Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Ignoring the minor mishap, Song Nian finally managed to drive his small automatic car smoothly, taking Li Yanchuan for a drive.

The driver in the courtyard watched the car disappear with lingering reluctance, not leaving until it was completely out of sight.

Like a statue waiting for his boss.

—Mr. Song, you must live up to expectations and bring the car back in one piece!

The worried driver prayed silently.

It was ten in the morning, and the traffic on the road was neither heavy nor light, which was a decent environment for a novice driver.

Remembering the driver's advice to go slowly and not rush, Song Nian drove at a steady 20 km/h on the slow lane.

After all, he was a beginner, so Li Yanchuan made no objection to the speed and turned his head to look at the road outside the window.

Whoosh—a car overtook them from the side and sped off.

Swoosh—another electric bike passed by and disappeared.

Whizz—and then a bicycle went past...

Watching helplessly as that bicycle overtook them, Li Yanchuan silently let go of the overhead handle, the look on his face complicated as he withdrew his gaze and looked at Song Nian.

Then he heard the person in the driver's seat muttering:

"Overtaking? Go ahead, be my guest."

"Another? Well then, you too, please."

"Still overtaking? Fine, then let me welcome another VIP guest."

Li Yanchuan: ...

He had somehow created a restaurant waiter vibe.

Even a good temper shouldn't go this far.

Finally, under Song Nian's extremely cautious driving, it took nearly two hours to cover a half-hour journey.

They only needed to turn right at the next intersection to reach the suburban park.

And so, Li Yanchuan personally witnessed Song Nian turning on the left turn signal.

Then turning right.

What a classic feint—looking left, turning right.

Li Yanchuan: ...

After another twenty minutes trying to park, the two finally arrived at the park successfully.

On a weekday, the park was not crowded, with people scattered here and there, which was quite suitable for sitting quietly and relaxing.

The vast lawn stretched endlessly. Osmanthus flowers drifted down from the trees, spreading a layer of tender yellow over the green grass. Stepping on the ground made a crunching sound, as if walking on a golden carpet, and the air was filled with honey-like sweetness.

"So tired—"

After spreading out the picnic mat, Song Nian plopped down on the ground, stretched his arms, and fell backward, landing right against Li Yanchuan's leg.

Seeing no resistance from the man above, he adjusted to a comfortable position and, emboldened, did not move away.

"After driving for almost two hours, of course I'm tired."

The man in the wheelchair grinned teasingly.

"Oh, the result is what matters most. Just tell me we arrived safely, didn't we?"

Hearing this, Song Nian turned over, now lying across the man's lap, and let out a smug hum.

As soon as he finished speaking, a small rice ball was stuffed into his mouth.

"Yes, so you did great."

Li Yanchuan chuckled lightly and withdrew the hand that had been feeding him.

This lively Song Nian was too attractive. Under the sunlight, even the peach fuzz on his cheeks looked exceptionally cute, making one want to reach out and touch him.

So the next second, a large hand reached out and ruffled his chestnut-brown hair.

Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder. From the day he learned the truth and realized his feelings, he found Song Nian handsome, pleasing, and beautiful no matter how he looked at him.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen other attractive people, but he just felt that Song Nian surpassed them all.

Of course, he had felt this way before, but back then his view was more restrained. Now, this feeling was like a floodgate had opened, unstoppable, and the more he looked, the more he liked.

Chewing slowly, staring at the smile on the man's lips, feeling the touch on his head, Song Nian blinked slowly.

Was it an illusion? Why did it feel like Li Yanchuan had been smiling more and more frequently lately?

And it seemed his attitude had become gentler than before, his gaze especially deep, with emotions Song Nian couldn't read.

"Want more?"

Interrupted by the man's words, he shook his head.

Although he had prepared snacks, right now he would rather bask in the warm sun and take a nap.

The sky was clear of clouds, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the warm afternoon sun was a soft gold, spreading generously, casting light on them and bringing a long-lost comfort and coziness.

The strong warmth dispelled the dampness deep in his bones. So embracing the sunlight didn't mean being blinded by its glare.

Li Yanchuan suddenly felt that going out for a walk occasionally wasn't so bad.

Of course, the premise was that a certain someone had to be by his side.

The two leaned quietly against each other. Song Nian rested on the man's leg, while Li Yanchuan lowered his eyes, not pushing him away, but gently stroking him with his hand.

A moment of peace and tranquility.

An hour later, he woke him up.

Song Nian, unable to fully open his eyes, blamed him without anger, asking why he was only allowed to sleep for such a short while.

"Because at your speed, if we leave any later, we'll hit rush hour. Would you dare drive then?"

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan said indifferently.

Song Nian: ... suddenly snapped back to reality.

Let's go. Right now!

Rush hour? Not even a dog would want to drive!

When the two returned home from the picnic, the driver saw Song Nian get out of the car; the car was completely unscathed, and he was so relieved he wept tears of joy.

Song Nian was also immensely proud of his first successful solo drive. Besides Li Yanchuan's praise, he was desperate for validation from others.

He rushed forward and they gave each other a big hug, clinging to each other, bouncing up and down.

They silently conveyed:

'I did it!'

'Yes, you did!'

Watching the two cheering and jumping, Li Yanchuan found it amusing and couldn't help but crack a smile.

————

After going up to the second-floor room alone, the softness on Li Yanchuan's face vanished. Shadows fell across his cheeks, his expression dark and unreadable.

Earlier in the park, watching Song Nian lying on his lap, he couldn't stop thinking: if I could stand up, would everything be different?

He wouldn't need Song Nian to accommodate him; instead, he could walk toward him and stroll side by side with him.

He could even lift him up.

Looking down at his legs, Li Yanchuan's expression darkened.

Then, he reached out and slowly gripped the horizontal bar on the wall.

—He wanted to see if he could still stand up.

His legs, unused for a long time, were completely numb and useless. His arms were the only source of strength and support as he tried to lift his entire body on his own.

He gritted his teeth and strained, the veins on his arms bulging, until his body lifted slightly off the wheelchair.

Every second felt like an eternity; time seemed to slow down. Each inch of movement was slowed and magnified, clearly discernible, like film frames playing in slow motion.

Large beads of sweat rolled down, leaving small wet marks on the floor. So focused on his body, Li Yanchuan lost all sense of time, only remembering his trembling arms and aching, weak muscles.

After what felt like forever, he finally lifted himself completely off the wheelchair.

Was it... actually possible...?

At the thought of this possibility, his eyes glimmered with suppressed excitement.

His bent legs slowly straightened as his arms supported him, until he was standing upright on the ground.

For a moment, it seemed he had actually stood up.

But before he could be happy, his body gave out, collapsing like a deflated balloon and hitting the ground with a thud.

He had failed.

He couldn't stand.

He sat dejectedly, not even feeling the pain of his elbows and knees against the tile floor—only overwhelming grief filled his heart.

Looking at his powerless legs, Li Yanchuan smiled bitterly.

Truth be told, he had thought about rehab.

But he had never put it into practice before because he thought it was unnecessary.

Before meeting Song Nian, his heart was filled only with the idea of taking revenge on the three members of the Li family, consumed by the burning need for revenge, unable to care about anything else.

The future wasn't even within his considerations, let alone spending time on his legs, which might never recover.

After meeting Song Nian, he suddenly found hope and a reason to keep going.

But when it came to his legs, he got scared.

It was that strange fear of getting what you want—he had a reason to heal, yet he worried about the unknown result.

What if, after rehabilitation, he found out that he truly could never stand up...

It would kill all hope, a death sentence with no chance of recovery.

Avoidance was at play—shameful but it worked.

Li Yanchuan gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and pounded the floor in anger, numb to the pain.

A few strands of hair hung down disheveledly, covering his smooth forehead. His once tall and commanding back now looked fragile and broken.

Unbeknownst to him, Song Nian was watching from outside the door.

The door had swung open a crack from the wind, and through the gap, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of someone in the hallway.

Song Nian leaned against the wall, his lips pressed together, and hung his head despondently.

In his hand, he held a cup of freshly brewed honey yuzu tea.

Actually, he hadn't meant to spy; he had simply brewed some fruit tea downstairs and wanted to bring a cup.

Little did he expect to witness this.

Seeing the vulnerable, disheveled Li Yanchuan—the side he never wanted anyone to see.

Especially at the moment he stood up only to crash down again, Song Nian's heart seized and his breath caught.

An unbearable ache spread through him.

In that moment, he desperately wanted to go help him up, but he knew Li Yanchuan would never want to be seen like this.

Unlike before, this time he had actively tried to stand and failed.

Instead of going in, pretending not to see was the best move—otherwise it would only hurt his pride.

So Song Nian wiped his face, took a deep breath, and silently carried the teacup back downstairs.

When Li Yanchuan came back downstairs half an hour later, Song Nian pretended not to know anything and called out cheerfully:

"Honey, come quick! I made honey yuzu tea."

By then, the man in the wheelchair wore his usual calm, composed expression.

The earlier mess had been completely concealed, tucked away in a corner no one could see.

He nodded, accepted the cup, and sipped it lightly.

A sweet warmth flowed down his throat, spreading through his body, filling him with warmth and restoring his strength.

Sweet and warm, just like the sun.

Just like that person's presence.

"Song Nian."

Just as Song Nian turned around to set down the cup, Li Yanchuan suddenly called his name.

The moment he turned, he felt a pull at his waist, yanking him backward, making him lose his balance and nearly fall onto the man.

But that person didn't show any sign of letting go, his arms wrapped tightly around him.

"If I can't ever stand up again, would you think I'm useless?"

He heard the man ask, his voice hoarse.