Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Liu Shuhan was thirty years old, and Cheng Qiuyi was thirty-one.
In recent years, the winters in C City had become colder each year. This year, just as December began, the first snowfall had already started to drift down.
After the heavy snow cleared, the long-lost sunlight peeked through the thick clouds. Taking advantage of the good weather, Liu Shuhan moved several pots of plants on the balcony to a sunny spot and watered them. Cheng Qiuyi leaned back in a lounge chair reading a book, her gold-rimmed reading glasses perched at an angle on her nose. From Liu Shuhan's perspective, she looked quite comical, resembling an old lady.
Liu Shuhan's company underwent a reform mid-year, dividing the city's business into several major districts, each with an agent. As a long-time employee familiar with C City, she was promoted to agent. Although she occasionally had to work overtime, her holidays and breaks remained normal, giving her more free time.
Both of them were not fond of going out. In the first two years, Cheng Qiuyi often had the whim to take Liu Shuhan out for fun, and they visited many places together. However, as their novelty wore off, they preferred to stay at home all day when they had free time.
Recently, Cheng Qiuyi had become obsessed with detective novels. She had read famous detective stories from both ancient and modern times and was now specifically searching for obscure detective novels.
The novel in her hands featured intricately designed methods of committing crimes. Cheng Qiuyi was engrossed in it when suddenly she felt dizzy and a sharp pain shot through her head.
The book slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. Hearing the noise, Liu Shuhan turned around and saw Cheng Qiuyi pressing her hand against her forehead with her eyes tightly shut, shaking her head vigorously. She quickly set down the watering can and squatted beside the chair. "Qiu Yi? Qiu Yi, what's wrong?"
The symptoms of Cheng Qiuyi's headache and dizziness came quickly but disappeared just as fast. Within less than a minute, they were gone. She opened her eyes to meet Liu Shuhan's anxious gaze and smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing; I probably just didn't sleep well last night."
"Really?" Liu Shuhan asked skeptically.
"Of course it's true," Cheng Qiuyi chuckled. "It's not a big deal; why would I lie to you?" Seizing the moment, she pinched Liu Shuhan's bottom playfully. "I'm hungry, Shu Han; if you don't cook soon, I might just eat you."
"You're getting more ridiculous as you age!" Liu Shuhan scolded playfully.
Watching Liu Shuhan walk out onto the balcony, Cheng Qiuyi finally hid her smile and a hint of worry crossed her brow.
A plate of ribs was sizzling in the pot, and it was then that she remembered something. Leaning halfway out of the kitchen, she shouted towards the balcony, "Qiu Yi, has the last health check report come in yet?"
Over the past few years, her voice had grown louder and more resonant, increasingly resembling Xu Ruyun's commanding presence.
"No, Dr. Zhang said it would be delivered next Monday," Cheng Qiuyi replied while picking up a book.
She walked into the small study area on the balcony, took out the health check report from the drawer that was supposed to arrive next Monday. The words "suspected Intracranial Tumor" in one section made Cheng Qiuyi's heart sink.
Cheng Qiuyi had experienced headaches several times over the past few months, and this was the first time Liu Shuhan had caught her in such a state.
Suspected tumor, suspected tumor...
Irritated, Cheng Qiuyi shoved the health report back into the drawer. Someone knocked on the door outside, and Liu Shuhan called out again, "Qiu Yi, go open the door; it must be Boming coming back!"
In her earlier years, Liu Shuhan had a deep-seated dislike for Shen Wenqin, which extended to Cheng Boming as well. However, after spending a few years together and realizing that Cheng Boming was not inherently bad, she gradually opened her heart to him. She treated Cheng Boming like her own brother, always looking out for him and fearing he would be bullied at school like before.
Cheng Boming was already in high school. He didn't have much talent in martial arts as taught by Cheng Qiuyi but did well academically. He got into a key high school in the city with grades around two hundred in his class, which was not as good as Cheng Qiuyi's performance back in her day but still better than Liu Shuhan's.
Cheng Qiuyi went to open the door. Outside stood not only Cheng Boming with his backpack but also Yan Cailing with her four-year-old Xiaoyao.
"Auntie, Yao Yao missed you and Little Mom so much!" As soon as the door opened, Xiaoyao, who barely reached Cheng Qiuyi's knees, rushed up to hug her leg and sweetly asked for a hug.
Cheng Qiuyi scooped up Yao Yao with one hand and smiled at Yan Cailing. "Did A-Zhi make you angry again?"
In recent years, whenever there was some conflict between Yan Cailing and A-Zhi, she would bring Yao Yao over to Cheng Qiuyi's place; it had become a routine.
"Dad is being naughty, so Mom punished him by making him kneel on the keyboard." Yao Yao hugged Cheng Qiuyi's neck and whispered her complaint in his ear.
Cheng Qiuyi chuckled, "Yen Cailing, that's enough. A-Zhi is your husband after all; you should give him some face."
"Am I not giving him face? He..." Yan Cailing remembered that Yao Yao was still there and took her from Cheng Qiuyi's arms, handing her over to Cheng Boming behind her. "Yao Yao, be good and let Brother Boming watch cartoons with you, okay?"
Cheng Boming silently took Yao Yao, holding her carefully as if afraid of dropping her.
Cheng Boming had changed so much compared to five years ago; it was like he had become a different person. Following Cheng Qiuyi's martial arts training, he had lost all his baby fat and had grown taller, almost surpassing Cheng Qiuyi. The fair-skinned youth was tall and slender, completely unrecognizable from the chubby kid he used to be.
"No way, I want to eat the fried chicken legs that my stepmom makes!" Yao Yao pointed at the kitchen, commanding with determination. "Brother Boming, go to the kitchen."
When he was younger, Song Luyao had once gotten him into trouble with his master, leaving him with a bit of a psychological shadow regarding this little girl. He usually tried to accommodate her as much as possible and dared not offend her, so he carried Yao Yao to the kitchen.
Liu Shuhan was just finishing up sweet and sour ribs and was serving them onto a plate when Cheng Boming entered with Song Luyao.
"Stepmom, stepmom, Yao Yao is here to see you!" Song Luyao wriggled out of Cheng Boming's arms and ran over to Liu Shuhan, her cheeks bouncing like a lucky doll from a New Year painting.
Song Luyao had always been close to Liu Shuhan, who doted on her in return. The deep bond between them sometimes made Yan Cailing feel jealous enough to bite her handkerchief.
"Yao Yao!" Liu Shuhan's eyes lit up as she quickly turned off the stove, washed her hands clean of oil, and hugged her. "My little treasure, what brings you here? Did Mom get mad at Dad again?"
Song Luyao nodded seriously. "Dad is being naughty; Mom punished him by making him kneel on the keyboard."
Liu Shuhan chuckled softly. "Haven't your dad already ruined several keyboards by kneeling on them?"
Cheng Boming stood at the kitchen door, still carrying a backpack. "Master, I'm back."
Since the beginning of his third year in middle school, Cheng Boming no longer chased after Liu Shuhan calling her "Sister Shuhan," but respectfully addressed her as Master.
"Quickly put down your backpack, wash your hands, and eat. I made your favorite sweet and sour ribs and cola chicken wings."
"Okay, thank you, Master."
"Aunt, what about my fried chicken legs?" Song Luyao asked with big blinking eyes.
Liu Shuhan affectionately pinched her little nose. "No matter what, we can't forget my precious child's chicken legs."
While they were joking around happily over there, Yan Cailing's complaints about A-Zhi had not stopped.
"Can you believe someone like him? Socializing is one thing, but he was practically touching a young girl's thigh! I've realized that no man is honest; if they seem honest, it's just on the surface."
Cheng Qiuyi comforted her, "I know A-Zhi's character; he's not the kind of person you're describing, Yen Cailing. You should listen to his explanation."
"What is there to explain? Qiu Yi, I really envy you and Shu Han. If only I had found a girl back then..."
Cheng Qiuyi's expression darkened. "Yen Cailing, stop talking nonsense."
Some jokes can be made, while others cannot. When it comes to matters of the heart, even a single joke can leave a lasting impression on the other person.
Realizing she had misspoken, Yan Cailing changed the subject. "Let's not talk about him anymore. How about you two? Are you still all lovey-dovey? You've been together for so many years; how can you still be so lovey-dovey?"
"How many years has it been? It's not even as long as the time I spent apart from her." Cheng Qiuyi smiled sincerely, "I used to want to take her around the world, but now I feel that just being with her at home, doing nothing for a day, makes me happy."
Yan Cailing exaggeratedly covered her cheeks, "Cheng Qiuyi, enough already! You're making my teeth hurt from all this sweetness."
Cheng Qiuyi picked up the teacup, lifted the lid to discard the tea leaves, and was about to drink when his hand shook, spilling half the cup. He put down the teacup and pressed his forehead, frowning tightly; why had his headaches been getting more frequent?
"Qiu Yi, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Cheng Qiuyi endured the pain and forced a smile, "It's just a headache, nothing serious."
"A headache? I never heard you mention this before. Does Shu Han know?"
Cheng Qiuyi remained silent.
Yan Cailing sensed something was off and pressed on, "What’s really going on? Qiu Yi, if you don’t tell me, I’ll go ask Shu Han."
"Intracranial Tumor."
"What?"
"I said I have an Intracranial Tumor."
With a loud crash, a plate full of braised pork ribs fell to the floor, shattering and splattering oil all over Liu Shuhan. She remained oblivious.
"Shu Han, are you hurt?" Cheng Qiuyi rushed over in three steps and carefully checked Liu Shuhan's legs for burns.
Liu Shuhan stood at the kitchen door, feeling icy all over. "Cheng Qiuyi, can you... say that again?"
Cheng Qiuyi hugged Liu Shuhan to comfort her. "Shu Han, don't panic. The medical report says it's suspected, not confirmed..."
"Tumor... tumor..." Liu Shuhan was in a daze. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"I just got the report yesterday."
Liu Shuhan stopped serving food and pulled Cheng Qiuyi toward the hospital. "We need to go to the hospital right now. We need to get a confirmation... It must be a mistake by the doctor... It has to be a mistake!"
"Shu Han, Shu Han..." Cheng Qiuyi called Liu Shuhan's name several times, but Liu Shuhan was unresponsive, muttering, "It must be a mistake by the doctor." Cheng Qiuyi grabbed her shoulders and shouted, "Shu Han, calm down!"
Liu Shuhan's scattered gaze gradually focused. She clutched Cheng Qiuyi's sleeve and pleaded, "Qiu Yi, tell me it’s definitely a mistake by the doctor, right? They are so busy every day; they must make mistakes sometimes..."
"Yes, it must be their mistake." Cheng Qiuyi held Liu Shuhan tightly. "Shu Han, don't be afraid. I want to spend my life with you; nothing will happen."
Liu Shuhan buried her face in Cheng Qiuyi's arms and cried out loud.
The word "tumor" alone made Liu Shuhan tremble with fear. How could they have just started enjoying life together? Why did Heavenly Father have to play such a cruel joke on them?
Song Luyao hid behind Cheng Boming, pouting and crying pitifully as well. "Little mom, don't be sad... Don't be sad..."
With both the big and small crying loudly, Yan Cailing quickly took Song Luyao to the balcony to comfort her. "Yao Yao, stop crying. Little mom is just playing with you..."
"Master's wife, don't worry too much; tumors are usually benign. They can be removed easily; Master will be fine," Cheng Boming said, looking worriedly at Cheng Qiuyi.
Liu Shuhan held Cheng Qiuyi tighter, fearing that if she let go, she would disappear.
Generally, it is benign, but what if... what if it is malignant?
What if Cheng Qiuyi really... really... what should I do?
Liu Shuhan dared not think any further.
Cheng Qiuyi shook her head, signaling Cheng Boming to return to the room.
Cheng Qiuyi gently stroked Liu Shuhan's hair and sighed slowly.
"Shu Han, I used to think that as long as I could be with you, even for just a day, it would be enough. But after finally being together, I realized it wasn't enough. One day isn't enough, one month isn't enough, ten years or twenty years aren't enough; it's too short. I was foolish before and wasted so much time. The time I have with you is too brief."
"Shu Han, being with you makes a lifetime feel too short. How could I leave you alone in this world to suffer because of such a small illness? Shu Han, I still want to cling to you for a lifetime; I will keep my promise."
Liu Shuhan's cries gradually subsided as she sobbed in Cheng Qiuyi's embrace, her shoulders shaking. "Cheng Qiuyi, you absolutely cannot die before me."
"Yes, Shu Han, how could I bear to do that?"
But this time, it seems like I have no choice.
Comment 0 Comment Count