Chapter 90 Wang Kanxi...

After Wang Kan finished showering, she first pulled Fang Minzhou aside and sat with her for a while.

Fang Min was quite cooperative, but Wang Kan was too meticulous tonight. Later, her voice and body trembled, so he put a pillow under her waist.

However, she wasn't truly out of her mind. After they finished, she lay back down and stroked Wang Kan's eyebrows and eyes in the darkness, not forgetting to ask him what had triggered his reaction. Wang Kan held her without saying a word, and Fang Minzhou feigned a threat, "If you don't tell me, I'll just go to sleep? I won't talk to you anymore if you cause any more trouble later."

"Fierce-looking."

Fang Minzhou: "...How am I being fierce?"

She may have been too nice to Wang Kan lately, making him get carried away.

Wang Kan smiled faintly and asked her, "Think about it yourself, is there anything else you haven't told me?"

Fang Minzhou was stunned.

This could be a big or small problem. She sat up, wanting to turn on the light, but Wang Kan stopped her. Fang Minzhou asked him hesitantly, "What is it?"

Objectively speaking, no matter how close you are to someone, it's impossible for another person to know everything about them. But after thinking about it, she felt it wasn't a big deal.

Why didn't you tell me about your previous hospitalization for stomach pain?

Fang Minzhou was completely stunned.

Wang Kan's voice sounded quite calm, and she lost the desire to keep the light on. "How did you know?"

"I just saw your senior walk you back downstairs. Don't worry, there was no fight, we just chatted," Wang Kan said. "I told you, and now you're not saying anything?"

Fang Minzhou remained silent for a long time, "...I was too embarrassed to say it back then. I was just making myself too tired. Saying it out loud would feel like an excuse."

Although I almost wanted to explain.

Wang Kan sighed, pulled Fang Minzhou into her arms, and buried herself in her warm, soft embrace.

He had never felt that he and Fang Minzhou were similar in their behavior and way of doing things, but now he realized that they were both loving each other by hurting themselves.

Is it because of a lack of trust that one dares not speak out? Or is it that love makes one cautious, yet grievances do not lead to fulfillment?

“I originally wanted to pretend I didn’t know about this, because I figured you would just feel embarrassed if I told you,” Wang Kan said slowly. “But I still want you to know that I now know you were sick back then, and you were even feeling unwell when you came to see me, but I didn’t even notice. I’m so sorry.”

"Wang Kan..." Fang Minzhou called out to him, telling him not to apologize anymore.

"But I also want to say something back to you: why can't I know? Fang Minzhou, if anything happens in the future, please let me know. Sometimes I'm really stupid."

“…Okay.” Fang Minzhou cupped Wang Kan’s face and kissed him. “Don’t say you’re stupid. You’re not stupid at all.”

Wang Kan chuckled softly and pulled Fang Minzhou into his arms.

The days of officially living together were similar to before, and even a little better than Fang Minzhou had expected.

Some differences in lifestyle habits have been resolved, and expenses are discussed and agreed upon. She is wealthier than she was in college, and Wang Kan is no longer as wasteful. She chooses to do the housework she is good at and likes. When Wang Kan cooks, she is responsible for washing the dishes, but since there is a dishwasher, there is not much work involved. Other housework is done by whoever sees it.

Although Fang Minzhou sometimes felt the house was a bit too small, and that she could see Wang Kan no matter how she looked up or down, the sense of security that came from knowing she could hear him respond whenever she called was something Fang Minzhou found strange. It was like having her own personal seashell, which, when placed to her ear, allowed her to hear the sound of the waves.

The trivialities of life, because of their wholeness, piece together the shape of the future.

On New Year's Eve, everywhere was crowded, but Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan stayed at home and ate hot pot.

At five in the morning, Fang Minzhou was woken up by her alarm clock. It was still dark, with only a sliver of light peeking through the gap in the curtains. She watched Wang Kan's sleeping face for a while before calling him to get up.

“…What?” Wang Kan muttered.

"You said yourself that you wanted to get up and watch the sunrise."

"..."

He pretended to be dead.

Fang Minzhou nudged him and tried to pull him up, saying, "Get up."

Instead, Wang Kan pulled her over and pinned her down. He was so heavy that Fang Minzhou couldn't push him away anymore, so she gave up. Anyway, she didn't care. He had been so enthusiastic last night about wanting to see the first sunrise of the new year.

Fang Minzhou was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep when Wang Kan suddenly sighed, kissed her cheek hard, and said, "Get up, get up."

Fang Minzhou was both amused and exasperated.

It was just before six o'clock when we reached the foot of the mountain. The sky was still dim and dark, but there were quite a few people climbing the mountain. There was a Taoist temple halfway up the mountain, with incense burning inside. In the hazy winter morning, it had a unique tranquility.

Jiangcheng has some well-known temples and monasteries. During her university years, Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan visited the most famous one. They simply offered incense but didn't make any wishes. Fang Minzhou glanced into the small doorway, and Wang Kan casually fed her a piece of candy, saying that if she wanted, she could go in and take a look when they came down the mountain.

Fang Minzhou asked him, "Do you want to draw lots?"

Wang Kan shook his head. He actually believed that all things have spirits, that fate is predetermined, and that there are gods in the world, but he did not want to know too much in advance.

He wiped the sweat from Fang Minzhou's forehead, cherishing the happiness of the moment.

The mountain wasn't high, but it offered a panoramic view of the entire city. Reaching the summit, both of them were steaming. Wang Kan took out a thermos from his backpack; after Fang Minzhou finished drinking, he drank from it.

Soon, the distant mountain ranges were outlined in gold, and the crimson sun slowly broke through its pale blue shell, becoming a round dot that hung higher and higher until dawn.

Wang Kan held Fang Minzhou in his arms, knowing she would be shy in public, so he only kissed her forehead, which only made her stare at him. Just as he raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion, she placed a kiss on his lips.

The warm morning glow blushed their faces, and the treetops swayed. In truth, no one would notice their corner; even if they did, they would probably be immortals sitting in the trees.

With the Spring Festival approaching, Fang Minzhou went home a week earlier this year, mainly to show his parents the autonomy he had gained since starting his own business. Wang Kan still had work to finish and was reluctant to leave. Fang Minzhou said he was being pretentious, "It's only for a few days."

Wang Kan said it would be more than just a few days. During the Spring Festival holiday, everyone would be visiting relatives and friends, so there wouldn't be any time to meet. The only confirmed day for them to meet now was Yin Mengran's wedding day.

"What can we do? Just bear with it."

"I don't want to."

Fang Minzhou was folding clothes with a smile when she suddenly paused and asked, "Would you like to come to my house for dinner?"

Wang Kan thought he had misheard.

Fang Minzhou felt a little embarrassed after saying those words casually. On the surface, she continued packing her luggage as if nothing had happened, but after waiting for Wang Kan to react for a while, she actually calmed down.

She looked at Wang Kan, who was also looking at her, sitting cross-legged on the bed, sitting upright, looking a little nervous, a little shy, and a little troubled. "What should I do if I'm not ready?"

"...What's there to prepare? It's just a meal."

We've eaten at her house so many times.

"Oh, I thought you were going to give me a formal title."

Fang Minzhou: "..."

She described herself as a submissive wife, saying, "That depends on how you perform at the time."

Wang Kan asked with a sincere look of seeking advice, "So how should I behave?"

Fang Minzhou couldn't continue acting, "If you want to come, then come; if you don't want to..."

"Come on, of course! Even if it's just a casual meal, we should be careful, right?" Wang Kan was wearing only a thin shirt, but she made a gesture of adjusting her collar. "So, when are you coming to my house for dinner?"

Wang Kan hadn't thought about this before, but since Fang Minzhou brought it up, he felt he should start making arrangements.

The last time he saw Fang Minzhou's parents was during his junior year summer vacation. One evening, he walked her home and happened to run into an uncle and aunt taking a walk downstairs.

When Wang Kan asked Fang Minzhou this question, his heart skipped a beat, and he managed to say, "Anything is fine."

She had already discussed this with her aunt, but hadn't told Wang Kan.

"Let me pick an auspicious day."

Fang Minzhou did as he pleased.

It is said that the day Yin Mengran got married was the best day during the Spring Festival holiday, an auspicious day for marriage.

The man was also a graduate of Zhangcheng No. 1 High School, three years their senior. Both sides hosted a banquet for their former classmates, making it resemble a small class reunion.

Back in college, everyone was quite nostalgic, and every winter and summer vacation, someone would organize a get-together. Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan went together twice, and both times they were egged on to sing love songs together. Fang Minzhou was still shy, but she was bolder, and back then she really went all out and sang.

After graduating from university, some classmates returned to Zhangcheng. It was difficult to get everyone together, but they would still meet up from time to time. It was probably around this time that news of her breakup with Wang Kan spread, since they hadn't been seen together in a long time.

Fang Minzhou didn't deliberately avoid it, and Wang Kan said he didn't either. One of them was usually in Beicheng, and the other was usually in Jiangcheng. They had met when they were both in Zhangcheng, but they never bumped into each other. Now, however, this was the most complete gathering of Class 7 in recent years, and they attended together.

Fang Minzhou was inevitably teased, and while she could handle it, she still pushed Wang Kan to be her shield.

Teacher Zhan also came. Some people were quite experienced when toasting, unlike at the teacher appreciation banquet ten years ago, when they pretended to use juice to cover it up.

Teacher Zhan retired a couple of years ago. Although she looks older, she seems to be in good spirits and health, and she remembers every single one of her students. When Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan went to offer toasts, she gave them a teasing look she had never shown before, "When are you two going to invite us to your wedding?"

Wang Kan was taken aback at first, then smiled and glanced at Fang Minzhou, "I'll do it as soon as possible."

After toasting and leaving, Wang Kan secretly told Fang Minzhou that his back was soaked with sweat, "I really didn't expect to see Master Zhan first."

Fang Minzhou touched the back of his neck and found that it was indeed a little sweaty.

"Hey, where are you touching?" Wang Kan whispered, "You're flirting with me in public."

Fang Minzhou then realized the inappropriateness of her behavior, and a flush instantly rose to her cheeks. It was all Wang Kan's fault for always teasing her in private, making her so used to being intimate. She tore open a wet wipe to dry her hands and then threw the wet wipe back to him.

Wang Kan smiled and wiped his hands as well.

Then Fang Minzhou asked him, "Why do all you boys call Teacher Zhan or Master Zhan?"

Wang Kan was stumped by the question.

He just followed along and didn't really know who came up with the nickname. After checking with a few boys, Wu Cheng finally summarized that it seemed to have been passed down from the previous seniors, because he heard that Teacher Zhan used to study at a women's normal university and was particularly strict with male students. "I suspect she wanted to start her own Emei sect, but it seems to be a bit better in our year."

Upon hearing this, Fang Minzhou thought of Sun Tong.

It was said to be the time when everyone was present, but not everyone was there.

Sun Tong had been out of contact since graduation. Fang Minzhou was probably the closest person to her. She had never attended any of the class reunions, big or small, and she was also absent from this wedding. However, she asked Fang Minzhou to give the bride a large red envelope, which was the largest among all the students in Class 7. Yin Mengran was very surprised.

In a funny coincidence, Fang Minzhou's red envelope came in second place, while Lin Sinian, who was also out of town and unable to attend, came in third.

But why? Yin Mengran asked Fang Minzhou. She and Sun Tong hadn't spoken much in high school, and had lost contact after graduation. She only thought of her when sending out invitations. Knowing that Fang Minzhou and Sun Tong were still in contact, she asked her about it. She said that just being there was enough, and no money was needed. She just wanted the wedding to be lively.

Fang Minzhou didn't know either, and she didn't ask.

Unable to solve the mystery, Yin Mengran didn't want to dwell on it anymore and decided to return it later. But then she worried about whether she would have another chance to discuss it with Fang Minzhou, who still knew nothing about it.

“Forget it, we can just pay her back at her 30th birthday party,” Yin Mengran said, then turned and hinted to Fang Minzhou with a beaming smile, “When we throw the bouquet later, you see…”

During the years Fang Minzhou worked in Beicheng, Yin Mengran frequently traveled between Beicheng and Zhangcheng for work, and the two maintained contact, thus becoming more familiar with each other. Initially, Yin Mengran asked Fang Minzhou about her breakup with Wang Kan. Fang Minzhou answered most of her questions. Unlike that summer, Yin Mengran didn't speak ill of Wang Kan, but she didn't say anything else either, and later she stopped mentioning it.

She was quite happy to hear they were back together, although she said that this meant she wouldn't have to worry about whether or not to send invitations to Wang Kan. Fang Minzhou had said at the time that even if she and Wang Kan hadn't gotten back together, she could send them if she wanted, it didn't matter. Yin Mengran stuck out her tongue and replied sarcastically, "Yeah, it doesn't matter."

Hearing Yin Mengran say this, Fang Minzhou was a little tempted in the joyful and pleasant atmosphere, but she still refused: "Let's leave it to fate when it comes to things like this."

"real?"

"Um."

"You haven't changed at all, and you're still so principled."

Fang Minzhou laughed: "Does this count as having principles?"

"Yes, it counts."

Fang Minzhou felt that Yin Mengran's standards of principle were too low; she only felt that what she said made sense.

"You see, only you think things should be this way or that way. There's always a reason behind everything in the world. I'm not criticizing you, I'm praising you."

After being suddenly analyzed by Yin Mengran, Fang Minzhou thought about it and said, "You have a point."

Yin Mengran exclaimed "Ouch!" and burst into laughter.

As the wedding ceremony drew to a close, the bride prepared to throw her bouquet.

Wang Kan whispered to Fang Minzhou, "You really don't want it?"

Fang Minzhou glanced at him, "You want it?"

"If I want it, will you help me snatch it?"

Fang Minzhou nodded and promised, "If you really want it, I'll really help you snatch it."

Wang Kan looked Fang Minzhou over carefully, and when he was sure she was serious, he was satisfied. He then said, "Never mind, I'm afraid you'll get hurt. We've spent enough at home."

He raised his chin slightly, gesturing to the men and women who were eyeing him menacingly.

Amid screams, the bouquet bounced between several hands, eventually landing in the arms of Ouyang Qian, who was watching the scene unfold.

According to the rules of Yin Mengran's wedding, the person who catches the bouquet has to go on stage and give a speech.

The event was sudden, but Ouyang Qian acted as if she had prepared a speech in advance, and by the end she even sounded like a wedding officiant. She talked about how she remembered Yin Mengran from high school, saying, "She seemed to have a bit of a princess complex, but she really seemed like a princess. I watched you dance back then and you smiled so happily. I never imagined that one day I would be able to witness your happiness in a wedding dress."

On such a joyous occasion, it's easy to become sentimental. As Yin Mengran smiled, tears welled up in her eyes, and the groom tenderly patted and comforted her from the side.

"The way Ouyang Qian said that makes you think they were very close in high school," Wang Kan commented.

Fang Minzhou: "..."

"Isn't that right? I'm curious now, what will she say when we get married?"

Fang Minzhou: "..."

The guests had a great time, and after the wedding, they ate and chatted until late at night.

Both of them had been drinking. Fang Minzhou was fine, but Wang Kan was a little tipsy. He suggested taking a walk to sober up, and Fang Minzhou saw that he could still walk in a straight line, so she had no objection.

Perhaps due to the urban heat island effect and global temperature change, winters in Changchun have been much warmer than before, and it hasn't snowed for many years.

The hotel is located in the city center, but it wasn't very noisy on the nights of the Spring Festival holiday.

Camphor trees don't shed their leaves in winter. The two of them played with their shadows under the shade of the tree. They were mostly sober now and felt increasingly reluctant to let the night end like this.

"Should we go to the school and take a look?" Wang Kan had a new idea.

"Now?" Fang Minzhou was surprised. He looked around. This place was neither too close nor too far from No. 1 Middle School.

But holding hands, we walked and walked until we arrived. The campus was dark, with only the red text scrolling on the LED electronic screen and the illuminated school motto title.

I wanted to go in and take a look, but the gate was closed, the security room was lit but empty, and after waiting for a while, no one came back.

Wang Kan: "Shall we climb over the wall and go in?"

Fang Minzhou: "...Are you sober yet?"

Wang Kan: "I'm not drunk."

Fang Minzhou put it another way, saying that the main problem was that if something happened in the dark, it would be very embarrassing for people their age. "So next time, during the day, you can come and help me climb over the wall."

"Okay, it's a deal."

"Okay, it's a deal."

Wang Kan scoffed, "Fang Minzhou, I've corrupted you. You're getting better and better at lying."

"How annoying! I'm leaving."

Wang Kan saw the shared bikes by the roadside and asked Fang Minzhou if he wanted to ride one at night. Fang Minzhou, unable to bear it any longer, flicked him on the forehead and took out his phone to call a car.

The driver was a local. When he learned that they had just attended a friend's wedding, he started talking, saying that he couldn't stay idle, so he was still out picking up fares at this hour, and that he had even had a fight with his wife and daughter at home because of it. "But I'll go home after I finish this fare for you."

“We need to go back as soon as possible,” Wang Kan said. “Master, don’t argue. What are you arguing about? Your family is just concerned about you.”

"Hey, you're right, young man, but you have a bad temper and can't help it."

“If you want to change it, you can. Look, when you go back later, you can apologize to your wife and children…” Wang Kan shared his experience.

Fang Minzhou, listening from the side, felt uneasy and began to wonder whether Wang Kan was drunk or not.

After they both got out of the car, Fang Minzhou watched the taxi disappear into the night, then looked at the person in front of her and remembered, "How are you going to get back later?"

Wang Kan was taken aback: "Oh, right?"

The two looked at each other and then laughed.

Fang Minzhou thought to herself that she was probably a little drunk.

Wang Kan tried to hail a taxi again, but it was even harder than before. However, they weren't in a hurry and just sat on a bench at the bus stop.

Seeing Wang Kan looking up in the direction of her house, Fang Minzhou joked, "If you really can't get a taxi, come stay at my house for the night."

“It’s not impossible.” Wang Kan responded calmly; he was originally planning to visit them the day after tomorrow.

Their eyes met, and Wang Kan leaned in and kissed Fang Minzhou.

It was the dead of night, and all the shops on both sides were closed; there wasn't a single dog or cat to be seen.

Although it was a mild winter, the wind was still chilly, and when it blew on my face, my cheeks felt even hotter.

Wang Kan chuckled again. Fang Minzhou asked him what he was laughing at, and Wang Kan said as if he had brought up something funny: "Do you remember, back in high school, you always only let me take you this far?"

Fang Minzhou certainly remembered.

"Back then, I certainly never imagined that one day I could kiss you so openly and honestly here."

"...It wasn't exactly aboveboard either."

"If I could go back in time, I would definitely make my past self persevere a little longer; victory was just ahead." As he spoke, he stretched out his arm and made a victory gesture.

"...Please don't teach children bad things, okay?"

Wang Kan leaned over Fang Minzhou and whispered, "Little friend, I really wanted to kiss you back in high school. And you, little friend Fang Minzhou, you probably wanted to kiss me back then too, right?"

Fang Minzhou didn't answer. Wang Kan chuckled and kissed her lips repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice. When Fang Minzhou couldn't take it anymore, she simply pressed his head down and kissed him earnestly for a while. Finally, Wang Kan was somewhat satisfied, and his eyes closed comfortably.

"What?" Fang Minzhou walked over, slightly raised his head, and looked in the direction Wang Kan was pointing.

Under the warm yellow light, there was a small dent on the patchy bark.

What does it look like to you?

Fang Minzhou used her imagination and felt it resembled a vaguely outlined heart.

"I discovered it by accident one time," Wang Kan said proudly, then became a little embarrassed to say the rest. He had once regarded this tree as some kind of witness to his relationship with Fang Minzhou.

Fang Minzhou asked after a long pause, "Back in high school?"

"Um."

Fang Minzhou had been silent for too long, so Wang Kan couldn't help but look at her. "What's wrong? Don't say I'm childish, or I'll be sad."

Fang Minzhou shook his head.

However, if it was the tree from high school... she remembered that one year during a typhoon, all the trees downstairs were broken by the wind, and this one was a new one planted later.

But that doesn't matter.

She can treat this as a miracle, and then happiness and joy will be the ending.

If she could go back to when she was seventeen or eighteen, what would she say? She thinks she would tell her younger self that true happy endings exist in this world.

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Author's Note: Two bonus chapters are tentatively planned, one about Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan, and the other about Sun Tong. They will be released later.

Thank you so much for your support and understanding during this time! [heart emoji]