Chapter 1 001. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to eight years ago...
In January, Xicheng was bitterly cold, and the wind stung his face. He Yan drove his Jeep around the university for almost half an hour, turning left and right, before finally finding a parking space. When he got out of the car, it was getting dark. He glanced at his phone; it was just past six o'clock. He wondered if Wen Xue was still in the student dormitory.
The memories that remain in my mind are too blurry.
He vaguely remembered that after his younger brother's burial and the erection of his tombstone, he took Wenxue back to school. At that time, she was not in good condition and was all alone. He was worried that she would faint on the way, so he simply took her suitcase and silently escorted her to the dormitory building.
After watching her go inside, he rubbed his face, turned around, and strode away.
What seems like an event that happened half a year ago has been eight years in the past for He Yan.
He didn't know why he had such a bizarre experience. The day before, he had been socializing until late at night. His driver took him back to his hotel, and as he lay down, he watched the light on the ceiling spread in circles. He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then pulled his phone out of his alcohol-smelling suit and sent a message. Before he could get a reply, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he fell into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back eight years in the past.
"Roasted sweet potatoes, fragrant and sweet roasted sweet potatoes—"
"Come and take a look, come in and have a look! Great quality at low prices, guaranteed ripe and sweet!"
The vendors set up their stalls, hawking their wares while keeping an eye out for the city management officers who might come. If anything seemed amiss, they would hop on their tricycles and run away.
He Yan slammed the car door shut. Instead of rushing into the school, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one with a lighter, took a drag, and the smoke blurred his rugged features. His face was expressionless. Before he had even finished the cigarette, he stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash can. Without further hesitation, he followed his memories into the university.
After exam week, the once bustling campus gradually quieted down.
Students, eager to return home, left in batches. He Yan looked around and found that his memory was not bad; he even remembered the way he had come before. He walked and stopped along the way, asking for directions, and finally arrived at the girls' dormitory building. Under the probing gaze of the dormitory supervisor, he said, "Could you please call Wen Xue for me? Wen is the 'Wen' in 'hearing,' and Xue is the 'Xue' in 'snowing.'"
He didn't have Wen Xue's current contact information, only this address.
He had considered asking his brother's friends first, but the last time he saw her before her rebirth was too vivid in his memory. He always felt a sense of urgency, as if if he came any later, she would walk down the same bumpy road again.
"Who are you?" the dormitory supervisor asked, frowning.
"Her brother."
Which dorm is she in?
With so many students living in the dormitory, it's impossible for the dormitory supervisor to remember everyone's name. Even if she did, all the necessary procedures still need to be followed.
He Yan paused. He really didn't know.
He wasn't familiar with Wen Xue; they'd barely met in their past lives. Back then, she was his younger brother He Heng's girlfriend. The two had been secretly dating since high school, but thankfully it didn't interfere with their studies, and they both got into universities in Xicheng. He first met her in a small restaurant in Xicheng.
Her younger brother accompanied her to some concert, and they also had a meal together.
She spoke very little, her voice gentle and soft. He handed her the menu and asked her to order. She lowered her eyes, clutched her pencil, and hesitated for a while before ordering the two cheapest dishes.
The second time they met was during the Spring Festival. He was busy with business and couldn't leave, but he was worried about his younger brother spending the New Year alone at home. So he bought a train ticket at the last minute and returned home in a hurry. When he squeezed out of the crowd, she and her brother were waiting for him at the exit.
When she saw him, she was still a little shy and called him "brother" softly.
The third meeting...
"Hey, who did you just say you were looking for?" A girl came in, took off her thick scarf, and asked curiously with her eyes wide open.
He Yan looked at her, "Wen Xue, do you know her?"
"Of course," the girl smiled. "My roommate."
At this point, she seemed to become wary again, "What do you want with Wen Xue?"
Is it going to be another case of relentless pestering?
When Wen Xue first enrolled in university, she attracted a lot of attention. She was beautiful, gentle, and friendly to everyone. Not only did boys like her, but girls liked her even more. Throughout her freshman year, she had many suitors, but at that time she had a boyfriend with whom she had a deep relationship. The two were in different colleges and would meet whenever they had free time. They were very sweet and loving. As time went on, the suitors realized that there was no chance and gave up.
No one expected that her boyfriend would die unexpectedly during the summer vacation before the start of her sophomore year.
This incident even made the news: a college student bravely jumped into the water to save a drowning child. The child was rescued, but the college student never made it back to shore. Many people sighed with regret, and it even sparked controversy. Some people said he should have saved the child, while others said that if he risked his own life, he shouldn't have saved him. The argument lasted for several days.
In any case, Wenxue lost her boyfriend.
One or two people used the guise of comforting her, and in the first semester of her sophomore year, many more people tried to take advantage of her vulnerability.
“I’m her brother,” He Yan said.
The girl shook her head, her gaze towards him becoming even stranger. "No, Wen Xue doesn't have a brother."
We've been roommates for over a year now, and we know each other's situations to some extent.
There were four of them in their undergraduate dormitory. Except for the dormitory head, who had a younger brother, the others had no siblings.
You damn liar!
Just as she was about to ask the dormitory supervisor to kick him out, she heard him say in a deep voice, "Her boyfriend's brother, classmate, could you please call her down? Just tell her that He Yan is looking for her, and she'll understand."
…
In dormitory 503.
Someone was humming a song as they packed their bags. Exam week was over, and they were free!
Someone was typing furiously on the keyboard when they suddenly stopped, leaned back, and turned to shout, "Ladies, I have a great deal! Ninety-eight yuan for a hot spring ticket, round trip included, plus a foot massage. After your soak, you can play pool and pick strawberries. Want to come?"
"Really?!"
My roommate, who was packing her luggage, ran over excitedly, leaned over to look at the computer screen, and the two chatted enthusiastically. After exchanging a few silent glances, they looked at Wenxue, who was reading a book, cleared their throats, and asked cautiously, "Wenxue, are you going?"
Wen Xue was completely immersed in her own world, automatically blocking out all sounds.
This has been her usual routine this semester.
She seems to have unconsciously shut herself off.
The three roommates were very considerate of her feelings, trying not to laugh or talk loudly, and carefully staying by her side. But as the days and months went by, they all got tired. Everyone's energy is limited, and they also uncontrollably want to stay away from negative people and things. Even though Wenxue was just quietly swallowing her grief alone, and even hiding from crying, just her presence gave them the feeling that "even being happy and laughing is a sin."
She did nothing wrong.
They weren't wrong either. They couldn't pull her out of it, nor could they ignore her. The cramped four-person dormitory seemed to be filled with emotional balloons, ready to burst at any moment. Everyone felt helpless.
Seeing that Xue didn't speak, they exchanged a helpless glance, shook their heads slightly, and thought, "Never mind."
creak—
The door was pushed open from the outside. Ye Manni, panting, didn't come in, but clung to the door as if she was about to suffocate. "I'm exhausted, Wen Xue... someone is looking for you..."
After calling several times, Wen Xue finally raised her head blankly and looked towards the door. She hurriedly said, "Manny, what did you say? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
Ye Manni tossed her scarf onto the chair, walked over, and patted her chest. "Someone downstairs is looking for you. He says he's your brother," she paused, lowering her voice, "He says he's He Heng's brother, named He Yan. Do you know him?"
He Yan.
Wen Xue was momentarily dazed. Lately, her reactions had been a bit slow, and it often took her a while to understand what others were saying.
A few seconds later, a figure flashed into her mind, and upon recognizing the name, she hurriedly closed her book and stood up. "Is he downstairs?"
Ye Manni nodded and asked again, "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No need." Wen Xue sensed the concern in her words and pursed her lips. "I've met him before. He's a very nice person. He must have something urgent to tell me."
As for what urgent matter it was, she didn't know.
"That's good. Be careful and call us if you need anything."
Wen Xue forced a smile, grabbed her phone and wallet, and went out. She hadn't looked in the mirror properly in a long time; her hair had grown a lot and reached her waist. It was when she felt a little dizzy coming downstairs that she remembered she hadn't eaten dinner yet; her last meal was porridge for breakfast.
She was also out of breath when she came down from the fifth floor to the first floor.
Upon arriving on the first floor, the dormitory supervisor was knitting against the wall, her eyes darting back and forth over He Yan outside. She was thinking that if he didn't leave in another half hour, she would call security. What was a tall, burly man doing wandering around the girls' dormitory?
Wen Xue walked out of the dormitory building and immediately saw He Yan standing on the steps.
Winter nights fall early, and before the streetlights are on, He Yan seems to be shrouded in frost. He is very tall and broad-shouldered, and his presence is so strong that people passing by can't help but take a look.
She opened her mouth, wanting to call him, but the cold wind seemed to fill her throat, making it incredibly difficult.
It seems inappropriate to call him "brother" now. Their relationship was only formed because of He Heng, and it was completely severed because of He Heng's passing. They are no longer related and are not much different from strangers.
She still remembers that when he walked her to her dormitory at the beginning of her sophomore year, the last thing he said to her was, "You have a long life ahead of you, live it well."
Wen Xue hadn't thought of a better way to address him when He Yan seemed to sense something. He turned around, and the dormitory lights shone on his face. He was a man who had been through a lot in society for a long time, and he was cold and stern. The moment their eyes met, his furrowed brows relaxed, and without hesitation, he stepped closer to her.
One step, then another.
Standing before her, he skipped the unnecessary opening lines and asked, "Have you eaten?"
Wen Xue paused for a moment, then said, "Not yet."
He Yan waited there for a while. He was thick-skinned and didn't feel cold, but he saw the students coming and going stamping their feet and rubbing their palms, their faces red from the cold. Looking at Wen Xue's thin figure with her pointed chin, he thought to himself, "Let's find a warm place to eat first, and chat while we eat."
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