Chapter 15 Cosmos (14) He Chuan, I’ll see you off! ...

The next day, Lin Xia woke up naturally. When she opened her eyes, she heard the chirping of birds in the forest in the early morning. The rising sunlight shone through the gauze curtains, casting shadows on the floor tiles, which were clear and bright.

It seemed that her nerves and brain cells had not yet caught up with the rhythm of her body's awakening. She was stunned for a long time before she realized that she was lying on the bed in the room.

When did she fall asleep last night? How did she get back to her bed? Why couldn't she remember anything?

I didn't drink any alcohol, but I felt like I was drunk and forgot everything.

Did He Chuan carry her to the bed? Then, did he carry her on his back, on his shoulders, or in his arms...

Lin Xia didn't dare to think about it any further, so she just put on some clothes and got out of bed.

After washing up and coming out of the bathroom, I saw that He Chuan had already prepared breakfast and put it on the table, including thick white porridge, sweet and refreshing cold pickled mustard greens, and buns stuffed with wild vegetables that Aunt Hao had sent.

During the meal, Lin Xia kept her head down and drank the porridge desperately. She didn't dare to look up at He Chuan for fear that he would mention last night. Not only how she got into the room later, but also how she poured out so many of her innermost thoughts to him in one breath last night. It was quite embarrassing to think about it now.

"Do you like elephants?" He Chuan asked suddenly.

Lin Xia was stunned and looked up blankly: "What?"

"I say, do you like elephants?"

"I'm fine, what's wrong?"

He Chuan said slowly: "I thought you liked elephants more, so you were imitating an elephant and drinking porridge with your trunk."

Lin Xia was slow to react to his meaning, her face flushed red, and she felt both angry and amused. She slammed the spoon on the table and complained:

"You're laughing at me again!"

He Chuan looked at her with a smile: "I was just worried that you might choke on your porridge, so I was kindly reminding you."

"Thank you!"

"Need not."

Lin Xia snorted lightly, finally sat up straight, picked up the spoon and started eating again, but she couldn't hide the smile on the corner of her mouth.

After spending time together, she discovered that he was not as mature, steady, serious and reserved as he looked. In fact, he was very naughty and especially... liked to tease her.

But she didn't hate it, nor was she angry, not at all.

"You have trousers, right?" He Chuan asked.

"Yes." Lin Xia replied.

"Change into long pants after dinner."

"Hmm? Why?"

She likes to wear skirts and doesn't like to wear pants.

He Chuan said calmly, "Didn't you say you wanted to learn how to ride a bike? It's inconvenient to wear a skirt."

Lin Xia's eyes lit up: "You really want to teach me!"

"Didn't I promise you? Don't you want to learn anymore?"

"Think about it! We'll learn after dinner!"

As Lin Xia spoke, she stuffed the remaining half of the bun in her hand into her mouth in two or three bites.

"Slow down, don't choke."

He Chuan shook his head helplessly, then he thought for a moment and said, "The roads around here are not good, there's no flat place. Let's go to the city, the park square, or even the playground of my school..."

Lin Xia took a long time to swallow the bun. Just as she was about to say that she would rather go to Experimental High School, she suddenly heard the sound of a car engine outside the door.

There are few vehicles passing by this road in front of my house every day except for the wire cart and the truck hauling timber. And from the sound, that car is parked at the gate of the yard.

Lin Xia and He Chuan couldn't help but look at each other, and He Chuan stood up and wanted to go out and take a look.

Then they heard a familiar conversation coming from the front yard:

"Master's Wife, hurry up, let me carry it, it's so heavy! You and Master-Uncle are both carsick, this road is too bumpy."

"Kairen, you've worked hard. I'm fine. It's just that the teacher feels a little dizzy."

"Come on, let's go inside!"

Liu Kairen, carrying his suitcase, opened the curtain on the door. He Ping and Lin Haisheng followed him in. Although Lin Haisheng had sweat on his forehead, he looked in good spirits. He Ping was even more cheerful. When she looked up and saw the two children in the living room, she couldn't help but smile.

"Xiaochuan, Xia Xia, we are back. Are you two doing well at home?"

Lin Xia was completely frozen in place by what happened so suddenly, and she subconsciously looked at He Chuan beside her.

He Chuan stood there expressionlessly. After three seconds of silence, he smiled faintly. That smile was polite, appropriate, well-behaved, and gentle. Then he called out to the people appropriately:

"Uncle Lin, Mom, Brother Kairen, you're back."

At that moment, Lin Xia suddenly felt that He Chuan in front of her was so strange and so far away from her. He was completely different from the He Chuan who would wipe her tears, take her to rent DVDs on his bike, and make jokes with her.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, since it is a dream, there will always be a day when you wake up.

.

Lin Haisheng was feeling unwell, so he briefly asked about the two children's situation. After making sure that they had not quarreled, caused trouble, lost anything, or starved themselves to death, he went into the room to rest.

Lin Xia then hid in her room, and then quietly lay down through the crack of the door to peek into the living room.

She saw He Ping busy entertaining Liu Kairen and packing the luggage she brought back.

When they left, they took two suitcases with them, and when they returned, they dragged four, packed with a plethora of things: valuable brushes, inkstones, jade, antique books, and some new clothes and jewelry for He Ping. The two children also had their fill of housework; they each received a present: Lin Xia received a beautiful silk scarf, and He Chuan received a model airplane.

Lin Xia suspected that neither He Ping nor Liu Kairen knew or cared what He Chuan really liked. Lin Xia had never seen He Chuan play with the last model airplane given to him.

Although Lin Haisheng and He Ping didn't say anything, it can be seen from their expressions that the exhibition and lecture must have been a great success.

Lin Xia suddenly felt furious. She felt that Lin Haisheng and He Ping were being particularly outrageous. After all, they were still parents, and they just casually left, leaving two half-grown children at home without a single call—even though Zhao Qianyi and Lin Xuedong had called her several times! To be gone for over a month and then suddenly return without warning was truly irresponsible!

If her parents hid everything from her at home, it would at most be a sign of a traditional family's general distrust and disregard for their children. However, He Chuan was probably completely ignored and totally uncared for in this family.

But there was no way. Lin Xia knew how embarrassing his identity was. If He Ping was nameless and without status, then it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that He Chuan was living under someone else's roof. Having someone to support him, provide him with food, shelter, and education was probably already a very good situation.

For some reason, Lin Xia had never thought about such an obvious thing before. At this moment, when she finally figured it out, she suddenly felt distressed. She felt distressed for He Chuan, but at the same time, she also felt understanding. She understood his habitual dilution of his presence, his almost restrained emotional expression, and his decent and steady protective color.

While she was daydreaming, she heard the conversation between He Ping and He Chuan:

"Xiaochuan, have you retrieved your admission letter?"

"I got it back."

"When does school start?"

"No. 15."

"I heard from Kairen that if we go to Hong Kong, we need to apply for a pass and a visa..."

"It's all done."

"That's good," He Ping was very satisfied, and then she said to Liu Kairen, "I told you that Xiaochuan can handle these things on his own."

Liu Kairen couldn't help but admire: "This child is so sensible. He is so capable at such a young age. Many adults don't understand these procedures."

"Xiaochuan, your brother Kairen is going back to Beijing tomorrow. It's a good opportunity for you to go with him. He's already bought the tickets, and he'll see you off in Beijing and take you directly to Hong Kong. School only has a few days left, so you should go early and make preparations."

Lin Xia was shocked when she heard this and almost cried out:

don't want!

He hasn't taught her to ride a bike yet! They still need to go fishing in the creek! There are still two movies left on the rental disc, and they're due tomorrow!

She doesn't want him to leave!

But it was useless whether she spoke or not. Her opinion was the same as his. No one would listen and no one would care.

So she could only watch He Chuan nodded and calmly accepted the arrangement:

"Sorry to bother you, Brother Kairen."

.

Next, Liu Kairen took He Chuan to the city, saying that he was taking him to buy some daily necessities for school. He was knowledgeable and experienced.

They didn't come back until the evening. After dinner, He Chuan started packing his luggage again. The train was tomorrow morning, and he didn't have much time to prepare.

Lin Xia had been wanting to talk to him, but she hadn't found the chance. He Ping stayed in his room, and the mother and son talked about something until very late. After He Ping left, Liu Kairen was watching TV in the living room again. He was staying here tonight and sleeping on the sofa in the living room. If Lin Xia wanted to go to He Chuan's room, she had to go through the living room, and it was impossible for him not to see her.

And everything that had happened between her and him in this house over the past month, their intimacy, their bond, she didn't want anyone to know, and couldn't let anyone know. It was a secret that belonged only to the two of them.

That night, Lin Xia's head was full of thoughts and chaos, and she hardly slept. At dawn, she finally managed to get a short sleep, but was awakened by a bizarre nightmare. When she opened her eyes, it was already bright outside.

Lin Xia was startled and sat up. She hurriedly put on her clothes and ran out of the room. She saw He Chuan and He Ping eating breakfast in the living room. His suitcase was at the door. Lin Haisheng was still asleep. The clock on the wall showed that the time was 6:03.

Lin Xia breathed a sigh of relief, and her heart finally settled down.

She thought he was gone, she thought they missed each other, she thought she couldn't even say goodbye to him.

He Ping saw Lin Xia standing there motionless and scolded her:

"Xia Xia, are you still asleep? What are you standing there for? Go wash your face!"

Lin Xia responded casually, ran to the bathroom, and poured a handful of cold water under the faucet on her face.

Although she didn't miss it, she didn't have much time left.

While she was wiping her face, she heard He Ping answer a phone call outside, and then said to He Chuan:

"Your brother Kairen has got a taxi and is coming this way. Go to the roadside intersection to greet him. I won't see you off. There's medicine brewing on the stove and I can't leave. Be smart and don't cause trouble for Kairen."

"good."

When Lin Xia came out of the bathroom, she happened to run into He Chuan who was about to go out. The two of them stopped at the same time and looked at each other for a few seconds. Then He Chuan smiled at her imperceptibly, said goodbye, and dragged his suitcase out the door.

That smile was warm, reluctant, sad, and came from the heart.

Lin Xia looked at He Chuan's back as he left, her heart pounding. She suddenly felt what she should and must do, even if it was just for this smile.

Then she rushed back to her room as fast as she could, changed her clothes, picked up the things she had prepared last night on the table, ran to the kitchen, and said to He Ping in the calmest and most casual tone possible:

"Uncle Liu gave me a silk scarf yesterday, but I forgot to thank him. I'll go and tell him now. By the way, I'll also give a present to... Uncle Xiaochuan..."

Lin Xia stared into He Ping's eyes and asked cautiously:

"Is that okay?"

He Ping was startled when she heard this, a little surprised, then her face lit up with joy, and she said with a smile:

"You are such a sensible kid. It seems like you've developed a bond with your Uncle Xiaochuan these days. Go quickly! They'll be leaving soon."

Lin Xia didn't hear what she said clearly, she just knew that she agreed, so she nodded randomly and ran out in a hurry.

.

He Chuan walked silently on the road, carrying a schoolbag and dragging a suitcase.

The path was a bumpy dirt road, full of gravel and sand. His suitcase, newly bought yesterday, creaked as its brand-new wheels rolled along, but he paid no mind. It was small, a pitiful amount for someone about to travel from north to south to study, but it was indeed all he had in the house behind him. He was simply getting from one stop to another, so he didn't need too many extraneous items; he was used to it.

He is not confused or nervous about the road ahead. On the contrary, he is very determined. He always knows clearly what he wants and will work hard to achieve that goal. No matter how much effort it takes or what the cost, he will not give up.

Apart from that, nothing else matters.

"He Chuan!"

Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name. He subconsciously stopped and turned around. He saw the little girl in the flowery dress running towards him, standing in front of him with a bright smile on her face.

Her bangs were wet and she hadn't had time to wipe them dry. The fine peach-like fuzz on her young cheeks was clearly visible. When she smiled, a small canine tooth was exposed, looking naughty and childish.

She put her hands behind her back, as if she had accomplished something great, and spoke with a smug and proud tone:

"He Chuan, I'm here to see you off!"