Chapter 118: The Prince's Face

  At that time, the hospital had not moved yet. At the foot of Dashan Mountain in the old city, he lived in a small building at the back of the hospital. I often went to the mountain with my friends to play. Every time, I could accurately find the window where he lived and shouted a few words towards that window. He never made a sound, and I didn't know how he was doing either. Without me accompanying him, I wonder if he is still sleeping like that;

  Although he disliked me making noise, I still found an excuse and thickened my skin to sneak in and see him, but his hospital room had already been changed to someone else.

  I think good people will always have good fortune, thinking about the boy's age of 17 or 18, with today's common sense, his recovery ability should be very strong, and his family conditions are also very good, he must have been transferred to a higher-level hospital for treatment, I estimate that he is now living a very good life.

  Xiang Hong said, trying hard to recall, but the face that had always been half-hidden behind an oxygen mask for her didn't have any warm memories, because he didn't have any vivid expressions or eye contact embedded in her memory. However, his angular facial features were fair and elegant, with a unique temperament of a city boy.

  Song Shuwei reached out to touch her small face, thinking that fate was really wonderful, even people as far apart as they were, with such a big age difference, could meet, part ways and meet again. He sighed in gratitude:

  "Red, you're my little angel."

  Xiang Hong thought he was praising her kindness and couldn't help but shake her head in embarrassment, saying:

  "I think that boy is an angel, his help saved our family from difficulties and gave me a new life and a way to move forward. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't met him, maybe I'd still be hanging around in casinos, making money by helping others cheat."

  Fate is really wonderful, no one knows where they will be pushed to.

  It was as if I had no life goals when I met Qin Luoshui, but after meeting him, he introduced me to you, and suddenly my life became clear.

  Song Shuwei looked at her bewildered face and couldn't help but feel a lot more interested, he casually asked: "How did you get to know Qin Luoshui?"

  Xiang Hong smiled and said, "If you say you know someone, then you know them. How can you think of it?"

  "Hehe, what will happen to a lying girl? Have you forgotten the lesson?" Song Shuyu reminded her with a light smile.

  "Uh... I said I forgot, do you believe me?"

  Xiang Hong smiled and asked with a grin.

  "As long as you're a woman, it's impossible to forget how you met Qin Luoshui. That man is irresistible to women of all ages."

  Song Shuoye smiled with an expression as if he understood Qin Luoshui very well.

  "What you said is so right, I really won't forget how I met Qin Luoshui. You can imagine, a girl locked behind the iron railings of her school, worrying about her mother's illness every day, facing the college entrance exam and unable to see her own future, one day with both hands grasping the railing of the school wall and gazing up at the sky;"

  Under the dazzling sunset, a mature and handsome man appeared in sight, as exquisite as a white prince in a fairy tale. What a stunning scene! And his face, no matter who saw it for the first time, would surely be amazed, right?

  Xiang Hong said with a faint smile.

  Song Shuwei smiled and said, "Is he hitting on you?"

  "How did you know?" Shang Hong asked in surprise.

  Song Shu Yun gave her a glance, speaking in a tone as if talking to a little fool: "That guy has always only taken the initiative to talk to women who are on his good side, haha, this person's personality is exactly the same as when he was young."

  "He must have said something that offended me, and I gave it back to him." Xiang Hong recalled the incident, and couldn't help but smile lightly. That was probably the first time she had been treated with such lightness by a boy as a girl.

  "How did he say it? Can you still remember?" Song Shuyu asked, feigning nonchalance, his eyes falling on a photo album beside him.

  Looking at the photo above, as she grew up, her hair became shorter and shorter, just like a boy's haircut. The rebelliousness in her eyes became more and more obvious.

  And even in birthday photos, her small face is increasingly difficult to see a hint of smile, the helplessness and anxiety or confusion in her eyes are very vivid.

  Song Shu Yu sank into thought, Qin Luo's eyes were indeed extraordinary, able to see through the disguise of a pearl pretending to be an ordinary stone.

  If it wasn't for him, he probably wouldn't have met her again in this lifetime.

  "Haha, I remember it clearly. He ridiculed me for having pale lips and said what a pity, otherwise I would also be a beauty; I retorted that when he didn't speak, he was indeed a handsome guy, but once he spoke, he became just a hoodlum."

  Xiang Hong smiled, and now when she thought about this sentence again, she couldn't help but admire her own eloquence and quick wit.

  "Well said, haha, is he furious?" Song Shuyu took a look at Sang Hong and saw that she had touched Qin Luoshui's sore spot for the first time they met, and couldn't help but feel delighted.

  "No, later he asked me to eat ice cream and I climbed over the wall." Xiang Hong was a little nervous in her heart, sticking close to Song Shuyu, occasionally observing his expression.

  "You're quite bold, aren't you afraid he'll kidnap you?" Song Shuyu's hand poked and pinched her small nose as if punishing her.

  Honestly, don't get mad at me, but I've fantasized countless times about someone taking me away from that hopeless life. I've had this fantasy countless times, haha, but what's weird is that the person in my fantasies who takes me away, when I think carefully, looks like a boy I took care of in the hospital when I was little;

  I guess he might be the one I've spent the most time with among all the boys I know, except for my dad. And maybe vaguely, I feel like he belongs to a very distant place.

  Xiang Hong suddenly changed the subject as she spoke.

  Song Shuwei slightly raised an eyebrow, and a warm intention appeared in his eyes. He chuckled and said, "This idea of yours is really lovely, I like it very much."

  "When I really followed him to eat, I realized that what I wanted was probably just this much. Where did I have the courage to leave? As long as I thought of my mother's illness, I felt that I might be trapped by her for the rest of my life."

  I've envied others for having healthy mothers, but I still understand that this is my family member, and I just can't let go.

  At that time, my mother was facing a critical period of major surgery, and my father was worried about money. I was facing the college entrance examination, but I had no heart to study. After eating with Qinluoshui, I ran back home to cook for my mother.

  Then, Dad said that Wang Jinhua, who opened the casino, asked me to help her with something and then lent him Mom's surgery fee. Dad thought she was after my card-playing skills, so he readily agreed.

  I went to look for Wang Jinhua and met Qin Luoshui, whom I had just met that afternoon. He probably took me as a little hooligan girl, played cards together for a while, and I excused myself to go back because of school in the daytime.

  The next day, Wang Jinhua told me about that matter. I asked her to keep it a secret from Dad and she agreed. Later on, he specially invited some etiquette instructors to train us, so when I met you that night, I was holding onto you like a lifesaver.

  Summarized by Sang Hong:

  Two people gazed at each other with complex eyes.

  "Red, I'm sorry. I wasn't there for you when you needed me, leaving you to struggle alone for so many years. From now on, let me take care of all your worries and concerns. You can rely on me with peace of mind. This lifetime, I won't disappoint you."

  Song Shuwei looked into Sang Hong's eyes and spoke sincere vows.

  "You've been too good to me, spoiling me so much that I'll forget who I am." Xiang Hong smiled softly.

  "It was destined that I would pamper you, and meeting you is the blessing of the gods of fate. So many coincidental links, any detail going wrong, and in the end we would just be strangers passing each other by without even recognizing each other."

  The stranger's words seemed to have brought Sang Hong's mood down.

  Yes, fate is indeed mysterious, with every scene unfolding like a script. But once an actor improvises, the fate of everyone involved changes.

  Xiang Hong couldn't even bear to imagine herself and Song Shuyu as strangers, he walked by with his wife, children and himself without recognizing each other, just thinking about it made her heart ache.

  Everyone can't guarantee that their choice is correct, but when they meet the right person, apart from cherishing it, we also have to thank God's kindness for letting you meet him among millions of people.

  "Everyone has a past, without the past there wouldn't be us today, so I only want our future." Xiang Hong leaned on Song Shu Yu's chest, trying to chase away the inexpressible sadness with a light tone.

  "Yes, the past can't be changed. Let's just forget about it and move on. I promise you a future where we'll face it together, hand in hand." Song Shuyu turned sideways, facing her, with their fingers intertwined.

  Two people quietly leaned their foreheads against each other, sweetly smiling as they lay on the crimson bedspread, the thick emotions gradually filling the warm little house.

  That night, Song Shuyu slept very uncomfortably, and the fragmented memories that had been lost for a long time kept flashing in his mind, making him unable to distinguish between dreams and illusions.

  His painful wound that had long since scabbed over was ripped open, and he calmly looked at himself sleeping, telling himself that the experiences of his youth were like a devastating illness that destroyed his body and will. Everyone has gone through it, without that hurt and pain, he wouldn't have met this little girl who makes him heartache in his arms.

  He would occasionally wake up from his sleep, holding his arms tightly, to make sure the little one he liked was sleeping obediently in his arms. However, in his dreams, he was always that desperate young man standing alone in the London morning fog, cold and lonely.

  Actually, when he was painfully pursuing her, she was also searching for him with a bewildered look in her eyes.

  Let go, and love the little girl who is worth loving!

  Early in the morning, when Song Shuwei was tired and pressed the temple that jumped straight up, Sang Hong opened her sleepy eyes and didn't understand where she was for a while.

  "Red, wake up?" He asked in a hoarse voice, with a hint of seductive charm amidst his languor.

  "Hmm, you were probably worried that the bed was too small and would press on me last night, so you slept very uncomfortably. Good boy, go back to sleep for a while, I'll get up and help mom with cooking."

  Xiang Hong softly coaxed him.

  Song Shuoye struggled for a moment: "Are you sure I don't need to get up early and cook to please my mother-in-law, is it okay to just lie here?"

  "Alright, sleep!" Xiang Hong said softly, immediately forcing him to rest in his bed.

  Song Shuwei didn't give her a chance to refuse and tightly hugged her into his arms, stubbornly not letting her get up.

  Xiang Hong could only lie still beside him, watching as his breathing gradually stabilized. Only then did she lift her hands to untie the knots binding his hands and feet, quietly get out of bed and dress, and walk out of the room.

  Entering the kitchen, she saw her father cooking porridge and her mother scooping white sugar into a sugar jar. The two of them looked up to see San Hong's tired face and couldn't help but exchange a bitter smile.

  "Hong Hong, what's there to talk about that you can't finish? You've been chattering nonstop all night! Look at your energy!" Lin Qingfu couldn't help but scold her.

  Shang Dawei took a peek outside the kitchen and didn't see Song Shuyu's figure, so he smiled slyly and said: "Indeed a big shot, for the first time staying overnight at his mother-in-law's house, with such good psychological quality."

  "Daaaad——" Sang Hong whined in a drawn-out voice.

  "Look, they're all your favorite dishes, aren't you drooling?"

  "Now, my tummy is starting to rumble." Xiang Hong patted her belly and took advantage of her mother's distraction to quickly snatch a vegetable and toss it into her mouth.

  "Go, go, go! You're a girl from a good family. Your hair is messy and your face is dirty, what do you look like? Take advantage of him not being awake yet, hurry up and tidy yourself up so you can be presentable."

  "Remember to get up earlier than him from now on, don't let him see you in such a sloppy state, or he'll stop liking you after a while."

  Lin Qingnu smiled and pushed her daughter gently.

  "Who cares if he likes it or not, I just want to sneak a bite here. It's the first time I've ever seen Dad and Mom standing together in the kitchen, this feeling is so warm and happy!"

  Xiang Hong used another hand to secretly pinch and eat.

  The couple looked at each other in dismay, how could this girl have such a stupid and unlikable appearance? Was it just because of her face that she was liked by the people in her husband's family? Although they thought she was lucky to be foolish, they still felt ashamed to see others.

  She tasted one by one, and then slowly smacked her lips: "Delicious, I'll go wash my face now, and immediately dig him out of bed to have dinner."

  Song Shuwei closed his eyes for a while, then regained his energy. When Sang Hong went to call him to eat, he pushed the door and saw that he was dressed neatly, so he called him out to eat.

  After washing up, sitting at the table, Song Shu Yu looked at the sumptuous breakfast and couldn't help but say: "Dad and Mom have worked hard, a simple breakfast is fine, no need to go to so much trouble."

  "No trouble, no trouble, you two can have a few breakfasts at home in a year? Only when you eat well do you feel like you're home." Sang Dawei laughed loudly.

  "If there's nothing scheduled for today, let Honghong take you to Lao Miao Street this afternoon and take a look around, and also report the good news to your godmother."

  Lin Qingran said casually, pushing a dish towards Song Shuyu: "I saw that you liked this dish last night, so I asked your dad to stir-fry it again today. Eat more while it's hot."

  Song Shuyu heard concern in her words and immediately smiled, picked up chopsticks and ate very fragrantly.

  "Mom, where does Dry Mother live?" Song Shuyu asked while eating.

  "What a godmother, it's the thousand-year-old locust tree on Lao Miao Street. When Xiang Hong was young, her mother's body was not good, she was born with an extremely weak body, eating noodles would cause fever, and blowing wind would catch a cold. You don't know how much trouble it caused. Later, someone said to let her recognize a godmother to help ward off disasters."

  Recognizing the dry relatives cost money, at that time the economy was tight, thinking back and forth, finally recognized under the name of the old temple street's ancient locust tree, really didn't have anything to offer, just fried some fruit and steamed a few buns, it was considered exciting enough.

  This recognition really hit the mark, her body gradually got better, and later on she even rarely caught a cold.

  Shang Dawei was good at creating atmosphere with his words, and Song Shuyu's heart beat faster as he listened.

  "It's really effective like this, I must go and worship today." Song Shuyu looked at Sang Hong, unable to imagine her weakness when she was a child.

  Xiang Hong smiled and said, "Don't listen to Dad's nonsense. Every time it's my birthday, he takes me to the old locust tree, turns left three times and right three times, and then takes me away. He has never burned incense or worshiped."

  "You silly girl, what are you talking about? I made a promise with your mother in front of the thousand-year-old locust tree, and as long as you grow up smoothly and get married at the right time, we have to go back on our word. We can't cheat the tree spirit."

  Shang Dawei said, looking at Lin Qingran, who nodded repeatedly.

  "But at first you clearly told me to call out to the old locust tree stump on the east side, but that tree has been gone for a long time." Xiang Hong was somewhat speechless.

  "That tree on the west side is also the same, they are a family." said Sang Dawei matter-of-factly.

  "What's going on?" Song Shuyu asked, and it seemed that Huai Tree Mother was no longer listening.

  Shan Hong roughly explained the situation, saying that the thousand-year-old Chinese scholar tree on Lao Miao Street was too famous. A newly built park in the city had specifically transplanted one over, but it died soon after being moved. The one on the east side is now gone, and only the one west of the Grand Temple on Lao Miao Street remains.

  "Ah, right! I suddenly remembered something important," said Sang Hong, slapping her forehead and startling everyone, who all looked at her in surprise, wondering why she was so startled.

  "Your uncle, Principal Song, said that the old locust tree on the west side of Lao Miao Street is his dry relative. He asked me to remind you to burn incense for him when you return home and tell the old locust tree that he still misses it and will come back to visit it when he has time."

  Xiang Hong said with a pleased expression and raised her eyebrows slightly.

  "He also recognized his godmother?" San Dawei was astonished, he didn't understand how his daughter could be so familiar with Song Shuyu's uncle, even discussing his godmother.

  "Hmm, heh heh, you said your uncle called the old locust tree 'godmother', and I also call the old locust tree 'godmother'. If we follow this logic... uh, isn't our generation a bit mixed up?"

  Xiang Hong pouted her small face and deliberately teased Song Shuyu.

  Song Shu finished drinking the porridge in his bowl with a calm and composed expression, his face showing no emotions.

  Xiang Hong couldn't help but smile secretly.

  Lin Qingran asked: "Which school is your uncle the principal of? How does he know Honghong so well?"

  Xiang Hong immediately responded with a voice that she was the principal of her school.

  He's the principal of XX Military School in B City, this kid is indeed extraordinary! Sang Dawei nervously put down his chopsticks, not wanting the sound of his eating to disturb everyone's conversation.

  Song Shuoye calmly replied, "My uncle's name is Song Jingzhu, and my father's name is Song Jingshi. Originally, Grandfather meant to separate the two characters 'Zhu' and 'Shi', hoping that they would become useful talents for the country in the future."

  Xiang Hong was somewhat perplexed and couldn't understand why Song Shuyu was so talkative.

  Lin Qing furrowed his brow and remained silent for a long time.

  "Mom, since you and dad have agreed to my marriage with Honghong, would you please inform our relatives that we're going to get engaged? Ask them to gather together so they can meet each other. After all, this is also a big deal for Honghong's life, and it wouldn't be good if others ask about it without knowing."

  Song Shuyu changed the subject, and what he said was reasonable and made sense.

  "Right, Shu Yu is absolutely right. I grew up eating and wearing what others provided, and my paternal grandmother's family was very small and didn't often come to visit. Since you mentioned it, let's invite them over for a gathering with some of the closer neighbors from the street, set up a few tables, and thank them for taking care of Honghong all these years."

  Song Shuwei's expression turned serious as he looked at Lin Qingran:

  "Mom, the surname Lin is probably very rare in A City, right? Is Grandma's house far away? If it's not far, why don't Red and I go visit her this afternoon and arrange a time for Uncle and Aunt to come over for dinner? After all, paying respects to elders is a matter of course."

  "Indeed, it's clear you're from a wealthy family background, your etiquette is truly impeccable."

  Lin Qingran cleared his throat and looked at him. He immediately shut his mouth, only to hear Lin Qingran say:

  "Her grandmother's house is deep in the mountains of Dasheng, where transportation is inconvenient. The locals all call it Posheng Mountain. In previous years, the Dasheng factory in A city was not far from the foot of the mountain, and the defective products from the factory were directly taken there and discarded. Nowadays, although it has been developed and some roads have been built, I have been bedridden for many years and haven't gone that way for a long time, so I don't know if Hong can still find it."

  Sang Hong thought of that cold and icy family of relatives, and couldn't help but smile at her mother: "Mom, I only went there a few times when I was young, now that the road is fixed, I'm not sure if I can still find it."

  Song Shu's eyebrows furrowed, how did this family bring up such a close relative, and it wasn't particularly affectionate, was there another hidden reason?

  Was Lin Qingran really a local? As a child, was he despised by his family for being weak and sickly?

  But Grandfather clearly said she was Lin Xuan Yu's youngest daughter, this matter is strange.

  "Why don't you tell me your uncle's or aunt's name and I'll get the police station to check their address and send someone to take us there."

  Shang Dawei immediately responded with a voice: "This idea is good, it saves running around for half a day and can't find anyone, busy in vain." After finishing speaking, he mentioned the name of Shang Hong's uncle.

  Song Shuwei was extremely surprised and asked in a low voice: "Dad, why does Mom have the surname Lin, but Uncle has the surname Zhang?"

  Lin Qing sighed and said, "Alas, how can I explain it to you? Both of us don't have any close relatives. In the past, Zhang Qiang's mother helped me when I was in trouble, and later because we both lived too lonely lives, we started calling her 'Auntie'. That's how Red's grandma became like a family member to us."