Wen Zhiyan finished speaking and looked at Fang Miaomiao nervously.
Fang Miaomiao also looked at Wen Zhiyan, blinking silently.
Time ticked by, and the surrounding silence stabbed into his heart like a sharp knife, one after another.
It hurt, but he didn't know what to say.
Wen Zhiyan's initial joy gradually turned to disappointment, and the light in his eyes slowly faded.
Did she not like him?
That's why she remained silent?
This realization made Wen Zhiyan feel breathless.
"It's, it's okay. You don't have to feel uneasy or have any other emotions because of my confession just now. These are all my own feelings," Wen Zhiyan suppressed his inner disappointment, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Miaomiao, you don't have to feel burdened."
It's fine, Miaomiao doesn't like him now, but he would definitely make her like him later.
"Pfft."
Fang Miaomiao couldn't hold back her laughter.
Wen Zhiyan, uncharacteristically, looked at Fang Miaomiao, who was laughing heartily opposite him, with a hint of confusion.
"You?"
"Wen Zhiyan, why are you still acting like a child?" Fang Miaomiao spread her hands and looked at Wen Zhiyan innocently. "Didn't you just say you didn't want me to talk?"
"What, you confess your love, and you reject it yourself? Are you performing a one-man show and I'm your audience?"
As she spoke, Fang Miaomiao stood up and walked to Wen Zhiyan. She propped one hand on the wheelchair and the other, quite dominantly, tilted Wen Zhiyan's chin up.
"Miaomiao?" Wen Zhiyan stared intently at Fang Miaomiao above him. Like a young man in his twenties, his heart pounded wildly.
"Wen Zhiyan, what I want to tell you is, I like you too."
"What?"
Fang Miaomiao placed a kiss on Wen Zhiyan's forehead. Looking into his eyes, which were filled only with her, she said word by word, "I said, Wen Zhiyan, I like you."
Wen Zhiyan clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. "What did you just say?"
Fang Miaomiao saw the palpable nervousness and unease on his face and repeated what she had just said. "I said, I like you. Fang Miaomiao likes Wen Zhiyan."
"Originally, I wanted to confess to you first, but I didn't expect you to say it before me," Fang Miaomiao said with a hint of helplessness. "You said it, and then you wouldn't let me speak, and you imagined a whole dramatic scene by yourself."
"I..." Wen Zhiyan suddenly felt his ears burning and was so guilty that he dared not meet Fang Miaomiao's gaze.
"Wen Zhiyan, I like you, not because you are rich," Fang Miaomiao said with a straight face.
When did she start liking Wen Zhiyan?
Perhaps it was his selfless help.
Or perhaps it was when Old Madam Ran was speaking ill of her, and Wen Zhiyan stood by her side.
Or, to be more superficial, she was attracted to Wen Zhiyan's handsome face and his deep eyes.
In short, to her, Wen Zhiyan was perfect in every way.
"I like you, I like you immensely."
Wen Zhiyan coughed a few times, too shy to meet Miaomiao's gaze.
He knew Miaomiao liked him, why did she have to say it so many times?
"Why don't you dare to look me in the eye?" Fang Miaomiao chuckled and pretended to be sad. "Is it because you were joking just now, and you don't like me at all, right? That's why you don't dare to meet my gaze."
"No."
Hearing Fang Miaomiao's doubt, he suddenly looked up and saw Fang Miaomiao looking at him with teary eyes.
She was crying?
Was it because he hadn't responded quickly enough?
Seeing this, Wen Zhiyan felt both heartbroken and flustered. He fumbled and reached out to wipe the tears from Fang Miaomiao's eyes.
"Dad, how can you bully Mom?"
Fang Miaomiao's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Oh dear, she might have gone too far.
Wen Zhiyan's hand froze in mid-air.
"Mom, don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
Fang Miaomiao had intended to explain the misunderstanding, but when she met the little one's eyes, a strange sense of guilt washed over her.
Then, she allowed Wen Yan'an to pull her away.
Before the door closed, she cast a helpless look at Wen Zhiyan.
The door closed.
Wen Yan'an, like a little adult, sat opposite Wen Zhiyan.
"An'an."
"Dad, you can't bully Mom."
"Mom cried when she heard you were in a car accident."
Actually, he had woken up when Mom was startled awake by a nightmare.
But seeing Mom frantically getting up to find her phone, he knew he couldn't open his eyes.
He obediently kept his eyes closed and heard Mom telling the person on the other end of the phone to tell Dad to leave.
He heard Mom's suppressed sobs.
But he couldn't reveal himself. He knew that if he did, Mom would have to consider his feelings while trying her best to hide it from him.
He didn't want to be a burden to Mom.
"I'm sorry."
"Dad."
"I'm here, Dad is always here."
Wen Yan'an, with red eyes, said, "You have to live well. Mom and I can't live without you."
"Good boy," Wen Zhiyan beckoned Wen Yan'an. "Dad will always be here. Dad will protect you and Miaomiao."
"Then, are you still going to bully Mom?"
Wen Zhiyan: "..."
Did he learn this skill of switching moods from Miaomiao?
"Little friend Wen Yan'an, when did you see me bullying your mother?"
"Just now, with my own eyes."
When his mother carried him to his room, he had actually woken up.
But thinking that they must have something to discuss, he stayed obediently in the room. He didn't expect to hear his mother sobbing a while later.
Wen Zhiyan thought of Fang Miaomiao's somewhat schadenfreude look just now, and shook his head with a wry smile. "You've misunderstood."
He had no choice but to briefly explain the main points of what had just happened.
Unexpectedly, little friend An'an's expression became even more animated.
"Dad, confessing your love is a very serious and solemn matter."
Not only did Dad not confess properly, but Mom stole his thunder. And after that, he was still stunned and didn't know how to react.
Wen Yan'an found his father a bit difficult to handle.
"Little friend Wen Yan'an, I think you can go to first grade this year."
Wen Yan'an wrinkled his nose. "I'm only five years old."
"Preschool."
Now that he and Miaomiao were boyfriend and girlfriend, there couldn't always be a little third wheel in between.
"I don't want to."
Those children were too childish and often bullied others. He didn't want to go.
"If I'm going, I'm going to first grade."
"I don't want to break the law," Wen Zhiyan said calmly.
"Going to first grade at five years old is breaking the law?" Wen Zhiyan looked at his father doubtfully.
"Of course. Why would I lie to you? I'm older than you and know more."
Wen Yan'an glanced at him, stood up from the sofa, and with the parting words, "I'll go ask Mom," he ran towards the bedroom.
The living room fell silent.
Only then did Wen Zhiyan open his tightly clenched hands.
They were covered in sweat and red marks from him pinching himself.
Looking at them.
He couldn't help but laugh. He and his Miaomiao were finally together.