Chapter 139: The Will to Live

Words : 1317 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

When the girl said this, she sounded very resolute, as if she truly believed he would become that amazing person in the future. Cheng Lie froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but curl the corners of his lips. His usually cold and deep eyes now carried a faint glimmer of light. Should he thank her for her trust in him? When everyone else saw him as nothing more than dirt to trample on, she was the only one who believed he held value. How could he describe this feeling? It was like a beam of light suddenly appearing in the vast darkness. Like he had wandered the desolate desert for what felt like an eternity, parched and famished, and water suddenly emerged before him. This was a sensation he had never experienced before. Initially, he resisted it. He always thought that encountering warmth would make it impossible to keep moving forward in the darkness. Only now did he realize—he could accept warmth. Because of such warmth, he found even greater motivation to keep living. "Let’s not talk anymore. Go to sleep early." The girl’s soft voice came from the other end. From the sound of it, she truly sounded a bit sleepy. "I’ll come find you tomorrow to hang out," she added. "Alright." After this brief exchange, neither of them spoke again. Through the phone, all that could be heard was their light breathing. Finally, Yun Shifei couldn’t hold back. "Hang up the phone already!" "You go first." "Fine." Yun Shifei pouted, then hung up the call. It seemed like every time she talked to Cheng Lie on the phone, she was always the one to hang up first. Yun Shifei huddled in her blanket. Although it was cold outside, her blanket was warm and cozy, without any trace of chill. Her heart felt warm too. Even though Cheng Lie looked cold and distant on the outside, in truth, he was such a warmhearted guy. He might be quiet most of the time, but sometimes his actions in little details could truly warm her. Thinking back on her conversation with Cheng Lie just now, she learned something. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for Cheng Lie. Living in the Cheng Family for so many years must have been so hard for him. Knowing well how bad the environment he was in was, with family members that hurt him like that, yet he still had to stay. Even his illness deprived him of the ability to fight back. She thought, by the time Cheng Lie recovered and left South City in his senior year of high school, there was still some time left. During this time, she would do her best to protect him and stop the Cheng Family members from constantly bullying him. The next day, Yun Shifei opened her eyes and heard some noise downstairs. She got up and walked down the stairs, spotting a familiar figure. "Dad, you’re back!" Surprised and delighted, she ran forward. Yun Tiancheng had come home so early—it was only past eight in the morning. "Shi Fei, you’re up?" Yun Shifei nodded briskly. "Why are you running around in just pajamas? Aren’t you cold? Go back and put on something warmer before coming out." Yun Tiancheng ruffled her hair with a gentle smile. "Okay," Yun Shifei obediently replied. She returned to her room and put on her fluffy coral fleece pajamas before heading back downstairs. Yun Tiancheng had brought back a suitcase from his business trip. As he opened the suitcase, Yun Shifei saw its contents and couldn’t resist letting out a little exclamation, her face filled with excitement. Inside the suitcase, Yun Tiancheng’s clothes took up only a small portion of space. The rest was packed full of food. All specialties from Beijing—candied hawthorn, sticky rice rolls with bean flour, and even roast duck. "These are foods you’ve never tried before. Dad intentionally brought them back for you to taste. Someday, I’ll take you to Beijing to explore." Yun Shifei nodded excitedly. She really hadn’t traveled that far before. For her, the farthest she had been was just the neighboring province. After all, South City was already well-developed. It would be a first-tier city in the future. For those seeking opportunities, there were plenty locally, and there was hardly any need to go elsewhere. Yun Shifei unwrapped a piece of candied hawthorn and began eating. These specialties weren’t like the ones sold on streets; they were individually packaged. But the flavor was still quite good. She grabbed some. "Dad, I’m taking these to Cheng Lie." "You should bring them some things." Yun Tiancheng thought for a moment, then grabbed a few packs of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol, packing them up and handing them to Yun Shifei. "Shi Fei, take these to your Uncle Cheng too. During the week I was gone, it was thanks to their care that you were looked after so well." As Cheng Huai had said. Actually, Yun Shifei had guessed it too. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have invited her to dine with them. Yun Shifei couldn’t help but say, "Dad, you don’t need to ask others to take care of me in the future. I can look after myself just fine." "How could that be the same? You’re still a child. No matter how capable you are, Dad still worries," Because of the time he accidentally lost Yun Shifei once, Yun Tiancheng couldn’t entirely relax leaving her home alone this time. He actually called Yun Shifei every day to chat and ask about what she was doing. Yet, without being by her side, he always felt uneasy. Listening to Yun Tiancheng’s words, Yun Shifei felt a sense of warmth in her heart. She noticed the bloodshot veins in Yun Tiancheng’s eyes. "Dad, didn’t you sleep well last night?" Yun Tiancheng shook his head. "As soon as the deal was finalized, I rushed back." He was worried that his precious daughter might feel lonely staying home for too long. Even though there was Aunt Zhong and a little dog for company, without any family nearby, she would surely feel isolated. Yun Tiancheng knew Yun Shifei had a sensitive disposition, so after closing the deal, he hurried back without delay. Hearing Yun Tiancheng’s words, Yun Shifei felt an inexplicable urge to cry. Even though she didn’t have a good mother, she certainly had the world’s best father. Yun Shifei gazed at Yun Tiancheng with shining eyes, wanting to say something, but she had never been good at expressing emotions. She couldn’t help but smile instead, saying, "Dad, what do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you." Aunt Zhong had come over early in the morning to prepare breakfast. Knowing Yun Tiancheng was coming back today, she had intentionally made extra. "Your Aunt Zhong’s cooking is great; there’s no need to prepare anything specially." Yun Tiancheng wasn’t picky about food, and he smiled. "Then, Dad, you should rest after breakfast. I’ll organize the specials and deliver some to Cheng Lie and Uncle Cheng." Yun Tiancheng nodded again. He watched Yun Shifei tidying up and bustling about, looking like a little grown-up. Honestly, sometimes it made him feel heartbreakingly proud of how mature she was. But then again, he thought this might not be a bad thing—being independent meant she wouldn’t struggle when facing life on her own one day. Yun Tiancheng yawned; he was indeed tired. These past few days had been hectic. Plus, in Beijing, he wasn’t entirely used to the environment—the food didn’t suit him, nor did the sleep. He really needed a good rest now. Yun Tiancheng headed upstairs to rest. Yun Shifei organized everything, swapped them into a different gift box, and packed them neatly. She then returned to her room to freshen up, ate breakfast, and finally, leisurely carried the gifts over to the Cheng Family.

Chapter 139: The Will to Live

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