Chapter 108. He Yan loves her, and only her...
Knock knock knock—
A rhythmic knocking sounded, startling Wen Xue into looking up.
Nana was also stunned. She didn't even need to open the door to guess who it was. "Brother Yan is back?"
Wen Xue composed herself, put down the cup in her hand and the card Nana had given her, got up and went to the door to open it. He Yan's tall figure almost blocked out the already dim light source outside, and his expression was inscrutable.
Her heart skipped a beat.
I don't know how long he stood outside or how much he listened to.
He Yan lowered his eyes and looked at her silently.
Nana stood up and said with a smile, "Yan-ge is back, so I won't be a third wheel."
"What about Wan Nian?" He Yan asked, his voice low.
"He went to see a friend."
He Yan nodded.
He wouldn't have entered Wenxue's room before, but now that his status was different, he handed the packing bag to Wenxue, stepped into the not-so-spacious room, bent down to pick up the card from the small coffee table, called to Nana, and said slowly, "Take it back. Get married whenever you're supposed to. Haven't you been wanting a home for a long time? You've been together for so many years, shouldn't you give Wannian a proper title? Don't worry about the company, I won't leave you without a place to live."
Nana stamped her foot in frustration: "Oh dear, who cares if it's not settled yet!"
He Yan: "Take it. Getting married is more important. As for the company, your General Manager Wu and I have a way. It's no big deal."
Wen Xue came to his side and said softly, "Yes, I'm really looking forward to attending your and Wan Nian's wedding during the National Day holiday."
Nana's gaze lingered between them. She pursed her lips, then reluctantly took the card back. "Then, Wenxue will be my bridesmaid!"
"Okay." He Yan smiled. "I'll be the best man, alright?"
Wen Xue couldn't help but chuckle.
Nana laughed heartily: "It's a deal, no one is allowed to go back on their word!"
A few minutes later, Nana left, leaving only Wenxue and He Yan in the warm room. He glanced at her a few times, then closed the door behind him. He looked down at the two cups on the coffee table. Although he knew which one was hers, he was still a little uneasy and asked her to confirm, "Which cup is yours?"
Wen Xue, not understanding, pointed to her own cup.
I'm thirsty.
As he spoke, he bent down, picked up the light blue mug, and drank the half-cold hot cocoa in one gulp.
Wen Xue was surprised, "You..."
Don't you dislike drinking it?
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but he silenced her with a kiss.
His kiss was urgent and forceful, brimming with suppressed, surging emotions. He knew how precious her wavering was, and even more so, her unwavering resolve. She said she couldn't live without him either; she said she loved him very much.
Wen Xue looked up in response.
Sharing a cup of hot cocoa, she was hot, he was cold, yet the flavors were equally intense, and their saliva flowed between them.
The wind was biting cold outside.
The house is as warm as spring all year round.
They kissed for a long time, until Wen Xue felt like she was suffocating. Then he released her, their foreheads touching, their breaths hot. He whispered, "Come with me to thank them?"
Wen Xue nodded gently.
That evening, He Yan took her hand and went to find Wang Yuan and Li Jingru to thank them for their kind gesture, and then returned the card.
…
Another Chinese New Year has arrived.
As is customary, on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, He Yan and Wu Yuejiang, on behalf of the company, treated all employees to a meal, which served as the company's annual meeting.
The atmosphere this year wasn't as lively as last year.
Most of the long-term employees were there when He Yan founded Changya, and they have a deep emotional connection to the company. However, there are also employees who joined in the last two years. It's hard to keep up a smile. Although they are still being paid, the company's business is getting worse every day. They are just getting by day by day, and unemployment is looming. How can they be happy?
In the past, Wu Yuejiang always spoke with a cheerful and cheerful tone.
However, it cannot be denied that He Yan is the backbone of Changya.
This time, He Yan broke with tradition and toasted all the employees with juice instead of wine. He said in a deep voice, "Everyone, go back and have a good New Year. Relax and think of this year as a time to adjust. I guarantee that next year will be better, and each year will be better than the last."
Wen Xue looked up at him intently and smiled.
He Yan's simple words inexplicably soothed everyone, and they all stood up, raised their glasses, and toasted their reliable Brother Yan.
Have a happy day.
After dinner, they went to "Ai Chang" KTV to sing, as usual. The group was quite large, and the manager greeted them at the front desk and arranged the largest private room for them. Liu Tong had a perfectly appropriate smile on her face until her gaze shifted downwards and she was caught off guard when she saw He Yan and Wen Xue holding hands.
He Yan introduced her as his girlfriend.
Wen Xue tried to break free but couldn't.
After a brief moment of confusion, Liu Tong chuckled, "Congratulations, I guessed it all along."
Who could resist the person who saved them when they were young? She secretly kept her budding feelings to herself. She had thought about telling him, but every time she mustered up the courage, she would be discouraged by his indifferent gaze.
He is reliable and kind to everyone he knows.
But he looked at her no differently than he looked at anyone else.
She thought, it doesn't matter, anyway, he hasn't met anyone who makes his heart flutter, he doesn't like anyone, isn't that good?
Until one day.
He brought a young girl with him. Although he said not to joke around, that she was his sister, his eyes were full of pity when he looked at her. Even though he was only away for a short while, he would worry about her, exchange a lot of coins for her, and patiently let her play the claw machine while he waited.
At that time, Liu Tong felt that she was different from He Yan, different from everyone else.
Later, whenever they came back, all he could see was her.
Even when talking to others, I can't help but look for her.
He Yan loves her, and only her.
Wen Xue smiled, looking at Liu Tong with gratitude mixed with a sense of apology that only she knew. Fortunately, only she and He Yan knew about last year's misunderstanding, and thankfully, it didn't affect anyone else or cause Liu Tong any unnecessary trouble.
"Your eyesight is quite good." He Yan paused. "Thank you."
The group put aside all their worries and had a blast all day.
The next day, they each embarked on their journeys home.
Wen Xue and He Yan had discussed where and how to spend the Spring Festival this year. The year before last, they spent it in Xicheng, and last year they were traveling. This year, they both wanted to return to their hometown, Haicheng.
Wu Yuejiang's younger sister has also started her internship and is earning a salary. The brother and sister hit it off immediately: the brother would contribute 80% and the sister would contribute a small share of 20% to take their parents on a cruise trip abroad.
After boarding the high-speed train home, He Yan told Wen Xue, "He was afraid of being pressured to get married."
After her initial surprise, Wen Xue asked curiously, "I heard before that Brother Yuejiang has a girlfriend?"
He Yan paused, his feelings a jumble of emotions.
Logically speaking, he shouldn't be jealous of He Heng, who was his younger brother and the most important person in his life when he was alive.
But when she mentioned the past, he felt a mix of emotions, including the bitterness of guessing about her past and the pain of remembering his younger brother who was still alive at that time.
He quickly composed himself and replied, "I've talked to one."
Wen Xue didn't want to seem too gossipy, but she was just so interested. "You broke up? Why?"
He Yan thought for a moment, "It happened many years ago, I don't remember it very well."
All I remember is that Lao Wu almost drank himself into the emergency room.
Wen Xue's heart stirred slightly.
Many years ago...?
In fact, if she remembered the timeline correctly, she would occasionally hear He Heng mention it six months before He Heng's accident.
But she understood what He Yan meant by "many years ago".
She leaned on his shoulder, their fingers intertwined, and said coquettishly, "I'm so sleepy."
He Yan kissed her forehead. "It's warm in the car. You can sleep first. I'll wake you up when we get home."
Enveloped by his presence, she felt safe and secure, and slowly closed her eyes. But the scene from the second time she saw him flashed through her mind: he emerged from the train station, looking travel-worn, and she had thought to herself, "He Heng's brother is so tall."
He was very tall, with broad shoulders and warm hands.
-
Hwaseong.
Zhou Zhan sat in the back seat and ended his video call with his wife.
The driver in front couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; driving for Mr. Zhou was incredibly stressful. This mild-mannered but decisive Mr. Zhou, while not always eating regularly, never missed a single video call every day.
Morning and evening correspond to evening and morning in the United States.
He and his wife communicate well; having lived abroad for many years, they often switch to English to communicate.
The driver didn't understand, but he didn't have any psychological barriers.
But every day, Zhou Zhan would repeatedly say to his daughter, who couldn't speak at all, "Baby, I'm Daddy, Daddy—Daddy—Good girl, Daddy loves you—"
He also spoke in a high-pitched voice, which always made the driver break out in a cold sweat.
"Mr. Zhou, we've arrived."
Zhou Zhan put away his phone, hummed in agreement, and as he got out of the car, he remembered something, took out his checkbook from the side, unscrewed the pen cap, and wrote something with the pen tip. He tore off a check and handed it to the driver, saying, "You've worked hard this year. Have a good New Year and take your family's elders out for a nice meal."
When he first returned to China, he often experienced difficulties adjusting to the new environment.
Among his trusted relatives and friends, it seems that only He Yan had worked his way up from the bottom.
I knew before that He Yan was very protective of his subordinates.
The more time he spent with He Yan, the more he felt that perhaps in a few years, He Yan would be able to create another group that did not belong to Wanbo, entirely on his own.
The driver was stunned, and quickly said, "Mr. Zhou, you're too kind."
Zhou Zhan smiled, wished everyone a Happy New Year again, and got out of the car. Several cars were parked in the underground garage, and another one had just arrived. Zhou Zhan narrowed his eyes, recognized it as Zhou Xian's car, and suppressed his smile, waiting by the elevator.
A moment later, Zhou Xian got out of the car with his earphones in. He glanced at Zhou Zhan, who was standing waiting to the side, and called out, "Big Brother."
Zhou Zhan nodded and pressed the elevator button.
Looking at Zhou Xian, Zhou Zhan remembered something else. His younger brother had fallen ill and developed a crush on Wen Xue, whom He Yan cherished. He didn't know where he had learned his bullying and tyrannical ways. It was one thing for him to act recklessly in the past, but now he had become increasingly shameless.
After a moment's thought, knowing that He Yan had been holding back, he casually asked, "I heard you've been pursuing a student from the West City area lately?"
The elevator doors opened.
Zhou Zhan was the first to step into the sedan chair.
He looked at Zhou Xian, somewhat puzzled, wondering why he wasn't coming in.
Zhou Xian looked at him indifferently, "Who told you that?"
Zhou Zhan laughed sarcastically: "What secret is that?"
He felt ashamed.
Zhou Xian calmly stepped inside. The atmosphere in the sedan chair was tense. The spotless walls reflected the figures of the two brothers. Suddenly, before Zhou Zhan could react, Zhou Xian abruptly grabbed his suit collar and slammed his head against the wall.
From this to that.
Zhou Xian didn't think that Zhou Zhan's mention of Wen Xue at this critical juncture, when their conflict had reached a boiling point and was already out in the open, was unintentional or accidental.
He even considered it a threat.
Realizing that Zhou Zhan might be trying to do something through Wen Xue, he was filled with rage.
Zhou Zhan frowned: "Are you crazy?!"
They're going crazy without even looking where they are.
Zhou Xian approached him, his face expressionless, and said, "Want to mess with me? Listen up, if I can take your life once, I can do it again."
The elevator doors opened—
As the brothers' car drove through the ornate iron gate of the Zhou residence, Zhou Yunshan received a notification from the housekeeper that his two sons were rarely back together. His expression softened slightly as he and his wife, Cheng Jun, waited by the elevator.
Cheng Yun's smile froze, and she exclaimed in shock, "Ah Xian, what are you doing? Let go of your brother!"
Zhou Yunshan roared, "Zhou Xian!"
He could tolerate his two sons' minor squabbles, but now that they've brought it all to his doorstep, does Zhou Xian even see him as a father anymore?!
Cheng Jun's brow twitched, her heart pounding with panic. She instinctively reached out to help Zhou Yunshan, stammering, "Don't be angry, don't be angry, maybe it's them—"
She hadn't finished speaking.
Zhou Yunshan's face turned ashen: "Shut up!"
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