Chapter 217
In today’s world, distance was no longer a barrier to communication.
Separation only meant physical distance; they could still be good friends, with more personal space, more time… to meet new people, to explore new interests, but they could still be good friends.
This was Cheng Tingyan’s thought.
But things didn’t always go as planned.
Cheng Tingyan had thought, after all these years of practically living together, even when she was filming, Maomao would visit, they were rarely apart.
So… although she deliberately created physical distance, she would still maintain close contact, at least until Maomao had more friends, more interests. As for the future, she would gradually create more space for others, while still keeping a special place for herself.
But something went wrong.
She had been sharing, asking, and being there for her. Even when she was busy, she would stay up late, making time for their chats. But after settling in, her contact with Maomao… decreased drastically.
It was mainly… the initiative from Little Maomao that decreased.
Cheng Tingyan couldn’t help but reflect.
Was it the cultural differences that made her sharing uninteresting?
Or was it because, for a twelve-year-old, the distant places, the unfamiliar names, they were no longer interesting?
Or… had the physical distance finally severed their connection? Not that she had become uninteresting, but that she, to Little Maomao, had become… uninteresting?
Although she had made the difficult decision to create some distance, to dilute that possibility, but now that it was happening, Cheng Tingyan felt… it was too fast.
Too fast…
She didn’t even realize when her shared photos of architecture and historical sites had become pictures of stray cats and dogs, her descriptions of universities replaced by local street food…
Wanting to retreat, but seeing the other party retreating even faster, she instinctively took a step forward.
It was… ridiculous…
Cheng Tingyan looked at her recent messages, all those cute animals and interesting food, she felt like she was losing her mind.
And the most ridiculous thing was…
Those cute animals, the interesting food, the local crafts, the beautiful scenery… they didn’t rekindle Little Maomao’s interest.
She, wanting to retreat, had taken a step forward, but the other party continued to retreat…
Cheng Tingyan didn’t know if she should be happy about her decision to study abroad or regret it.
Little Maomao’s enthusiasm faded quickly, but not completely.
They still contacted each other at least once a day. If Cheng Tingyan didn’t contact her, Little Maomao would initiate contact at night, asking about her day.
They could still talk about anything, but it wasn’t like before, spending hours on video calls. Every weekend, if they hadn’t had a voice or video call, Little Maomao would call on Sunday night.
It was like… the distance between them was originally zero, Cheng Tingyan secretly decided to take a step back, but after she took just one step, Little Maomao jumped back fifteen steps, creating a distance of sixteen steps, and it stayed that way.
Things seemed to be going according to plan.
But the process Cheng Tingyan thought would take months, even years, was completed in less than two months, it felt… strange.
Cheng Tingyan even wondered if Little Maomao had finally realized it and was angry at her for leaving, deliberately distancing herself. But she quickly dismissed the thought. Little Maomao’s unwavering support during those months of preparation, her constant contact during the first two chaotic months abroad, there was no way she would hold a grudge for so long…
So, was it just that a child’s attention span was short?
Cheng Tingyan, after all those years they spent together, couldn’t believe such a simple explanation.
Until…
Wen Dongyu complained in the group chat that he saw Little Maomao and her classmates on the street, he tried to call out to her, but she got on the bus and left, he cried, asking if she had abandoned him for new friends.
Little Maomao, seeing his message, got off the bus with her classmates at the next stop, waited for Wen Dongyu, and they all went to the amusement park together.
Then… the group chat was flooded with photos from Wen Dongyu.
A group of girls, smiling brightly, holding hands, waiting in line, playing games, eating ice cream…
Cheng Tingyan watched quietly, Little Maomao didn’t contact her at all that day, it wasn’t until very late at night, 9 PM, their usual “check-in” time, that she finally received a message from the little bunny.
Mmm, her own space, her own time, more friends, more new experiences… and they still maintained daily contact.
Life seemed to be going exactly as Cheng Tingyan had planned.
As the night deepened…
Cheng Tingyan looked through the photos in the group chat, again and again.
She knew what she had lost.
That unique bond, she had chosen to let it go.
But… she hadn’t expected that she, a twenty-something soul, would feel… this pang of sadness.
Little Maomao, her little chubby bunny, her precious little one, this was good, truly good.
Cheng Tingyan gently rubbed the enlarged photo of the smiling little bunny’s face on her phone screen, mmm… it wasn’t soft at all.
Life always moved forward, some things, once they started, they continued.
The thirteen-year-old Wei Maomao went to the same middle school as Cheng Tingyan, and Wen Dongyu also transferred there. Of course… according to Wen Xiang’s confession in the dads’ group chat, he had “donated” a significant sum to the school for his son’s admission.
But it didn’t stop Wen Dongyu from happily moving, with his newfound wealth, into their villa complex, and from then on, he spent most of his time at Little Maomao’s house, not at all embarrassed about being two years older but in the same grade.
Thanks to Wen Dongyu, the photo-sharing maniac, even though Little Maomao no longer actively shared her life with Cheng Tingyan, she could still see various photos of her in the group chat.
But… Dongdong, so cute when he was young, why was he becoming less and less adorable now!
Cheng Tingyan silently scrolled past a photo of Wen Dongyu, a large pancake in his mouth.
Even without a caption, Cheng Tingyan could tell that the crispy egg pancake was made by Little Maomao… and the coconut and red bean cake with shredded coconut on the table, also made by Maomao!
Cheng Tingyan looked at her own desk, piled with books and her laptop, devoid of snacks, she closed her eyes.
Perhaps exasperated by Wen Dongyu’s antics, when Cheng Tingyan returned to China that day, she knocked on the Wei family’s door and saw Zhao Can, who should be at university in Luhai City, sitting on a small stool in Little Maomao’s house, having her hair braided…
Cheng Tingyan… didn’t even react.
But while Cheng Tingyan was unfazed, others were not.
Zhang Shilan, opening the door and seeing Cheng Tingyan, her face lit up, while the others in the living room erupted in excited chatter.
The chaos started with Cheng Tingyan’s arrival, Wen Dongyu, holding a glass of milk, his hand trembled, startled, Zhao Can, also surprised, moved her leg, bumping into Wen Dongyu’s hand, spilling the milk onto the unlucky person next to her.
In the next second…
“Ahhh!!! Wen Dongyu, are you trying to kill me?!” Zhao Can shrieked, jumping up from the stool, but her braid, being held by Wei Maomao, pulled her back down, her eyes filled with tears. “Maomao… my head…”
Truly… chaotic and unfortunate.
Cheng Tingyan, holding her suitcase, watched the commotion from afar, that little girl, seemingly taller than in Wen Dongyu’s recent photos, she glanced at Cheng Tingyan, then quickly squatted down, helping Zhao Can wipe the spilled milk from her pants, whispering apologetically.
What was she saying?
Cheng Tingyan strained her ears.
It was a bit too far…
Cheng Tingyan looked down at her shoes, she hadn’t even changed them yet, she pursed her lips, slightly annoyed.
Zhang Shilan, also flustered by the sudden chaos, quickly found a pair of slippers for Cheng Tingyan, then rushed over to help the child clean up and change.
Cheng Tingyan watched as Zhang Shilan took Zhao Can away, Little Maomao… hesitated, then followed them.
She did hesitate, right?
After the three disappeared down the corridor, Cheng Tingyan looked down at the slippers.
Cream-colored slippers…
Not the ones she used to wear…
Cheng Tingyan paused, then changed into them.
People changed, so did shoes.
Wen Dongyu quickly wiped the spilled milk and hopped over. “Yan Yan, it’s October, are you on holiday?”
“No, I came back for something.” Cheng Tingyan said, shifting her feet, the slippers were a bit too big.
“What is it? You’re so busy, I heard from Maomao that you’ve only been back once in the past year.” Wen Dongyu asked, leaning closer. “Is it something I can help with?”
Cheng Tingyan, seeing his familiar gesture, smiled for the first time since entering. “Not for now, I’ll tell you if I need your help.”
Actually, Cheng Tingyan wasn’t sure if she would need it.
Tomorrow, in her previous life, the first Saturday after the National Day holiday, was the day Zhang Shilan died.
Last month, Cheng Tingyan had casually mentioned those two culprits to He Rongzheng, confirming that one was in jail, the other in a psychiatric hospital. The one in jail, her sentence should have ended, but when Cheng Tingyan asked a few months ago, He Rongzheng said she had committed another offense and her sentence was extended. This time, he gave the same answer. Cheng Tingyan didn’t care why, she only cared about the safety of her loved ones.
The one in jail couldn’t get out, the one in the psychiatric hospital was also still there. Although things were different in this life, but at this crucial point in her previous life, when the Wei family fell apart, Cheng Tingyan still wanted to be here.
Her studies could wait, but Little Maomao’s mom, there was only one.
