Standing Next To You
Chapter 603: The Town

Chapter 603: The Town

Having experienced two lifetimes, Bei Sangyun had known different kinds of pain—heartbreak, betrayal, forgiveness, and love. She had also learned the value of second chances.

Just as Fei Chuan gave her a second chance, perhaps she too should offer the same to these people.

She smiled gently at them and began responding to the memories they shared.

Mrs. Xuang suddenly held her hand, her eyes full of emotion. "Sangyun, you left so suddenly back then. Our old mouths must’ve hurt you a lot, child. I’ve always regretted that."

The others around her also wore guilty expressions, their faces clouded with shame.

"We didn’t mean to drive you away," Grandma Wei added. "We explained that to your old woman, but she’s too stubborn. I—I couldn’t hold my tongue either and ended up saying some terrible things..."

One by one, they began recalling the past, and only then did Bei Sangyun begin to understand. They had reacted out of misunderstanding, caught up in what they heard and assumed. But they never truly meant to hurt her.

"We only realized what we had done after the Young Master spoke to us before he left town," Grandpa Qin said softly. "We’d wronged the two of you."

The townspeople who knew the full story echoed his words, expressing their apologies. Some admitted to spreading rumors without understanding the full picture.

Bei Sangyun stood still, listening in silence.

She had thought she was over it. Two lifetimes had passed, and those days felt like a distant memory—faint and almost forgotten. But hearing them apologize sincerely, something inside her began to soften.

The wound she believed had healed with time hadn’t truly closed. It had simply been frozen over. And now, it was finally thawing—finally being warmed.

She smiled at them, her expression gentle, full of quiet gratitude.

"River Village has always held a special place in my heart," she said softly. "It broke my heart the day I left and even more when I couldn’t return. So I’m truly grateful for your apologies today. And I want to say something I should’ve said long ago: thank you. Thank you for taking care of me when I needed it most."

The villagers were moved. Some looked even more ashamed. A few turned to scold the people beside them for ever having spread rumors.

Then the old village chief, who had silently joined the conversation, suddenly raised his voice with a grin.

"Well! If this isn’t a day worth celebrating, I don’t know what is! The pride of our village has returned—and we’ve reconciled. That calls for a festival!"

Cheers erupted.

"Everyone, bring out your best dishes tonight!" he added.

The people of River village laughed and nodded, already discussing what to prepare.

The air around Bei Sangyun felt lighter now. For the first time in a long time, her heart felt at peace in the River Village.

Bei Sangyun hadn’t expected things to turn into a full-blown festival. But seeing the villagers already planning what to cook and prepare for tonight, she decided to just let it be.

"The village’s going to be busy today," Fei Chuan said with a smile. "How about we visit someplace else and let them do their thing?"

Bei Sangyun nodded. "Alright."

As the River Village bustled with preparations for the festival, Fei Chuan borrowed a cart from Grandpa Qin. He took the reins and drove while Bei Sangyun sat at the back. The cool wind swept through their hair as they crossed the familiar mountain path.

Bei Sangyun gazed at the green fields, the blue sky, and the radiant sun. Then she looked ahead—to the man driving the cart—and her heart softened with a smile.

This moment brought back childhood memories. She had often walked across the mountain, but every time Grandpa Qin offered her a ride to the next town, she would light up with joy. Back then, riding in a cart made her feel like a princess on a pony.

She leaned forward and rested gently against Fei Chuan’s back. "Thank you for choosing the cart over the car. This brings back so many memories."

Fei Chuan smiled, the wind tousling his hair. His heart was light, warmed by the joy of the woman behind him.

"Anything for you, my love."

His words, carried by the wind, drifted to her ears, sweet and sincere. Bei Sangyun’s lips curled into a quiet, blissful smile.

Before long, the cart arrived in the town.

River Village had remained much the same, save for a few new pieces of furniture in the villagers’ homes. But this town had changed a lot.

The narrow road had widened. The old wooden market stalls had been replaced with neat little shops. Wooden houses were now modern concrete ones.

Bei Sangyun’s eyes were drawn to a specific corner—the spot where she and Grandma Bei used to put down their baskets to sell produce. Now, that spot had been replaced with a phone booth.

"This town has changed a lot. I can barely recognize it," Bei Sangyun muttered.

Fei Chuan looked around as well. The town wasn’t familiar to him—he hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings back then. Still, he recognized the spot where Bei Sangyun once sold her goods.

"This is the place, isn’t it?" he asked, gesturing to the phone booth.

Bei Sangyun was stunned. "You know about this place?"

"Yeah. I saw you and Grandma Bei leaving the village every dawn. One day, I got curious about where you were going, so I decided to follow you."

"You did?" Her voice was full of surprise.

The Fei Chuan she remembered wasn’t the type to leave his room out of curiosity, let alone stick his nose into other people’s business.

"Yeah. Of course, I asked the driver to take me to town. That’s when I found you here, selling goods. No wonder you came at class late even though you left the village so early—it was because you were working here." Fei Chuan smiled at the memory. "Now that I think about it... I think I’ve always admired you. I just never entertained the thought."

Bei Sangyun looked at him, flabbergasted. "...You admired me?"

Perhaps it was the time they had spent walking around River Village, staying at the Chuan villa, and now revisiting this town that stirred up childhood memories she thought she had long forgotten.

Back then, little Fei Chuan disliked her—no, hated her.

He always had a frown on his face. He competed with her at every chance.

They were practically at each other’s throats as kids.

"You don’t look at all that you admire me," Bei Sangyun chuckled.

"Well, I can’t blame you for thinking that. I was arrogant and ill-tempered. I didn’t want to be around people, didn’t even want to show myself to anyone. But..." Fei Chuan looked at her gently as he continued, "when you came, I started to change."

He reached for her hand as they walked forward. "Did you know I never planned to attend elementary school here? I was already eligible to skip ahead to middle school. But when I found out you were enrolling in elementary, I suddenly asked Grandma Pei to enroll me too."

Bei Sangyun blinked in surprise.