Tang Yue’ai finally managed to pull herself together from crying and immediately stepped forward to echo, “Hong Ye is right. Mom, you still have us.”
Tang Yue’ai was also incredibly bold, directly following suit in changing her address.
Mother Fang choked up with emotion.
Actually, there was also Fang Chen’s sister.
But Fang Chen was the only son in the family, originally blessed with both a son and a daughter, forming the perfect “good” character.
Yet now…
Ning Shu, however, did not change her address, nor… did she dare to. In her heart, there was even a trace of fear.
She feared that Fang Chen had volunteered for the peacekeeping forces because she had once posted a favorite comic character on her social media, with a caption saying she liked heroes and found them captivating.
So, at this moment, she felt inexplicably afraid in front of Father and Mother Fang.
But Ning Shu’s heartache outweighed her fear.
Because the Fang family had always treated her well.
Perhaps because Fang Chen liked her so much, Mother Fang had also grown close to her.
In the past, Mother Fang had expressed on multiple occasions at family dinners that she very much hoped Ning Shu would become her daughter-in-law.
Even though the two ultimately didn’t end up together and each married someone else,
Mother Fang held no grudge against Ning Shu and still treated her with kindness and closeness.
It could even be said that Mother Fang treated Ning Shu better than her actual daughter-in-law, Meng Xuan.
Probably because she knew her son’s true feelings.
Thus, Ning Shu’s situation was the most painful, awkward, and delicate.
This led to her, despite being deeply sorrowful and having countless words to say, and even though she remembered Wen Hui’s advice to comfort Father and Mother Fang properly on her behalf, in such circumstances,
She was truly afraid that even uttering one more word would be a mistake.
Fu Yanshen spoke up, “Auntie, if you have any needs, you can also contact me. No matter what it is, I will do my utmost to help.”
Fu Yanshen did not change his address, perhaps not agreeing with Xie Jinghong’s “adoption” approach.
Or perhaps, since he planned to bring Meng Xuan home to care for her later, following suit in changing his address would likely create a delicate and awkward situation.
A few more people gathered around—some hesitant to change their address but wanting to comfort Mother Fang, and others following suit.
In this way…
Although Mother Fang could never truly heal from the pain of losing her son, she would at least feel somewhat better.
At that moment, a petite, well-proportioned woman in black walked over to Ning Shu.
Ning Shu hurriedly pulled away from Fu Yanshen’s embrace.
The newcomer was another close friend of Ning Shu and Tang Yue’ai, Zhuang Fu, who had been abroad until recently.
Zhuang Fu walked to Ning Shu’s side and reached out to take her hand.
Ning Shu accepted Zhuang Fu’s hand, and Zhuang Fu led her to a quieter, less conspicuous spot.
Seeing this, Tang Yue’ai followed as well.
Fu Yanshen glanced over, his expression darkening, but he said nothing more.
On such occasions, it was normal for men to gather with men and women with women.
Xie Jinghong, who had been standing beside Mother and Father Fang, also glanced over before withdrawing his gaze and checking the time.
The military aircraft should be arriving soon.
Zhuang Fu and Ning Shu stopped, and Tang Yue’ai approached.
Zhuang Fu reached out and took Tang Yue’ai’s hand as well, lowering her voice to say to Ning Shu, “Don’t worry. Meng Lang will definitely stop Meng Xuan from moving into your home. Meng Xuan is really something—does she plan to live in your house too?”
“Even if she doesn’t want to stay with the Meng family and have her parents accompany her, can’t she live with her own brother? I’ll come along to take care of her, and I guarantee she’ll be well-fed and healthy. It’s only natural for a future sister-in-law to care for her younger sister-in-law—nothing wrong with that. I can handle all her daily needs, from eating to sleeping. In short, with me around, you don’t need to worry.”
After speaking, Zhuang Fu comfortingly patted Ning Shu’s hand.
Ning Shu was deeply moved. First, Tang Yue’ai and Xie Jinghong had fiercely defended her, even going so far as to confront Fu Yanshen head-on. Now, Zhuang Fu had taken on all the responsibility of caring for her.
Indeed, childhood friends who grew up together didn’t just offer a few words of comfort—they proved their support through action and sacrifice.
The Meng Lang mentioned by Zhuang Fu was Meng Xuan’s older brother, and the two were also in a relationship.
Ning Shu’s voice was slightly hoarse. “But won’t this also put you in a difficult position? And you and Meng Lang have been arguing over this matter too.”
Zhuang Fu and Meng Lang had been traveling abroad when they learned about the incident. Although they didn’t return immediately, they had argued fiercely over Meng Xuan. To stand firmly by Ning Shu, Zhuang Fu naturally criticized Meng Xuan in front of Meng Lang.
Although Meng Lang knew it was inappropriate for Meng Xuan to actually move into Fu Yanshen’s home, she was still his younger sister. When Zhuang Fu criticized her harshly and spoke bluntly, it was impossible for him not to feel somewhat uncomfortable. The two had argued several times over this while abroad.
Ning Shu and Tang Yue’ai were aware of this, as Zhuang Fu had been updating them in their group chat over the past few days.
Zhuang Fu said irritably, “Unpleasant or not, it doesn’t matter. At worst, we break up. I’ve long been fed up with him anyway—perfect timing to find someone else.”
Ning Shu wasn’t sure how to respond to this.
Tang Yue’ai, however, immediately slung an arm around Zhuang Fu’s shoulder. “Well done, Sister Zhuang. That’s exactly why I admire you so much.”
Zhuang Fu replied, “Of course. Did you think I was as spineless as you two? One being mistreated, the other trying to please.”
Zhuang Fu’s words weren’t exactly gentle either.
Ning Shu smiled bitterly but didn’t refute her.
Seeing her like this, Zhuang Fu felt a pang of heartache and slapped her own mouth. “Pah, pah, pah! I was just talking nonsense.”
Ning Shu also felt sorry for her hitting herself and quickly reached out to stop her hand.
But Ning Shu was somewhat puzzled by Zhuang Fu’s remark. She admitted to being mistreated, but… Tang Yue’ai trying to please someone?
Ning Shu looked at Tang Yue’ai.
Tang Yue’ai cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Nonsense, I’m not. Xie Jinghong and I are equals.”
Zhuang Fu sighed. “Do you think I believe that? Would you really dare to challenge Old Xie? I’d bet my head you wouldn’t.”
Tang Yue’ai fell silent.
However, Zhuang Fu didn’t continue bantering. After all, they were still waiting for Fang Chen’s return. She had conveyed the message she needed to.
Although she and Meng Lang had argued fiercely, she had ultimately won the argument, and Meng Lang had taken her side. So, she and Meng Lang would definitely try to prevent Meng Xuan from moving into Fu Yanshen’s home.
But whether they could ultimately stop it, Zhuang Fu couldn’t guarantee. After all, Meng Xuan’s current situation… was truly special.
Still, if her actions could make Ning Shu feel even slightly better at this moment, offering some emotional relief, then… that was good enough.
Amidst the oppressive atmosphere, the military aircraft arrived as scheduled, appearing in the sky above, further deepening everyone’s somber mood.
Soon, the aircraft landed steadily on the tarmac. Everyone consciously lined up, silently watching.
The first to disembark was the commanding officer from Fang Chen’s military region, followed by a group of soldiers in uniform carrying Fang Chen’s coffin.
The coffin was draped with the national flag, instantly bringing tears to everyone’s eyes.
Meng Xuan, supported by a female soldier, held Fang Chen’s portrait. She wore a white flower in her hair, was dressed in black, her face pale, and her expression extremely haggard and weak.
Ning Shu instantly felt a lump in her throat, her emotions tangled into a messy knot.
The chief quickly stepped forward, came to a halt, and saluted Father Fang and Mother Fang.