My Crush Also Has a Crush on Me!
Chapter 184: Another Year Older

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Another Year Older

In just half a month, Grandma gradually forgot many things, and she could no longer recognize people.

Often calling for Yingying, but when Fu Ying was right in front of her, she didn’t recognize her.

The last time, Grandma stole some candy from her claiming it was for her granddaughter. Fu Ying didn’t know how to feel.

She told Grandma that she was her granddaughter, but Grandma said her granddaughter was still little, not as big as her, that her granddaughter was only sixteen, wore her hair in buns, and in school uniform, so well-behaved.

Fu Ying was stunned, not expecting that Grandma remembered her as the sixteen-year-old Fu Ying.

Then, for those two days at home, Fu Ying always wore her hair in buns similar to her childhood, but Grandma still didn’t recognize her.

Her condition was intermittent; sometimes she was very lucid, other times her speech wasn’t clear.

Afterward, when the final exams ended and the winter holidays began, it was almost New Year’s, and Wen Tian came back too. There were more people at home, and the festive atmosphere was strong.

Every year, Fu Mingchuan gave red envelopes to the few children in the family, and everyone got one.

Xia Jinyun, pregnant, received one too, which really annoyed Fu Yan.

"Why? Big brother’s family gets three red envelopes."

Fu Mingchuan: "If you bring home a girlfriend, I’ll give you five."

Fu Yan’s protesting voice gradually weakened.

Fu Mingchuan mentioned again: "Haven’t you caught up with that girl?"

"Just because she’s hard to chase is why I’m doing it. If it were easy, I wouldn’t bother."

His younger brother had a bit of desperation in his words; it felt like he was bottling up his frustration. His pursuit of Jin Can was really going nowhere.

He had never been so serious about anyone else before; initially, when he said he liked Xia Jinyun, he was also half-hearted about it.

But this time, it was truly different.

On New Year’s Eve, there were fireworks in the distance, probably from some urban village or old housing area. Over there, fireworks were exploding brilliantly in the sky, colorful and splendid.

Their neighborhood didn’t allow for fireworks, so it seemed a lot lonelier.

Only other kids were walking on the street, playing with little fireworks, like sparklers.

Those kids were chasing each other, parents telling them to slow down from behind; one little boy was so mischievous, he made a little girl cry, standing straight and being scolded by her father.

The little boy’s face was full of grievance yet stubbornness, he bowed his head, silent. He looked so adorable.

Maybe it was because of the holidays, these children were usually not seen.

"Do you want this?"

Wen Tian came over and handed her a small firework, which burst into golden flames when ignited in her hand.

"Sure."

Wen Tian stood beside her, extending his hand out the window, holding the small firework, lighting up the darkness.

He turned his head to look at Fu Ying.

The girl leaned on the window, her face illuminated by the fireworks.

Peacefully beautiful, her pale face focused on the golden light, her eyes filled with joy.

"It’s nice, getting one year older."

"Getting older makes you think, if only you could go back to being a child, a child without worries."

Fu Ying nodded: "That’s true, but everyone grows up, so we should keep a childlike heart."

Wen Tian contemplated these words, nodded: "Why aren’t you going downstairs to watch the Spring Festival Gala?"

"There will be replays of it today."

Wen Tian smiled.

The TV show can be replayed, but missed opportunities in life are just that—missed. They weren’t exactly missed opportunities; it was just an encounter.

"Is he very busy?"

Fu Ying hesitated for a moment before realizing who "he" was: "Busy, New Year’s, holidays, people gathering can easily lead to accidents, especially during New Year’s, fireworks and firecrackers can cause accidents without care, this is the busiest time for him."

Speaking of this, the girl sighed: "Today’s New Year’s Eve, and I still don’t know where he is."

Her tone carried worry, and a bitter yearning.

The little sparkler in her hand had gone out, and Wen Tian fell silent. Downstairs, her little brother called out: "Fu Ying, Wen Tian, come downstairs to play fight the landlord."

Fu Ying didn’t know how, and that night her little brother had drawn a turtle on her face with a pen. Before she went to bed and was about to wash her face, she received a phone call from Shen Liguang, asking her to come downstairs, saying he just wanted to see her before he left.

She quickly washed her face, afraid that he might become impatient if she took too long. Unable to fully wash off the drawing, she went downstairs with the turtle still on her face.

The man looked at her with her little painted face and laughed for a long while, teasing her, "Did you put on makeup?"

Embarrassed, Fu Ying covered her face: "No."

"Lost a game with your brother?"

Fu Ying, still covering her face, didn’t dare to lower her hands: "Lost at fight the landlord."

"You don’t know how to play fight the landlord?"

"I do, but I’m not particularly good at it," Fu Ying replied, looking up at him. He kept examining her face with an amused, almost smiling expression.

"I’ll go wash it off."

"Don’t bother, I’m leaving."

Fu Ying was pulled over by him, and his warm, moist kiss landed on her lips.

Before he left, he kissed her for a long time.

Fu Ying blushed for a long time.

This man, he would kiss anywhere, not caring about the place at all.

A few days after the New Year, watching her grandmother becoming increasingly incoherent, Fu Ying stuffed many slips of paper with her phone number written on them into her grandmother’s pockets.

Afraid that she might wander off unnoticed and wouldn’t be able to find her way back.

Grandmother held Qibao in her arms, gently caressing it.

Qibao also enjoyed being caressed like this, nestling comfortably on Grandmother’s lap and purring contentedly.

"Grandma."

Fu Ying called out, but no one answered.

Last summer, every time she called for Grandmother, she would get a response.

The sunlight streamed in through the window, warm on her skin. Suddenly, Grandmother spoke as if recognizing her: "Yingying."

"Yes?"

"Let me tell you about your grandfather; you were still voiceless when he passed away. You don’t know, but your grandfather, he had such a kind heart, and he was so good to me..."

It was grandfather again.

That afternoon, Grandmother kept talking about Grandfather, forgetting and then talking about him again, going round and round about Grandfather’s stories.

Fu Ying quietly listened to her ramblings, not finding it annoying at all.

Time swiftly passes, and then came spring, summer, bustling by, and before they knew it, it was already June.

Her eldest brother’s little baby was already three months old, a little boy named Fu Shenghui.

The little guy needed to eat several times a day and was quite troublesome, crying at night, either for food or to have his diaper changed.

During that period, Xia Jinyun was not sleeping well nor eating properly, and she grew haggard.

"So cute."

Fu Ying and Fu Yan leaned over the side of the baby carriage, their faces filled with wonder as they stared at the baby. Fu Ying poked his soft little cheek with her finger.

"Big brother, now that your nephew can ’hold soy sauce’, do you think you can win over Sister Jin Can?"

Fu Yan gave her a glare: "Shut up!"

Xia Jinyun, organizing the baby’s clothes, asked with a smile: "Still haven’t won her over? It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?"

"What do you mean ’won her over’? I’m just playing around. What kind of girlfriend couldn’t I get?"

Fu Ying: "Shenghui, when we grow up, let’s not be like Uncle. No boasting."

"Fu Ying, would you die if you kept quiet?"

Xia Jinyun watched them tease and play around, feeling quite happy about it. Being able to tease and play meant that they had a good relationship.

Then, the eldest brother came through the door, one by one, he shooed them out: "Go outside with your noise, let your sister-in-law get some sleep."