La luna brilla intensamente sobre las montañas desiertas y las flores llenan el cielo

Capítulo 48

Bao'er ran around busily, clearly enjoying the courtyard. While Feng Ning was fast asleep, Long San had already made Bao'er feel that this wonderful place was her new home. When Feng Ning saw Bao'er's joy and thought about the hardships Bao'er had endured with her, she made up her mind and decided that since someone was paying for it, she might as well stay. She would deal with it later.

She's forgotten the pain once the wound heals; she's long forgotten that the day before she thought, "Why not eat it if it's free?" and ended up getting sick. Now she's staying here even if it's free, but who knows what she'll lose in the process.

Feng Ning's health had always been good, but this illness came on suddenly and took several days to recover. During these days, she pondered how to resolve her situation with Long San. Should she send him away? To be honest, she couldn't bear to. She missed him so much; his presence filled her with such joy. Especially after this illness, she knew even more how precious it was to have him by her side. When she was raising Bao'er, she had to force herself to be strong every day; she dared not be sick, dared not be weak, dared not cry. But now that he was here, she felt at peace even if she stayed in bed all day.

Feng Ning thought that she might have really been holding on for too long, which was why she felt so exhausted after falling ill. But this also made her wary. See, the facts proved that he was the source of her weakness. She had been fine for so long, so why did she fall ill as soon as he arrived? The longer he stayed here, would she become weaker and weaker?

Feng Ning thought it over and over and decided that getting rid of Long San was the right thing to do. One day, while Bao'er was taking a nap, she went to Long San's study. This guy, in this small town and courtyard, had even set up a study for himself. Feng Ning stood at the door and pouted. He seemed determined to stay there long-term, and she couldn't let him have his way.

"Long San..." she pushed open the door and called out loudly to encourage herself.

Long San was looking down at the files when he heard her coming. He looked up, smiled, and waved to her: "Come on, why aren't you taking a nap with Bao'er?"

His smile softened Feng Ning's heart. She quickly coughed to regain her composure and said loudly, "I'm here to talk to you about serious business."

Long San's lips curled slightly as he stared intently at Feng Ning: "You look much better."

Feng Ning blushed under his gaze and quickly coughed again: "Don't interrupt, let's get serious."

"Okay, come here." Long San beckoned again, but Feng Ning shook her head. Long San said again, "Then sit down." Feng Ning shook her head again; she wanted to stand further away so she wouldn't be easily swayed by him.

Long San sighed and sat up straight, looking serious: "Then you go ahead and say it."

Feng Ning gritted her teeth and asked, "When are you leaving?"

Long San narrowed his eyes slightly and thought for a moment before saying, "You figured it out so quickly?"

Feng Ning nodded: "Yes, it's better to have a short pain than a long one. It has to be resolved eventually."

"Alright." Long San nodded, his willingness exceeding Feng Ning's expectations. He continued, "Go pack your luggage, and we'll set off once Bao'er wakes up."

Feng Ning was a little dumbfounded: "Do I have to help you pack your luggage? What does this have to do with Bao'er?"

“Since you’re willing to come home with me, you should naturally bring Bao’er with you. She’s asleep right now, so don’t disturb her. We’ll leave when she wakes up.”

"When did I say I was willing to go home with you?" Feng Ning exclaimed in surprise.

"Didn't you just say that yourself? You've figured it out, a short pain is worse than a long one. And you still asked me when we're leaving?" Long San said calmly.

Feng Ning was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. She took two steps forward, pointed at Long San, and said angrily, "You deliberately misinterpreted my words."

Long San was also taken aback: "Misinterpretation? Could it be that you were just trying to make me happy and lying to me?"

"I didn't lie to you. I was just asking when you're leaving."

"Yes, you said you've figured it out, haven't you? If you've figured it out, then you're asking when to leave. Doesn't that mean you want to leave with me?"

Feng Ning stamped her foot anxiously: "I've thought it through. I've realized that this is beyond my control. I can't bear to part with you. Anyway, we're bound to separate sooner or later. The longer we drag it out, the more heartbroken we'll be. Our relationship isn't just about liking each other. There's Bao'er, the mistakes I made in the past, my family, your family, and so many other messy things. So even if we're happy together, it's all useless. I..." She became more and more anxious as she spoke, but then she saw Long San smile.

"So you can't bear to part with me? You like me? You're happy with me?" Long San was very good at grasping the key points. Feng Ning said a lot, but he remembered several of them at once.

Feng Ning was a little confused by his words and paused for a moment: "We're talking seriously, right?"

“Yes.” Long Sanzheng said seriously, his face solemn. “I’m very serious.”

Feng Ning stared at him, then snapped out of her daze: "If you're serious, don't interrupt. Listen to me properly." Her face flushed red, whether from embarrassment or annoyance, it was hard to tell.

“I’m listening carefully to what you’re saying, and I’ve taken it all in. You can’t bear to part with me, you like me, and you’re happy with me,” Long San emphasized again.

Feng Ning narrowed her eyes, took a step forward, and punched him in the chest. This guy, she had no choice but to beat him up. Long San seemed prepared; he raised his hand, twisted her wrist, pulled her into his arms, and said, "Be careful."

Feng Ning twisted her wrist and thrust her elbow towards his chest. Long San blocked with his left hand and then deflected her arm to the right, pinning it to her side. Feng Ning stopped hitting him, her strength released, her eyes reddening, and she cried out, "You bullied me! All you Longs do is bully people! You all bully me! Do you think I, Feng Ning, am so easy to bully? Are you only satisfied when you've driven me to the brink of despair and left me with no way out?"

Long San was startled and hugged her to comfort her: "What's wrong? I was just teasing you. You're better now, and I wanted you to have some fun and be energetic."

"Is this funny? Why don't you let me tease you? Why do you tease me?" Feng Ning threw a tantrum, and tears actually came out.

"Okay, okay, I'll let you tease me. Come on, tease me however you want." Long San cupped her face, wiping away her tears while coaxing her.

“I don’t care to tease you,” Feng Ning shouted.

"Then I'm so pitiful." Long San smiled, showing no sign of pity.

"Anyway, you should leave now. Bao'er and I can manage on our own. If you want money or debts, wait until I have the silver. Right now, I can't conjure it up no matter what, so don't try to use that trick to get away with it again. You have to leave. If you stay here, I'll be heartbroken. If Bao'er stays with you for too long, she'll be heartbroken too when you leave. I can't let anyone hurt Bao'er's feelings anymore." Feng Ning slapped Long San's hand away, rubbed her eyes, and said it all in one breath.

Long San held her in his arms and asked softly, "You are my wife, a member of the Long family. How can a wife drive her husband away? We are a family, happy together, how could I be sad?"

His embrace was broad and warm, and his voice was so pleasant. Feng Ning nestled against his chest and felt like crying again: "But I have Bao'er."

"I will be good to Bao'er."

Feng Ning straightened up and looked into his eyes. Long San didn't blink, staring straight at her, and said again, "I won't make you sad. I will be good to Bao'er."

But Feng Ning still shook her head: "But no one in your family likes me?"

"You're not marrying them. Besides, I know my family. They just don't know you well enough. Given time, they'll naturally come to like you."

Feng Ning was still unsure: "But my family is a real problem."

"As long as you're on my side, I can naturally resolve the problem."

"But you were the ones who kicked me out."

"I was wrong, I didn't think things through back then." Long San regretted his past actions the most.

Feng Ning bit her lip: "No, you didn't think it through back then, and I don't trust you now either. You'll regret it later. You can talk so easily now that we're hiding here, but once we see your family, my family, and if I remember the past, or if the trouble I caused comes back to haunt us, you won't say these things today."

"Feng'er..."