Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 55 | A Final Tenderness | Novela.app

It was that same tone again, that same posture. Su Jingming watched them, his heart feeling as though it were being sliced by a blade. Everyone was pleading—everyone except Wen Yan. He didn’t dare look into Wen Yan’s eyes. His lips pressed together again and again as his mind spiraled into an uncontrollable chaos. Suddenly, he whispered a question: "...Then can I... can I plead with you all? Please, let us go." He had never been so humble, so desperate. Even though he knew it was impossible, he asked anyway, unable to give up hope. Upon hearing this, Wen Yan’s mother began to sob violently, looking as if she might stop breathing at any moment. Cheng Hui was also shedding tears at his side, clutching Su Jingming relentlessly, murmuring over and over, "Jingming, Mama is begging you. Just be good this once, just this last time." Su Jingming suddenly wanted to laugh, but found he couldn't make a sound. This was a calamity, a noose tightening around his throat. He curled his lips into a silent, bitter smile and used the last of his courage to look at Wen Yan. At some point, Wen Yan’s eyes had turned a deep, painful red. Su Jingming suddenly remembered the day they moved into the dorms. Wen Yan had said, "You’re very happy too." He had indeed been happy—happy to live at school with Wen Yan, happy to see the different sides of him, whether it was his bleary-eyed morning face or the way he looked when he called out his name with a smile. But Su Jingming never expected that while Wen Yan was his joy, in the end, that joy would be for naught. This was the crushing weight of reality. An eighteen-year-old boy stood utterly helpless against it. Su Jingming seemed to give up his struggle. The sound of weeping in his ears made his head throb with increasing intensity. Wen Yan’s father stood frozen in place. He wanted to say something more, but he couldn't bring himself to utter any harsher words. What should they do? What could they do? What could this world even do for them? Su Jingming took a deep breath. He scanned the people around him, feeling the oppressive atmosphere from head to toe. Suddenly, he smiled—a very faint, relaxed smile. Wen Yan’s eyes widened slightly. He cried out, "Su Jingming!" Everyone present turned to look at him. Tears welled in Su Jingming’s eyes. His left hand was clenched into a fist, his thumb restlessly rubbing the ring on his finger. The ring, which should have been warmed by his body heat, felt incredibly cold. He spoke. "Wen Yan, let’s not love each other anymore, okay?" *I clearly promised you I wouldn't hide.* *But this time, I’ve broken my word again.* *I am like a sinner, bringing nothing but misfortune to everyone around me.* The moment Wen Yan heard those words, tears spilled from his eyes. He shook his head and looked toward his silent parents. "Dad! Mom!!" His parents seemed deaf to their son’s desperate cry. Seeing that Su Jingming had finally relented, Cheng Hui wiped away her tears and grabbed his wrist. "Thank you... thank you." The gratitude felt piercingly sharp, a cruel irony. Su Jingming forgot how Cheng Hui eventually led him out of the Wen household. He only remembered that when Wen Yan tried to reach for his hand one last time, Wen Yan’s mother fainted from the shock. In the midst of the chaos, Wen Yan looked at him once more. Su Jingming felt like a walking corpse, stripped of his mind and soul. *Let’s not love anymore.* *Okay?* Wen Yan had no time to refuse, and no time to declare his love once more. The second month of summer was the season in which I lost you. *** After Cheng Hui finished dealing with the fallout of their relationship, she saw Su Jingming sitting dazed on the sofa, his fingers tracing that ring incessantly. She didn't know how to start the conversation. Cheng Hui poured him a glass of water and sat gracefully at the other end of the sofa. The living room windows were wide open, and the summer breeze drifted in, carrying a hint of sweltering heat. Su Jingming kept his eyes downcast, the reflection of the ring dancing in his pupils. "Jingming, I know you blame me, but I had no choice. I couldn't just stand by and watch you ruin your future." Ultimately, Cheng Hui still couldn't accept their feelings; she simply couldn't do it. "Mom." This was the first time Su Jingming had addressed her since regaining his senses. "What kind of 'future' do you think I have left...?" Once, he had viewed Ultraman Tiga as his light, the meaning of his existence. Then Wen Yan appeared and took Tiga's place; Wen Yan became his reason for living. Su Jingming twisted the ring, his emotions suppressed to the breaking point. "Why is it that just because we're boys, it's not allowed...?" Cheng Hui could not answer. She didn't waste a single moment, fearing another slip-up. She took the already packed luggage and brought Su Jingming straight onto a plane. On the aircraft, Cheng Hui spoke to him gently. "Your Uncle Chen is a very good man. He was the one who suggested you come over this time." Su Jingming said nothing. Cheng Hui continued, "Your younger sister is very well-behaved too. You must promise me to get along with them. We won't mention what happened here ever again." Su Jingming closed his eyes, offering silence as his only reply. Cheng Hui moved with incredible speed. In just one day, she had severed the bond between Su Jingming and Wen Yan and successfully spirited him away from Liangcheng. Observing the excitement in Cheng Hui’s eyes, even Su Jingming's last bit of heartache vanished. Long ago, he would have felt sad that Cheng Hui had a new family. Now, he didn't even feel the capacity for sadness. As soon as they stepped off the plane, Cheng Hui made no effort to hide her anticipation. Su Jingming followed silently behind her, pushing the luggage. A soft, sweet child's voice brought them to a halt. "Mama!" Cheng Hui practically jogged to the little girl and scooped her up. "Sweetheart, did you miss Mama?" The girl gave a sugary smile. "I did." Cheng Hui hadn't seen her daughter for over a month. With reddened eyes, she kissed the girl's cheeks several times. The man standing beside them studied Cheng Hui’s appearance. "You've lost weight." Cheng Hui shook her head. "It's nothing." Su Jingming watched the three of them—a complete family—standing there expressionless. Only then did Cheng Hui turn back and call out, "Jingming, come here." After a moment's hesitation, Su Jingming stepped forward. The girl in Cheng Hui's arms looked at him with curiosity. Su Jingming looked down. His sister didn't look much like Cheng Hui; instead, she took after her father. However, the contours of her eyes were somewhat similar to his own. Cheng Hui felt a bit awkward. She licked her lips and introduced him to the man. "This is Jingming." Then she turned to her son. "Jingming, this is your Uncle Chen." Su Jingming finally shifted his gaze to the man, who was about his height. He looked to be in his forties, with features much handsomer than Su Qicheng’s and a temperament that was far superior. He nodded and said unnaturally, "Hello." The man stared at Su Jingming for a few seconds as if trying to see through him. Finally, he narrowed his eyes and gave a lukewarm response: "Hello." At that moment, the girl in Cheng Hui’s arms giggled. "Big Brother is very pretty." Su Jingming was slightly taken tonight. He gradually suppressed his internal resentment, and his expression softened as he looked at the girl. "You're very cute too." Hearing the compliment, the girl’s smile grew even sweeter. She reached out her arms. "Big Brother, hold me." Su Jingming froze. Cheng Hui was also surprised for a few seconds before she snapped out of it. "Jingming, your sister wants you to hold her." Su Jingming had never held a four or five-year-old child before. His posture was stiff, terrified that he might drop her. He frowned slightly as the girl found a comfortable spot in his arms, her eyes wide as she studied him. The man beside them remarked, "Chen Yue rarely takes a liking to people. She likes you very much." Su Jingming gave a faint nod in response. Cheng Hui’s current husband was named Chen Feng. He was a corporate executive, exactly the kind of husband Cheng Hui had always dreamed of. Though Chen Feng appeared neither hot nor cold on the surface, he had prepared a room for Su Jingming to use as his bedroom. As soon as they arrived home, Chen Yue grabbed Su Jingming’s hand and ran toward the bedroom. "Big Brother, you'll live here from now on! My room is right next door." Su Jingming glanced at the room. It was neatly arranged with all the necessary furniture. As Chen Feng and Cheng Hui followed them in, he said quietly, "Thank you." Chen Feng replied, "Since you're here, settle in well. Treat this place as your home." "Jingming, this is your home now. As for the things in Liangcheng... forget them if you can." Cheng Hui paused. "Your Uncle Chen has already contacted a school. You'll start when the semester begins. With your grades, getting into a top-tier university shouldn't be a problem." Listening to Cheng Hui, Su Jingming’s lips curled into a weak, hollow smile. He didn't know what state of mind allowed him to listen to the rest of her words so calmly. As he stood there with his eyes downcast, a small hand suddenly grasped his left hand. Chen Yue looked curiously at the ring on his finger and asked in her milky voice, "Does Big Brother have someone he loves too?" Only then did Cheng Hui realize that Su Jingming hadn't taken off the ring. She was about to speak up and question him, but Su Jingming knelt down until he was at eye level with Chen Yue. The expression in his eyes softened into a pool of water as he said gently, "Yes. There is someone I love very much." So much so that he might never see them again in this lifetime. Chen Yue didn't quite understand, but her small finger rubbed against the ring a few times, revealing a few baby teeth as she smiled. "Then you must be as much in love as Papa and Mama." Su Jingming stiffened. He didn't answer Chen Yue again, but his eyes remained filled with tenderness. It was exactly the way Wen Yan used to look at him. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 陈锋 | Chen Feng | Cheng Hui's second husband; Su Jingming's stepfather. 陈月 | Chen Yue | Daughter of Chen Feng and Cheng Hui; Su Jingming's half-sister. 凉城 | Liangcheng | The city where the story was previously set (lit. "Cold City").