Chapter 147: Everyone Has Become So Delicate

The story of how Su Yuqing got her name goes all the way back to her birth.

On the day Su Yuqing was born eighteen years ago, it was a torrential downpour.

Much heavier than the rain falling outside now.

The ferocious storm fell in sheets, shrouding the entire city.

Li Fengzhi’s contractions had started two weeks before her due date. She was pacing the living room, clutching Su Chengfeng’s hand. "The ambulance said the flooding is too deep for them to get through..."

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll carry you to the hospital!" Su Chengfeng carefully secured the hospital bag and a rain poncho. As he crouched down, a wound on his back that hadn’t had its stitches removed yet was revealed—he had gotten it a few days prior while shielding Li Fengzhi from a falling object.

Li Fengzhi touched his shoulder, where blood was seeping through the bandage, and choked out, "Your wound hasn’t even healed..."

Before she could finish, Su Chengfeng had already scooped her up securely. "Hold on tight. We’ll take the path by the East Alley drainage canal."

On streets where the floodwater was already knee-deep, the 26-year-old husband hunched over, shielding his wife from the gales like a protective cocoon.

Whenever lightning illuminated the path ahead, Li Fengzhi could see the veins bulging on her husband’s neck and hear his ragged breaths mixed with the sound of the rain. "Almost there... Fengzhi, just hold on a little longer..."

"My water broke!" Li Fengzhi cried out suddenly.

Su Chengfeng froze for a second, then quickened his pace. "The Maternity and Childcare Hospital is right ahead!"

But just then, the surging drainage canal burst through its stone railing, and a muddy torrent full of branches instantly blocked their path.

"Chengfeng!" Amid Li Fengzhi’s frantic cries, Su Chengfeng suddenly set her down on a slightly higher stone platform to the side and rushed into a nearby convenience store.

With the sound of shattering glass, he emerged carrying the store’s door panel and leaped into the torrent. He plunged into the water himself, using his back to hold the floating panel in place as a temporary bridge. "Step on my back and cross!"

In that moment, he was so selfless, so dependable.

It was also in that moment that Li Fengzhi’s love for him deepened.

As the doctor on duty took the freezing-cold expectant mother into the delivery room, Su Chengfeng was collapsed in the hallway, vomiting the muddy water he had swallowed.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly after that.

At 10:00 in the morning, amidst Su Yuqing’s first cries, the storm that had raged for a day and a night finally subsided. A nurse opened the window and exclaimed in surprise, "The baby was just born, and the rain clouds are already starting to clear!"

In that instant, Su Chengfeng and Li Fengzhi both thought of the name Yuqing.

Covered in mud, he stared at his wife and daughter, at a loss. He wanted to embrace them but was afraid of getting them dirty. He looked so utterly helpless at that moment.

So much so that Li Fengzhi couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his clumsy state.

"The moment our daughter was born, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Let’s call her Yuqing."

Li Fengzhi pointed to the sun breaking through the clouds outside the window.

Su Chengfeng’s bandaged palm, still bleeding and stuck with splinters from the door, followed up with a laugh. "Clearing after the rain is wonderful. From now on, no matter how big the storm, our family of three will get through it and see the sky clear again."

This name, steeped in her parents’ hardship and hope, carried the miracle of a new life breaking through disaster and preserved the memory of a warm time when they had supported each other through everything.

Even years later, after their family fell apart, Li Fengzhi would still think of this day from time to time.

Recalling this scene, Li Fengzhi’s heart filled with both love and hate for Su Chengfeng.

They had been through so many wonderful times, so many hardships together, but in the end, he had gone down the wrong path.

Seeing the sky clear after the rain seemed to have become an impossible dream.

"Let’s go." Li Gang called out softly, noticing that Li Fengzhi had suddenly spaced out.

"Mm." Snapping out of it, Li Fengzhi gave Li Gang an apologetic look.

’It’s not fair to this simple, honest man before me that I’m with him, yet I still find myself thinking about Su Chengfeng from time to time.’

’But she couldn’t help it.’

Whenever a scene sparked a memory or she was in a certain mood, she couldn’t stop herself from recalling the wonderful past she shared with Su Chengfeng.

Those memories were a treasure she would cherish for a lifetime; it was impossible to forget them.

After arriving at the outpatient clinic, Chen Mo learned that he didn’t just have a simple cold and fever. From choking on the dirty water and then catching a chill, he had developed pneumonia.

Luckily, he hadn’t tried to just tough it out at home. The doctor quickly arranged for him to get an IV drip.

After a couple of hours at the hospital, Chen Mo finally dragged his exhausted body back home. According to the doctor’s instructions, he would have to come back for another drip over the next two days.

But the good news was that after taking a throat swab, the doctor confirmed his pneumonia wasn’t the contagious viral type. So, Chen Mo didn’t have to worry about passing it to Su Yuqing. He could even go to school with it, as long as he wore a mask.

However, the doctor’s advice was that it would be best for him to take at least two days off to rest at home.

But Chen Mo was worried about Su Yuqing going to school alone.

Back home, Chen Mo tiptoed inside, but the sound of the door closing still woke Su Yuqing up.

Su Yuqing, who had been sleeping slumped over the edge of Chen Mo’s bed, was still a little groggy. She only saw a sliver of light coming from the living room.

By the faint light filtering in from outside, she noticed that Chen Mo was no longer in bed and that a warm blanket had been draped over her.

Curious, she got up and walked out of the room, only to see Chen Mo returning with a bag of medicine in his hand.

On the back of his hand was a bandage from the IV.

"You went to the hospital?" Su Yuqing asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I was in bed all day and wasn’t getting any better, so I figured it wasn’t just a simple cold and went to get it checked out," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Why didn’t you wake me up to go with you? It’s dangerous for you to be out alone when you’re sick," Su Yuqing chided, hurrying forward to take the bag from him and help him sit down in the living room.

"It’s just a cold and fever, not some serious illness that makes me frail. I’m not that fragile."

Seeing Su Yuqing treat him like a critical patient, Chen Mo smiled, signaling for her to relax.

"You still should have let me go with you. If you needed anything while you were getting the drip, I could have been there to help," Su Yuqing continued to blame Chen Mo for not waking her.

"It was storming outside, and you were sleeping so soundly. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I’ll definitely call you next time," Chen Mo made a promise he had no intention of keeping.

At that, Su Yuqing finally seemed a little more satisfied.

"You just sit there. I’ll go make you some honey water to soothe your throat. That way, it should feel a little better tomorrow morning."

Chen Mo was about to stop her, but Su Yuqing had already headed capably toward the kitchen.

Soon, she returned with the honey water. Chen Mo said with concern, "Yuqing, you’ve had a long day too. You should get some rest. I don’t want to get better only for you to fall sick from exhaustion."

"I’m fine. This is nothing," Su Yuqing said with a carefree smile, not thinking twice about what she had done today.

"Oh, right. This afternoon, I looked up a head massage technique for people with colds. When you go to sleep later, I’ll give you one. It should help with the stuffy nose so you won’t be as uncomfortable tonight."

"Ever since you’ve been around, I feel like I’ve gotten so pampered. I used to just tough it out whenever I got sick," Chen Mo said to Su Yuqing with a helpless smile.