Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 20

“Hey, guys, move aside.” Wei Chuan unceremoniously shooed them away and sat down beside Meng Tang.

One of the guys who got kicked out let out a sigh. “My bad, is this your girlfriend, Brother Chuan?”

“No.”

“Brother Chuan, your girlfriend is so pretty too. Are you two here on vacation?”

“We’re just here to have fun,” Wei Chuan replied, humoring their enthusiasm. “But she’s not-”

“I’m actually a local from Yanqing. There’s not much to do around here.”

“Brother Chuan, what did you order? It’s on me.”

“No need, no need,” Wei Chuan quickly declined. “I’ve already paid.”

“Brother Chuan, can we take a photo together?”

“Sure,” Wei Chuan agreed generously. “But the table’s small, and there’s not enough space for all of us. My friend here isn’t comfortable either.”

“Thanks, Brother Chuan. We’ll leave right after the photo.”

Wei Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Meng Tang with a smile.

After the photo, the owner brought their food over and asked with a grin, “Young man, are you a celebrity?”

“No, I’m just a student,” Wei Chuan chuckled. “Boss, hurry up, your pot’s burning.”

The owner, fooled by his remark, turned to check the pot.

Meng Tang quietly sped up her eating pace. After the earlier commotion, nearby tables kept glancing their way.

Wei Chuan finished his meal in a few bites, and the two left the stall.

Once they reached the roadside, Meng Tang no longer felt the discomfort of being stared at.

Wei Chuan said, “Let me take you home.”

Meng Tang disliked troubling others and replied, “No need, I’ll just take a cab. You should head back to your hotel.”

“It’s nighttime. I’m not comfortable letting a girl go alone. Come on.” As he spoke, Wei Chuan called a ride on his phone.

Grandpa called at the same time. Meng Tang answered, saying, “I’m on my way back.”

After hanging up, she accidentally scrolled to Xie Lingyin’s number and murmured, “I wonder how Lingyin’s doing.”

“She should be home by now,” Wei Chuan said, glancing at his watch. “If you’re worried, check in with her before bed.”

That was all she could do.

When they arrived home, Wei Chuan didn’t enter.

Meng Tang bid him goodbye and stepped into the courtyard.

Grandpa was still awake and asked, “That kid brought you back?”

“Yeah.”

“What does his family do?”

Meng Tang shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know they’re pretty well-off.”

“Do you know anything about his family situation?”

Meng Tang caught on. “Grandpa, why are you asking all this?”

“Isn’t he your classmate? Just curious.”

Was he worried she was making bad friends? Meng Tang smiled. “I heard he has three older sisters, and his aunt is a doctor.”

“Three sisters?” Grandpa’s eyes widened. “Favoring sons over daughters? That kind of family isn’t great.”

Meng Tang was too tired to keep up the conversation and said, “Whether they’re good or not doesn’t concern us. You should get some sleep. Or if you’re really curious, ask him yourself tomorrow.”

“He’s coming again tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s getting addicted to coming here?” Grandpa muttered.

Meng Tang raised an eyebrow. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Grandpa waved his hand. “Go rest. I’ll ask him myself tomorrow.”

Meng Tang returned to her room and sent Xie Lingyin a message.

Xie Lingyin soon replied with a voice message, sounding relatively relaxed, so Meng Tang didn’t press further.

The next morning at eight, Grandpa personally knocked on her door, asking her to join him for some morning exercises.

“Your classmate was here yesterday, so I didn’t call you. It’s eight already, still not up?”

Afraid of being caught slacking off on physical training at school, Meng Tang hastily changed her clothes and went into the courtyard.

For an hour, she gritted her teeth and endured, but the old man still noticed something was off.

“You weren’t like this before. Have you been slacking at school?” the old man frowned.

Meng Tang hesitated, not daring to lie.

“Xiao Tang, do you think just because your skills are refined now, nothing else matters?”

“No,” Meng Tang whispered in protest. “I’ve been busy with schoolwork.”

“How many times have I told you? If your fingers lack strength, your cuts will be unsteady, the lines messy and weak, everything you carve will be trash.”

“If your wrists are weak, you won’t even be able to knead clay properly.”

“Large pieces rely on both hands and core strength. You’ve neglected your training, and now you’re making excuses.”

“I always thought you were diligent. Who knew you’d disobey me in secret? Hold out your hand.”

Aunt Fang, hearing the commotion from the kitchen, hurried out to speak up for Meng Tang. “What’s going on? She hasn’t even had breakfast yet. How can she have the strength to train?”

“This doesn’t concern you,” the old man said sternly.

Last time, Meng Tang hadn’t told him about the injury to her palm. Knowing it was her fault, she extended her right hand.

Just as the bamboo cane was about to come down, the front gate was knocked loudly.

The old man paused, signaling Aunt Fang to answer the door. At the same time, the cane struck.

A red welt appeared abruptly across her palm. Meng Tang bit her lip against the pain.

Two, then three lashes crisscrossed. Meng Tang hunched slightly but didn’t dare step back.

Wei Chuan, entering the central courtyard, saw Meng Tang being punished and immediately grabbed the cane.

“What are you doing?”

“Wei Chuan,” Meng Tang said through gritted teeth, urging him to step aside. “There are only three left, just let him finish.”

“No. This is corporal punishment. I won’t stand for it.” Wei Chuan squared his shoulders, confronting the old man.

Meng Yuchun snorted. “Move.”

“If I see it, I can’t ignore it. I know you’re teaching your granddaughter, and I have no right to interfere. But there are countless ways to discipline someone, must it involve physical pain? If her hands are injured, it’s Meng Tang who suffers.”

“Kid, you talk too much. Don’t think I won’t hit you just because you’re her classmate.”

Wei Chuan stood his ground. “Then hit me. My skin’s thick anyway.”

Meng Yuchun narrowed his eyes. “I strike her because pain makes her remember. If I let her grow weak and frail, she might as well quit this craft.”

Wei Chuan argued, “I’ve taught her basketball. Her hand strength is still strong. Even if she’s neglected training, she hasn’t slacked in that.”

The old man turned to Meng Tang. “I know what you’re thinking. You haven’t tackled large pieces yet, so you figure you can delay it.”

“You think because you carve small, intricate pieces, mastering hand techniques is enough.”

“But why did I make you practice horse stance with me before?”

“These four years in college, I forbade you from producing finished works because I wanted you to internalize what you’ve learned. Once you graduate and return, I’ll teach you large-scale carving.”

“Do you want all these years of effort to go to waste?”

Meng Tang straightened and extended her hand again. “No. I was wrong.”

The remaining three strikes fell without mercy. Wei Chuan was stunned, this grandfather and granddaughter were equally stubborn.

The old man put away the cane. “You excel at small pieces, but the smallest details reveal the grandest vision. Grandpa believes in you, you can do it.”

Meng Tang nodded, tears in her eyes.

The old man turned to Aunt Fang. “Go get the medicine.”

“Even without you saying it, I already knew,” Aunt Fang replied.

Meng Tang had been beaten plenty as a child, she was used to it.

The old man clasped his hands behind his back and headed to the backyard. Meng Tang let out a relieved sigh and sat down by the stone table.

Aunt Fang fetched the medicine, and Wei Chuan took the initiative to take it from her, saying, “I’ll handle it.”

With Aunt Fang needing to prepare lunch, she had no choice but to entrust it to him.

Wei Chuan sat down beside the stone table and glanced at Meng Tang. “Shall I apply the medicine for you?”