Chapter 34.034. You interrupted me once without reason, and I'll...
When Wen Xue returned wearing He Yan's clothes, everyone at the table who hadn't been drinking was stunned.
"My clothes are soaked," she explained with a smile, her face showing undisguised distress.
How could she not feel bad? This is a new dress, she's only worn it a few times, it's beautiful and has a good cut. If it weren't for the fact that today is the first day of class and she wanted to leave a good impression on the Fang family, she wouldn't have worn it.
Upon hearing this, Nana was about to unzip her cotton-padded coat. "Why don't you wear mine?"
"No, no, no!" Wen Xue quickly reached out and pressed her down, leaning slightly forward to remind her in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You need to be careful these next two days, and you absolutely mustn't catch a cold, or you'll feel terrible."
She had overheard Nana complaining about it unintentionally before.
During her development, her family didn't pay much attention to her. No one cared about her when she had her period or prevented her from washing dishes or doing laundry. She had to do what she was supposed to do, even in the dead of winter.
She was in so much pain that she couldn't get out of bed, but her elders scolded her for being lazy.
Because no one paid attention, she only started seeing doctors and buying medicine to relieve pain after she earned her own money.
"Ah, you still remember!"
Nana was shocked and then deeply moved.
After all, Wenxue was the second person to keep track of her menstrual cycle.
He Yan had no idea what they were whispering about. The group was still drinking and eating skewers, and it was clear they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. He raised his hand to check the time; it was already late. He wanted to offer his wallet to Wan Nian, who hadn't been drinking, to pay for his meal, but out of habit, he reached into his pocket and found nothing.
He called out, "Wen Xue."
She turned around and was chatting happily with Nana, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "Hmm?"
He pointed to the clothes that were obviously much too big for her, and said, "Give me your wallet."
Wen Xue had a sudden thought. She held her coat in both hands, intending to take her wallet to pay for him without him noticing, when she heard his voice again: "My wallet, don't take the wrong one."
"..."
She pursed her lips, looking disappointed, and reached into his coat pocket to pull out her wallet and give it to him.
He Yan took it and then handed it to Wan Nian, who was shelling peanuts, saying, "It's almost eleven o'clock. Let's go back first. You can pay the bill later."
Wan Nian was about to say it was too early when he glanced up and saw Wen Xue wrapped up tightly in a black coat, and immediately nodded in agreement.
Let's go.
"good."
The two walked out of the barbecue restaurant one after the other. They hadn't felt cold indoors, but now, with the cold wind blowing in their faces, Wen Xue couldn't help but shiver. Looking at He Yan beside her, who was only wearing a sweater, a sense of worry welled up inside her. Hesitantly, she said, "Maybe..."
She had only uttered two words when he interrupted her: "No."
"I haven't finished speaking yet..." she said softly.
He Yan glanced at her, and as soon as she opened her mouth, he knew what she was about to say that he didn't want to hear.
Wen Xue had gotten to know He Yan quite well after spending some time with him. She could roughly figure out when He Yan would compromise and when he would never compromise. For example, right now, there was no way she could return the clothes to him.
In their relationship, her physical health was his bottom line.
"Then..." She had no choice but to settle for second best and give him the clothes she was holding. "You'll be a little warmer holding my clothes."
He Yan was slightly taken aback.
He hesitated for a few seconds. In fact, he wasn't cold at all. At twenty-five years old, his physical condition was excellent. Even if he caught a cold, he would just drink a few cups of hot water, sleep, and be almost completely recovered by the next day. But with her staring at him, especially with a hint of pleading in her eyes, he coughed awkwardly and took the bag, placing it on his arm.
Wen Xue stole a glance at him, her eyebrows and eyes curved, and even her hair seemed to flutter lightly.
Walking through this night market street is like stepping into another world.
From bustling to quiet.
From many people to two people.
…
Early in the morning, Wenxue opened all the doors and windows to let in some fresh air. She left two sets of clean clothes there. After returning last night, she had thought of other ways to salvage the clothes. She was both happy and worried. Unless you looked very closely, you could hardly see the oil stains, but she felt very uneasy and always felt that the clothes were still dirty.
She packed the coat and headed straight to the nearby dry cleaner. Professional tasks should be left to professionals. She gave them her instructions repeatedly. The dry cleaner owner probably thought she was too fussy, and his face showed some impatience. "Young lady, my customers are all regulars. If you don't trust them, go somewhere else!"
Wen Xue doesn't like to argue with people.
She never gets into conflicts with strangers; if she can't win an argument or a fight, she can only remain silent.
He Yan went out to run errands before dawn, hoping to return before noon. While driving, before he even got back to the tenement building, his gaze swept through the car window and caught sight of a familiar figure on the street. He slowed down, rolled down the window, and sure enough, it was her, walking slowly with her head down. Even a snail could walk faster than her.
The car slid past, and he honked the horn.
Startled by the sudden noise, Wen Xue looked up in a panic, glanced around, and saw that it was He Yan's car. She breathed a sigh of relief and reluctantly got into the passenger seat.
He asked, "Is something the matter?"
"No." She fastened her seatbelt.
"Then what are you doing loitering around here?"
"I took the clothes to the dry cleaners."
He Yan found it unbelievable that she had been thinking about that one piece of clothing since last night.
She was indeed too young, so young that even the smallest things could make her anxious and flustered. He thought for a moment and comforted her, "How about—"
"No."
She mimicked his tone from yesterday, interrupting him abruptly.
Don't assume she doesn't know what he's going to say, and she doesn't want to listen anyway.
A few seconds of silence filled the car, then, without anyone knowing who started it, both of them burst into laughter. Wen Xue turned her head to look out the window, her gloomy and troubled mood brightening once more.
If you interrupt me unreasonably once, I will return the favor once.
She thought happily.
-
On Sunday, He Yan postponed all the less important matters. At noon, he took Wen Xue to Sister Mei's place for a pot of chicken soup, and then drove her to Hua Jun's residence to tutor someone.
The property management of Huajun Mansion is quite strict, and outside vehicles are not allowed to enter. He Yan had no choice but to drop her off at the gate. He was not a nagging older brother, and he didn't give her any other instructions. He only had one thing to say: "If you're not happy with it, then forget it."
He knew she was teaching a second-year junior high student.
Doesn't he know how annoying a child that age can be?
He Heng was one thing, at least he never caused him any trouble with his academic performance. But Wu Yuejiang, who was known for his good temper, was so angry when he was tutoring his sister that he almost ground his teeth to powder.
Wen Xue chuckled, "Then what will you do after you start working?"
Do you quit your job just because you're unhappy with it?
He Yan said nonchalantly, "Let's do it that way too."
Wen Xue looked at him strangely, shook her head in disagreement, slammed the car door shut, waved, and turned to walk into the residential area. Having spent so much time with He Yan, she had come to realize that he was someone who was very good at "spoiling" people, often indulging them without any limits. This showed how strong He Heng's will was, that he hadn't been spoiled.
When she arrived at the Fang family home and was about to put on shoe covers, the housekeeper slapped her forehead and said, "Look at my memory! Mr. Fang told me to buy slippers. I'll get them for you."
Wen Xue was stunned. She put on new cotton slippers, and a warm feeling flowed through her heart.
Guided by the nanny's enthusiasm, she arrived at Fang Lingwei's room. The door was closed. She knocked, but no one answered. She then turned to the nanny and asked, "Isn't she in her room?"
The nanny shook her head.
As an aunt, how could she casually gossip about her employer? She smiled and said, "She's here. You can just push the door open and go in." After saying that, she turned and left.
Wen Xue was left standing there, stunned.
Her eyelashes drooped, and after a moment's thought, her hand was already on the doorknob when she inappropriately recalled her junior high school days. Unlike her grandmother, her grandfather loved her but was also very strict, constantly instilling in her the idea that only education could change her destiny.
He said she wanted to study a lot of books so that she could have a respectable office job where she wouldn't be exposed to the wind or rain, and where there would be heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, so that she wouldn't suffer.
Grandpa had high hopes for her; she was not only his granddaughter but also his son.
Back then, her bedroom door couldn't be locked, and he read through her diary. He would pick her up and drop her off at school, and if something happened, he would have her grandmother go instead.
She withdrew her hand and knocked on the door again, this time with a little more force.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Fang Lingwei, inside the door, looked at her indifferently.
After holding her breath, Wen Xue revealed the smile she had been practicing in front of the mirror for the past two days, imitating the expression of her favorite teacher. "Hello."
…
5:10.
Wen Xue politely said goodbye to the nanny, left the Fang family home, took the elevator downstairs, and hugged her schoolbag tightly. As she walked out of the building, she wanted to take out the envelope containing the money, but then remembered that she hadn't gone far and cautiously looked up at the building.
She had to suppress the urge to count the money and quickened her pace towards the exit of the residential area. She walked faster and faster until she had just crossed the gate. Then she slipped into a less crowded area and eagerly began counting the money: one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred…
There were only a few sheets, and she counted them once, not enough; she had to count them several more times.
His eyebrows were full of joy.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her, startling her so much that she stuffed the money inside, zipped up her bag, and clutched it tightly. When she turned around, she was even more astonished. "You didn't leave?"
"Come on, I'll take you back to school."
After watching her enter the residential area, He Yan did drive away, but then thought that since he was already there, he might as well wait two more hours to take her back to school. He found a parking lot nearby and didn't come out until almost five o'clock.
Wen Xue was both surprised and delighted. She followed in his footsteps, thinking about the money she had earned through her own abilities, and a smile spread across her eyes: "I'll treat you to dinner."
He Yan glanced at her sideways.
After getting on the bus, she proudly showed off the envelope, saying, "This is my first paycheck in my life."
"Give it to me?" he asked deliberately.
Wen Xue paused, and after a brief moment of surprise, she handed him the envelope without hesitation. "Okay."
She did not hesitate for a moment.
Her clear eyes were full of willingness, as if she would agree to whatever he asked of her.
He Yan stared intently at the thin envelope, his expression subtly shifting. He lowered his eyes, concealing his complex yet genuine emotions. Suddenly, he smiled silently, opened the glove compartment in the driver's seat, and found a stack of cash he always kept on hand. He took out two bills, stuffed them into the envelope, and handed it back to her. "Here's two hundred for you, consider it a small token of appreciation. Buy yourself something nice to eat."
"What kind of hardship fee?" she asked, looking surprised.
"A fee for the effort of tutoring my child."
Wen Xue found it both funny and a little infuriating. Of course, she had to speak up for her student, saying, "She's very smart, don't talk about her like that."
He Yan remained noncommittal.
Finally, they ate a hamburger in the car.
Although he didn't say it, she knew he wanted to save time so she could get back to her dorm to rest sooner.
The car window rolled down, and a slightly chilly wind blew in. The two glanced at each other unintentionally, and remembering their late-night snack on Friday night, they tacitly picked up their Coke paper cups and clinked them together.
…
After dropping Wenxue off at school, He Yan drove back to the old town. Weekdays have evening rush hour traffic, and even on weekend nights, traffic is congested. He sat in his car, listlessly watching the cars slowly inching forward, moving even slower than Wenxue was walking.
He suddenly thought of her and couldn't help but smile. He looked at the shopping mall with its flashing signs, thought for a moment, and about ten minutes later, the cars lined up to enter the mall's underground parking garage.
He followed his memory to the women's clothing section, but couldn't quite remember which store she bought her coat from. He had to patiently search one store after another until he finally found it. He then asked the clerk to look up her coat size in the purchase record.
The sales clerk was very familiar with this procedure. He looked up from the computer screen and smiled apologetically: "Sir, I'm sorry, we don't have this size in our store right now. If you're sure you want it, we can ask the warehouse to send it to us, or have another store deliver it."
He Yan: "Do you have any stores near Xida University?"
"some."
"Can you deliver?"
"Of course! It can be delivered tomorrow!"
“Okay.” He Yan nodded. “I’ll buy it. Please deliver it to me.”
After paying, he took the pen from the clerk and quickly wrote down the name "Wen Xue," along with her phone number and address.
"Would you like to leave your name for the recipient?" the clerk asked again.
"Keep it."
"Please tell me so I can write it down."
He Yan paused, wondering what she usually called him.
The shop assistant placed her hands on the keyboard and listened intently, only to hear a short laugh from the man in front of her, so brief that she thought she was hallucinating.
“Just write—” he said, genuinely exasperated. “Hey.”
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