(477)

Ye Wenyu cheered and ran quickly towards her former home, with Cai Wenchuan smiling and following closely behind.

Because it was a construction site, there were broken stones and bricks everywhere, as well as construction workers whose faces were indistinct. They stared at the beautiful and graceful Ye Wenyu with shock and greed.

Cai Wenchuan was worried about Ye Wenyu, so he quickly followed behind her, repeatedly reminding her, "Be careful, don't fall."

The only camphor tree in the factory complex, which grows downstairs from their apartment building, still stands stubbornly. Camphor trees are evergreen, so even in winter, their green leaves are still lush, making them the only patch of green in the entire complex.

The stairwell was plastered with all sorts of advertisements like plasters, for things like light repair, locksmith services, and drain cleaning. They were still plastered densely. And those motion-activated lights—if you stomp your foot a few times, they won't turn on, but if you smile gently, they'll turn on.

Ye Wenyu hurried along the dirty stairwell like a child, with Cai Wenchuan following closely behind, like an adult watching over a child, reminding her, "Xiaoyu, be careful!"

Ye Wenyu smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart.

Because the stairs are old and dilapidated, there are no railings, making it very dangerous to walk on them.

They walked to their former home and stood at the door of their two houses. The door was ajar. Ye Wenyu was so nervous that she dared not breathe. She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally mustered up her courage, reached out, and gently pushed. The rickety wooden door opened with a thud, and she felt a "whoosh" as hot tears streamed down her face.

Perhaps because the demolition contract had already been signed and generous compensation had been received, the owner who bought her house had moved out contentedly, and now the house was like an empty box, sitting there vacant.

Three years have passed. After three years, she has finally returned to her old home!

Tears streaming down her face, Ye Wenyu walked in as if possessed, unable to control herself. This was her former home. Their living room, their dining room, their kitchen, the east wall where the sofa was placed, the south wall where the TV cabinet was placed, a huge dragon beard tree on the north wall, and a basin on the west wall where the dog, A-Wang, was fed.

Now, it's all empty.

Cai Wenchuan was worried about her and followed behind her.

Ye Wenyu walked to the small house she used to live in, pushed the door open and entered. Dust billowed up. She closed her eyes to keep the dust out. When she opened her eyes again, she was shocked to find that the pictures of celebrities that she had pasted on the wall when she was a child were still there!

Everything remains the same, only the people are different.

Ye Wenyu shed even more tears.

She suddenly squatted down, covered her face with her hands, and burst into tears. Her tears flowed like pearls from a broken string. Her life began to change after she left this home!

Now she stands at a crossroads in her life, unsure of which way to go.

She can return to her former home today, but everything here no longer belongs to her. Time has passed and will never turn back, like the howling wind outside the window. One cannot step into the same river twice, so she can never go back to the past.

She cried because of this.

Through teary eyes, I seemed to see myself as a child, wearing a cheap white dress, my messy black hair draped over my shoulders, looking at her with a sigh.

Knowing that Ye Wenyu was upset, Cai Wenchuan considerately squatted down and gently patted her trembling shoulder to comfort her.

The warmth of his body, transmitted through his palms, slowly reached her heart, making her feel a little better.

Everything has changed, it seems only Brother Wen hasn't changed.

Ye Wenyu choked up as she said, "Brother Wen, if your family hadn't moved back then, if—" Her eyes reddened, like some kind of precious ruby.

Cai Wenchuan understood what she meant and sighed inwardly. The slight resentment he felt upon learning her true identity vanished completely, replaced by pure heartache.

He knew she regretted her choice, she regretted being with Lin Tingfeng. He felt it was time for the two of them to talk, so he composed himself and said to Ye Wenyu seriously, "Xiaoyu, you can't go on like this."

Like a bolt from the blue, Ye Wenyu froze, her sobs choking her throat. What did Cai Wenchuan mean by that?

Seeing Ye Wenyu standing there dumbfounded, tears streaming down her face, her small face as wet and white as a pear blossom after the rain, Cai Wenchuan sighed, reached out, and pulled her up from her crouching position.

There used to be two chairs in the living room, which were the furniture that Ye Wenyu's mother bought back then. The owner of their house probably disliked them, so they left them there to fend for themselves.

The dust on the chair was as thick as a velvet cloth.

Cai Wenchuan pulled Ye Wenyu toward the living room. Under the bright sunlight, dust motes danced up and down in the halo of light, like tiny sprites.

Before leaving, Ye Wenyu tore down the celebrity stickers from the wall and put them in her small bag. They were her only keepsake from her childhood. Since she couldn't go back to the past, and the house no longer belonged to her, she could only take the celebrity stickers with her as her only memento.

Cai Wenchuan took out a wet towel he always carried, wiped the chair clean, and let Ye Wenyu sit down. He then took out a tissue and let her wipe her tear-stained face. He then gave her a bottle of mineral water to moisten her throat, which was dry from crying.

Finally, he hastily wiped the chair he was sitting on and sat down opposite her. He clearly had something to say.

He was still as thoughtful and considerate as ever, like an older brother, taking care of her meticulously as if she were a child.

After finishing all that, Cai Wenchuan pondered for a moment, composed himself, and said to Ye Wenyu earnestly, "I mean, you can no longer be with Lin Tingfeng." He then looked at her with extreme sternness, as if he were channeling the very spirit of a school's dean of students.

Ye Wenyu suddenly raised her head, looking at Cai Wenchuan with a blank expression. What did he mean by that?

She knew yesterday that Lin Tingyue had told Cai Wenchuan her true identity. At the time, she was in front of him and knew that he knew all her dark past, but she still felt embarrassed.

She had thought he wouldn't bring it up, but now he had brought it up so bluntly.

Under Cai Wenchuan's gaze, Ye Wenyu's face flushed bright red, like a boiled lobster.

She didn't speak, but she thought to herself, "Brother Wen, I know I can't continue like this with Lin Tingfeng. I want to escape from him, but I can't find a way out. I have no confidence at all that I can successfully escape from him."

At this moment, she was like a butterfly trapped in a glass bottle, unable to escape no matter how hard she tried.

She stared blankly out the window, like a puppet, devoid of her soul. Outside, the demolition site was in full swing, with several excavators working feverishly. China's infrastructure construction is world-renowned for its lightning speed.