Chapter 577: Chapter 323: Seven Invisible Flint Sparks
Chen Cheng looked at those three pairs of eyes filled with doubt, reluctance, and envy, and said, "Yu Bing, you were the first among them to follow me."
When Xia Yubing heard Chen Cheng say this, she subconsciously grasped his hand. In this instant, all the memories gained the most solid support.
And this heartfelt grasp was not only moved by Chen Cheng’s public defense but also admired for his consistent honesty.
Chen Cheng said indifferently, "Back then, I hadn’t made my fortune; I was just luckier than the average person. She followed me, partly because she had no choice, and I think, also because of a desperate courage."
"At that time, I hadn’t moved into this yard yet, and I was crammed with Xiao Meier in a less-than-10-square-meter attic next to Wanbao Hall." He continued:
"The room was pitifully small; after placing a bed, even turning around was difficult. But Yu Bing didn’t despise my situation at the time and still chose to follow me."
Faced with Chen Cheng’s beautified description, Xia Yubing was even more touched that he hadn’t told the three younger girls the harsh truth of the past, otherwise she would’ve had no face or status among them.
Tong Jialu also knew that what Chen Cheng said was half-true, half-false, but thinking of this man maintaining her cousin’s dignity, her heart stirred.
Chen Cheng saw the changes in their expressions and continued unabashedly, "I remember one day it rained heavily, Xiao Er was not there, Yu Bing knew I was unwell, and she walked through the rainy night with an umbrella, just to bring me a box of fever medicine."
He looked at Xia Yubing, although it was a lie known to Xia Yubing, Tong Jialu, and himself, Chen Cheng still narrated it passionately:
"When she arrived, she was drenched as if she’d been fished out of water, her umbrella warped by the wind, her clothes wetly clinging to her body, and strands of her hair dripping with water."
"But the only things in her eyes were urgency and concern; she entered the door, barely taking a breath before hurriedly pulling out the box of fever medicine, still warm from her body, handing it over to me, murmuring ’Take it quickly, you’ll feel better after.’"
Xia Yubing listened in a daze; she knew she never brought medicine to Chen Cheng on a rainy night, but the scene described was so vivid, so real, that it made her feel as if she had truly done those things for Chen Cheng.
As the only one who had been to the attic, Su Liya reminisced about the scene she had seen, indeed as Chen Cheng described.
She had originally thought that Xia Yubing chose to follow him only after Chen Cheng had made it big, but looking at it now, the elder sister in front of her seemed to have accompanied Chen Cheng on a longer journey than herself.
And Meng Wanning had already teared up; she was a person prone to sentimentality, deeply moved by this "memory" recounted by Chen Cheng.
And Mei Xiang was also immersed in the story, feeling a multitude of emotions, having tasted loneliness and adversity in a foreign land, now hearing the warm past of Chen Cheng and Xia Yubing.
Chen Cheng pinched Xia Yubing’s hand, turned his head to the three girls, and said, "Yu Bing is a few years older than you; her family circumstances are less favorable, but I hope you can respect her, just as you respect Xiao Er."
"She won’t compete with any of you for anything, nor will she demand anything; all she wants is to hope for my safety."
Chen Cheng’s voice grew low, "It hasn’t been easy for her; for my sake, she has given up a lot."
"Even knowing I couldn’t marry her, she still decided to have this child."
These half-true, half-false words, however, sounded incredibly sincere and touching to the three girls.
Su Liya’s eyes reddened as well. She walked up to Xia Yubing and said sincerely, "Sister Xia, I’m sorry, I was thoughtless before, don’t blame me."
Mei Xiang also had tears in her eyes, and in her not-so-fluent Chinese, she said, "Yu Bing, you are incredible, I really admire you."
Meng Wanning was even more tearful; she had always thought she was the one who knew Chen Cheng best, but it turned out, she was far from being as close as Xia Yubing.
She walked up to Xia Yubing and bowed slightly, "Director Xia, I... I will from now on..."
Xia Yubing was overwhelmed by the unexpected outpouring of emotion and apologies, not knowing how to react.
She knew, Chen Cheng’s words were not only to maintain her face but also to stabilize this delicate relationship.
And she was also willing to cooperate with him, to play well this role of the ’good wife and wise mother’ that was not public, but earlier than the one with Xiao Meier.
"Miss Meng, Miss Mei, Miss Su, I am grateful for your understanding."
Xia Yubing said, "It’s a rare destiny that we can gather here; let’s not grow apart in the days to come, just be happy."
She turned her head to look at Chen Cheng, "And also, we have to believe that Brother Cheng will make us happy."
Chen Cheng watched this scene, secretly sighing with relief in his heart.
"Alright, the past is the past, let’s look forward. Today’s hot pot should be merry, it’s a new beginning, everyone eat up."
Meng Wanning nodded repeatedly, "Just now, Director Xia didn’t order yet."
"Miss Meng, you don’t have to call me director or anything; you can call me Sister Xiao Bing, just like Xiao Lu."
"Okay," Meng Wanning agreed: "Then, you shouldn’t call me ’Miss’ either, Xiao Ning works."
"And me too." Su Li extended her hand generously, "Hello, I’m Li Ya."
Xia Yubing smiled openly and clasped her hand, "Okay, Li Ya."
"I’m Mei Xiang; we have already met before."
Xia Yubing nodded, "Yes, Mei Xiang."