The Best Of You (English Ver.) - Chapter 42

Sun Tiantian returned to her hometown to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Shen Nianshen had not seen her for days now. Since the two of them got together, they were almost inseparable every day. Having to be apart for a long time like this, they felt a little unaccustomed.

In the past few days, Shen Nianshen kept staying at home and did not go anywhere. He completed two very important professional books.

Shen Nianshen took dual degree courses in finance and computer science, thus, his academic pressure was very heavy. These days, he even thought about finishing his course earlier. That means, the pressure will be much greater.

The night before Chinese New Year, at dinner time, Grandma couldn’t help but ask, “Ah Nian, why hasn’t Tiantian come to see you for the past few days?”

The grandmother saw her grandson had stayed at home for some days, she was afraid that her grandson was fighting with Tiantian. After all, she knew the character of her own grandson best. He was a quiet person, everything was hidden in his heart. He might have offended his girlfriend.

Shen Nianshen said, “She’s in her hometown now, she may be back here after the Chinese New Year.”

“Oh, I see.” Grandma breathed a sigh of relief and was a little disappointed, “I thought this year’s Chinese New Year will be a little more festive.”

Over the years, this pair of grandmother and grandson depended on each other’s fate. No one from their family would come on the Chinese New Year and they just pass it quietly.

Shen Nianshen lowered his head to eat and said nothing.

–***–

On the eve of Chinese New Year, Sun Tiantian’s hometown was very crowded. In a large villa, a family of children and parents were busy playing mahjong and poker. Those who couldn’t play would sit on the couch to chat or watch the Spring Festival Gala. Younger children would yell to the adults to set off the firecrackers. The whole house was full of laughter, the Chinese New Year atmosphere was very thick.

Sun Tiantian was in her bedroom to make a video call with Shen Nianshen. She laid on her stomach, supported her cheeks with her hands, and looked at Shen Nianshen with a smile.

Shen Nianshen was in his bedroom, looking at Sun Tiantian and an affectionate smile appeared in his eyes subconsciously, “Aren’t you going out to play?”

“They were playing cards downstairs. I was bored, so I went up.” She saw that Shen Nianshen seemed to be sitting at his study table and asked, “Don’t tell me you are still studying on a day like this?”

Shen Nianshen smiled, “No.”

Sun Tiantian said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Today is Chinese New Year, rest well.”

Shen Nianshen smiled, “Yes, I know.” He asked again, “You stayed up late tonight?”

Sun Tiantian nodded, “Yes. We have to go set off the fireworks tonight. Ah, yes. Your parents are back, right?”

Shen Nianshen paused for a moment, then nodded, “Hmm, they’ve come back.”

Sun Tiantian laughed, “Thank goodness. You can have Chinese New Year dinner with uncle and aunt.”

Shen Nianshen agreed and gave no other response.

His eyes were a little hot.

After a while, he said, “You too. Go down and play with your family. I’m waiting for you back home.”

“Hmm.” Sun Tiantian nodded and sat on the bed holding the phone, “Then I’ll hang up first. I’ll call you when I get home.”

Shen Nianshen’s throat tightened slightly, he nodded and agreed.

Sun Tiantian hung up the phone and went downstairs.

“Tiantian, I was just about to call you. Hurry down and eat some dumplings.” Mrs. Sun came out of the kitchen with a pot of cooked dumplings. When she saw Sun Tiantian coming down the stairs, she smiled and called out to her.

“Yes, I’m coming!” Sun Tiantian ran downstairs happily, directly picking up a bowl from the table.

Mrs. Sun laughed, “Don’t you want to choose? There are some dumplings with coins in it, you know.”

Sun Tiantian, “Anyway, I won’t get it.”

It was said that if you eat dumplings on Chinese New Year’s Eve and eat the ones with coin in it, you will have good luck throughout the year.

But Sun Tiantian did not believe in this superstition. She wanted to fight for her own life. Luck or whatever it was, it’s all just an illusion.

She picked up the dumplings, took an empty chair to sit on, and started eating. Then, her cell phone rang.

She looked down and looked at the caller ID, her smile growing, “Tsk tsk, you still remember to call me today?”

Cheng Duo’s voice sounded from the other end, saying with a smile, “Of course, giving you a new year’s greeting.”

Sun Tiantian asked while eating dumplings, “What are you doing now?”

Cheng Duo, “I was out for a walk with Xu Li.”

“Ah, you guys are together? You don’t spend Chinese New Year with your family?” When Sun Tiantian heard Cheng Duo and Xu Li spent the Chinese New Year together, she felt envious.

Cheng Duo, “It’s over now, we just got out of the house.”

She asked her back, “What about you? Are you not with Shen Nianshen?”

“No.” Sun Tiantian finished her dumplings, took a tissue to wipe her mouth, and walked from the living room to the courtyard, “I go back to hometown.”

“Huh? I thought you are with Shen Nianshen.”

“No. I would love to, but Ah Nian is at home now with his parents.”

“His parents?” Cheng Duo sounded a little surprised.

Sun Tiantian agreed and squatted in the courtyard. She was bored and drawing a circle on the ground, “It seems that his parents work out of town. They only come home once a year. I don’t want to disturb him, let him gathering with his parents.”

On the other side of the phone, there was suddenly a moment of silence.

Sun Tiantian didn’t hear any sound and shouted subconsciously, “Ah Duo?”

“Uh, yes I’m here.” Cheng Duo hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Xu Li was talking about Ah Nian to me just now.”

Sun Tiantian smiled, “Talked about what?”

Cheng Duo hesitated for a moment before saying, “Xu Li said, Shen Nianshen’s parents never seem to be home, nor do they care about him. Since high school, Shen Nianshen’s tuition and living expenses have been earned by himself from working part-time. All this time, he and his grandmother depend on each other for a living… I feel… he’s so pitiful…”

After Cheng Duo finished speaking, there was no sound on Sun Tiantian’s end and there was only silence.

Cheng Duo stopped talking for a few seconds before whispering, “I thought you would be with him today.”

Sun Tiantian crouched down in a daze, her heart as if being snatched away by something of a sudden. It’s really indescribable how uncomfortable it was.

Her eyes felt hot. When she heard Cheng Duo’s last words, her tears fell immediately.

Shen Nianshen never told her this.

–***–

At eleven o’clock at night, Shen Nianshen saw his grandmother had yawned a few times and he said quietly, “Grandma, it’s getting late now. You go to bed early.”

Grandma sighed, “I’m old, I’m really not strong anymore.”

She originally wanted to stay awake until the Chinese New Year came, but her body could not do it anymore.

Shen Nianshen helped his grandmother up from the sofa, “I helped you back to your room to rest.”

Grandma nodded, “Yeah, you sleep early too.”

“Alright.”

Shen Nianshen helped his grandmother back to her room to rest. When he came out, he turned off the TV and went to his room to get the keys. After that, he left quietly.

At 12 o’clock in the middle of the night, a petite figure suddenly appeared in the dark alley.

Sun Tiantian carried a bag in her hand and walked to Shen Nianshen’s house.

The windows of the house were dark and there were no lights on inside.

Sun Tiantian was a little confused and said to herself, “Is he sleeping already?”

She took out her cell phone from her bag and called Shen Nianshen.

Unexpectedly, the phone rang for a long time without anyone answering.

Sun Tiantian stood in front of the door for a while and knocked softly.

But after a while, there was still no one open the door for her.

She was afraid that grandma was already asleep, so she didn’t dare to knock too loud. She crouched on the ground and kept calling Shen Nianshen.

After a series of consecutive calls, still, no one answered.

“Where are you going?” As soon as Sun Tiantian received a call from Cheng Duo, she immediately took the bus from her hometown. She wanted to meet Shen Nianshen, she wanted to hug him.

–***–

Liang Qi couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night, and wanting to smoke a cigarette.

As he got out of bed and opened the window, just after tucking a cigarette in his mouth, he saw a girl squatting in front of Shen Nianshen’s door house.

He was stunned for a moment, unable to help but take a careful look.

He suddenly remembered the photos that Shen Nianshen had shown him that night. He asked hesitantly, “You’re brother Nian’s girlfriend?”

Sun Tiantian couldn’t contact Shen Nianshen, she didn’t know what to do. Suddenly she heard someone talking and she looked up to see a young boy in a jacket standing at the window of the opposite house.

Sun Tiantian hurriedly stood up, “You know where Shen Nianshen go? He doesn’t seem to be home.”

“Not at home?” Liang Qi glanced at the opposite house at a glance. When Shen Nianshen was in a bad mood, he often went to the riverside to get some fresh air alone. At this hour, maybe he was there.

“Have you called him?”

“I did, no one picked it up.”

Liang Qi snorted, “He probably going out without his cell phone.” Then he added, “When you came here, did you see the river ahead?”

Sun Tiantian nodded, “Yes, I saw it.”

Liang Qi, “There is a bridge over the river, brother Nian should be there.”

Sun Tiantian walked out of the alley and saw the bridge that Liang Qi said from a distance.

The bridge was not far from the entrance of the alley. As soon as she looked there, sure enough, she saw Shen Nianshen there.

Sun Tiantian rushed to the bridge and found Shen Nianshen leaning on the bridge wall. He was bowing his head and smoking.

Sun Tiantian pursed her lips and walked over. She reached out to grab the cigarette that was in Shen Nianshen’s mouth, “Didn’t I tell you not to smoke?”

Shen Nianshen’s entire body froze, he looked up and stared at Sun Tiantian in disbelief. After a while, he asked in a hoarse voice, “Why did you come back?”

Sun Tiantian looked at him, “Why did you lie to me?”

Shen Nianshen, “…”

Sun Tiantian, “Your parents will never come back, why did you lie to me?”

Shen Nianshen stared at her, his throat choked and he didn’t know what to say.

Sun Tiantian looked at him straight in the eye. After a while, her eyes turned red and she hugged Shen Nianshen tightly, “Shen Nianshen, it’s okay if your parents don’t care about you. You have me now, I won’t let you feel lonely.”

Shen Nianshen stood stiffly, not speaking still.

The wind was blowing hard in the night, the heart that was initially lonely and cold slowly began to warm up.

After a while, Shen Nianshen finally raised his hand and caressed Sun Tiantian’s head affectionately. He said quietly, “You came back so late at night, weren’t you afraid of encountering danger?”

Sun Tiantian shook her head, “I’m worried about you.”

–***–

Shen Nianshen took Sun Tiantian back home.

Liang Qi was still standing by the window. Seeing Shen Nianshen took Sun Tiantian home, he whistled idly. “Hey, brother, are you home?”

Shen Nianshen glanced at him, “Go to sleep.”

After that, he opened the door and led Sun Tiantian into the house.

Shen Nianshen took Sun Tiantian to his room.

He washed Sun Tiantian’s face with warm water, then replaced the basin with clean water to wash her feet.

Sun Tiantian sat on the edge of the bed, stretched out her legs with a smile.

Shen Nianshen smiled as he crouched down in front of her. Helping her took off her shoe and sock, then put her foot gently in the water, “How is it? Is it too hot?”

Sun Tiantian shook her head, “Not too hot, it’s just right.”

Shen Nianshen then helped her take off the shoe and sock on the other leg and put the foot into the water basin.

After being silent for a while, he looked up, “Is it okay if you’re not going home tonight?”

Sun Tiantian said, “It’s late already, I can’t go home even if I want to.”

After a moment of silence, she suddenly became a little annoyed, “What’s wrong with you? I’m not going to do anything to you.”

Shen Nianshen, “…”

Actually, Shen Nianshen was afraid that he would lose control of himself.

Late at night.

Sun Tiantian and Shen Nianshen slept under the same blanket. Sun Tiantian couldn’t help but immerse herself in Shen Nianshen’s arms, hugging his waist. After that, she looked up and smiled sweetly, “Ah Nian, you are so warm.”

Shen Nianshen was a little helpless. He put away Sun Tiantian’s hand, “Move a little.”

Sun Tiantian refused and hugged him again, “I want to hug you while sleeping.”

Shen Nianshen, “…”

Shen Nianshen could not win over Sun Tiantian, so he could only let the girl hug him.

Sun Tiantian leaned her head against Shen Nianshen’s chest. After a while, she whispered, “Xu Li said, your parents don’t care about you at all. You always work yourself to earn the tuition and living expenses.”

Shen Nianshen did not want to tell Sun Tiantian about these things. He stared at the ceiling without answering anything.

Sun Tiantian said again, “Why don’t they care about you?” Sun Tiantian thought for a moment, but she still couldn’t understand why there was such a cruel parent like that.

Shen Nianshen was silent for a long time before saying softly at last, “I don’t know.”

He still didn’t have the courage to tell Sun Tiantian his life experiences. He didn’t dare to tell Sun Tiantian that he was an illegitimate child that no one wanted.

Sun Tiantian looked up and kissed Shen Nianshen on the lips, cupped the young man’s face, and looked at him with firm eyes, “Ah Nian, I will never leave you. Never.”

Shen Nianshen stared deeply at Sun Tiantian. After a while, he kissed Sun Tiantian’s eyes gently. Shen Nianshen didn’t say anything, but he suddenly felt like his heart had become stronger.

Sun Tiantian approached Shen Nianshen and lowered her head to kiss him. She had learned from Shen Nianshen and started biting the young man’s lips lightly.

Shen Nianshen snorted in frustration and his eyes flashed another gleam. The strength of the hug on Sun Tiantian’s waist became even stronger.

Shen Nianshen looked at Sun Tiantian sharply and slightly blamed her, “Stop it.”

Sun Tiantian laughed as if finding something fun. She nodded and bit Shen Nianshen’s lips again.

Shen Nianshen took a deep breath and his breathing became heavier, there was a strange hot sensation from his body surging uncontrollably. He flipped their body around and pressed Sun Tiantian’s body under him, kissing her deeply.

Sun Tiantian hugged him tightly and returned the kiss.

They couldn’t tell how much time passed by when Shen Nianshen suddenly stopped.

In the darkness, both of them held their breath at the same time.

Sun Tiantian felt that there was something strange about Shen Nianshen. The young man’s body was a bit stiff and his eyes kept watching her from time to time.

After a few seconds passed, Sun Tiantian said softly, “Ah Nian, you… you seem like…”

Shen Nianshen immediately covered Sun Tiantian’s mouth and his ears turned red, “Shh, don’t say anything.”

Sun Tiantian obeyed and closed her mouth, her black eyes continued to stare at Shen Nianshen without blinking.

Shen Nianshen’s eyes were deep and dark, looking straight into her eyes.

After a while, Shen Nianshen removed his hand from Sun Tiantian’s mouth. Then he got out of the blanket, put on his shoes, got out of bed, and walked out of the door.

Subconsciously, Sun Tiantian sat up on the bed and asked softly, “Where are you going?”

Shen Nianshen did not answer and simply said, “You go sleep first.”

Shen Nianshen came out of the bedroom and Sun Tiantian laid back under the blanket, but she didn’t feel sleepy at all.

After a while, she heard the sound of splashing water from the bathroom.

Thinking of the thing she had just felt, her cheeks gradually became hot.

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