Chapter 17: Love That Cannot Be Concealed

“Mr. Tang!”

“And you are?”

“You probably don’t remember me, but I know you! My husband and I used to source goods from your company.”

Wu Xiuli leapt from her bed as though she’d just spotted a long-lost relative, nearly flinging herself into Tang Songyuan’s arms. It was understandable—Tang Songyuan, in her eyes, was money itself. And who doesn’t love money?

“So you’re—Miss Wu.”

He actually recognized her! Wu Xiuli was even more surprised than when she’d first seen her god of wealth walk in. Her whole face glowed with excitement as she reached out to shake his hand. Tang Songyuan returned the gesture politely, but released her hand almost immediately.

“I never thought you would know me! I always assumed that with our small business, we’d be completely beneath your notice.”

“You’re too kind, Miss Wu.”

Tang Songyuan had no wish to pursue this conversation further, much less to engage in small talk with a minor client in this setting. He set the tote bag on the bedside table, pulled out the small folding table, and poured a bowl of soup, smiling apologetically at Tao Fei.

“I went to Crockpot House and bought your favorite Five-finger Root Soup. I didn’t expect to get stuck in traffic and only just got back. The soup is still hot—have some while it’s fresh. And, here.”

He pulled a sleek black, wide-screen phone from his coat pocket and handed it to Tao Fei.

“They’ve stopped making your old model, so I got you this one. I’ve already replaced your SIM card with your old number, and all your usual apps are installed.”

“Thank you.”

Tang Songyuan had bought the latest model on the market, but to Tao Fei, it looked like an outdated relic. Still, she loved antiques, and as she swiped through the phone, her curiosity only deepened.

Reminded by Tang Songyuan to drink her soup first, Tao Fei put down the phone. By now, Wu Xiuli had grasped the relationship between Tao Fei and Tang Songyuan and began to shower Tao Fei with compliments. Wu Xiuli’s mother joined in, praising Tao Fei as the very picture of a devoted wife and mother, without any airs of affluence.

Tang Songyuan listened with evident satisfaction, smiling as Tao Fei finished the entire bowl of soup. He handed her mineral water to rinse her mouth, wrung a hot towel to soothe her face, and didn’t forget to dab some moisturizer on her cheeks.

Watching this seamless routine, Wu Xiuli and her mother exhausted every word of praise they could muster.

“If my husband were even half—no, a tenth—as good as Mr. Tang, I’d be content for life. Tao Fei, you’re so lucky! Not only is Mr. Tang a great provider, he’s so gentle and considerate. How did you ever find such a wonderful husband? You must have saved the galaxy in your past life!”

Wu Xiuli’s admiration for Tao Fei was genuine, and she was truly eager to hear the story of how Tao Fei and Tang Songyuan met and fell in love. Tao Fei just smiled without answering, so Wu Xiuli turned to Tang Songyuan, insisting he share his secrets. She wanted to use his example to find husbands for her three daughters.

Wu Xiuli was only about thirty-one or thirty-two—her eldest daughter could hardly be that old!

“My wife and I were introduced by a matchmaker, nothing unusual about it. That was how most marriages happened back then.”

“A matchmaker? My husband and I were high school sweethearts, and I always thought arranged marriages couldn’t possibly be as happy as those for love. But seeing you two, I might have to reconsider.”

Wu Xiuli said this half in jest.

“Then you two must be well-matched. Only well-matched marriages endure. Why do you think dating shows are so popular these days? Every successful couple on TV comes from similar backgrounds. Rich people marry other rich people—looks alone aren’t enough.”

Wu Xiuli’s mother summed up the marriage between Tao Fei and Tang Songyuan with this, then waited confidently for their agreement.

“I married above my station,” Tang Songyuan said.

“Tao Fei must have been a real beauty in her youth!” Wu Xiuli exclaimed.

“She’s still very beautiful,” Tang Songyuan replied with a gentle smile.

Tao Fei kept her silence, her smile unchanged. This sort of conversation was pleasant and soothing, and she wasn’t at all annoyed by it.

“It’s better when the husband is a bit older—more considerate that way!”

“That’s not always true, is it? Old He is more than ten years older than his wife, but he still hits her…”

Wu Xiuli’s mother tugged at her sleeve, and Wu Xiuli immediately realized her mother was just trying to flatter Tang Songyuan. Anyone could tell he was considerably older than Tao Fei.

“It depends on the person! Only men as mature and refined as Mr. Tang know how to cherish their wives.”

“Mr. Tang is clearly a good man! Not one of those who fool around outside, keeping mistresses as soon as they get money.”

“It’s half past two—patients need their rest now.”

Tang Songyuan cut off the mother and daughter’s chatter, helped Tao Fei lower the bed, and watched as she, eager to tinker with the antique phone, pulled the blanket up to her chin and pretended to sleep when he bent down to tuck her in.

Wu Xiuli wisely fell silent, but within a minute, she and her mother began whispering about what snack to have before five o’clock. Reaching an agreement, they bid Tang Songyuan goodbye and slipped out for a shopping spree.

The ward quieted.

Tang Songyuan reclined on the sofa by the window, eyes closed, bathed in a wash of afternoon sunlight.

Tao Fei watched him in secret, sensing a faint trace of worry between his brows. Suddenly he opened his eyes, and Tao Fei quickly turned away.

Despite her mother’s earlier threats, she did not come to the hospital that afternoon to demand money. Tao Fei managed to rest and awaited the moon’s rise.

A round, orange moon silently climbed into the sky, and Tao Fei’s heart began to race. The same time, the same place, the same moonlit night—the moment of miracle was about to arrive.

Wu Xiuli and her mother had not yet returned. Tang Songyuan had been sent out by Tao Fei to buy fish porridge.

Clutching the doorknob, Tao Fei opened and closed the door several times. The ward, the corridor—everything was as usual. She stepped outside and back in, but still, nothing miraculous happened.

She was unwilling to give up, convinced her timing must be off by a hair. Returning to the ward, she opened the door again, closed her eyes, and stepped out, then abruptly opened them. The long corridor was bathed in gentle, warm light, and a young nurse hurried into a nearby room.

The familiar laboratory did not appear.

Tao Fei forced herself to repeat the process several more times, and as she stood in the doorway, she could almost hear her own heart breaking.

The electronic clock at the nurses’ station in the center of the Y-shaped corridor flickered its red digits forward once more.

One last try.

Perhaps her longing was too strong; with her whole body trembling, she closed her eyes, opened the door, and stepped into the corridor, not daring to open her eyes at first. She longed to hear her professor call her name, to open her eyes and find herself in the medical school laboratory…

But the expected voice never came. Instead, she felt a sudden heat in front of her.

She opened her eyes—and was so startled by the man standing before her that she stumbled back, nearly falling into the hospital room behind her.