Chapter 179 He's in My Heart
Fireworks exploded brilliantly in the night sky, illuminating the faces of the two people by the window. Meng Jiuyi saw sparks falling into his eyes, like a meteor shower.
At the same time, a message from Yun Ni suddenly appeared on my phone.
[Xiao Jiu, I was so busy today I forgot. If you happen to be celebrating with your brother and the others, please tell him happy birthday and that his present will arrive in a few days.]
Meng Jiuyi looked up from her phone screen, her eyes still glazed over.
It turns out today is his birthday.
No wonder he's been being sarcastic for so long, no wonder his phone has been ringing nonstop all day.
Meng Jiuyi could easily imagine how he used to celebrate his birthday. His sisters could easily find an excuse to hold a wine tasting party. For him, such a special day would definitely be filled with distinguished guests, raising their glasses in celebration. All the luxury cars would arrive at the Tan family villa to celebrate the birthday of the Third Young Master Tan.
But today he's just working as a caregiver and doing manual labor in the yard.
Knowing that she didn't want strangers to disturb Zhang Ma's final days, he didn't hire anyone other than the doctor, and he did all the physical labor himself.
I haven't had a full night's sleep in days.
It's hard to imagine that someone who grew up with many servants and was unruly never uttered a complaint when faced with daily trivialities.
Meng Jiuyi's chest felt as if it had been burned by the residual heat of fireworks, leaving a feeling of tightness and disorientation.
Suddenly I felt sorry for him.
He gave her fireworks for the entire cruise ship last time to celebrate Meng Jiuyi's 24th birthday, but she didn't prepare anything for him.
She should at least cook him a bowl of longevity noodles; she doesn't even know how old he is this year.
But it's almost 11 o'clock now.
She herself certainly didn't realize that her facial expression would betray her absent-mindedness; Xu Yanzhi's eyes cooled like fireworks, leaving behind a dark and ambiguous pain.
"It's too late, isn't it?"
"Senior Brother Xu, you knew all along, didn't you?"
Meng Jiuyi looked up at him; his eyes were so bright that she didn't even dare to meet his gaze.
"I know you guessed everything."
He's so smart; he could tell she didn't like talking about Sheng, and he knew she had done so much to try and keep him around. How could he not guess her purpose?
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity during this time. The period when we reunited was a low point for me. Many things were not going well. Thank you for letting me experience what it feels like to be respected."
Xu Yanzhi's heart was pierced by those few words. He never knew words could hurt so much. Every moment he had never cherished in the past turned into needles, piercing his chest and leaving a sharp pain.
"So what if I know?"
His jaw tightened, and his eyes were already wet. "You really think you're such a great actor? I don't care if you have ulterior motives or not. I don't care about anything."
"I always put you second, prioritizing others while never considering you. Compared to your petty schemes, I am far more unforgivable."
"Let's wipe the slate clean and start over, okay?"
He held her wrist, gripping it so tightly.
He was always so elegant and polite, it was unprecedented for him to have such a strained and hoarse voice.
Meng Jiuyi gently shook her head, "I'm sorry, Senior Brother Xu. I couldn't distinguish between them before, but now I know that feelings are not mutually exclusive."
They won't be polite, and they won't feel indebted to the other party for even the smallest thing.
Xu Yanzhi looked at her intently, "...You've fallen for him, haven't you?"
Meng Jiuyi was stunned.
She didn't.
She just felt that the day was almost over and wanted to use the remaining time to wish him a happy birthday.
She didn't want him to spend this night alone, nor did she want the man who was surrounded by everyone to spend the night in quiet solitude.
"…I have no idea."
As soon as I finished speaking, I suddenly remembered the meaningful look he gave me when I left earlier today.
In fact, he already knew what Xu Yanzhi was going to do.
But he still let her come.
My mind, however, felt like a hammer striking a bell, leaving behind a continuous, resonant echo. So many excuses and worries converged on that place called "caring."
The sound of fireworks exploding around her suddenly disappeared, and Meng Jiuyi could suddenly hear her own heartbeat, which went from chaotic to clear. She smiled at Xu Yanzhi.
"But I think so!"
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother Xu, I have to go now. I hope you continue to be happy. I will always be grateful to you for pulling me back from the brink of despair back then."
It was just past 11:30. If she took a taxi earlier, she might still be able to get back in time. Meng Jiuyi put her things on the table and hurriedly ran out the door.
Xu Yanzhi called out to her from behind.
Half of his face was hidden in the darkness, so Meng Jiuyi naturally didn't see the tear that slid down his right eye, disappearing silently from his face. She only saw his blessing smile, as gentle and polite as ever, watching her leave.
"I want to know, what was the last thing said behind those headphones back then?"
Xu Yanzhi, I like you.
It wasn't the ending she had hidden in her earphones; it was just that she was so embarrassed and helpless standing in front of him that, out of politeness, Xu Yanzhi couldn't help but listen to the rest before returning the earphones to her.
Meng Jiuyi smiled slowly, as gentle as the wind.
"Back then, I learned from someone else that you liked astronomy. Coincidentally, the Astronomical Bureau issued a notice that a meteor shower could be seen from the top of Mount Kyushu, so I wanted to ask if you were interested in going to see it."
He and she looked at each other and smiled inexplicably.
"That sounds like a real shame."
"It's okay, I think even the most beautiful meteor shower can't compare to tonight's fireworks."
A wish that was not fulfilled many years ago has been made up for today, bringing it to a perfect conclusion.
She ran very fast, her sneakers making a soft "tap-tap-tap" sound on the floor, which gradually faded away.
The fireworks ended, but the violin playing continued.
They only finished the main course, leaving the desserts and appetizers untouched. Xu Yanzhi sat in his seat, slowly savoring each dish.
The musician, separated by a screen, could not possibly know that the man sitting on the stool had a straight back, yet his body, bound tightly under his shirt, was so taut that even his arms were trembling slightly.
As New Year's Eve passed, the most lively atmosphere disappeared, and the lights outside the rooftop window gradually dimmed, like the prologue to the end of a movie.
There was no one in front of the table where the dishes were laid out.
Only a purple heart-shaped diamond ring lay quietly, along with the watch and garden key she had returned.
--
The taxi queue showed 65 people left. Meng Jiuyi, wrapped in a coat, spent half a day hailing a taxi on the roadside, but every one of them drove past her in a hurry with passengers.
On New Year's Eve, forget about taking a taxi; many people were stuck in traffic along the riverbank.
Seeing that he was almost forty and there were only twenty minutes left, Meng Jiuyi hurriedly thought of running back.
However, her shoes weren't slippery enough tonight, and she almost slipped and fell on the increasingly cold ground. Besides, she had been running for at least half an hour, and there was no way she could make it in time no matter what.
Meng Jiuyi was extremely anxious, so she could only call him to tell him verbally first.
However, this crappy phone seems to have gotten wet in the shower a couple of days ago, and it's leaking electricity really fast. It ran out of power and shut down before I could even make a call.
She tripped and fell on the street because she was running too fast.
It didn't hurt, but it was still quite embarrassing.
Especially on a cold winter night, after experiencing highs and lows in mood, the anticipation feels like a balloon being pricked by a needle.
Meng Jiuyi's nose tingled, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
What bad luck! That bastard Tan Yuchen is definitely her nemesis; she just blames everything on him.
Just then, she heard a casual, low call behind her, so unreal that she turned her head so slowly, so incredulously.
After the blurry vision cleared, Tan Yuchen, dressed in a black overcoat, appeared. Under the streetlights, the wisps of hair on his forehead shone with golden light, and as he approached, his nose became increasingly prominent, like a cartoonist's drawing.
His gaze lingered on her head for half a second, and when he squatted down, a smirk appeared on his lips, looking so nonchalant.
"Whose pretty little girl is crying in the street? What's wrong with her?"
Meng Jiuyi's eyes welled up with tears, and she turned her face away, not wanting him to see.
What are you doing here?
Tan Yuchen casually said, "I was bored staying in the courtyard, so I came out for a walk."
The ground was cold, so he hooked his arm around her waist and gently helped her up.
It's so cold. Meng Jiuyi felt that his hands were cold enough, but his were as cold as ice. If you looked closely, his eyelashes were also covered with frost. He must have been out for a while.
When did you come out?
"Seven o'clock, after you left."
Meng Jiuyi was so shocked that he didn't know what to say. He brushed the dust off her body, but his eyes never left her, from her fingers to her neck half-covered by the scarf. His gaze was casual but so deep.
"He came out before the New Year's Eve, and didn't accept anything from him, right? Tell me if it's what I think?"
He spoke slowly, as if his heart were sluggishly bound by silk threads.
Because I'm not sure.
Knowing what Xu Yanzhi was going to do, he did not stop him as he had done in the past.
He could try every trick in the book to pester her countless times, but he couldn't change her mind.
Tan Yuchen returned all the choices to her.
But she wasn't as open-minded as she thought; otherwise, why would she have come out to wait so early, feeling like every second was an eternity?
Meng Jiuyi suddenly laughed.
Tan Yuchen asked, "What are you laughing at?"
“Carry me on your back, and I’ll tell you the answer.”
Tan Yuchen had no choice but to comply. He squatted down slightly, and she jumped onto him. Her heavy weight pressed down on his back, as if she were carrying his entire world.
He spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Your Majesty, hold on tight, or I can't afford to pay for it if you fall."
"Let's go!"
The bag was still hanging around his neck, and Meng Jiuyi's arm was wrapped around his neck. He found it strangely funny, and his chin accidentally brushed against his cheek.
"Tan Yuchen, you've got a beard now."
He was taking care of the elderly these past two days and didn't shave very thoroughly.
"Yeah, I'll get it shaved when I get back."
His voice was gentler than ever before. The dim light of the shortcut alley enveloped him and her. Meng Jiuyi leaned on his shoulder, teasing him on purpose.
"I've taken it. It's a ring with a huge purple gemstone. It's in my bag. Make sure you wear it around your neck. If you lose it, I'll hold you responsible."
--
good evening
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