TPW – Chapter 85

It was autumn, and it rained often. The thick, clinging moisture soaked the entire small town. The temperature kept dropping, and mornings and evenings were the coolest. The wind howled, and it was already cold enough to wear gloves while biking.

Around 5:30 PM, the last brilliant ray of sunlight between heaven and earth slowly began to fade.

In the west-facing room, Fang Youwei was having dinner with his mother and grandmother—a simple meal of two vegetable dishes and a plate of pickles, served with a large bowl of cornbread buns. It wasn’t exactly tasty, but it was enough to fill their stomachs.

“The day after tomorrow is the start of college, you’ll officially be a university student. You should break it off with that girl… the one who runs a street stall. Once you’re in college, you’ll meet plenty of excellent girls,” Liu Xiaohong suddenly said while eating.

Fang Youwei didn’t respond, silently chewing on his cornbread bun.

A bit hard, a bit dry—today’s cornbread didn’t seem to have fermented properly.

“I’m talking to you, Youwei. Did you hear me?” She tapped her chopsticks impatiently against the rim of the bowl to get his attention.

Snapping out of his wandering thoughts, Fang Youwei instinctively replied, “Mm, I know.”

“As long as you know.” Seeing her son being obedient and sensible, and with so many good things happening lately, Liu Xiaohong was in a very cheerful mood.

She smiled as she picked up some shredded cabbage for her mother-in-law. “Mom, just give us a few more years, and we’ll be able to live comfortably. Didn’t Qiao Lu say that office workers earn in a month what I make in two or three? And our Youwei ranked 98th in the entire province in art—he’s amazing.”

Grandma Feng was getting old and had bad teeth—she had them all removed and replaced with dentures. At that moment, a piece of vegetable fiber got stuck somewhere invisible in her dentures, so she took them out, went to the well to wash them under running water, then came back inside to continue eating.

As she walked, she muttered, “Youwei’s made something of himself. Your dad, your grandpa, your uncles… none of them died in vain.”

After catching her breath, she looked at her grandson and continued, “Grandma doesn’t hope for much anymore. I just want to see you get married and have a baby, then I’ll be ready to go down and find your dad…”

Liu Xiaohong rolled her eyes at her. “Mom, what kind of nonsense is that? You’re destined to live a long, healthy life. Don’t say unlucky things.”

Grandma Feng chuckled and didn’t reply.

In the past, Fang Youwei loved listening to his mom and grandma chat about family stuff. But now, it all just felt so annoying.

He quickly scarfed down his meal, got up, and walked out of the house so fast that Liu Xiaohong didn’t even have time to call him back.

He jogged all the way out of the alley, wandering aimlessly like a walking corpse.

“Youwei?”

Fang Youwei looked up and immediately saw Yu Fan.

“You’re here?” he asked, surprised. He had just come out—what a coincidence.

The setting sun in the west cast a golden-orange glow over Yu Fan’s face.

As she walked toward him, the light seemed like the last trace of brightness in the world, gradually fading into the shadow beneath the eaves—until it completely disappeared.

Yu Fan was clearly happy to see him, and even a little excited.

Apart from when she was with Fang Youwei, when had she ever smiled this freely?

“Hey! I was just thinking about how I could trick you into coming out, and here you are, delivered right to my doorstep.”

With a teasing smile on her face, her beautiful features shimmered under the fading light, causing Fang Youwei’s eyelashes to blink twice involuntarily.

Yu Fan was in such a good mood that she didn’t notice anything odd about Fang Youwei’s expression. She just kept smiling.

One hand held a heavy plastic bag, stuffed full of who knows what. Her other hand reached out and poked his cheek. “Zoned out? Here, take this—it’s all for you.”

It took Fang Youwei a moment to realize she was carrying such a huge bag. He dumbly reached out to take it.

But unprepared for its weight, he immediately dropped it—like a twenty-pound sack of stones—right onto the ground.

“Hahaha—” Yu Fan burst into laughter, her voice as crisp as a ringing bell. She teased, “You need to work out! You can’t even lift this little thing?”

“You bought this for me? What is it?” He left the bag on the ground—too heavy to bother holding.

Yu Fan still had a playful tone as the streetlight illuminated the sparkle in her eyes. “You’re a college student now, about to start school. I bought you some daily essentials.”

Honestly, in all eighteen years of his life, Fang Youwei had never seen a plastic bag this huge. It looked big enough to stuff Qiao Lu’s tiny pet inside.

While his mind drifted aimlessly, Yu Fan began unpacking the bag, item by item, without the slightest impatience. There was so much in there that Fang Youwei didn’t even know where to look.

“Here, shampoo—Vena Bao. I always use this brand. It’s good.”

“Two towels, pure cotton. One for drying your body after a shower, the other for your face. Don’t mix them up—keep things clean.”

“These are slippers—one pair for indoors, one pair of cotton slippers. Two toothbrushes too. Change them once a semester. Don’t skimp on hygiene. Oh, and this—”

“Undergarments. Pajamas. I got you two sets. I didn’t measure your exact height and weight, but I eyeballed it, and it should be about right.” She spread them out and held them up to his body for comparison. “Looks fine. Even if they’re too big or too small, you have to wear them.”

“Snacks—cookies, pastries, candy… I bought everything you like. The only downside is that it’s a bit heavy. But that’s okay, it’s good exercise.”

Normally, Yu Fan wasn’t very talkative—in fact, she could be a little aloof. But now, she was like a nagging housewife.

“That’s enough. You bought way too much,” Fang Youwei said softly. The moment he spoke, his eyes brimmed with tears.

Thankfully, it was already getting dark. Otherwise, it would’ve been truly embarrassing.

Yu Fan still didn’t notice the gloom in his voice. “Too much? I bought all this on a whim. If I’d started a few days earlier, I could’ve filled another bag for you.”

Fang Youwei stretched out his arm and casually picked up a bottle of shampoo. Even though he was a man and didn’t know much about hair care products, just from the packaging and brand name, he could tell it was expensive.

He turned it over again and again, carefully rubbing the bottle, his chest filled with complicated emotions.

“It’s really expensive, huh?” he asked, his tone tinged with heartache.

The money to buy these things was all earned from her hard work setting up a street stall. She had always been like this—very generous with him.

“It is expensive, but I never buy cheap stuff. You know that,” Yu Fan said. Seeing that no one was around, she tiptoed up, pulled his neck down, and kissed the corner of his lips. “I like you, so I want to treat you well. I want to buy nice things for you. Is that not okay?”

The scent of gardenias lingered around his nose, and Fang Youwei’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Ever since the art college entrance exams, the two of them had rarely seen each other, let alone been this intimate.

And she was always the one to take the initiative in such things.

“Okay, if you like it, that’s all that matters. But…” He sighed. “Still, try to save money when you can. What if you get a headache or fever someday, or have to go to the hospital? That all costs money.”

“Alright, alright, I hate hearing you say these unlucky things.” Yu Fan waved her hand and gave him a hard bite on the cheek.

Now and then, a few people would pass through the alley, and such a bold move made Fang Youwei’s heart pound wildly.

“You know me, I never think about the future. No matter what it is, I only care about the present. As long as I’m happy now, the future can wait.”

He stayed silent for a long time, not saying a word, just quietly looking at her.

Finally sensing something was off, Yu Fan asked, “Are you free right now? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“I just ate,” Fang Youwei replied.

Yu Fan’s smile froze on her lips. “It’s fine. I’ll go eat by myself later then.”

Seeing that he was still unmoved, she pouted. “Boyfriend, you’re out of things to say? If you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m leaving.”

She turned and took a couple of steps. When the boy still didn’t react, she walked another four or five steps—only then did he finally panic.

“Yu Fan!”

He looked like he wanted to speak but was searching for the right words. After a while, his expression turned serious.

“My mom found out about us.”

Yu Fan was stunned. She really hadn’t expected that. “When did she find out? And then? What did you say?”

Fang Youwei replied, “She found out last year. I even switched to the art entrance exam because of it… It’s a bit complicated. In the end, I didn’t tell her who you are.”

Yu Fan bit her lip, her brows furrowed tightly. “It’s better not to tell. What kind of mom could accept someone like me… Ahem, just don’t say anything for now.”

“Okay.” He nodded, still looking like he had something more to say.

“What’s with that face? Do you have something else to say?” She could still see the worry on his face from how close they were.

Fang Youwei stared at her for a long time before giving a bitter smile. “My mom said… I should break up with you and find a college girl in university.”

That one sentence completely ruined Yu Fan’s good mood.

She let out a cold laugh and crossed her arms. “So? Are you trying to break up with me?”

Her voice was icy.

“No.” Fang Youwei panicked and grabbed her shoulders, eyes full of determination. “What I want to say is, even if I meet better girls in university, I only like you.”

“Yu Fan, wait for me. After I finish school and get a job, we can… I’ll officially introduce you to my mom and grandma.”

But the more he spoke, the less confident his voice became.

Yu Fan’s gaze was deep as the sea as she stared at him intently.

“Youwei, I’ll ask you just one question.”

They stood in silence, staring at each other. Then Yu Fan asked quietly:

“From the first day you started dating me, did you ever think about our future?”

Fang Youwei’s eyes flickered. He pressed his lips together and said, “Not really. Sometimes I thought about it, but… I couldn’t see how it would turn out. But… I do want to be with you.”

“Alright, I understand.” Yu Fan gave a faint smile, pointing to the dark alley behind him. “It’s already dark, go home. In the next few days, I’ll work extra hard, save up some money, and buy a train ticket to come visit you at university.”

Fang Youwei’s heart was a mess, his voice hoarse. “Yu Fan, I really like you.”

“I know. Now go on, hurry home.” Yu Fan smiled as she urged him.

A crow glided over the treetops, and the thin figure of the boy gradually disappeared into the darkness, vanishing completely.

Some are happy, some are sad.

Over at Nanhu Garden, after the basic interior work on the new apartment was finished, the couple brought An’an to see the new home every Sunday.

Watching their home slowly transform into the way they liked it, they were so excited they couldn’t sleep.

Cream-colored white walls, light wood flooring, with small accents of spring green used for wall design details. The kitchen had a glass door divider—definitely a trendy design in this era.

In the 1980s, glass sliding doors were still expensive. The craftsman had put in real effort, and the result turned out even better than Qiao Lu had expected.

Occasionally, neighbors passing by would glance into the house, immediately drawn in by the unique design.

Neighbors from upstairs came by for a look, and before long, even the downstairs neighbors came to check it out. Qiao Lu jokingly felt like her home had become a model showroom.

But there was an upside—they got to know all the neighbors in the building within just two weeks. Even though most of them had finished decorating long ago, they still found plenty to talk about with Qiao Lu.

Like where to place furniture for the best look, whether to grow flowers or vegetables on the balcony… and a few old aunties who liked Qiao An chatted with Qiao Lu about parenting tips.

They hadn’t even moved in yet, and already she’d become the familiar face of the neighborhood. It was almost comical.

In early October, once all the hard furnishings were finished, Qiao Lu’s family brought mops and brooms to the new place to clean. After cleaning, they planned to start moving in furniture.

Not long after, the renovation team showed up with a camera.