Morbid Addiction

Shu Rong was a person who cared about her reputation very much. She had always been unwilling to let her relatives and friends see her disputes with her husband and son. No matter what, she hoped that in the eyes of others, she was a woman with a rich life and a happy family.

       The Ning family also treated her very well. Ning Zhanghong was the eldest in the family, and his mother had died young, so all the younger siblings, children and nephews in the family respected her, and even old man Ning had always been very gentle with her.

       It was the first time that Shu Rong had acted so emotionally in front of the Ning family because she felt that Ning Junyan was gradually getting out of her control. She was a little helpless, and she needed more people to stand by her side and help her bring her son back.

       Ning Junyan didn’t understand what else Shu Rong wanted to hear from him, and he felt that what he said was clear enough. So he frowned lightly and asked Shu Rong, “What else do you want me to say?”

       Shu Rong looked at her grown-up son and asked, “Is whatever Mom says today no use? Must you be with him?”

       Ning Junyan patiently answered her, “It seems so.”

       Shu Rong said, “Let me ask you, have you ever thought about the consequences if you are with a man?”

       Ning Junyan, who had been holding Chen Yuncheng’s hand without letting go, asked, “What consequences are you referring to?”

       Shu Rong said, “Of course I’m talking about your job, your career!”

       Ning Junyan thought about it seriously, “I don’t think it will make a difference. The surgery I can do is still the only one I can do. Will it change anything?”

       Seeing Shu Rong’s distraught look, Ning Zhangyu couldn’t help but stand up and gently held Shu Rong’s arm, and said to Ning Junyan, “Junyan, many unpleasant words might spread through the hospital, and it’s inevitable that it will affect you then.”

       Ning Junyan looked at her, “Anything said by people who don’t matter will not affect me.” After that, he said to Shu Rong with a bit of annoyance, “What you’re talking about isn’t actually about how it’ll affect me; it’s just how it’ll affect you. Those aren’t things I would care about.”

       Shu Rong asked him sternly, “So you don’t care about Mom at all?”

       Ning Junyan stared at her and said, “If you feel that it has a great impact on your life, I can introduce you to a psychologist.”

       “Junyan!” Ning Zhanghong said, his voice still a little sickly hoarse, “You’re going overboard talking to Mom like that.”

       Chen Yuncheng saw that Shu Rong’s eyes were red and gently pulled Ning Junyan’s hand.

       Ning Junyan turned to look at Chen Yuncheng, reached into his own pocket, took out the car key and stuffed it into Chen Yuncheng’s hand as he said, “If you don’t want to stay here, go wait for me in the car, I’ll be there soon.”

       Chen Yuncheng looked down at the car keys and said, “I’ll wait for you.”

       The expression on Ning Junyan’s face did not change, but he squeezed Chen Yuncheng firmly, and Chen Yuncheng felt that he was a little happy.

       Shu Rong tried her best to control her emotions, but her voice still trembled slightly as she asked Ning Junyan, “What if I want you to choose between him and your family today?”

       Ning Junyan asked her, “Does the family mean you or everyone in the family today?”

       Shu Rong said in a cold voice, “Everyone in the family.”

       Ning Junyan didn’t answer her question immediately but turned to look at Grandpa.

       Grandpa Ning kept stroking his purple clay pot, and then he said, “Daughter-in-law, there’s no need.”

       Shu Rong turned to look at him, “Dad! You must stand by my side at this time, and you can’t just let him do whatever he wants!”

       Grandpa Ning said slowly, “This is not the way to solve the problem.”

       Ning Zhangyu also persuaded Shu Rong, “Sister-in-law, you are only pushing Junyan out like this. What’s the point?”

       Shu Rong’s attitude was unyielding. As she saw that neither the old man nor Ning Zhangyu supported her, she turned around and asked Ning Zhanghong, “What do you say?”

       Ning Zhanghong sighed and said to Ning Junyan, “Don’t be stubborn.”

       Ning Junyan still looked calm as he said, “I think Mom’s question is rather capricious, and I won’t make a choice. It was supposed to be different feelings that didn’t contradict each other, just like no child will ask the mother to choose between the father and themselves.” He looked at Shu Rong, “Just like you and Dad become a family in the long run, I too, will have my own family in the future. I will return to visit you, and we will still be family, but I can only live with the person I love for the rest of my life.”

       “What lifetime!” Shu Rong said angrily, “You won’t even last a lifetime!”

       Chen Yuncheng originally didn’t want to talk, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but say, “We can.”

       Shu Rong looked at him.

       Chen Yuncheng persisted under her extremely unfriendly gaze, “Auntie, it doesn’t matter whether you think highly of me or not. As long as Ning Junyan doesn’t let go, I will live with him.”

       Just as Shu Rong was about to speak, the mobile phone in her bag on the sofa rang suddenly. She looked at Chen Yuncheng with red eyes, turned around to find the mobile phone, hung it up and put it on the table.

       But just after she hung up the phone, her cell phone rang again, ringing more sharply than before.

       Ning Zhangyu intentionally asked her to adjust her mood and said, “Sister-in-law, answer the phone first.”

       Shu Rong glanced at the caller ID, took a deep breath and connected the phone, and her voice sounded much calmer when she spoke, “Hello?”

       It was not clear what the person on the other side was saying. He sounded very impatient and spoke quickly. He spoke for nearly half a minute before stopping.

       Shu Rong’s face turned paler than it had just been, and she said, “Are you sure?”

       Ning Zhanghong sat on the sofa and looked up at her, “What’s wrong?”

       Shu Rong didn’t answer, and she still concentrated on listening to the person on the phone. After another few tens of seconds, she said, “I’m coming over now.” Then she hung up the phone.

       “Sister-in-law?” Ning Zhangyu called her softly.

       Shu Rong held the phone tightly in her hand, her expression was briefly at a loss, and then she turned around and picked up her bag. She no longer looked at Ning Junyan and Chen Yuncheng but said to Grandpa Ning, “Dad, I have something to do first.”

       Ning Zhanghong asked, “What’s the rush?”

       Shu Rong said to him, “The matter of opening a new hospital, I’ll tell you about it when I return later.”

       Ning Zhangyu asked her, “How are you going to get there? Do you want Huang Jin to give you a lift?”

       “No need.” Shu Rong was already stepping on her high heels and walking outside, “I’ll take a taxi by myself.” She walked in a hurry, and soon her figure disappeared outside the door.

       Chen Yuncheng looked at Ning Junyan.

       Ning Junyan said, “Let’s go.”

       No one stopped them this time, but when Ning Junyan was about to leave the house with Chen Yuncheng’s hand in his, Ning Zhangyu asked him, “Junyan, will you be back tomorrow?”

       Ning Junyan stopped, turned around and said, “Of course I will come back.”

       Ning Zhangyu nodded, and she said, “You can take your time talking to your mother, don’t make the relationship so strained.”

       Ning Junyan just said, “I know.”

       When they came out of the house and walked towards the parking space, Ning Junyan kept holding onto Chen Yuncheng’s hand. Chen Yuncheng felt that his walking posture was very brisk and seemed to be a little excited instead of unhappy.

       Chen Yuncheng didn’t quite understand what he was excited about.

       There were no street lights near the parking space, and they walked to the Land Rover. Ning Junyan suddenly pressed Chen Yuncheng against the car door, pinched his chin and kissed him forcefully.

       Chen Yuncheng was baffled being kissed by Ning Junyan in the dim light of the neighbourhood, feeling his intense emotions until after a while. Chen Yuncheng felt that Ning Junyan had no intention of stopping, so he raised his hand and pushed him away.

       “What’s wrong?” Chen Yuncheng’s lips were moist and red, panting slightly.

       Ning Junyan raised his hand to touch his face, and the two of them got closer. Chen Yuncheng saw the smile in Ning Junyan’s eyes.

       Chen Yuncheng felt strange, “What are you happy about?”

       Ning Junyan said, “You just said you wanted to stay with me for the rest of your life.”

       These words were originally said by Chen Yuncheng to Shu Rong, but now that Ning Junyan mentioned them in a serious manner, he suddenly felt embarrassed. He turned away and tried to change the subject, “I think you can be a little more tactful when talking to your mother and communicate more one time.”

       “She doesn’t really care that much,” Ning Junyan said.

       Chen Yuncheng was stunned and asked, “Why do you think so?”

       Ning Junyan said, “She has many things that she cares about more, like her business.”

       Chen Yuncheng thought of the figure of Shu Rong, who left in a hurry after receiving the call just now, and he suddenly felt sorry for Ning Junyan. He then asked him, “Was she like this when you were young?”

       Ning Junyan looked at him, “What?”

       Chen Yuncheng thought for a while and tried to describe how he felt, “Having high demands of you, but not really caring enough.”

       Ning Junyan said, “She is very busy every day, busy with business and making money outside, but she checks my homework and assignments regularly and arranges tutorial classes for me every day. Actually, there is very little communication between us.” When he said this, Ning Junyan looked at Chen Yuncheng and did not continue.

       Chen Yuncheng couldn’t bear his too-focused gaze, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

       Ning Junyan raised his arms and hugged him tightly, “Wife, you can’t do this to me.”

       Chen Yuncheng panicked, “What? What did I do to you?”

       Ning Junyan looked like he was very aggrieved, “You can’t be too busy with your business and leave me alone.”

       Chen Yuncheng had no choice but to hug him too, “No, I won’t leave you alone.”

       Ning Junyan kissed him under his ear and said, “So it’s actually useless to communicate with my mother, the best way is to tell her with facts that I’m doing well and I’m happy.”

       Chen Yuncheng smiled faintly and gently patted Ning Junyan’s back.

Notes:
Don’t some of us have that kind of mother that you know whatever you say to her, she just won’t understand, and the best way to “talk” to them is to show that your way is better?