Chapter 42 A Dead Tree Blossoms

In the days leading up to the end of the year, Cheng Yuan and Chu Jianshan saw each other very few times. Chu Jianshan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that Cheng Yuan was deliberately avoiding him and acting as if he didn't know anything about him.

The most obvious change is that Cheng Yuan no longer urges him to take his medicine, buys him candied fruit, nags him to wear more clothes, or even talks to him.

He had never realized before that Cheng Yuan had occupied such a large part of his life. People are always like this: they don't appreciate what they have until they lose it. Ironically, he had ruined it all by his own hand.

Chu Jianshan hadn't had much of an appetite these past few days and hadn't eaten much. But after taking his medicine, his stomach started to protest, feeling like it was churning with acid, which was very uncomfortable. Without candied fruit, his mouth tasted bitter after taking the medicine.

He struggled to get out of the room, intending to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat, but after searching for a long time he found nothing. Disappointed, he was about to leave when he bumped into Cheng Yuan at the door.

Chu Jianshan didn't notice anyone approaching and was knocked back, taking two steps backward. Cheng Yuan didn't offer to help him up, but just glanced at him and coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Chu Jianshan stammered for a long time without mentioning that he was feeling unwell: "I was a little hungry and came to find something to eat."

Cheng Yuan simply hummed in response and walked past him without giving him another glance.

Chu Jianshan felt his heart clench instantly. With Cheng Yuan's keen senses, he could detect even the slightest emotional shift. There was no way he wouldn't notice Chu Jianshan's unusual behavior. Cheng Yuan really didn't want to care about him anymore.

The stomachache intensified, but Chu Jianshan forced himself to stand up straight, thinking to himself that he was being incredibly foolish. This was clearly the result he wanted, yet he still couldn't resist asking, "Have you been very busy these past few days?"

Cheng Yuan stopped and turned his back to him. After a long while, he said, "I am a bit busy, so please don't bother me unless it's something important."

His figure gradually disappeared from Chu Jianshan's sight. Chu Jianshan stood there stunned for an unknown amount of time until a biting cold wind blew by, bringing him back to his senses.

“It’s fine…” he said, looking down. “It’s fine this way.”

Chu Jianshan locked himself in his room and slept until the afternoon before feeling a bit refreshed. When he opened the door, he saw Ji Shi.

"Hey? You're awake!"

Ji Shi smiled and said, "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. We're going to the street to buy some roasted nuts and seeds. Do you want to come?"

Chu Jianshan had been cooped up in his room for the past few days, and thinking that it would be good to go out for a walk now that the snow had stopped, he agreed.

He thought it would just be him and Ji Shi, but unexpectedly, he ran into that bastard Bai Qianfan with Cheng Yuan at the door. Helpless, the four of them had to go together.

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and the streets are already packed with people, all starting to choose what to prepare: New Year's goods, firecrackers, red paper, and candy for the children—all need to be bought early.

In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere, Chu Jianshan and Cheng Yuan remained silent, like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, sandwiching Ji Shi and Bai Qianfan between them.

Ji Shi glanced at the two of them, nudged Bai Qianfan beside him, and whispered in his ear, "Have you noticed that these two are acting a little strange?"

Bai Qianfan turned around in disbelief, gaining a new understanding of Ji Shixin: "Did you only realize this today?"

Ji Shi opened his mouth wide: "You mean they've been having a falling out for a while? And why this time?"

Bai Qianfan shrugged: "Who knows?"

Ji Shi's eyes darted around, as if he had come up with some mischievous idea, and he pulled Bai Qianfan aside.

Bai Qianfan asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Shh!"

Ji Shi whispered to him, "Their conflict is something they have to resolve themselves. It's not good for us to be caught in the middle."

Bai Qianfan snorted coldly: "I understood this principle back in Shuicheng."

Ji Shi made up his mind and suddenly turned to Chu Jianshan and said loudly, "Chu Jianshan, Bai Qianfan and I still have other things to buy. You and Cheng Yuan go first!"

"What?"

Before Chu Jianshan could react, Ji Shi had already dragged Bai Qianfan away and made a hasty retreat.

He glanced furtively at Cheng Yuan beside him, unsure of what to say. The two remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, until the sun was almost setting, and they hadn't bought anything.

In the past, when they had conflicts, Cheng Yuan would always be the first to coax him, so he didn't know how to break the deadlock. He could only tentatively ask, "What kind of snacks would you like to eat? We can buy some to take back with us."

Cheng Yuan lowered his eyes and said, "I have never liked these sweets."

Chu Jianshan nodded without replying. He knew Cheng Yuan was just trying to appease him. How could he not like sweets? He had tricked Chang Jinshan with boxes of pastries when they were little.

Cheng Yuan didn't look at him or say anything, but just kept walking forward. His pace was so fast that Chu Jianshan couldn't keep up and could only jog along.

For some reason, Cheng Yuan suddenly stopped and turned to look at the shop that was already closed.

Chu Jianshan nearly bumped into him and asked in confusion, "Is there something you want to buy?"

Cheng Yuan simply said, "I have something to do, you should go back first."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving Chu Jianshan alone once again.

Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes, guessing that he didn't want to stay with him, so there was nothing to do to keep him.

He couldn't remember how he got back, only that it was too dark and there was no lantern, and he stumbled and almost fell several times.

When he arrived at the entrance of the Lin residence, he saw a person carrying a lantern waiting for him in the distance. A flame seemed to rekindle in his heart, and he quickened his pace and ran towards that person.

But when he got closer, he realized that Bai Qianfan was waiting for him with his arms crossed and leaning against the door frame, a cryptic smile on his face.

Chu Jianshan's eyes drooped, and without saying a word to him or taking the lantern, he walked straight past Bai Qianfan.

"Wait a minute."

Bai Qianfan grabbed his arm and pulled him back: "Someone is looking for you."

Chu Jianshan asked, "Who?"

Bai Qianfan remained silent, only waving the note in his hand in front of Chu Jianshan's eyes. Chu Jianshan snatched it away and read its contents:

"Meet me at the usual spot by the lake in the south of the city."

It is Cheng Yuan's handwriting.

Bai Qianfan raised an eyebrow: "I have no idea where your old haunt is."

Chu Jianshan was somewhat incredulous. Why would Cheng Yuan suddenly want to meet him? Especially at the very place where the two had their heart-to-heart talk when they first arrived in Qingyao City.

"You're not lying to me?" Chu Jianshan squinted at Bai Qianfan.

Bai Qianfan raised his hand: "If you don't believe me, fine. I'm just a messenger anyway."

Believe it or not, Chu Jianshan still went. He hadn't even had time to put on an extra layer of clothing before rushing over in a hurry.

When they arrived at the lake, they didn't see Cheng Yuan. Thinking that he might have arrived too quickly, they didn't think much of it and waited patiently.

As night fell, the wind howled incessantly, intermittently whipping Chu Jianshan's thin body, causing him to tremble violently.

Chu Jianshan doesn't like wearing thick clothes, partly because he finds it inconvenient to move around, and partly because he thinks a moderate amount of cold helps him stay alert. But tonight's cold was clearly excessive; even the lantern in his hand was being blown about by the wind, its light flickering.

The Lin residence wasn't far away. He thought about going back to change his clothes before coming over, but he was afraid of missing Cheng Yuan, so he just waited foolishly for half a day.

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Jianshan couldn't stand the cold any longer. He found a sheltered spot, squatted down, and hugged himself tightly. From this vantage point, he could see the tall, withered trees on the opposite shore of the lake.

Tonight, the moon is obscured by dark clouds, and only withered branches can be vaguely seen extending like ghostly claws, tearing through the dark sky. Without the backdrop of flowers and leaves, these ugly, rough, and fragile withered branches are so bad that even a bird would not want to perch on them. Their only use is to be chopped down and burned as firewood.

The faint light from the lantern illuminated a small space. Chu Jianshan hid in the light. When Cheng Yuan didn't come, he muttered to himself, "I'll wait another half an hour. If he still doesn't come in half an hour, I'll go back."

But half an hour passed, and then another half hour, and he still hadn't seen anything.

Chu Jianshan breathed into his palms, rubbed them to warm them, and then pressed them against his cold face, murmuring softly, "If he doesn't come in the last quarter of an hour, I'm going back."

But before a quarter of an hour had passed, instead of Cheng Yuan, the candle in the lantern went out, the faint light vanished instantly, and even the last bit of warmth was gone.

Chu Jianshan looked at the lantern, which was slowly turning as cold as him, as if he had suddenly come to his senses. He lowered his head and smiled bitterly, then suddenly slapped himself, the sound crisp and loud.

What am I doing? Didn't he want Cheng Yuan to give up? Why am I still rushing to meet him? Why does my heart feel like it's being torn apart whenever Cheng Yuan changes his attitude even slightly?

And tonight, he's been waiting here like a fool for who knows how many hours, but it might just be a prank. He's trying to avoid me, why would he want to meet me?

Chu Jianshan struggled to his feet; his legs were numb from squatting, causing him to stagger a few steps.

I'm not waiting anymore, I'm not waiting any longer.

He turned back, seemingly oblivious to the cold he felt.

"Chu Jianshan—turn around—!"

A familiar voice came from across the lake, and Chu Jianshan instantly raised his eyes and turned around to look.

Swoosh—

A bright light quickly rose into the sky and exploded with a bang at its highest point.

Golden flames surged forth, instantly illuminating the dark night sky. They layered and intertwined, like a flowing painting, each stroke dazzling and brilliant. Tiny sparks fluttered down, like stars falling to earth, casting a dreamlike glow upon the land.

Under such light and shadow, the originally ugly and winding withered branches became qualified to bear the beauty of fireworks. The light fell on the withered branches without any disharmony. They blended together extremely well, as if they were originally one.

At this moment, the withered tree blossomed.

Chu Jianshan stood frozen in place, his heart surging with emotion, unable to bear the intense feelings, and his heart began to beat erratically for no reason.

The fireworks were still exploding, and by their light he saw a person standing under a withered tree. He slightly opened his arms, and his shadow was reflected in the water filled with fireworks.

Chu Jianshan couldn't help but walk towards him. He remembered walking towards him, but at some point his steps became faster and faster, turning from walking to jogging, and then he ran towards him quickly.

The biting cold wind that was hitting his face stopped abruptly, and he was pulled into a warm embrace.

[Author's Note]

(Spinning around and scattering flowers) (Crawling in the shadows) (Screaming loudly)

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