Chapter 427: Chapter 399: Forcing Her to Remarry, 4000 words_2
Wen Nuan stood at the door, just in time to see him with a look of panic, asking confusedly, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." Leng Ye forced a smile, tucking the phone under the pillow. He glanced at her raised fingers, his brow deeply furrowed, "Burned?"
"Yeah, but it’s nothing serious, very minor." Wen Nuan nodded, forcing a slight smile, and just as she was about to apply ointment, he grabbed it from her hand, "Let me do it!"
Wen Nuan was taken aback, but seeing the guilt in his eyes, she chose to give in.
"Nuannuan, am I pressuring you? You’ve been constantly distracted lately."
Leng Ye dipped a cotton swab in ointment and gently applied it for her, occasionally blowing on it. He sighed softly, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Wen Nuan was a bit puzzled, "Is there something you want to say?"
Leng Ye gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with self-reproach, "Nuannuan, I’ll have someone book a plane ticket for you, you should go back to T City."
"Joe!"
Wen Nuan looked at him in disbelief, "Why?"
Leng Ye slightly lowered his eyes, staring at his legs, "I brought you here because I lacked the confidence to recover. I thought with you by my side, encouraging me, I’d have the courage to persist. But that was too selfish of me, I completely ignored your feelings. You’re not happy here, and I don’t want to selfishly disregard you."
Many times he saw her lost in thought, staring up at the sky when she was alone. He knew she felt pressured being with him, especially after he asked if it was because of his legs that she didn’t want to be with him; she always seemed to be avoiding him after that.
He realized he was truly too selfish and wanted to give her a choice. If she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t stop her. But if she decided to stay this time, he wouldn’t let her go under any circumstances. He wanted to take a gamble, to harden his heart—either let her go, or perhaps keep her by his side forever.
Even if he had to resort to despicable means he despised about himself...
As long as she’d stay.
"But your legs are at a critical stage." Nuannuan said anxiously, looking at Leng Ye with guilt, "I’m sorry, Joe, I haven’t been caring for you enough."
Maybe it was because of the pregnancy, but she would sometimes get very emotional. Although she never lost her temper at Leng Ye, smiles rarely appeared on her face. When she was in a bad mood, she liked to sit alone silently, sometimes not even hearing when Leng Ye called her.
She hadn’t paid much attention before, but hearing Leng Ye speak like this, waves of self-blame and guilt surged in her heart, "Joe, the doctor said your recovery depends greatly on willpower. Don’t worry, I never thought about leaving here. When you recover, we’ll go back together."
"But you’re not happy, and I feel very guilty." Leng Ye smiled helplessly, tucking her fallen hair behind her ears, sighing long and deep, his eyes showing profound sadness:
"Nuannuan, the truth is, you see me as strong during treatment. But I’m actually very scared, scared that the longer I’m with you, the more I won’t be able to live without you. Sometimes I even think, if I couldn’t stand up, then you’d have to stay by my side. Tell me, isn’t that really despicable of me?"
"Don’t say that."
Wen Nuan’s throat burned, tears falling as she choked, "I feel guilty because you got hurt like this for me, you can’t even be with your dearest father during his surgery. I understand your struggles, this should have been my burden to bear, but it was all forced onto you..."
Feeling very guilty and heartbroken, she would dream of that scene at night—Leng Ye’s leg stained with blood—and would wake with a start, sitting up abruptly. Her heart would only calm slightly when she saw him lying safely in the room next door, then she’d have insomnia, standing by the window, watching the stars, thinking of Leng Ye’s words, her heart tangling into a knot.
Though he was making slow progress every day, the doctor’s words remained harsh. They still dared not say for certain that Leng Ye would stand up again, much less guarantee he could move freely as before once he did.
If that truly were the case...
She couldn’t imagine what kind of blow that would be to Leng Ye. Nor could she imagine what kind of life Leng Ye would face.
Such an exalted individual, it would take immense courage to face such a setback. No matter how strong he appeared, there must be deep-seated pain within.
"Don’t think like that, Nuannuan, you should go back. I’m genuinely scared, I’ve grown accustomed to having you by my side, becoming more and more reliant on you."
Leng Ye wiped her tears, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a bitter smile, "Even if my legs can stand one day, they may not move freely. I love you, I want to pursue you, but I know I’m not worthy of you now."