Chapter 160: A Grieving Husband

This was the first time Tang Yu was throwing a proper birthday celebration for Bian Yang, and she approached it with utmost care and solemnity.

She took the bus into the city to wander around the shops multiple times until she finally returned to the residential compound carrying bags of all sizes.

Seemingly aware of what his granddaughter was bustling about preparing inside and out, the old man proactively offered to stay at the hospital tonight and said he wouldn't be coming back.

He wanted to provide a cozy, private space for the young couple and had no desire to play the third wheel.

Embarrassed, Tang Yu gently held onto her grandfather's arm. "It's really fine if you stay."

"Of course it's not fine. Don't look at my age, it doesn't stop my wattage from being high. What business does an old man like me have meddling in young people's affairs? Coincidentally, I've arranged to play Chinese chess with that old man Zhang at the hospital."

During their time in the capital, he had picked up quite a few trendy phrases from the youths.

With that, the old man stroked his bristling beard, looking utterly unconvinced as he scoffed, "Relying on his higher education, he kept showing off his chess skills, but I wiped the floor with him until he was left with nothing. See? He couldn't save face, so he threw down the gauntlet. After I accompany your grandma through her rehabilitation later, I'll go back and wipe the floor with him a few more times! I'll crush his arrogance!"

Tang Yu covered her mouth, unable to hold back a giggle while feeling deeply comforted at the same time.

At first, she had been terribly worried that her grandparents wouldn't get used to the environment here.

After all, they were so accustomed to living in the village, and her grandfather loved puttering around in his vegetable garden. She was afraid the fast pace and constraints of the big city would make the old folks uncomfortable.

Who would have thought that her grandparents, with their simple, kind, and good-natured dispositions, would make so many good friends during their time at the hospital, recently spending their days either playing chess or practicing Tai Chi?

In her grandfather's words, they had to keep pace with their granddaughter's steps and not hold her back.

After her grandfather left, Tang Yu felt completely unfettered and proceeded to decorate the entire living room.

By the time she finished everything, it was already four or five in the afternoon, and she was drenched in sweat.

Looking at everything before her, she brushed off the residual leaves and dust from her clothes, her eyes flashing with a lovely brilliance, mixed with a hint of nervousness: What if he didn't like it?

Hmph, like it or not, he would have to like it.

She lowered her head and smiled sweetly, her hand brushing the box in her pocket, her dimples brimming with sweetness as if filled with sugar.

Yet, a few frames of yesterday's memories suddenly slipped into her mind, instantly making her face flush with bubbling heat.

She tapped her own head, quickly censoring those images and tossing them into the trash can, then pulled out her phone, intending to call Bian Yang.

Right then, a call came in—it was Qin Mingyu's number.

She answered, "Brother Mingyu?"

"Little Sis Yu, you still remember me."

Qin Mingyu's frivolous tone drifted through the phone.

Tang Yu nodded. "Mm, I have your number saved."

Previously, they had saved each other's numbers, but her Brother Bian had been so overwhelmingly jealous that he made her delete his number from her phone.

Now look at him; too proud to lower his face and call someone himself, the arduous task had once again fallen upon him, this sycophantic lackey.

What on earth was Bian Yang even trying to achieve?

"Little Sis Yu, today is Brother Yang's birthday. We're throwing a party at Intoxication; come on over and join the fun."

Tang Yu paused for a moment, then glanced around at her decorations and asked Qin Mingyu, "Is Bian Yang there too?"

"Of course, it's Brother Yang who's hosting it."

Qin Mingyu covered the phone, glanced at the young man sitting in the shadows over there, turned slightly to the side, and muttered in a low voice, "He's the one who asked me to call you. He cares way too much about his pride. Let's throw him a bone and give him a way out, so you should just come over."

Wouldn't all her preparations go to waste then?

Though Tang Yu felt a tinge of disappointment, as long as he was happy, it didn't matter where they were. "Okay, send me the address."

"Great, I'll send a car to pick you up at eight."

Tang Yu quickly said, "No need, I'll just take a taxi."

Taking a shower and quickly tidying up herself would still leave plenty of time.

Qin Mingyu didn't push further. After hanging up, he walked over to Bian Yang and shook his phone.

"There, notified."

Qin Mingyu sat down beside him, resting his elbow on the booth as he looked at him. "If you ask me, you should've just told her yourself instead of taking such a huge detour. What are you even trying to gain?"

The young man's tall, slender figure was lazily and loosely slumped into the sofa. The lighting in the private room was quite dim, and he wore a black baseball cap, half against the light. From this angle, only his sharply defined jawline and the coldly pale, slightly bobbing Adam's apple as he swallowed an orange-yellow alcoholic brew could be seen.

His Brother Yang was genuinely handsome, which explained why so many girls in their circle kept coming back to pursue him despite repeated failures.

Setting aside his family background, just this face alone would make him a coveted prize anywhere.

Case in point: the moment he posted on his WeChat Moments saying it was Brother Yang's birthday tonight, those socialites and aristocratic daughters bombarded him for tickets, willing to pay out of pocket just to attend. He couldn't even be bothered to expose whether they were interested in the party or the person.

Too bad they stood no chance.

The very object of their obsession right now was checking his phone every dozen seconds.

He was practically worthless in his longing.

"You want her to look for you, yet you won't make the first move. Brother Yang, were you a twisted towel in your past life? Why are you so convoluted?"

Just as Qin Mingyu finished his teasing remark, he received a kick.

A fresh dust print landed on his newly changed clothes, and he opened his mouth, ready to throw a tantrum. "You always just bully me, right? I haven't even settled the score with you for dumping me in Minquan, and now you're bullying me again..." But when he met Bian Yang's slightly lifted gaze, the words at the tip of his tongue instantly shifted into, "Bullying me? Then you've definitely picked the right person. Haven't I spent my whole life just here for you to bully? It's just a footprint—come on, Brother Yang, kick me a couple more times if you haven't let off steam."

He actually leaned in with a cheap grin.

Disgust flashed across Bian Yang's face. "Get the hell away from me."

They had been bickering like this since they were kids, so he was long used to it.

Far from moving away, Qin Mingyu picked up a drink and cheerfully slid closer with a smile.

"I just called Little Sis Yu and told her, and she agreed to come without a second thought. She's not mad at you at all, so stop staring at your phone. You're going to rub the screen raw."

"Get this straight." Bian Yang lowered his gaze from the phone, lazily locked the screen, draped the fingertips holding his wine glass over the armrest, and cast a languid, downward glance at him. "The one who's angry right now is me. I'm the primary party here."

Qin Mingyu looked bewildered and baffled. "Huh? You're the one who's angry?!"

With that resentful-wife look of his, he didn't look angry at all—he looked much more like someone terrified of being kicked away.

"If you're angry, why are you waiting for her WeChat message?"

Bian Yang flatly denied it. "I wasn't waiting."

"If you weren't waiting, why do you check your phone every dozen seconds? Look, you just checked it again!"

The fingertips Bian Yang used to swipe the phone paused for a mere fraction of a second before he hurriedly locked the screen with a transparently guilty cover-up, his expression as nonchalant as ever. "Can't my natural disposition just be loving my phone? What's wrong with that?"

"..."

Qin Mingyu rolled his eyes, yet still gave him a respectful thumbs-up of admiration.

Keep on being stubborn.

Guests arrived one after another. Bian Yang took off his baseball cap and pulled it over his face, propped his legs up on the table, and stretched out lazily and comfortably on his back, feeling drowsily sleepy.

Yet this crowd seemed to have radar installed on him; within a minute or two, some guy or girl would come over to strike up a conversation.

Annoyed, he casually tossed the cap aside, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stood up, intending to head to the separate lounge upstairs to sleep.

Before leaving, he slow-pacingly told Qin Mingyu, "When she gets here, call me."

Qin Mingyu acknowledged the order, gave him an 'OK' hand gesture, and said, "I put your clothes in the lounge. Remember to change later."

With one hand in his pocket and without looking back, Bian Yang gave a casual wave with his other hand and sauntered lazily out of the private room.

Just then, a woman nearby overheard.

"Who is Ah Yang waiting for?"