The Sweetest Marriage Ch.343

Chapter 343 – I Want to Try

In the early morning, a soft golden sunlight streamed in through the window, enveloping the person sound asleep in bed, evoking a sense of tranquil times for no reason at all.

Last night, Chen Li slept deeply after an intense workout in the middle of the night. He didn’t fall into any nightmares afterward. Now, he was reluctant to get out of bed, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

Wei Chen was already awake, downstairs holding onto Qiuqiu. Qiuqiu hadn’t slept with both dads last night and was now sticking closely to Wei Chen, clutching onto his neck and murmuring the other dad’s name.

After a playful moment with Qiuqiu, Chen Yunlan emerged from the kitchen with prepared milk powder. “Did Xiao Li sleep well last night?” Chen Yunlan asked with a hint of concern.

Wei Chen shook his head. “Woke up once in the middle of the night.”

A tinge of regret appeared on Chen Yunlan’s face. If only… If only he had brought Chen Li by his side back then, maybe this wouldn’t have happened?

Feeding Qiuqiu milk, Wei Chen knew what Chen Yunlan was thinking and reassured, “Dad, it’s not your fault.” After all, Chen Yunlan was also a victim back then.

Chen Yunlan nodded, understanding this logic, but this hurdle in his heart was hard to overcome.

He and Qu Ran owed Xiao Li too much. He hoped that in the time left, they could make up for these debts to Chen Li.

“Dad, don’t dwell on it. No one will harm Chen Li as long as I’m here,” Wei Chen promised solemnly. With him around, nobody would dare to harm even a hair on Chen Li’s head!

“Ah!” Qiuqiu, on the side, clenched his tiny fists as if trying to convey through his actions that he would protect his dads too.

Chen Yunlan was delighted by Qiuqiu’s gesture and gently tapped his head, saying, “Qiuqiu, when you grow up, you must protect Dad too.”

Qiuqiu might not have understood, but he earnestly nodded and repeated, “Da da!”

“Dad, I’ll take Qiuqiu upstairs to check if Li Li’s awake. Please, don’t worry too much,” Wei Chen said as he ascended the stairs, adding a word of reassurance.

Chen Yunlan nodded, feeling somewhat comforted. Wei Chen’s presence was a ray of light in Chen Li’s life, something that made Chen Yunlan deeply grateful.

Wei Chen entered the room carrying Qiuqiu. Chen Li hadn’t woken up yet, clutching Wei Chen’s pillow and sleeping in a sprawled position.

Spotting Dad on the bed, Qiuqiu reached out towards Chen Li. Wei Chen gently pulled Qiuqiu back, whispering, “Dad is still sleeping, be careful.” Then he softly placed Qiuqiu by Chen Li’s side.

Once on the bed, Qiuqiu rolled close to Chen Li. Sensing that Chen Li was asleep, Qiuqiu didn’t call for Dad. Instead, he hugged one of Chen Li’s hands, staring at him with wide-open eyes.

Before long, Chen Li woke up and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Qiuqiu’s chubby face. He immediately smiled, “Qiuqiu, how come you’re here?”

Hearing Chen Li’s voice, Qiuqiu giggled and rolled into Chen Li’s embrace, happily calling out “Dad” repeatedly.

Chen Li pulled Qiuqiu onto his stomach, their tender bottom directly touching Chen Li’s bare skin without a diaper. Unable to resist, Chen Li lightly pinched Qiuqiu’s bottom.

Qiuqiu didn’t cry; instead, he wiggled around on Chen Li’s lap.

The father and son cuddled on the bed for a while before Chen Li finally got up.

At this point, Wei Chen had prepared Chen Li’s clothes. He took Qiuqiu from Chen Li’s hands and asked Chen Li to freshen up.

“Xiping will come over later,” Wei Chen mentioned as Chen Li entered the bathroom.

Chen Li’s brushing halted for a moment. He knew why Lan Xiping was coming over, feeling a bit hesitant but not resisting.

With everyone around him showing meticulous care, he felt the need to cooperate with the treatment, to rid himself of the shadows in his heart as soon as possible.

Rinsing the foam from his mouth, Chen Li said, “Okay, I’ll have a good chat with Aping.”

After about half an hour, Lan Xiping knocked on Wei Chen’s door, followed by Jiang Ye, who came along. Their homes were in the same neighborhood, so it only took them a few minutes to arrive.

“Aping, Jiang Ye, morning,” as Lan Xiping and Jiang Ye came in, Chen Li had just finished breakfast. Seeing the two, he greeted them with a beaming smile.

“Morning.”

Chen Yunlan knew these young people had things to discuss, so he didn’t plan on staying. He found an excuse and left the house.

As he reached the community gate, he spotted Xie Chunsheng’s car parked there.

Walking over, Chen Yunlan knocked on the car window. It soon rolled down, revealing Xie Chunsheng’s somewhat weary face.

“Why did you come so early?” Chen Yunlan asked.

Xie Chunsheng rubbed his face and hoarsely said, “Can you talk to me about Chen Li… about these past years?”

After receiving a call from Chen Yunlan yesterday, Xie Chunsheng began investigating. Unable to resist, he ended up looking into Chen Li’s life over the years. The more he investigated, the more alarmed he became, prompting him to drive over here in the middle of the night.

Because it was too late to consider time, he didn’t go up to disturb them and spent the night in the car, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

Chen Yunlan opened the car door and got in. “Let’s find a place to talk.”

Since Xie Chunsheng was indeed Qu Ran, he was entitled to know everything about Chen Li over the years. Moreover, Chen Yunlan believed that with Xie Chunsheng’s presence, Chen Li’s future would be more secure.

“Alright.” Xie Chunsheng turned the car around and found a quiet little shop to quietly listen to Chen Yunlan recount the past.

Back at Wei Chen’s house, Lan Xiping sought a private conversation with Chen Li in his art studio.

Wei Chen paced downstairs, visibly anxious, then turned to Jiang Ye, asking, “Have you almost finished investigating?”

Jiang Ye nodded. “I’ve pretty much gathered everything.”

Wei Chen fell silent. He had also looked into some matters and roughly guessed who the mastermind was behind the scenes. As for the next course of action, it depended on Chen Li’s stance.

Inside the art studio, Lan Xiping gazed calmly at Chen Li.

Chen Li returned the gaze. “Aping, just tell me what you need to.”

“Well, I want to talk to you about your condition now. As for what to do next, it’s up to you,” Lan Xiping said.

“Okay,” Chen Li nodded.

“Your current condition seems stabilized,” Lan Xiping continued. “During your episodes, your self-awareness has also improved.”

Chen Li nodded again. He was aware of this. Like this time, he could force himself to gradually stabilize.

For illnesses like Chen Li’s, during episodes, controlling emotions was impossible. It was as if there was a thread pulling them into a dead end. So, if a patient could control their emotions during episodes, it indicated a significant reduction in the severity of the illness, and Chen Li was in such a situation now.

Chen Li’s condition is a bit more complex.

The shadows left in Chen Li’s heart from the past have made the etiology of his illness multifaceted. Even if one cause is resolved, there’s another latent cause within him. Under specific circumstances, this cause surfaces uncontrollably. This time, verbal violence brought out the hidden cause deep within Chen Li. Even though he can control his emotions now, he’s still affected, evidenced by his nightmares.

Lan Xiping has two plans in hand to address this cause:

First, to distance Chen Li from the source. Similar to before, Wei Chen could take Chen Li out for a vacation for ten days or half a month until domestic matters are resolved before bringing him back. This method is the most convenient and ensures Chen Li’s safety. However, its fatal flaw is that it only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause. Lan Xiping believes in the capabilities of those around Chen Li to protect him and shield him from external rumors. Yet, unforeseen events exist. As long as this shadow remains in Chen Li’s heart, it’s like a dormant bomb. No one knows when or who might trigger it, causing an explosion.

While Lan Xiping doesn’t recommend this approach, he still presented it to Chen Li. As a doctor, he must present all possibilities to the patient and allow them to choose.

The second option is a permanent solution. It involves Chen Li facing the shadows in his heart, overcoming them through confrontation. However, this approach is painful for Chen Li. Not everyone has the courage to confront their shadows, and not everyone can overcome them without being defeated by them in the process.

This approach is riddled with uncertainties, undoubtedly risky. However, once successful, Chen Li would break free from the shackles of shadows and emerge completely.

Lan Xiping hoped Chen Li would choose this option because he knew with Wei Chen by Chen Li’s side, Chen Li would be untouchable.

Presenting both options to Chen Li, Lan Xiping kept his personal biases aside, allowing Chen Li to make his own choice, though he already had one in mind.

After hearing both options, Chen Li fell into silence. His gaze rested on the paintings on the wall, from darkness to vibrant colors. In his world, Wei Chen filled everything. He believed Wei Chen could protect him and give him the life he desired—everything he wanted.

He could choose the first option, living under the protection of Wei Chen and family, living meekly within the walls they built. Escaping at the slightest difficulty, avoiding all external malice.

Chen Li couldn’t help but ask himself, “Is this the future he truly wanted?”

His eyes landed on a recently finished painting—a portrait of their family of three, with Qiuqiu smiling happily. He was Qiuqiu’s father, and he wanted to set an example for him.

In the future, when Qiuqiu mentioned him, he wanted Qiuqiu to proudly say, “My dad is a great artist” and also, “My dad is a very brave person.”

Chen Li closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, a glint of resolve shone in his gaze.

“Aping, I want to try,” Chen Li said firmly.

Lan Xiping smiled, “Xiao Li, I believe in you.”

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