Chapter 116 — Impossible to Conceal in the End

The voices that embody dreams softly chant beyond the clouds.

And so, after countless days and nights of sinking into despair, a faint remaining light gradually emerges.

This year’s wheat sprouts, green yet tinged with the yellow of impending wither, will next year deepen into a lushness that unsettles the heart.

He walks past him under an umbrella in the rainy season.

After turning around—

He has already spread his wings behind him.

It is he who carries him to soar at the edge of the sky. He finally understands that beyond dreams lies not a vast expanse of gray and emptiness, but the rediscovery of the original direction after enduring countless hardships.

Some people are destined to appear in life and will not exit midway just because they arrive late. A story that belongs to two must be completed by both.

He and he exist in such a way—real and vivid, their chapters unfolding with joy or sorrow.

Therefore, even knowing the dangers that lie ahead, one must grit their teeth and press on.

But… how much of that initial resolute courage remains?

Cheng Shuguang confronts it so thinly. He knows that if he does not resist, it will mean death on the spot.

—Xiao Hui, what should I do with you? What will I do with myself?

The sky darkens gradually; a dusk without the golden sunset feels desolate.

Desolation is fine. If the scenery were picturesque, how ironically cruel that would be.

“Shu—” Su Yihui paces back and forth at the entrance of the private room, counting the floor tiles from east to west and back again. “Boss, an online order just came in.” He is so startled by the scene before him that he feels detached from himself, his gaze empty as if seeing nothing.

Cheng Shuguang turns around, looking at him with deep sorrow. “I’ll go down immediately.” He knows he cannot let his eyes linger longer, or an overwhelming disaster is inevitable.

Their eyes meet briefly but tightly.

Had Li Nanzhi looked toward the direction where their gazes locked, she would understand everything. Yet she swallows all the unspeakable hardships within her. Tragically, these burdens are not hers to bear.

“What business are you still running!” Cheng’s father, seemingly the manager of the Zhishu Tea Restaurant, commands, “Come back and sit down.” He shifts his body slightly to the side. “Please tell the customers downstairs that we’re closing for the day.” Though well-educated, his suppressed frustration shows when addressing those he believes innocent.

Su Yihui opens his mouth but cannot speak, seeking help from Cheng Shuguang.

“Close the shop.” Cheng Shuguang, helpless, obeys the order. “Tell the kitchen staff we’re finishing early today.” He hesitates, unwilling to look at him, then adds, “You should go home too.” Hoping at least he won’t be caught in this doomed conflict.

“Okay.” He nods blankly, his shoes seemingly glued to the floor, unable to lift his feet.

Once he leaves, the world splits into two again.

He listens to him from one end of the world.

He imagines him from the other.

Su Yihui catches the gist of the situation from a few key words—should he face it alone or rush in heedless?

Thus begins another long struggle.

Su Yihui peers into the private room, taking a brave first step.

“What do you still want?” Cheng’s father notices Su Yihui hesitating at the door.

“Hurry back!” Cheng Shuguang turns with a fierce look, warning him not to do anything foolish. At least not now.

I cannot let you face this alone. I am cowardly, yet I want to learn to be brave once—just once. Perhaps there will be no more chances.

It is like a secret language woven only between them, reading the thoughts spun in each other’s minds. The only flaw: it must be conveyed through their eyes. Thus, those nearby inevitably notice.

“Come here.” Cheng’s father commands.

Cheng Shuguang’s heart tightens; a storm seems imminent. “None of your business, get out.” He makes a last stand, defending, “He’s just an employee here, knows nothing. I’ve said all I can.”

Cheng’s father stands, glaring. “Since you’ve said what you should, I’ll find others to learn what you shouldn’t say.” He senses a subtle strangeness on Cheng Shuguang’s face.

Could it really be so? Cheng’s father must act on his suspicions.

“How long have you worked here?” He tries to keep the tone light.

“Half—year.” Su Yihui, usually sensitive, senses the tension. If all is to be resolved today, it has come too swiftly, killing unspoken promises before birth.

“You’re not an adult, right?” Cheng’s father probes without haste. “You look about fifteen or sixteen.”

“I’m already an adult.” Su Yihui looks at his brow.

“Oh? An adult.” He mumbles. “Why don’t you go to college? At your age, you should be in college. That’s the path to success. I don’t think you can handle restaurant work.”

His words sting, careless of others’ feelings.

Su Yihui forms a retort but cannot voice it.

“What are you saying this for?” Cheng’s mother interrupts anxiously. “We’re dealing with Shuguang and Nanzhi’s matter now.”

Cheng’s father pulls away her hand, shaking his head.

“Why won’t you speak?” The more submissive one is, the more they invite mistreatment.

“Uncle—” Li Nanzhi cannot bear it. “Don’t make things hard for him.” She has long known of the secret love blossoming in the night between Cheng Shuguang and Su Yihui. From initial shock and collapse, to solitary healing, to eventual indifferent acceptance. No one knows the heart-wrenching journey she endured.

“Don’t interfere, Nanzhi.” Cheng’s father’s fierce gaze softens briefly when looking at her. “Since those who know won’t tell me, I’ll find another way.”

Li Nanzhi’s parents watch coldly, their spirits broken by the terrible news. Beyond breathing and basic bodily function, they are like lifeless plants.

“Does the boss treat you well?” He will not rest until he gets answers.

“The boss treats me pretty well.” Su Yihui answers without hesitation.

Realizing the flaw, he hastily adds, “He treats everyone well.”

Assured of his apparent innocence and candor, he presses on, cutting to the chase, “Do you know who the boss likes?”

Such a blunt question, especially directed at the hidden subject, throws Su Yihui off balance. “N-no, I don’t know.” His poor skill at hiding emotions betrays him.

“Dad!” Cheng Shuguang panics, a wave of heat rising. “Why must you trouble an innocent person? He knows nothing!” After saying this, he glances nervously at Li Nanzhi. Yet he must maintain composure. He does not know if she has learned of their relationship. Since Su Yihui arrived, her demeanor is inscrutable.

“I don’t think he’s innocent at all.” Cheng’s father lowers suspicion to certainty. “I suspect your partner is him.”

Su Yihui trembles. To others, it looks like a denial, but it is more a nervous reaction.

“I’m a father; I know you well. You’ve never liked socializing, rarely go online. If such a person exists, it must be someone close to you.” Cheng’s father’s throat grows dry; he swallows and moistens it, then continues, “Since I came in, there have been only three male workers here. Two big and burly middle-aged men in the kitchen, probably seven or eight years older than you—easy to exclude. That leaves only this one before me.”

“Maybe you’re overthinking.” Cheng’s mother murmurs.

Su Yihui nearly stumbles backward, almost falling.

Cheng’s father takes a step toward Su Yihui, each step shaking the ground. “Am I right or not?”

Su Yihui lowers his head, frozen in place as if encased in ice.

“Right or not!” he raises his voice, desperate for an answer.

Su Yihui remains silent, but tears betray him, streaming uncontrollably.

“Stop pushing him!” Cheng Shuguang shouts, heartbroken. “Yes! He is the one I like, the one I love, the one I want to be with forever.”

Turning away, a sharp slap rings out.

The sound jolts Su Yihui back to reality, then tears burst forth like a broken dam flooding the sea.

At last, he can no longer hide it—at last, he is free.

The road ahead—how to walk it, where to go next?