“Sorry. Come have tea at my place later. Thank you.” Ru Feng smiled and ran forward.
Qiu Chi stood still, watching his retreating figure, softly saying, “Xiao Feng, I regret it. I really regret it. But can things go back now?” The answer was gradually receding footsteps.
“Second Brother!” As Qi Feng got out of the car, Ru Feng pounced and hugged him tightly. He kissed his forehead gently, eyes full of joy, “Missed me that much?”
“Yes!” Ru Feng nodded.
After a quiet embrace, Qi Feng let go, saying, “Get in the car, let’s go home.”
Ru Feng suddenly remembered Qiu Chi and turned to look, but the front door was empty. “What’s wrong?” Qi Feng asked. Ru Feng shook his head, “Nothing, let’s go in!”
After dinner, while walking in the garden, Ru Feng asked, “Second Brother, I want to visit Ning Yuan tomorrow, is that okay?” Qi Feng’s heart ached, and he looked at him sharply. “Feng’er, …” The words were painful to suppress. He ultimately could not ask.
Ru Feng kissed his lips. “Silly Second Brother, Ning Yuan is already in the past.”
“Why do you want to see him? What’s there to see in his current state?” Qi Feng replied, frustrated.
Ru Feng stepped back, looking at him. “Second Brother, these are my two wishes.”
“What two wishes?”
Ru Feng smiled. “One is to say goodbye to the past, so I want to properly say goodbye to Ning Yuan. The second is to have a month to complete my past life’s regrets. Because of my physical condition, I never went anywhere and was always dependent on your care. Now, I want the opportunity to feel what it’s like to be an individual, to run freely under the sun, to go to far-away places and experience a life I never had the chance or right to enjoy before. Second Brother, is that okay?”
“Feng’er!” Qi Feng stepped forward, embracing him.
“Second Brother, I’m leaving the past behind and my single status, okay?”
“Feng’er, are you saying goodbye? Do you mean that?” Qi Feng, shocked and delighted, struggled for words.
“Yes, so will you agree?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Qi Feng’s eyes sparkled. “You can go see Ning Yuan and complete your past regrets; I’ll agree to anything.”
Ru Feng watched him excitedly. “Feng’er, I’ll go tell Dad.”
“Mm, tell Big Brother too!”
His joy was overwhelming. “Feng’er, shall we choose an engagement gown tomorrow?”
Ru Feng couldn’t help but smile at his Second Brother’s happiness. “Second Brother, you forgot; I said I want a month.”
“Oh, right, still a month.” Qi Feng laughed, then suddenly jumped up. “You’ll leave for a month?”
“Yes, and during this month, you can’t contact me. I’ll wear a communication necklace to keep you at ease, but no tracking my location. This month is completely mine!”
“But Feng’er, a month is so long. How about we make it half a month?”
“No, Second Brother. If you don’t respect my opinion, I’ll take back what I just said.”
“No taking back, how can words be taken back! So you’ve agreed and can’t go back on it. If I find out you didn’t do as promised, hmph, I won’t say goodbye to the past.
Okay, I’ll listen to you in everything, promise you everything. But the things you promised, you must also do, Ning Yuan will forever be in the past.”
“Okay!” Ru Feng laughed with squinting eyes. Qi Feng said nothing more, lowering his head to kiss him, entangling passionately. Qi Feng bit his lips, demanding what he could never refuse, not allowing him to refuse this kiss either.
Ru Feng gently responded, savoring the sweetness. He had two wishes: to find Ning Yuan, retrieve the forged letters, and go to the Si Tu family’s main residence in a month. “Second Brother, wait for me!” After a long time, he leaned weakly in his arms, speaking softly.
“Mm!” He was still breathing heavily, suppressing surging emotions. Ru Feng hugged him tightly, listening to his pounding heartbeat. Second Brother, wait for me. I hope heaven will protect you and relieve your suffering.
The rain fell softly as Ru Feng stood beneath Ning Yuan’s building, unexpectedly returning home under such circumstances. He looked up at the third-floor balcony where the ivy had grown lush, climbing along the railing to the wall.
Her gaze slightly blurred as she envisioned herself on the balcony, transplanting newly bought plants into the flower bed. Ning Yuan was there, gently pushing back her hair and looking at her lovingly while wiping her sweat. All the flowers were chosen and planted by her own hands; she had thought she could accompany them through blooming and withering. She smiled self-deprecatingly, blinking and withdrawing her distant thoughts—not regret, just a sentiment triggered by the scene.
“Why are you here?” Sui Feng’s expression tensed upon seeing Ru Feng. Noticing there was no one else, she felt suspicious.
“Sorry, I’d like to see Ning Yuan. Is that convenient?”
“Ning Yuan? What do you want with him?” Sui Feng blocked her at the doorway, then recalled something, “My second brother hit you, and you’re still not satisfied?”
Ru Feng lowered her eyes, “I had a phone appointment with him. He said he was home.”
“Come in!” Before Sui Feng could respond further, Ning Yuan’s voice came from behind, leaning against the door.
Sui Feng rushed to support him. “Why aren’t you resting in bed?”
Ning Yuan gently pushed her away, supporting himself against the wall. “I have something to discuss with her. Could you bring two glasses of water to the study?”
Sui Feng stood in place for a moment before responding, “Okay!”
She ignored Ru Feng and turned to leave. Ning Yuan then looked at her, “Come in.” Ru Feng silently followed him, observing his unsteady walk and bruised face, quietly lowering her eyes.
They sat in silence until Sui Feng brought water, glanced at them, and left. After the door closed, Ru Feng spoke, “Does it still hurt?”
“Who are you?” Ning Yuan asked simultaneously, both stunned. After a moment, he repeated, “Who are you?”
“The study has good soundproofing.”
Ru Feng opened her mouth, taking a long time to respond, “What are you talking about?” Ning Yuan’s fist clenched, “I thought the newspapers were speculating, or your family fabricated your identity, but after the press conference and Qiu Chi’s interview, Qiu Ru Feng actually exists.”
“Who exactly are you?” Ru Feng pressed her lips together, silent. Ning Yuan suddenly stood, knocking the teacup to the ground. He stared intensely at Ru Feng, “Tell me, who are you?”
Ru Feng lowered her head and responded softly, “Ning Yuan, don’t you already know?”
Saying it out loud was difficult, “I’ve lost not only my love but I’ve also killed my lover, right?”
“And Situ Qifeng, on the other hand, used a different price to call back his lover, right?” Ru Feng had no response, and Ning Yuan let her go.
This time, he finally recognized he no longer had the right to discuss love with her. After a long silence, Ning Yuan softly said, “Since you apologized for her, I want you to tell her something for me. Thank her for loving me once. If I had known about her illness, I would have loved and cherished her even more.”
“Ning Yuan, you…?” Ru Feng said with a bitter smile, wondering about the point of this. Ning Yuan turned away, asking, “Why did you come to find me?”
Ru Feng pulled out a notebook from his bag. “I need a letter written in this person’s notebook. I’ve already prepared the content; you just need to copy it.”
Ning Yuan glanced at it and queried, “What are you trying to do?”
Ru Feng replied frankly, “He paid a huge price for me. I can’t bear it, so I want to see if I can make amends.”
In his eyes was a suppressed pain. “You can’t let him go, so you want to take the risk yourself?” Though not part of the Situ family, Ning Yuan was aware that entering the main house required approval.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything foolish that would waste his efforts. I just want to ask if you can help me.”
