Chapter 111 — Chen Shutang's Decision

"Hello, Uncle Cai. I'm Mengyan's boyfriend. I've come with my parents to spend the New Year at Uncle Chen's house," Yang Ce said, greeting him respectfully.

"Ah, a fine young man, and handsome too—especially just now, keeping your nerve in the face of danger, refusing to yield to those thugs. Not bad at all," the policeman surnamed Cai said approvingly.

"You flatter me, Uncle Cai," Yang Ce said.

"Good, then I won't keep you any longer." The policeman surnamed Cai turned to Chen Shutang and said, "Give my New Year greetings to your father."

Because of this little episode, the sweet mood the two of them had been in was much dampened. Back at home, Mother Chen could not help asking why they were so late, but Chen Shutang was unwilling to say much and simply explained that there had been a traffic jam on the road.

All the food at home was made by themselves, and though there were many different dishes, they were delicious. Normally, at New Year, Chen Shutang's family would go to her grandmother's house to celebrate, but this year things were different, so naturally they could not go.

But even when they went to Grandmother's for the New Year, they ate out rather than cooking at home—it had been many years since they had enjoyed the warmth of a meal at home, and Chen Shutang found it quite cozy.

Though Yang Ce's family cooked at home every year, their meals were never this lavish; a family of three could not eat so many dishes. So today was the first time the two families had joined forces for the New Year, and it seemed the result was quite good.

The two families sat together and clinked their glasses—which was a sign that the matter between Chen Shutang and Yan was now settled.

Chen Fei and Mother Chen were both people at ease in social settings, especially Mother Chen, who worked at a state-owned enterprise as a senior executive and had many social occasions. Though Yang Cheyan and Mother Yang had been a little constrained at first, the atmosphere was soon warmed up, and they were soon passing cups back and forth.

"Sister-in-law, I hear you've been laid off—of course, I don't mean anything by it," Mother Chen said. "Why don't you come work at our company? The enterprise is doing well; I can't promise you some minor official post, but at least you'd be a regular staff member."

"Oh!" Yang Cheyan's interest was immediately piqued. In the eyes of his generation, an iron rice bowl was the most important thing, worth more than anything else. Hearing that Mother Chen had such connections, he said at once, "Sister-in-law, that would be wonderful! If I could get into your enterprise, that would be just great."

"Brother Yang, that's not for you to say—sister-in-law has to agree first," Mother Chen said with a smile. "I hear from Mengyan that Yang Ce is already running a company outside with friends. Sister-in-law may well want to enjoy her leisure at home."

"Look at you—enjoy what leisure? It's not even up and running yet," Mother Yang said, greatly pleased to hear Mother Chen praise her son.

"Well, it's nearly there, isn't it? Not like me—I'll have to toil for a few more years," Mother Chen said.

"Sister-in-law, that's not right. What's Daming's is Mengyan's, and isn't that yours too?" Yang Cheyan said at once.

"Heh, you have a point," Mother Chen said with a nod and a smile.

"Mom, what are you all talking about?" Chen Shutang was suddenly a little embarrassed.

"About you and Yan, of course. You're both grown up—what's there to be shy about? You weren't shy when you were cuddling on the sofa," Mother Chen teased.

"Oh, Mom!" Chen Shutang lowered her head, her face as red as the big crab shells on the table.

This meal lasted from two in the afternoon until past six in the evening. What the two families wanted was the cheerful atmosphere around the table, not the food itself. By the end, they were simply chatting together.

Of course, Yang Ce and Chen Shutang had finished eating long ago, and unwilling to become the butt of the adults' teasing, the two young lovers went straight to Chen Shutang's room.

Yang Ce casually locked the door. Chen Shutang frowned when she saw it. "What are you doing locking the door? Mom and Dad and Uncle and Auntie will get the wrong idea—open it at once!"

"It's fine," Yang Ce said. "They're chatting away in full swing—who has time to bother about us? Besides, if they want us, they'll knock first."

With that, Yang Ce lay down on Chen Shutang's small bed.

"Get up, you're filthy—take off your clothes!" Chen Shutang said angrily. "I changed the sheets fresh this morning!"

"Take off my clothes, huh? Well, then I'll take everything off," Yang Ce said, and began making as if to take off his trousers.

"You'll be the death of me!" Chen Shutang shot him a glare. "Can't you be serious for once? What kind of bad impression are you trying to make on my parents?"

"Just joking." Yang Ce wiped the smile from his face and said soberly, "Don't worry, I won't do anything out of line."

"That's more like it." Chen Shutang nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "By the way, Yang Ce, how are Zhou Yanning's injuries?"

In Chen Shutang's heart, she had always been filled with sympathy for the girl Zhou Yanning. Yes—she loved Yang Ce just as much, yet the treatment she and Chen Shutang received was utterly different.

She herself had given, and received the reward she deserved. But Zhou Yanning? Chen Shutang knew that this girl's love for Yang Ce was no less than her own—indeed, she had given even more, even going so far as to risk her life for Yang Ce.

But what had she gotten in return? A cold bullet and a lonely sickbed. On this day of national celebration, she lay in bed, not yet awake. Every time Chen Shutang thought of this, she felt an emotion unlike any she had ever known.

True, women are selfish creatures, but by the same token, women have the strongest sympathies. In Chen Shutang's heart now, there was only sympathy, sympathy for Zhou Yanning—not the slightest desire to compete with her for jealousy.

Yes, sometimes Chen Shutang even thought that if it were possible, she would not mind if Yang Ce shared a little of his love with Zhou Yanning.

Toward Lan Ling, Chen Shutang was cautiously on guard; though she had been forced to accept the fact, deep down she still wanted to monopolize Yang Ce as much as possible. But toward Zhou Yanning, her feelings were entirely different.

On the second day of Zhou Yanning's hospitalization, Chen Fei took Chen Shutang to the hospital to visit her once. Seeing the girl on the sickbed—once as beautiful and youthful as herself, now thin and haggard, her face pale—Chen Shutang secretly shed tears.

She wept, for a girl who loved Yang Ce as much as she did. Zhou Yanning was truly pitiable.

Heaven have mercy.

These days, no matter what else he had to do, Yang Ce would find time every day to go to Zhou Yanning's ward, hold her hand, and talk with her a while. Because the doctors had said that Zhou Yanning's injuries were now in the recovery phase, but whether she would wake was beyond the scope of medicine to solve.

Only if people familiar to Zhou Yanning often talked with her might she wake sooner. So, whether or not it would work, since the doctor had said so, Yang Ce persisted in doing it every day. For now, this was all he could do.

"Still the same as ever," Yang Ce said with a sigh.

"Don't blame yourself. No one wanted this to happen," Chen Shutang said hurriedly, seeing Yang Ce's mood plunge in an instant.

"Yes, no one wanted it. And who knows when she'll wake up," Yang Ce said, shaking his head. "But when she does wake, the troublesome things will come again."

"What do you mean? How could waking up be troublesome?" Chen Shutang asked, puzzled.

Yang Shuoxuan had no intention of hiding it from Chen Shutang, and so he repeated to her, word for word, what he had said to Zhou Yanning on the way to the hospital. It was a promise he had made to Zhou Yanning.