Chapter 80

Chapter 80 (Including Extra)

Let's drink to our heart's content today and leave tomorrow's sorrows for tomorrow.

Considering Fu Yunzhen’s frail health, this passionate encounter in the gentle rain of Mount Wushan was destined to be gentle.

In the gentle rain and mild breeze along the way, Yu He faintly felt his waist and legs rubbing together softly.

Fu Yun Zheng said, “You can go a bit faster, Xiao He.”

A slight tremor ran through Yu He’s heart. He subconsciously thought that his legs were moving in response to his own actions. Even so, with the acute sensitivity of a medical student, Yu He temporarily stopped to observe what was happening.

Fu Yun Zheng’s partially closed eyes opened, his long eyes filled with emotion, completely unaware of what had transpired.

Seeing Yu He stop, Fu Yun Zheng asked with a touch of surprise, “What’s wrong?”

Yu He really wanted to answer.

But at this moment, he completely lost the ability to speak. His usually eloquent tongue was utterly out of control due to the intense shock. Yu He’s heart was racing, almost leaping out of his chest, as if he were enclosed in a vacuum chamber. Everything seemed so distant.

Only the sensation around his waist was incredibly real.

Yu He had clearly stopped, but the legs around his waist were gently rubbing against him.

Fu Yun Zheng’s legs were gently rubbing against him.

It was not because he moved that those legs moved.

Fu Yun Zheng’s legs...

The conclusion drawn from simple logical deduction made Yu He tremble slightly. The final answer was on the tip of his tongue, but Yu He couldn’t, and didn’t dare, say it out loud.

He even kept his breathing very light, for fear of waking up from this exceedingly bizarre and beautiful dream.

They had waited for this moment for far too long.

Unbeknownst to Fu Yun Zheng, on this gentle and good night, the heavens had finally restored his ability to control his legs. At this moment, his heart and eyes were filled with the sight of Yu He trembling in front of him. How could he have the mind to pay attention to anything else?

Fu Yun Zheng propped himself up on his arm and supported Yu He, “Xiao He, what’s wrong with you?”

Yu He really wanted to speak, but at this very moment, he was so overwhelmingly excited that he actually developed symptoms of acute expressive aphasia.

His mouth opened and closed, but all his words were stuck in his throat.

Fu Yun Zheng was truly anxious now. He sat up, focusing all his attention on Yu He, who suddenly seemed to be in distress.

Fu Yun Zheng didn’t realize that with his movement, the legs that had been resting on Yu He's waist moved down from his body without any external help.

Yu He caught this scene in his eyes. His lips quivered slightly as he suddenly grabbed Fu Yun Zheng's shoulders.

Fu Yun Zheng placed one hand on Yu He’s, suppressing his anxiety as he comforted him, “What’s wrong, Xiao He? What happened? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Don’t worry, take it slow,” Fu Yun Zheng gently embraced Yu He.

Yu He shook his head, and tears suddenly flowed out.

Before Fu Yun Zheng could even catch his breath, he saw Yu He crying. His face showed unabashed urgency as he soothingly said, “It’s okay, take it slow, take it slow. What’s wrong?”

Yu He was trembling all over.

He was breathing rapidly, and a wave of dizziness swept over him—signals of cerebral hypoxia. Yu He knew he had to calm down; he was showing signs of hyperventilation syndrome.

Yu He crossed his hands to mimic a paper bag and placed them over his mouth, desperately trying to regulate his breathing.

Seeing this, Fu Yun Zheng was also startled. He turned over, intending to get out of bed to find a paper bag for Yu He, when he vaguely realized that his legs seemed to move. But his mind was full of concern for Yu He; he had no time to ponder this and set the thought aside. He instinctively reached for the bed’s handrail, shifting onto the wheelchair to fetch a paper bag.

Fu Yun Zheng brought the paper bag back and handed it to Yu He.

Yu He covered his mouth and nose with the paper bag, slowing his breathing. After repeating this a few times, the dizziness finally subsided.

The whole process felt very long, though in reality it was just two minutes.

Throughout this time, Fu Yunzheng closely monitored Yu He and promptly dialed the family doctor’s number.

Seeing that Yu He was starting to recover, Fu Yunzheng finally let out a sigh of relief. He hung up the phone, pulled Yu He into his embrace, and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, his voice filled with both distress and urgency: "Why didn’t you take your time to talk? Why get so worked up?"

Yu He finally calmed down. He wrapped his arms around Fu Yunzheng’s shoulders and whispered, “Fu Yunzheng, your leg, it just moved.”

Fu Yunzheng was stunned in place.

Yu He lifted Fu Yunzheng’s leg onto his own knee, his voice breaking as he spoke, “Try moving it again.”

Fu Yunzheng tried to wiggle his toes.

Under the dim yellow light of the bedroom's night lamp, they both saw very clearly that Fu Yunzheng’s toes were moving.

Yu He gasped, choking back a sob, “Move your leg, try moving your leg.”

Fu Yunzheng attempted to bend his knees, moving extremely slowly as the muscles at the base of his legs trembled incessantly—

But he succeeded.

In that instant, Fu Yunzheng was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.

He had been waiting for this day for a full three years, once thinking that when this moment finally came, he would burst into laughter, shed tears, and have so much to say. However, now that his legs were finally back under his control, all Fu Yunzheng felt was calm.

It was an extreme calmness.

It wasn’t the deceptive calm before a storm, nor was it a feigned tranquility; it was a pure, clear serenity.

Compared to him, Yu He, with red-rimmed eyes, seemed even more excited.

My God.

Fu Yunzheng said in his heart, Yu He is crying for him.

Yu He was so excited about his recovery that she was on the verge of hypoxia. It turns out there really was someone who could share in his joys and sorrows, taking his happiness as her own.

Fu Yunzheng moved his legs again, the response was somewhat delayed. He awkwardly touched his nose, at a loss for words in this moment.

His legs, paralyzed for three years, were moving again. He had imagined this scene countless times in his dreams, but when it actually happened, it was just so... ordinary.

There were no premonitions of pain or itching, nor was there a dramatic moment like in TV shows where he would suddenly stand up from the wheelchair due to some emergency.

It was a very ordinary night, with no wind, no rain, no flashes of lightning, or rolls of thunder, and certainly not any celestial phenomena like a lunar eclipse, a planetary alignment, a supermoon, or a dazzling meteor shower.

Everything just happened so naturally.

Strangely, there had been no reaction for over four months since the surgery; his legs were motionless. Yet, during their only in-depth conversation in the past half a year, his legs suddenly recovered.

Speaking of which, it was even a bit embarrassing; it was because Yu He was too gentle, and Fu Yunzheng was urging her with his legs.

Urging Yu He to go faster, to put in more effort.

If someone insisted on asking how Fu Yunzheng’s legs recovered, it would be easier to fabricate a story about a ‘planetary alignment’ than to tell the embarrassing truth.

After all, being honest about it was just too awkward.

Especially since both of them were completely naked at the moment.

Fu Yunzheng shifted back onto the bed, wrapping both himself and Yu He in the quilt.

Yu He’s eyes shone brightly, like stars, as she gazed at Fu Yunzheng. She didn’t say anything, yet it was as if she had spoken a thousand words.

Fu Yunzheng ‘heard’ it all.

He looked back at Yu He, feeling that he should say something, but was at a loss for words. Opening his mouth, the first thing that came out was a silly question: “Shall we continue?”

Yu He burst into laughter.

Who could have imagined that Fu Yunzheng, disabled for three whole years, would ask “Shall we continue?” as his first sentence after regaining use of his legs?

Yu He continued to laugh, which made Fu Yunzheng feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed.

Fu Yunzheng placed a hand on the back of Yu He’s neck, trying to make his voice sound more authoritative as he asked, “What’s so funny?”

Yu He raised her arms to embrace Fu Yunzheng: “Fu Yunzheng, I’m so happy, your legs...they’re better.” As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears: “The first time I saw you...you were so charismatic and confident, standing on that stage like a graceful figure, completely captivating me.”

Fu Yunzheng used his thumb to wipe away the tears at the corner of Yu He’s eyes, “Stop talking nonsense. The first time you saw me, you didn’t even remember what I looked like. And it’s true, with your dazzling appearance, how could my humble self catch your discerning eye?”

Yu He’s eyes were red, but her tear-filled peach blossom eyes were filled with laughter: “Master Yu is also a brilliant doctor, massaging and soaking my legs every day. These legs finally showed some conscience and didn’t let down Master Yu’s painstaking efforts.”

Joy filled Fu Yunzheng’s eyes as well: “Yes, yes, yes. Master Yu is a brilliant doctor. There was no sign of recovery for four months after the surgery, but with just one touch from Master Yu tonight, it was like a miracle cure.”

Yu He’s ears turned slightly warm. Let’s not mention that he only studied medicine for a year; even if he had studied for ten years, he couldn’t have predicted that Fu Yunzheng’s legs would suddenly start moving during their intimate moment, as if he had miraculously unlocked his body’s potential.

Yu He’s movements were a bit slow, and Fu Yunzheng urged him on verbally while his legs unconsciously rubbed against him, responding to his master’s wishes.

“If I had known this would work, I wouldn’t have endured for so long,” Yu He pressed his forehead against Fu Yunzheng’s, and the two whispered sweet nothings to each other: “I’ve been practicing abstinence for half a year, not daring to have a single lustful thought, afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself. I’ve even copied the Tao Te Ching three times.”

It was very hot under the quilt, and a faint blush appeared on Fu Yunzheng’s face: “You’re at the prime of your youth, it really must have been hard for you.”

Yu He curved his lips into a smile, his voice breathy as he said, “I should also thank President Fu for his compassion, for helping me relieve my tension.”

Fu Yunzheng’s ears heated up as he thought of their unrestrained moments together. He covered his mouth and coughed lightly, saying, “You’re cuter when you don’t talk.”

Yu He stared intently at Fu Yunzheng’s thin lips, a throaty rasp in his voice as he said, “I’ll let you off for a few more days, but once you’re completely better, you’ll have to pay me back.”

Fu Yunzheng pursed his lips: “We can go to many places together.”

Yu He's eyes suddenly brightened up, "Can we do it in the car or the swimming pool?"

Fu Yunzheng abruptly lifted his head, staring at Yu He in shock, "I said we could travel to many places, like those southwestern mountains, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Northern Myanmar, or even Antarctica. What do you mean by 'in the car and in the swimming pool'?"

Yu He touched his nose, "Then those places will do just as well."

After all, there are cars in those places, and places to swim can be found as well. Fu Yunzheng has always pampered him; bringing it up several times, there’s bound to be a time when it will happen.

Succeeding even once is good enough.

Yu He had a mischievous plan written all over his face, and Fu Yunzheng was well aware of it.

This half a year has really left the boy starving, thinking about all sorts of things all day long!

*

This is the happiest day in Yu He's life.

And there's not a hint of exaggeration in that statement.

When Fu Yunzheng confessed that it was only with Yu He that night, Yu He was overjoyed; when Fu Yunzheng said he liked him very much, and they shared their feelings, Yu He was completely content; on New Year's Day, when Fu Yunzheng casually threw the dumplings onto the plate and called him ‘husband’, Yu He was so happy he could almost ascend to heaven on the spot...

Being with Fu Yunzheng, there were too many joyful and happy moments to list. It is really difficult to enumerate them all, but all of these moments can't compare to Fu Yunzheng's legs getting better and regaining his ability to move.

It was like an ecstatic surprise.

Yu He finally understood the endless emotions hidden behind the word ‘ecstatic’.

Even though Fu Yunzheng comforted him again and again, held Yu He in his arms for half the night, and they whispered sweet nothings to each other for a long time, sharing many heartfelt words.

But Yu He was still so excited that he couldn’t sleep all night.

At 3 a.m., Fu Yunzheng had already fallen asleep, but Yu He, propping himself up on his arm, stared at Fu Yunzheng's handsome profile in the darkness.

Theoretically, given Yu He’s level of night blindness, in a room this dark, he should be seeing an eternal, silent night in front of him, not able to see anything.

But he felt like he could vaguely make out Fu Yunzheng’s profile.

Fu Yunzheng had a handsome brow, deep-set eyes, and a nose as high as a mountain peak.

His lips were cool, and very soft.

When Yu He described Fu Yunzheng's profile with tactile words like 'cool' and 'soft', he clearly knew that he couldn't actually see Fu Yunzheng’s profile.

Everything was a figment of his imagination.

Or rather, he was seeing the person in his heart.

He knew every bit of Fu Yunzheng’s appearance very clearly.

Every facial feature of Fu Yunzheng was engraved vividly in Yu He's heart, from the mole around his waist to his everyday actions.

He could even predict the angle and arc of Fu Yunzheng’s movement just from him lifting his arm.

Thus, even in such a dark, godly night, even if Yu He's eyes couldn't capture Fu Yunzheng, it didn't affect Yu He from gazing deeply at him.

Because Yu He had already looked at him thousands of times when he could see clearly.

Regrettably, the image of Fu Yunzheng standing and walking in Yu He’s heart was very blurry.

At the Mingdu Charity Gala, Fu Yunzheng was standing while giving a speech on stage, but at that time, Yu He was just moved by the rich experience of the young philanthropist and did not realize that the man under the spotlight was his destined lover.

That first encounter was a long time ago, and Yu He had never imagined that such a refined and elegant person would one day lie next to him.

Towards a person who once moved their heart but couldn’t be immediately obtained, Fu Yunzheng and Yu He had completely opposite attitudes. Fu Yunzheng kept this person in his heart, lying in wait for the right moment, while Yu He would disperse at the slightest touch, not daring to hope or pay attention.

Yu He knew he was never a persistent person; giving up was what he was best at in this life.

Just like the fleeting glimmer of that first glimpse, Fu Yunzheng kept it deeper and deeper in his heart, while Yu He could only deliberately blur it out.

He had never dared to hope that this light would fall on him.

Just as Fu Yunzheng certainly did not expect, the spirited youth at the back door of the charity gala would, a year later, lose all his youthful spirit, fall from a height, and tumble into the mud.

He almost became the plaything of the powerful.

Fortunately, his Fu Yunzheng was also among the powerful and caught him, picked him up without any hesitation.

Yu He lifted his fingertips, gently touching the position he imagined, and his fingers landed right on Fu Yunzheng’s forehead as he wished.

Fu Yunzheng often told Yu He not to force or insist on things, but compared to Yu He, at the beginning of their relationship, it was fortunate that Fu Yunzheng was proactive enough. If it wasn’t for Fu Yunzheng’s persistence, they might be worlds apart right now, with Fu Yunzheng still lying in the Fu residence, and Yu He’s whereabouts would be truly uncertain.

What kind of fortuitous encounter would it take for them to meet again later on?

The fate between people is shallow and fragile; it seems that there are times when we must be insistent.

This is something Fu Yunzheng taught Yu He.

Otherwise, how could they embrace each other in a peaceful and serene winter night?

Although Fu Yunzheng still deeply resents using money to bring Yu He back, he always feels melancholic when he brings up the night Yu He came to the Fu residence. He would always say to Yu He: "I should have gone to pick you up myself, talked to you in advance, rather than making such a rash decision."

Fu Yunzheng has many regrets about that night, always believing that their reunion could have been more perfect.

"Your expectations for perfection are too high," Yu He said softly, tracing Fu Yunzheng’s features with his fingers, "As long as it's you, no matter when or how you come, I’m delighted."

With a hand caressing his face, even Fu Yunzheng’s deep sleep was interrupted. He reached out and placed his hand on Yu He’s, as if he knew immediately upon skin contact that it was Yu He’s hand: "Xiao He..."

Fu Yunzheng, half-asleep, spoke softly and slowly: "Xiao He, what time is it? Why aren’t you asleep yet?"

Yu He answered: "I can't sleep."

Fu Yunzheng turned on his side, pulled Yu He into his arms, and held the back of Yu He’s head with one hand, gradually waking up: "Why can’t you sleep?"

Yu He rested his chin on Fu Yunzheng's shoulder: "I was thinking about you."

Fu Yunzheng said: "Think about it tomorrow; let's sleep first."

Yu He chuckled lightly: "I thought you would say ‘stop thinking’."

Fu Yunzheng’s voice was filled with exhaustion: "Why?"

"I was wondering, if you hadn’t taken me back from Jinse Tai, would we still have met?" Yu He voiced his speculative thoughts, "If it wasn’t you who took me away, I might not have gotten better, and could have continued to fall."

Fu Yunzheng’s logic was clear and he wasn’t swayed by Yu He’s fanciful ideas. He responded firmly: "There are no such ifs. I wouldn’t let anyone else take you away."

Yu He was persistent; he knew exactly what he wanted to ask, without beating around the bush: "I mean, what if you didn’t know at that time, or if it was too late, and I was already... already like that, would you still want me... would you still allow me to do those things to you?"

Fu Yunzheng understood what Yu He wanted to express. He lowered his head, forehead touching Yu He’s: "It’s the 21st century, Mr. Yu. Even if there were such things, what of it? Does one have to erect a monument to chastity to be considered clean?"

Yu He’s ears turned red instantly. He knew his assumption was baseless, but perhaps people in love all have this doubt:

If I were worse, more tainted, more broken, would you still love me as before?

In a soft voice, Yu He said, "I just want to know."

Cradling Yu He's face, Fu Yunzheng spoke, "Silly boy, neither of us knew it was our first time with each other when it happened. Did you ever feel any repulsion towards me before you knew I hadn’t been with anyone else?"

Yu He shook his head.

Fu Yunzheng continued, "That's it then. I feel the same way. So, what are you worried about?"

Yu He bit his lip slightly, "Will you love me no matter what I become?"

"I love you, Yu He. Love is unconditional. I liked the spirited young Yu He when we first met, the dispirited yet unyielding Yu He when we reunited, and I also like the diligent and promising top student Yu He now," Fu Yunzheng said. "People change, but no matter what adjectives are used to describe Yu He, the fact that I love you won’t change."

Finally hearing a good deal of sweet nothings from Fu Yunzheng, Yu He was somewhat satisfied and softly voiced his innermost thoughts: "I’m afraid that once your legs are better, I’ll be of no use to you."

Fu Yunzheng sighed.

He knew there was a reason behind Yu He's late-night ponderings and restlessness, but he never expected Yu He’s worries to be focused on this.

Fu Yunzheng sat up and turned on the bedside lamp, its warm, orange glow was soft and not blinding.

Yu He’s eyes quickly adjusted to the light, making out Fu Yunzheng's handsome features.

Light has a magical power; as brightness returned to Yu He’s world, his mood brightened as well.

He sharply realized that the recovery of Fu Yunzheng’s legs had overly excited him, triggering restlessness in his heart. After the euphoria, his emotions plummeted rapidly, plunging him into a strange pessimism in the dark.

The gloomy mood came too fast, catching him off guard.

What to do? He had no desire to see a psychologist.

Forget it, since both smoking and Fu Yunzheng were his panaceas, and it wasn’t too serious, he would deal with it next time.

Yu He was like a migratory bird, living in the moment.

Having sorted out his thoughts, Yu He, recalling his just now awkward self, felt extremely embarrassed. Even his toes curled up. He too sat up and reached out to turn off the lamp, "It's okay now. Just pretend I was going crazy just now."

Yu He’s state of mind shifted quickly, something Fu Yunzheng also noticed.

Holding onto Yu He’s hand, Fu Yunzheng asked, "Were you feeling upset just now?"

Yu He nodded in resignation, “It really was like going crazy. My thoughts were chaotic, obsessing over things that never happened. It was so irritating.”

The transformation was indeed drastic. Compared to a minute ago, both Yu He’s tone and choice of words had changed significantly.

Fu Yunzheng’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he analyzed rationally, “Emotional agitation, insomnia, and a dark environment can all trigger psychological issues. Let’s sleep with the nightlight on tonight.”

Yu He leaned on Fu Yunzheng’s shoulder, visibly agitated, wishing he could pull his own hair out, or travel back three minutes to strangle his earlier, troubled self.

“Next time I get like this, just slap me,” Yu He leaned back, accidentally knocking the back of his head against the headboard, producing a dull 'thud': “So annoying.”

Fu Yunzheng felt that Yu He’s state of mind was still not right, resembling the manic state of agitated depression.

Although he had his suspicions, Fu Yunzheng chose not to mention it, pretending to be unaware to avoid further agitating Yu He.

He couldn’t let Yu He think that he had a severe psychological issue. Such negative mental projections were not beneficial.

Fu Yunzheng placed a hand behind Yu He’s head, “I couldn’t bear to slap you. You’re quite harsh on yourself though.”

“I read a saying before,” Yu He said casually, as if telling a joke: “They say, the first thing a cripple does after recovering is to throw away their crutches.”

Truths are often spoken in jest, and Yu He still seemed somewhat anxious.

Fu Yunzheng thought to himself: Let’s try to cajole him first.

Yu He was, after all, quite easy to appease.

Fu Yunzheng wrapped an arm around Yu He’s shoulders, gently rubbing the bump on the back of his head, “It’s true that the first thing a cripple does after recovery is to throw away their crutches, but you are not a crutch.”

Yu He looked up at Fu Yunzheng.

Fu Yunzheng also looked at Yu He, his gaze even softer than the warm-colored night light: “You are my husband.”

Yu He’s eyes widened, his irises sparkling like the Milky Way, trembling gently, shedding starlight.

Fu Yunzheng very much wanted to kiss Yu He’s astonished eyes.

It seemed that the remedy Fu Yunzheng provided for Yu He was very effective.

The effect was even somewhat overwhelming.

There wasn’t a trace of agitation or frustration left in Yu He; he was completely enveloped in a mood of pleasure.

The wandering soul instantly found its roots again.

Fu Yunzheng increased the dosage, continuing to coax: “Who would throw away their own husband, right, Xiao He?”

Yu He was completely stunned, not even blinking when Fu Yunzheng’s lips landed on his eyelids.

He felt light as a feather, as if he was flying in the sky or drifting among the clouds.

All the negative emotions had completely dissipated.

The depression was gone, and so was the irritation.

It dawned on Yu He belatedly that he hadn’t actually gotten better just now; he had merely shifted from depression to mania.

Now, everything was truly fine.

Nicotine was nothing in comparison.

Yu He declared that from this day forward, Fu Yunzheng would be his only antidote.