Still, Wait For Me (Web Novel)

In truth, Fu Cheng simply did not have the time to answer all these questions. He was far too busy to deal with all that.

A boy suddenly ending up having to take care of a one-year-old baby all on his own-this was actually not an easy thing to do at all. From Fu Cheng’s perspective, the difficulty level might even be higher than being the president.

The next morning, a few new photos were posted on Weibo. They had been altered slightly to blur out Fu Cheng’s features as he washed Niannian’s face, changed her diapers, made and then fed her milk...

Fu Cheng was clearly a little overwhelmed and inexperienced. Still, everything was just so authentic. Xu Tingsheng had not asked him to act or anything, merely recording him as he completed these tasks all on his own.

Authentic images, authentic feels. If people had been concerned more with the looks of this father and daughter, the beauty of the scene, the quality of the song and whether that voice resembled Rebirth’s lead singer’s before…

From the next day on, more and more people were moved by the simple yet heartwarming relationship between this father and daughter. And perhaps a tinge of ‘pity’ and ‘heartache’ could be felt too…

“Where’s Little Niannian’s Mum?”

“Right, where’s her mummy?”

“How can a young man like him raise his daughter alone? And she’s still so little too...my heart aches just looking at it.”

“I actually wouldn’t mind being the stepmother here.”

“…”

Ms Fang was left both crying and laughing in front of her computer, feeling guilty, relieved and pained all at once.

Meanwhile, Mr Fu walked into his unit at work that morning only to find close to half of the people under him gathered in front of a computer, watching and discussing some video.

Someone commented, “This young dad looks just like Chief Fu’s son! I’ve seen him many times before, and it really does seem like him, though I can’t say for sure.”

Mr Fu coughed in a nonchalant manner. The crowd hurriedly scattered in a panic.

Mr Fu himself was inwardly panicking even more, though. Upon hearing young dad, looks just like Chief Fu’s son...the first thing he had thought was: We’re doomed. It’s probably Fu Cheng.

After entering his office, he immediately called Mrs Fu to inform her about the situation before hastily turning on his computer.

The video was really easy to find. The images appeared.

While others might not be able to say for sure, Mr and Mrs Fu could certainly ascertain the identity of their own son. They needed but a single glance to confirm that...it was really Fu Cheng.

They were overcome by panic and fury. Even if that Deputy Mayor and his daughter were unable to tell right now, when they had met and the marriage had gone through...with this familiarity, how would they not be able to tell?

If they were to continue pushing for this marriage, it would be a scam. Scamming the Deputy Mayor?

What they had been striving towards was destroyed irreparably just like that without any hope of salvation whatsoever.

With their desires denied, the two’s first reaction was to furiously dial Fu Cheng’s phone number.

Still, Fu Cheng would not pick up their calls at all.

When they had calmed down somewhat, they casually watched the video a couple of times and scanned through the uploaded pictures. Soon, their emotions turned quite complex and strange. Was that little girl their granddaughter? Truly, she was pretty, adorable yet pitiful...where was Fang Yunyao, though? Had she really thrown their child to Fu Cheng and left just like that?

“Really, this Fu Cheng! He’s still a child himself, how can he possibly take care of one?!” Mr Fu messaged his wife on QQ.

“Actually, he can be considered as doing somewhat decent. It’s like our child’s suddenly grown up,” After some time, Mrs Fu sent a reply.

“What do we do now?”

“What do we do now?”

The comments on Weibo, how their hearts ached and they felt concern for Fu Cheng and Little Niannian-every single sentence gnawed away at the conscience of Mr and Mrs Fu. It was they who had single-handedly inflicted these circumstances, leading to the state of the helpless Fu Cheng and the pitiful Little Niannian...

And yet, as their son and granddaughter-those two should clearly be their closest, dearest kin, wasn’t it?

……

The next day and the day after, new pictures were uploaded on Weibo.

There were some of Little Niannian riding on Fu Cheng’s back, the latter acting as a big horse for his daughter as he traversed the living room. Of father with his daughter upon his shoulder, spreading her hands wide apart as they walked towards the sunlight…

Of Niannian crying, with Fu Cheng looking helpless and at a loss as he held a whole bunch of toys in his hands.

The photos aside, Fu Cheng would sometimes earnestly ask for help from the mothers on Weibo. For example, what kind of egg was most suitable for a one-year-old? What kind of washing powder was best for baby clothes? What to do when she kicks her blanket in her sleep?...

The mothers all felt for them, their hearts aching. They passionately responded to Fu Cheng’s every query, their guidance all specific as could be...along with concern, questions, reminders…

Fu Cheng and Little Niannian were cared for by countless people…

Just the ‘stepmother squad’ alone filled a good several pages daily.

Actually, there was a newly registered account amongst all those who replied that always answered the most earnestly and detailedly, because the person in question was actually clearest on everything about Niannian.

After merely these few days, the number of people following them on Weibo had already surpassed three million as more and more people came to like the affectionate yet pitiful father-daughter pair.

They liked the young dad who knew how to write songs and play the guitar, with his gentle voice and limitless affection for his daughter. They liked the pretty and adorable Little Niannian who had a pair of bright jet-back eyes, tried to grab everything she saw and loved to kick about whenever she started to fuss and cry, pitiful as she was without her mother by her side.

Soon, ‘All-citizen Nanny-dad’ began to appear on the internet as a form of address.

Soon, this came to be accepted and commonly utilised by the general public.

“What next?” Seeing that Fang Yunyao had still not caved in, Fu Cheng asked Xu Tingsheng.

“It’s time to wreck some hearts,” Xu Tingsheng said ruthlessly, “The fans’, Ms Fang’s, and your parents’ too.”

……

A new video was uploaded on Fu Cheng’s Weibo page the next day.

As usual, father and daughter were the only ones inside. Fu Cheng did not strum the guitar this time as he only gently sang a song.

When Xu Tingsheng had proposed singing this song, Huang Yaming had only said three words, “Too damn ruthless.”

“In this world only Mum is best,

With a mother a child can rest

Like a treasure lie in Mummy’s breast

Happy limitless everlast

In this world only Mum is best

With no mother which child can rest

Leaving my Mama’s sweet caress

Where is happiness alas?”

This was a song that everyone could not be any more familiar with, though they might not usually think too much about it. When Xu Tingsheng had first asked Fu Cheng to sing this, Huang Yaming and the others were mostly focused on ‘taking care of’ Ms Fang through it.

Yet, when the image came to rest on the two and that voice resounded…

Everything just fit in like a sleeve, so much so it even hurt.

Lying on her small blanket, Little Niannian turned rather blankly to look at Fu Cheng who was sitting beside her on the floor as she listened to him gently singing, “In this world only Mum is best, with no mother which child can rest…”

Whatever reason there might be, however unwilling it had been...her mother had indeed ruthlessly abandoned her when she was merely a year old.

Even Fu Cheng himself almost reached the point of choking as he sang.

Perhaps he had shed a tear, for just so coincidentally, Little Niannian suddenly extended a hand...and stroked his face.

As this little girl who was merely a year old reached out and comfortingly stroked her father’s face, accompanied by the warmth of the song, countless people before their screens also felt a stabbing pain in their hearts…

Who knew how many people shed tears.

Song Ni and Little Xiang Ning had long since started crying. Even Huang Yaming whose heart had been growing increasingly unshakable over the years and the ‘perpetrator’, Xu Tingsheng, could not help but blink away a tear as they felt helpless…

While things could barely still be considered as being within control up till now, thinking back on it all, while it was true that Mr and Mrs Fu were most responsible for what had happened, how did Fu Cheng himself hold no responsibility? How was Fang Yunyao not responsible for this too?

There was only Little Niannian, this little girl who was merely over a year old-how utterly innocent was she? Before, she had no father. Now, she had no mother...when she was still oblivious to everything due to her age, other people were already making her decisions for her.

……

On the screen, Niannian extended a hand and stroked Fu Cheng’s face.

Having lost so much weight these past few days, Fang Yunyao started crying like there was no tomorrow. As compared to her daughter and Fu Cheng, as compared to the whole family being together, was making all those sacrifices really necessary? Was all that fear really so difficult to conquer and overcome? Should she truly be running away?

So what if other people did not approve of her? Could she not even trust Fu Cheng?

So what if they were Fu Cheng’s parents? Couldn’t she be selfish for once?

She knew where Xu Tingsheng lived, where Fu Cheng and Niannian were…

Fu Cheng now posted again on Weibo: I think Niannian’s a little bit feverish…

Fang Yunyao flung her mouse down, throwing everything aside in her haste as she dashed out of the house.

Frantic knocking resounded on the door.

A smiling Xu Tingsheng opened the door.

Fang Yunyao saw Fu Cheng carrying their child, waiting for her.

“You’re here?” Fu Cheng said gently and calmly, “Hurry up and carry Niannian.”

“Mummy, Mummy…” Niannian was leaning far towards her even as she rested in Fu Cheng’s embrace.

Fu Cheng bent down and set Niannian down on the floor.

Niannian wobbled a little unsteadily as she toddled towards Fang Yunyao.

“Sob…” A weeping Fang Yunyao hurried over and swept her daughter into her embrace, “Niannian, Mum was wrong!”

Placing her hand on her daughter’s forehead, Fang Yunyao nervously felt it…“Didn’t you say that Niannian’s a little bit feverish?”

“How is that possible? I’m the All-citizen Nanny-dad! How could I possibly let Niannian get a fever? It’s true that Niannian and I really can’t do without you, though!” While Fu Cheng was smiling, there were tears in his eyes.

Fang Yunyao pondered on it a little and sniffed as she fully realised what had happened, “Just you bully me…”

“Alright!” Fu Cheng smiled, replying.

Fang Yunyao hugged Niannian and did not speak. She looked at everyone in the room. They were clearly all younger than her...and yet, she was the most insensible one. After thinking on things properly and realising just how weak, cowardly and childish she had been, she felt quite awkward just being there.

Of course, more of it was guilt…

“Choose one,” Fu Cheng suddenly said.

“Choose what?” Fang Yunyao asked quizzically.

What next appeared before her eyes was a rope in Fu Cheng’s left hand and a bundle of keys in his right.

Tie you up?

Or take this as your home?

Choose.

“I’ll really tie you up this time,” Fu Cheng warned.

Fang Yunyao was silent for a time. Then, she walked over resignedly, her head lowered as she took that bundle of keys from Fu Cheng’s hand.

“We will be occupying Tingsheng’s house for now. I’ll look for a house in the vicinity soon,” Fu Cheng said.

“Mmm,” Fang Yunyao nodded like an obedient little wife.

“Give me your room card. I’ll go help you carry your luggage and check out,” Fu Cheng said.

“Mmm,” Fang Yunyao nodded.

Fu Cheng left. Xu Tingsheng and the others hurriedly let Fang Yunyao sit down and poured some water for her. Having missed her mother for a few days, Little Niannian huddled in her embrace, unwilling to come out…

“Look, how Niannian misses you,” Song Ni said.

Fang Yunyao nodded awkwardly in response.

“You can’t run again!” Xu Tingsheng smiled.

Fang Yunyao continued to nod.

After a while, though, she finally snapped out of it as she realised the incongruence of the scene.

“Hey, you guys! You’ve been plotting against me all this time, right? You people, you people only know how to gang up with Fu Cheng and bully me. It’s always like this. At that football match, at your school’s welcoming party…” Fang Yunyao said, “Don’t you forget that I’m your teacher…”

“Isn’t it?” Huang Yaming laughed, “Sweet revenge! Do you remember how you caught the three of us smoking back then? You wouldn’t let us go no matter how we pleaded...you never thought it then, right, Ms Fang? You actually caught your own child’s Dad...hahaha…”

And the room was filled with laughter.