the time comes, I’ll head out now.” Fu Junyan nodded in agreement and really left.

“Okay.”

Watching Fu Junyan’s departing figure, Ji Meng let out a light breath.

She felt a lot lighter inside. Perhaps Fu Junyan hadn’t completely let go yet, but being able to talk it out was already a good start.

Feeling relieved in her heart, she thought about how Su Cheng would return the next day, and her mood brightened further. Seeing that it was getting late and that cooking might take too long before her night school class, she decided to treat herself and Qiuqiu, taking her out to eat instead.

After dinner, the mother and daughter went to night school together.

There was no way around it, Su Cheng and the others had been gone for too long, and she couldn’t take such a long break from night school, so she had to take her daughter to class.

Fortunately, she wasn’t the only one bringing a child to class. Qiuqiu was well-behaved, quietly drawing beside her during the lectures. They managed to get through the week like this.

The next morning, Ji Meng woke up before dawn.

Now, aside from the high-maintenance hairstyle that Ji Meng helped her with, Qiuqiu could handle her own clothes, face washing, and brushing her teeth.

But today, Ji Meng needed to rush to the market to buy ingredients for the welcome dinner for Qingyu, so time was tight.

The mother and daughter didn’t even have time to eat the buns slowly and just hurriedly finished their meal, but this had become their routine over the past few days.

After a week of such a hectic life, both Ji Meng and Qiuqiu were looking forward to the return of Ji Qing and Su Cheng.

At least if they were around, there would be someone to help with tidying the house, doing laundry, and various other small chores, so they wouldn’t have to rush so much.

After lunch, Ji Meng went to pick up Qiuqiu from her class at Yuhong and headed to the train station to meet them.

At two in the afternoon, Ji Meng and Qiuqiu took the bus to the train station, where Ji Qing, Su Cheng, and Qingyu also got off the train.

As they exited the platform, Su Cheng spotted Ji Meng standing among the crowd and, fearing he might not find her, held up a wooden sign. Ji Meng, dressed in a vibrant red dress, caught his eye immediately.

Ji Meng was already stunning enough, with her long, dark hair styled in a fishtail braid tied with a red ribbon, her porcelain-like skin glowing, and her red lips captivating. In that red dress, she stood out even more, nearly everyone’s gaze turned toward her as soon as she stepped off the platform.

Unaware of the attention she was attracting, she raised a wooden sign with her slender, beautiful hand.

Beside her, Qiuqiu was adorably dressed in a bright yellow lace dress, white socks, and black shoes. Her hair was styled in a princess cut with pretty clips adorning it, making her look like a little flower fairy.

The little girl was holding a beautiful doll and a lovely pink plastic jewelry box, eagerly looking around.

Watching the mother and daughter, Su Cheng felt his heart flutter with mixed emotions, like it had been shaken by a spice jar—sweet one moment, salty the next, a blend of joy and worry.

The atmosphere wasn’t entirely peaceful, there were all sorts of people at the train station, and he worried about what would happen if they caught attention.

With this thought, Su Cheng quickened his pace toward the two of them.

Ji Qinghe, carrying a wooden box containing Su Cheng’s urn, walked a bit slower. Seeing Su Cheng’s urgency, he opened his mouth to call out, only to see his daughter and granddaughter in the same direction.

Noticing the welcome sign for Qingyu that they were holding, Ji Qing couldn’t help but smile.

This was the first genuine smile Ji Qinghe had shown in days, and with it, the anger and sorrow from earlier gradually faded.

“Dad!”

“Grandpa!” Qiuqiu, with her keen eyes, spotted Su Cheng and Ji Qing before Ji Meng did.

“What are you doing here?” Su Cheng asked, holding Qingyu and looking at Ji Meng.

Ji Meng had put on light makeup for their arrival, and even from a distance, she looked beautiful, up close, she was even more stunning.

Her fair complexion seemed to glow without any obvious makeup traces, her skin was rosy and translucent. Her already beautiful eyes had a hint of red at the corners, sparkling with a captivating allure. Su Cheng found it hard to look away, feeling a tingle in his heart, as if something was tickling him, making him slightly breathless.

“We came to pick you up!”

Su Cheng’s deep black eyes were fixated on Ji Meng, filled with a warmth that made her feel a bit uneasy as their gazes met. She shyly averted her eyes for a moment and replied with a smile.

Shifting her gaze to Qingyu, Ji Meng hesitated for a moment before quickly softening her expression and speaking gently to Qingyu: “You must be Qingyu, right? I’m your aunt.”

Having come from the Heilongjiang Province, Qingyu took off her thick cotton jacket and was wearing a delicate pink knitted wool sweater underneath. Her hair was still styled in a bun that Su Cheng had done for her.

Ji Qinghe had specially prepared ointment for Qingyu’s face and body injuries these past few days. Now, the bruises on her face had faded a lot, restoring her original fair complexion. The black scabs from her wounds had also fallen off, revealing the pink skin beneath, with faint traces of her previous injuries still visible.

Qingyu looked thin, even thinner than when she first saw Qiuqiu after returning. Her large eyes, similar to Qiuqiu’s, were filled with a nervousness that she was desperately trying to hide but couldn’t.

Ji Meng had already heard about Qingyu from Su Cheng over the phone, and she felt guilty for being so worried and not bringing the child back sooner.

For such a small child, if her emotional scars hadn’t been so profound and overwhelming, she wouldn’t have asked such questions at all.

Now that Ji Meng saw her in person, she became even more certain that this child had endured a lot of pain.

All she could do was slowly make up for it, trying her best to help the child recover from the earlier trauma.

Ji Meng felt a slight heaviness in her heart and then asked Qingyu, “Do you want to come down? Your sister is here today, and she brought you a gift.”

“That’s right! Sister Qingyu, Qiuqiu brought you a doll and a beautiful hair clip made by Mom. Do you want to see?”

Upon hearing this, Qiuqiu immediately chimed in. Then she looked up at Qingyu and froze, her mouth agape in surprise.

“Mom, sister looks just like me!”

Qingyu indeed resembled Qiuqiu, with similar brows and eyes, and even their face shapes were somewhat alike, however, Qingyu’s face was thinner while Qiuqiu still had some baby fat.

But being younger, Qiuqiu didn’t notice these details. She found it fascinating, as if looking in a mirror, and she couldn’t help but call out to Su Cheng:

“Dad, can you put sister down? Qiuqiu wants to play with her, Qiuqiu really likes my sister!”

Su Cheng, for once, didn’t immediately comply with his daughter’s request to put her down but gently asked Qingyu first:

“Do you want to come down, Qingyu? Or are you tired? Should Uncle hold you a little longer?”

Qingyu knew her aunt and Qiuqiu. Her father had mentioned her aunt when he was still alive, and her grandfather had talked about her on the train.

She knew that her aunt was a beautiful woman and that her sister, Qiuqiu, was very cute.

Seeing them now, she realized her grandfather didn’t lie at all, her aunt was indeed very beautiful, even more so than she had imagined. She was the prettiest person Qingyu had ever seen, and Qiuqiu was also very adorable.

Although they looked alike, Qingyu felt that Qiuqiu was cuter and prettier than she was.

Qingyu was anxious and a bit scared, fearing that her aunt and Qiuqiu might dislike her like her little cousins from her uncle’s family.

But unexpectedly, her aunt was so gentle, and her sister was even more enthusiastic.

She wanted to play with her sister, though she was still afraid. But since her sister didn’t have stones or a whip, it should be fine, right?

After a long moment, Qingyu grasped Su Cheng’s clothes on his shoulder and gently nodded, saying, “I want to.”