Chapter 4, Question 004: We still need to find a way to make her last longer this winter break...
Around 5 a.m., Wen Xue woke up from a dream filled with white light and couldn't fall back asleep.
She has been sleeping poorly for the past six months. She often feels her body falling down after just a short while, and wakes up suddenly. She can only hold her breath and stare blankly at the ceiling in the dark. Sometimes she spends the whole night like this, and sometimes she can barely manage to sleep for another two hours.
In winter, at this time of day, it's not fully light yet, and only a sliver of light shines in through the window.
Wenxue lay in bed like a plant until almost eight o'clock, until she heard her roommate yawning and getting up. Only then did she drag her stiff body to sit up. Slowly, the other roommates also got up and lined up to wash up.
"I don't want to go to the cafeteria."
Ye Manni had a sudden idea and suggested, "Since it's a holiday today, let's be bold and take out the electric cooker to cook instant noodles!"
High-wattage appliances are generally prohibited in the dorm, for fear of accidentally tripping the circuit breaker and attracting the attention of the dorm supervisor. Even blow-drying hair is done with extreme caution, and using a small electric cooker like this is always nerve-wracking. The more adventurous and exciting it is, the more the other two roommates were persuaded, turning around and opening the drawer to look for snacks.
Ham sausage, braised eggs, chicken feet, and the like.
Wen Xue came out of the bathroom and was stunned when she saw the scene in the room.
Ye Manni waved to her, calling her to have breakfast. She wanted to refuse, but it was too late. Her roommate dragged her and made her sit on the suitcase. Before she could recover, she found herself with a pair of disposable chopsticks and a bowl.
"Wenxue, are you really not going to soak in the hot spring with us?"
"No, thank you." Wen Xue took a bite of noodles. "I don't have time. You guys have fun."
"Alright then..."
The three of them weren't all locals from Xicheng. Seeing that there was still some time before the New Year, they weren't in a hurry to go home. The four of them finished the pot of noodles. Wenxue habitually cleaned up the dishes and used a rag and dish soap to wash the pot clean. Occasionally, she would look up at the sky and see the sun rising, its sunlight dazzling.
Wen Xue returned to her dorm and washed up around 9 p.m. yesterday. Worried that packing her luggage would disturb others, she had to give up.
After finishing her work, she didn't waste any more time. She took off the sheets and blankets. Although she didn't have much luggage, it still took her an hour to pack. Her suitcase was packed full and very heavy. She tried to lift it and unexpectedly remembered what He Yan had said yesterday. A faint smile appeared in her eyes.
The entire dormitory building was bustling with activity. Students carrying luggage were going up and down the stairs. Wen Xue moved her belongings in batches, like ants carrying house, struggling to carry them all to the first floor. Sweat beaded on her face, and her dark hair was slightly disheveled and stuck to her forehead.
She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. After a few jolts, she felt a sharp pain in her internal organs.
Her health is worse now than it used to be.
…
He Yan is a punctual and trustworthy person. He said he would come at noon, not a minute more or less, and appeared at the entrance of the girls' dormitory on time. Seeing that Wen Xue was about to drag her suitcase, he stopped her and said, "Just stand there and don't move."
As he spoke, he peeked at the dormitory supervisor, took out an orange and put it on the table, "Look at my sister's skinny arms and legs, I won't go upstairs, okay?"
The dormitory supervisor couldn't help but chuckle and nodded: "Hurry up!"
He Yan thanked her, strode closer, and stood in front of Wen Xue. He glanced at her suitcase, backpack, schoolbag, and the neatly wrapped bedding at her feet. "Is that all?"
"Um."
Wen Xue bent down to grab her backpack, but he was faster and snatched it from her. He pushed the suitcase with his left hand, slung her bag over his shoulder, draped her schoolbag over his arm, and tucked a quilt under his arm. He walked out briskly, saying, "Follow me."
The dormitory manager glanced at him and laughed, "Your brother's physique is really impressive."
Wen Xue thanked him softly and hurriedly followed He Yan. There were many students returning home, and the sound of suitcase wheels dragging on the ground could be heard everywhere. He Yan parked his car at the south gate, which was closest to the dormitory building. He had long legs and was carrying luggage, so he walked faster than Wen Xue. When he turned around and saw her panting, he couldn't help but slow down.
"Have you eaten breakfast?" he asked.
"have eaten……"
He Yan felt a little relieved, but then noticed the dark circles under her eyes. It hadn't been very clear in the darkness last night, but seeing them in the sunlight now made him feel uneasy. Eight years later, although she was putting on a brave face, she wasn't as frail as she was now. If this were He Heng, he would have taught her a lesson long ago. He still needed to find a way to help her gain some weight this winter break. Food is the most important thing for people; if people eat well and have a good appetite, their mood will naturally be better.
"You haven't eaten lunch yet, have you?"
“No,” she thought for a moment and asked, “You haven’t eaten either? I’ll ask my roommate if there are any decent restaurants around here.”
He paid for yesterday's hotpot meal.
She always felt that she should treat him to something nice.
"No need to ask," He Yan said decisively. "I'll take you to eat something else."
He realized yesterday that she wasn't interested in eating or drinking and was fine with anything, so she didn't have any ideas when asked.
As she walked, she arrived at the car He Yan was driving. She opened the trunk and put all her luggage inside.
Wen Xue still remembered this car; he had driven it to drop her off at the start of the semester. After hesitating for a few seconds, she opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt. The car's interior mirror had a "Safe Travels" pendant hanging from it, which had already begun to fade.
Bang--
He Yan got into the car and closed the door. He was always clumsy, and the noise startled Wen Xue, who turned her head to look at him. The two stared at each other unexpectedly. Just as she was about to look away, he said, "If you feel stuffy, just roll down the window."
His beat-up car is always on the go, even to places with all sorts of people. He carries men who are rougher than him and don't care about appearances at all. He washes his car whenever it rains, completely ignoring whatever comes his way. He'll only take it to a car wash if the interior gets so dirty that he can't stand it anymore, and he doesn't do that more than twice in six months.
"good."
Wen Xue immediately rolled down the car window.
He Yan caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, paused for a moment, and thought about getting his car washed that afternoon.
He stretched out his long arm, took an orange from a plastic bag in the back seat, and handed it to her, saying, "Have some fruit to tide you over."
The fruit stand owner said that supplementing with certain vitamins is good for the body.
Wen Xue looked down at the orange in her hand. She didn't eat it, but picked it up and smelled it. The orange's fragrance was pleasant and refreshing.
He Yan was very familiar with Xicheng and could find the location accurately without a navigation map. After driving smoothly for more than half an hour, he stopped in front of a house near the old town. Wen Xue hesitated and got out of the car. She looked left and right, and this place did not look like a place to eat.
"Oh, what a rare guest!"
The middle-aged woman with curly hair beamed when she saw He Yan, but her eyes lit up when she saw the young girl following behind him. "Oh my, who is this? What a pretty young lady!"
He Yan shielded her from her gaze with his body. "My sister, Sister Mei, do you have chicken soup today? If so, bring some, a braised fish, and a stir-fry—"
He tilted his head and asked Wen Xue in a low voice, "What kind of vegetables do you want to eat?"
"It will be all right."
Sister Mei enthusiastically suggested, "Then let's stir-fry cabbage with pork cracklings. Cabbage that's been touched by frost is very sweet."
“Okay, this is it,” He Yan said.
Several tables were set up in the courtyard. The sun was shining brightly, warming the skin. The bright light illuminated Wen Xue's pale face, making it appear almost translucent. She was still holding the orange, as if it were a toy. She used to sit quietly next to He Heng like this.
"Most of the customers here are regulars."
Upon hearing this unexpectedly, she was momentarily stunned, then looked up at He Yan opposite her and nodded slightly, "...Oh."
He Yan also had no experience dealing with girls of that age.
Almost all the women he encountered in his life were straightforward and outspoken sisters-in-law. The female employees in his company were either his driver's girlfriends or related to his other male partner. It was common for a dozen or so people to argue and bicker. He didn't care whether they were male or female. If someone made a mistake at work, he would scold them or punish them as appropriate. He was used to interacting with people this way.
But he felt he couldn't use that approach on Wen Xue; she was too fragile.
He was five years older than both He Heng and Wen Xue.
I vaguely remember when I was little, my mom was heavily pregnant, and my still young dad would ask me if I wanted a little sister or a little brother. Without thinking, I would say little sister.
But this wasn't up to him; he ended up giving birth to a younger brother.
He admitted that in the past, he had little patience for He Heng. When He Heng was bullied, he would come to him looking pitiful. As a result, he would get a headache whenever he heard the boy cry. He was also very tough, and sometimes when he got annoyed, he would tell He Heng to get lost and go cool off somewhere else.
Later, he went out to make his way in the world, so busy that he barely had time to rest. He would call He Heng whenever he remembered, and if he didn't remember, he would just leave it at that. There was no need for brothers to be so clingy.
He Yan looked at Wen Xue, who was still silent with her head down, and listed things one by one in his mind.
Let her recover first. As for her studies, he can support her to pursue a doctorate if she can, but if she can't, then forget it.
Secondly, he knew quite a few people, and he helped keep an eye on things when she was looking for a job after graduation.
Finally, at least get her a house in a good location as soon as possible so she can have a place to settle down.
All of these were things he had wanted to do for his younger brother, He Heng.
…
"Come on, have a bowl of soup before you eat." Sister Mei brought out a pot of steaming hot chicken soup and placed it steadily on the table. The aroma filled the air, and the soup was a bright yellow color. "I've been simmering this soup on the stove since this morning. I was planning to have it for my own lunch, but if you hadn't brought your sister over, you wouldn't have gotten any."
She rolled her eyes at He Yan. "How many times have you come here to eat? Don't you know the rules? You have to book your soup two days in advance!"
"Thanks." He Yan raised an eyebrow, took out a pack of unopened cigarettes from his pocket and gave it to her, "It's for my sister."
Sister Mei beamed, "That's more like it."
Wen Xue politely replied, "Thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Sister Mei patted her shoulder, leaned down, and spoke in a much gentler tone. "Come visit often in the future, and I'll cook some of my signature dishes for you."
"Yes, thank you."
Mei Jie was both amused and exasperated. She turned and walked towards the kitchen. Wen Xue watched her lift the curtain and enter the house before politely turning her gaze away. Suddenly, she froze, looking at the extra bowl of chicken soup in front of her, with a large chicken leg piled in the porcelain bowl.
He Yan noticed the look in her eyes and said, "Eat first, there's another one after you finish, and the chicken leg is all yours."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com