Standing Next To You-Chapter 585: Sour and Bitter

The restaurant Fei Chuan booked was a famous Italian restaurant as per Bei Sangyun’s request. Since he had already expected Zhong Cheng to join them for lunch, he reserved a private dining room. He could tolerate Zhong Cheng’s presence ruining their lunch date — but now, with an additional person at the table, someone he had secretly been wary of, Fei Chuan didn’t look too happy about it.

Fei Chuan and Xu Tian were both quiet as Zhong Cheng chattered at the table.

"...It’s been only five years, but he has already become an international sensation. Do you know the James family from the West? The one that’s as powerful as royalty? He—" Zhong Cheng glanced at Fei Chuan, his eyes shining with pride as if Fei Chuan were his own son, "—is a close confidant of the heir of that family."

Xu Tian, who had just taken a bite of his food, paused.He looked at Zhong Cheng’s gleaming eyes, seemingly expecting an awed reaction.Xu Tian wasn’t the type to flatter someone or put them on a pedestal unnecessarily. Unexpectedly, his superior was that kind of person — though, thankfully, not the type to use people with bad intentions.

He put down the food that was about to enter his mouth, humoring Zhong Cheng and said,"That’s impressive."

Fei Chuan’s sharp gaze flickered toward Xu Tian. For some reason, his dry reply was really annoying.

"It’s not only his fame and connections that are truly amazing. He is also a genius programmer—"

Fei Chuan shot Zhong Cheng a sharp look. His intense gaze made Zhong Cheng pause mid-sentence.

"—Err, which you will learn more about when you work with him," Zhong Cheng added abruptly.

Xu Tian, who hadn’t been particularly interested at first, suddenly perked up. Programming?

He glanced at Fei Chuan, who looked every bit a celebrity but carried the air of a businessman. Someone like him... was a computer geek?

"And you don’t have to worry about Xu Tian either," Zhong Cheng continued, now turning to Fei Chuan and starting to ’sell’ Xu Tian. "Among all the people I’ve worked with, he’s the one I can say is the most reliable and adaptable. He always goes out of his way. Unlike others who need to be told, he takes initiative and handles exactly what’s needed most. He’s very capable!"

Xu Tian, who heard Zhong Cheng’s praises about him, couldn’t even swallow the rest of his food. He was too embarrassed by the unrestrained compliments.

Fei Chuan, who had initially already felt irritated by the unexpected extra company, now found himself bombarded with words praising the newcomer. His eyebrows furrowed deeply. He glanced at Bei Sangyun, who was nodding at Zhong Cheng’s words, seemingly agreeing with him.

The food in his mouth suddenly tasted even more sour.

Xu Tian, growing more and more embarrassed as time passed, interrupted Zhong Cheng, "Sir, your food is getting cold."

Zhong Cheng glanced at his barely touched meal, picked up his spoon, and finally began eating—though he still chattered away between bites.

Xu Tian sneaked a glance at Fei Chuan, whose expression was growing darker by the second. It seemed Zhong Cheng’s attempt at selling him had the opposite effect. Judging by the look on Fei Chuan’s face, he likely wouldn’t want to take him under his wing.

Well, Xu Tian didn’t really care much. He was already content working at Phoenix Holdings.

When lunch finally ended, Bei Sangyun let Zhong Cheng and Xu Tian leave first, leaving her and Fei Chuan alone in the parking lot.

As Zhong Cheng’s car disappeared from view, Fei Chuan suddenly hugged Bei Sangyun from behind.

Bei Sangyun was surprised. She turned to Fei Chuan with wide eyes that quickly softened into a smile. "We’re in a public place," she reminded him gently.

"I don’t care," Fei Chuan murmured, resting his head on her shoulder.

Bei Sangyun chuckled, amused by how adorable he was. She liked this side of him too — the side that showed his vulnerability, quietly asking to be spoiled. A side that she could only see.

"You’re not the type to show public displays of affection," she teased. She still remembered how Fei Chuan used to turn bright red whenever she even held his hand in public. He would glance nervously around and shoot her a warning look not to be naughty. freewёbnoνel.com

And yet now, this same man—who once hated the idea of PDA—was hugging her tightly in broad daylight.

A couple who had just exited the restaurant glanced their way, but Bei Sangyun didn’t care.

She, on the other hand, could show affection as much as she wanted.

She hugged Fei Chuan back and gently patted his head.

"What’s wrong?" she asked softly.

Fei Chuan tilted his head toward her. His eyes looked at her, like a puppy begging for attention. "You said... you clearly remember that life, right?"

"Not everything," Bei Sangyun replied thoughtfully. "How can I explain it... It’s like watching a movie you’ve seen before. You don’t remember every single detail, just the most important parts. But when you rewatch it and see certain scenes, you remember exactly how they go — and how you felt at the time."

"That’s exactly what happens to me. When something unfolds the same way it did in my previous life, the memories come back vividly. My emotions, my feelings — they replay in my mind, reminding me that I’ve lived through it before."

Fei Chuan listened quietly, taking it all in. So that’s how it was...

He pulled her closer into a gentle hug, trying to convey through his embrace the warmth and understanding he felt in his heart.

"And what about people?" he asked softly. "Let’s say you meet someone differently this time around compared to your past life... would you still remember them? Would your feelings, your emotions — would they come back exactly the same?"

Fei Chuan’s question made Bei Sangyun think of Wei Lang, which they recently encountered. She had only recalled the memory of being drugged and tricked by him in the past life when she saw him again. If she hadn’t seen Wei Lang, she might have completely forgotten about that incident.

"Yes. When I see them, I remember the times I experienced with them."

Her answer made Fei Chuan pout. His head dropped as he hugged Bei Sangyun tighter, resting his head on her shoulder again.

"...Just forget him..." he muttered.

Bei Sangyun: ??

Forget Wei Lang?

Fei Chuan, like a sulky child, snuggled against her and coaxed, "Let the past be forgotten. Don’t recall him. Don’t recall your feelings for him."

Bei Sangyun: ???

She grew even more confused. This wasn’t about Wei Lang, was it?

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Fei Chuan raised his head, his eyes pleading with her. "Xu Tian."

Bei Sangyun: ?????

How did Xu Tian get involved in this?

Fei Chuan saw the confusion in her eyes, and suddenly his own eyes lit up."You don’t remember? It’s fine if you don’t remember."

"Remember what? What’s with Xu Tian?" she pressed.

Fei Chuan straightened up, looking a bit more cheerful now. "Nothing. It’s all in the past now. Better to forget it. Let’s focus on the present."

Bei Sangyun was both confused and amused. She asked him about it several more times, but Fei Chuan stubbornly refused to tell her anything.

In the end, Bei Sangyun could only helplessly shake her head. "Alright. It must not be anything important if you say so. I trust you."

Fei Chuan kissed her cheek. "Thank you for trusting me."

Bei Sangyun kissed his cheek back with a soft smile. "Always."

After realizing that Bei Sangyun seemed to have no memory of how she once chased Xu Tian, Fei Chuan’s jealousy toward Xu Tian lessened significantly.

However, two days later, while he was on a date with Bei Sangyun at a beautiful ocean park, Xu Tian was suddenly brought up again.

"I’ll be going on a trip next month," Bei Sangyun said, her eyes glancing at the ocean view before turning back to him. "I have a new product launch abroad, and it might take quite some time before I come back. Before I leave, I want Xu Tian to undergo training. He’s a great asset to the company, and I’ll feel more at ease if he’s by Zhong Cheng’s side while I’m away."

She looked at him with her beautiful eyes, full of trust and affection, as she asked, "While you’re still here in the country, could you use this opportunity to let Xu Tian work under you for a while? Would that be okay?"

Fei Chuan: "....."

He really had no intention of training that guy, nor being around him. Just the sight of Xu Tian reminded him of the time Bei Sangyun had once chased after him in their previous life.

Fei Chuan stared at Bei Sangyun for two long seconds. It was very rare for Bei Sangyun to ask him for a favor. And he wanted nothing more than to help her, no matter what it was.

Despite his reluctant heart, despite every fiber of his being resisting the idea of training that man, he nodded.

"Anything for you."

Bei Sangyun smiled brightly and hugged him. "Thank you, love."

Fei Chuan’s heart, which had been drooping just moments ago, suddenly revived, filled with warmth and joy. He looked at her with shining eyes. "Call me that again," he said eagerly.

Bei Sangyun grinned. She tiptoed and kissed his lips softly.

"Love. My love."

If his surroundings could glow any brighter, they would have. A radiant smile blossomed on his face, and all the jealousy and bitterness in his heart melted away. "Always, love. Always," he whispered before lowering his head and giving her a soft kiss.