0076 Inferior Winter (6)
The moment the car door opened, a blast of cold air rushed into the cabin as if it had come to life.
Zhiwen, feeling a chill, got into the passenger seat, holding two cups of hot coffee in her hands, and handed one of them to the driver next to her.
When the driver's attempts to refuse failed, he accepted the drink and took a large gulp.
Zhiwen took a sip like the driver and cursed, "This weather in B City is unbearable!"
The driver exchanged a few words with him and felt that the people around him were very approachable. In the years that Mr. Chen had been with him, Mr. Chen had even taken care of some of the trivial matters at home.
The two waited in the quiet winter, but before Wanqi Fuze arrived, they received a phone call.
Zhiwen had a sudden thought and hung up.
The person on the other end of the phone, however, persisted and called back repeatedly.
He answered the phone with a forced smile, and then got out of the car with another forced smile after hanging up.
In a secluded side room of a teahouse nestled in the mountains, one can see Wanqi Fuze's back to the curtain.
Having followed Wanqi Fuze for so many years, Zhiwen naturally understood his thoughts.
From the moment Miss He started working for the boss, he had harbored many grievances. That girl, who always seemed too naive and young, and didn't live in the industry, was definitely not a good match for someone from a family like Wanqi Fuze's. Even without family pressure, he knew it was only a matter of time before they separated, but he never expected them to stay together for seven years. Now that he had finally waited for the boss to "see the light," why was he hesitating at this moment?
Answering He Lingling's call was already inappropriate, and coming to the teahouse was even more inappropriate. Yet, in her hesitation, she thought of Wan Qiji's desolate profile, as if his soul had been ripped away, and chose the one thing she should never have done.
"Was that her on the phone?"
Zhiwen couldn't discern the tone in Wanqi's voice; it seemed to be one of relief, but more like a sigh.
-
The top floor of the Sheng Yue Hotel was brightly lit.
The last time she came here was after Wan Qizheng's wedding banquet when she was extremely drunk.
He had brought her here to see the most bustling area of B City when they were both still quite young, but their repeated conflicts at that time had dampened their enthusiasm.
Now I finally have the mood to look out the window, but I feel a sense of loss because I am not with anyone around me.
Her face appeared pale in the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling window.
In the quiet winter night, familiar footsteps finally came from behind. But instead of coming to her side as usual, they stopped abruptly just behind her.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and behind the silence lay anxieties.
"You saw him?"
After a long while, Wanqi Fuze spoke, and he moved closer.
In that instant, a myriad of emotions surged into her heart. He Lingling's hands trembled slightly uncontrollably.
She nodded quietly with her back to him.
To her utter surprise, when he picked her up from the airport and took her to Shengyue, the person she saw when she opened the door was Shen Yan.
What I didn't expect was that I would be so panicked in that instant that I blurted out, almost accusingly, "What are you doing here?" Only when I saw Brother Ayan's pale face did I realize what I had said.
But, but.
Why did Brother Shenyan appear here, asking her with a look of despair mixed with a hint of hope amidst impending doom, "Are you willing to leave with him?"
Her eyes darted around, and she didn't dare look at him.
He just smiled awkwardly and asked, "Where are you going?"
He remained silent for a long time, and then a faint laugh, full of loneliness and self-torture, reached my ears.
He walked over, took Lingling's hand, and said, "Lingling, you must understand your own feelings and cherish the person you love..."
Her heart trembled violently, and she didn't even know when her brother, Ayan, had quietly left.
Even Brother Ayan could see through her feelings; she absolutely could not waver again.
She frantically rummaged through her bag for her phone, trying to calm her racing heart as she dialed a familiar number with trembling fingers.
An inner unease overwhelmed her; she couldn't wait to see him.
Whether it's Wanqi Fuze or Chen Yixu, it doesn't matter.
Just like her mother said, she only loved him.
But the mechanical female voice kept reminding her that his phone was off. She had never been so panicked. She called Zhiwen's phone, and after the fifth call, Zhiwen finally answered, and she finally saw him as she had wished.
But why can't I turn around and look at him...?
"Lingling, look at me." His voice was close to her ear, as pleasant as ever, but it no longer made her feel at ease.
She stubbornly refused to move until he sighed and stepped in front of her.
He produced a business card as if by magic and handed it to her.
"This is Lee's business card. He is the most authoritative Chinese orthopedic surgeon in the United States and is about to return to China. Previously... Shen Yan's attending physician no longer works in China. I have some cooperation with Lee's medical institution. You can contact him by simply giving him your name."
He handed her his business card, but she remained motionless as if she hadn't heard him. He sighed, took her soft little hand, and placed the card in her palm.
"Decheng Jiayuan is within the Third Ring Road, very close to the Normal University, so there's no traffic congestion. It's a 15-minute bike ride with shared bikes, and only two subway stops away. I know you've always disliked Songhanju because it's inconvenient and deserted. It's surrounded by lively places, much like the B City you like. Although it's on a high floor, there's an accessible elevator, making it easy for wheelchair users to go upstairs. I gave you the key last time; you can take a look anytime and see if there's anything you're not satisfied with."
“Starting a business while we were studying caused you and me a lot of hardship. I will transfer 50% of my shares to you, and a dedicated team will manage them for you…” These lawyers will contact you…
"Anything else?" she suddenly interrupted him, making him pause as well.
Her unfocused gaze suddenly turned to what was behind him.
In the still of the night, on a harsh winter day, not a single snowflake fell.
"Chen Yixu, Chen Yixu—"
The girl's fluffy coat covered her adorable head, but couldn't contain her excitement and joy.
In the dim light of a classroom on the top floor of J City No. 1 Middle School, through a dusty glass window, one could see snowflakes being blown by the cold wind.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like snow?" Sixteen-year-old He Lingling looked up at the boy beside her and asked, but saw his eyes fixed on her face, unusually gentle yet unusually firm.
My heart suddenly started pounding uncontrollably.
Does love always arrive silently? Otherwise, why would we miss each other for so many years?
That was the first winter they met.
She should have understood that at that time.
The howling north wind, the scattered snowflakes, under a warm ray of light.
Chen Yixu, the boy who belongs only to her says "I like you".
But at this moment, the person in front of him simply shook his head and said, "No."
She could clearly feel a sharp blade slicing through her heart, cutting along the lines, causing waves of pain.
"He Lingling, let's break up."
The silent depths of spring will never return; the heartbroken are buried in the cold winter.
The Inferior Winter Chapter (End).
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
