Chapter 56 - Let Him Go
Wen Yan brought Su Jingming back to his home. In a silent, mutual understanding, they both switched off their phones, neither of them mentioning Cheng Hui. It was as if by severing their connection to the outside world, they could preserve the fragile peace they had just found.
Su Jingming scanned the living room of Wen Yan’s apartment. It was clean and orderly, lacking the lived-in clutter of a family home. "Where’s Wen Miao?" he asked, his voice sounding thin in the quiet space.
"Still at school," Wen Yan replied, his tone steady. "Her final exams are in a few days."
"Then you..." Su Jingming paused, the realization finally hitting him. Wen Yan had been by his side constantly during this period. "What about school? Aren't you going back?"
"I figured I should give the others a chance to catch up for once," Wen Yan teased half-jokingly. He pulled two bottles of mineral water from the refrigerator. "I’ve already spoken to Old Zhou. I’ll head back next semester. Missing a month of classes won't make much of a difference in the long run."
Su Jingming took the bottle, twisting the cap and taking a few swallows. His gaze involuntarily drifted toward Wen Yan. He watched the way Wen Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed with every gulp of water, his eyes tracing the line of his throat downward. Suddenly, a stray, heated thought flickered through his mind, and he jerked his eyes away, his cheeks flushing.
Wen Yan finished half his bottle in one go. "What are you thinking about? It’s late. Go to sleep."
Su Jingming gave a dry, awkward "oh" but remained rooted to the spot. Wen Yan arched an eyebrow and stood up to pull him along. Before Wen Yan could exert any real force, Su Jingming had a sudden lapse in judgment; he yanked Wen Yan toward him instead. The momentum caught them both off guard, and Wen Yan ended up pinned directly over him on the sofa.
Su Jingming froze, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Wen Yan was momentarily stunned, but then a soft, breathy laugh escaped him. He didn't pull away, nor did he let his full weight settle on Su Jingming. "Throwing yourself into my arms in the middle of the night? Now that you’re eighteen and an adult, are you so eager to step into the world of grown-ups?"
The implication hit Su Jingming instantly. He scrambled to push Wen Yan back, his face burning. The position they were in—tangled together on the living room sofa—felt shameful yet strangely exhilarating.
Wen Yan braced his hands on either side of Su Jingming’s head, looking down at him from above. He pursed his slightly damp lips, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Su Jingming’s forehead. "I’m just glad you’re back," he whispered.
Su Jingming remained silent, his breath hitching.
"I was afraid this choice was too cruel," Wen Yan continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "For both you and me, this path is incredibly difficult. But the moment I thought about your mother sending you to that sanatorium, I couldn't control myself. Su Jingming, I’m not as good as you think. I’m a selfish person, too."
Even though Cheng Hui had shown concern for Su Jingming over the past month, Wen Yan had seen the flashes of helplessness and impatience in her eyes. A mother who could decide to institutionalize her son might not be considered "fit" by some standards, but she had done everything she felt she could.
Wen Yan couldn't bear it. He ached for his Little Hero. After a childhood like the one Su Jingming had endured, how could anyone have the heart to abandon him again?
"And if I hadn't remembered?" Su Jingming asked, his voice small. "If I had really been sent away... what would you have done?" It was a sentimental, perhaps even clingy question, but he needed to know.
Wen Yan fell silent for a long moment. "I would have come to get you."
That was the reality of being eighteen. It was an age where one had just stepped into adulthood, an age where one could finally take responsibility, yet still lacked the power to fully shoulder another person’s entire future.
They fell asleep that night in each other's arms. The mental exhaustion finally outweighed the lingering adrenaline. One moment Su Jingming was murmuring to Wen Yan, and the next, his voice faded into the rhythmic breathing of deep sleep.
Wen Yan looked down at the youth sleeping beside him. Su Jingming’s features seemed more defined than they had been weeks ago, his brow relaxed in sleep. His left hand rested casually over his stomach, and the silver ring on his finger caught the dim light, looking less like cold metal and more like a promise.
Wen Yan had prepared the rings long ago. He had decided that he would give one to Su Jingming on his eighteenth birthday, no matter the circumstances or the excuse. Fortunately, fate had been kind to them—at least for now.
The next morning, Su Jingming woke to an empty bed, though the sheets still held a lingering warmth. He got up slowly, gathered his clothes from the floor, and dressed. When he opened the bedroom door, the scene in the living room turned his blood to ice.
Wen Yan was standing directly opposite the sofa. Seated upon it were Father Wen, Mother Wen, and Cheng Hui.
The moment Su Jingming appeared, Cheng Hui bolted upright. She rushed to him, looking him over frantically. "Jingming... Wen Yan said... he said you’re better? You remember?"
Her voice was thick with uncertainty, trembling in a way that would have normally inspired pity. Su Jingming merely gave a faint, distant nod. He said nothing more.
Only then did Cheng Hui believe Wen Yan’s words. Su Jingming was back; he remembered everything. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or devastated. She stood there awkwardly, reaching out as if to touch her son, but his cold, detached gaze kept her at a distance.
Wen Yan turned his head, his eyes meeting Su Jingming’s in a silent exchange of dread.
It was Father Wen who broke the silence. He cleared his throat and set his teacup down on the table with a sharp, echoing clatter. "Xiao Su," he said, his voice deep and somber. "I heard your family went through some trouble recently. Are you feeling alright now?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," Su Jingming replied.
Father and Mother Wen exchanged a look. Before they could speak, Cheng Hui suddenly grabbed Su Jingming’s wrist and dragged him toward them. "Apologize," she commanded.
Su Jingming didn't understand. Cheng Hui hissed again, more urgently this time, "Jingming, hurry up and apologize to Uncle Wen and Auntie Wen!"
In Su Jingming’s memory, Cheng Hui had always been gentle. He had rarely seen her this anxious or volatile. The expressions on Wen Yan’s parents' faces were equally grim. As Cheng Hui tugged at Su Jingming’s hand, her eyes suddenly fell upon the ring on his finger.
Everyone in the room followed her gaze, then instinctively looked at Wen Yan’s hand.
The matching rings were blindingly obvious.
Mother Wen, who had been maintaining a stoic, somber face, suddenly looked distorted with pain. Her composure shattered in an instant. With reddened eyes, she pointed a trembling finger at Wen Yan. "Is this your way of repaying your parents? Is this the best you can do?"
Wen Yan lowered his gaze. Before he could speak, Father Wen addressed Su Jingming directly. "Are you two really...?"
For the first time in his life, Su Jingming tasted the full, bitter weight of shame. Even Wen Yan hadn't had time to prepare him; he had opened the door that morning only to find his parents already waiting in the living room. Seeing Cheng Hui there, Wen Yan understood exactly who had summoned them.
And then Su Jingming had walked out. The world was full of such cruel coincidences.
Cheng Hui acted as if she were in total control. By grabbing Su Jingming and forcing the issue, she was making a preemptive strike. Her calculations were loud and clear: she was cutting off their retreat entirely.
"Yes," Wen Yan said after only a moment’s hesitation. His gaze was unwavering as he looked at his father. "I love him. I want to be with him."
"Impossible!!!" Father Wen roared, his face flushing a deep, angry red. "You are both boys! How can you be together?!"
The words were like a physical blow to both Su Jingming and Wen Yan. They had heard them before. *You’re both boys. How is it possible?*
Cheng Hui gripped Su Jingming’s arm with bruising force. "Jingming, tell Uncle Wen you’re just playing around! Tell him you don't actually think this way! Hurry up! Apologize to your Auntie and Uncle! How could you lead Wen Yan astray like this?!"
Hearing this, Wen Yan’s parents shifted their glare back to Su Jingming. It was as if Cheng Hui’s words had confirmed their worst fears: that Su Jingming was the one dragging Wen Yan down this path.
Father Wen spoke again. "Xiao Su, I’ve always had a good impression of you. You’re both good kids—excellent grades, excellent character. Why must you do this? You both have long futures ahead of you. Are you really willing to ruin yourselves like this?"
"Exactly, Jingming. Just apologize to Uncle and Auntie, and we’ll let this matter drop, okay?" Cheng Hui pleaded, her voice rising in desperation. She didn't seem to notice that Su Jingming’s face had turned deathly pale.
When Su Jingming remained silent, Cheng Hui closed her eyes, her voice dropping to a sharp, jagged edge. "Are you going to do this to your dead father, too?"
Su Jingming flinched. "...What did you say?"
"Who do you think pushed Su Qicheng to jump? It was you, Su Jingming!" Cheng Hui hissed through gritted teeth. "Your father saw that photo of you two kissing at school. He was looking at that photo right before he died!"
Shock rippled through Su Jingming. His fingers began to tremble uncontrollably. Wen Yan frowned, stepping forward to pull Su Jingming away from her, but Cheng Hui reflexively shoved Su Jingming behind her back. She clamped her hands onto his shoulders, her tone shifting to a wheedling, bargaining plea. "Just promise me, Jingming. Break it off with Wen Yan, and we’ll act like none of this ever happened. You’ve already lost your father—do you want to lose your mother, too?"
She was threatening him. She was using the most despicable, shameless method possible to coerce him.
Su Jingming felt his head throbbing, his mind spinning from her twisted logic. He didn't look at her. "So... you’re blaming me again?" he whispered. "So... it’s my fault again?"
He didn't know what Cheng Hui had told Wen Yan’s parents before he woke up, but from the look of things, she had laid the entire burden of guilt at his feet. Since when had loving someone become a crime of this magnitude?
Seeing the state Su Jingming was in, Wen Yan ignored Cheng Hui’s attempts to block him. He stepped around her and pulled Su Jingming into his arms, shielding him. Facing his parents, he repeated each word with absolute clarity: "Mom, Dad. I love Su Jingming."
Father Wen stood up abruptly. "No! Wen Yan, let go of him! Look at yourselves! What is this supposed to be?!"
Mother Wen, who had been weeping silently, looked at her son. This stubborn, defiant version of him was a stranger to her. She sat on the sofa, her entire body shaking, her eyes filled with a desperate, begging light. "Son... listen to your father and me. Let him go."
Wen Yan looked down, his grip on Su Jingming only tightening.
Cheng Hui tried to pull them apart again, but she withered under the intensity of Wen Yan’s gaze. Her eyes were red as she sobbed, "Jingming, you were always such a good boy. You always listened to me. Can't you just listen to me one last time?"
Su Jingming’s head was splitting. "I did listen," he said, his voice laced with suppressed agony. "But did you ever keep your promises to me?"
Cheng Hui was stunned into silence by his question. Had she ever kept her word? It seemed she hadn't.
She took a deep breath, preparing to argue further, but Father Wen had reached his limit. He lunged forward, forcibly prying Su Jingming and Wen Yan apart. Wen Yan was strong, but he was no match for his father’s desperate, adrenaline-fueled strength. Su Jingming felt the warmth leave his waist as Wen Yan’s hands were torn away.
His eyes widened. He reached out to grab Wen Yan, but Mother Wen stepped between them, blocking his path. She was sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath. She had not uttered a single word of reproach toward Su Jingming until this moment. Now, her voice trembling and broken, she looked at him and gasped, "Xiao Su... I’m begging you. Please... let Wen Yan go."
