Chapter 53 Subtle Ambiguity
The night was dark, and the dim light from the street lamps cast a shadow on the street, lengthening Xu Yao's figure.
She rubbed her red, frozen hands, exhaled a puff of white air, and wandered downstairs of Xue Han's house.
Her father was seriously ill and needed to be hospitalized urgently, so she had no choice but to go to him.
In her previous life, she foolishly believed that love could conquer everything, but she ignored the cruelty of daily life.
She didn't want to repeat the same mistakes in this life, but her father's illness was like a knife hanging over her heart.
With a creaky sound, Xue Han opened the door.
Under the dim light, he was wearing an old sweater that had been washed to a bleached color. His hair was wet, with water droplets dripping down the ends of his hair, forming a small stain on his collarbone.
Obviously he had just taken a shower.
He exuded a faint scent of soap, clean and refreshing, completely different from the man in her memory who reeked of oil smoke.
Xu Yao hurriedly turned her face away, her heart beating a little faster, and tried to pretend that nothing had happened: "I... I came to ask about hospitalization."
Xue Han nodded and moved aside to let her in.
The room was simply furnished with a bed, a table, a few chairs, and some books and miscellaneous items piled in the corner.
Clean and tidy, yet exuding a sense of coolness.
He took out a stack of money from the tin box on the table and handed it to Xu Yao: "This is the allowance I have saved for the past three years. You can use it first."
Xu Yao was stunned.
She recognized that tin box.
In her previous life, this box was used to lock up money for her medicine, but there was never more than ten dollars in it.
Now, it is bulging.
She took the money with trembling hands and counted them one by one.
Fifty, one hundred, one hundred and five... Halfway through the count, she suddenly looked up and asked in disbelief: "You...you only keep five dollars a month for living expenses?"
Xue Han replied casually: "The cafeteria provides full meals, and it's okay to eat instant noodles occasionally."
He spoke in a calm tone, as if this was a very common occurrence.
But Xu Yao's heart felt like it was pricked by a needle, and it was so sour and unbearable.
She thought of her previous life, when he lived frugally but bought new clothes for "Third Sister" and toys for "Third Sister"'s son, but always complained about being poor to her and her father.
Thinking of this, her eyes couldn't help but feel a little sore.
Xue Han seemed to notice her strangeness, and suddenly held her trembling hand, and said in a low voice with a hint of imperceptible tenderness: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The moment their fingertips touched, the moonlight outside the window just happened to shine on Xue Han's profile, outlining his angular features.
His eyes were deep and firm, as if containing endless power.
Xu Yao felt her heart skip a beat.
The calluses on his palms made her palms hot, but the rough touch made her feel strangely at ease and she was reluctant to pull away.
A feeling she had never experienced before spread in her heart, warm and solid.
"I..." Xu Yao was about to speak, but didn't know what to say.
"You..." At the same time, Xue Han also spoke.
Their eyes met, and a subtle ambiguity filled the air.
Xu Yao mustered up her courage and asked softly, "Why...why are you helping me?"
"You... why did you help me?" Xu Yao finally asked, her voice as thin as a mosquito, with an imperceptible tremor at the end of the question.
She didn't dare look into his eyes. Her gaze wandered and finally fell on their clasped hands.
His hands were big and warm, like a fire in winter, which made her palms and cheeks hot.
Xue Han did not answer immediately, but lowered his eyes slightly, and his thick eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyelids.
His eyes fell on Xu Yao's fingers that were tightly holding the money. Her fingers were slender and white, and her nails were neatly trimmed and had a healthy pink color.
"That day at the neighborhood office, the way you stared at the IOU..." Xue Han's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible tenderness, "You looked just like my sister."
Xu Yao was stunned. She never expected this answer.
She thought he would say something like "sympathy" or "pity", and was even prepared to be ridiculed by him, but she didn't expect him to say "sister".
"You... have a sister?" Xu Yao's heart beat faster, like a frightened deer, running around in her chest.
Xue Han nodded, his eyes became a little vague, as if he was lost in memories: "Well, she is the same as you, stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat. It's a pity..." He did not continue speaking, but just sighed softly, with a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Xu Yao's heart seemed to be gently pulled by something, and it hurt a little.
She suddenly wanted to know what kind of person his sister was.
Xue Han changed the subject. He raised his head and looked at Xu Yao again, his eyes firm and serious: "Your father needs someone to take care of him. I have applied to my superiors for a transfer, and it will be approved in a few days."
"Transfer?" Xu Yao's eyes widened in surprise. "Where are you going to be transferred to?"
"The clinic." Xue Han said casually, "It's close to your home, so it's convenient for you to take care of it."
A warm feeling surged in Xu Yao's heart. She never expected that Xue Han would do this for her.
In her previous life, she gave her heart and soul to that ungrateful man from the Sun family, but in the end, her family was destroyed.
And now, this man whom she once avoided, has silently done so much for her.
"Xue Han..." Xu Yao's voice was a little choked. She didn't know what to say to express her inner gratitude.
"It's getting late, you should go back and rest." Xue Han stood up, walked to the door and opened it.
Xu Yao also stood up. She walked to Xue Han, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "Thank you, Xue Han."
Xue Han didn't say anything, just looked at her silently.
Xu Yao took a deep breath, turned around and walked out of the room.
"Wait a minute." Xue Han suddenly called her.
Xu Yao stopped and looked back at him.
Xue Han turned and walked into the inner room, took out something wrapped in oil paper from a cabinet, and handed it to Xu Yao: "Here, take it."
Xu Yao took the oil paper package doubtfully, opened it, and a familiar sweet fragrance wafted into her nose.
It’s osmanthus cake!
Her favorite is osmanthus cake!
Xu Yao suddenly raised her head and looked at Xue Han, her eyes instantly reddened: "You...how do you know that I like to eat osmanthus cake?"
In her previous life, she could only eat the osmanthus cake made by her mother on her birthday.
That sweet taste was the warmest comfort in her memory.
However, after her mother passed away, she never ate osmanthus cake again.
Xue Han turned his face away, not daring to look into her eyes. His ears were slightly red, and his voice was a little unnatural: "I... I often go to your house... and see you... I see that every time you pass by the pastry shop, you will stare at the osmanthus cake for a long time..."
Xu Yao's heart seemed to be hit hard by something, and she could no longer hold back her tears.
She didn't expect that Xue Han would notice these insignificant little details.
In her previous life, the scumbag from the Sun family didn’t even know what she liked to eat, let alone notice her eyes.
"Xue Han..." Xu Yao's voice was so choked that she could hardly speak.
At this moment, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the door, accompanied by an anxious shout: "Xu Yao! Xu Yao! Your dad is dying! Go to the hospital quickly!"
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