Chapter 84. She hugged me from behind…
He Yan's harsh words silenced Wen Xue instantly; he was suppressing some kind of anger.
She stood there stunned, unsure of what expression to wear when facing him. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. If she hadn't retained a shred of reason, she would have even asked him: "I'll listen to you, but will you tell me?"
He didn't tell her anything.
He kept it a secret from her when he was injured and treated in the United States, and he continued to keep it a secret after returning to China and being hospitalized. If Lin Baizhou hadn't seen it, she would have been completely unaware of his close relationship with Zhou Zhan.
She was worried, she was puzzled.
Why did she tell him every little detail of her life, while he kept everything from her?
He regretted saying those words as soon as he did, but reason is reason and emotion is emotion. He couldn't stay calm when she kept mentioning Lin Baizhou, especially when he thought about how she had interacted and chatted with Lin Baizhou last night. Perhaps she had also shown a helpless and bewildered expression like this, while he calmly and gently comforted her—this image was like a thorn stuck in his brain, and he couldn't bear it.
He stepped forward and bent down to take her bag.
She took a half step back.
With just this half-step, He Yan's eyes were dark and unfathomable. When he looked up at her again, he had returned to normal. His tone was calm and slow. Among many truths, he picked out a few sentences to say to her: "Zhou Zhan is a good person. He knows that my trading company is in its initial stage and has tried to help me several times, but I refused. Now we are friends."
Wen Xue wouldn't be easily swayed by him. She stared at him intently and asked, "So, what Brother Weiwei saw was all true?"
"Yes." He paused, but did not refute.
Wen Xue's breath hitched.
She asked in a trembling voice, "What happened to you in America last year was Zhou Zhan's brother targeting him, wasn't it?"
He Yan fell silent.
There are many suspicious points about this matter in my past life. Those who really know about it are afraid of getting into trouble, so they naturally keep quiet about it. The information he found is also very limited.
Zhou Zhan didn't die in this life. Following the clues, there were indeed unexpected discoveries.
A few months ago, Zhou Zhan tried to get an explanation from his father, Zhou Yunshan, but was given vague and perfunctory answers. One reason was that he was biased and hoped that the older brother would forgive his immature younger brother, believing that harmony in the family was the key to everything. The other reason was that family scandals should not be aired in public.
Even though Zhou Zhan was mentally prepared, he was still completely heartbroken, which is why he made up his mind.
"……yes."
Wen Xue stared at him in disbelief, her voice rising in surprise: "You knew? You knew it was so dangerous, why did you... why did you associate with him?"
Does He Yan lack friends?
Of course not.
So she simply couldn't understand it, couldn't fathom it. She knew he was a good person, that he wouldn't stand idly by in America, but shouldn't things have ended there? Wasn't saving someone's life enough? Why did he have to get involved in things that had absolutely nothing to do with him!
Does he have any compelling reason to do it?
She doesn't understand.
He Yan couldn't answer the question. Things had happened too suddenly. He hadn't even thought of lying. Besides, when facing her, he could hide the truth, but he couldn't deceive her. He could only turn his head to look out the French window, not wanting her to see the true emotions in his eyes.
"You promised me, have you forgotten?" Seeing his silence, she panicked, her voice urgent, "That time at the hospital, you said it wouldn't happen again, that you would be alright, you promised me..."
Wen Xue couldn't bear to look at his left shoulder.
Last time it was her shoulder, what about next time...? Her gaze stiffly shifted downwards, settling on her chest.
He Yan noticed her gaze, barely managed to calm himself, and was somewhat at a loss for words, "I haven't forgotten, don't worry, that kind of thing won't happen again."
"How long?" she asked immediately.
Others might think that He Yan was taking a gamble to secure a brighter future.
But no matter what others thought, she was convinced that he was not after money; he was simply not that kind of person.
If not for profit, why would he get involved in this mess?
Silence fell in the room again. The two stared at each other, Wen Xue's emotions unwavering. They faced off in silence for a long while before He Yan gave in and whispered his answer: "Wait for him to win."
"What makes you so sure he'll win?" In the midst of the chaos, Wen Xue couldn't stand his stubbornness and asked him sharply.
What if we lose?
"He has to win."
A trace of the emotions that He Yan had been suppressing finally surfaced.
Wen Xue's mind went blank for a moment, and a sharp pain shot through her heart. Her face turned pale. She bit her lip, swallowing back the unpleasant words, trying to calm herself down. She hadn't come to Huacheng to argue with him.
She came to persuade him.
Seeing that she didn't look well and that the air conditioning in the room was too cold, He Yan turned around to turn up the temperature. The doctor had said that she had almost recovered, but she should still try to avoid getting cold.
The wind speed gradually decreased.
The temperature has not yet risen.
Suddenly, a warm body pressed against his back, and a pair of hands wrapped around his waist and abdomen; she was hugging him from behind.
Unlike last time, this time it was daytime, and she was awake.
He Yan looked down at her arms wrapped around him, tightening them in confusion. She hugged him tightly, and he froze, his breathing becoming heavy and his heart racing.
Wen Xue's voice came from behind him, reaching his heart: "Whether he wins or loses has nothing to do with you. That's someone else's business, and you can't interfere. Besides, you saved his life, that's enough, really. Stay away from him, stay away from trouble. Nothing is more important than your safety, okay?"
She held him in her arms and spoke these words softly.
Even He Yan, who has a fairly strong will, wavered for a few brief seconds.
He really wanted to say yes.
The word was already on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back down.
Wasn't Lin Baizhou's early appearance enough to teach him a lesson?
He Yan felt a slight tightness in his throat. He couldn't tell her that everything he was doing now was to bring her peace and happiness.
He had to help Zhou Zhan.
No, the only person he helped and saved from beginning to end was her.
Wen Xue nestled against his broad shoulders with longing. Even though they weren't face to face and she couldn't see his eyes, she could still feel his surging emotions. Her heart relaxed, and just when she thought it was a silent agreement, he spoke, his voice hoarse: "Give me some more time."
As her hand loosened and was about to fall, his large palm covered hers.
He turned around and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. He seemed even more nervous than she was. "It's not as complicated as you think. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. There are some things I need Zhou Zhan's help with too."
Wen Xue opened her mouth, but could only remain silent. She forced back her tears and was pulled into his arms as if all her strength had been drained.
They forgot to struggle, and had no strength left.
She hadn't been unaware of this outcome, but when he actually refused her pleas, she was still heartbroken, her palms turning cold. It was as if fate had already told her the truth about the doubts that had lingered in her heart for so long.
For a long time after He Heng's death, she kept thinking that if she had been by his side that night, she would definitely have stopped him.
But it couldn't be stopped.
He made the decision he believed was right, how could she stop him?
He Yan could smell her breath, and after hesitating, he gently kissed her soft hair.
…
As dusk settles, the city lights begin to twinkle.
As usual, Zhou Xian had dinner with his parents and then went to the study to listen to his father's veiled reminders and warnings. He kept repeating the same few sentences: everything in the Zhou family would belong to him and his eldest brother in the future. His biased father added, in his self-righteous cleverness, "You will have more than your eldest brother."
He listened with a smile and then pressed for details about how much private property his father owned.
This drew laughter and curses.
Since becoming an adult, Zhou Xian has rarely stayed overnight at the old house, and this time was no exception. After getting into the car and leaving through the carved iron gate, the smile in his eyes disappeared. People really do get useless when they get old. Even his tough father has learned to deceive himself.
Who would want to receive only half?
If I want it, I want it all.
Zhou Xian owns many properties in Huacheng, but he lives in a single-story apartment most of the time. The apartment is simply decorated and has only one staff member, besides the old housekeeper who is already past retirement age.
The old housekeeper had watched him grow up, and their bond was extraordinary.
"Why have you been going to the West City so much lately?" Uncle Li brewed him a cup of calming tea and placed it on the table.
"The old man's blood pressure won't come down."
The old man Zhou Xian mentioned was his maternal grandfather.
Uncle Li nodded. Zhou's father helped suppress the incident in the United States last November, but that doesn't mean the Zhou family was unaware of the inside story. Zhou Xian's maternal grandfather was a university professor with countless students. He was old-fashioned and serious, and if someone with ulterior motives were to whisper a few words, how could the old man possibly bear it?
"but……"
Zhou Xian changed the subject, a playful smile appearing on his face: "I've encountered something very interesting."
Uncle Li: "What is it?"
"I met someone. I went to the West City five times and ran into her three times."
Uncle Li pondered: "Male or female?"
Zhou Xian didn't answer directly, but Uncle Li, who knew him well, understood and said tactfully, "What a coincidence. The master and mistress have discussed it and said that if there is no suitable partner in Huacheng, they can go to Xicheng or Gangcheng to take a look."
In fact, Zhou Xian is still very young. It wouldn't be too late to consider relationships a few years later. At first, Zhou's father thought so too. He never asked about his eldest son Zhou Zhan's private life, but when it came to his youngest son, he changed his ways and wanted to strictly control him.
To put it bluntly, it's wishful thinking; he hopes his youngest son can find someone who can control him.
The father thought his son was just young and impetuous, figuring that his son's temperament would settle down and become more mature and stable after he settled down and started a family.
Zhou Xian scoffed, "You're meddling too much."
After saying that, he added meaningfully, "I heard that my sister-in-law is due to give birth in the next two months."
Uncle Li sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face. He steered the conversation back to the "interesting thing" Zhou Xian had mentioned, and asked with a smile, "Was the person you met good-looking?"
Zhou Xianyi.
The image of her tear in her sleep flashed through his mind.
When Uncle Li saw that he didn't answer and seemed to be deep in thought, his heart skipped a beat.
In terms of understanding Zhou Xian, he is probably the most knowledgeable.
Zhou Xian divides people and things into two categories: uninteresting and interesting. Since he can say that something is interesting, he must have started to take it to heart.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
A ding-dong sound.
It was a notification sound from his phone. Zhou Xian turned on the screen and glanced at it. The efficiency was quite fast; a few hours later, he had received it. He paused briefly, then opened it. The first thing that caught his eye was a name.
Hearing the snow.
She was indeed a student at Xida University.
She was an ordinary student with simple information. He read through her words one by one, his gaze lingering on the fact that her boyfriend had died in an accident two years ago.
My boyfriend is dead?
That saved him a lot of trouble.
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