252 There Won’t Be a Next Time
A month later, in the capital.
The bone-piercing north wind howled, bringing the first snow of the winter.
Shen Hanyu stood quietly by the Lotus pond in the Zhen family’s garden, looking up at the dark sky and the fluttering snow.
He thought of last winter when Sang Qianqian insisted on breaking up with him. The night before they came to the capital, it was also snowing heavily like this.
At that time, she still did not know that he had already found out from Sang Minglang about her purpose in going to the capital.
Shen Hanyu knew that she was leaving the next day, and he wanted to see her. That night, he drove to the Sang family’s old house.
He knew that there was no hope and that it was unlikely that he would see her again, but he still did not want to leave.
Shen Hanyu stared at the light in Sang Qianqian’s room for a long time.
After that, the lights went out and he thought Sang Qianqian had fallen asleep.
He stood there silently for a while. When he was about to leave, he saw the thick red wooden door of the Sang family’s villa gently being pushed open.
A familiar figure walked out silently.
In the night, Sang Qianqian was wearing a down jacket with a snow-white fur collar. She slowly walked down the steps and followed the path in the garden, treading on the snow.
Shen Hanyu’s heart skipped a beat as he watched her walk toward the main entrance.
For a moment, he thought that Sang Qianqian had discovered him. But soon, Shen Hanyu realized that he was overthinking.
The light and snow shone on her pale face. She looked up absent-mindedly at the carved iron gate and seemed to realize where she was. After a few seconds of confusion, she turned around and walked back along the path.
After that, she stopped beside the snow-covered swing in the garden and stood there in a daze for a long time.
Her face was red from the cold, but she didn’t notice it. Her head and body were covered in snow.
Shen Hanyu was afraid that she would catch a cold, so he sent a message to Sang Minglang.
Sang Minglang came out very quickly and told her to return to her room to rest early.
Shen Hanyu heard Sang Qianqian’s voice in the quiet snowy night.
“If we can really return safely, I think… I’ll try to get him back. That is, if he is still not married and still willing to be with me.”
Shen Hanyu was touched, but he also laughed. What are you thinking, Qianqian?
At that time, he thought, ‘How could I not want you?’
Such a situation would never happen.
But in the end, fate made the impossible possible.
He had said the cruelest words and pushed her away from his side.
Shen Hanyu’s gaze seemed to pierce through the falling snowflakes and into the distance.
He saw the person he really wanted to see.
When Fang Lan hurried over, she saw that Shen Hanyu’s short black hair was covered in snow, and his shoulders were also covered in a thin layer.
She couldn’t help but complain, “It’s such a cold day. Why aren’t you in the house?”
Shen Hanyu turned around. The desolation in his dark eyes frightened Fang Lan.
He said lightly, “The snow scenery here is not bad.”
Beside the Lotus pond in the Zhen family’s garden, there were layers of rockery, a winding path, and the sound of water. The scenery was indeed very good on normal days.
However, at this moment, the snow was flying all over the sky, and a few meters away, it was foggy, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Fang Lan really couldn’t see what was so good about the snow here.
“I don’t think there’s anything to see.”
Fang Lan shivered from the cold wind by the pool. She wrapped her coat tightly around herself and said, “Hanyu, go in. My second uncle is here with Mr. Chen. Grandma Zhen told me to call you.”
Shen Hanyu nodded and slowly walked back.
His walking speed was a little slow, and there was a strange and indescribable stiffness to it. It seemed that every step he took required a lot of strength.
Fang Lan followed behind him in silence. She felt as if something was stuck in her heart.
These days, the words that she wanted to say hovered at the tip of her tongue. She wanted to say it to Shen Hanyu several times, but she held back.
Fang Lan had always been a straightforward person, and she had never been so hesitant to speak.
However, if she didn’t say it today, she really wouldn’t have the chance in the future.
Fang Lan gritted her teeth and decided to go all out. “Hanyu, as long as you’re willing, Grandma Zhen’s arrangement… I won’t be the least bit reluctant.”
Shen Hanyu stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at her. “Have you been so busy at the NCCA recently that your head became muddled?”
Otherwise, why would she say such words?
“I’ve indeed been very busy recently, but I’m not muddle-headed.”
Fang Hongyi tried his best to persuade Shen Hanyu to join the NCCA, but he failed. Shen Hanyu didn’t know what method he used, but Fang Hongyi managed to convince Fang Lan to join.
Fang Lan had been busy with a few big things as soon as she went there. A few days ago, she had come to ask Shen Hanyu for advice because she couldn’t solve the technical problems.
“Hanyu, I’m serious,” Fang Lan said seriously.
“I’ve always thought that you and Miss Sang would make up. However, I really didn’t expect that you and Miss Sang would break up instead. I know you don’t want to burden Miss Sang, but I really don’t care. Did you forget that I wooed you when you first entered that university? In the past, when Miss Sang was around, I couldn’t make my presence known to you no matter how hard I tried. So, I was tactful and only wanted to be friends with you. But now, the situation is different.”
Fang Lan did not dare to look at Shen Hanyu’s face. Since she had already said it, there was no reason for her to take it back.
She coughed and continued, “If I can really marry you and have a child with you, I’d be quite happy. Not only can it fulfill Grandma Zhen’s wish, but it can also fulfill mine. Even if you’re not here in the future, I can still live a carefree life. I won’t be too sad for you, so you don’t have to worry about it affecting me…”
The moment Fang Lan mentioned the word ‘marriage’, Shen Hanyu’s face darkened.
In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted Fang Lan, “Fang Lan, should I say that you think too highly of yourself or that you look down on yourself?”
His voice was extremely cold and his words were merciless. “What you do is your own business. If I even pushed away Sang Qianqian, what makes you think I’d be willing to marry and have children with you?”
Fang Lan’s face was burning and she was so ashamed that she could not show her face. However, she still said sincerely, “I’m not that shameless to compare myself to Miss Sang, but isn’t the situation special now? Hanyu, five years is not a long time, but it’s not a short time either. When that day comes, you’ll need someone by your side to take care of you…”
“When that day comes, you don’t have to worry about me.”
Shen Hanyu’s face was expressionless as he said coldly, “Fang Lan, it’s better for us to keep an appropriate distance like before. This is the last time you’ll say such words. There won’t be a next time.”
Shen Hanyu’s words were cold, like the icy wind and snow in front of her. They were so cold that Fang Lan’s face hurt.
Sigh, Fang Lan thought to herself, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. Sure enough, I’m just asking for trouble.’
—
In the Zhen family’s living room, Old Lady Zhen looked at Fang Hongyi with a smile on her face. “In the past, you and Yixin didn’t get married, and Yuanhua and I felt that we owed you. Now, I didn’t expect that Hanyu and Xiao Lan would end up together. This must be a predestined fate.”