Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 41

Originally, I had agreed to stay at Yiting’s place for two days. We had planned a day trip to Jiufen on the second day, followed by some night market hopping and other activities.

But the stack of plans was all ruined by the sudden arrival of my girlfriend, who showed up that morning to pick me up!

As soon as Siqi heard I wanted to go home first, she immediately volunteered to “pick me up.” While I was excitedly wondering how she would “pick me up,” a brand new RV surprisingly appeared at Yiting’s doorstep the next morning! Not only were Yiting’s eyes wide, but I was also super surprised!

When Siqi got out of the driver’s seat and walked over to my side to take my luggage, Yiting’s eyes widened even more. I even thought her eyeballs were about to pop out.

“What exactly is your neighbor’s background?”

She took off her incredibly cool sunglasses, winked at me in front of Yiting, and said with an intimate smile, “Is Princess Xiaoning back to reality now?” Then she carried the suitcase I had brought and put it in the car.

Seeing this, Yiting immediately whispered in my ear, “Xiaoning! Your neighbor is looking at you weirdly…”

“No way?” I smiled somewhat awkwardly, “Just, like you, a bestie!”

“Is that so?” She looked confused. Under the pressure of her gaze, I continued to look at the ground and feign innocence. “Wait a minute! You said last night that you liked someone, so is she…”

I frowned, knowing this was not the time to explain.

“Anything else?” Siqi pointed to the back trunk and asked.

“Oh! No, just one suitcase and a backpack.”

I grabbed Yiting’s hand and whispered, “I’ll explain the situation with my neighbor to you later. For now, please don’t jump to conclusions, okay?”

“Oh, oh.”

Having no time to deal with Yiting’s doubts, I got into her car and waved goodbye to Yiting before leaving.

“Where did you get this car? And you actually came all the way to my classmate’s house to pick me up, I was super shocked when you called me just now!” I pouted, complaining while buckling my seatbelt.

She curled her lips, “If I told you this car is mine, would you believe it?”

“Yours?” Although it wasn’t a very expensive import, it was… such a large, new car, it must have cost seven or eight hundred thousand [NTD]!

“Yes, my dad gave it to me in college. I’ve kept it at a friend’s place and asked her to help me maintain it. I haven’t touched it for about a year, I guess? The car runs quite smoothly.”

She is tall, and she looks incredibly handsome driving. I was captivated by her style, and it took a while before I realized, “W-Where are we going?” This wasn’t the way back to school!

“I was originally going to take you home first, and then bring you back to my place. Unfortunately, a sudden situation has come up. I just received news… You’ve been to my old house, you know it’s best to drive to get there.”

Back, back to your house! Taking me! “Tao Siqi, you… why didn’t you tell me yesterday!”

“I’m sorry, it was truly a sudden change of plans.” She pushed her sunglasses up, her face full of apology. “I was planning to find time in the next day or two to take you home… but my aunt called yesterday saying my mom was rushed to the emergency room, and she urged me to hurry back and check on her. Since you said you needed to take things back to the dorm today, I got the car to pick you up and head home along the way.”

As soon as she mentioned her mother being in the emergency room, the small spark of anger instantly vanished. “Is your mom okay?”

“I heard she suddenly had a high fever close to 40 degrees last night. She was given an IV drip and is now resting at home. Her condition is stable.”

Knowing the elder was fine, I first felt relieved, but then another, more worrying reason came to mind. “Then… is Tao Yi’an at home?”

She gave me a teasing smile in return. “You should be asking when he won’t be at home.”

True! He has mobility issues. “Oh my! So you still intend for me to confront him face-to-face!”

“I think it’s better not to hide this kind of thing. Plus, I understand Yi’an; no matter what person, thing, or matter he faces, if he wants it, he always shows great perseverance.”

Just seeing his focused expression while drawing, I could probably guess Tao Yi’an’s patience and persistence—to put it bluntly, stubbornness!

“You’ll still have chances to see each other next semester. You only rejected him verbally and haven’t let him know that your heart belongs to someone else, so he will still hold onto hope.”

The mention of “holding onto hope” made me shiver. “Sigh… it’s not that he’s bad, but…”

“Xiaoning, let me ask you a question… it might be a bit sharp.”

I looked at her focused profile as she drove, “It’s okay, ask away.”

“If you had met a physically healthy Yi’an, would you still choose to be with me?”

I froze for a moment, suddenly feeling a sense of insult! “I would!” My tone was stronger than usual. “I’m not rejecting Tao Yi’an because of his leg… and although I did hesitate about a same-sex relationship; I genuinely fell for you! And you treat me so well…”

“Mhm, I’m sorry, I admit the question was a bit harsh; I apologize.” She reached for my hand, and I noticed she was also trembling. “The reason I asked is that Yi’an must be harboring the same doubt in his heart… Now that I know your answer clearly, I can face him with more confidence, and so can you.”

“Siqi…”

She gently pulled the corners of her mouth, “When we meet them later, just stay by my side. If you’re not sure how to answer a question, just keep silent. Leave all the pressure to me… It might be tough to endure, so be mentally prepared.”

After all, she hadn’t been home in three years, and I understood that the reproach she might face was far greater than anything I could imagine.

But, I am willing to face it with her.

I squeezed her hand back. The car drove through a secluded neighborhood and arrived at the detached mansion I had visited a few times before. The gate was open, perhaps they had been notified, and she confidently drove the car into the courtyard driveway, stopping right in front of the main entrance of the house.

Although I had been here twice, I had only seen Tao Yi’an. I hadn’t met their parents, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

She adjusted her scarf, and her sunglasses hung casually on her collar, “Let’s go, let’s go see my mom first. If my dad isn’t home, things should go much smoother.” Hearing “if he isn’t home” somehow slightly eased my psychological pressure.

She confidently took my hand. Our fingers interlaced as we walked into the mansion, and the atmosphere felt off. There was no one in the living room on the first floor. Before we went upstairs, we ran into the housekeeper, Auntie. She glanced at me, but when she saw Siqi, she looked surprised, as if she had seen a ghost… I almost forgot it was the Lunar New Year holiday.

“Where’s my mom?”

“Madam is resting in her room… Miss, you, you two…”

“Mhm, my friend,” she said lightly. The housekeeper Auntie’s gaze eventually locked onto me, likely confirming if the person in front of her was the same one Tao Yi’an had brought home.

I held the amethyst hidden beneath my turtleneck and felt that the atmosphere this time was even more stagnant than when I had visited before. It was like an invisible pressure was placed on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Siqi led me down the long corridor, and I realized she was taking me to that large, window-facing room!

“W-Wait! Not there!”

“Hmm?” Siqi pointed to the room at the end of the corridor, “But my mom’s room is definitely…”

“That side has been converted into Tao Yi’an’s room; it’s not there now!”

“Is that so?” So she didn’t know. I pulled her away from that room, guessing it must be on the other side. I didn’t expect that the owner who hadn’t been back in so long would be less familiar with the house than me, the guest!

While we circled the second floor of the mansion, we hoped not to run into Tao Yi’an. There were too many rooms here, creating a feeling that we could bump into him at any moment. We arrived at the other side, which was her dad’s room. I then learned that her parents always slept separately.

“Will Tao Yi’an be inside?”

She curved her lips into a smile, “Even if he is inside, you don’t need to be afraid! You’ve already made things so clear to him.”

Y-Yes, that’s true! But if he finds out that I’m actually with his sister, I just feel like he will be greatly devastated.

“Besides, I’m here by your side; don’t worry too much.”

Isn’t it the other way around? It’s because you’re here that I’m more worried! I smiled bitterly, letting her lead me. The door to the room was right in front of us.

Please, please don’t let me meet Tao Yi’an at this hour. It’s almost noon, he should be quietly eating alone in the dining room, right? Please don’t let us see each other just like that!

I kept praying in my heart, and with every step closer to the door, my heartbeat quickened. I closed my eyes as if trying to avoid the inevitable!

Then, I heard a vague, low conversation coming from inside the room.

Siqi confidently walked into the room. The two people inside quickly stopped talking because of our arrival. I opened my eyes and saw a very comfortable, antique-style large bed.

And right by the bed was that electric wheelchair that I was so familiar with.

He was here.

Tao Yi’an turned his head, and his face turned pale the moment his eyes met mine.

What a pity… things didn’t go as hoped.

“So you still remember to come home.”

The speaker was Tao’s mother. She was lying in bed, pouting, with a bowl of half-eaten porridge beside her. Her tone was somewhat cold, even a little helpless. I thought, thank goodness, at least she didn’t fly into a rage the moment she saw Siqi.

“Mhm, I came back to see you.” She briefly let go of me. I stayed where I was and lowered my head, not daring to look at Tao’s mother, and even less daring to look at Tao Yi’an. “Are you feeling better? Auntie told me you were rushed to the emergency room yesterday…”

“I’ve been in and out of the hospital more than once in these three years, but only this time did it blow you back home; is that so? Have you met your aunt?”

“Yes. Mom, let me introduce you, this is my friend. We are neighbors and travel companions. Her surname is Yu, and her name is Yu Xiaoning.”

“Hello, Mrs. Tao.” I took a small step forward and bowed. After the initial shock of the sudden encounter, Tao Yi’an seemed to have grasped the relationship between Siqi and me to some extent. He turned his head away, barely concealing his disappointment.

“Mhm, if she’s just a friend, isn’t this an inappropriate time to bring her home as a guest?” Mrs. Tao looked at me, but her words were directed at Siqi, clearly implying something. “Ms. Yu, I apologize, our disobedient daughter is always saying one thing but meaning another. Since you are a guest, please feel free to find a seat? I’m sorry for the lack of proper hospitality.”

I politely said, “Not at all,” and glanced at the sofa in the distance, quickly giving up the idea of finding a seat. I listened to Mrs. Tao and Siqi talking about the things they hadn’t been able to say over the past few years. The atmosphere between mother and daughter was surprisingly peaceful, which lifted a huge weight off my chest.

“You and her…” Tao Yi’an suddenly spoke, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Is that so? She is the reason why you made that phone call?” He had turned to face me at some point and was speaking to me.

The bitter smile on his lips revealed his regret and bitterness.

He asked again, not paying any attention to his mother or sister. “Have you two known each other for a long time?”

“Mhm, mhm.” I held my breath, knowing there was no need to hide anything now. “Sister Tao… Siqi moved in across the hall from me at the beginning of the semester. We’re on the same floor.”

His lips curved into a strange arc, “So that’s why you asked me how tall she was, and why you acted so surprised when you found out Chu was my sister.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t need to apologize… I can understand why you weren’t willing to tell me outright; it’s too awkward.” He laughed self-deprecatingly, “I can’t believe it turned out this way? Me and her…”

I could only remain silent.