Chapter 23. [Second Update] This awful life, he...
The four returned to the tenement building before midnight.
After washing up, He Yan lifted the covers and lay down on the bed. He glanced at the ointment and cotton swabs on the bedside table and noticed her handwriting and smiley face on the medicine box. At first, he was not used to such meticulous care and concern because he had never received it since his parents passed away. It was too unfamiliar, so unfamiliar that if the other person was not Wen Xue but someone else, his first reaction would definitely be to push her away immediately.
Because I couldn't push it away, looking back now, although I'm not used to it, I can't deny that it feels pretty good to be cared for like this.
He leaned against the headboard, examining the medicine box inside and out for several minutes, even scrutinizing the instructions. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he snapped a picture and sent it to Wu Yuejiang, with whom he had the most frequent contact: [Image]
Wu Yuejiang is also a night owl.
She was curled up on the sofa, dozing off to welcome the New Year, when her phone rang. Her parents and sister all turned to look at her, their eyes shining.
He chuckled and shook his phone screen. "He Yan."
The three of them were immediately disappointed.
It's so late, what's there for men to talk about? It's boring.
Wu Yuejiang was both amused and exasperated. He remembered when he was in school, his parents were extremely strict. If he got even slightly close to a female classmate, they would treat it like a major crisis, fearing that he would fall in love too early, causing his grades to plummet, preventing him from getting into university, and ending up working in a factory as a cog in a machine. Now, the tables have turned, and they are constantly subtly inquiring about whether he has a girlfriend.
After laughing, he clicked on the picture He Yan had sent, and upon closer inspection, he was even more confused: [You sent it to the wrong person, didn't you?]
He Yan replied: [I got burned]
Wu Yuejiang was puzzled: 【Are you trying to be cute with me? [vomit][vomit]】
He Yan seemed to have a bad internet connection and didn't see his message, but still replied to himself: "[Bought by Wen Xue]"
Wu Yuejiang finally understood his sinister intentions. After a two-second freeze, she sneered repeatedly: "I have a younger sister too."
After sharing this story, He Yan disappeared without a trace, leaving Wu Yuejiang standing there. Annoyed, Wu Yuejiang kicked his sister, who was peeling an orange, and ordered, "Make me a cup of milk, hurry up."
"No milk, but we have pesticide. Do you want to drink it or not?!"
As expected, the brother and sister got into another fight.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there was no way to sleep in. Before dawn, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the distance. The temperature in the western part of the city dropped sharply, and the drizzle was mixed with sleet. The four of us squeezed into the kitchen to eat breakfast, which was a steaming hot, light and delicious old duck soup that Wan Nian had been simmering for several hours in the early morning.
Wen Xue silently sighed in her heart, "Wan Nian is so virtuous and kind."
Nana beamed with joy, her face flushed. "We're going to see a movie later. Several Lunar New Year films are showing. We're planning to spend the whole day at the cinema. Do you want to come along?"
Wen Xue was busy finishing the large duck leg that He Yan had given her and didn't have time to reply.
Wan Nian also warmly invited, "Brother Yan, let's go together, I'll buy the tickets."
"No need." He Yan slowly shook his head, not explaining further, "I have other things to do."
Wan Nian had known him for a long time, and after a moment's thought, she guessed what he meant by "something to do," so she stopped trying to persuade him. Nana, however, didn't understand. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Wan Nian gave her a serious look and quickly shut up.
As the two walked downstairs hand in hand, Nana huffed, "Why were you so fierce just now!"
“Yan-ge is going to the temple.” Wan-nian squeezed her hand and sighed, “You know, I don’t want to mention anything that would hurt Yan-ge.”
Everyone here tacitly avoided mentioning He Heng's name. They hadn't forgotten the boy, but the dead were gone, and they had to think of the living. Someone like Brother Yan wouldn't, and didn't want anyone to see the scars in his heart.
All they could do was refrain from spying.
Nana let out a short "ah," feeling a bit down.
Of course she had met He Heng, more than once. In her memory, he was a handsome college student with a sunny smile that easily won people's hearts. But he was not arrogant at all and was very polite and courteous to everyone. She cried several times after she learned about his situation.
God is so unfair. Why does He always have to bully those of us who aren't so lucky?
Stepping out of the building, a cold wind brushed her face, and she came to her senses. "Then let's call Wen Xue along. Look at my brain, it's all because of your glare that I forgot to ask her!"
Wan Nian smiled, put his arm around her shoulder, and said gently, "Next time. She's not feeling well, and the weather is so cold. Brother Yan would definitely be worried."
"Alright then..."
Wen Xue was quite full after eating. She rubbed her stomach, went back to her room to fill a hot water bottle, and replied to messages from relatives and friends. She had recently developed a desire to share again and was sending Yang Siyi photos of fireworks when a rhythmic knocking came from the door. Although she hadn't closed the door, given He Yan's sense of propriety, he would only stand at the door.
Sure enough, the familiar tall figure stood in front of the door, as if to block out the biting cold wind for her.
“I need to go out for a while, not far, to a temple in the suburbs.” He Yan chose his words carefully, his tone low and slow. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I’ll definitely be back tonight. I called a hotel restaurant, and they’ll send someone to deliver food to you at noon and in the evening. I left you your number.”
Seemingly worried that she might be scared, he calmly added, "Don't worry, the hotel manager is someone I know."
Wen Xue was stunned, the smile on her lips slightly frozen. She hadn't heard what he said after that; her mind was completely captivated by the first sentence. She nodded blankly, "Okay."
"I'm leaving now."
After giving his instructions, He Yan walked towards the stairwell, step by step. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the Spring Festival couplet pasted on the wall of a certain room. The meticulous person had pasted it very firmly, and it remained unmoved despite the howling wind.
He turned around uncontrollably. She was still standing at the door, lost in thought, as if she had been forgotten and was blankly clutching a hot water bottle. He wondered if he left like this, she would just stand there like a fool.
Wen Xue lowered her eyes, her gaze wandering absently.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps slowly receding into the distance came from afar.
She looked up in surprise, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't expected He Yan to come back again. He probably wasn't afraid of the cold; he was still wearing a not-so-thick coat despite the sleet. Their eyes met, and he asked in a low voice, "Do you want to come with me?"
Before she could answer, he was already conflicted. He glanced at the gray sky outside, his brows furrowed, as if talking to himself, "It's too cold."
Wen Xue's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she said, "Yes!"
He Yan's gaze returned to her small face. "It's a long way to go, and it's all stairs."
Even if the weather were sunny, let alone bad weather, he didn't think she would be able to hold on with her current strength.
"It's okay." She was anxious and subconsciously took a step closer to him. "I'll wear something thicker, really, really."
"I'll wait for you downstairs."
After saying this, He Yan seemed worried that he might change his mind and turned to leave in a hurry. In fact, he regretted it when he asked her if she wanted to come with him. He raised his hand to rub his face, already worried about what would happen if she caught a cold from the trip.
He's just looking for trouble.
Ignoring her discomfort, Wen Xue rushed into the house. She was already dressed warmly, so she wrapped a scarf around her neck, put on snow boots, and even then, she put on earmuffs, making herself look like a ball. After filling her thermos with hot water, she couldn't wait to go downstairs. He Yan's car was still there, parked blatantly in front of the stairwell. She breathed a sigh of relief, quickly opened the car door, jumped into the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt, not giving him a chance to back out.
He Yan's hand rested lazily on the steering wheel as he glanced at her clothes, barely satisfied.
Wen Xue noticed the blisters on the back of his hand and said softly, "You still need to apply medicine, otherwise it's easy to get infected and leave scars."
Seeing that he didn't seem to care at all, she frowned, recalling what the pharmacy clerk had said, "If the situation is serious, you'll have to go to the hospital."
He Yan sighed helplessly, "It's the New Year, let's say something auspicious."
If such a minor burn could get him into the hospital, he would have died a thousand times over.
Wen Xue clasped her hands together. Being under the eaves, she had no choice but to bow her head. "Oh, well... Happy New Year."
He Yan chuckled when he saw her reluctantly say "Happy New Year," and nodded his chin. "Alright, consider it a New Year's greeting from you. Open it."
"What?"
"Open the armrest box."
Wen Xue had no choice but to turn to the side. The moment the armrest box popped open, she froze. Apart from some miscellaneous items, the most eye-catching thing was a bulging red envelope. She looked at him in surprise. He had already looked away and was focused on turning the steering wheel, driving out of the tenement building. "Here's your New Year's money."
Her lips moved, but she was stunned.
Isn't it the elders who give New Year's money to the younger generation?
"Listen to me, take it."
"If I don't take it, will you kick me out?" she asked nervously.
He nodded seriously, "That reminded me, it's a good idea."
Wen Xue was annoyed. She looked at him, then down at the large red envelope. Should she treat it like a hot potato or pick it up? She didn't even need to count it; just by looking at its thickness and weight, she knew it was a lot of money. "Too much."
"Then use it slowly."
He Yan paused for a moment, then said, "Why are they all like this? It's money, it doesn't bite."
Wen Xue knew who he was talking about, and she whispered in defense of "one or two": "Because 'one or two' knows that you don't earn money very easily and don't want to spend too much."
"..."
He Yan glanced at her and remained silent.
He earns money only to spend it on "one or two" people.
The temple He Yan went to wasn't one of the most popular in Xicheng. It was a coincidence. After He Heng passed away in his previous life, he felt that life was meaningless for a long time. He first lost his young parents, and then his even younger brother. He didn't want to live this miserable life anymore.
One evening, he wandered aimlessly and unknowingly arrived at the foot of the mountain.
He parked the car, squatted down to one side, and was in so much pain that he could barely hold on.
Suddenly a young monk appeared and asked me to exchange money for a Coke. We chatted for a few minutes and found we hit it off.
After a while, he was "sold" and became a worshipper at that temple.
He Yan parked the car, looked around, still somewhat uncertain. His tone unconsciously softened as he tried to persuade her, or perhaps he was discussing it with her, "Why don't you wait for me in the car?"
"don't want."
He Yan's head ached just hearing those two words. Wen Xue put her earmuffs back on, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car. It was raining and snowing outside, and she waited for him with a small folding umbrella.
He had no choice but to turn off the engine and get out of the car. He refused her offer to hold the umbrella for him. He opened the trunk, took out a long-handled black umbrella, and opened it with a bang. The umbrella was very large. Looking at her, with the wind and snow raging, her white umbrella with small blue flowers looked to him no different from a paper toy. It couldn't cover anything. Raindrops and snowflakes hit her fair face and quickly turned into water droplets that fell on her eyelashes.
He sighed, walked up to her, and forcefully switched umbrellas with her.
The two of them climbed the long staircase one after the other.
Wen Xue didn't know the way, so this time she followed behind him, keeping a distance of a few steps.
She held up a thick, black, long-handled umbrella, its large canopy effectively blocking the wind and snow. She raised her eyes, her gaze falling on him. The umbrella, which was clearly very beautiful, looked tiny when he held it. The scene was both incongruous and comical, and she chuckled.
The people in front heard it.
Seeing that he had caught her red-handed, she lowered the umbrella and hurriedly hid, pretending not to see me.
He Yan turned around, glanced at her discreetly, and found it amusing that she was like a mushroom.
In the light snow and cold wind, he led her along the winding mountain road that seemed to have no end.
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