Chapter 70: Swing

Chapter 70 The Swing

Yun Fan opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly. He saw gentle lighting and medical staff gathered around him.

The expected dizziness didn't come; instead, his head felt clearer than usual. Feeling both thirsty and hungry, Yun Fan confirmed to himself that he was alive.

"Zhao Fu..." Yun Fan murmured, his lips parting.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep, nor where he was now, or if he had traveled back again. This worry overshadowed all other emotions at this moment.

No, he couldn't. He had come here with no attachments, but here, he had found something to live for. Wen Zhaofu's leg hadn't healed yet, and he couldn't rest easy.

No, he didn't want to go back; he needed more time.

"Xiao Yun!" It wasn't until Wen Zhaofu's voice clearly reached Yun Fan's ears that he truly woke up.

Yun Fan began to breathe heavily, reaching out blindly. Wen Zhaofu quickly grabbed his hand. Shi Ning rushed over, holding Yun Fan's shoulders to calm him.

But Yun Fan couldn't contain himself; he cried. He hadn't cried in so long, but today, he couldn't suppress his tears no matter what.

Tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes. Wen Zhaofu took out a handkerchief and gently wiped them away, but they wouldn't stop. Shi Ning waved his hand, signaling everyone in the room to leave, giving them space alone.

There had been too many words left unspoken before, but after surviving a life-threatening ordeal, these words needed to be said quickly.

"Zhao Fu, sir." Yun Fan gripped Wen Zhaofu's hand tightly. "Zhao Fu."

"Xiao Yun, I'm here, Xiao Yun." Wen Zhaofu pressed Yun Fan's hand against his cheek, wanting him to feel his warmth.

"Zhao Fu, I love you." Yun Fan finally stopped crying, forcing a smile. "I'm afraid I might forget, so I have to tell you first—I love you."

Wen Zhaofu's eyes reddened instantly. He nodded repeatedly. "I know, Xiao Yun, I know. I love you too, I'll always love you."

"Sir, being with you makes me very happy. I feel no pressure by your side; you've given me so much space. Zhao Fu, I want to be with you longer, at least until I see you fully recovered." Yun Fan paused. "I hope I still have that chance."

Wen Zhaofu was now sobbing uncontrollably. He caressed Yun Fan's face, kissed his forehead, their tears mingling together.

"You do, baby. The surgery was successful; you're fine now," Wen Zhaofu said firmly.

"That's great." Yun Fan's nose tingled, and he cried even louder. "Sir, that room was so cold, so cold. I must have caught a chill."

"You're not cold anymore, baby. I won't let you be cold again." Wen Zhaofu leaned down and held Yun Fan tightly, pulling him into his arms. "I'm sorry, Xiao Yun, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Yun Fan wrapped his arms around Wen Zhaofu's neck. "I wanted to tell you before—don't blame yourself—but I couldn't wake up."

"I was so, so worried about you, Zhao Fu, so worried."

Wen Zhaofu felt his heart ache more now than when Yun Fan was unconscious, more than when he himself had been kidnapped. He had never known such heart-wrenching pain before, but now he understood it completely.

Yun Fan never imagined he had been unconscious for more than a month. He didn't dare think about how Wen Zhaofu had endured that time. He was standing now, but he had lost weight, his eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse.

"My sir, my one and only sir." Yun Fan cupped Wen Zhaofu's face and smiled.

He knew his smile always comforted Wen Zhaofu, so he stopped crying and smiled instead.

Wen Zhaofu understood Yun Fan's intention perfectly. He closed his eyes, steadying his emotions, and kissed Yun Fan's hand. "I'm taking you home."

*

Two days later, Yun Fan was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. Shi Ning encouraged him, saying he was young and had a strong foundation, so he would recover quickly.

"The most important thing is overcoming this mentally," Shi Ning said bluntly. "You've seen Zhao Fu's condition. This time, it's up to you to move past it."

"I'll try my best." Yun Fan's face was still pale, but he managed a smile.

From then on, Shi Ning visited Langyuntai every day to check on Yun Fan and Wen Zhaofu. He became a walking X-ray machine, vowing to nip any problems in the bud.

He didn't come empty-handed either; he ate a meal prepared by Man Shu daily. Man Shu doted on Yun Fan and couldn't help but cook extra, only feeling at ease when he saw Yun Fan eating heartily.

The old butler had quietly passed away. Yun Fan heard that Zhu Zhiqian had been captured by Wen Tingwang and handed over to the police. Zhuo Yan had fled Hong Kong before the incident but was implicated by Zhu Zhiqian; it was only a matter of time before he was caught.

Yun Fan didn't inquire about these matters or bring them up voluntarily. Whenever he mentioned that day, Wen Zhaofu would become more anxious than him. Rather than repeatedly reopening old wounds, it was better to move forward.

Wen Qichang had been in charge of the Wen Group for more than a month, and to say it was a mess would be an understatement—it was fraught with difficulties. After Wen Zhaofu resumed leadership, he had to work overtime relentlessly. Yun Fan wanted to help, but Wen Zhaofu wouldn't allow it.

Finally, during a weekend break, Grandma summoned Wen Zhaofu and Yun Fan to Taiping Qingshui Residence.

"Some white tea from Huiyuan. Try it," Grandma said with a smile, gesturing for them to sit. "How are you, Xiao Yun?"

"Much better," Yun Fan replied, his complexion rosy. "Eating and sleeping every day—it's hard not to get better."

Grandma nodded, then turned her scrutinizing gaze to Wen Zhaofu. "You kept this from me for years."

"Not that many years," Wen Zhaofu said, prepared. "About five years ago, I recovered enough to stand, but it was still unstable, so I didn't dare tell you."

"Right. If I'd seen your leg healed, I probably could've passed away peacefully," Grandma said, puffing up in mock anger.

"Grandma..." Wen Zhaofu frowned.

Yun Fan held Grandma's hand, coaxing the elderly lady. "Grandma, now that sir's leg is better, we can go out together. Isn't that better?"

"Yes, you're right, dear." Grandma softened. "I'm just angry he didn't tell me."

Grandma understood why Wen Zhaofu hadn't said anything. If he had, she would have had more expectations, like hoping for his full recovery. People often set themselves up for disappointment step by step through expectations, and Wen Zhaofu didn't want that for Grandma.

"Good children, Grandma will give you a big gift." With that, Grandma called for the butler. "Bring my collection catalog. Whatever Yun Fan likes, transfer it all to him."

"Oh my goodness, no, no," Yun Fan waved his hands hurriedly, looking to Wen Zhaofu for help.

This time, Wen Zhaofu didn't side with him. Instead, he held Yun Fan's hand and said to Grandma with a smile, "I've already contacted a lawyer to transfer all my real estate to Yun Fan, along with other assets..."

"Oh my god! Then I'll become the richest person!" Yun Fan exclaimed, his eyes wide. "No, no!"

Wen Zhaofu patted Yun Fan's back, and he and Grandma laughed heartily. Yun Fan scratched his cheek and chuckled along. He understood that both Wen Zhaofu and Grandma wanted him to live more securely.

"You're both too good to me," Yun Fan said, cupping his face. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't need to do anything. Just be happy," Grandma said with a smile.

With all that happening, Yun Fan completely missed Wen Zhaofu's birthday. As he sat on a swing, thinking about how to make it up to Wen Zhaofu, Wen Haochen approached with his dog.

The husky was very enthusiastic about Yun Fan, lunging forward to pounce on him, which made Wen Haochen yell in panic. At the critical moment, the little gardener stepped in, grabbing the husky by the scruff of its neck and pulling it aside.

Seeing someone to play with, the husky grew even more excited, panting heavily and begging the little gardener to play.

Wen Haochen smiled apologetically at Yun Fan and sat on another swing. He asked softly, "How have you been lately?"

"Pretty good. No more health issues," Yun Fan patted his chest.

"That's good. I'm relieved." Wen Haochen continued to smile at Yun Fan, looking as if he had more to say but hesitating.

Yun Fan changed the subject, asking about his studies and future plans. When he heard that Wen Haochen had decided to become a ski athlete, Yun Fan was surprised but soon smiled.

"Good luck! Your Big Brother and I will come watch your competitions," Yun Fan said, extending his hand.

Wen Haochen raised an eyebrow and shook Yun Fan’s hand. Though young, he had a certain weariness about him, which wasn’t hard to understand—everyone had been through their share of struggles lately.

"Yun Fan, I really, really, really like you," Wen Haochen exhaled deeply, finally saying it out loud. "So much—the kind of like that makes me want to be with you forever."

"Whoa there, young master, no, no, no. Don't go getting me fired—I won’t get any compensation that way," Yun Fan waved his hands repeatedly.

Wen Haochen narrowed his eyes at Yun Fan. He thought about it—if he insisted on pursuing a relationship with Yun Fan, it really might lead to the situation Yun Fan described.

After a moment, Wen Haochen murmured, "Why is it okay for Big Brother?"

Yun Fan rose up on his toes slightly and gazed calmly at the sky. "I’ve always felt that one must first have the ability to love before loving someone properly."

"I am ready, your Big Brother is ready, and so we fell in love."

Wen Haochen didn’t fully grasp the meaning, but he remembered it. He decided he would discuss it with his sister, An Liwen, later—she was smarter and better at understanding Yun Fan.

"Big Brother will keep you happy," Wen Haochen said, looking at Yun Fan with a relieved smile.

Yun Fan smiled too and nodded in agreement. "And I will make him incredibly happy as well."

*

After being discharged from the hospital, Yun Fan moved in completely with Wen Zhaofu. Every night before bed, they continued their ritual of saying "goodnight" to each other, just like before.

Except now, instead of over the phone, they could see each other and exchange a long, tender kiss.

"I love you," Wen Zhaofu said, kissing Yun Fan’s forehead, full of affection.

Wen Zhaofu felt that saying it often might lift Yun Fan’s spirits and make him feel more secure.

"Sir, don’t worry, I won’t leave," Yun Fan said, sensing Wen Zhaofu’s concerns and comforting him.

"Tch—tomorrow I’m tearing up that contract of yours," Wen Zhaofu chuckled. "Replacing it with something else."

Yun Fan didn’t ask what—he didn't need to ask. He touched Wen Zhaofu’s face, not letting him say the answer, but instead saying he was willing to go along with anything.

Wen Zhaofu held Yun Fan tightly, feeling his heart overflowing with love—yet still feeling it wasn’t enough. He knew he had so much more love to give.

This was his little sun, who had warmed him, and he was determined to let Yun Fan be surrounded by love forever.

The next morning, Yun Fan woke up first. Wen Zhaofu was holding him from behind, their bodies fitting together perfectly.

As Yun Fan shifted, Wen Zhaofu’s arm tightened, not letting him leave his embrace. Yun Fan turned over and wrapped his arms around Wen Zhaofu’s waist.

"Good morning," they said in unison.