Chapter 225

Chapter 225: I Came Because I Wanted to See You The man's voice was low and hoarse: "I didn't come alone. Lin Sen and I took turns driving. Tangtang, I had to see you in person to feel at ease." Over nine hundred kilometers—even under normal conditions without traffic, it would take around ten hours to drive. And with the floods ravaging Haicheng, getting there would only take longer. Chu Tang's fingers tightened around her phone, her heart trembling, her eyes stinging with warmth. She was deeply moved inside, but the moment she spoke, her words came out thorny. "Who told you to come find me? The flooding here is dangerous. Don't be so self-righteous, okay? If something happens to the young master of the Jiang family, I can't bear that responsibility. I'm fine—go back. No need to come." Jiang Shixu let out a self-deprecating laugh. "No one told me to come. I came because I wanted to. Tangtang, don't worry—if anything happens, it's my own doing. It has nothing to do with you." Chu Tang's throat tightened, tears welling in her eyes. "Jiang Shixu, I forbid you from coming. Go back!" The village was remote, surrounded by floodwaters, and there could even be mudslides somewhere nearby. Jiang Shixu coming to find her—it was too dangerous. She couldn't let him walk into danger. But Jiang Shixu didn't listen. His voice even carried a hint of a choke: "Tangtang, if something happened to you, I wouldn't see any point in living either." Chu Tang's heart shuddered violently. Then came wave after wave of piercing pain. Jiang Shixu's voice was raspy. "I'm not afraid of danger. I'm only afraid of never seeing you again." After the torrential rain, the sky was clear and washed clean. The setting sun slowly peeked out from behind the clouds, casting its orange-red glow across the horizon. The clouds seemed to catch fire, resplendent like a dreamlike wonderland. Chu Tang let out a soft breath, tears blurring her vision. ... That night, Chu Tang couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Jiang Shixu, her heart restless with worry. Although the downpour had stopped, the village was remote, and the floodwaters nearby hadn't fully receded yet. She kept worrying that something might happen to him. Just as she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep— A knock sounded at the door. Chu Tang got up to answer it. Yang Mengyuan stood outside. "What's wrong?" Chu Tang asked. Yang Mengyuan handed her phone to Chu Tang. "Chu Tang, the gentleman who called this afternoon just sent a text message. Take a look." Chu Tang's breath hitched. She looked down at the phone. 【Don't worry about me. Sleep early. See you tomorrow.】 Chu Tang's unsettled heart suddenly settled gently to the ground. Her tense body relaxed. Chu Tang pressed her lips together and handed the phone back to Yang Mengyuan. "Thank you. Sorry to trouble you so late." "It's no trouble at all." Yang Mengyuan's voice was soft. "Sleep early." Chu Tang gave a quiet "mm" in response. Lying back down on the bed, the anxiety and unease in Chu Tang's heart had vanished. See you tomorrow. Three words full of anticipation. How wonderful. Drowsiness washed over her. Chu Tang closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. ... The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chu Tang was woken by the noisy commotion downstairs. She opened her eyes, suddenly thinking of something, and shot up from the bed in a flash. Jiang Shixu! He'd said he would arrive in Haicheng around midnight. Chu Tang hastily threw on her clothes, ran a comb through her hair a couple of times, and rushed downstairs with hurried footsteps. The water had receded, leaving patches of damp stains on the concrete floor. Chu Tang ran downstairs and immediately spotted that familiar figure under the eaves. Cold and solitary. He had his back to her. He, who had a mild case of cleanliness obsession, now had his shoes caked with mud, his pant legs splattered with yellow mud and water stains, and small specks of dirt on his clothes. She had never seen Jiang Shixu so disheveled. Chu Tang's nose stung, an indescribable feeling rising in her chest. Her mind went blank, and she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Jiang Shixu from behind. "You're here." Three words, spoken so softly. The man's body stiffened. A long-missed embrace. God knows how long he had been waiting for this hug. The sky at the horizon was tinged with a gentle orange-red, like paint casually spilled by a painter. In the morning light, wisps of cooking smoke rose, intertwining with the morning mist like lovers reunited after a long separation—tender and lingering. The outlines of the trees gradually sharpened in the faint glow. Dewdrops fell silently, landing on the lovers' hearts like ripples spreading across a lake. Everything was so beautiful, like a dream. Jiang Shixu, held gently by Chu Tang from behind, felt as if time had frozen in that moment. The man didn't dare move a muscle, afraid that even the slightest motion would shatter the dream. They both stayed silent in tacit understanding. It felt as long as an entire century. Then Jiang Shixu turned around. Chu Tang first noticed his Adam's apple, trembling slightly from nervousness. Then, higher up, his deep, dark eyes. Those eyes gazed at her with profound affection, emotions churning within them. Chu Tang couldn't withstand it and turned her face away, averting her gaze. She muttered, "I told you not to come. Why did you still show up?" Jiang Shixu cupped Chu Tang's face with both hands, gently turning her head back so she would look directly at him. "Because I wanted to see you, so I came." The man's handsome features were deep and captivating, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze. Chu Tang's clear, bright almond eyes were misted with tears, staring unblinkingly at Jiang Shixu. "What's the matter?" The man gently tapped the tip of Chu Tang's nose, a hint of a smile coloring his eyes. "Haven't seen me for a few days, don't recognize me anymore?" Chu Tang's sparkling gaze was like water, her voice soft from just waking up. "It just feels too unreal, like a dream." "It's not a dream." A gentle smile lingered at the corners of the man's lips. "If you don't believe me, pinch me and see." Chu Tang let out a soft "hmph." "Even if I pinch you, I wouldn't know if it hurts." Jiang Shixu's eyes held a smile. "Then what should we do? If you pinch yourself, I'd feel the pain." Chu Tang laughed softly, lightly thumping the man's chest with a hint of coyness. "Alright, stop being cheeky." Jiang Shixu took Chu Tang's hand and said softly, "I mean it." Chu Tang's doe-like eyes were clear and pure, reflecting Jiang Shixu's strikingly handsome face. She pursed her lips and asked him, "Have you had breakfast yet?" "No, the road conditions were worse than I expected. I arrived in the city center at 3:30 in the morning. The city was much better than here—the water had already receded—but the further I drove this way, the harder the road became. By the county town, there was already flooding, and about five kilometers from the village, it was completely submerged. I had to get out and walk the rest of the way." Chu Tang's delicate brows furrowed. "You walked five kilometers?" Jiang Shixu hummed in affirmation. A flicker of barely perceptible heartache passed through Chu Tang's eyes. Five kilometers—on foot, on muddy, slippery paths where every step slid and stumbled, where one careless move could send you tumbling. And the village was remote, the roads rugged, surrounded by mountains. If another torrential rain hit, there might even be mudslides. A wave of lingering fear washed over Chu Tang, and she dared not think further. Then, a thought struck her, and she asked, "Did you not sleep at all last night?"