Contractual Marriage: We’re Meant to Be Together

200. Is This Your Rich Friend?

Translator: Bryan

His father had loved him very much. When Yan Chuyang had been a child, his father had loved to go to the streets with Yan Chuyang sitting on his shoulders.

He would buy Yan Chuyang a lot of candies, marshmallow and sugarcoated haws, along with everything else that his peers’ fathers would buy them.

His father had had a scar on his forehead, which had been caused by a brick that hit him when he was working at a construction site.

He had only had one father, and he was dead.

Fang Jingshu coughed awkwardly and said with a forced smile, “I stand corrected. He’s your stepfather… yeah, stepfather.”

Yan Chuyang gave a little sigh and, lowering his head, said, “I’m still in college. I’m not capable of making money, and I have no way to find him a better job. I borrowed the 100,000 yuan from someone.”

Fang Jingshu was momentarily astonished, looking faintly embarrassed, but after a few moments’ silence, she glimpsed Wei Qing standing on the side and her eyes brightened. She looked at Wei Qing and said, “Hi, you’re the one who loaned my son the money, right?”

Wei Qing was surprised for a brief moment, but before he could make a reply, Fang Jingshu hurriedly stepped over to him and, taking him by the wrist, said, “Oh, I’m so glad Chuyang has a kind-hearted friend like you. You’re probably the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

Feeling disconcerted, Yan Chuyang removed Fang Jingshu’s hand from Wei Qing’s wrist and, biting his lower lip tight, said, “You two are not really that close, you know?”

Fang Jingshu smiled nonchalantly, “He’s your friend, isn’t he? I just wanna get to know him.”

Yan Chuyang frowned resignedly, “I’ve already delivered you the money. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

Fang Jingshu stiffened momentarily and then said, “You don’t wanna talk to your brother for a while?”

Yan Chuyang glanced at the teenager sitting on the bed. He was very upset. He wanted to say something mean, but the words changed into something else when they sprang to his lips. “Maybe another time. I have something to attend to.”

Though angry, Yan Chuyang couldn’t bring himself to vent his anger on a teenager.

Fang Jingshu sighed regretfully, “Your brother has been staying here for a week. He keeps saying he needs someone to talk with. It’s not every day you come here. Why don’t you stay and have a talk with him?”

Yan Chuyang felt his heart tightened as though someone had poked it with a stick.

In his mother’s eyes, he was just someone who could entertain her younger son by talking with him. She actually wanted him to stay here chatting with the boy. Would she ask him to massage her younger son and pour him tea later?

Yan Chuyang’s shoulders shivered. After quite a while, he said through gritted teeth, “I don’t have time for that. Gotta go.”

With that, Yan Chuyang grabbed Wei Qing’s hand, abruptly drew him out of the ward and slammed the door shut behind him.

The door was closed.

Yan Chuyang, however, didn’t leave. He just stood outside the door listening to the conversation in the room.

The moment the door was closed, Fang Jingshu’s husband couldn’t restrain himself anymore.

“Hey, let me see the bank card your son gave you.”

“Why do you wanna see it?” Fang Jingshu started nagging, sounding faintly annoyed. “You earn such a meager salary, which was why I had to humble myself and ask him for money. You know very well how long I haven’t contacted him. He sure as hell hates my guts, though he didn’t say it. Did you not see his attitude when speaking to me?”

“Hey, don’t worry about his attitude,” the man said indifferently. “All that matters is that he gave you the money.”

“Mom,” the boy on the bed asked, “is that man your son as well?”

Fang Jingshu replied, “Yeah. If you see him again, remember to greet him. He’s your big brother. He’s in college now, and he’s learned some skills. You see how rich his friend is. You need to take your cue from him.”

The boy muttered unhappily, “His capabilities have nothing to do with me. Why should I kiss his ass? I don’t know him. I’m not gonna call him big brother.”

The man chuckled, “Look how spunky our son is. He’s like me. He never curries favor with anybody.”

Fang Jingshu snorted and then smiled, “You have the nerve to call yourself spunky? My son is like me, okay?”

“Yes,” the teenager on the bed said in a loud voice. “I’m like my mother.”

Fang Jingshu laughed and said dotingly, “See? My son is protective of me. It seems Mom hasn’t been loving you for nothing.”

“Ha ha, Mom,” the boy said pleadingly. “Can you give me some money when I’m discharged? I want to buy a phone.”

“No problem,” Fang Jingshu said in a good mood. “Now that I have money, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

“Mom, I love you so much!”

“Darling, I want a new phone as well.”

“Get lost.”

“Haha…”

The atmosphere in the ward was very harmonious.

They were indeed a family. Even if they had suffered a minor misfortune, as they were together, they could still laugh so happily.

Yan Chuyang was standing outside the door, feeling a cold sensation spreading from his heart to his whole body.

“Now that I have money, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

Those were Fang Jingshu’s words. Her tone of voice was so doting. Like all mothers in the world who were protective of their children, Fang Jingshu put all her mind on her son.

But why was she so partial? Yan Chuyang still remembered clearly that on that day, he gripped the lower hem of his mother’s coat and wept, “Mom, I don’t want anything. I’ll behave myself. You don’t have to buy me anything. Please don’t abandon me.”

But what had Fang Jingshu said?

She had pried his fingers away from her coat one by one, crouched down and said calmly, “Chuyang, Mom’s unable to raise you anymore. Mom has nothing now. Do you know how costly it is to raise you? You’re a drag on me.”

You’re a drag on me.

Her younger son was the apple of her eye, but he, Yan Chuyang, was a drag on her.

In his childhood, he had been needy and felt vulnerable. He had dreamed countless times that Fang Jingshu took him to the snack store near their home and bought him a chololate cake flavored with strawberries, which he had coveted for a long time.

The price for the cake had been 15 yuan at that time. After his father died, spending 15 yuan on a cake was considered to be very poor value, considering how destitute his family was.

Yan Chuyang knew that as well, which was why he had never asked for the cake, though he really wanted it.

He had to be considerate.

But he had been a seven-year-old child at that time. No matter how sensible he was, he still couldn’t resist the temptation of delicious snack.

He remembered that when passing the cake behind the glass after school, he couldn’t help but stand there staring longingly at the tempting chocolate and red strawberres on the cake. It made his mouth water.

One day, while he was gazing at the cake, Fang Jingshu happened to pass by and saw the craving on his face. She immediately grabbed him and spanked him.

While spanking him, she reprimanded, “Why are you so insensible?! Our family’s been reduced to this, and yet you still want to eat this kind of thing. Can you afford it? How much worse do you want my life to be?”

Even to this day, Yan Chuyang was still confused. He hadn’t wanted to buy it. He had just been looking at it. Why was that a crime?

“Let’s go.” Wei Qing put his arm around Yan Chuyang’s shoulders and saif softly, “It’s getting late. It’s time to go home.”

Yan Chuyang nodded, turned around and calmly followed Wei Qing towards the elevator.

Wei Qing went down to the garage to get the car. Yan Chuyang stood at the front gate of the hospital, quietly waiting for him.

The sun was warm, but the wind was a little chill.

The hospital entrance was deserted.

This was what Wei Qing saw when Wei Qing drove out.

Yan Chuyang was like an abandoned child, standing there with his hands in his coat pockets, looking at a loss what to do, a vacant expression in his eyes.

When he saw Yan Chuyang’s eyes darting around, Wei Qing couldn’t help but get out of his car, strode up to Yan Chuyang and swept him into his embrace.

“Mmm…” Yan Chuyang was stunned. “Wei Qing?”

“Stop thinking about those who have left.” Wei Qing held the boy tighter in his arms and murmured, “I will dote on you. Even if the whole world abandons you, I’ll still be by your side, and I’ll always love you.”

Yan Chuyang felt a faint sting in his nose and his tense body relaxed momentarily. He wrapped his arms around Wei Qing’s lean waist, buried his face in Wei Qing’s chest and said, “Okay.”

All those things were water under the bridge.

He didn’t want to complain about anything. He just regretted not having met Wei Qing sooner.

If he had Wei Qing sooner, he wouldn’t have suffered that many hardships or the fear during the past over ten years.

Wei Qing was driving. Yan Chuyang was still depressed because of his mother’s words. He stared out of the window with a sullen expression on his face throughout the ride.

Wei Qing, worried that Yan Chuyang might fall ill due to depression, tried to make conversation. “Don’t lean against the window. You’ll fall asleep.”

“I won’t.” Yan Chuyang shook his head and said, “I’m enjoying the beauty of the scenery.”

“What’s there to see on the road?”

“A lot. There are so many cars here. They’re passing by one by one. They’re very good-looking.”

“As good-looking as me?”

“No,” the boy said seriously. “Nothing’s as good-looking as you.”

Wei Qing’s heart melted. “Come and kiss me.”

Yan Chuyang turned around and pecked Wei Qing’s cheek.

With that, he sat back to stare unblinkingly out of the window again.

Wei Qing frowned, “I want you to kiss my lips. After all the kisses I gave you, you still didn’t learn it?”

Yan Chuyang sighed, rested his chin on the edge of the car window and said softly, “I’m not gonna do that. You’re driving. You shouldn’t kiss anybody when driving.”