The Weight of a Promise and the Peach-Scented Night

Wen Yang turned around. Jiang Jifeng was standing right behind her.

Behind him was a long corridor bathed in golden sunlight. Scattered flecks of light danced on his shoulders. He had traded his rigid, sophisticated business suit for a casual shirt and a long overcoat paired with black trousers, yet he still looked impeccably composed and refined.

Wen Yang put her phone away. Despite her efforts to mask the tremor in her voice, the strain was unmistakable. “I thought you didn’t come,” she said softly.

She had been planning to call him to discuss how to explain his absence to her grandfather. Now that he was here, her heart settled significantly.

Jiang Jifeng looked into her eyes and lowered his gaze, intuitively grasping what she wanted to discuss. He knew she simply didn’t want Grandpa Wen to worry about her marriage. Seeing that she had lost her usual spark, he said, “I know. Don’t worry. My grandparents already contacted specialists abroad two months ago. We’re just waiting for a reply now.”

Wen Yang was usually a polite person, but in this moment, she couldn’t find the right words. She couldn’t even manage a proper “thank you.” She simply gave a faint “mm” and said, “If Grandpa asks us anything later, please… please coordinate with me. I—”

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Jifeng interrupted smoothly. “Let’s go back in.”

As Wen Yang and Jiang Jifeng walked into the ward, all three elders looked over.

Jiang Jifeng timely draped his arm over Wen Yang’s shoulder and said with feigned intimacy, “Give us a smile.”

His fingers were long, his palm large and warm. That gentle touch radiated from her shoulder, causing her body to give a tiny, involuntary shiver.

Wen Yang knew his actions were strictly a performance to ease her grandfather’s mind. She played along by placing her hand over his on her shoulder, forcing a small smile.

The three elders shared a knowing look and smiled.

“Jifeng,” Grandpa Wen rasped. “My Yang Yang has been a lot of trouble for you.”

“Grandpa, you’re treating me like a stranger,” Jiang Jifeng replied with an easy smile. He looked down at Wen Yang. “Wen Yang is my wife; her business is my business. There’s no such thing as ‘trouble.’ Right, Yang Yang?”

This was the first time he had called her by a nickname—neither “Wen Yang” nor “Miss Wen,” but Yang Yang. He said it naturally, but it felt strangely jarring to her ears.

They chatted for a while, and time slipped away. Soon, it was dinner time.

Grandpa Wen began making arrangements. “Grandchild, take your Grandpa Jiang and Grandma back to the house to stay the night. The doctor said I can be discharged tomorrow. I’ll come home then to share a few drinks and catch up with my old friend.”

“A few drinks” was likely literal—perhaps just tea and some elderly-friendly snacks. For Grandpa Wen, seeing his life-long brother-in-arms was the best medicine against the gloom of his illness.

Wen Yang nodded in agreement.

The apartment complex they lived in was a high-end development Grandpa had bought back when he still had money. It was over twenty years old now, and even the most “high-end” places eventually grew weathered. However, its location was still excellent, being very close to the hospital. There were frequent rumors of demolition and redevelopment, but Wen Yang had never looked into the details.

She led the elders and Jiang Jifeng into the four-bedroom apartment.

The unit had a prime view and was well-maintained. Besides Wen Yang’s room and her grandfather’s room, there were two guest rooms. She settled the Jiang elders in the larger guest room.

She had intended to put Jiang Jifeng in the other guest room, but with his grandparents watching, she couldn’t very well send her “husband” to a separate room. She had no choice but to lead him into her own bedroom.

“I’m going to pour some hot water for the grandparents. Make yourself at home,” Wen Yang said, leaving quickly and closing the door behind her.

Left alone, Jiang Jifeng’s eyes first landed on the pink floral bedding. Then, he noticed the walls covered in various certificates and awards. There was a “Best Eater” and “Best Manners” award from kindergarten, “Three-Good Student” awards from elementary school, and various competition plaques from middle and high school.

He had no intention of prying, but the twenty-square-meter room was filled with her history. Framed photos were everywhere. With his sharp vision, he scanned the room—photos of her winning competitions, dancing, and various travel snapshots. His gaze paused on a family portrait by the bedside.

There were four people: Grandpa Wen, a ten-year-old Wen Yang, and a man and a woman he had never seen before. Wen Yang bore a strong resemblance to them. He guessed they were her parents. However… he had never seen them mentioned.

If they had passed away, his grandfather surely would have mentioned it. But if they were alive, why hadn’t they appeared now that Grandpa Wen was so ill?

The door opened, and Wen Yang walked back in. Jiang Jifeng didn’t look away; since he had already seen it, pretending otherwise would just be hypocritical.

Wen Yang noticed him looking at the family portrait. Her eyes flickered for a moment. She walked over and silently turned the photo face-down. It wasn’t out of anger toward him; she had actually turned it down before leaving for Beijing. Grandpa must have taken it out to look at it while she was gone.

Keeping her expression neutral, she said, “I have to go to the hospital tonight to look after Grandpa. You can sleep here.”

Jiang Jifeng gave a curt nod. “Do you need me to come with you?”

“No,” she said. “If you come, I’ll just end up having to look after you too. You stay here.”

Jiang Jifeng wasn’t the type to force his company on others. “If you need anything, call me anytime.”

After dinner with the family, Wen Yang brewed some millet porridge and headed back to the hospital.

Upon arrival, she was informed that her grandfather had been moved. Following the nurse’s directions, she found him in a spacious private suite instead of the previous four-person ward.

“Why the sudden move to a private room?” she asked, setting the porridge down.

“The Jiangs arranged it,” Grandpa Wen said, gesturing to a chair. “Come, sit. I have something to ask you.”

As she sat, he took her hand. “Grandchild, tell Grandpa… how is the Jiang family treating you?”

He wasn’t asking because he suspected she was being mistreated. He wanted to know if the decision he had forced upon her had actually harmed her. After the Jiangs’ visit today, he was even more desperate for an answer.

Had she not known about his illness, Wen Yang might have argued with him. But now, understanding his painstaking efforts, she simply smiled. She patted his thin hand. “You saw it for yourself, didn’t you? Grandpa and Grandma treat me very well. And Jifeng—my husband—is very attentive to me.”

Grandpa Wen finally smiled. He gave a weak cough and sighed. “I was always afraid you would hate me. Hate me for being so overbearing with your marriage, forcing you to marry someone you don’t love.”

“But when I was first diagnosed with liver cancer, I thought: if I’m gone, what will happen to my grandchild? If you marry after I die, and the marriage is good, I can rest easy. But if it’s bad, who will back you up? Your aunt has her own family. Your parents… let’s not talk about those two. I had no other choice but the Jiangs. Your Grandpa Jiang is the only person on this earth, besides you, that I trust with my life.”

He continued raspily, “My time is nearly up. When I went to him, thick-skinned and desperate, he agreed without hesitation. He told me to put my heart at ease—that my grandchild would never suffer a single grievance if she married Jifeng.”

He touched her face, wiping away a tear. “Can you forgive your Grandpa for being so bossy? I just couldn’t trust anyone else with your future. I hope you and Jifeng can truly be happy together.”

Marrying Jiang Jifeng was his first wish. Seeing them live well together was his second. Every wish he had revolved entirely around her. How could she possibly blame him?

“Grandpa, I don’t blame you. It was because of your arrangement that I realized how well Jifeng and I fit together.” Gathering her courage, she showed him her chat logs with Jiang Jifeng and photos of them eating together. Seeing the smile return to his face, she added, “We both think highly of each other. Don’t worry, we intend to keep moving forward together.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I wasn’t at ease with you alone in Beijing,” he coughed. “Knowing Jifeng is with you makes me feel much better. But… when do you two plan to move in together?”

Wen Yang felt a wave of uncertainty. The night they had shared a bed, she had been clear about not wanting to cohabitate, and he had agreed. She couldn’t very well force him.

But if they kept using the “getting to know each other” excuse without taking the next step, Grandpa wouldn’t believe her for long. If he started worrying again, it might worsen his health.

She bit her lip and spoke vaguely. “We’ve been discussing it. We were both very busy before, so we kept putting it off. When I go back this time… I’ll discuss it with him again.”

“Don’t keep putting it off. Move in and build a life together,” he said, pausing before adding, “To see you truly loving each other for life—that is the only way I can truly let go.”

His words felt like a formal notice. He wanted to see the result of cohabitation, not just hear hollow reassurances.

After her grandfather fell asleep, Wen Yang sat by the bed. Outside, the night was thick, and moonlight illuminated the bare branches of the trees. She blew on her hands to warm them. Her mind was occupied by her grandfather’s words.

After a moment, she sighed and picked up her phone. She wasn’t one for procrastination or self-pity. She believed in making a path forward rather than wasting time on sorrow.

When Jiang Jifeng received the text, he had just stepped out of the shower. He had used the peach-scented body wash in her bathroom. It was sweet but not overpowering—though, admittedly, it was a bit too “girly” for him. His hair smelled of her coconut shampoo, a sweet scent that reminded him of her usual self.

As he dried his hair, his phone chimed. Nobody usually messaged him this late.

Except Wen Yang.

She lived her life with a certain unreserved joy; she wasn’t overly cautious about small things, nor did she have that forced, affected shyness some girls displayed. She was genuine, blunt, yet respectful and knew when to joke and when to be serious.

He opened the message. She had sent two lines.

The first was: 【Are you free?】

The second: 【Can we meet?】