Chapter 436 - 244: Yixia’s Heart Softens, This Night’s Redemption

Chapter 436: Chapter 244: Yixia’s Heart Softens, This Night’s Redemption

Her heart clenched again.

It was past nine at night. The lights in the pastry shop were still on, but a "Closed" sign hung on the door.

Jiang Yixia closed her flower shop and stood on the curb, looking across the street.

A chilly night breeze blew past. She tucked in her chin and pulled her scarf up higher.

Chen He came out of the shop carrying a bag of trash and walked toward the trash cans.

Jiang Yixia walked over and asked, "Where is he?"

Chen He tossed the trash into the bin, dusted off his hands, and then brushed off his clothes. "The boss is upstairs. He said no one is to disturb him. I got kicked out when I went up to give him some water. Look, this is the fourth bottle."

Jiang Yixia looked at him and hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "I’m going in to check on him."

Chen He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he swallowed his words. He stepped aside and even held the door open for her.

Jiang Yixia pushed open the door to the pastry shop. It was quiet inside, with only the faint sound of a TV coming from upstairs. It sounded like some kind of variety show, full of laughter, but the sound only made the shop seem even quieter.

She went upstairs. The second floor consisted of a small living room and a bedroom. The door to the bedroom was open, and the smell of alcohol wafted out, so strong it was choking, as if someone had spilled an entire case of liquor.

She walked to the doorway and saw Lu Fan sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching a liquor bottle that was already more than half empty.

His face was deeply flushed, and his eyes were red, too. It was impossible to tell if it was from the alcohol or from crying.

Two more empty bottles lay haphazardly on the floor.

He hadn’t even taken off his shoes. One shoelace was undone, trailing on the ground.

She walked in and stood before him. "Lu Fan."

Lu Fan looked up. He seemed startled to see her for a moment, then he smiled.

It was a pained smile. The corners of his mouth twitched before falling, as if he didn’t even have the strength to smile properly.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was raspy, as if his throat was coated in something thick, or as if he hadn’t spoken for days.

Jiang Yixia looked at him, her heart aching with a mix of sorrow and tenderness, but she kept her expression stern. "Why are you drinking so much?"

"Because I feel awful," Lu Fan said deliberately, lowering his head to look at the bottle in his hand.

Jiang Yixia bit her lip. "So you drink when you’re miserable? Is drinking supposed to make it better?"

Lu Fan didn’t answer. He just raised the bottle and took another swig.

A little of the liquor dribbled from the corner of his mouth and trickled down his chin, but he didn’t wipe it away.

Jiang Yixia reached out to grab the bottle. He dodged her first attempt, but when she reached for it again, he let her take it.

She placed the bottle on a table and turned back to face Lu Fan.

His head was bowed, and his shoulders were trembling slightly.

"Your dad knows," Lu Fan’s voice was muffled, as if he were talking to himself. "He told me to get out, that he never wants to see me again. He called me a bastard, said I should never even dream of setting foot in your family’s home."

Jiang Yixia stood in front of him, saying nothing.

Lu Fan looked up at her, his eyes rimmed with red, and said guiltily, "Your dad called me a bastard. He said I ruined you, and that I should never dream of setting foot in your family’s home again."

"He was right. I am a bastard. If it weren’t for me back then, you wouldn’t have suffered so much. Silu and Sifan wouldn’t have grown up without a father. Your parents wouldn’t have had to endure all the gossip. When your dad yelled at me, I didn’t dare say a word back. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but he wouldn’t listen. He told me to get out, so I did."

His voice grew quieter and quieter until the last few words were barely forced out, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps just to the empty air.

Jiang Yixia’s eyes reddened as well, but she held back her tears.

She took a deep breath and said soothingly, "You’re drunk. I’ll have Chen He take you home."

Lu Fan shook his head, his voice thick with drunkenness. "I’m not going back. I’ll just be alone there. I can’t sleep. That house... it’s too big. I’m scared to be there by myself."

Jiang Yixia looked at him, feeling something twist in her gut.

She had known him for so many years and had never once seen him like this.

He was the kind of man who wouldn’t even flinch if the sky were falling, yet now, because of a few words from her father, he had drunk himself into this state and was even saying he was scared to be alone.

She bent down and grabbed Lu Fan’s arm. "Get up. I’m taking you home."

Lu Fan didn’t move. He kept his head down and said, "Just leave me alone. Your dad is right. I’m not worthy of you. I deserve to be alone... might as well just drink myself to death."

Jiang Yixia’s grip on his arm tightened, and her voice rose. "I said, get up."

Lu Fan raised his head and looked at her.

His eyes were red and bloodshot, clouded with drunkenness... and something else.

Jiang Yixia grew uneasy under his gaze and looked away, but her grip on his arm didn’t loosen.

Lu Fan suddenly laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Why are you being so fierce? It’s not like I won’t listen to you. You were always this fierce. Back in the day, you’d chew me out for ages if I was even a little late."

"You listen? If you listened, you wouldn’t have gotten this drunk. If you listened, you wouldn’t be hiding here drinking your sorrows away. Is there anything you can’t talk to me about?" Jiang Yixia glared at him, her voice tinged with heartache.

Lu Fan looked at her, the smile vanishing from his face. He said seriously, "I was afraid I’d make you worry."

Jiang Yixia froze for a moment, then turned her head away, her voice softening. "Who’s worried about you? I’m just afraid that if you drink yourself to death, Silu will be heartbroken."

Lu Fan smiled again, this time a little more genuinely. "I knew you were worried."

Jiang Yixia ignored him and pulled on his arm, trying to drag him out.

He used the edge of the bed to push himself up, swaying on his feet. Jiang Yixia quickly reached out to steady him.

His arm fell across her shoulders, and his entire weight leaned against her.

Her body stiffened for a moment, but she didn’t push him away. His head came to rest on her shoulder, his warm breath fanning across her neck, reeking of alcohol.