Chapter 59. She is mine.
The autumn breeze is slightly cool; in the blink of an eye, He Yan has been gone for almost ten days.
When his phone rang on his desk, Wu Yuejiang glanced at the screen, feeling both helpless and frustrated. There was no one at the company on Sundays, so he didn't need to be discreet and answered directly on speakerphone.
A low, husky male voice came from the other end of the line, clearly indicating he had just woken up, or perhaps was still asleep just a minute ago: "Did you pick her up?"
Wu Yuejiang suppressed the urge to curse, glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen, and tried to remain calm as he said, "You actually set an alarm?"
It's only a little past 5 a.m. in the US right now.
I stayed up early in the morning just to call him and make sure he picked up Wenxue after her tutoring session.
"She's right next to me?" He Yan regained some of his senses.
Wu Yuejiang gave a forced smile: "You should have been a prison warden back then."
Only the warden would come to check on things at specific times.
"She's not here." When it comes to the people who understand each other best in the world, they must be in each other's top three. He Yan, hearing his rambling and refusal to answer the question directly, knew something was amiss, and his tone turned cold. "You've forgotten everything I told you before I left?"
Wu Yuejiang didn't try to fool her, nor was he discouraged. He argued firmly, "I haven't forgotten. Today I took her to Hua Jun's residence, and she said not to wait for her because her sister had made plans to have dinner and go shopping with her roommate. Do you think it's reasonable for me to follow her around like that?"
"How outrageous!"
He Yan retorted with what he had said during the New Year, scoffing, "You're always calling her 'sister' this and 'sister' that. Who said that a brother is just a lackey for his sister?"
Wu Yuejiang: "..."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Fine, I won't call her 'sister' anymore. I'll call her by her name, okay?"
He Yan slammed down the phone.
Wu Yuejiang let out a sigh of frustration.
Don't think he doesn't know why He Yan is so vigilant.
Isn't it because there's a handsome young man at the house where Wen Xue is tutoring? He's run into him twice already. He drives a black Mercedes, is tall and has long legs, and has an elite vibe—speaking of which, this guy is also showing signs of developing into a warden. Every time he's seen, this guy is always right around the time Wen Xue is going to and from class.
…
After leaving the residential area, Wen Xue did not enter the subway station. Instead, she stood there looking around aimlessly. Strangely, she knew very well that He Yan was in the United States and would not suddenly appear in front of her. However, when she stood on the street and saw an identical Jeep driving towards her, her heart still couldn't help but beat faster.
However, the car did not slow down and drove straight past her.
That could never be him.
She found herself ridiculous. After laughing, she looked up at the sunset on the horizon. When she looked away, she saw the square not far away. On a whim, she crossed the sidewalk and went to the coffee shop where she had waited for him that day.
Just like last time, I ordered a melon milkshake and sat by the window.
Lin Baizhou didn't intentionally run into Wen Xue. It was just that after meeting her at this coffee shop that day, he developed the habit of frequently coming here to buy coffee. After leaving home, he parked his car and was still sorting through the work emails he had received.
His usually clear and organized mind went blank when his eyes saw her sitting in the sunset.
Wen Xue turned a page of her book.
She tapped the map lightly with her finger and smiled. This was where He Yan was now.
She wondered if the sun had risen over there yet. With that thought, she habitually looked up at the window, only to meet Lin Baizhou's stunned gaze. After a brief moment of surprise, she smiled politely at him.
In Lin Baizhou's eyes, at this moment, she was surrounded by a layer of soft, shimmering light.
He quickly looked away, still retaining a sliver of reason. He turned and pushed open the glass door, walking step by step towards her under her gaze. "Is anyone here?"
Wen Xue smiled and shook her head.
He sat down, relieved, and after a moment of silence, asked, "What did you drink?"
"Honeydew melon milkshake".
"Um."
He was speechless again; in front of her, this already taciturn man often found himself at a loss for words.
Wen Xue held the straw and drank her milkshake. She was amused to see Lin Baizhou sitting opposite her looking like he was racking his brains for a topic but couldn't think of one.
Lin Baizhou inexplicably relaxed. He got up, went to the bar to order a drink, and then returned to explain to her in a low voice why he was there: "I have a meeting tonight, which may last for two hours. I was worried that I would get sleepy, so... I came to buy a cup of coffee."
Wen Xue nodded and asked him, "Isn't today Sunday?"
Lin Bozhou chuckled: "That's why my colleagues are all cursing."
This year has indeed been an unlucky one.
The project progress of the company and Wanbo Group is slow, and urging them is useless. There are internal sources saying that General Manager Gao's position is just a stepping stone, and it is highly likely that the son of the Zhou family will be parachuted in. The appointment letter has not yet been issued, but it is a foregone conclusion. He may take office at the beginning of next year.
The shop assistant brought over a tray with a takeout coffee and a melon milkshake, and placed it next to Lin Baizhou.
He took a sip of the milkshake. "Not bad, very refreshing."
Wen Xue smiled and drank her drink at a leisurely pace.
She finished her milkshake, looked up at the uniquely designed clock in the store, and realized it was 6:10, not too early or too late. She should take the subway back to school. "Enjoy your milkshake, I'm leaving now."
Although Lin Baizhou was reluctant to part, he still nodded calmly: "Okay, goodbye."
Wen Xue slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, waved slightly to him, and left the coffee shop.
The sunset on the horizon was a beautiful pink and blue hue. She looked up at it for a while and felt instantly relaxed. Before she even reached the subway entrance, her phone vibrated. It was He Yan calling. She wasn't surprised. She answered and put the phone to her ear, "Hello."
After ending her call with Wu Yuejiang, He Yan got out of bed and threw off the covers.
Suppressing the urge to call her, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and shave. After finishing all that, it was still not six o'clock.
He had no choice but to open the small refrigerator in the room and fill it with more than half a bottle of ice water.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, the room is high above the ground, and you can vaguely see the sun slowly rising.
“It’s me,” he said. “Are you with your roommate?”
Wen Xue lied without batting an eye, "...Yes, we're going to have hot pot, and after that we'll do some shopping and then go back to the dorm."
Just as the lie was about to be covered up, a clear, gentle male voice came from behind without warning: "Teacher Wen."
People with a guilty conscience are always flustered. She didn't know if He Yan had heard her, so she hurriedly covered the phone with her hand and turned around.
Lin Baizhou rushed over, carrying a bag of coffee. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, but he didn't look disheveled. He handed her the local book, saying, "You forgot to take this."
Wen Xue's gaze shifted from the book to his serious face, and she instantly broke character, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "This is a book from the store, you should return it right away."
Otherwise, people might mistake you for a book thief, and the shop assistants would chase after you.
Lin Baizhou's face stiffened, "..."
Wen Xue chuckled, "Go quickly."
What are you standing there for, looking like an idiot?
Lin Baizhou snapped out of his daze, backed away, and ran towards the coffee shop, completely losing his elite demeanor.
He's gone, and she still has a mess to clean up...
Wen Xue instantly suppressed her smile, clinging to a sliver of hope, and secretly glanced at her phone screen, which showed that she was still on a call.
She has a terrible headache.
But whether he sticks his neck out or not, he'll still get hurt. Gritting his teeth, he put the phone back to his ear and softly, guiltily, said "hello."
He Yan asked in a completely flat voice, "What happened?"
Wen Xue had no choice but to tell the truth: "I'm really sorry to trouble Brother Yuejiang."
She didn't want to cause even the slightest trouble to the people around her.
Although she had already caused He Yan the most trouble, He Yan is He Yan, and everyone else is everyone else.
"You've started calling him 'brother'."
He Yan's tone remained unchanged.
"Well..." she said helplessly, "I don't want to trouble him, it's not good."
"So where are you right now?" he asked.
"I was thirsty at the subway station, so I went to the store and bought a milkshake."
How do I get back to school?
"Take the subway."
He Yan paused, then asked calmly, "Didn't the child's older brother say he'd give it to you?"
Wen Xue shook her head, finding his behavior rather strange. "No, how could that be? I'm not familiar with him."
Even if Lin Baizhou hadn't offered to give her a ride, she still couldn't get into his car.
A few seconds later, He Yan said slowly, "It's good that you know."
-
Unbeknownst to Wen Xue, half of the November page on the calendar on her desk had already been crossed out.
Every day that passed, she would draw a line with her pen.
That morning, she went to the cafeteria with Manny and the others to buy breakfast as usual, and rushed to the classroom for class. Before the teacher arrived, she glanced at the chat box with He Yan on her phone. Her left eyelid had been twitching since she washed up, and she felt inexplicably uneasy.
He knew she would arrive at 8 a.m. several days a week and would usually send her a message before 8 a.m.
Although, in her view, this action seemed like an attempt to strengthen the relationship after that incident.
But undeniably, it has also become a habit.
But not today.
She calmed herself down, refusing to let her mind wander, and tried to concentrate on her textbook. Half an hour passed, then an hour, then an hour and a half, and he still hadn't replied to her messages. So she took the initiative to dial Wu Yuejiang's number and told him about it in a jumbled mess.
Wu Yuejiang laughed on the phone: "Little sister, it's really nothing. He must have drunk too much and slept with someone. Think about it, it's late at night over there. Anyway, don't worry, your brother went there to discuss serious business, not to fight or kill anyone."
Hearing Wu Yuejiang say this, Wen Xue gradually calmed down. "Okay. Then I'll wait a little longer."
…
Amidst the beeping of the instruments, time and space seemed to become distorted.
"Brother, this is Wen Xue, my girlfriend."
It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was almost full of customers. The four-person tables near the kitchen aisle were especially noisy.
He Yan calmly looked at the young student couple sitting opposite him. He glanced at the shy young girl with her hair in a ponytail, nodded, and leaned over to push the colorful menu and pencils toward her. "Order whatever you like."
"Thank you..." Her voice was very soft and gentle. She was probably shy and didn't dare to look him in the eye. Even when they did meet, she quickly lowered her eyes. "Big brother."
"You're welcome."
She busied herself with the pen for a while, then slowly ordered two dishes, handing them to him with both hands, saying, "I've ordered."
He took it, glanced at it, and then looked at her.
She was just dawdling; anyone who didn't know better would think she'd done a test, since the two dishes she ordered cost less than forty yuan in total.
The scene changes.
The food on the table was almost gone, and the young woman left to go to the restroom, leaving only two men with somewhat similar faces. Eighteen-year-old He Heng, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, spoke of his girlfriend with undisguised sincerity and affection in his eyes, "Brother, Wen Xue and I have decided to go to Xida University together. After we graduate, we'll stay in Xicheng, work, and get married. What do you think—"
It seems that even a spirited young man blushes when the future is mentioned.
He was just too happy. Today was a very special day. He was meeting the girl he liked the most in the world and his dearest brother.
"No."
He Yan listened to his own answer.
The boy opposite him was slightly taken aback, looking at him with confusion, sadness and hatred appearing in his eyes, before finally asking indifferently with a blank expression, "Why, brother?"
Why, brother?
Why.
"Because she is mine."
He Yan, who was lying in the hospital bed, suddenly opened his eyes.
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