Chapter 77. [Revised] "Take your time choosing, I'll choose you..."
The next day.
Wen Xue's biological clock is very regular now. She wakes up at seven o'clock, still sleepy, and finds herself in an unfamiliar environment. She sits up in a daze, hugging the blanket, and then belatedly realizes that she is in He Yan's room and sleeping in his bed.
I didn't observe carefully last night, but now my gaze wanders, taking in the bedroom.
The curtains were half-drawn. It was a bright, sunny day, and the strong sunlight made her eyes sting. She subconsciously closed her eyes to ease the soreness, but the memories of last night kept replaying in her mind.
Wen Xue stared blankly for a while, then raised her hand to comb her messy hair. After making sure she didn't look too disheveled, she got up, folded the quilt, smoothed out the wrinkles on the sheets, and dawdled for about ten minutes before awkwardly pressing the doorknob, secretly sticking her head out, and holding her breath to listen for any sounds.
There was no sound at all.
She then mustered her courage and stepped forward with her left leg, calling softly, "He Yan?"
Still no sound.
She hesitated as she approached the coffee table. As she picked up her phone, she noticed a note underneath. The paper bore familiar, hastily written handwriting—a simple line of text.
Message me when you wake up
For a moment, it felt like I was back on vacation during the Chinese New Year. I knew he would be very attentive to me and wouldn't let me bump into him when I opened the door.
After sending him a message, she immediately went to the bathroom to wash up.
Not long after she came out refreshed, there was a noise at the door, followed by the familiar, steady footsteps. Their eyes met in mid-air, and she lowered her gaze to the soy milk and fried dough sticks he had brought back.
"Have you brushed your teeth?" he asked calmly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Swiped it."
"Perfect timing, let's have breakfast."
He brushed past her and went straight to the dining table. They smelled alike, used the same toothpaste, and besides, she had been in the bathroom for quite some time, so she already smelled his aftershave.
"so much?"
Wen Xue saw him lay out the breakfast items one by one and blurted out.
Besides two bowls of soy milk, there was a bag of fried dough sticks (about five or six pieces), steaming hot xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and jianbing (pancakes).
He Yan glanced at her and smiled; it was quite unusual for her to say such a thing.
"Eat first," he said.
The house wasn't small, and the dining table was large. The two of them each occupied one side. Wen Xue took a bowl of soy milk and glanced at him sitting opposite her. She was surprised to find that their actions were surprisingly in sync: they were both dipping fried dough sticks into soy milk.
She chuckled.
That minor embarrassment was also left behind.
When people spend a lot of time together, they will unconsciously pick up many of each other's habits.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked, looking at her.
Wen Xue shook her head, steer the conversation back to the main topic, "When did you rent this house? Why haven't you told me?"
He Yan took a sip of soy milk to moisten his throat and replied casually, "It happened in December."
As for the reason he didn't mention it, she should know even if he didn't.
Just like she hasn't asked him how she got from the sofa to the bed since she woke up.
Wen Xue paused for a moment, then nodded.
Last December.
Very occasionally, some of the things he said would inadvertently hurt her. He was indeed as she said, even though he was suffering during that time, he never thought of leaving her. On the contrary, he even rented a house near her school.
"By the way," she paused for a few seconds, then asked hesitantly, "did something happen yesterday?"
He Yan paused slightly, then placed a xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) on her plate. "Why would you ask that?"
He usually doesn't talk when he's drunk.
But for Wen Xue, this was not a "normal" situation.
He was naturally worried that he might say something he shouldn't have while in a state of confusion.
"You seemed a bit strange yesterday." She thought for a moment, then asked with concern, "Is there some problem with your business?"
He Yan breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief. "It's nothing, don't worry, it'll be taken care of."
It really is a business matter.
Wen Xue felt a little discouraged because she couldn't help him much. The thin-skinned, generously filled, and red-oil-covered steamed buns didn't seem so fragrant anymore. She ate them slowly.
"Is there anything going on in the club today?"
"Not today."
"Okay." He Yan made the final decision. "I'll take you to lunch and then take you to your tutoring class."
Wen Xue carefully observed his expression.
Unfortunately, he remained expressionless, his face revealing no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. In her memory, the time when he was most emotionally expressive was probably that time in Sister Miao's rented room. Strangely, she desperately wanted to forget everything that happened that night, every subtle expression of his, but now, when she thought back on it, she remembered it very clearly.
She finished the bowl of soy milk in small sips and felt full. She took a tissue to wipe her hands, but still felt her fingertips were greasy. After washing her hands, she glanced at his sweater hanging on the balcony and, trying to ignore the subtle feeling in her heart, asked, "The weather is nice today. Do you want me to take down your sheets and duvet cover to wash and dry them?"
He Yan paused as he finished preparing breakfast.
He said slowly, "No need, I've hired a housekeeper who comes twice a week."
"Okay." She nodded in agreement. "If you're not busy, shall we go out after breakfast?"
She couldn't really help, but she could probably cheer him up a little.
…
He Yan followed Wen Xue down one step and took the escalator with her to the men's clothing section of the mall. His pleasant expression froze slightly.
A few minutes ago, he asked her what she was doing at the mall. She smiled at him and said she wanted to do some shopping. He thought she had finally come to her senses, had become sensible, and was now willing to spend his money...
"Your birthday is coming up soon." She turned to him, her eyes smiling, her demeanor gentle and graceful. "I've been thinking for a long time, but I still can't think of a gift for you. How about we go shopping today and I buy you something you like?"
He Yan shook his head without even thinking: "No need."
He didn't like anything, and besides, the lighter she gave him last year was still very new.
“Sure,” she agreed, seemingly very agreeable. “Then I won’t give you a gift, and you don’t need to give me any gifts in the future.”
These are the conditions: if he doesn't accept her, then she won't accept his in the future either; it's perfectly fair.
He Yan: "..."
The two looked at each other.
She gazed at him with clear, bright eyes.
In just a few seconds, he gave in. What could he do but agree?
Wen Xue had been saving money to prepare a birthday gift for him for a long time. The watch he gave her last year was exquisite and expensive. If she didn't know the price, she might still wear it often. Knowing that it was very expensive and beyond her means, she naturally couldn't afford to lose or break it.
And so, she quietly put away the watch He Yan had given her, only wearing it on very important occasions.
He spent so much money on her, and even if she couldn't reciprocate with gifts of equal value, she wanted to give him the best she could afford.
Seeing He Yan's tacit approval, Wen Xue's smile deepened. The two went to the men's clothing section. Actually, with He Yan's broad shoulders and back, he looked good in anything and wasn't picky about clothing styles at all, but—
"Cough cough!"
As fate would have it, Wen Xue, who was sitting on the sofa drinking water, noticed He Yan looking at the price tag. She coughed a few times, as if to remind him, but also to warn him.
She learned from him.
He Yan casually put down the price tag.
The sales assistant understood immediately and smiled.
Men's clothing in the mall is not cheap. After going back and forth for two hours, He Yan finally managed to choose a black shirt.
Wen Xue picked out this shirt for him. It was originally white, but it looked strange on him. The black one looked much better. He suits the rugged black better than the white one.
After paying by card, Wen Xue didn't know if he was in a better mood, but she was definitely very happy.
"Are you done shopping?"
He Yan walked beside her, carrying shopping bags. Deep down, he felt a mix of emotions, but he suppressed them tightly, showing no sign on his face except for a sense of helplessness at being unable to do anything about her.
Wen Xue smiled and said, "No."
She explained earnestly, "I've set a limit, and I have to use it all up."
"What? Credit limit?" He frowned and pressed, "How much?"
"I won't tell you." She shook her head, unconsciously using the same tone she used last night to coax him, "Take your time choosing, pick what you really like, okay?"
She forgot that he was sober.
Upon hearing this, He Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he finally gave a barely audible "hmm."
…
In fact, buying a birthday present for He Yan was a difficult task, otherwise Wen Xue would not have been completely clueless. Firstly, he did not have any particular hobbies, and secondly, he seemed to lack nothing.
"Haven't decided what gift you want yet?"
After shopping for a long time, He Yan came out of the mall carrying several shopping bags. Anyone who saw him would have thought he had made a great haul. However, the truth was that only the shirt was his; the rest were trinkets she had bought on a whim, such as nail polish, bookmarks, and mugs...
It's as if she's the one choosing a gift for her birthday, and he's her bodyguard.
This left Wen Xue both amused and exasperated.
He Yan remained noncommittal. With people coming and going near the mall, he stretched out his arm to shield her and whispered, "That's enough."
Being able to go shopping with her in such a relaxed and pleasant way is a gift in itself.
"no."
Wen Xue insisted, but she wasn't stubborn. She took a step back and said, "If we can't buy it today, we can do it next time. There's no rush. Your birthday is still ten days or half a month away."
He Yan responded indifferently.
He never cared about birthdays or gifts.
They walked and stopped along the way. Just after crossing the road, He Yan's phone rang. He rarely avoided talking to Wen Xue when he made calls, and this time was no exception. She listened for a while and knew it was about business. Knowing him as she did, no matter how big or small the matter was, as long as she was there, he would end the call quickly.
She felt a moment of bitterness.
In fact, He Yan was really, really good to her.
He Yan held his phone, listening to the person on the other end, but his thoughts kept drifting to Wen Xue beside him. He was indeed starting to think about ending the call early. Before he could say anything, his sleeve was gently tugged. He turned his head to meet her eyes, asking her with his gaze what was wrong.
Wen Xue pointed to the pet shop a few meters away and mouthed to him, "I'll go take a look."
He gazed at her lips as they opened and closed, understood, and nodded silently.
With her eyes crinkling into crescents, she stepped lightly into the shop under his gaze.
The call lasted more than ten minutes.
After hanging up, He Yan put away his phone and looked through the large floor-to-ceiling windows at Wen Xue, who was staring intently at the dog in the pet store. He couldn't help but think, and even stopped in his tracks. After a few seconds of thought, he searched through his phone's contacts and dialed the real estate agent's number.
The little puppy in the cage lay slumped to one side, its head drooping, its eyes dark and its nose wet.
Wen Xue liked it more and more as she looked at it, so much so that she didn't notice He Yan quietly coming to her side.
“No need to reschedule,” he suddenly said. “I’ve thought of a gift.”
Her attention was drawn back by his deep voice, and she asked, both stunned and puzzled, "What?"
He Yan raised his chin and looked at the lazy little dog, "It."
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