Standing Next To You-Chapter 518: Slowly crumbling

These were the men he had tasked with keeping George Henson under surveillance.

His demeanor immediately reverted to its usual stoic form as he answered the call.

"The man we’ve been watching—George—just sent us an update. He’s currently in the country and appears to be heading toward Ms. Bei’s office. What are your orders, sir?"

Fei Chuan’s expression darkened, and his tone dropped. "Keep your distance. Intercept him if he tries anything. Make sure he doesn’t harm Bei Sangyun."

"Yes, sir. We’ve already dispatched nearby units to the area."

"Good. Keep me updated."

Without wasting a second, Fei Chuan grabbed his coat and car keys. Even though his men were already on-site, he wouldn’t feel at ease unless he confirmed her safety himself.

He drove quickly, his mind racing. As he navigated through the streets, his phone rang again—it was another update from his team.

"We have him here, sir."

"Keep him contained somewhere. Where is Bei Sangyun?"

"She’s safe. The intel team sent us live updates with photos."

"Send them to me."

Fei Chuan was nearing the building when his phone pinged with notifications. He quickly parked the car and checked his phone.

As he opened the photos, his hand froze on the door handle. The more he scrolled through the images, the darker his expression grew.

There were dozens of photos. But there was one particular that made him stop—the image of Jang Shin’s hand resting on Bei Sangyun’s shoulder.

She didn’t push him away. Not once.

Fei Chuan’s gaze lingered on that detail, his jaw tightening.

Just then, a glare from a car’s headlights caught his attention. It was the familiar car Driver Cheng always drove.

Fei Chuan turned his head toward the tinted backseat window as the vehicle passed. Though he couldn’t see through the glass, he stared as if he could see the person inside.

He watched the car drive away, then shifted his gaze to Jang Shin, who stood nearby, heading toward his own car.

Fei Chuan gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The heart that had softened moments ago hardened once more.

And once again, Fei Chuan made his own resolve.

Right. He shouldn’t....couldn’t.... forgive her.

.....

Bei Sangyun arrived at her villa. She had dinner with Grandma Bei, then went to her bedroom to rest. Like a routine, she picked up her phone and glanced at the time. She took a deep breath and called the same number she had been dialing for the past week.

As usual, the first call went unanswered. She called again for the second time, but there was still no response. Bei Sangyun thought she would have no luck today. She called for the last time, listening to the ringing in a daze. Just as the final ring was about to end, the call was suddenly answered.

Bei Sangyun abruptly sat up straight. She held her breath. Had Fei Chuan answered her by mistake?

"H-hello...?" Bei Sangyun spoke hesitantly.

There was only silence on the other end. But Bei Sangyun knew he was there.

"...I know you’re there. It’s fine if you don’t feel like speaking. You can just listen to me," Bei Sangyun started.

She walked toward the balcony, continuing to speak in the gentlest tone she could muster. "I have never hated your touch. Or your help. I know it’s hard to believe me, but whenever I touched you, something would go wrong with your body. I’m worried it might happen again. I would rather keep my distance from you than see you in pain."

Bei Sangyun gazed at the dark sky. "But in the process, I’ve hurt you. You’ve been so kind to me and forgiving, yet I... all I ever do is hurt you again. I know it’s selfish of me to say this, but... I hope to fix this relationship. I don’t want to lose you."

There was a long silence. Bei Sangyun bit her lip. Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, the silent line finally stirred with noise.

"...I see," Fei Chuan said. "I’ll believe you, then. It would be too petty of me to stay mad at you just because you didn’t want to implicate me."

A spark of hope rejuvenated Bei Sangyun’s entire being.

Fei Chuan continued, "I’ll put this behind us. I also hope we can continue being friends."

Bei Sangyun’s face lit up. "I won’t make such a mistake again, I promise."

"...Alright," Fei Chuan replied plainly.

Overwhelmed with happiness, Bei Sangyun immediately invited him to dinner.

"Are you not afraid some paparazzi might see us?" he asked.

Bei Sangyun shook her head, then quickly realized Fei Chuan couldn’t see her. "No," she said. "People see us now as childhood friends. It’s all thanks to you. The problem I thought would be so difficult to overcome was solved so easily by you. Thank you, Fei Chuan."

"Mhm. Anytime. I’ll see you at dinner."

Bei Sangyun wanted to say more, but speaking further over the phone might come across as insincere. She was already content that Fei Chuan had answered her call. With a reluctant heart, she bid him goodbye and ended the call.

She looked up at the moon, her heart thumping with excitement and filling with hope.

As she stood there, she began to reflect on herself.

The life she lived now was vastly different from the one she had before. People changed. And with their changes, their fates changed as well.

The person she had been in the past couldn’t rely on anyone. She grew up learning to always stand up for herself, to never seek help, and to carry every burden on her own. She had no problem with it—that was simply how she had lived her life. But in the end, she died painfully and alone.

In this life, she watched as people she once believed incapable of change... changed. She witnessed how their fates shifted, becoming different from what they had been in her previous life.

If even those people, whom she had thought could never change, could transform, Bei Sangyun realized she could find the courage to change as well.

Because she had lived in the shadow of her past, she had made poor choices and hurt Fei Chuan in the process.

She did not want to hurt him again. She had to change.

Bei Sangyun had made up her mind.

The last tall wall that separated her from the life she was now living was slowly crumbling.

Maybe... she could try to explain everything to Fei Chuan this time. Her illness, the fate she was fighting against, and her rebirth.

Fei Chuan might call her crazy, might not believe her at first. But she wouldn’t back down. Just as she had done over the past week, she would keep telling him- the truth, her feelings, and her love towards him. And with time, he might begin to understand—and believe her.

She had faith that, little by little, Fei Chuan would come to believe her.

Bei Sangyun seemed to have found her answer. The uneasiness and anxiety that had plagued her heart were replaced by courage, anticipation, and hope.

For the first time in a long time, that night, Bei Sangyun slept peacefully.

...

The next day, Bei Sangyun woke up early in the morning to cook and delivered the dishes to Fei Chuan’s office. She only worked a half day, then went home early to help prepare dinner.

Soon, Fei Chuan arrived.

It was a simple dinner, but Bei Sangyun had prepared all of Fei Chuan’s favorite dishes—ones she remembered him enjoying in the past.

Fei Chuan stared at the spread of dishes, his fingers tightening around his chopstick.

When dinner was finished, Bei Sangyun suggested they take a walk around the neighborhood.

Fei Chuan asked, "Aren’t you afraid people might see us?"

Bei Sangyun smiled softly. "I am. But... recently, I’ve come to realize something very important. I wasn’t being completely transparent with you. And because of that, I hurt you. I don’t want that to happen again."

Fei Chuan’s eyes glinted. "Not... transparent? What is it that you haven’t been transparent about?"

Bei Sangyun held out her hand. "You must have noticed it—the way I’ve been trying to avoid your physical touch."

Fei Chuan fell silent.

"Do you remember what I told you four years ago?" she asked.

Fei Chuan let out a short laugh and muttered, "You told me to wait for four years... How could I forget?"

"Yes. And now, I only need to wait a few more days. When the time comes, I’ll tell you everything," Bei Sangyun said.

Fei Chuan looked at her intently. He smiled, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. "...There’s actually no need, since we’ve both moved on."

Bei Sangyun met his gaze, her resolve unwavering. "No. I will explain everything to you." As for what might happen afterward, she was prepared to face it. If Fei Chuan didn’t believe her, she would be patient and slowly present proof to him.

Fei Chuan averted his eyes from her intense gaze. "...Alright."

The two continued walking. After a while, Fei Chuan broke the silence. "...But what about other people’s touch? You don’t avoid their touch?"

"I don’t like other people’s touch," Bei Sangyun replied. "Only people I am comfortable with that I can tolerate their touch." Like Maid Ye Zhai and Butler Xin.

Fei Chuan’s fingers curled slightly. People she’s comfortable with? He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t. "...I see."

Bei Sangyun noticed his silence again. There was something off about him today—but it was understandable, given how disastrous their last meeting had been. Thinking back to that moment—when he had leaned in as if to kiss her—Bei Sangyun’s heart raced.

She wanted to bring it up but hesitated. That was a sensitive topic, and she needed to tread carefully. She hadn’t revealed everything to him yet. When the time came, she would ask him directly.

The two eventually arrived at Bei Sangyun’s gate. Seeing it, she felt a twinge of disappointment.

"Tomorrow, can we meet again?" she asked hopefully. This time, she resolved to be bold and stop avoiding Fei Chuan.

There was a brief pause—two seconds at most—before Fei Chuan smiled faintly. "...Sure."