CHAPTER 387: CHAPTER 386: ACCEPTANCE

"I’ve completely recovered. If I hadn’t, would you have abandoned me?"

That was completely a joke. Gu Xiaoqing had been so determined to help him recover from his injuries, which he had seen long ago. He believed that even if he were sitting in a wheelchair now, this woman would still be content.

This was a woman he had spent almost half his life to have, how could he scare her away?

Gu Xiaoqing gave Fang Shaohan a sidelong glance; this man just had such a sharp tongue.

Feeling the dampness on Fang Shaohan’s coat, it had been raining outside. This fool must have been waiting for her to come back while still wearing wet clothes.

She pushed Fang Shaohan away, grabbed a dry towel, and threw it to him: "Dry your hair, take off the wet clothes, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll cook."

She didn’t notice the tone of command in her voice, the familiarity like an old married couple, perhaps because of the way they used to interact.

Fang Shaohan jovially took off the wet clothes, actually only the coat was wet, and put them in the washing machine as Gu Xiaoqing instructed, dried his hair, and watched the busy figure in the kitchen, feeling content and at ease.

This sense of complete possession made one’s heart settle.

The smell of the food wafted from the kitchen, as captivating as ever, but more than that, it gave Fang Shaohan a sense of home. The mistress of this house was the woman he longed for; this feeling was even more comforting.

Gu Xiaoqing made simple braised pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and rice.

They sat at the table eating, mostly Fang Shaohan devouring the food. Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t eat much from the start, and with so many sudden events happening, she was still digesting it all, not having much appetite.

Fang Shaohan, on the other hand, was completely the opposite. Having everything settled answered the lingering doubts in his heart, and this satisfaction could excite a man for a long time.

It could even increase his appetite.

Helping Gu Xiaoqing clean up the dishes, even though she didn’t need his help, Fang Shaohan still took the initiative to wash all the dishes clean.

The two sat on the sofa, sipping green tea.

"How did you get here?"

Gu Xiaoqing wanted to maintain some distance from Fang Shaohan because he had almost instantly upgraded himself to the boyfriend role and was almost unwilling to be apart from Gu Xiaoqing even for a moment, needing physical contact to be satisfied.

Sadly, this synchronization was not mutual.

Gu Xiaoqing had not reached that level quickly.

To avoid this person’s overwhelming enthusiasm, Gu Xiaoqing had to choose a sofa that kept some distance from Fang Shaohan, otherwise, he might just swallow her whole.

Fang Shaohan looked at Gu Xiaoqing, who was separated from him by a coffee table, feeling dissatisfied. What was this?

Seeing Gu Xiaoqing’s stern expression, however, he consciously kept his distance, knowing he was being overly eager.

But it really couldn’t be blamed on Fang Shaohan; after all, for the one they love, every man wants them within reach. Of course, devouring them whole would be the most satisfactory way.

Especially when it comes to holding hands, hugging, and kissing.

"I flew here; I’m going back tomorrow."

Fang Shaohan was frustrated; his job condemned him to spend more time apart than together.

Ever since he recovered, his boss seemed eager to have him back at work early. Tomorrow was the final deadline; the day after tomorrow, he needed to report to the office in person.

If it wasn’t to handle many things on his side, Fang Shaohan could have come a week ago. But Fang Shaohan knew that wanting to be truly together with Gu Xiaoqing wasn’t just about him; there were many factors involved.

Fang Shaohan wasn’t a perfect person; he had many flaws. Yet, he found a personal definition of how a man should care for a woman: at least, not letting her face too many things alone.

Even though he wasn’t someone who flirted with women casually, there weren’t just one or two women around him who were interested in him. Friends like Jiang Limin were rare, after all, there weren’t many who could get the approval of his grandparents.

However, there were plenty of women who were unwilling to let go and wanted to cling to him.

Fang Shaohan’s aloofness deterred many, but there were still many who fearlessly pressed forward.

Fang Shaohan sat down with He Cui and Fang Jianguo to have a proper conversation; it was almost non-existent since Fang Shaohan became an adult.

Because Fang Shaohan felt he needed his family’s support, his grandparents didn’t know Gu Xiaoqing and had many misunderstandings and concerns, but his parents were different, almost having watched Gu Xiaoqing grow up.

Also, from the recent events, anyone wise could see the role Gu Xiaoqing played in it. If it weren’t for Gu Xiaoqing’s steadfastness and dedication, as well as her faith in Fang Shaohan’s recovery, perhaps even now, Fang Shaohan might still be sitting in a wheelchair.

The doctors had mentioned that missing the best treatment phase and optimal timing, muscle atrophy in the legs, and the gradual loss of neuron stimulation was essentially self-abandonment of the possibility of treatment.

Many people lacked sensitivity to indistinct sensations, gradually losing confidence and hence permanently losing the best treatment opportunity, remaining forever in a wheelchair.

It should be said, Fang Shaohan also went through this vicious cycle. Without Gu Xiaoqing’s encouragement and friends’ help—of course, one must also mention the role Feng Qingyang played.

The adversary effect was a useful method for Fang Shaohan.

In this, Feng Qingyang played an indispensable role.

Fang Shaohan didn’t want his parents, once they saw him standing tall, to start concerning themselves with past matters again, such as matching social statuses, or sibling rivalry.

If there were mistakes, they were his; he was the one who fell in love with a woman his brother also liked, he was the one who insisted on intervening.

What fault did Gu Xiaoqing have?

At that time, Fang Shaonan and Gu Xiaoqing were just simple friends, with none of that deeper relationship. Isn’t the ancient saying "a gentleman pursues a fair lady" true?

So, the result of a long into the night talk was that He Cui and Fang Jianguo unanimously stood on Fang Shaohan’s side.

Mainly, of course, because He Cui and Fang Jianguo personally experienced everything Fang Shaohan went through. They better understood the piercing, heart-wrenching pain, having watched their once-depressed, tormented, son being cheerful, standing here, happily chasing his love.

He Cui and Fang Jianguo could forgive many things.

Accepting Gu Xiaoqing was originally something the couple had agreed on, so everything went smoothly.