Chapter 461: Face to face
That phone call when rumors of Xu Tingsheng being in a coma had been all over the internet-Fang Yunyao had steeled herself to deal one final, brutal severing blow then.
On hearing Fu Cheng"s voice again after two years, she had said that she was married and living happily, asking him not to disturb her again.
Most men of a certain age would surely have such a tale in their pasts: Wanting to look for someone, yet never able to do so through the pa.s.sing of decades.
Stories like these actually generally have nothing to do with determination. If you know that she is faring poorly and she still holds a place in your heart, you will definitely go. The only thing to fear is that she may no longer need your good faith, that your concern has already become a disturbance.
When women resolve themselves to be brutal, they are generally much more resolute than men.
That particular call had finally gotten Fu Cheng to give up.
……
Little Niannian began to voice her first words. She could take a few wobbly steps before toppling headfirst into her mother"s embrace now.
Much more laughter and chatter could be heard in that small dormitory room, their impoverished state thereby banished from mind.
During the winter holidays, Fang Yunyao finally had some free time. She suddenly remembered one day that the renowned Dujianyan was right close by, and yet she had actually still yet to bring her mother and Little Niannian there.
That morning, she prettied Little Niannian up and put all the things that her daughter needed, such as diapers, milk powder and towel etcetera, into a backpack along with one full thermos.
"Let"s go, Mum," Fang Yunyao said.
Mrs Fang still retained that habit from going out in the village as she wore the new clothes that Fang Yunyao had bought her and brushed her hair neatly.
"You"re going out like this?" Seeing her daughter, once a high-grade village beauty, dressed in such an awful, non-feminine manner, Fang Yunyao"s mother scolded exasperatedly.
"Yes," Fang Yunyao smiled, "It"s enough if Niannian"s pretty. Who will still look at me? I"m already a mother."
"Niannian"s the prettiest, right?" Fang Yunyao playingly asked her daughter in her arms.
Mrs Fang hesitated for a moment but said nothing. As she saw it, her daughter would surely have to marry again eventually. Though she had never been married before, technically. Could a single mother really provide for herself and her child her entire life?
The few times she had brought it up, however, Fang Yunyao had adamantly refused. Mrs Fang could only temporarily set this aside for now and wait for when Niannian was a little older.
They took a bus to the scenic destination and strolled about aimlessly. When tired, they would find a place to sit down and play with Little Niannian. The hot water spilled once while walking, little of it remaining. When they got to Fulong temple and Niannian began to cry, Fang Yunyao knew that her daughter was hungry.
"Mum, hold onto Niannian and wait here. I"ll find some hot water to make milk for her," Fang Yunyao pa.s.sed her daughter to her mother and took the thermos, leaving to find hot water.
Ten plus minutes later, ascending a flight of stairs with filled thermos in hand, the returning Fang Yunyao looked up. She did not find her mother and Little Niannian as she had left them.
Instead, they were being blocked from her view by a crowd of people.
Feeling somewhat nervous, Fang Yunyao hastily walked over. She heard the voice of a girl playing with a child.
This was not such a rare occurrence, to be honest. Niannian was pretty and liked to laugh. She was like a little elf. People often came over to tease and play with her when her mother brought her out.
Still, this was a scenic destination and contained all sorts of people...Fang Yunyao still felt a bit worried.
"Sorry, excuse me," She said at the edge of the crowd.
……
Mrs Fang had previously met and had some interactions with Xu Tingsheng, Huang Yaming, Song Ni and Fu Cheng before.
At this moment, she was standing quietly by the side and dabbing at her tears. Song Ni was speaking quietly, consoling her.
Niannian was in Fu Cheng"s arms. His movements weren"t standard at all as he was a bit out of sorts. Still, he was treating her with the utmost care, as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.
Be they sc.u.mbags, tyc.o.o.ns, typically cold and indifferent or usually silent, everyone else here were acting a bit like clowns at this moment, pulling various faces, imitating little animals and adopting babyish voices, all so to win the laughter of Little Niannian in Fu Cheng"s embrace.
"Niannian"s really so pretty…" Even Ye Qing who usually resembled a queen was using a very cute, youngish tone as she exclaimed before hurriedly glancing at Tan Yao and turning away.
Those relatively well acquainted with Fu Cheng basically all knew what was going on. As for the remainder, Huang Yaming had already explained things to them too.
This tale could not be any more moving, any more dramatic and gut-wrenching.
There were so many feels, so much pa.s.sion within.
"I can"t, my heart is melting...a daughter, I"ve decided I want a daughter," Old Wai turned and said to Li Linlin.
Wiping the tears from the corner of her eye, Li Linlin said, "That"s all you guys know...why don"t you also consider just how pitiful Niannian is...and that Ms Fang too."
"Yeah, yeah," The other girls all agreed.
Huang Yaming and Xu Tingsheng were standing together.
"Freaking great. We look away for one moment and he"s already a father. What are we to do?" Huang Yaming said.
"Be G.o.dfathers!" Xu Tingsheng rubbed his eyes and smiled, replying, "We better think of how to abduct Ms Fang back fast. You saw how she looked just now, what she was wearing...these two years have not been easy for her."
Huang Yaming nodded, "It will have to depend on Fu Cheng himself. I told him just now. He"s got to be a bit more forceful this time. You can"t always go reasoning with women. Sometimes, you really just throw them over your shoulder and go."
A sobbing Song Ni walked over, "Auntie said that Ms Fang"s currently teaching at a private school. She and Niannian...were at the cliff"s edge at childbirth. She nearly didn"t survive…"
……
"Sorry, excuse me."
A voice was heard.
Fu Cheng turned.
In his arms, Niannian reached out towards the direction of the voice, "Mum, Mum…"
Everyone else stepped aside, opening up a path.
"Niannian, Mum"s bac…"
Bang…
The thermos flask in Fang Yunyao"s hands fell to the ground.
She froze for a few seconds.
Fang Yunyao unconsciously made to pick up the thermos flask on the ground, but stopped midway through the motion as she turned to flee…
"You"re still running?" Fu Cheng yelled.
"Must I really come tie you up?"
"Niannian"s right here!"
Fang Yunyao stood stock still.
Little Niannian suddenly burst into tears.
"Be good, be good...I wasn"t being fierce to you, I wasn"t...I was wrong, sorry, I was too loud," Fu Cheng frantically tried to coax Little Niannian, but how would he be able to do so…
Niannian"s cries grew louder and louder as she snivelled, "Mum, Mum…"
"Hey, don"t just stand there? See how our daughter"s crying. Come on and help!" Fu Cheng said to Fang Yunyao who was facing away from him.
A very ordinary sentence that could not be any more common between a husband and wife, yet tears were furiously trickling down his face as he said it.
Wiping her tears, Fang Yunyao turned and walked over.
"Give her."
Fu Cheng pa.s.sed Niannian over to Fang Yunyao.
She gently coaxed her, and the crying subsided.
"Hi, Ms Fang," Song Ni said.
"Hi, Ms Fang," Huang Yaming said.
"Hi, Ms Fang," Xu Tingsheng said.
"..." Fang Yunyao tried her best to smile and nodded, asking, "Oh, you came over here to play?"
"I"ve come to take you and Niannian home," Fu Cheng said, "It"s been two years. I"m sorry, Ms Fang. I"m sorry..."