Chapter 78. [Revised] His heart pounded fiercely, she felt burning...
Wen Xue swiped her card to pay the deposit before He Yan could. After leaving the pet store, she was still dizzy and couldn't believe that she had really bought a puppy.
"May I?"
She was very uncertain.
Although she had already planned to have a pet in the future, whether it was a cat or a dog, when it actually happened, she felt like she was dreaming, so she had to ask He Yan repeatedly if it was true.
Her expression of being completely overwhelmed by the huge surprise made He Yan unable to suppress a smile.
"Don't worry, I've asked the agent, and the landlord said it's okay."
He automatically omitted the landlord's supplementary clauses: if the house renovation is seriously damaged after the lease expires, he will be responsible for repairs. Although the puppy they bought is a gentle Golden Retriever, no one can guarantee that it won't destroy the house in the future.
Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Wen Xue's eyes lit up.
She was genuinely happy.
Just this alone made He Yan feel that he had received the birthday gift he wanted most.
This afternoon, Wenxue was going to the Fang family for tutoring. On the way to Huajun's residence, she excitedly discussed with him what to buy for the puppy: a doghouse, toys, dog food... He would occasionally glance at her out of the corner of his eye, and no matter what she said, he would nod easily.
The gloomy and dejected mood I felt last night has been swept away.
After taking Wenxue back to her dormitory that evening, He Yan walked unhurriedly toward the faculty and staff residential area. The evening in Xicheng in mid-March was quite comfortable. The first thing he did after unlocking the door was to go into the bathroom to take a shower. The mouthwash cup and toothbrush she had bought the night before were still on the sink.
It is true that people cannot control their wildly growing thoughts.
He not only didn't want to erase the traces of her presence, but he stubbornly wanted to preserve them and not allow them to disappear.
After showering, he didn't sit on the sofa for a while as usual. He went straight into the bedroom and lay down, too lazy to even check his phone messages. He spread out the blanket, covered himself up, and closed his eyes to rest as if nothing was wrong, as if her presence was still there.
…
Before He Yan's birthday officially arrived, everyone who knew Wen Xue knew that she had a dog.
A dog in the literal sense.
She became obsessed with showing off her dog, posting photos of her adorable golden retriever almost every day. After a few times, some of her friends noticed that one person—or rather, an expensive men's watch—appeared in the photos from different dates quite often.
Once might be a coincidence, but two or three times means something is amiss.
Those who were concerned about Wen Xue's recent situation didn't want to ask her directly if she was in a relationship, so they could only privately message her best friend. However, Yang Siyi was very evasive, dodging the question with a laugh and not saying a word.
In fact, Yang Siyi was not as calm as she appeared; on the contrary, she was shocked and surprised.
Because she suddenly realized that she didn't seem to know Wen Xue that well. Over the years, Wen Xue was the most well-behaved and sensible girl she had ever met, and she was also the "good child of other people's families." She was smart, excellent, quiet and resilient, and seemed to have no rebellious phase. She followed the rules and took every step in a well-behaved manner.
As for her early romance with He Heng, it's really nothing to outsiders.
Everyone goes through adolescence when they first fall in love.
However, she now had the strange feeling that she was watching Wen Xue walk a tightrope.
Especially during a casual chat a couple of days ago, Wenxue happily told her that after a long tug-of-war, the puppy's name had been decided: Stone.
At that moment, her heart skipped a beat, but she was at a loss.
As Wen Xue's good friend, she had already sensed something was wrong during the winter break, and now she was even more certain that Wen Xue had fallen into this trap again.
The reason she used the word "again" is because she had personally witnessed Wen Xue's "first time".
If the time with He Heng was the wrong timing, then this time it's the wrong person.
Does Wen Xue know?
Yang Siyi couldn't help but sigh. She must have known, otherwise, during those few days in the hotel during winter break, she wouldn't have occasionally lost her mind and then fallen into despair.
-
Early April is He Yan's birthday.
The next day was Qingming Festival, and some of his long-time employees either went back to their hometowns to pay respects or took long trips. He himself had no intention of having a big birthday celebration; to him, this day was no different from any other day. Wu Yuejiang lowered his voice and teased, "If it weren't for your sister staying in Xicheng, you wouldn't have planned to celebrate your birthday with us this time, right?"
He Yan did not answer, but calmly stared at a certain place.
Wu Yuejiang followed his gaze and saw Wen Xue and Nana chatting, their faces showing gentle smiles as they received cakes from the cake shop clerk.
The birthday party wasn't large, but the atmosphere was lively. After all the cold and hot dishes were served, Wu Yuejiang led the toast, saying, "Time flies, buddy. This is my fourth year coming to Xicheng to rely on you. Here's the deal: I don't ask for much. If you can help me become the richest man in Xicheng before I turn forty, you can drink the juice in your glass. If you can't," he paused, chuckled, and his face flushed, "half a glass of white wine or a glass of red wine, you choose."
Wen Xue sipped her juice lightly, a secret smile playing on her lips.
The others joined in the commotion.
Nana and Wang Yuan were the ones who called out to each other the most enthusiastically.
Over time, they've all come to know that whenever Wen Xue is at a dinner party, Yan Ge never drinks, whether he's driving or not, without exception. This has become an unspoken rule.
Therefore, this was not a toast, but clearly a "military order" that Wu Yuejiang wanted He Yan to publicly sign.
He Yan chuckled briefly, leaned forward slightly, picked up the glass in front of him with one hand, clinked it against Wu Yuejiang's glass with a crisp sound, and then took a few sips of orange juice as a formality.
"Wow!"
"Brother Yan, you're amazing!"
Everyone at the table took turns toasting, and Wen Xue, being the youngest, was at the very end. Only the two of them had juice in their glasses. She gazed at him and offered a brief but heartfelt blessing: "Happy birthday, may you live a long and healthy life."
He Yan smiled, clearly in a good mood, and drank two glasses of juice in a row.
…
Everyone was chatting and laughing at the dinner table until Wen Xue accidentally choked on a fish bone. A slight but not negligible pain quickly rose in her throat. She picked up the soup bowl next to her in a slightly flustered manner, and without bothering to use a spoon, she drank a few mouthfuls, trying to swallow the fish bone that was hidden somewhere.
"What's wrong?"
He Yan noticed her unusual behavior immediately. There were several seats between them. He put down his chopsticks and got up to come to her side without saying a word.
Drinking soup didn't help, eating didn't help either, Wen Xue felt a little anxious, and her cheeks flushed with unease.
He glanced at the fish in the bowl and plate, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Did you get a fishbone stuck in your throat?"
The commotion naturally attracted the attention of the others at the table. Nana asked with concern, "Why don't you eat a few more mouthfuls of rice, or ask the kitchen to send some vinegar? I heard that works!"
He Yan seemed not to hear and continued to ask Wen Xue, "Are you feeling better?"
Wen Xue coughed a few times and shook her head hastily.
"Come on," he said, pulling her up. "I'll take you to the hospital."
"……Hospital?"
Whether it was psychological or nervousness, Wen Xue felt her throat hurt even more. He pulled her up, and she looked at his tense profile in surprise.
Wu Yuejiang also got up: "Are you alright?"
He Yan softened his tone: "I'll take her to the hospital to remove the thorn. You guys eat, no need to wait for us."
He was completely unaware that as he said those words, his hand was firmly encircling Wen Xue's slender white wrist.
Wu Yuejiang's lips twitched. She wanted to remind him with her eyes that several pairs of eyes were watching. Her usual care for Wen Xue could be considered as a brother's concern for his sister, but what was with him grabbing her hand and refusing to let go? Did he really think they were all blind?
As He Yan's assistant, whether out of public interest or personal motives, Wang Yuan hurriedly wiped his mouth with a tissue and tried to catch up: "Brother Yan, wait, I'll come too!"
"Need not."
After uttering those two words, He Yan hurriedly left with Wen Xue. The whole process took less than five minutes. The birthday celebrant was gone, and the private room was quiet for a while before everyone gradually came to their senses and looked at each other in bewilderment.
As night fell, the distance from the restaurant to the nearest hospital was only two kilometers, but during the evening rush hour, the short journey took almost twenty minutes. He Yan's patience was running out, and Wen Xue didn't dare to swallow, afraid that the thorn stuck in her throat would get deeper and deeper. She would glance at him from time to time, feeling a little apologetic.
We were enjoying our meal when she left halfway through and we ended up at the hospital…
The hospital was much less crowded at this time; the outpatient clinic had already closed, so she could only go to the emergency room. Doctors were used to this situation, but it was Wen Xue's first time coming to the hospital to have a fishbone removed, so she was inevitably nervous and uneasy. Especially when the doctor used a tool to press down her tongue, she panicked, and her hand, hanging at her side, instinctively reached for something—
Her hand was grasped and held in a warm, large palm.
Suddenly, the fear vanished.
Wen Xue was lucky; the fishbone wasn't stuck very deep, so she didn't need a laryngoscope. The experienced doctor used tweezers to remove the fishbone precisely and quickly.
Both hands, clasped together, were slightly sweaty, making it impossible to tell whose they were.
He Yan thanked the doctor solemnly, as if he had successfully completed a highly difficult surgery.
The serious-looking doctor was wearing a mask, but his tone was much lighter than before: "Be careful when you eat fish next time."
Most people who come to the ENT department at night are there to have fish bones removed.
"Um."
The two spoke in unison.
The doctor looked relaxed, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over their still-holding hands. Wen Xue seemed to wake from a dream, struggled slightly, and then let go of his hand.
…
As they left the emergency room, the night deepened. The two tacitly avoided mentioning their earlier hand-holding. Once in the driver's seat, He Yan finally had the time and inclination to glance at his phone. Wu Yuejiang had sent a message: 【Ai Chang, V24】
A subtle sense of embarrassment crossed his mind.
Besides him and Wen Xue, even Wu Yuejiang didn't know what happened during the Spring Festival. From the Spring Festival until now, he had indeed intentionally or unintentionally avoided going to the karaoke bar where Liu Tong was.
Wen Xue, who was sitting in the passenger seat, also received a message from Nana. After the thorn was removed, the feeling of something stuck in her throat was gone, but her voice sounded a little muffled. "Nana said she's waiting for us at the karaoke bar. Shall we go?"
She had already forgotten about the perfume.
She was the one who misunderstood back then, and she is also the one who is open and honest now.
In the dimly lit carriage, He Yan glanced at her and hummed in agreement: "Eat something before you go."
He Yan ate only half a meal, and then casually picked a noodle shop on his way to Aichang. This was Wen Xue's suggestion, because she suddenly remembered that the longevity noodles that the restaurant had given them as a gift for dinner had not yet been served, and he had taken her away.
He hasn't eaten noodles yet today.
The time-honored noodle shop was almost full. They found a small table near the corner and sat down. Wen Xue looked around and noticed that the other tables had ordered huge bowls of noodles. There was also a sign on the wall that read "Free refills, no waste." When the waiter came over, she only ordered a bowl of beef noodles.
"I'm not hungry. I'll just have some fruit and peanuts at the karaoke bar later," she said softly. "I don't eat much tonight anyway."
If you let her eat another big bowl of noodles, she'll be stuffed.
He Yan nodded, without pressuring him.
The waiter brought over a tray; the noodle soup was fragrant, and there was a generous amount of beef.
Wen Xue chuckled and handed him a pair of chopsticks. "Happy birthday."
Just consider this a bowl of longevity noodles.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
He Yan had a good appetite. Strangely enough, compared to the dazzling dinner at the table, this bowl of noodles was much more satisfying.
Including the time spent going to the hospital to remove the thorn and eating noodles, they had been separated from the group for more than two hours. Wen Xue followed closely behind He Yan. She had been to this KTV a few times, but she was still not very familiar with the winding layout. The VIP area was at the very back, and if no one was there to guide her, she was not sure she could find the right private room.
As you walk along, the corridor gradually becomes quiet.
The door to VIP room V24 was slightly ajar. Just as they were about to reach the door, the faint whispers of a couple could be heard.
"Don't you think that Brother Yan seems to have a bit of a thing for Wen Xue...?"
This is Nana's voice. Due to the distance and the environment of a karaoke bar, her words are not very clear, but the few words that can be caught are enough to express her confusion and shock.
What happened at dinner tonight would have seemed a bit off to even the most oblivious person.
He Yan's nervousness and concern for Wen Xue were indeed excessive.
Actually, Nana had this feeling before, but it was too vague. In addition, Wen Xue spent more time at school, so she didn't have many opportunities to directly interact with He Yan. It wasn't until today, when all these feelings came together, that she was prompted to ask the question: "Does Brother Yan like Wen Xue?"
It was a question, but the tone was very confident.
Wen Xue, standing outside the door, was stunned.
She didn't know how many people were in the private room; her heart was racing and her breathing was rapid.
He Yan took a half-step closer, and she panicked. Quickly, she grabbed his sleeve, looked at him with pleading eyes, and shook her head, signaling him not to go in.
"What are you thinking? How could that be? Don't say these things in front of Brother Yan. It's taboo. He'll be angry if he hears them."
The person who said this is Wan Nian.
He looked at his girlfriend helplessly, thinking to himself, "She's not just angry, she's definitely furious."
He Yan lowered his eyes, looking at the ground without making a sound.
"But he—"
"Don't be ridiculous, you don't know the relationship between Brother Yan and Wen Xue..." He paused, "...Brother Yan's younger brother—"
Wen Xue's breath hitched.
The next second, a pair of hands covered her ears, and she couldn't hear what was said afterward. Startled, she looked up at him.
He Yan gazed at her calmly, reassuring her with his eyes not to listen.
Before anyone could be seen at the other end of the corridor, Wang Yuan's loud voice rang out: "Should we go buy some more cooked food? This isn't enough!"
dilemma.
A dizzying sensation followed, and by the time Wen Xue came to her senses, He Yan had pulled her into his arms and led her into the empty private room next door. The lights were off, the sound system wasn't on, and it was very quiet all around, so quiet that the only sound was the pounding of his heart.
Her nose stung slightly, and her white dress, which reached her knees, clung tightly to his trousers.
I want to escape, but I also want to get closer.
His hand gradually moved from her ear to the back of her head, cupped her, and pressed her into his arms, forcefully yet carefully trying to block out all the sounds that would upset her.
His pounding heart and her hot breaths wove a net that tightly enveloped them.
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