Water and Fire~Chapter 146.1: The Finale

 

Chapter 146.1: The Finale 

After a pause, Ren Yan's voice deepened. "But this matter might implicate Tan Shen."

Chu Qianmiao patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're not doing this to settle a personal grudge. It's the right thing to do. After all, no matter who you are, you must take responsibility for your mistakes."

The hesitation that had been lingering between Ren Yan's brows faded. He needed someone to reassure him that what he was doing was not wrong.

Chu Qianmiao smiled at him. "Grandma just called me and asked me to come over for dinner tonight."

Ren Yan was stunned. "But I have something to do tonight. My uncle's lawyer wants to meet me. After work, take a taxi to Grandma's. After dinner, when Grandma is asleep, come back to our house and wait for me."

He said "come back to our house" so naturally that Chu Qianmiao didn't hear anything worth refuting.

After work, Ren Yan and Chu Qianmiao went their separate ways. Chu Qianmiao took a taxi to her grandmother's house for dinner, while Ren Yan went to meet with his uncle's lawyer.

The lawyer's name was Lu, and he managed his uncle's family trust. Ren Yan met with Lawyer Lu, who pulled two documents from his briefcase and handed them to him. One was another copy of his uncle's will, and there was another document. As Ren Yan flipped through the documents, shock welled up in his eyes.

After flipping through the documents, he looked up at Lawyer Lu, his eyes still swirling with shock that he couldn't quite quell.

Lawyer Lu nodded. "Yes, everything is just as you see it."

Ren Yan tried hard to suppress his shock as Lawyer Lu told him, "Your uncle made two wills. One, written before Tan Shen turned thirty, instructed me to manage the family trust and divide the monthly income into three parts, to be transferred to your grandmother, you, and Tan Shen's accounts."

"The other will, your uncle instructed me to make, along with the document you hold, after Tan Shen turns thirty. Tan Shen turned thirty last week, but I was on a business trip. I returned yesterday, but I haven't been able to contact him. His phone is also unreachable, so I had to contact you first, and you can pass on the message to Tan Shen."

That evening, Chu Qianmiao dined with his grandmother, told her a story, and coaxed her to sleep.

Before her grandmother lay down for sleep, she murmured to Chu Qianmiao, "I think it was Xiaoshen's 30th birthday a few days ago. I can't remember the exact date. I called him, but couldn't get through. Xiaoshen hasn't called me lately either. I wonder if something happened to him."

Chu Qianmiao's heart skipped a beat, but she kept a smile on her face and offered comfort to her grandmother.

"No, he's old enough to take care of himself. He must just be busy with work. Don't worry, Grandma. Sleep well."

She managed to coax her grandmother to sleep, then got up and went back to the house across the street. Lying on the bed, reading a book while waiting for Ren Yan, she suddenly noticed her eyelids collided.

She was awakened by a kiss from Ren Yan on her eyelid.

She could tell immediately that Ren Yan's expression was different from usual. But she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

She remembered her grandmother's words before she fell asleep and quickly told Ren Yan.

Ren Yan paused. This was the second person today who had said they couldn't reach Tan Shen.

On the way home, he asked someone about Tan Shen's situation. It was said that the takeover bid had failed, leaving Yingji with huge losses. Yingji had fired Tan Shen and, along with it, shoved a lot of debt onto him, forcing him to figure out how to handle it himself. He thought Tan Shen might have turned off his phone, worried about being chased for debt.

Chu Qianmiao, after hearing this, was speechless for a long time. When she spoke again, she warned Ren Yan, "Don't tell Grandma the truth. She probably wouldn't be able to handle it. Just tell her that Tan Shen is on another business trip."

Ren Yan nodded in agreement. Then he raised his lip, "You look more like your grandmother's child now."

After a pause, he asked Chu Qianmiao, "Why don't you ask what my uncle's lawyer told me tonight?"

Chu Qianmiao smiled and said, "He's your uncle's lawyer. What he told you must be your family affairs. Why should I ask?"

Ren Yan sat down in front of her, looked into her eyes, and whispered sweet nothings, "Marry me, and my family affairs will become yours."

Chu Qianmiao smiled and pushed his flirtatious face away. "Why do you always seem so careless when you propose? A diamond ring, kneeling down? You don't even need to ask, you just force it with your mouth?"

When Ren Yan heard her words, he immediately stood up and left the bedroom for the study. He returned immediately, holding a velvet box in his hands. He opened the box while Chu Qianmiao, half-slumped, half-leaning against the headboard, was nearly blinded by the pigeon-egg-shaped diamond ring inside.

Ren Yan, holding the velvet box, was about to kneel down. Chu Qianmiao quickly jumped up from the bed to stop him. "Hey, stop, stop, stop! It's too late today. I ate a lot of fish for dinner. I heard it's going to rain tomorrow. Forget it, I'll just say it. I haven't decided whether to marry you yet. Don't kneel, don't kneel! It's so awkward. How about this, Teacher Ren, let's go earn your labor fees?"

Ren Yan glared at Chu Qianmiao for a moment, his eyes narrowed. Then he closed the velvet box, placed it on the bedside table, and picked up Chu Qianmiao to work hard.

After finishing his work, he gently stroked Chu Qianmiao's slightly damp temples and asked, pleadingly and helplessly, "What do you want me to marry you?"

Chu Qianmiao leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. After listening for a while, she said, "Now I feel like we're no different from a married couple. We're deeply connected, loving, and yet we both maintain our own independence. So, I don't have any particular urgency or desire to get married."

She leaned against his chest and looked up, asking, "What about you? You used to be so afraid of marriage, so why are you so eager to get married now?"

She had asked him this question before, and he had answered it before. But she always felt that his answers didn't touch her heart, making her hesitate to make up her mind about marriage.

Ren Yan gave her a long kiss on the forehead, as if searching for a good answer.

Then he finally found the beginnings of the answer.

"I used to hate this world, I hated living like this. But then I met you. You're like a little sun, and you've made me love this world, love my current life."

He seemed to have found the ideal state to express his feelings, his expression growing increasingly peaceful and content. "I like this ordinary life, and I'm beginning to yearn for it: husband and wife, children, the daily necessities of life, the mundane world. These are all things I've been missing. Now I want to make up for what I've lost. I want to make up for the regrets of my parents' rift, the regrets of not having family happiness with them."

He became talkative, a rare occurrence.

"I want to start a family with you, and have a daughter as adorable as An'an. We'll support each other, communicate openly, and we'll help our daughter grow up and teach her to be an upright person."

His voice grew hoarse as he spoke, clearly overcome with emotion.

"I want a bond with you, a lifelong one. I want to take responsibility for your life, and I want you to take responsibility for mine."

Chu Qianmiao thrust herself upwards and pecked him on the lips. "You're quite eloquent today. I've decided to raise your labor fee to three hundred yuan." She snuggled back into Ren Yan's embrace, resting her head on his chest. "I'm quite touched by what you just said. Maybe if you keep asking for marriage, I might even agree one day."

She fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.

He looked down at her long, thick, and dense eyelashes. They were like little fans, motionless, yet they felt like they fanned his heart, tickling him and making him willing to do anything.

He gently stroked her cheek, thinking, "That's okay. I'll just ask for marriage a little longer and wait for her."

The harder it is to find someone, the more it feels like the whole world is searching for them. Over the past few days, Ren Yan noticed that many people had reported that they couldn't contact Tan Shen. Just then, Tan Shen, seemingly the one being sought by thousands, contacted him.

Tan Shen's voice on the phone was unusually calm, almost to the point of depression. When he called Ren Yan, there was none of his usual hostility or snarky tone.

He even called him "Brother" with genuine emotion. This was a warmer attitude than ever before.

He said, "Brother, a lot of people are looking for me now—debt collectors, investigators, those looking for revenge. I can't stay home anymore, I want to go out and hide. I'm at the highway toll booth right now. Can you come and give me some money and some clothes?"

Ren Yan wanted to tell Tan Shen that hiding wasn't the answer, and escaping wouldn't erase his mistakes. Debts could be repaid, but mistakes had to be taken responsibility for. He shouldn't hide away and evade investigation.

But he realized that some things weren't meant to be said over the phone.

After a moment's hesitation, Tan Shen spoke again.

He said to Ren Yan, "Brother, if you don't want to send me money and clothes, just come over and talk to me. I can't let Grandma see me like this; she'll be worried. And there's no one else I can see. It's ironic. I've fought you my whole life, but in the end, when I'm down and out, you're the only one I can see."

His voice died in his throat as he said the last part. It felt like needles piercing his flesh. He knew it hurt, but he pretended to be indifferent and chatted with everyone.

Ren Yan sighed softly and said to Tan Shen, "Tell me which highway exit you're at, and I'll come find you." He paused, then picked up the document Lawyer Lu had handed him and looked at it again. He told Tan Shen, "That's great. I have something to tell you, too."

It was almost time to get off work when he received the address from Tan Shen. Ren Yan had booked a high-end restaurant for tonight, a large bouquet of air-freighted roses, and a violin performance. He was wearing a suit that made him look his most handsome and stylish, and the diamond ring he'd prepared long ago lay in his pocket. He planned to propose to Chu Qianmiao tonight, down on one knee to the melodious and lyrical sound of a violin.

His car had license plate restrictions today, and he had borrowed Lei Zhenzi's car in advance, fearing he'd be late rushing to the restaurant after work.

He was driving to his impromptu appointment with Tan Shen, thinking that if he could finish his business quickly, he might still be back at the restaurant in time.

But just in case, he called Chu Qianmiao on the way to let her know he might be late because he had something to attend to. Chu Qianmiao was in a meeting at the time, so she didn't give him much time to explain what it was; she simply said, "Okay, I'll be waiting."

They both hung up.

Chu Qianmiao, for her part, assumed Ren Yan would be quick on his errand. After the meeting, she took a taxi to the western-style restaurant.

But inside, she waited and waited. A large bouquet of air-shipped roses arrived, a tuxedoed violinist arrived, and she listened to endless melodious world-famous music. Yet, Ren Yan's work wasn't done, and he still hadn't arrived.

From all the signs, Chu Qianmiao had already guessed what Ren Yan was planning to do tonight. She figured everyone else in the restaurant had guessed as well. But they must have guessed even more, even beginning to secretly sympathize with her. This was supposed to be a proposal, but now only the heroine was there, and the hero hadn't shown up yet. While the heroine waited calmly with a faint smile on her face, she must have felt helpless and anxious. After all, it looked like the hero might have deserted at the last minute.

While waiting, Chu Qianmiao called Ren Yan twice, wanting to check on how things were going. Ren Yan, presumably busy, didn't answer. But after the first call, he actually texted back, telling her he'd just arrived at the agreed location and it might be a while before she got home. If she was hungry, order something to eat first, and don't wait around.

Chu Qianmiao smiled and thought, of course she'd wait for him.

But she waited for a long time, and when she called Ren Yan again, she found his phone was turned off. She began to feel uneasy.

The whole night of waiting seemed so long and strange. She began to regret not asking Ren Yan what he was up to before leaving get off work that afternoon.

She dialed Ren Yan's number again and again, hoping to turn it back on. The more she dialed, the more anxious she became, the more she couldn't help but let her thoughts run wild. She also became more and more convinced that if he said he had something to do, she would definitely ask what it was, who he was with, where he was going, and how she could contact him at any time.

As she dialed, her phone suddenly vibrated violently. She was startled, then delighted, thinking it was Ren Yan calling back. But then she felt disappointed. The caller was actually Lei Zhenzi.

Seeing Lei Zhenzi's name flashing on the caller ID, Chu Qianmiao felt a faint sense of panic. The person she'd been waiting for didn't show up, and then someone she hadn't been waiting for suddenly appeared—not a good sign in a TV drama.

She answered the call and greeted Lei Zhenzi.

Up to that point, the world had remained normal.

But the next moment, Lei Zhenzi spoke, and Chu Qianmiao felt the world spin.

"Qianmiao, hurry to the hospital! Ah Ren's in trouble!"

Chu Qianmiao immediately stood up.

But she didn't. Her legs and feet gave way, defying her command. She barely took half a step before collapsing to her knees.

The waiter hurried over to help her up, his face filled with silent sympathy. They really thought she was traumatized by her man's desertion and couldn't face it.

But compared to the tragic plot the waiters imagined, hearing that Ren Yan had been in an accident and was in the hospital truly broke her heart. She would rather have been abandoned by someone who had deserted her than have heard that he was in trouble.

She braced herself, telling herself not to panic, and headed straight for the hospital in a taxi. On the way, she heard Lei Zhenzi frantically and incoherently telling her something.

"That bastard Tan Shen tricked A Ren out and met him at the highway exit. He then tricked A Ren into driving him onto the highway. After a while, he started to act recklessly and grabbed the steering wheel, saying he was now broke and ruined, and that it was all A Ren's fault. He wanted to die with A Ren. This crazy lunatic, this crazy lunatic, wanted to kill A Ren the same way A Ren's parents died, and die with him. This perverted bastard, he was deliberately torturing A Ren like this."

Besides Lei Zhenzi's narration, Chu Qianmiao heard a crunching sound. It took her a while to realize that it was actually her teeth chattering. Every bone in her body seemed to tremble, her heartbeat so rapid it was practically a line.

She was anxious to hear the result, yet dreaded hearing a bad one.

She gripped her phone, ticking it.

Amidst the creaking noises, Lei Zhenzi continued.

"Then the car crashed into a guardrail, and someone called the police, who took them to the hospital."

When Chu Qianmiao heard this, her head buzzed, and the entire world blurred and distorted before her eyes at an extremely fast pace. She used her willpower to control herself, not panicking, not crying. This was not the time for a dizzy spell.

She took a deep breath, regaining her composure. Between gasps, she asked Lei Zhenzi, "And then, how is Ren Yan now?" She was surprised she could still analyze the situation at such a moment. "How do you know all this?"

Lei Zhenzi spoke quickly and garbledly. "Ren's car has license plate restrictions today. He was afraid he'd be late for your date tonight, so he borrowed my car. My car has a dashcam that automatically syncs to the cloud. My phone number is also in the car. A passerby called an ambulance and then called me. I don't know exactly how Ren is doing now. I'm rushing to the hospital."

Chu Qianmiao faintly heard a child's baby voice after Lei Zhenzi's voice faded, saying, "Don't worry. Take your time."

She heard Lei Zhenzi turn his head away and say, "Thank you, An'an. An'an, be good." Then his voice rose again.

His voice was heavy, the words choking in his throat, each one needing to be forced out. "Qian Miao, it sounds like Ren Yan might not be optimistic. Be prepared."

Lei Zhenzi hung up the phone. Chu Qian Miao hugged herself tightly.