Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 23.2

Chapter 23.2 – Sunny Side Up Fairy Tale 02 – Part 2

Weekend came quickly.

Qiao Shan was mooching breakfast at Zuo Yi’s place, nagging him relentlessly. “Hurry up and call Jian Shizhang—tell him you’re meeting him at Ying Shi Xuan to discuss something. I’ve already set it up with Guo Fei for 11 o’clock. I’ll arrange for a waiter to put on a little act.”

Zuo Yi glanced at her indifferently. “What act?”

Qiao Shan said, “I’ll make sure they run into each other in the hallway. As they pass, have the waiter rush by and bump Guo Fei into Jian Shizhang’s arms for an accidental encounter. Then you and I can ‘coincidentally’ show up and suggest we all sit together. That way, your friend Jian Shizhang and my invitee Guo Fei end up at the same table.”

Zuo Yi looked at her. “So, was it all part of your plan when your dog bit me back then?”

Qiao Shan looked away, changing the subject. “Ahem… this sunny-side-up egg you fried is pretty good, not bad!”

As 11 approached, Guo Fei arrived at Ying Shi Xuan and called Qiao Shan. “Hello, Miss Qiao? I’m at the entrance—where are you? I forgot to send you a photo; want one now?”

Qiao Shan had everything set; the waiter was hiding at the end of the hallway, ready to strike. She said, “No need—what color are you wearing? I’m in the Yun Lu private room on the second floor; come up.”

Guo Fei said, “A long white dress, hair down to my waist—that’s me.”

Qiao Shan hung up and quickly called Zuo Yi. “Is Jian Shizhang here?”

“Yeah, I’m in the parking lot with my friend—we’re heading up soon. Get the Yun Shui room ready for me.” Zuo Yi said it seriously, though he’d rehearsed this line with Qiao Shan dozens of times.

The elevators from the parking lot and the first floor were at opposite ends of the hallway, so to reach their rooms, they’d have to pass each other. Zuo Yi and Jian Shizhang stepped out of the elevator, chatting casually. Right after, a woman in a long white dress with waist-length straight hair emerged from the other elevator.

As they drew closer, Qiao Shan used the walkie-talkie to instruct the waiter, “Get ready! Go!”

At her command, the waiter rushed from a room into the hallway, aiming to bump Guo Fei into Jian Shizhang’s arms.

But when they were about five meters apart, both stopped, staring at each other.

Qiao Shan had no idea what was happening, and the waiter looked back helplessly at her hiding around the corner.

Miss Qiao, still bump or not?

Without a response, and fearing a mess-up, the waiter charged ahead and bumped her anyway. Unexpectedly, the woman was so delicate that a light bump sent her tumbling to the ground!

Before the waiter could help, Jian Shizhang rushed over, lifted her up, and anxiously checked for injuries.

Qiao Shan texted Zuo Yi, “What’s going on?”

Zuo Yi pulled out his phone and replied with an emoji: [jaw_dropped.jpg]

Qiao Shan stared at the “jaw-dropped” image, unable to picture the scene ahead. But from their behavior, were they… acquaintances?

She couldn’t resist going over, approaching Zuo Yi and poking his side, whispering, “What’s the situation?” In her confusion, she saw the woman’s face, and her mouth fell open in shock.

This… this… Guo Fei was… the woman in Jian Shizhang’s wallet.

What did it feel like for the deadbeat and Guo Fei to reunite after so long? Qiao Shan couldn’t imagine, but… Jian Shizhang didn’t seem like a deadbeat at all. Keeping Guo Fei’s photo in his wallet all these years showed he was deeply devoted.

So, what exactly happened between them back then?

One wave after another—Guo Fei got a call, stood up tensely, and rushed into the elevator to leave. Jian Shizhang grabbed her hand, refusing to let go, gazing at her with deep affection.

Guo Fei tried to shake him off a few times. “Jian Shi, let go!”

Jian Shizhang asked, “Can we talk? Why rush off?”

Guo Fei replied, “There’s nothing to talk about. Let go—my daughter’s in the hospital; I need to see her now. Let go.”

Jian Shizhang’s hand visibly trembled. “Your… daughter?”

Qiao Shan sensed something wrong and hurried over. “What? Wenwen’s in the hospital?”

Guo Fei looked at Qiao Shan with an inexplicable sense of familiarity and nodded. “Yes, this is the sixth fever this month.”

“I’ll come with you.” Qiao Shan and Guo Fei stepped into the elevator together, with Zuo Yi following.

Jian Shizhang stood outside like a statue. Qiao Shan yanked him in. “Zuo Yi didn’t drive—you take us.”

“Yeah,” Jian Shizhang said. He looked at Guo Fei, his lips moving as if to speak, but he swallowed the words.

Once in the car, the interior was silent, the atmosphere slightly awkward.

Jian Shizhang drove, with Qiao Shan and Guo Fei each by a window in the back, and Zuo Yi in the passenger seat. No one spoke; even Qiao Shan didn’t dare break the ice. She texted Zuo Yi: “Did you know Jian Shizhang had a girlfriend before?”

Zuo Yi replied, “He does have a past—he said he really let that girl down. She had an abortion for him, and he wanted to make it up to her later, but she broke up with him.”

Qiao Shan got it. She replied, “Oh, I see. So Jian Shizhang is the deadbeat Guo Fei mentioned. How are you friends with a scumbag? Getting a girl pregnant and not taking responsibility—that’s a piece of her flesh; did he even ask her opinion?”

Zuo Yi paused before replying, “The girl was in college back then. If she didn’t know better, did he? That could ruin her future.”

Qiao Shan replied, “But Guo Fei raised Wenwen, didn’t she? She wasn’t irresponsible—she’s a great mom.”

They arrived at the hospital, and Jian Shizhang didn’t leave. After parking, he followed them to the ward.

He thought the cruelest irony was reuniting only to find her a mother. He wondered what their child would have been like if it had survived. Then he mocked himself inwardly—it was he who had insisted on the abortion…

Guo Fei, Qiao Shan, and Zuo Yi entered the ward while he leaned against the hallway wall, waiting silently, too afraid to go in.

There might be others inside—her husband, her in-laws. Jian Shizhang opened his wallet, looked at the youthful Guo Fei in the photo, hesitated, then took it out, crumpled it into a ball, and headed for the trash can.

So… what had he been hoping for all these years? What?

Before finding a bin, Qiao Shan’s voice came from behind.

“Jian Shizhang.”

He turned to see her poking half her body out of the ward door. Qiao Shan waved him over. “Hurry up and come in.”

Jian Shizhang pointed at himself in confusion. “Me?”

Qiao Shan said, “Yeah, hurry—come see Wenwen.”

He entered the ward and sure enough, saw an unfamiliar man. The little girl on the bed had needles in the back of her hand, her eyes red and puffy like she’d just cried. When she saw Jian Shizhang, her eyes lit up, and she nearly jumped off the bed. “Idol! Idol!”

Guo Fei pushed her daughter back down, frowning. “What are you shouting about?”

Wenwen settled down obediently and pointed at Jian Shizhang. “Mom, he’s my idol Jian Shizhang! I played you the song he wrote—that ‘Shadow Puppet Play.’ Qiao Mom said he wrote it, and I saw him on the news recently.”

Guo Fei glanced over. “What’s so great about that? Mom can get on TV too.”

Wenwen blinked at Jian Shizhang. “Uncle, are you here for a blind date with my mom?”

Jian Shizhang was puzzled. “Blind date?” His gaze shifted to Xiao Jia.

Xiao Jia noticed and waved his hands. “Don’t get the wrong idea—Guo Fei and I are just friends.”

Guo Fei snapped irritably, “Why are you explaining to him?”

Jian Shizhang looked at Wenwen, then at Qiao Shan, seeming to piece it together. He asked the girl, “Kiddo, how old are you this year?”

Before Wenwen could answer, Guo Fei jumped in, “Four.”

Wenwen tugged her mom’s finger lightly. “Mom, you forgot how old I am? I’m six this year!”

Six…

Jian Shizhang turned to Guo Fei. “Feifei, so Wenwen is…”

Guo Fei raised her voice, “No, Wenwen is my child!”

The doctor pushed the door open, paused at the room full of people, and asked, “Who’s the patient’s family?”

Jian Shizhang and Guo Fei both stepped forward at once. “I am.”

Seeing their synchronicity, the oblivious Wenwen covered her mouth and giggled, tugging Qiao Shan’s sleeve and whispering, “Qiao Mom, look—my idol and Mom are so in sync.”

The doctor looked at them seriously. “Parents? Come with me.”

They both followed the doctor out. Minutes later, Guo Fei returned, her face pale. Qiao Shan thought it was from reuniting with the deadbeat, affecting her mood. But the next moment, Guo Fei burst into tears in front of everyone, throwing herself into Jian Shizhang’s arms. She pinched his arm, nails digging into his skin until bl00d seeped out.

Jian Shizhang held the woman in his arms, his eyes vacant, as if numb to the pain.

This was his luckiest day—and his most unfortunate.