He dashed to her side, bent down, and picked her up. When he touched her, he could vividly feel her body trembling. Lu Bancheng raised his head self-consciously, and with the help of the dim bedside lamp he could see tears on her pale face. Her watery eyes were brimming with fear.
Does this mean that the scream I heard wasn’t from my dream but from her?
“Did you have a nightmare?” asked Lu Bancheng.
Xu Wennuan had not fully woken up, and she looked dazed when their eyes met. Lu Bancheng reached out and patted her back softly. “It was just a dream. Don’t be afraid. It’s nothing now…”
Xu Wennuan had stopped crying when she was startled awake by her nightmare. She thought Lu Bancheng had already left and that she was the only one in the apartment. She’d wanted to treat it like no big deal, so she had decided to go to the bathroom to wash up like she always had, but in her hurry she had accidentally fallen to the floor. Her palms and knees were hurting.
I’m not a weak person. After having gone through all that I have, I’m unbreakable.
Xu Wennuan thought she was strong enough, but when she heard Lu Bancheng’s gentle voice, she was instantly reminded of how she had been alone for such a long time now and that it had been forever since anyone had cared for and protected her so much.
The tight string located in the bottom of her heart suddenly snapped. Tears streamed down her face although she had no idea why, but not knowing why did nothing to help her stop crying.
Lu Bancheng grew frantic the moment she started crying. He thought that she was still frightened by her nightmare, and his comforting voice grew even gentler. “Nuannuan, don’t cry anymore… It’s really okay now. I’m right here…”
The more he talked to her, the harder Xu Wennuan cried. Finally, Lu Bancheng could only helplessly pull her into his embrace and press her head against his chest. He patted her back gently and allowed her tears to come pouring out. His meticulous gentleness and coaxing helped Xu Wennuan to get a full sense of her existence at that moment.
How long has it been since I’ve had such a feeling? I think it started when I personally witnessed Wu Hao cheating on me. I felt like the whole world had given up on me, and my life started to unravel. I was forced to grow, and I wasn’t allowed to continue living innocently and simply. I had no one to lean on, and no one to talk to when I grew fatigued. I had to bear all my sadness by myself… I felt like the world had forgotten me, and I thought that I would remain forgotten by this world. But right now, Lu Bancheng is making me feel like I truly belong in this world.
At this thought, Xu Wennuan’s crying grew even more unrestrained, as though she was trying to expel all the loneliness, sadness, and misery she had experienced over the last few years. She cried for a very long time, until her throat was hoarse and her entire body was limp, before finally regaining her calmness. It was only then that Lu Bancheng released her from his embrace. He bent over and scooped her up, placing her on the bed again.
He first checked her knees to make sure she hadn’t injured herself before going to the bathroom. He grabbed a towel and soaked it in warm water so he could wipe the tears from her face. Then, he covered her with the blanket and sat by the bedside to pat her gently and coax her into falling asleep.
After crying for such a long time, and with Lu Bancheng’s intimate companionship, she was able to sink into sleep very quickly. This time, Lu Bancheng did not leave Xu Wennuan. Instead, he stayed by her side and guarded her through the night.
