Chapter 102. How come we never noticed the rock before...?
On the eve of National Day, Wen Xue and He Yan were unusually busy.
She had finished her senior year courses and went to her internship company at the end of September to sign the contract and officially start work, marking one foot firmly in the door of the workforce. Perhaps she was too busy, or perhaps it was when Si Yi suddenly asked her one night if she had argued with He Yan that she realized she hadn't seen him for over a week.
It seems he's busier than she is, and can't spare the time.
"We didn't argue."
Wen Xue smiled, glanced at the local weather forecast, put her coat in her suitcase, and said, "He'll pick me up from the airport early tomorrow morning."
Yang Siyi lay on the sofa, utterly dejected, and tilted his head to ask her, "I want to go out and play too, sob sob sob, is Boss He still hiring? I want to apply!"
"We're short-staffed, but we can't afford the salaries you want."
Wen Xue joked with her freely. Si Yi cursed the company eight hundred times a day, including but not limited to cursing the boss to go bankrupt tomorrow, the leader to get stuck in traffic, and colleagues to order takeout but there were no chopsticks... She never thought of quitting. In the end, it was because the company paid too much.
"Ugh, so annoying!"
Yang Siyi clutched his chest, "What's even more annoying is that I have to work overtime during the National Day holiday!"
Wen Xue thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "How about I ask someone else to walk the dog for me?"
"No, you can't take away my only hobby right now!" Si Yi emphasized solemnly. "Seriously, if you break up with Boss He in the future, I will definitely go steal dogs with you in the middle of the night."
Wen Xue burst into laughter.
Only very close friends would say this to her.
She understood Siyi's concerns. Siyi was also telling her in this way that this relationship was no big deal; if you like someone, be together; if you don't, break up.
"Okay," she replied, thinking to herself that it was best not to let He Yan know about this conversation. People who are in their first relationship can't stand hearing the word "breakup," not even hypothetical ones.
"Have fun outside, be happy." Si Yi was still envious.
During the seven-day holiday, she was stuck in Xicheng District, working overtime for three days and sleeping at home for four days, a perfectly arranged schedule.
This National Day holiday, after consulting with her employees, Wu Yuejiang chose another domestic tourist destination as their destination. Last year, Wen Xue went as a part-time employee, but this year was slightly different. At least on the form Nana received, Wen Xue's name was followed by parentheses, with two clearly visible words inside—
Family members.
Nana couldn't stop laughing.
I never realized before that Yan Ge was actually quite a closet pervert.
Who is Wen Xue's relative? It's so hard to guess.
…
Early in the morning, He Yan's luggage was relatively simple. Before leaving, he was a little worried, so he checked himself in the bathroom mirror several times to make sure that the injury on his face had healed and there were no traces left before picking up his car keys and leaving.
He hadn't seen her for ten days, and he didn't know how he had gotten through those days.
Several times, he drove right up to her apartment building, but could only look at the lit window.
What frustrated him was that she seemed to think it didn't matter if they didn't meet.
My phone is vibrating.
A message popped up on the screen: "My suitcase is a bit heavy, so please don't ring the doorbell when you come up. Siyi is still asleep^^"
He Yan: "..."
She didn't know whether to be relieved or speechless. She was relieved that after two months of dating, she was starting to treat him more and more like her boyfriend and wouldn't feel embarrassed to ask him for anything. She was speechless because she hadn't realized that they hadn't seen each other for ten days.
He replied dutifully: 【Hmm】
Wen Xue packed her luggage last night. She tried to move quietly in the kitchen, cooking corn and eggs. She also left a sticky note on the refrigerator to remind Si Yi to eat breakfast when she woke up. Estimating that He Yan would be arriving soon, she held her breath, quietly opened the door, and carried the extremely heavy suitcase outside.
He Yan came out of the elevator and saw her sitting on her suitcase, looking down at her phone.
He raised his eyebrows slightly.
In the quiet of the apartment corridor in the early morning, you could hear a pin drop. The sound of the elevator doors closing and his steady footsteps reached Wen Xue's ears. She lowered her eyes, quietly shifting her gaze from the screen, watching him step into the building. Suddenly, she looked up at him with a smile.
I haven't seen you for ten days.
She really missed him.
Her clear, bright eyes sparkled. Without thinking much, He Yan leaned down and kissed her. Unusually, she didn't push him away or dodge. She tilted her head back to respond and accept it. The oxygen seemed to thin out, and she didn't even have time to think about whether there were cameras above her or whether the surveillance was broken.
What did you eat?
He released her and asked in a low voice.
Wen Xue blushed, grabbed his sleeve, and whispered, "Fruit corn, do you want some? There's more inside."
No wonder it tastes a little sweet.
He covered it again, tasted it carefully, and that was it.
There were quite a few residents on this floor. Suddenly, the quiet hallway was filled with other people's voices. Wen Xue heard them and quickly pushed him away to get up and fix her hair. He was amused by her guilty look and dragged her suitcase with one hand and held her hand with the other as they walked towards the elevator.
Wen Xue tilted her head to look at him and felt that he had lost some weight.
Maybe they were too busy before the long holiday? They probably didn't eat properly.
On a whim, seeing that the elevator hadn't arrived yet, she couldn't resist wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing herself even closer, inhaling the refreshing scent of his aftershave, and a satisfied smile curled her lips.
"What's wrong?" He looked down at her, feigning ignorance.
"It feels like it's been ages since we last met."
He Yan's lips twitched upon hearing this. A feeling? Just a feeling?
It is clearly the truth.
He seemed dissatisfied with her expression, but his eyes were full of smiles as if he had been coaxed into oblivion. He hummed in agreement, lowered his head, kissed her forehead, and mumbled, "It's good that you know."
Wen Xue and He Yan were the two who arrived last in the group.
Those who knew the inside story simultaneously looked away, unable to bear watching. The group checked in their luggage, took their boarding passes, and prepared to go through security. Nana and Li Jingru deliberately made things difficult for He Yan, and as soon as Wen Xue arrived, they firmly occupied the positions of left and right protectors.
He Yan glanced at them indifferently.
This was also one of the three rules Wenxue and he agreed on. She wouldn't deliberately hide their relationship from acquaintances, but she also hoped he wouldn't deliberately announce their relationship in front of many people, because not many people knew they were together, except for very close friends and those who were particularly perceptive.
After boarding the plane, Nana looked regretful.
Yan Ge is too cunning. He actually arranged for Wen Xue to sit with him. With such a blatant attitude, it probably won't be long before even the slow-witted Wang Yuan finds out that he's no longer single and is dating Wen Xue.
There were three seats in a row. Wu Yuejiang, who was closest to the aisle, was the most wattage light bulb. Unaware of his surroundings, he walked past He Yan in the middle and chatted enthusiastically with Wen Xue.
He Yan glanced at him sideways, "How about we change seats?"
Wu Yuejiang chuckled, "Fine, I won't make you my grandson."
Wen Xue turned her head to look out the window, trying her best to suppress her laughter.
The air conditioning on the plane was very strong.
She woke up too early today and felt sleepy, so she asked the flight attendant for a blanket to cover herself with and close her eyes to rest, refusing to participate in the childish argument between the two men next to her whose combined age was over fifty.
After a two-hour flight, everyone went from excitement to exhaustion. Sleepiness is contagious, and one after another, people yawned and fell asleep.
Wan Nian was also sitting near the aisle when the plane jolted awake. He glanced at Nana, who was sleeping soundly with her head on his shoulder, then looked towards Wu Yuejiang. When he looked away, he inadvertently saw He Yan tucking a blanket around the sleeping Wen Xue and touching her forehead and cheeks.
He immediately closed his eyes, a huge wave of shock surging through his mind.
Was he seeing things?
Even if we assume we're not mistaken, isn't it really nothing?
…
On their first day after landing, there were no plans. After dinner, the group leisurely strolled around the ancient town. They eventually found a quiet bar to drink and listen to people sing, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In this comfortable and pleasant moment, no one noticed that He Yan had secretly taken Wen Xue away.
Wang Yuan felt like he had eaten something bad, but couldn't find a restroom anywhere. So, he made up his mind and walked a little further back to the guesthouse they had booked.
As I came out of the restroom, I met the friendly guesthouse owner in the courtyard on the first floor.
The two greeted each other, and the guesthouse owner said, "Isn't the ancient town fun? Why are you all back?"
Wang Yuan asked in bewilderment, "Who else replied?"
The guesthouse owner chuckled and pointed to the room upstairs: "Your boss and his girlfriend, they have a great relationship."
Wang Yuan was completely confused.
When he realized that the guesthouse owner was referring to He Yan and Wen Xue, he laughed and made sure to clarify, "You've got the wrong person. They're not a couple. She's Brother Yan's sister."
The boss was surprised and muttered, "Impossible, they're just a couple."
She wanted to say a few more words, but her family members, who were busy in the kitchen, called her away, and the conversation had to be stopped.
Wang Yuan was both amused and exasperated. He scratched his head, stepped onto the stairs, stood at the door of He Yan and Wu Yuejiang's room, and knocked.
No one answered.
Is she asleep?
For some reason, the words of the guesthouse owner echoed in his ears, and he went upstairs as if possessed. Before he even reached the third floor, he could clearly hear two laughter sounds through a wall, a deep male voice and a soft female voice mixed together.
Wang Yuan was dumbfounded and dared not go any further.
He walked straight downstairs, his expression blank.
-
The next morning, the bus driver and some tourists came to pick them up for a trip. The air was fresh and the scenery was beautiful, but Wu Yuejiang and He Yan had an emergency and couldn't go. The others were fine, but Wen Xue was sullen and holding her camera.
He Yan pulled her aside and comforted her, "I'll come find you when I'm done with my work. You have fun with them."
Hearing the snow, she hesitated, as if she wanted to speak.
"Take more photos." He ruffled her hair.
"Mmm." She nodded dejectedly.
He Yan also felt uneasy.
However, he really couldn't leave today. The day after they left the climbing gym, Zhou Xian was also angered by him and didn't even give him time to process it before taking action the very next day. His planned commodity trading platform project was abruptly halted, and his partners from several previous projects also called, willing to pay compensation to terminate the cooperation even though they had signed contracts.
"Go."
Everyone else boarded the bus one after another. He Yan looked up and whispered.
Wen Xue got into the car, turning back every few steps.
She sat by the window, fastened her seatbelt, and hurriedly looked out the window at He Yan. He had been looking at her the whole time. When he saw her looking over, he waved to her and made a phone call gesture, indicating that she should remember to contact him even when she was out having fun.
Everything seemed normal, but for some reason, she still felt inexplicably uneasy.
She pressed her forehead against the window, forcing a smile.
This unease reached its peak when she got off the bus to stroll around the lake. Her phone vibrated; she unlocked the screen to find a friend request—a simple yet jarring single word: 【Zhou】.
It was Zhou Xian.
To her alarm, this time was different from the one a few months ago.
It seems he changed his profile picture.
Wen Xue hesitated for a few seconds, then clicked on it, her heart leaping into her throat. His current profile picture was probably taken a month ago when they met in the park; she was leading Shitou away, jogging across the grass.
A green meadow under a sky ablaze with sunset colors, a leaping puppy, and a running girl.
He took a picture of her from behind.
"Are you carsick?"
A voice came from behind, and Wen Xue almost dropped her phone. She turned around and saw Wang Yuan handing her a bottle of coconut water.
"No, thank you, I'm not thirsty."
Wen Xue thanked him politely. Lost in thought, she gazed at the lake reflecting the blue sky and white clouds for a long time. Noticing that Wang Yuan was still standing beside her, she looked at him with a puzzled expression; his gaze fell on the paper bag she was carrying.
These are couple keychains I bought at the previous tourist attraction.
"Is something the matter?" she asked.
Wang Yuan shook his head vigorously, saying incoherently, "I just think the keychains you bought are nice, and I want to buy some too. I doubt the bus will turn back..."
As he spoke, he also became desperate.
What kind of nonsense is he spouting?
Seeing the annoyance on his face, Wen Xue couldn't help but laugh and handed him the paper bag, saying, "It's okay, I'll sell this to you."
"And what about you?" he asked, looking rather naive.
My mind has been a complete mess since last night. "You probably bought it as a gift for your boyfriend too, right?"
"It's alright," she smiled. "We'll buy it next time."
"Snowflakes are falling—come take a picture!"
Nana shouted loudly from afar.
Wang Yuan snapped out of his daze and stammered, "Then...never mind, I'll buy...buy something else."
Wen Xue nodded, composed herself, and went to find Nana.
Wang Yuan was left standing to the side, looking helplessly at the sky. What was going on?
In the fading light of dusk, they drove back. The guesthouse owner and his family had prepared a large feast, the aroma filling the air. The women, of different ages, were all very clean, and the first thing they did upon returning was to take a shower, while the men washed their faces and hands at the tap in the yard.
"Brother, come out for a second, I need to talk to you."
Wang Yuan splashed cold water on his face, which made him much more awake. He slowly moved to the sofa. He Yan leaned back and carefully flipped through the photos in Wen Xue's camera, laughing every now and then. It's no exaggeration to say that the laughter made even a tough man like him shudder. It was too cheesy.
He Yan looked up at him, "What can't you just say directly?"
"I can't say it here, I can't bring myself to say it."
"..." He Yan remembered that around this time in his previous life, Wang Yuan was thinking about buying a house in his hometown. It seemed that he wanted to borrow money. He quickly calculated in his mind how much spare money he could currently afford. "Okay."
The two walked out of the guesthouse one after the other.
Worried that someone might be listening, Wang Yuan deliberately walked another hundred or two meters. If He Yan hadn't run out of patience, he could have gone even further.
He Yan was speechless: "Can you talk now?"
"Brother Yan, it's like this..." Wang Yuan's feelings were also extremely complicated, and he stammered, "Didn't I confess to Wen Xue before? She said she has a boyfriend. You know about this, right?"
Although he had never met Wen Xue's boyfriend, it was an undeniable fact that she had one.
She mentioned it a few times.
"Brother, you've probably met her boyfriend, right?" Wang Yuan gritted his teeth. "I think... this whole thing is a mess..."
Men shouldn't do this.
In his heart, Yan Ge was a man among men.
Isn't this a bit inappropriate?
He Yan listened without saying a word, not interrupting Wang Yuan's troubled lecture. After a moment, when everything quieted down, he said, "Finished? Well, I'll say it then. I have indeed met her current boyfriend, and you have too."
"ah??"
"I."
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