Chapter 2, So Far, Yet So Close

During high school, the two schools were separated by a half-hour drive, and Wang Yihan often arrived late as a result

Then, raising his head, he said: "Dad said he is thirsty, bring some water"

Unexpectedly, the sunlight was absent. Nurse Jiang sat quietly by the bedside, gently reading to Lin Mufeng.

Wang Yihan grabbed the computer chair in front of the desk and sat down opposite her

Nurse Jiang and Nuan Nuan arrived at the bedside simultaneously, gazing at the pale-faced Lin Mufeng. They observed that his eyes were tightly closed, his breathing was weak, and his cracked lips moved slightly. After a moment, they moved again.

She lowered her head, took a deep breath, yet could not help the tears in her eyes, leaning against the pillow at the head of the bed and sobbing, "Dad has become so ill." Gradually, her sobs became uncontrollable

Did you go to the ward this morning

I am sorry, "Nuan Nuan said, as the grievances hidden deep in her heart surged up again

Wang Yihan walked to the other side of the hospital bed and gently called out, "Dad!"

Then let's call it Nuan Nuan! Lin Mufeng continued to smile kindly, and Yu Jie Ru also smiled.

Yi Han's lips curled into a smile that seemed to mock. His smile has always been attractive, regardless of the meaning behind it. Today, this smile not only carries a sense of mockery but also a faint resentment, as if he has been abandoned.

Yihan gazed at Nuan Nuan with an impassive expression, observing the subtle curve at the corner of her mouth

In a moment of panic, I failed to steady the steering wheel, and the vehicle crashed heavily against the edge of the flower bed, causing the tires of my father's old tank to go flat

Nurse Jiang took out a bag of cotton swabs from the drawer and also took out a paper cup

Then, as if having made a firm decision, he turned his face and gazed into Yihan's eyes: "I have just realized that my initial decision was indeed wrong"

Once, when Nuan Nuan's father was queuing to settle down, she pulled Yi Han out of a large wooden box where the cotton quilts were stored, and she had to punish Yi Han by making him pretend to ride a horse

They learned to ride a bicycle in this manner: one person held onto the handlebars while the other struggled to pedal. The shorter individual could not fully reach the pedals, so they had to pedal in half circles, making the bicycle move as slowly as a cow crawling

Lin Mufeng's cracked lips moved slightly again

"These are all Dad's pajamas and underwear, I have organized them." Wang Yihan had already changed out of his pajamas, wearing a white T-shirt and loose-fitting jeans, looking clean and tall. "I will ride you to the hospital."

The two children, filled with trepidation, worked together to move the bicycle back to the sixth floor, only to see a brand new 24-inch blue ladies' "Forever" bicycle placed by the door. Their father held two keychains in his hand and handed one to each of them.

Lin Nuan Nuan ran over, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, "Don't cry, don't cry," but she tilted her head and buried it on his back, also crying.

"Doctor Lin, Mufeng!" Nurse Chief Jiang called softly

Turning my head, I saw Yi Han waving at me from a distance. Not only was she waving her hand, but she also tore off the red scarf around her neck and continued to wave it, shouting: "Lin Nuan Nuan, go for it! Lin Nuan Nuan, go for it!" It was as if she were sending off a hero

Nurse Jiang shook her hand and said, "It wasn't me who bought it; it was Miss Yang, who came to visit your father. She said she is your good friend. Later, she mentioned that she would be late for work and left with your boyfriend."

Is it because of your new boyfriend? Yihan's tone was as cold as zero degrees

Yihan looked around the room, furrowing her brows, and said coldly: "I never would have thought it would be like this. There are only the two of us left here, yet everything has changed beyond recognition."

It is often said that your generation of only children lacks siblings and the supportive arms of one another, but seeing your two friends today truly brings joy. As she spoke, she began to bring up topics that were better left untouched, saying, "Your boyfriend is quite nice as well, very refined and polite; your father would surely be very pleased to know this."

Are you telling me that I have been the only one performing a monologue all along

Wang Yihan quickly bent down

Only the two of us are left here. Nuan Nuan remembers that when they first met at the age of eight, being just children, they quickly became familiar with each other. Both of them were playful, and whenever their fathers and Yi Han's mother went out, Wang Yi Han would say this phrase and then start spreading all the pillows and blankets on the bed, playing hide and seek with Nuan Nuan

Facing her, seeing her truly once again, all the pent-up frustration, all the lingering questions, and... The anxiety that had begun that day, the heartbreak that felt like ice, were all heavily and helplessly suppressed once more

The children rushed towards their father with cheers

Come, shake hands, the sister and brother have met, and from now on, they should get along well. Lin Mufeng held the small hands of the two children and placed them together.

That year, both children were only twelve years old when they learned to ride a bicycle

She sat weakly on the edge of the bed, her face still marked by tears, despite having just wiped it vigorously with a towel

Nuan Nuan, hurry and pour water into the paper cup

She taught Wang Yihan to ride a bicycle using an effortless method, sitting on the back seat with her feet able to touch the ground. She said to Yihan: "You hold the handlebars, and I will help you stabilize from behind"

Upon seeing Nuan Nuan and Yi Han walk in, I closed the book and smiled shyly. Nuan Nuan caught a glimpse of the cover pressed down by Nurse Jiang's finger, which was "How the Steel Was Tempered"

Unexpectedly, Yihan pulled her along with his hand and said, "When I walked out of the ward in the morning, I saw a man bringing breakfast, he looked very familiar, and later he entered my father's ward"

Nuan Nuan stared blankly at him, observing his expression of temporarily not pursuing anything further

He thought for a moment and added, "That little girl said she was afraid you would starve from staying up all night."

Nuan Nuan suddenly felt a pang of heartache, "You... have lost weight."

The familiar room is still in a bright blue tone, with clean and clear windows, clearly indicating that it is meticulously maintained at all times

The despondent Lin Mufeng returned home and, upon witnessing such a scene, picked up the two children, allowing them to shed their tears on his shoulders. Nuan Nuan wrapped her arms around her father's neck and held Yi Han's hand, as if the three of them were one entity, with their father providing them with such strong support

Nuan Nuan hesitated slightly, paused her steps, and remembered that the sunlight was still in the ward. She was somewhat reluctant to let Yi Han see the sunlight

"You said the same thing when you came back a year and a half ago." Yihan gazed at her with burning eyes, deliberately mentioning the "year and a half ago."

I arrived last night and went straight to the hospital after getting off the plane. Yihan stared at Nuan Nuan and said gloomily, You still like to kick off the covers at midnight. Seeing you curled up in the blanket from the cold, I went to Nurse Jiang's dormitory to snatch a blanket for you. She said I looked like a bandit.

Just as he was feeling pleased, Lin Mufeng walked in through the door, causing the nervous Wang Yihan to accidentally break the "scratching claw". Lin Mufeng playfully gave him several light taps on the head, jokingly saying that Wang Yihan should compensate him with one.

In the future, this bicycle will be ridden alternately by two people. The elder sister has learned and will teach the younger brother

At the age of eleven, Yu Jieru passed away due to stomach cancer

Nurse Jiang soaked the cotton swab in water for a while before taking it out. After a moment's hesitation, she handed it to Wang Yihan across from her

The two individuals entered the ward with familiarity and ease

Warmth should not be excessive, "there is no reason."

Yihan turned the car into the side entrance of the hospital, and Nuan Nuan jumped down. After Yihan parked the car, he took the luggage from Nuan Nuan's hands and they walked side by side towards the inpatient department.

After Nuan Nuan cried hard for a while, she washed her face and felt refreshed. Wang Yihan had already placed the neatly organized package in the center of the living room

Everything about her makes him long for her

Nuan Nuan saw the "scratching claw" inserted in a tall vase at her grandfather's house, and she persistently begged to take it back, giving it to Yi Han. This left Lin Mu Feng both amused and exasperated, insisting that the two children return it.

What happened to my father?" I tried to change the subject. In the blink of an eye, I noticed a large bag of snacks on the sofa, including bread, beef jerky, chocolate, and so on, which must have been sent by Nurse Jiang: "Nurse Jiang has troubled you again to buy so many snacks.

Dad, Dad!" Nuan Nuan called softly, her eyes filled with tears again

The bicycle is controlled by four pedals, steady as a rock

He stood up and looked down at Nuan Nuan

Without informing their father, the two children awkwardly maneuvered their father's ancient tank down from the sixth floor to the first floor. Yihan, in front, tightly gripped the handlebars with both small hands, hunched over, and used his neck and shoulders to bear the weight pressing down from the seat. Nuannuan, behind, firmly held onto the rear seat frame with both hands. By the time they reached the first floor, both children were exhausted and drenched in sweat

Because Nuan Nuan is often the one riding the bike, on a certain day when Yi Han quietly let go of her hands from behind, Nuan Nuan pedaled the bike and rushed forward, feeling for the first time that her whole body was airborne, controlling her own speed, with the wind blowing past her ears, her feet half-pedaling on the footboard, feeling overjoyed in her heart.

A year and a half ago, the warm expression began to drift again, as I struggled to remember while also wanting to forget. It truly feels like a long time has passed, almost a lifetime.

Time seems to have frozen, as the warmth gazes upon the cold, allowing him to see the certainty and determination in her eyes

It is not so easy, nor does it allow her to be so easy

Nuan Nuan let out a sigh of relief, her eyes catching a glimpse of Yi Han, who frowned slightly.

Wang Yihan sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking the warm hair

Nurse Jiang stood up and said to Nuan Nuan, "You have arrived. Just now, your boyfriend received a call from the company, and he seemed quite anxious, so I let him leave first. I believe your siblings will arrive soon as well"

Nuan Nuan quickly picked up the water bottle from the bedside table, but after picking it up, she couldn't find the cup, and she didn't know what to do.

Grandpa Nuan Nuan felt sorry for the two children who had come and gone, and repeatedly said that this "scratching paw" was given to them. He then took them to eat pan-fried buns. Nuan Nuan was accustomed to using chopsticks to peel off the skin, evenly distributing the meat between Grandpa and Yi Han, while she herself ate the skin. Yi Han stuffed his mouth full of meat filling and mumbled, "Lin Nuan Nuan, eat the bun but spit out the filling, not the skin." As he spoke, Nuan Nuan gave him a playful "chestnut" slap.

Later, Yihan went abroad, then she left, and afterwards, father was hospitalized

Yihan reached out to caress Nuannuan's warm cheek, but seeing her instinctively turn her head to avoid him, he could only retract his hand and clench it into a fist

Two children are crying pitifully in the wind

Wang Yihan sat on a small stool at the door of his home, holding a soccer ball and crying

Lin Mufeng still did not respond

"Dad seems to have moved a little," Wang Yihan suddenly said

When Yi Han learned to ride a bicycle, Nuan Nuan sat behind him, straddling the rear seat of the bicycle

"I don't call her sister." The boy made a face, stuck out his tongue, and made the angry Nuannuan's heart surge with emotions.

Nurse Chief Jiang was also moved

Dad! Nuan Nuan called out softly and carefully.

Wang Yihan looked at his mother, furrowing his brows, appearing somewhat reluctant

Warmly and inexplicably awkward, I lowered my head and pretended to fiddle with the snacks in my hand

looks particularly haggard

Since starting middle school, Lin Nuan Nuan no longer sat astride on the back seat of the bicycle, but learned to sit gracefully like a lady. Her father said that as girls grow up, they should understand elegance and modesty, so he let Nuan Nuan take the bus to school. However, Yi Han volunteered to take her, driving her along such a tree-lined path

Lin Mufeng remained motionless once again, his gaunt face showing not a trace of reaction

She is not much older than I am

Nuan Nuan couldn't help but imagine Yi Han looking like a bandit, and finally, her expression changed, breaking into a smile. His frequent childishness always manages to touch people unexpectedly

When Nuan Nuan returned to her own room in this house once again, she calmed her sorrowful emotions

Ah, it feels not only as if a lifetime has passed, but as if it were a matter of past and present lives. He continued to gaze at her

Therefore, when Nuan Nuan's legs were too tired to lift up and rest, Wang Yihan had already ridden the bicycle at full speed, with Lin Nuan Nuan trailing behind.

Nuan Nuan looked at him carefully with red eyes

The Trinity, unable to return to that moment of completeness

So what! The little boy pouted, but his curious big eyes were scanning her up and down.

Wang Yihan carefully took the oxygen mask off Lin Mufeng's face, gently placing a cotton swab against his pale lips, which resembled the withered leaves of autumn, moistening the weary lips. Drop by drop, clear water flowed into the critically ill Lin Mufeng's mouth

Both individuals harbor their own concerns, resulting in a silence throughout the journey

Warmly holding onto the luggage, gently closing her eyes, she experiences the coolness of the breeze brushing against her face. When she opens her eyes, she sees the sycamore trees rushing by on both sides, with palm-sized leaves in shades of withered yellow and dark green, the familiar tree-lined path, and the familiar speed of the bike in the chilly air.

Wang Yihan then took the "scratching claw" used for itching and placed it between her legs, raising her empty little hand as if wielding a whip, calling out "Giddy up, giddy up," laughing warmly as she leaned forward and backward.

The first time she saw him, he was also sitting opposite her, wide-eyed and tilting his head to look at her, while her father sat beside her, and Yihan's mother, Yu Jie, sat next to Yihan.

"Just pretend that everything is as it was, I am the elder sister, you are the younger brother, and father is father!" Warmly looking up, yet feeling cold, standing before him, he seems like a mountain.

Later, for a long period of time, Wang Yihan's catchphrase was: "Where can I find another 'scratching paw' to compensate my father?"

"Is it Yang Xiaoguang?" Yi Han inquired

After a long time, Lin Mufeng seemed to move again

Yang Xiaoguang, Fang Zhu, and Nuan Nuan have been good classmates since middle school, gradually evolving from classmates to friends. Over the course of more than ten years, their bond has remained unchanging, as solid as a rock

Upon reconsideration, it would not be good; otherwise, Yihan, who is following closely behind, would surely be exhausted from running.

It must be him! Nuan Nuan sighed and suddenly became puzzled. How did he encounter the sunlight in the morning?

I would like to know the reason

It had been a year and a half since we last met, and Wang Yihan had changed slightly. The crew cut he used to have was now replaced with some bangs, his hair loosely falling over his forehead. His chin was pale and unshaven, with stubble not fully shaved off. His cheeks appeared somewhat sunken, and there were traces of fatigue in his eyes. He was still tall, but he seemed much thinner than I remembered.

In this situation, how can one further investigate the root cause

Call me sister

Lin Nuannuan sat on the back seat of Yihan's bicycle. This "Giant" mountain bike had been purchased many years ago, and it had been idle for four of those years due to its owner's overseas trip. Now, it was being used again, and it remained reliable and steady.

How can he understand her sense of grievance? It is likely that such an unspoken grievance can only be borne by her alone

Nuan Nuan gently grasped the edge of the bed, telling herself deep down that all her decisions were correct, correct, correct. With this thought, she felt fearless and lifted her head to face Yi Han: "Yes, I finally know what true love is, but it is not with you."

Warmly moved, with deep feelings in her heart: "Ah, it must be Fang Zhu who informed her." She picked up the plastic bag from the sofa and held it tightly.

I was born in September 1980, which makes me several months older than you. Nuan Nuan tilted her head and flicked her ponytail. Just now, her father had told her that this new little brother was born in winter, the same year as herself