Standing Next To You-Chapter 297: Take responsibility

Bei Sangyun also noticed Fei Chuan’s tendency to just drink the sake without hesitation. Seeing his flushed face, she decided to halt the game.

"I think you’ve had enough. We should stop now, there’s only a little bit left,"

Fei Chuan’s gaze seemed a bit unfocused, but his mind was clear. Surprisingly, the sake had a calming effect on him, momentarily making him forget his embarrassment.

"...I take back what I said. This stuff is actually pretty good," he admitted.

Bei Sangyun took hold of his arm. "Let’s see if you can walk."

Fei Chuan was strangely obedient and stood up, though his legs were a bit wobbly. Bei Sangyun quickly supported him, his weight pressed against her, almost causing her to lose her balance. She hugged his waist to steady him.

"You can’t even stand straight. Geez, Zhong Cheng, you said this is mild," she scolded Zhong Cheng while struggling to maintain their balance.

"It is mild. But this might be brother-in-law’s first time drinking alcohol, so he has no tolerance," Zhong Cheng winced, hoping to deflect any blame away from Fei Chuan. He hadn’t expected Fei Chuan to keep drinking.

Why was Brother-in-law drinking so much?

Zhong Cheng stood up to assist Bei Sangyun, but then an idea struck him. "Boss, why don’t you escort Fei Chuan to his room?"

"I can’t handle him alone. Get up and help me,"

"But Boss, Lin Sunji will be left alone here," Zhong Cheng refused an order for the first time.

Lin Sunji looked at him strangely. "I can handle myself—"

"We’re new in this town, who knows what might happen while she’s alone?"

"...What might happen?" Lin Sunji asked, puzzled.

"Did I forget to mention? In the year 1720, this place was a battlefield during a war. Many lost souls wander here at night," Zhong Cheng explained gravely.

Lin Sunji paled. "Then let’s leave!"

Zhong Cheng gestured towards the items still scattered on the rooftop. "We still need to clean up. Go ahead, Boss. Lin Sunji and I will take care of this," he said, giving a subtle wink to Bei Sangyun, hoping she’d catch his hint.

Bei Sangyun processed it for a few seconds and understood.

This was an opportunity to be alone with Fei Chuan. But...

She glanced at Fei Chuan whose face was red and could not even stand up straight. What could he do when he was this drunk?

Well, she could admire his handsome face while he slept.

Bei Sangyun assisted Fei Chuan downstairs to his room.

Fortunately, Fei Chuan didn’t misbehave. He walked quietly, though he leaned heavily on Bei Sangyun for support.

After unlocking the door, she helped Fei Chuan sit on his bed. He complied without resistance.

"Do you need some water?" she asked.

Fei Chuan nodded. As Bei Sangyun turned to leave for the kitchen, a hand suddenly caught her arm.

Fei Chuan looked at her with hazy eyes. "...Where are you going?"

"I’m going to get some water," Bei Sangyun gently replied, attempting to free her arm. "You can lean back on the headboard. I’ll return soon. Don’t sleep yet."

Fei Chuan needed to dilute the alcohol in his stomach so that he would not be too uncomfortable when he woke up.

But Fei Chuan tightened his grip. "I thought you weren’t going to leave me? That you were going to keep liking me."

Bei Sangyun was taken aback.

/

Was this what they say the ’alcohol talking’?

Bei Sangyun was amused by this version of Fei Chuan. His guard was down and he was ten times more adorable when sulking. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Yeah, I am going to keep liking you. For a long time, it might not be forever but as long as I exist." She patted his head, his soft hair was addicting to touch, "I am going to fetch some water. It will be good for your stomach."

But Fei Chuan appeared to be lost in his thoughts, seemingly weighed down by something heavier than the alcohol.

"I... I don’t know what to do, Bei Sangyun," Fei Chuan confessed weakly, his head drooping, revealing the flush on his neck.

Bei Sangyun was taken aback. Fei Chuan’s voice was trembling, he sounded so weak and defeated. This vulnerable appearance of his tugged at her heartstrings, causing her heart to feel heavy. She threw away her lax attitude and turned serious.

She knelt beside him, gently squeezing his hand, "What’s the matter?"

Was Fei Chuan facing some insurmountable problem? Was it something to do with the Fei family? Was he being mistreated? Did he want to escape?

Whatever it is, as long as Fei Chuan needs her, she could help. In whatever way she could.

"Tell me, I’ll do my best to help." Bei Sangyun did not even notice that her voice was soft and gentle.

Fei Chuan leaned into her shoulder. "...I’m in trouble."

Bei Sangyun felt her heart was being choked. She did not want to see Fei Chuan like this.

"Who’s causing you trouble?" There was a hint of anger in her voice. Whoever dared to harm Fei Chuan would face her wrath.

Fei Chuan slowly lifted his head, his cheeks were flushed and his lips were red. His hazy eyes met hers, sending a flutter through her heart.

"You..." Fei Chuan’s warm breath brushed against her cheeks, stirring waves of emotion in her chest.

"...You say such sweet words so easily, you always do things that make me feel special, you... you’re making me lose myself." Fei Chuan’s voice was heavy with frustration, his emotions pouring out in a torrent. "I’ve never felt this way before... it’s unsettling... scary... I don’t like it."

Fei Chuan’s inner turmoil, usually concealed beneath a stoic facade, was now laid bare before Bei Sangyun. His helplessness, vulnerability, frustration, and fear all spilled out in this moment.

Speechless, Bei Sangyun could only listen.

It was the first time she had seen Fei Chuan in such a vulnerable state.

Only now she understood that Fei Chuan... was truly struggling because of her.

A pang of anguish pierced Bei Sangyun’s heart, leaving it aching. She had thought she was being patient, giving him enough space, showering him with enough affection, offering reassurance.

She thought she was doing well.

But perhaps, her efforts and her ’sincere feelings’ had inadvertently burdened and suffocated him.

Was she... doing it all wrong? Had she made another mistake?

"...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to..." Bei Sangyun felt a lump forming in her throat, weighed down by heavy emotions. She didn’t want to complicate things or make it harder for Fei Chuan.

She tried to muster a smile, but her heart was too heavy, "...I will stop if that’s what you want. I won’t force you if you don’t want to. This time, I really mean it."

She had rushed into things. She had made this mistake before, and here she was repeating it once again. She had been enjoying herself too much, thinking she was considering Fei Chuan’s feelings.

But perhaps it was all in her head.

If Fei Chuan couldn’t accept her right now, that was okay. She could try again later. Give him more time...

Fei Chuan had accompanied her in the past for decades, so what was wrong with a few more years? Even if it took ten years, she could wait for him.

But...

"Can you at least let me stay by your side? I won’t do anything. I promise."

She was willing to wait, for ten years or even longer if Fei Chuan desired. But she wanted to be near him, to see him. Otherwise, she feared she would be the one struggling.

Fei Chuan shook his head, "It’s too late to stop."

Bei Sangyun’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. What was too late to stop?

Fei Chuan leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers. "...I’ve already admitted defeat... I’ve been denying it, but it’s useless..."

Bei Sangyun was stunned. She didn’t fully understand his words, but Fei Chuan’s demeanor had shifted suddenly. If he had seemed as vulnerable as a dying rabbit earlier, now he appeared like a predator ready to pounce.

There was a new intensity in Fei Chuan’s eyes. "...So take responsibility, Bei Sangyun."

With those words, Fei Chuan closed the gap between them, his warm lips meeting Bei Sangyun’s.

****

Additional Scene:

On the rooftop, Lin Sunji begrudgingly helped Zhong Cheng with the cleaning.

Normally, she wouldn’t lift a finger no matter how much Zhong Cheng threatened her. But the urgency of leaving this potentially haunted place pushed her to work in silence. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave.

The deep of the night in such an unfamiliar place was truly terrifying!

When they were almost done, Lin Sunji couldn’t help but voice her fear, her voice trembling, "These soldiers... they won’t harm us, right? I mean, we are their descendants. They fought so hard and died to give us a good life. They wouldn’t want to ruin it, right?"

Zhong Cheng, gathering up trash, looked puzzled. "What soldiers?"

"The soldiers you said died in the 1720s!"

"Oh, that?" Zhong Cheng chuckled. "Did you really believe that? I don’t even know what year my grandfather was born. How would I know what happened in the year 1720?"

Lin Sunji: "...."

The trash she was holding rained on Zhong Cheng. The rooftop was noisy for a while.