Why Does First Love Feel This Sweet? - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The Web of Care and the Madman’s Heart

After seeing Sheng Yi standing there completely stunned, Rong Yu let out a soft chuckle. He reached out, patted Sheng Yi’s head, and took the opportunity to back away.

As Sheng Yi thawed from his frozen state, Rong Yu had already climbed out of bed. In the dim light, the clean white of his shirt was faintly visible; the man had returned to his pristine, untouched aura.

Rong Yu flicked on the warm yellow nightlight on the bedside table and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He looked down at Sheng Yi, his tone Brook-no-argument: “Lie down and sleep. We’ll talk about anything else tomorrow.”

Sheng Yi obeyed instinctively. He lay back on the pillow, his head tilted to watch the man by the bed. Rong Yu leaned over to tuck him in, resting his palm against Sheng Yi’s forehead for a moment. “You were out for a long time today, and your constitution hasn’t fully recovered. If you feel unwell in the middle of the night, come to the next room and find me.”

“Okay.”

Rong Yu left the light on and the door slightly ajar. Looking at that crack in the door, Sheng Yi felt a small “breathing space” open in his own chest. He curled up, pressing the tip of his nose against the quilt, inhaling the crisp, cool scent Rong Yu had left behind. It felt as though a giant, gentle hand was stroking him.

This scent told him that even without a family, at least Rong Yu was by his side. Just as Rong Yu said—if he cherished it, Rong Yu could be his everything.

…

The day after the “wedding,” Sheng Yi convened the first-ever Family Meeting.

Under the morning light in the lush courtyard, the “newlyweds” sat opposite each other at an iron table, drinking morning tea.

“First item on the agenda,” Sheng Yi said, wearing navy silk pajamas and crossing his legs with the air of a head of household. He tapped a pencil against a notebook on his knee. “The issue of property notarization for this formal marriage. I forgot when we got the certificate yesterday, but how did you forget too?”

Rong Yu, dressed in grey loungewear, listened quietly through the steam of his black tea.

“We didn’t notarize anything. If we divorce, you’d have to give me half your assets,” Sheng Yi tapped the table to command attention. “Xiao Yu, you’re too unguarded. Even I know basic legal common sense. If you’re this careless, you’ll suffer once you’re out in society.”

Sheng Yi sighed, shaking his head at the man who seemed entirely unconcerned. “Lucky for you, your ‘fake’ spouse is me. Take this as a lesson. When we divorce in a few days, I’ll voluntarily leave with nothing.”

Rong Yu looked up. “If we divorce that quickly, wouldn’t the slap I took yesterday be for nothing?”

Sheng Yi conceded the point. “Then we’ll wait a few days. I’m flexible.”

“What’s the latest deadline?” Rong Yu set down his teacup and folded his arms lazily.

“?”

“Yesterday, you told my parents you couldn’t live without me,” Rong Yu’s lips curled slightly. “We should at least give them a transition period, don’t you think?”

Sheng Yi agreed. He didn’t want to pour salt on Auntie’s wounds so soon. “Fine. Let’s let our marriage ‘slowly crumble.’ I’ll set up a schedule for our emotional breakdown… is two months too fast?”

“A little?” Rong Yu’s eyes flickered with hidden amusement.

“Three months? Five? A year?” Seeing Rong Yu’s attitude, Sheng Yi suddenly suspected something. He wondered if Rong Yu wanted him to act as a shield against unwanted suitors forever. “Xiao Yu… are you against the idea of marriage?”

Rong Yu suggested, “How about… until you fully regain your memory?”

Sheng Yi hesitated. If he never remembered, would they be “fake married” forever? He wondered if Rong Yu had some psychological trauma regarding marriage and was using him to avoid it.

Before Sheng Yi could refuse, Rong Yu added, “As a reward for helping me with this lie, you can stay here as a roommate without any burden. If you won’t accept direct financial help, I will sponsor you to finish your studies.”

“University?” Sheng Yi’s eyes lit up. “Can I still take the Gaokao (college entrance exam)?”

“Yes,” Rong Yu nodded. “You were an art student with excellent grades. You’ve already passed the preliminary admissions for B-University’s Academy of Fine Arts. Your lost memories don’t include your knowledge system. If you try again, you’re very likely to get in.”

Sheng Yi was tempted, but he felt guilty. “But I owe you too much already…”

Rong Yu frowned. “Sheng Yi, do you think I would do all this for someone who didn’t matter?”

Sheng Yi’s heart gave a sudden tug. He looked into Rong Yu’s eyes and realized that Rong Yu didn’t treat just anyone this way. They were best friends. If the roles were reversed, Sheng Yi would do the same for him. He had forgotten their decade of history, but Rong Yu hadn’t.

“Xiao Yu, I’m sorry,” Sheng Yi smiled. “I understand. I’ll do as you say.”

Rong Yu’s gaze softened into a dazzling smile. “Good boy (乖).”

…

By mid-October, Rong Yu had set up a studio in the house, and Sheng Yi began preparing for the art exams. Rong Yu, meanwhile, returned to his daily life as a medical graduate student.

Sheng Yi learned that while Rong Yu had given up Harvard, he was still attending the best university in the country, majoring in Psychiatry. He should have finished his degree in two years, but it took him three because he was busy caring for Sheng Yi.

Sheng Yi decided to apply for the same university. He threw himself into his work, sitting at the easel for ten hours a day, so focused he didn’t even notice Rong Yu draping a coat over his shoulders.

What Sheng Yi also didn’t notice was his worsening forgetfulness.

Rong Yu prepared breakfast every morning and came home to make lunch. Often, he’d find the food untouched in the microwave—Sheng Yi would heat the food, then forget to take it out. He’d only remember when he was starving, grab a banana from the fridge, and go back to the studio.

Consequently, the house became covered in Rong Yu’s sticky notes:

• By the wardrobe: Don’t just wear pajamas; put on a coat.
• On the bedroom door: Don’t go barefoot; slippers are in the cabinet.
• On the fridge: There is warm food in the microwave.
• On the microwave: Remember your vitamins in the timed pillbox.
• On the easel: Paint for three hours, rest for twenty minutes.

Rong Yu had started clinical rotations at the affiliated hospital, coming home later and later, but he never stayed out overnight.

…

Cheng Wenge eventually tracked Rong Yu down at the hospital.

“He’s preparing for exams. Try not to disturb him,” Rong Yu said coldly, handing over Sheng Yi’s number.

“He’s retaking the exams?” Cheng Wenge smiled. “I’ll call him out when he’s not busy.”

Rong Yu, dressed in his white lab coat, stood tall in the corridor. “My point is… it’s best if you don’t look for him.”

Cheng Wenge’s smile faded. “Rong Yu, for the three years Sheng Yi was gone, I kept wondering if you had hidden him away.”

Rong Yu remained calm, his gaze icy.

“I don’t know what happened to him after his family died, or how you coaxed him into marrying you,” Cheng Wenge said, crossing his arms. “But don’t think you can satisfy your desire for control this way. Sheng Yi is an independent person, not your personal property. You’re just a friend, remember that.”

Cheng Wenge turned to leave. Two steps away, a calm voice sounded behind him.

“Being the one he cares about most… isn’t that enough?”

Cheng Wenge froze. By the time he turned around, the “angelic” doctor was already walking away, supporting an elderly patient.

Cheng Wenge let out a scoff. “That madman.”