Chapter 23

There was only a two-second eye contact.

Soon, she turned her head back, picked up a glass of beer from the table, and drank it all in one gulp. Qiao Yufei widened her eyes, moved her lips, but didn’t say anything. The surroundings quieted down, seemingly without them noticing.

Just like that, the atmosphere in the entire private room became somewhat strange.

After finishing the drink, Ruan Nianchu went to get a second one. At that moment, a hand grabbed her wrist. Her gaze flickered, and she heard the voice of the person above her head, with a very indifferent tone: “Drinking too much is harmful to your body.”

She didn’t have time to react.

In the next moment, her chin was held up.

Li Teng leaned down. He was tall, and with the dim light in the private room, she was engulfed in his shadow. But that was just fine; it blocked the view of others.

Ruan Nianchu felt a sudden tremor when she saw him leaning closer.

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Ruan Nianchu secretly let out a sigh of relief. Unconsciously adjusting her sitting posture, her long legs, covered by her skirt, crossed together, as white as snow.

Li Teng glanced at her legs for a few moments, then withdrew his gaze and sat back in his original position. The air conditioning in the private room seemed ineffective, it was hot. He furrowed his brows slightly, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves.

After hesitating for a moment, Ruan Nianchu gave up her seat to others who wanted to play games, got up, took a few steps, and sat down next to him.

Without lifting his eyes, Li Teng asked, “Aren’t you going to play the game anymore?”

“Mm,” Ruan Nianchu responded casually, then said, “Aren’t you bored by yourself? Do you want to join everyone else?”

“I’m not familiar with them.”

“What’s the big deal?” She flashed a bright smile, comforting him with her own experiences and coaxing him gently, “I’m not familiar with them either, but it gets better after playing a few times. Don’t be shy or embarrassed.”

“I’m not shy or embarrassed,” Li Teng answered calmly. That’s just how he was, he wouldn’t interact with people he wasn’t familiar with.

However, Ruan Nianchu misunderstood his words. She thought he was just being stubborn, so she nodded, looking at him with a knowing expression, and said, “That’s good. Otherwise, if you’re not having fun, I’d feel bad.”

Li Teng gave a faint sneer, picked up his glass and drank water.

Ruan Nianchu tapped the bottle of whiskey in front of her with her fingers, resting her chin on her hand, and looked at his cold and stern face, “Why don’t you drink this?”

He replied, “I’m driving.”

“Oh.”

After a few awkward exchanges, a cell phone rang. Li Teng glanced at the caller ID, his expression changed slightly, and he immediately picked up the call. At the same time, he got up and walked into the restroom.

Ruan Nianchu vaguely sensed something and furrowed her brows slightly.

In less than a minute, Li Teng hung up the phone and said with a serious face, “I have urgent matters to attend to. Take care of yourself and don’t stay out too late or get too crazy.” With that, he grabbed the coat from the sofa and draped it over his shoulders, turning to leave.

“What’s the rush?”

“A call from Aunt Xia. She said Xiaoxing’s mother suddenly lost control at the hospital, and her condition is very unstable.”

Ruan Nianchu’s eyes widened in shock. In just a few seconds, the adorable smile of Xiaoxing flashed through her mind.

Then she said, “I’ll go with you.”

---

The hospital where Xiaoxing’s mother, He Lihua, was located was the Yuncheng Mental Illness Research Center, located in the suburbs, quite remote. When Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu arrived at the hospital, it was already eleven o’clock at night.

They saw He Lihua in a single-person ward.

She was a very haggard middle-aged woman, with disheveled hair and graying strands, looking much older than her actual age. She lay blankly on the hospital bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling, her hands and feet tightly bound with rubber straps, secured to the bed frame. There were obvious tear streaks on her cheeks.

The attending physician looked worried as he explained to Aunt Xia about He Lihua’s condition.

“Although we are treating her, unfortunately, the patient’s condition has not been effectively controlled,” the doctor frowned. “She has reached the most severe stage of schizophrenia, with hallucinations, delusions, restlessness, harming others, harming herself… This week alone, she has had three episodes, and this time it’s particularly severe.”

Aunt Xia wiped her tears incessantly. “What triggered her?”

“In this closed environment, the only thing that can stimulate her is herself,” the doctor said.

After speaking, the doctor sighed deeply and then left. The nurse reminded them, “The patient is very unstable. Although she has been injected with a sedative, the ropes cannot be untied. This is for your safety.”

Aunt Xia nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, miss.”

The young nurse left with the treatment tray.

Aunt Xia turned her head away, wiping her face with a tissue, calming down a bit before saying, “I didn’t want to bother you… But, Tengzi, you know, our family doesn’t have many relatives. After your brother and sister-in-law had an accident, there were only me and Xiaoxing left in the house. When the call from the hospital came, I was too anxious, so…”

“Auntie, don’t worry about it,” Li Teng said. “I’ve said it before, like Xia Ge, I’m your son too.”

Aunt Xia cried for a while, unable to speak.

Seeing this, Ruan Nianchu also felt extremely uncomfortable. She stepped forward and patted Aunt Xia’s shoulder, whispering softly, “Auntie, don’t be sad. You must take care of yourself, otherwise, what will happen to Xiaoxing?”

Aunt Xia took a deep breath, nodded, and her emotions finally calmed down a bit.

After a moment, Li Teng turned his head and glanced at the door of the ward, asking softly, “Does she still recognize people?”

“She should recognize them now.”

Li Teng fell silent for a moment before turning and entering.

Ruan Nianchu followed suit.

Sensing someone coming, He Lihua, lying on the hospital bed, blinked slightly and looked at them with a puzzled expression. Li Teng called out, “Sister-in-law.”

“… ” He Lihua took a long time to react before smiling and saying, “Ah, it’s Li Teng. It’s so cold in the middle of winter, aren’t you cold in so little clothing? Just sit down anywhere.”

It was August, and summer was scorching. Ruan Nianchu understood this now.

This woman had frozen her memories and life forever twelve years ago, in the days before her husband’s sacrifice.

Li Teng smiled at He Lihua and said, “Not cold.”

“Where’s your brother Xia? Why hasn’t he come back?”

“He’s been busy with missions lately. He asked me to come see you on his behalf.”

“Then, does he have any messages for me?”

“He wants you to take care of yourself. He’s doing fine out there, so don’t worry.”

He Lihua sighed deeply. “Missions, missions, why does he have so many missions?” Her brow furrowed slightly. “Surely, even when our child is born, he won’t be able to see his father.”

As she spoke, she reached out to touch her belly, only to realize that her hands and feet were bound.

He Lihua’s face changed drastically. “Why am I tied up? Why are you tying me up? Let me go! Let me go!” She struggled frantically, the rubber ropes leaving red marks on her wrists, her eyes wide with madness. “Xia Fei! I want to see Xia Fei… Where is Xia Fei?”

Li Teng frowned deeply, his voice low. “Calm down.”

“I want to see Xia Fei!”

“Xia Fei is busy.”

“You’re lying to me!” He Lihua screamed hoarsely, “Xia Fei is dead, he’s dead! He won’t come back… Everyone wants that battery, everyone wants him dead! Until this matter is settled, I can’t wait for him anymore… Xia Fei won’t come back…”

Her voice was piercingly terrifying, incoherent, almost piercing through people’s eardrums.

Ruan Nianchu instinctively stepped back.

Outside the ward, doctors and nurses rushed in, restraining the out-of-control He Lihua and injecting her with another sedative. Aunt Xia covered her face and cried, “What sins have we committed?”

Li Teng stood still for a moment, then turned and strode out of the ward.

When Ruan Nianchu chased after him, there was no sign of him in the corridor. She frowned, looking around as she jogged, until she finally saw him on a bench outside the inpatient department.

The shadows of the surrounding trees were all dark, lonely, bathed in the cool moonlight.

Li Teng half-bent over, resting his elbows on his knees, smoking, expressionless. One cigarette after another.

She walked over, breathing slightly.

Li Teng stared straight ahead into the darkness, not speaking.

Ruan Nianchu sat down beside him, silent for a moment, and said, “Are you okay?”

“… ” He flicked the ashes off his cigarette, his tone calm. “I’m fine.”

She nodded, then hesitated for a few seconds before asking again, “Earlier, when Xiaoxing’s mom mentioned something about a battery, was it related to Xia Fei’s mission back then?”

Ruan Nianchu asked casually.

Who knew that as soon as she finished asking, Li Teng suddenly turned his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and she couldn’t help but feel stunned. His gaze was deep and sharp, filled with bloodshot eyes, chilling.

She realized she had asked something she shouldn’t have, so she quickly said, “Don’t be angry, if you can’t talk about it, then forget it.”

Li Teng stared at her for a moment, squinting slightly. “Is this something you learned from watching movies?”

Ruan Nianchu answered truthfully, “Just a guess.”

“Ruan Nianchu,” he said her name with a deep voice, his tone unfriendly, “Don’t meddle in things that aren’t your business, and don’t ask too many questions. Do you understand?”

She had seen it back in Cambodia. Their identities naturally involved many secrets. Ruan Nianchu was already accustomed to it. She just sighed and said, “I understand. I won’t ask anymore.”

Turning instead to say, “Looking at Little Xing’s mom, she must have been quite beautiful when she was young. She and your comrade must have been a good match. It’s a pity.”

Li Teng remained silent for a while before saying, “She used to be a soldier, doing communications work in our unit.”

“They got married pretty early, right?”

“Yeah.”

Curious, she asked, “What about you?”

“What about me.”

“Why haven’t you gotten married?” At thirty-three years old, even for a man, it’s not young anymore. She finally asked the question that had been on her mind, feeling relieved.

Li Teng glanced at her, his gaze unreadable. He didn’t answer.

Thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, Ruan Nianchu repeated, “I’m asking you, why haven’t you gotten married?”

Li Teng said softly, “Haven’t met the right person.”

“What kind of girl do you think is right?” She asked, her lips curved in curiosity.

“Someone who smiles.”

“What kind of girl do you think you like?” She continued, her lips still curved in curiosity.

Li Teng lowered his eyes.

At that moment, his memory went back seven years. On a cold night, that girl’s shallow smile was as bright as the sun. In the chaos woven by the high fever, his rationality was eroded, and he said to that girl, “You look beautiful when you smile.”

The cool breeze blew.

His gaze returned to the curve of her lips, and his lips moved slightly. His voice softened somehow. “One who likes to smile.”

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