Chapter 122 Extra (7): He was never the only one suffering and sinking into despair.
bite--
As soon as the elevator doors opened, He Yan and Wu Yuejiang bumped into each other unexpectedly.
The red rash on Wu Yuejiang's neck didn't look as scary as it did in the afternoon. His eyes were still a little red, but his expression was strange, like he was happy, yet also melancholy. He had been holding back his emotions all the way, and they poured out the moment he saw He Yan.
He was originally going to get off the elevator, but he didn't. The elevator doors closed, and he went down to the first floor with He Yan.
He Yan looked hesitant, his expression serious.
Wu Yuejiang was engrossed in her own world and didn't notice his absent-mindedness in time. She was still sighing and saying, "How could it be such a coincidence?"
Upon reaching the first floor, the two stepped out of the sedan chair side by side.
During the National Day holiday, many people got married. Even in the county town, the hotel rooms were full, with guests coming and going. Wu Yuejiang followed He Yan through the lobby and out of the hotel. He shivered when he was hit by the cold wind.
"Let's chat."
He Yan was certainly not a completely heartless friend. He raised his hand and glanced at his watch. "I have something to do. Let's talk for ten minutes."
Wu Yuejiang nodded.
The two walked to the side, near the parking lot, where there was no one and it was very quiet, making it a good place to talk about their unsettled feelings.
"Speak."
He Yan looked at the watch face again, as if he had already started a countdown.
Wu Yuejiang didn't bother to pay attention to how impatient his tone was. He was already annoyed at the moment and subconsciously reached into his pocket to find a cigarette case to smoke. But as soon as he raised his arm, before he even touched the lighter, the guy standing next to him said coldly, "Try smoking one, don't get all smelly like me."
"..."
Wu Yuejiang had no choice but to give up.
He sighed deeply, opened his mouth as if to confide, but didn't know what to say. How could matters of the heart be explained in ten minutes or an hour?
He Yan did not urge him.
In their past lives, they had achieved some success. If they wanted to see someone or find someone, it wouldn't be difficult if they had the will. There are no so many things beyond one's control. The only reason Old Wu didn't know where Xinlu was after they separated was that he had let go.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
He Yan patiently stood with him in the night wind for another ten minutes before saying, "Wen Xue is still waiting for me to buy food and go back."
Wu Yuejiang snapped out of his daze and said, "Okay."
"Think it over carefully," He Yan said. "Don't be too impulsive, or you'll hurt yourself and others."
Wu Yuejiang burst into laughter, "You have the nerve to say that to me?"
"I am not like you."
He Yan said. Before he acted impulsively, he had suppressed his feelings countless times. He had long been clear about his feelings for Wen Xue. In other words, even if Wen Xue never accepted him, he would not leave her side. If she was willing, he would stand by her side; if she was not willing, he would stand behind her.
From the night he drove to Xida University to find her, he never thought of leaving Wenxue's life.
Wu Yuejiang understood what he meant, suppressed his smile, and said, "Don't worry, I know."
"Are you alright?" He Yan asked.
Wu Yuejiang said irritably, "Do you think I'd dare to cause any trouble?"
Who would dare delay my buddy from buying food for his girlfriend?
He Yan remained noncommittal.
The two parted ways at the hotel entrance. After watching Wu Yuejiang go inside, he took out his phone and sent Wen Xue a message: "[I ran into Lao Wu downstairs, I'll be back later]".
A few minutes later, he finally received her reply: [Yuejiang must be feeling really conflicted today, right? Why don't you talk to him a bit more? [hugs]]
He Yan: [We've finished talking]
She didn't reply.
He put away his phone and continued crossing the street.
When He Yan returned to his room, Wen Xue was standing by the window looking at the beautiful night view he had described. The window was slightly ajar, and the sound of the wind could be faintly heard. The streetlights in the distance were dim, and occasionally a few pedestrians would pass by.
He placed the heavy shopping bag on the table, still feeling the chill of his body, and hugged her from behind. "What are you looking at?"
Wenxue finished her shower, wearing a nightgown, her aura serene and delicate.
“Look at the people,” she said. “There are couples taking a walk, students riding bicycles, and you.”
She stood there, watching him gradually come into view.
As he crossed the sidewalk carrying his shopping bags, for a fleeting moment, as if by telepathy, he looked up at the window of their room.
However, the window was specially modified so that she could see outside, but he couldn't see her.
"Mmm." He rested his chin on the top of her head and responded. They were so close that she could even feel the vibration of his chest as he answered.
They stood quietly by the window, embracing each other.
Let's look out the window together at the myriad aspects of life.
There were young couples, married couples, children, and elderly people.
"Isn't it interesting?" she asked with a smile.
He Yan neither said yes nor no. Although he didn't speak, she could hear his inner thoughts at that moment. It would be more interesting to watch it with her.
What a coincidence.
That's what she thought too.
…
The rushing water stopped, and He Yan emerged, his body exuding a clean and refreshing aura. What he saw was this scene before him: the bedside lamp was on, and Wen Xue was lying on the bed, her soft hair spread out on the pillow, her eyes closed as if she were asleep, but he knew she wasn't.
She had earphones in and was holding her phone with both hands, presumably listening to music.
He paused in drying his hair, leaning casually against the wall as he watched her. After a while, he casually put the towel aside, walked step by step towards the bed, but instead of sitting down, he leaned down slightly and, as he had done many times before, touched her forehead.
She was already used to his touch.
If I'm asleep, he won't wake me up.
If you're not asleep...
Wen Xue curled her lips and smiled under his palm. She was still a little shy and didn't open her eyes, asking, "Did you blow-dry your hair?"
In October, if you wash your hair on the night but don't blow-dry it, you're more likely to catch a cold.
"It's over," he said in a low voice. "Listening to music?"
She shook her head and then nodded, unusually keeping everyone in suspense, "I'm listening to my personal radio station. Every time I hear his voice, I feel especially... at ease."
He Yan frowned.
A personal radio station? That doesn't sound good.
He hummed in agreement, lifted a corner of the blanket and lay down next to her. Still feeling it wasn't enough, he reached out and hugged her, letting her rest comfortably on her head. He took off one of his earphones and put it on, wanting to hear whose voice would put her at ease.
As soon as I put on the headphones, the whistling stopped, and a deep male voice came through: "Let me see if there are any parking spaces outside the south gate. If not, I'll drop you off at the gate first."
He Yan suddenly looked down at her.
Why is it his voice?
He hadn't remembered when this happened. She leaned against him and whispered, "It was recorded by Sister Jing, Nana, and you on the way to school when we started the second semester of my sophomore year."
She is a slow-to-warm-up person.
Only when she is absolutely certain will she slowly open the door, welcome him in, and sink to the bottom of the water together to see her hidden joys and sorrows.
“At that time, I was always worried that one day when I got better, our relationship would gradually drift apart. When I didn’t sleep well in the dorm, I would listen to this audio repeatedly. It was like it made me feel much more at ease.”
She said slowly, "It became a habit, and I listened to it every day, including during that period."
That period of time when she was determined to stay away from it.
He Yan remained silent.
Until Wen Xue opened her eyes and their eyes met.
She took off her headphones and then took them off for him, gently stroking his face with care, looking intently at him, wanting to etch an even deeper impression of this face she had seen countless times into her heart.
He was never the only one suffering and falling into despair.
"I know."
As he finished speaking, his hot breath enveloped her. The bedside lamp illuminated their two bodies pressed tightly together, inseparable, their breaths rising and falling. He seemingly mercifully released her, allowing her to breathe, but the next second his kiss landed on her earlobe and neck, hot and itchy. Her body wanted to pull away, but her mind wanted to stay. She could only tilt her head back and hold his arm tightly.
He was like a rock standing on the edge of a cliff.
If she were to fall, she would take him with her.
He Yan kissed her deeper and deeper, leaving his marks on her body little by little, and her every breath gradually permeated him.
He is hers, and she is his.
At the edge of the bed, the white nightgown was gradually covered, wrapped, and filled by the dark gray bathrobe.
Both bodies involuntarily tensed up for a few seconds.
The long and patient prelude left Wen Xue drenched in sweat. Her lips parted slightly, and he held his breath, his muscles stiffening. He gazed at her intently for a few seconds before lowering his head to kiss her, his kiss less urgent than before, and more tender than usual.
He didn't need her to struggle and feel uncomfortable keeping up with his pace.
He can wait for her.
When she can fully accept him.
…
The sturdy bed legs wobbled slightly under the slow but forceful impact.
Wen Xue was momentarily lost in thought. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and the fingers he had lightly bitten touched the tattoo on his shoulder. She unconsciously stroked it, and the resulting tingling sensation made his breath catch in his throat, rising and falling, as if he wanted to penetrate into the deepest and softest part of her heart.
The clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.
Wen Xue felt as if she had been wading through water, a few strands of hair sticking to her cheeks. Her eyes were unfocused, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a while, she regained control of her body. She felt sticky and tried to get up, but he pulled her back into his arms.
"I……"
Her throat felt a little dry.
"Know."
He chuckled softly, understanding what she meant. Life was long; he wouldn't let her miss a night's sleep. "I'll carry you to take a bath, and then you can sleep."
"No--"
Without even thinking, she hastily refused: "I'll wash it myself!"
As she tried to get up from his arms, he naturally ignored her, got out of bed without a word, picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, coaxing her, "You're exhausted, take a rest, you'll be fine soon."
No, don't be too fast!
She cried out in her heart, she wanted to wash herself clean...
late at night.
The two stood under the showerhead. He Yan let her step on his insteps. Whether it was intentional or accidental, he squeezed out a lot of shower gel and showered for a very long time. The shower was so long that he used a towel to dry her off, changed her into a nightgown, and she fell into a deep sleep in less than five minutes after lying in bed.
After cleaning up the mess in the bathroom, He Yan returned to bed, lay down beside her, and pulled her into his arms.
He hoped that she would get used to sleeping in his arms, just as she had gotten used to him touching her forehead.
In fact, the restlessness within me did not subside.
He couldn't sleep, his gaze fixed on her brows, unable to get enough of looking at her. While she slept, he kissed her face again and again.
After a while, his gaze swept over the phone, which still had the earphone cord plugged in. Remembering what she had said about "personal radio," he thought for a moment, then grabbed the phone. She was sleeping soundly in his arms, perhaps having a sweet dream. He hoped that he would be in her dream.
-
The next day, the sun was high in the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains onto the dark carpet. Wen Xue lazily opened her eyes; she had slept so comfortably and felt so full, her spirits brimming with unprecedented energy and satisfaction.
She subconsciously turned her head to look for He Yan.
She was alone on the big bed.
She got up, still wrapped in the blanket. Aside from an indescribable feeling of fullness, she didn't feel particularly uncomfortable. She tentatively called out towards the bathroom, "He Yan?"
No one responded.
She glanced under the bed and couldn't help but chuckle. Slippers were neatly arranged, ready for her to slip on as soon as she got out of bed. Her phone was plugged in and charging on the bedside table, along with a bottle of water that had been opened and then closed, and a few of her favorite chocolates.
Wen Xue leaned forward and grabbed the phone, unlocking the screen.
He Yan sent her several messages half an hour ago—
I went out to buy breakfast.
If I haven't replied to this message by the time you see it, tell me what you'd like to eat.
If you come back, don't be picky, you can eat whatever I buy.
Call me if you need anything.
I'll be back soon.
Fortunately, she has a habit of muting her phone's notification sounds before going to bed.
However, even if it wasn't on silent mode, she wouldn't be woken up by the vibration; she was just too tired and was sleeping too soundly.
She typed back: 【Awake, want to eat soy milk and fried dough sticks^^】
He Yan replied instantly: [Mm]
Wen Xue put down her phone, rolled around on the bed, and buried her face in the pillow, secretly laughing.
I inexplicably felt so satisfied, so happy, so joyful.
After laughing enough, she drank a few sips of water, dawdled, and got out of bed to wash up. While brushing her teeth, she picked through replying to other people's messages when she suddenly froze. She was surprised to find a newly recorded audio file on her phone.
The time was 3:20 a.m.
3 a.m.?
Did he not sleep all night?
With this guess in mind, she moved her finger, clicked on the audio, and turned up the volume.
There was a long silence.
He Yan’s slightly low voice came through; to be precise, he was singing a cappella.
This was the first time she had ever heard him sing. In the past, when they went to karaoke, he would always sit on the side doing his own thing or just listening to others sing. He never took the microphone. Others probably knew that he didn't sing, so they never egged him on or shouted at him.
Over time, she came to believe that he probably couldn't sing.
Wen Xue held her phone; the only sounds in the room were his low, husky voice and her own heartbeat.
She slowly inhaled and exhaled, feeling both like laughing and crying.
The song he sang was the one she sang at a karaoke bar the winter when she first came into his life.
So he knew all along.
Fortunately, he remembered everything.
At that time, she was in pain, she was frustrated, she was distressed, and she was singing "Nothing lasts forever".
He couldn't fall asleep at this time and promised her, "I will stay with you and watch the gentle flow of time."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com