If You Could Hear My Heart

Chapter 657: Chapter 657: That year, The Lonely Red Blossoms Bloomed
 

“What father doesn’t love his son? He’s just a bit disappointed in you,” Zhou Ran sighed softly.

Shen Chi’s eyes still held a hint of coldness: “You stay and take care of him, I’ll go back first.”

“Wait,” Zhou Ran called out to him as he was about to turn around. “I have something to ask you.”

“Hmm?” Shen Chi frowned.

“Adi is back,” Zhou Ran said. “I want to see her.”

“Eldest sister is at the Shen Family’s place. You can certainly go there,” Shen Chi said calmly. “Because Mother, you’re a smart person.”

After speaking, Shen Chi turned and walked away. He knew his mother was a person of great tact; she was clear about what should be said and what should remain unsaid.

Shen Chi didn’t see Shen Cexian; he only visited Shen Cexian’s attending physician.

After inquiring about the basic situation, he arranged for a good caretaker for Shen Cexian.

It was Zhou Ran who stayed at the hospital all along. Perhaps Shen Cexian was just too tired; he slept for a long time and only woke up vaguely in the evening.

“Water…” he opened his eyes.

Zhou Ran was sitting on the sofa peeling apples for him. Hearing his voice, she immediately stood up and poured him a glass of boiled water.

“Cexian, how are you feeling now?” Zhou Ran sat at the bedside.

She grabbed his hand and suddenly wanted to hold it tightly.

“It’s nothing; I’m just a bit tired,” Shen Cexian said weakly.

His head felt heavy, and after keeping his eyes open for a while, he closed them again.

“Here, drink some water.” Zhou Ran brought over the cooled boiled water.

After adjusting Shen Cexian’s position, she held the water cup and helped him drink.

“Aran, thank you for coming to keep me company,” Shen Cexian said faintly.

“What’s there to thank me for? You rest; don’t talk,” Zhou Ran told him as she helped him drink.

Shen Cexian stopped talking and quietly followed Zhou Ran’s instructions. He had never expected that there would come a day when Zhou Ran would still be by his side.

After drinking half a cup, he could no longer drink. Propped against the pillow, he closed his eyes and stayed silent.

Zhou Ran put down the cup, made sure the blankets covered him properly, and according to the doctor’s instructions, prepared the medicine he needed to take.

Shen Cexian lay there motionless while Zhou Ran, after finishing her tasks, called the servants and asked them to prepare a nutritious porridge.

“Aran, has he left?” Shen Cexian asked, frowning.

Zhou Ran paused, understanding whom Shen Cexian was referring to.

She nodded: “Achi had some business at home and left first. He said he would come to see you another day.”

“Tell him to get lost, and never to come see me again,” Shen Cexian said coldly.

Although exhausted, the anger in his roar was strong enough to convey an intense sense of intimidation.

Zhou Ran sighed. She knew Shen Cexian was upset; he resented Shen Chi for what he had done.

“Don’t be angry; getting upset is bad for your health. Achi didn’t used to be like this—I think he will change for the better,” Zhou Ran said calmly.

Her words were clearly understood by Shen Cexian.

Indeed, Shen Chi wasn’t like this before.

Previously, although Shen Chi had a bad temper and was overly indifferent when dealing with people, he would follow his father earnestly, learning how to manage the company. To his father, he hadn’t taken any extreme actions.

But now, everything had changed…

“That woman… she changed him too much…” Shen Cexian said with closed eyes, his expression dark.

“Yeah.” Zhou Ran too shook her head.

She truly had never thought that Shen Chi’s love for Xu Chaomu would reach such an extent. Reckless and careless, as if to him, the whole world was left with Xu Chaomu alone.

“She should not have married Achi,” Shen Cexian said calmly.

“It’s my fault. I should not have brought her back to the Shen Family in the first place,” Zhou Ran stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the sky was clear, the blue vast, the clouds pure white.

She recalled everything from those days—the year she brought Shen Chi into the orphanage; she truly had never thought her indifferent, merciless son would take a fancy to a girl from the orphanage.

Years ago, she had never worried that Shen Chi would fall for her, but she was wrong.

She heard that five years ago, Xu Chaomu would cling to Shen Chi all the time, sometimes even running to his room, climbing into his bed…

She thought Shen Chi would ignore such a shameless girl, but she was wrong again.

“Xu Mengxi, you won,” Zhou Ran sighed in her heart.

In comparison to Xu Mengxi, her loss was utterly pitiful.

Her husband had only ever loved Xu Mengxi, and her son had only ever loved the daughter of Xu Mengxi.

Xu Mengxi was the true victor.

“Aran, when you brought her back to our home those years ago, you were only trying to trouble me,” Shen Cexian said helplessly shaking his head. “But did you know that as far back as thirteen years ago, the only person I cared about was you? Yet you were always reluctant to speak any kind words to me.”

Shen Cexian spoke slowly, his voice soft, yet his words were like drumbeats, striking her heart one after another.

Zhou Ran’s heart trembled at his words, but why had he only told her now…

“Aran, I love you very much,” Shen Cexian said, eyes closed.

This marriage of business had become a deep entanglement that he couldn’t escape from.

When had he fallen in love with her? Thirteen years ago or perhaps even before that…

That year, ginkgo leaves carpeted the benches; that year, the snowflakes turned into solitary cold; that year, the lonely blooming flowers, the moonlight staining the streets…

A lifetime of grudges, stubbornness, and contention… yet none of it could withstand having been in love…

But, they were both too proud.

Uttering the harshest words, wounding each other’s hearts.

Zhou Ran at the window also closed her eyes; the sunlight outside shone upon her face, faint and dreamlike.

The scorching light fell upon her face, her arms wrapped around herself, as if there was a fire slowly burning in her chest…

After a long while, she finally spoke: “Cexian.”

Her voice was desolate and deep. Shen Cexian opened his eyes and turned to look at her standing by the window.

Against the light, her outline was vague, reminiscent of old times, composed and calm.

“You’ve always asked me why I wanted that yellowed photo, haven’t you?” she spoke, her voice hoarse.

“Why?” Shen Cexian gazed at her back.

When he had given her the photo years ago, she never consented to speak, not a word.

That was the only picture of the three of them together—him, Zhou Ran, and Xu Mengxi.

“Because that is the only photo we took when we were young.” Zhou Ran was calm. “I wanted to see what you looked like when you were young.”

In an instant, Shen Cexian was immensely shocked — his heart no longer at peace!

“I just wanted to see why I loved you so much back then…” Zhou Ran spoke with a bitter smile. “What’s so good about you that made you worth my love? But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure it out. Clearly… there’s nothing good about you.”

As soon as she uttered these words, her eyes reddened.

Shen Cexian’s mind went blank, his gaze fixed on Zhou Ran, his eyes filled with profound complexity and depth.

Gradually his eyes too reddened.