Chapter 26

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“What are you doing here?” Yu Dong sounded doubtful and uneasy.

“I’m here to pick you up!” Xia Feng noticed that Yu Dong wasn’t wearing a scarf, so he untied the one he was wearing and wrapped it around her.

“You….aren’t you mad at me?” Yu Dong buried her chin under Xia Feng’s scarf, which was still warm.

Xia Feng was standing in front of Yu Dong, his hands tucking in the scarf so he easily saw the uneasiness reflected in her eyes.

The pain in his heart intensified at this.

“It’s my fault, I was too impatient with you.” Xia Feng apologized as he lifted a hand to brush Yu Dong’s bangs away from her face.

“No, I was no good. I really shouldn’t be taking videos in that sort of situation.” Yu Dong shook her head.

“Let’s go home first, it’s too cold to be talking outside!” Although they haven’t been standing out long, Xia Feng saw Yu Dong was chilled and was shivering.

He took her hand and led her to the car.

“My car…” As they walked Yu Dong remembered that her own car was still in the parking lot.

“You can drive it back tomorrow!” Xia Feng opened the door and pushed Yu Dong in, and after a while, her face turned red again.

Because of the snow the car traveled slowly, the dim streetlights being the city’s only source of warmth.

Yu Dong had been nervous ever since Xia Feng hid in his room earlier that night, which made her very uncomfortable. Yu Dong had never cared so much about one person’s opinion in many years.

“Was I bad today? Are you disappointed with me?” Yu Dong asked, feeling lost.

Xia Feng didn’t actually want to talk about this matter with Yu Dong while he was driving, especially when he had to be extra careful with the snowy roads. However, Yu Dong sounded so sad that Xia Feng hesitated, then ultimately hit the turn signal and parked the car on the roadside.

“Were you going to help the person after you finished recording?” Xia Feng asked.

“I was!” Yu Dong’s affirmation was almost instantaneous.

“That’s good!” Xia Feng said, “Actually, it’s not so much that I was disappointed in you, I was more afraid, afraid that….you were coldhearted.”

Yu Dong’s heart thundered, and she asked herself: Was she coldhearted?

Sometimes Yu Dong would often wonder, the city is so big, yet she was always alone.

Was it because she had been alone for so long that she’s incapable of getting along with people anymore?

If she wanted to know something, ask Xia Feng. Don’t let yourself misunderstand him.

But ultimately, this doesn’t avoid conflict completely.

“But obviously you’re not, you’re just a little too guarded!” Xia Feng apologized again. “So it’s my fault for not listening to your explanation.”

“You…did you listen to my show tonight?” Yu Dong guessed.

“Shao Yifan told me.” Xia Feng laughed. “He’s a fan of yours!”

“Oh.” Yu Dong’s mood still hasn’t recovered.

“You…are you mad at me?” Xia Feng saw that Yu Dong still hasn’t perked up, so he straightforwardly asked her.

Yu Dong shook her head and said, “Am I coldhearted?”

“No, today was my fault.”

“I’m actually really scared right now. What if something did happen to that old man? Would I be a murderer?” Yu Dong’s eyes started watering, “The things I said on the radio tonight are just excuses. Something like this happened but my first reaction wasn’t to save that person, instead I tried to save myself! I talked about getting scammed, about touching porcelain, but why should I be doubting people in the first place?”

“Yu Dong….” Xia Feng didn’t know what to say.

“You’re right. I’m an indifferent person, always thinking of myself…”

“Xia Feng, I’m really scared, I’m scared of what could’ve happened to the old man, scared that you’ll hate me…”

“I’ve always thought that as long as I don’t purposely try to hurt people I would be a good person. I…” Yu Dong started sobbing, struggling to get the words out.

Xia Feng was very distressed. At this moment he really wanted to hit himself several times. But he could only hug Yu Dong tightly and say it was his fault over and over again,

When Yu Dong eventually calmed down, Xia Feng held her red and swollen face between his hands and seriously said: “Don’t cry, or my heart will break!”

Yu Dong blinked.

“You’re not selfish, nor coldhearted. You just feel a little vulnerable, so you’re guarded.” Xia Feng rubbed the tears away from the corner of Yu Dong’s eyes and continued, “But from now on I’ll be with you. No matter what you do, I’ll be beside you. If you fall victim to touching porcelain, it doesn’t matter if I lose money, I’ll help you. So long as you can be a kind and optimistic girl, one that doesn’t feel vulnerable and afraid. Someone that believes that the world is beautiful.”

“When I became a doctor I pledged to follow the Hippocratic Oath, and my profession requires me to have medical ethics. Because of this I tend to be too strict when human life is involved. Can you forgive my shortcomings and accommodate me?”

Yu Dong, who hadn’t cried this hard in years, felt particularly humiliated at this moment. Looking at Xia Feng’s serious and earnest gaze, she was somewhat uncomfortable and said: “You sound like someone reading their wedding vows in front of a priest.”

They couldn’t help but smile at each other.

They both felt that at this moment, they’ve become a little closer.

Maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it was the fact that they were sitting too close to each other. Xia Feng slowly tilted his head and covered Yu Dong’s tender lips with his own, lingering.

It was still snowing outside and during this short time, everything had been dyed white.

Shao Yifan who always forgot to get breakfast, was given breakfast, coffee, and an invitation to lunch by Xia Feng.

Such attentive treatment naturally caught Shao Yifan’s attention.

“If I was a sister I would long suspect that you’re trying to pursue me!” Shao Yifan looked down at the coffee passed to him by Xia Feng.

“Are you going to eat or not?” Xia Feng asked.

“What are you asking, how can I not when it was delivered right to my hands?” Shao Yifan sipped the hot coffee and said, “It seems that my late night phone call was well-timed.”

“Look at that face full of spring, a meal with you would kill me.” Ever since this morning, Shao Yifan noticed that the corners of Xia Feng’s mouth haven’t gone down once.

“I just did a great kindness and you want to use these small favors to placate me?” Shao Yifan pouted.

“So what do you want?”

“How about you tell me your progress with Yu Dong?” Shao Yifan immediately asked for gossip.

“There really was actual progress yesterday.” Xia Feng’s eyes turned gentle as he remembered Yu Dong last night, her soft lips and relaxing scent.

“Gee, I think I might just die of thirst.” Shao Yifan cried out.

“But I bought black coffee.” Xia Feng was puzzled.

“I mean look at that expression, so sweet and soft it’s making me want to eat salty food.” Shao Yifan brought a hand to his chest and said, “I think I just suffered 10,000 points of damage, I need to find a girlfriend, fast.”

“But I can’t, there isn’t anyone suitable, ah.” Shao Yifan was jealous and complained, “You think that it’s so easy, if everyone could find one like you I’d be squatting in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau already, ah.”

“I told you that your luck is really good!” Shao Yifan spits out, “You have a gently and beautiful wife, and your ex-girlfriend is still eyeing you.”

“What are you talking about!” Xia Feng had no words.

“I’m not talking nonsense,” Shao Yifan said, “An An is still bugging me, asking me about you 2 days ago. I reckon you’ll be busy when she comes back from her studies.”

“As I said, I’ve broken up with her.”

“I make them so disheartened, they take the initiative to break up with me.” Shao Yifan proudly stated, “Thus, they take the medicine themselves and the illness never comes back.”

“You’re actually the cancer of love!” Xia Feng evaluated.

“You talking like that? Did you forget the great kindness I bestowed upon you?” Shao Yifan angrily said.

“That….I’m not taking it even if you pay.” Shao Yifan choked, disgusted.

(T/N A ‘duck’ is slang for a male prostitute. Xia Feng the maiden is threatening that he won’t bring back the food duck as a souvenir and Shao Yifan the dirty-minded man processed that as bringing him back a boy toy.  )

When Xia Feng was at the United States, he helped the hospital buy several advanced equipment. The hospital’s Kunshan branch also was to have a new machine so Xia Feng had to go and help train the employees tomorrow.

Seeing a suitcase next to him, Yu Dong was surprised and asked: “You’re going on a business trip?”

“Yes!” Xia Feng looked up and said, “I’ll be going to Kunshan for 2 days to do some training, I’m just sorting out some data in advance.”

“Are you going to drive there?”

“Yes, it’s not particularly far, just 2 hours by car.” Xia Feng said, ” There’s a store there that makes really good duck, I’m bringing some back for a friend. How about you? What do you like? I’ll buy some and bring it back for you.”

“I like you!” Yu Dong said as she brought up a cup of tea to cover her smile.

Xia Feng was speechless as he looked up at the sweet-smiling Yu Dong.

He hadn’t even left yet, and he already wants to go home!

***

Sweet chapter, has some heart to heart, has some sugar. It took me a while to get the duck thing, but I LOLed hard when I realized.