Chapter 70. [Revised] Popcorn shouldn't be wasted, so...
The two were very close, as if they were embracing.
Wen Xue could hear his rapid heartbeat; he must be very angry.
Besides the refreshing scent of shaving lotion, she also caught a faint whiff of sandalwood. Remembering that he had gone to the temple to offer scriptures to He Heng, she instantly snapped out of it and tried to break free from his arms. As soon as she moved, he quickly let go.
In just a few seconds, he returned to normal, as if the cold and aloof man from before was her illusion.
His expression was calm as he asked, "Where did you go?"
"The park." She seemed a little dazed. "I thought the weather was nice, so I just wanted to take a walk."
Her voice trailed off, as if she were admitting her mistake, "I had my phone with me, but I didn't check it and didn't notice it was off."
"fine."
Even the strongest anger of He Yan vanished without a trace when he met her uneasy gaze. After a moment of silence, he looked down at the oranges scattered on the ground, bent down and picked them up one by one. "Are you tired? Why don't you go back to your room and rest first, and then go out to eat later?"
"good."
The two went up to the third floor one after the other.
As they went upstairs, Wen Xue keenly noticed that his gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering for even a second.
At the door, she lowered her eyes and reminded her, "Your clothes are dirty, would you like to change them?"
He stared at her intently and hummed in agreement, "I'm going to take a shower."
As her steady footsteps faded into the distance, she breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had been reborn. She retreated to the sofa, plugged in her phone to charge, and a few minutes later, the phone turned on. She had been mentally prepared, but she was still caught off guard.
So many missed calls.
He Yan made nearly a hundred calls, as did Nana and Siyi.
She quickly replied to them to let them know she was safe: "I'm fine. My phone died and shut down automatically when I went out, but I'm back now [hugs]".
Just seconds after she sent the message, her phone rang; it was Si Yi calling.
As soon as the call connected, Yang Siyi sighed, "He Heng's brother is terrifying. I have no idea how he got my phone number. I was stunned when I answered. The first thing he asked me was if I knew where you were..."
Wen Xue listened intently as she recounted the whole story.
He Yan was never an irrational person. After ending the call, she went through her phone calls one after another, a look of struggle on her face. Just then, Nana replied to her message: "[What happened between you and Yan-ge? Did you have a fight? This is the first time I've seen him like this.]"
Second floor restroom.
He Yan stood under the showerhead, wiping the water droplets from his face, his breathing heavy.
He knew perfectly well that if she really wanted to leave, she wouldn't do it without saying goodbye, but he still couldn't accept even the slightest possibility that she would leave.
It turns out that in the face of "loss", "gain" becomes insignificant.
Wen Xue took a deep breath and typed with trembling fingers: [It's nothing. I was out playing and lost track of time. He probably thought something had happened to me.]
Nana: [Rock Bro, what could possibly happen to him? [Laughing]]
He thought she had left.
Wen Xue put down her phone, staring at the orange on the coffee table. The orange's peel was covered in a layer of dust. She unlocked her phone again and sent a message to the person with the most missed calls: "I won't let you miss me."
She can accept the inevitable part of drifting apart.
But she never considered cutting ties with him completely.
How can she break it off? Is it even possible? He has poured so much effort into her, taking meticulous care of her. Similarly, he holds a very important place in her heart. If he needs her help in the future, she will do everything she can to help him.
No matter how their relationship changes, this will never change.
After a while, his phone vibrated, displaying his brief reply: "Hmm."
…
As dusk fell, the two drove to a nearby shopping mall for dinner. Most of the restaurants along the street were closed, and the access road to the mall's underground parking garage was completely congested. Even Wen Xue, who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, could sense He Yan's unusual agitation.
She knew his frustration wasn't just due to the terrible traffic.
As night fell, the car window resembled a mirror. She turned her head to look outside, but what she was really looking at was his profile reflected in the glass.
A car coming from another road suddenly drove very close, trying to cut in line.
He Yan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his breathing uneven, his face grim. Just as he was about to roll down the window to negotiate with the driver, Wen Xue's brow twitched. Without thinking, she leaned over, reached out and grabbed his arm, and said urgently, "No, it's the New Year, don't argue with others."
It was an act she made in desperation.
Both of them were taken aback.
She immediately released her grip on his clothes, her eyes filled with panic, "Don't get into any trouble with others..."
He Yan's gaze remained fixed on the spot where she had grabbed, his furrowed brows relaxed, and his impatient aura dissipated considerably. "I know."
He listened to her.
Not only did he not get angry, but he also patiently let the other car cut in front of him.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, everywhere was crowded, and shopping malls and restaurants were packed.
When it was finally their turn to go in, sit down, and order, He Yan would have ordered every single dish on the menu if Wen Xue hadn't stopped him.
"There's a movie theater on the fourth floor," he said. "Would you like to go see a movie after dinner?"
Wen Xue initially wanted to shake her head and refuse, as she had no interest in watching the movie. However, when she looked up, she remembered his restrained and suppressed gaze when she returned that afternoon. Before she could finish speaking, she changed her mind and nodded with a smile, saying, "Okay."
He smiled, then, remembering something, his expression changed slightly. "Should we buy the tickets in advance?"
Before she could reply, he put down his chopsticks, stood up, picked up his phone, and said to her, "You can eat slowly, I'll go upstairs to buy tickets."
Wen Xue was surprised and opened her mouth to call out to him, but he had already walked out of the restaurant.
She had no choice but to lower her head and eat. She didn't notice that she had eaten a slice of ginger. The spicy taste spread across her tongue, choking her and making her cough uncontrollably. She coughed until tears were about to stream down her face. She hurriedly pulled out a tissue to wipe her face, crumpled it into a ball, and held it tightly in her palm.
After barely finishing a bowl of rice, He Yan turned back. In the noisy lobby, he walked closer step by step with a solemn expression that seemed to doubt his own existence. She was stunned and couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't been able to buy tickets for the movie theater.
This is quite normal, as several Lunar New Year films are released today to boost box office sales.
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking up at him.
He sat down and handed her the two movie tickets, looking dejected. "It's nothing."
Did you get the tickets?
Why do you still look so disappointed?
She took it with suspicion and examined it closely.
One ticket is for seat 7 in row 7, and another ticket is for seat 9 in row 7.
She suddenly recalled everything that happened on the first day of the Lunar New Year last year, and couldn't help but chuckle, extremely surprised, "How could it be such a coincidence?"
Seeing that she had finally smiled genuinely since yesterday, He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm convinced."
Wenxue studied the movie ticket repeatedly and still found it amazing.
What a wonderful encounter! Her mood lightened considerably. With nearly an hour to spare before the movie started, they went upstairs after dinner, queued up again to buy popcorn and cola, got their tickets checked, entered the theater, and found their seats.
To Wenxue's surprise, even ten minutes into the movie, number 8 next to her was still empty.
She turned her gaze around. The hall was neither too big nor too small, and almost every seat was occupied.
In an instant, her wandering gaze swept over He Yan, and she understood everything. Why did she have to buy two movie tickets with seats 8 apart? And why was seat 8 empty? Where in the world are there so many coincidences? It was just a "surprise" created by human hands.
He wanted to make her happy in this way.
He wanted to make her happy and relaxed by watching a comedy movie.
Wen Xue stared blankly at the big screen. He Yan, who was one seat away, didn't watch the movie very carefully. When he saw the whole audience laughing, he finally turned his head to look at her. In that one glance, the screen light shone on her fair face.
Everyone present, except for him and her, was laughing out loud.
He clearly saw tears glistening in her eyes.
He Yan silently withdrew his gaze. He knew he was forcing her, forcing her to spend the New Year with him, forcing her to come to the movies, and forcing her to stay by his side.
But he still couldn't let her go.
…
After the movie ended, some audience members couldn't wait to rush to the next showing and hurriedly left. Gradually, after the post-credits scene, fewer and fewer people were in the theater until only Wen Xue and He Yan remained. A staff member came over to clean up and gave them a strange look.
"Let's go," He Yan suggested.
Wen Xue seemed to wake from a dream, picked up a bucket of popcorn, and followed him out.
The two took the elevator to the underground parking garage. She seemed to still be in the middle of the movie. When they passed a car, He Yan put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her aside to avoid bumping into it. She whispered, "Thank you."
"If you can't finish it, just throw it away."
He Yan gestured for her to throw the bucket of popcorn she was holding, which she had only eaten a few kernels of, into the nearby trash can so it wouldn't get in the way.
Wen Xue shook her head: "I can't waste what I paid for. I can finish it."
She is very stubborn about these things.
While he was at a loss with her, he also wanted to ask her: if popcorn shouldn't be wasted, then what about him?
The jeep slowly drove out of the mall. It was late at night. The traffic was heavy on the way there, but the return trip was much easier. When they arrived downstairs, He Yan did not turn off the engine immediately. He looked at the dark tenement building, seemingly lost in thought, his expression silent and serious.
He didn't move, and Wen Xue didn't unbuckle her seatbelt either. She took a few pieces of popcorn and ate them slowly.
The car was filled with a sweet scent.
He Yan suddenly asked, "Have you been feeling bored these past few days?"
Having come this far, there's no question of regret or no regret. Once there was a first kiss between him and her, there would definitely be a second and a third.
It's just a matter of time.
This was the first time in his two lifetimes that he had tasted the sweetness of love. Family ties are enduring, friendships are sincere, but romantic love is like honey dripping from a knife's edge; once you taste a hint of sweetness, you crave more, and this sweetness is unique to her.
So it was never her who angered him; it was him who did what he had wanted to do for a long time.
Wen Xue paused, her hand holding the popcorn still. "A little."
She thought for a moment and then put her feelings more specifically, "The main thing is that I don't know what to do."
"Want to go out and have some fun?" he asked.
The topic changed so quickly that she was startled, thinking she had misheard, "Going out? Where to?"
Seeing that she didn't refuse outright, He Yan smiled and said slowly, "Don't ask, go upstairs and pack your luggage, take your documents, and we'll leave in half an hour."
He found that the more careful he was, the more bewildered she became.
She'd be more comfortable if things stayed the way they were before.
He continued to be the domineering older brother, waiting to get the ship back on course after the storm.
She didn't know how to sail, so he would do it, as long as she was willing to stay on the ship.
Wen Xue looked at him in disbelief. After confirming that he was not joking, she blinked, but her heart was beating faster than usual. Without saying a word, she unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and got out. She ran very fast and disappeared into the stairwell in no time.
He Yan couldn't help but laugh.
He was older than her and, while he lacked experience in romantic relationships, he had spent so much time with her that he knew exactly how to act as her older brother.
Being an elder brother means giving.
Other than that, it is about taking.
No wonder she wanted to escape.
He also turned off the engine and got out of the car. He went upstairs and quickly packed his luggage. The old house was not well soundproofed. He sat in a chair, looked up at the ceiling, and could hear her running back and forth. She should be happier now, right?
He Yan had given her too little time. After packing her change of clothes, Wen Xue only had ten minutes left. She gritted her teeth and sent him a message: "[I want to brush my teeth, wash my face, and then take a shower.]"
It means that applying for a later release date is not possible.
He replied quickly: "I'll give you ten more minutes."
Wen Xue smiled, pursing her lips: "Okay."
In those twenty minutes, she didn't think about anything. She quickly washed up and took a shower. When she carried her luggage downstairs, everything was quiet. She could only hear her own rapid breathing and heartbeat. The empty space on the first floor had the headlights of the jeep on, illuminating the path under her feet.
She rushed to the car, opened the door and sat down. He Yan's clean and refreshing scent wafted over her. He took the luggage from her arms and put it in the back seat. Seeing her stunned and bewildered look, he chuckled and stretched out his long arm to fasten her seatbelt.
Wen Xue calmed her breathing and asked softly, "Where are we going?"
"I don't know." He Yan leaned back in the driver's seat, shifted gears, and stared at the rearview mirror before replying in a calm voice.
"What?" She thought she had misheard.
"That's not important."
He Yan glanced at her and said, "We'll talk about it once we're on the highway."
Since the trip was a spur-of-the-moment decision, why must we set a destination?
After the initial shock and confusion, Wen Xue felt a surge of anticipation deep within her, as if she were embarking on an adventure. Her eyes, which had been filled with worry for two days, finally lit up completely.
The vehicle sped past in the darkness.
The scenery in the rearview mirror was also receding little by little; they were fleeing the city of West City.
The car radio was playing a late-night program, and the safety pendant swayed gently. Wen Xue couldn't help but hold her breath. This was something she had never experienced in her twenty-one years of life, and she wanted to remember every detail.
Suddenly a deep voice interrupted her thoughts: "There are still a few hundred meters to the fork in the road. Point me in the right direction."
"ah?"
Wen Xue sat up straight, bewildered and extremely nervous. "I mean? But I don't know!"
"Quickly, almost there."
"Ahhhh—"
Wen Xue was extremely anxious.
He genuinely didn't know where to go or hadn't decided, so he simply drove her onto the highway. The worst part was that she was completely unprepared.
And now, to be precise, she might have to make a decision within ten seconds.
Why is he like this?
"Hurry up," he urged slowly, "left or right?"
Wen Xue panicked and blurted out, "Right!"
“That’s settled then.” He Yan listened to her completely; if she said to go right, he went right.
Wen Xue felt cold sweat break out on her forehead. She had never seen such a person before, the first time in her life. Thinking that he might continue to make her choose, she quickly looked down and took out her phone from her bag, trying to find a map of the highway while her breathing was unsteady.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'll do my homework." She was still a little angry.
He Yan was completely convinced by her. "You do your homework every day, even while eating. Why make such a fuss? Just give it a rest and drive wherever you want, okay?"
Wen Xue really wanted to say no.
But she was also looking forward to a special trip, so she turned off her phone screen, "...Okay."
At each subsequent fork in the road, Wen Xue decided which way to go. She gradually found it fun and even started playing a game she rarely played as a child called "pointing out whoever she points to," which amused He Yan so much that he couldn't help but laugh.
"Is it fun?"
Hearing He Yan ask this, Wen Xue smiled and nodded honestly, "A little bit."
After driving for more than three hours, He Yan stopped at a service area to rest.
Wenxue really wanted to go to the restroom, but the service area looked a bit old, and the incandescent light in the restroom was flickering. Looking inside, it felt like a scene from a horror movie, and she was too scared to go in even though she was holding it in.
"What's wrong?" He Yan asked when he saw her peeking around suspiciously.
Wen Xue was too embarrassed to admit she was scared. Under his suspicious gaze, she gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and walked in without looking to the side. She entered the cubicle closest to the door. It was so quiet that even the sound of the dripping faucet was amplified. She couldn't help but raise her voice and ask, "He Yan, are you outside?"
"..." He Yan pressed his temples. "I'm here."
She quickly washed her hands and rushed outside.
She was moving too fast, and He Yan caught her in one go. After she regained her balance, he looked down at her and gave a short laugh.
You're such a coward.
However, this timid person agreed without hesitation when this man, whom she had barely met, came to her and asked her to go with him.
Today was no different. Late at night, he asked her to pack her luggage, and she did so without hesitation.
He knew very well that her trust and reliance on him were all built on a very important foundation.
This is based on the fact that he is He Heng's older brother.
She went with him precisely because he was He Heng's brother.
Because he is He Heng's brother, she will not go with him.
"Don't laugh at me," she said sullenly.
"Who laughed? I didn't laugh. Let's go."
The two prepared to embark on their journey again. It was already two in the morning. Wen Xue walked to the car and was about to open the passenger door when the tall man behind her stretched out his arm and easily blocked it. His voice came down to her eardrums: "It's late. Your back will hurt if you sit in the car for too long. Go lie down in the back seat and take a nap."
"And what about you?" she asked.
He Yan remained noncommittal, saying, "I'm used to it."
Those four simple words felt like needles piercing her heart.
She held her breath, responded softly, her hair brushing against his raised arm, opened the car door and sat in the back seat. The car was spacious enough for her to curl up and sleep, but how could she possibly fall asleep?
After getting into the car, He Yan readjusted the heater temperature and the rearview mirror angle.
The car interior is warm and dry.
He looked up and saw her lying obediently in the back seat through the mirror. Still a little worried, before she could fasten her seatbelt, he took off his coat. He was tall and his coat was large enough to completely cover her.
When He Yan threw his coat at her, Wen Xue was stunned and quickly sat up. "I'm not cold!"
“Cover it up,” he said in an unquestionable tone.
"Then what will you do?"
"I'm not sleeping, I'm not cold."
He Yan was indeed not cold; the car was well-heated, and he was very comfortable wearing a sweater.
Wenxue wanted to return his clothes, but he stepped on the gas and merged into the highway. She immediately gave up the idea and didn't dare to push or pull him, for fear of affecting his driving. She could only gently hug his clothes and lie down again.
“If you’re cold, you have to tell me,” she emphasized earnestly.
"I'm not cold, go to sleep."
She felt helpless, but also much more at ease.
The He Yan of the past two days was too unfamiliar; the one she knew now was the one she was familiar with.
A smile played on her lips. Despite not being able to sleep, she closed her eyes to rest. The car drove smoothly, and gradually, with the soothing tone of the radio, she did become a little sleepy. She was in a light sleep, but she still vaguely felt the hem of her coat slip onto the car seat. Thinking about it, she suddenly woke up with a start.
He Yan, who was focused on driving, didn't even notice.
She picked up her coat and put it away. As she moved it, she seemed to bump into something. She paused for a few seconds, then picked it up and, in the dim light inside the car, could see clearly that it was a movie ticket with the stub still attached.
The seating arrangement is clearly printed on it: 7 rows, 8 seats.
"woke up?"
Hearing the rustling noise, He Yan, who was in the driver's seat, asked in a low voice.
Wen Xue hurriedly hid the movie ticket, her throat tightening slightly. "Um, I'm a little thirsty."
“Okay.” He looked at the sign outside. “There’s a service area two kilometers ahead.”
"good."
After arriving at the next service area, He Yan took a bottle of water from the trunk, unscrewed the cap and handed it to her. She took it and drank two sips with a heavy heart.
"I'm going to the restroom to wash my face," he instructed. "It's not far. If anyone comes by, just call me."
She nodded gently.
As he turned to walk towards the restroom, she took out the movie ticket she had hidden. Her throat, still sore from drinking water, felt incredibly dry. Guessing was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes was quite another. She took a few deep breaths and, before he returned, carefully tucked the movie ticket into her wallet.
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