Standing Next To You-Chapter 535: Still warm and safe

A/n: This Chapter is now fixed. Thank you for waiting.

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Year 20XX—The earrings from the Tears of the Mermaid appeared at Princeton Auction House in Country Z....

Year 20XX—The earrings from the set were bought by William James at Princeton Auction House....

Year 20XX—The earrings were worn by Bei Sangyun at Tian Shen’s Homecoming Dance...

And that was the last entry on the list.

Bei Sangyun paused. She traced back over the list again.

When the Tears of the Mermaid appeared at Princeton Auction House, only the earrings were there. The necklace was gone.

Where had it disappeared to?

The report did not mention where the necklace had gone or what had caused it to suddenly vanish. After all, her intel team’s only concern was the earrings.

She hadn’t thought much about it before, but after hearing the Cry of the Mermaid, she couldn’t help but take an interest.

For the monk to mention the myth... there must be something to it. For both the earrings and the necklace from the Tears of the Mermaid to come into her possession in different timelines—surely that wasn’t a coincidence.

Fei Chuan had given her the necklace in her previous life, but she had lost it somewhere. At that time, she had seen Fei Chuan as her worst enemy and hadn’t treasured any of his gifts. When it went missing, she hadn’t bothered to look for it—first, because she hadn’t valued it and had only seen it as an eyesore, and second, because her health had worsened soon afterward.

She wasn’t in a good condition to even worry about a necklace that an enemy gave to her.

Bei Sangyun remembered that necklace because Fei Chuan had boasted in his letter about how expensive it was and that it came from the legendary Tears of the Mermaid set. But she had never known how he had obtained it or where it had come from.

When she received the earrings from the same set in this life, Bei Sangyun treasured them this time.

There were mysteries surrounding them, and Bei Sangyun couldn’t help but think there might be a connection of this set to their destined fate. It seemed illogical; however, as someone who had undergone rebirth, there was nothing she couldn’t believe anymore.

Bei Sangyun dialed her subordinates—the same team that had conducted the research on the earrings. She instructed them to look for the necklace this time.

"And the myth you mentioned in your report, yes, The Cry of the Mermaid—I want you to research more about it. Report to me personally with anything you find."

After the call ended, Bei Sangyun felt more alive. Her defeated spirit stirred back to life.

Right. This is not the end.

Fei Chuan hated her, and she understood why. It was valid. It was understandable that he couldn’t believe a word she said. Rebirth already sounded insane. And coming from the person who had hurt him—someone he couldn’t trust—it all sounded ridiculous. Bei Sangyun truly understood.

But she wouldn’t give up on them being together. She would do anything to make him forgive her. If she needed a whole lifetime to prove herself, then she would spend it by his side.

Bei Sangyun held the earrings tightly, her eyes reflecting the beautiful deep blue of the gem.

Once the storm passed, she would go to the temple. And this time, she wouldn’t leave without an answer.

.....

The room reeked of alcohol. Assistant Chen picked up the scattered wine bottles on the floor, then quietly instructed the butler behind him to clean the room.

It had been four days since his boss locked himself in this dark room without warning. Assistant Chen had no choice but to cancel all the meetings and plans for the week, leaving him swamped with Fei Chuan’s work.

Now that he finally had time to check on his boss personally, this was what greeted him—a dark, messy room filled with the stench of alcohol.

His boss was asleep, leaning against the side of the bed, facing the balcony. Fortunately, he wasn’t suicidal and hadn’t left the balcony door open.

Or else, with the cold weather and heavy rain, he might have caught pneumonia on top of his heartbreak.

And at least he was still eating the meals the butler sent to his room.

Once the butler finished cleaning the room and changing the bedsheets, Assistant Chen motioned for him to help lift Fei Chuan onto the bed.

Together, they carried the drunk Fei Chuan to the bed. As expected, once he was drunk, he never woke up despite someone moving him.

He hadn’t changed at all. Assistant Chen thought.

"Get some clothes from the closet. And a warm towel as well," Assistant Chen instructed.

He knew his boss’s addiction to cleanliness, but whenever he was in this broken state, he forgot everything—even the will to take care of himself.

Assistant Chen moved quickly, his actions practiced and efficient. The butler, still new to the household, watched him with a mix of curiosity and awe. Gathering his courage, he asked as they left the room, "Does this happen often?"

Assistant Chen handed him Fei Chuan’s dirty clothes. "It used to be like this. For two whole years, I had to take care of him like that. He eventually got over it and hadn’t drunk this much since then... but now, it’s started again." He sighed. "Our boss will be in this state for a while, so make sure to check on him. If you find him on the floor again like earlier, just carry him to the bed. He won’t wake up."

"...Understood."

"And bring him warm meals that are easy to swallow. Well, you seem to be doing a good job with that," Assistant Chen added. His boss had actually eaten—he noticed the empty bowl on the desk when he walked in.

Two years ago, when Fei Chuan had been in this same broken state, it had been nearly impossible to make him eat.

Back then, the only way to get him to take a single bite was to fuel him with revenge.

The butler chuckled. "Actually, it wasn’t me. Master’s friend has been continuously sending warm meals to our doorstep. It was the delicious smell that made Master open the door and accept them."

Assistant Chen was stunned. "Master’s friend? Who are you talking about?"

"The friend he’s been exchanging gifts with," the butler replied innocently.

Assistant Chen: "...."

There was only one person in the world that his boss exchanged gifts with.

It was none other than Bei Sangyun.

"Does he know?" Assistant Chen whispered to the butler.

"No. The note said to discard any messages, transfer the food into a proper box, and not mention anything."

Assistant Chen looked at the young butler solemnly. Should he do a background check again to see if this person was normal or if something was wrong with his head?

"...You..." Assistant Chen didn’t even know where to start. He sighed deeply and explained slowly, "Even if it was sent by the same person, you can’t just blindly follow their instructions. Your master is Fei Chuan, not his friend, okay?"

"But... Master said before that if something was sent by that person, I should take it and give it to him properly," the butler defended himself. "Besides, every meal that his friend sent, he always ate without questioning it or even smelling it. So I thought this time would be the same since he hadn’t said anything about it."

Assistant Chen kneaded his forehead. "I see. Next time, if something is sent by that person, don’t accept it. Tell them that our boss is not receiving anything, okay?"

Assistant Chen didn’t know the full details of what had happened four days ago, but from Fei Chuan’s state, he could piece together that the two must have fought. And this time, it wasn’t just a normal lover’s quarrel.

With how petty his master was, there was no way he would continue accepting things from his ’enemy.’

Assistant Chen told the butler to keep this a secret from Fei Chuan.

"But sir... what about his meals? What if Master refuses to eat the dishes I prepare?"

Assistant Chen felt a headache coming on. "...Let’s try your dish first. If he doesn’t want to eat it, I’ll figure something else out."

Ring. Ring.

Assistant Chen’s phone suddenly rang, nearly startling him. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression changed.

He had almost forgotten the reason he had come here in the first place—because of this call.

"Take care of Master for me. Call me as soon as he wakes up," Assistant Chen instructed before answering the call as he walked away.

"So, did you speak to him?" A sweet, soft voice came through the phone.

Assistant Chen sighed internally. This was another problem his boss couldn’t deal with right now.

"...I’m sorry, Ms. Melanie, but Boss is currently sick—"

"He’s sick?!" Her voice shot up several levels. "Why are you only telling me this now?! I’m coming over!"

Assistant Chen’s heart skipped a beat.

Oh no.

****

Additional Scene:

A new day arrived, but the sky remained dim, heavy raindrops drumming against the windows. Bei Sangyun gazed at the overcast sky, her heart weighed down by sorrow.

She wondered how Fei Chuan was doing after their parting yesterday.

When he walked away, she couldn’t run after him. She was the reason he was hurting, and all she could do was watch his retreating figure, her heart breaking with every step he took.

"Young Miss, I will leave the soup here. Grandma Bei made it. I hope you eat it while it’s still warm. Please take care of yourself," Maid Ye Zhai’s gentle voice came from the other side of the door.

Bei Sangyun slowly walked over. When she opened it, a pot of warm soup sat waiting for her.

She had no appetite, but she forced herself to eat. The taste was bland, like mud on her tongue, yet the warmth that spread through her throat and stomach soothed the cold emptiness in her heart.

Halfway through her meal, she paused.

Was Fei Chuan eating well today?

The thought took root in her mind, refusing to be dismissed. After finishing her soup, she reached for her phone, searching for a familiar restaurant—the one they had visited before.

Back in high school, Fei Chuan had taken her there.

"They have the best wonton soup. When I couldn’t eat back at the Fei mansion, I’d come here."

It was a humble restaurant, nowhere near the grandeur of five-star hotels, yet Fei Chuan had eaten there with genuine enjoyment.

Without hesitation, Bei Sangyun placed an order. She called Driver Chen, the one who had always helped her send gifts to Fei Chuan. Today was no different.

"I’ll make sure it’s delivered safe and warm," Driver Chen assured her, more than willing to help.

"Drive safe," she reminded him. "And please pass a message to his butler for me."

Driver Chen nodded. Delivering the food wasn’t an issue—he knew exactly where Fei Chuan lived. After all, he was only a street away.

By the time the food arrived at Fei Chuan’s villa, it was still warm. Safe.

Just like the feelings she still carried for him.