TYSUF – Chapter 38 An Old Friend Returns This Year (3)

All the scenery was distorted by her tears. She lowered her head, wanting to cry, yet she was smiling.

Halos shimmered before her eyes—the bookshelves, the clock, even the telephone in front of her all seemed submerged in water… But in truth, the only thing soaked in tears was her own eyes.

“Where are you?” he asked once more.

“On Xiaphi Road,” she replied with a heavy nasal tone, “in Yuyang Lane off Xiaphi Road.”

That was a place Fu Tongwen would surely be familiar with. His small apartment was also on Xiaphi Road, in Lihe Lane, only about ten minutes’ walk from here. If one walked quickly, seven or eight minutes would suffice…

Someone as clever as him would surely have guessed—she chose her apartment on Xiaphi Road because of him.

From the receiver came the faint sound of fabric brushing—his shirt cuff grazing the mouthpiece. Fu Tongwen must have switched hands holding the phone, or maybe he had been standing uncomfortably and shifted his posture.

Shen Xi, across the line, was imagining his every move.

“I’m in the apartment at Lihe Lane,” he said.

He’s here? Why didn’t he go back to the main house? Why did he come back here?

Her cheek pressed against the receiver, her thoughts drifting.

“Come out in twenty minutes. I’ll come pick you up,” he said.

“Mm,” she agreed.

The receiver was placed back into its cradle. The call was over. She had been tense the whole time, and now her body relaxed. She sat there dazed, as if still in a dream.

After the clock ticked past a dozen minutes, she finally woke from her trance and rushed to the washstand, grabbed a towel, and wiped her face in front of the mirror.

In the mirror, only her pupils and lips retained color; the rest of her face was deathly pale, unnervingly so. She hadn’t slept the whole night and had cried too hard. She looked like a sick person.

There was no time for makeup. She tossed the towel aside, rubbed her cheeks with her hands, trying to bring some blood back into her face.

Fortunately, two years of work had trained her to dress and put on shoes quickly. When she ran to the staircase and locked the door, the clock’s hands hadn’t yet reached the appointed time.

“Miss Shen, you’re going out?” the landlady asked, sitting alone downstairs. Strangely, the main door wasn’t open.

The landlady usually liked to leave the door open during dinner, chatting a bit with the neighbors.

Shen Xi had no mind for small talk. She gave a quick reply and hurried down the stairs.

“Miss Shen…” The landlady rubbed her jade bracelet again.

After two years of acquaintance, Shen Xi knew this woman hid her thoughts deeply and never meddled. Whenever she wanted to say something, she’d always hesitate, rubbing the bracelet on her wrist before speaking.

“Mrs. Chen, is something the matter?” Shen Xi took the initiative, hoping to save time.

“Miss Shen, I just called my husband. He said there’s trouble near your hospital—students protesting, smashing cars, and some people even got hurt,” the landlady lowered her voice. “Do you think it might spread to our street? I was supposed to go pick up some fabric, but now I’m too scared to go out. Did you see anything on your way back? Was it serious?”

Shen Xi was surprised. “I didn’t see anything. I left quite early.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go out again,” the landlady added. “I want to lock the door early.”

Shen Xi glanced at the twilight outside. “I’ll try to come back early, all right?”

“I’m not trying to pry into your personal matters—you know I’m timid.”

If this went on, she really would be late.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Chen. I won’t be out too late.”

Shen Xi quickly opened the door and dashed out, not giving the landlady another chance to speak.

In the alley, everyone was cooking dinner.

Shen Xi had started out quickly, but when she reached the corner, she suddenly slowed her pace. She lowered her head, smoothing her long hair from the crown to the tips, trying to calm herself with the motion.

A door beside her stood open. An elderly woman was pouring a basin of bright green vegetables into a pot, and the sizzle of water and hot oil erupted loudly. That sudden noise spurred Shen Xi on, making it even harder to stay calm.

She rounded the alley corner and reached the end of the stone-paved lane. A black sedan was parked there, its door half open. As she appeared, someone pushed the door open from inside.

A streetcar passed slowly by on Xiaphi Road. Fu Tongwen got out of the car with his back to the tram. He looked utterly exhausted, unsteady on his feet, one hand gripping the car door for support. He still wore his high-collared shirt and tie, but instead of his usual fitted suit jacket, he had on a soft wool coat.

The red brick of the Shikumen buildings, the bluish-gray roof tiles, rows of French plane trees—and him…

Shen Xi could tell he wasn’t in great shape, but he was far better than two years ago. Now, there was no one in the Fu family who could suppress him. The old master and eldest son of the Fu family had lost their backing. In that sense, it was actually a good thing for his recovery.

Shen Xi finally reached the car under his gaze.

What should she call him? Tongwen? Third Brother? Or Mr. Fu?

Her lips trembled slightly—a sign that she was about to cry. She lowered her head, bit her lip, and tried her best to suppress it.

The words left unsaid all those years ago had piled up until today, yet she had no idea where to begin.

“When I was coming downstairs, it was already late. The landlord stopped me to talk about something… so I was still late.” She was explaining the trouble she’d just encountered, explaining why she was late—at least it gave her something to start with.

“You weren’t late,” he said instead. “I was just too early.”

This was Fu Tongwen’s unique way of speaking—never letting her feel embarrassed. It was also the first thing he said to her upon seeing her again.

The two of them were separated by the car door at first, but he walked around it and stood in front of her.

For a moment, Shen Xi thought he was going to do something.

He thought so too. But he only forced himself to suppress his emotions, reached out, and gently wiped the corner of her eye. “It’s windy. Don’t let yourself cry and hurt your eyes,” he said softly.

What Shen Xi felt on her eyes was the warmth of his fingertips, gone in an instant, leaving her dazed.

They looked at each other. There really was wind, brushing across her face, and her eyes and cheeks were burning with pain. So it was true—you shouldn’t face the wind after crying. She pressed her hands against her eyes and smiled to cover it up. “Where are we going?”

Fu Tongwen freed a hand to close the car door and smiled as well. “Would you mind accompanying me for a bite to eat?”

Shen Xi nodded lightly.

Fu Tongwen didn’t intend to get back into the car. He walked side by side with her, strolling under the phoenix trees along Xiahui Road.

The car slowly followed about two meters behind them. Fu Tongwen was very familiar with the restaurants and Western eateries in the area and picked the nearest one. When Shen Xi entered the restaurant, she noticed through the closed glass door that there wasn’t just one car following them—there were at least four.

Five men stood guard right outside the door.

The small Western restaurant had only two occupied tables downstairs. Seeing the scene outside, the diners whispered among themselves, guessing Fu Tongwen’s identity. The owner didn’t wait for Fu Tongwen to speak and took the initiative to lead them upstairs. The second floor was a spacious open floor, with only two tables by the windows. In the middle stood a long wooden table that looked like it had once hosted progressive gatherings.

Fu Tongwen began ordering food.

The leaves of the phoenix trees pressed against the glass, and the veins of each leaf were lit by the candlelight on the table. Through the leaves, she could still see the cars downstairs. She had never seen such a grand show before. What was his real reason for coming this time? Was it really just to treat his father’s illness?

They were the only two customers on the second floor from beginning to end.

The wind outside the window was strong. In the deep night, the green leaves clustered together, forming shadowy masses that jostled each other.

Shen Xi noticed he had fallen silent and looked up at him.

Fu Tongwen was staring at her—openly, without avoiding or concealing it.

Earlier on the street, there had been people, cars, distractions—so much interference. Their initial eye contact had felt surreal, like a fantasy. But now, seated across from each other, face to face at a small square table, the tip of his leather shoe was pressing lightly against her toe under the table.

Everything was real.

It was she who now knew to restrain herself. She lowered her eyes and fidgeted with the silver knife and fork at her side.

“These two years… so much has changed,” she said vaguely.

Yuan Shikai had died, Zhang Xun tried to restore the monarchy and put the Qing emperor back on the throne… and then it all collapsed again, back to the Republic.

“It’s still a mess,” she tried to use current events as a topic, but her resources were limited—she couldn’t really analyze the relationships among the warlords. “You’ve started a lot of businesses, haven’t you? You’ve taken back what’s yours, right? You must be very wealthy now, right?” She remembered every detail about him mentioned in the tabloids, and she remembered how he was said to be “obsessed with money.”

Shen Xi was trying to avoid the overwhelming emotions between them, grasping at any topic she could to distract herself.

But Fu Tongwen gave her no chance, and didn’t respond to any of it.

He was staring at her face, her eyes, her lips—examining every change and aligning her features with the ones in his memory.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” She was reaching her limit.

He smiled faintly. “Any more questions? I was waiting for you to finish.”

Shen Xi shook her head and gently moved the knife and fork.

Under the table, she moved her foot away, but he immediately noticed and moved his shoe forward again, brushing hers.

These subtle, unobtrusive touches—ambiguous without being blatant—were things he often did when they lived together. He knew women too well.

Shen Xi pressed her lips together and said nothing more.

“Then I’ll start answering,” he said. “Things are chaotic now, yes, but the Premier is doing good work—for example, insisting we participate in the war. As long as we emerge victorious in this world war, we’ll have the chance to negotiate internationally and reclaim sovereignty over Shandong.”

“Mm.” She listened attentively.

“As for the money you asked about…” He paused, seemingly calculating. “I have nine million in a bank in Tianjin, twelve million in HSBC Shanghai, six to seven million in overseas accounts, and a number of mines—about fourteen. I’ve also invested in more than twenty enterprises. Altogether, it’s about eighty to ninety million. Maybe even a hundred million now.”

Shen Xi’s monthly salary was 367 silver dollars. With hospital bonuses, it barely reached 400—already among the highest wages in Shanghai, second only to the hospital directors.

She was stunned and then smiled from the heart, nodding. “That’s really great.”

These past two years, she had often thought—this chaotic world suited him. With her gone, she wasn’t a burden anymore, and everything must be better for him. Otherwise, just his father and elder brother alone would’ve used her as leverage to threaten him.

And now it seemed… that was exactly what had happened.

“That’s really wonderful,” she couldn’t help but repeat.

When happiness reaches a certain peak, the mind goes blank and words become scarce.

That was exactly how she felt now—genuinely happy for him.

“Why didn’t you go to England? Or to the hospital that Qingxiang recommended?” This time, he asked her.

“I wanted to try my luck,” she said. “This hospital is newly established. If I had gone to Renji or Zhongshan hospitals, I would’ve needed a referral. They would’ve demanded I not quit, not get married. Doesn’t that sound terrifying?”

“Not being allowed to get married? That’s inhumane,” he commented.

“So, it was really lucky that I didn’t go to a major hospital. Later, by chance, I treated a well-known patient in Shanghai, and word spread. And because I’m a female doctor, many prominent ladies specifically wanted to see me. In that sense, my gender actually became an advantage.”

With a few short sentences, she summarized two whole years—work and nothing but work.

The owner brought out the appetizer.

Shen Xi nodded lightly in thanks. After the owner went downstairs, she suddenly remembered something important: “Why didn’t you let me be involved in your father’s treatment?”

“I’ll be at the hospital tomorrow. Let’s not talk about that tonight,” he deflected.

That was fine. If she wanted to persuade him to change his mind, she’d need to analyze the medical records thoroughly and have Duan Meng help explain. Better to discuss business tomorrow.

The owner served the lamb chops.

He still remembered she liked lamb chops. He had pasta.

“You’re still avoiding meat? It’s okay to take a few bites once in a while.”

“My appetite’s not great,” he said with a smile.

Shen Xi picked up her knife and fork. While cutting into the lamb, she noticed how slowly he ate. Earlier, when discussing his father’s illness during the appetizer, she hadn’t paid attention to what he’d eaten. Now, Fu Tongwen stirred his pasta twice with his fork, but didn’t lift his hand again. He looked entirely disinterested in food. After casually poking at a bite, he put the fork down.

After dinner, Fu Tongwen seemed to have something urgent to attend to. He instructed his chauffeur to personally escort Miss Shen all the way to her doorstep. Standing by the car, after closing the door for her, he leaned slightly toward the window and said, “I can’t see you home today. Sorry.”

Shen Xi shook her head. “It’s only five minutes by car. There’s no need to drive me. I could walk.”

“Go to bed early when you get home,” he said softly from outside the window. “I hope you have a restful night full of good dreams.”

“Mm, you should rest too,” she replied, actually quite worried. “You don’t look very well.”

Fu Tongwen gave a small smile. “Still the same old me.”

As he waved, the car window automatically closed.

Shen Xi rested her head against the seat. As the car pulled away from the intersection, she quietly turned to look out the rear window.

Fu Tongwen was already getting into another car, surrounded by several people. All she saw were the hem of his coat and his leather shoes. The car door closed, and it drove off in the opposite direction.

Was he going to the mansion in the foreign concession? Or back to Liheli?

She hadn’t even asked if his visit to Shanghai was to accompany his father for the whole treatment process or just to take care of formalities. Would he return to Beijing once the treatment plan was finalized? Her palm pressed to her cheek—cold hand, warm face, chilly breeze, burning heart.

Outside the apartment at Liheli, more than a dozen people stood guard.

Fu Tongwen’s apartment there had long been unoccupied, only occasionally visited for phone installation or maintenance work. When people suddenly showed up today, the neighbors initially speculated whether Miss Shen had returned. But by evening, they dismissed the idea. The visitor turned out to be a man of considerable background, accompanied and protected by members of the Green Gang.

Someone opened the door for Fu Tongwen. Wan An had already been waiting inside and tried to assist him, but was brushed off. Fu Tongwen ascended the narrow wooden staircase alone. On the second floor, Tan Qingxiang and a man sitting on the sofa both stood up.

Fu Tongwen smiled slightly, noticing a sheet of stationery on the desk, with an empty ink bottle beside it.

“That letter’s for you. I didn’t dare touch it,” Tan Qingxiang said, helping him off with his coat, assisted by someone nearby.

Two grown men stood on either side, trying their best to remove the coat smoothly.

Once it was off, Fu Tongwen tried to unbutton his shirt collar with one hand but couldn’t manage it and had to continue letting others assist him. When his upper body was revealed, large patches of bruising and swelling were visible on his back and right shoulder.

“We still need to apply medicine,” he said. “I can’t even hold a fork.”

“Those students really went too far,” Tan Qingxiang said angrily. “And you wouldn’t let us fight back. I say some of those people must’ve been gangsters disguised as students.”

That afternoon, they had gone to the street near the hospital, intending to visit Shen Xi as per Fu Tongwen’s request, but were surrounded by student protesters. Someone shouted that a major tycoon, Fu Tongwen, was in the car. The students, agitated by rhetoric about warlords, traitors to the revolution, and enemies of the nation, smashed the vehicle.

Fu Tongwen didn’t allow any retaliation against the students, which led to his current sorry state.

Tan Qingxiang helped him back into a shirt and went downstairs to prepare ice packs.

“We were careless today. Feels like we walked into a trap,” Fu Tongwen said to the other man with a smile. “Fortunately, you weren’t in the car. If you’d just arrived in Shanghai and witnessed such violence, it might’ve frightened a gentleman like you.”

Zhou Lixun smiled. “I’ve seen worse in America. Just last month, a group of farmers burned a Black man alive. It was a big scandal. I was on my way to the port during the riot.”

Fu Tongwen handed back a tie to him. “Returning it to its rightful owner.”

Earlier, he had left in a hurry after answering a call on the first floor. His clothes had been torn in the scuffle, and his clean suit was still in the suitcase, unpressed. In desperation, he borrowed clothes from his friends: the shirt and coat from Tan Qingxiang, and the tie from Zhou Lixun.

“Thanking me isn’t enough. You need to tell me who you went to see. Qingxiang’s being all mysterious—I’ve been guessing all day.”

Fu Tongwen picked up the letter, held it out the window, and shook off the dust.

“A past lover,” he said.

Standing by the window, he was in the very spot where he used to stand in his youth. She must have also stood here before, gazing at the view.

He added, “A girl who could summon me at will—and dismiss me just as easily.”