Standing Next To You-Chapter 467: On call with Fei Chuan

There was nothing beyond the dark sea of clouds, yet Bei Sangyun’s gaze remained fixed on the window. She was on her way back to Country C, but the events of that evening lingered vividly in her mind.

It was the first time they had a proper conversation in four years, and every detail of that moment played on repeat in her thoughts.

’You won’t leave, will you?’

Fei Chuan’s pleading voice behind her had almost shattered her resolve. It took every ounce of strength to keep herself from turning back. If only she could stay, she would have—but she couldn’t.

"He’ll be fine now, right?" Bei Sangyun asked Maid Ye Zhai, who was seated beside her. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Maid Ye Zhai handed her a candy with a reassuring smile. "Yes. You made sure his assistant arrived before you left. And you even called the server to confirm updates about him."

Bei Sangyun sighed, a trace of doubt creeping into her voice. "I don’t know if I did the right thing. What if this just pushed him further away from me?"

"Then call him," Maid Ye Zhai said plainly. "You’ve said you can’t meet in person or be near him, but calling is different. You can be honest with him over the phone. And now you have reason to call him."

Bei Sangyun paused, her mind turning over the idea.

Right... she could call him!

Before, she had no valid reason to reach out, no matter how much she wanted to. But now, things were different. They had spoken, and she had helped him. It wouldn’t seem strange to check on him. It would make sense.

She instinctively reached for her phone but stopped when she realized she was still on the plane. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm her excitement. She had no choice but to wait for the flight to land.

Maid Ye Zhai’s words sparked a new sense of hope. This could be her way to maintain contact with Fei Chuan—her chance to slowly bridge the gap between them.

"Thank you, Sister Ye," she said, taking the older woman’s hand gratefully. "I’ve found a way to get close to him again."

Maid Ye Zhai smiled but then hesitated, her expression faltering. "Ah, right, Young Miss. Have you found out who sent the flowers?"

"No." Bei Sangyun shook her head. "The shop and staff were far too tight-lipped, even when I tried bribing them."

She noticed that Maid Ye Zhai still seemed preoccupied with the mysterious flowers. When Bei Sangyun returned to her hotel room after the party, Maid Ye Zhai had pointed out that the flowers sent to her carried a hidden message.

However, the message was a strange mix of dark and romantic sentiments, making it difficult to decipher its intent. Bei Sangyun had dismissed it at the time—her mind was too preoccupied of Fei Chuan.

After all, she had just reunited with Fei Chuan, and the whirlwind of emotions that followed left little room for concern over a bouquet. The encounter with Fei Chuan dominated her thoughts, overshadowing everything else.

As a result, the matter of the flowers was soon forgotten by Bei Sangyun, despite Maid Ye Zhai’s lingering unease.

.....

As soon as Bei Sangyun arrived in Country C, she opened the contact saved on her phone—the one she had been afraid to press for so long. For the past hour, she had been drafting a message, only to delete and rewrite it repeatedly.

Finally, after much hesitation, she made up her mind and prepared to send it.

But just as her finger hovered over the send button, her phone rang.

Her heart leapt in shock—it was the same number she had been trying to message.

Bei Sangyun looked at Maid Ye Zhai for guidance, and Maid Ye Zhai calmly signaled for her to take a deep breath and answer the call.

Hands trembling, Bei Sangyun picked up and put the phone on speaker.

"Hello? Bei Sangyun?"

Fei Chuan’s deep voice resonated through the phone, making her heart stop for a moment.

She swallowed hard. Maid Ye Zhai gestured again, reminding her to speak.

"Uh... Yes, it’s me. Fei Chuan?"

"Yes, it’s me," he replied. "You must be surprised, but I still have your number—even after all these years. I’m glad you haven’t changed it."

Bei Sangyun’s heart skipped a beat before racing wildly. He still had her number? Could she take this as a good sign?

Hope began to bloom in her chest. Could it be that Fei Chuan had kept her number because he couldn’t bring himself to delete it—just as she hadn’t deleted his? Perhaps, deep down, he still harbored feelings for her.

Bei Sangyun fought to contain her growing excitement. She wanted to tell him that she, too, had kept his number all these years, but her voice caught in her throat.

"I apologize for calling you out of nowhere," Fei Chuan began. "I just wanted to thank you for your help last time. Actually, I’ve been trying to call you earlier, but I couldn’t get through. So, I assumed you were on your flight back to Country C."

"...No need to apologize. I was about to contact you as well," Bei Sangyun replied, her heart racing. "I just arrived, and you called before I could. Uh... how are you feeling now?"

"I’m doing fine, thanks to your medicine," Fei Chuan said. "Though I’m ashamed you had to see that side of me after so long. I hope you can keep what happened a secret."

"Of course, I will."

An awkward silence followed, stretching uncomfortably between them. With the ’purpose’ of the call addressed, it seemed there was no reason to say more. Yet neither of them hung up.

Bei Sangyun didn’t want to end the call, and it seemed Fei Chuan didn’t either. Her eyes darted to Maid Ye Zhai for help, and the older woman quickly jotted something on her phone:

[Ask if he’s planning to return to Country C. It will keep the conversation going.]

Bei Sangyun nodded, gathering her courage to speak. But before she could, Fei Chuan broke the silence.

"...Thank you," he said softly. "I truly appreciate everything. To show my gratitude, I’d like to invite you to dinner."