Chapter 170
Time flies when you’re having fun, especially when you get older. One blink, and a year passes. Looking back at school days, a semester of just a few months felt like hundreds of days… endless.
It truly was endless, Cheng Tingyan, having re-experienced a semester, could attest to that.
But it couldn’t be helped, she had to go through the process again. Now that she had finished the first semester of first grade, having learned basic Pinyin and numbers, she could no longer pretend to be a clueless kindergartener, she could use “self-study” to skip a grade.
*Pinyin is the Romanization system used to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese using the Latin alphabet*
As for when and how to skip, she had the entire winter break to plan.
But there were other matters that couldn’t wait.
Cheng Tingyan looked at Liu Qiongfang on the hospital bed a few steps away, lying on her side, her face slightly flushed as she looked at her phone, a gentle smile on her face, Cheng Tingyan’s eyes darkened.
In the past few months since they got her custody back and moved, with Grandma at home every day, Liu Qiongfang hadn’t mentioned the Cheng family or Cheng Feiying, nor had she asked her to contact them. And with the little chubby bunny bringing back food and fun things from kindergarten, from shuttle tatting to knitting, every afternoon was filled with new activities. Liu Qiongfang also seemed to have gradually become more proactive, no longer as reluctant as at the beginning.
Everything seemed to be getting better, more stable, but Cheng Tingyan, having witnessed too many setbacks in her previous life, wouldn’t let her guard down.
In fact, everything was fine until winter break.
During the school months, Grandma took Liu Qiongfang to a hospital in the city, then found this hospital in another province. They had already been to this hospital several times, finally deciding on the treatment plan and surgery schedule. Now that it was winter break, they came directly to this hospital for the surgery.
Grandma rented an apartment near the hospital, she cooked, cleaned, and took care of everything there, then brought the food and necessities to the hospital, busy as a bee. They hired a caregiver at the hospital, and Grandma said Cheng Tingyan could come to the hospital or stay at the apartment, whichever she preferred.
In her previous life, it wasn’t until high school, when Cheng Tingyan joined a girl group and finally gained some financial independence from the Cheng family and Zhang Jin, that she could save enough money to take Liu Qiongfang to a better hospital, find a better doctor. But by then, it was too late, the doctor said if they had come a few years earlier, there might have been a greater chance of restoring the feeling in her lower limbs, now they could only suggest rehabilitation training to slow down muscle atrophy and prevent further deterioration. Later, when Cheng Tingyan went to university, she saved up more money and took Liu Qiongfang abroad for treatment, but there was still no hope. It was all because they missed the optimal time.
In this life, Grandma had some savings, and she sold the house in Jushan City, after paying off the debt to the Cheng family, there was still quite a bit left. Cheng Tingyan also got back the money from her two variety show appearances and the commercials, and Qin Sichao was very generous with her payment, she probably had even more money than Grandma now.
Cheng Tingyan supported Grandma’s decision to have Liu Qiongfang treated immediately. After the custody issue was resolved, she gave the money she received from the Cheng family to Grandma, suggesting she take Liu Qiongfang to a better hospital. But Grandma refused to use her money and saved it for her instead.
Cheng Tingyan had researched this hospital online before, the doctor they found was indeed one of the best in the country. This time, the surgery was scheduled quickly, the first stage was successful, and the initial post-operative period was also smooth. The doctor said if the following surgeries were also successful, there was a chance Liu Qiongfang could walk again.
It was good news, but who would have thought that trouble would follow shortly after?
During this time, with Grandma, the doctor, and the caregiver, Cheng Tingyan only came to visit for a short while every day when Grandma brought her food. But just a few days after the surgery, while she still needed help with everything, that person…
Having experienced her past life, Cheng Tingyan didn’t need to guess why Liu Qiongfang had that joyful look on her face.
As for whether the other party was Cheng Feiying, Cheng Tingyan was almost certain, it was him.
After all, a man who resorted to emotionally manipulating his daughter to keep her in his previous life, how could he completely give up and change after just a few months of being suppressed?
After realizing this, Cheng Tingyan spent more time at the hospital these past two days.
Perhaps because her six-year-old appearance was truly deceptive, Liu Qiongfang, seemingly head over heels in love again, didn’t even try to hide it from her. She was only slightly more restrained when Grandma was around.
But Cheng Tingyan felt that Grandma probably also noticed something. It was just that they were both being considerate, since she had just had surgery, they let her use her phone as a distraction from the pain.
As for later…
Cheng Tingyan didn’t know what Grandma would do, but she had already made up her mind.
Just as Cheng Tingyan’s eyes darkened and her heart sank, the smart watch on her wrist lit up.
It lit up, lit up again, and again…
A series of voice messages, all sixty seconds long.
Cheng Tingyan, putting on her Bluetooth earphones, couldn’t help but think of Wei Chengli, the last person she heard of who could send a string of sixty-second voice messages. Because her mom didn’t send him one of the lace flowers she made, he sent twenty-three sixty-second voice messages to her smart watch.
Now…
Cheng Tingyan listened, watching as the number of voice messages increased.
Could it surpass twenty-three? She was a bit curious.
Cheng Tingyan’s heart, which had sunk because of Liu Qiongfang’s strange behavior, gradually lifted, listening to the childish, slightly angry complaints.
The little chubby bunny, who didn’t want to go back to her hometown for the New Year, she was so cute.
Cheng Tingyan couldn’t help but smile; she could imagine the little chubby bunny rolling around on the bed, acting spoiled, as she sent those voice messages.
Ignoring Liu Qiongfang on the bed, Cheng Tingyan quickly walked out of the ward and found a quiet spot, she spoke softly into her smart watch.
Wei Maomao, after angrily rolling around on her bed and sending a bunch of voice messages to Wei Chengli, her anger mostly subsided, she looked at the row of sixty-second voice messages in her chat with Cheng Tingyan and felt a bit guilty for being so impolite. But before her guilt could turn into regret, she received a reply.
Sixty-second voice messages, one, another, and another…
Wei Maomao, burying her face in her pillow, couldn’t help but giggle.
Although she couldn’t change Wei Chengli’s mind about going back to their hometown for the New Year, at least she received some comfort from Cheng Tingyan, Wei Maomao felt encouraged.
Wei Maomao understood, money or not, going home for the New Year was a must. This trip back home, whether it was this time or next time, it was inevitable.
But whether there would be a next time wasn’t something Wei Chengli could decide alone.
After observing for a few days and confirming that something was definitely wrong with Liu Qiongfang, Cheng Tingyan lost interest in staying at the hospital. But she couldn’t just wander around, she could only read and daydream in the rented apartment near the hospital. The most interesting thing was exchanging messages with the little chubby bunny. But she didn’t know if it was because he was back in his hometown, busy with relatives and various matters, the messages from the little chubby bunny also decreased.
Although during her voice message rant about having to go back to their hometown, the little chubby bunny had said that Wei Chengli promised to bring her to visit Cheng Tingyan after the New Year if she behaved and didn’t cause trouble, but the time frame was vague, and the conditions were unclear, Cheng Tingyan didn’t have much hope for Wei Chengli’s promise.
But who would have thought…
She didn’t even have to wait until after the New Year…
Cheng Tingyan saw the little chubby bunny two days before New Year’s Eve, on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month.
Early that morning, Cheng Tingyan hadn’t even woken up yet, she was startled by a noise and sat up, she saw a small chubby face peeking through the half-open door, her eyes bright as she asked if she missed her…
She was almost scared to death, hehe, she didn’t dare to think… She truly didn’t dare to think…
Of course, it wasn’t just the little chubby bunny who came, Wei Chengli and Zhang Shilan were also there.
But only the little chubby bunny had a happy expression, looking so excited that she might take out some fireworks and set them off to celebrate.
After Wei Chengli, with a dark expression, and Zhang Shilan, with a helpless and hesitant expression, went to the hospital with Grandma, before Cheng Tingyan could even ask, the little chubby bunny started talking non-stop.
“My cousins are mean, they bullied me the last time I went back. I was very young then, I couldn’t explain it clearly, and Dad didn’t understand!”
“I said I didn’t want to go, they’re all mean, but Dad didn’t believe me. Dad even said Grandpa and Grandma missed me, hehe… They didn’t, they pinched me hard, they don’t like me, they wouldn’t miss me!”
“They smiled at Dad, smiled at Mom, and smiled at me too. But when Dad and Mom weren’t around, they bullied me!”
“Hmph, I have a smartwatch this time, I’ll go, I’ll let Dad see how mean they are, I don’t want to go there ever again!”
“When Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, and Mom were talking, I went to find my cousins, they said they watched our show and asked me if I earned a lot of money. I said yes, I earned a lot, I have a lot, and Dad also has a lot, he spends it all on me. Then they got angry, hahaha. I was recording the whole time, they said they also wanted to spend money, I told them to go find their own dad, my dad only spends money on me. Then they hit me, they…”
Cheng Tingyan’s heart clenched as she heard this, she grabbed the little chubby bunny, who was looking smug, and lifted her chin, turning over her hand. “Where did they hit you? Let me see!”
“My back, they’re mean, they only hit places that can’t be seen. But I’m smart, as soon as they hit me, I fell forward onto the ground…” Wei Maomao said, raising her chin proudly.
Cheng Tingyan was so angry that she almost fainted, she couldn’t help but spank Wei Maomao’s chubby butt. “Is that what you call smart?”
“You! You! You! Hit…” Wei Maomao said, covering her butt, she hopped away, her initially smug little face now as red as a tomato in boiling water.
“Me! Me! Me! I hit you, I’m hitting you.” Cheng Tingyan said, mimicking her, she reached out to grab the bunny. “Let me see, where did you fall? Your hand? Or your knees? You call yourself smart! How important are you, how important are they? A million of them falling off a cliff wouldn’t be as bad as you getting a single scratch! You… you’re using jade to smash tiles, and you’re proud of it!”
“I… I didn’t fall…” Wei Maomao said, her face red, she blocked Cheng Tingyan, who was trying to lift her pants. “I was wearing many layers, I just pretended to fall.”
Oh my god, truly… A million of them couldn’t compare to one of her, Yan Yan’s words were so touching. Wei Maomao’s heart was bubbling with joy, if it wasn’t inconvenient now, she would have rolled around on the bed to express her overflowing happiness.
Cheng Tingyan, still angry, saw the little chubby bunny’s smiling face. “You’re still laughing!”
“Yan Yan, Yan Yan, I like Yan Yan~~~” Wei Maomao, unable to roll around, chose to cling to her instead.
Cheng Tingyan: “Don’t change the subject, I won’t…”
“Yan Yan, Yan Yan is the best~~~ I’m so thirsty~~~” Wei Maomao said, seeing that some people were soft despite their harsh words, she acted cute.
“…“ Cheng Tingyan sighed helplessly, pinching the little chubby neck. “Milk or soy milk?”
