Chapter 54
What happened?
Lin Wan stood there with the microphone in his hand and began to think about the cause and effect of this matter.
Chen Yu went to France to watch a fashion show for work. Late one night during the show, she received a call inviting her to go to the amusement park, and she accepted it.
But this incident did not happen later. Chen Yu did not contact me again, and I even learned about Chen Yu's return to China from the news.
She thought she knew Chen Yu very well and believed that he would never do such a thing given his personality.
But it happened.
He faced himself with a cold and unfamiliar attitude, as if he were facing a stranger.
Lin Wan stood there, the monotonous busy tone echoing in her ears. She was stunned for a long time, the call being cut off so casually.
She put down the receiver in a daze. Such public telephones were rare on the streets of Jiangcheng. She spent a long time searching before finding one on a remote street.
It stood there covered in dust, with the setting sun shining on it obliquely. I don't know how many years have passed like this.
A pedestrian squeaked by on an old bicycle, its worn tires treading over the asphalt and dry leaves. The pedestrian—a white-haired old man—watched a girl, lost in thought, holding her phone, and called out in a familiar voice.
"Don't hesitate, girl. Call him." The old man said in a rather generous tone, with one foot on the ground and the other on the footrest to maintain balance.
The sound was so loud that the children playing with glass marbles nearby also tilted their heads frequently.
The dust was dim in the sunlight shining through the shadows of the trees. Lin Wan turned around and looked at the gray-haired old man in surprise.
He seemed to have just returned from the market; eggs and vegetables were still hanging from the frame of his bicycle. His washed-out work jacket looked especially bulky on him, wiping away the air in the breeze—he was incredibly thin.
Seeing Lin Wan turn around, the old man's mood became even more excited, and he continued to speak loudly with a flushed face.
"It was because I chased my husband to Jiangcheng that Ah Fang reluctantly agreed to live with me."
It seems that when people reach a certain grade, they will start to recall the past frequently.
Lin Wan felt that the old man looked familiar. He looked at him carefully for a long time but did not answer him immediately.
Seeing that she didn't answer, the old man touched his nose awkwardly, glanced at her and was about to leave.
Lin Wan recognized him. When Chen Yu was injured and hospitalized, the old man on the bed next to him was him.
He was frightened when he saw Shen Meizhen, and his gray and white beard trembled in fear, which left a deep impression on Lin Wan.
But he now has more wrinkles, and his beard is completely white, so sparse that it sticks to his chin, which is as dry as tree bark.
"Well, I called him and he told me to go to England." Lin Wan spoke the truth, staring intently at the old man, to see what advice this old man with a rich love history could give her.
Do you want to chase me to Chen Yu’s studio in Beijing?
Is this a bit too violent? Will the police call me and I’ll be arrested? Lin Wan pondered.
Hearing this, the old man hissed, rubbed his earlobe with his free hand, thought for a while, and then uttered a word.
"This is difficult, but I was in the same situation back then." He laughed cheerfully.
The little old man was very approachable, and Lin Wan also laughed.
"So do you like him?" He looked at Lin Wan through his wrinkled eyes, but his eyes were serious.
Do you like him?
The smile on Lin Wan's face froze slightly, and he slowly hung up the phone in his hand.
There was silence for a moment, with only the swaying shadows of the trees.
"Of course." She heard herself answer clearly.
But in fact, even she herself is not quite sure about the answer to this question. And is the answer sincere?
"Then go chase him!" The old man slapped his thigh, and the bicycle shook, and the eggs on the frame shook with it, which was particularly shocking.
Lin Wan didn't know how to answer, so she just smiled.
Of course she wanted to pursue him, as a long-lasting relationship would eventually have to come to an end, no matter if it was good or bad. However, she still lacked the courage.
"Let me tell you, girl, I used to—ouch!" the old man exclaimed.
"I told you to buy eggs and tofu, and my soup is still cooking on the stove—what are you doing here?"
A hand stretched out from behind the old man's head and pinched his ear with great force. The skin of the hand looked dark and rough, and the knuckles were swollen due to long-term labor.
"Hey, Afang, am I not on the way?" The old man opened his eyes wide and responded to the person behind him hurriedly.
"How many people are you going to tell about this little thing between us?"
The woman was wearing a bright red coat that showed signs of careful care. She had short hair and a sharp gaze that softened the moment it met Lin Wan's eyes.
"I'm sorry, my old man always likes to talk nonsense. If he makes you uncomfortable, I apologize first."
"I didn't—"
"Don't talk first!"
The old man shut up completely, standing there with an aggrieved look on his face, but there was joy in his eyes, as if he was showing off - look at my wife, how beautiful she is and how much she cares about me.
Lin Wan laughed so happily that he almost held his stomach.
"No, auntie, uncle said it was good and encouraged me to be brave."
"This old man." After hearing that nothing unpleasant had happened, the woman's eyes softened and the hand that was holding the old man's ear loosened.
Her expression showed a hint of relief. She glanced at the old man threateningly and continued to say to Lin Wan, "He's sick here."
The aunt pointed to her head and said naturally, "It's incurable. He always wants to go out and wander around by himself. I find excuses to let him go out alone, and I follow behind him - just like a little kid."
Lin Wan bit her lower lip, unsure what to say. Simple words always felt too pale for such matters.
"Miss, have you eaten? I bought some eggs and I'll share two with you." The old man seemed unconcerned. He turned the steering wheel and reached into the plastic bag to take out two raw eggs.
"These are free-range eggs from the mountains. They are very nutritious." The old man added happily as he handed the eggs to Lin Wan.
Lin Wan waved her hand to refuse, and the aunt stared at the old man speechlessly.
"Have you had enough?" Auntie suppressed her anger, her voice tense, and she was about to explode in the next second.
The old man hurriedly put his precious country eggs back into the bag and stood there with an obedient look on his face.
Uncle and aunt left.
The aunt sat on the back seat of the old man's bicycle and waved goodbye to Lin Wan. Her face was tense, but there was a kind of happiness in her eyes.
Lin Wan waved and watched their figures gradually get smaller and smaller, finally disappearing at the end of the alley.
Afterwards, she returned home alone.
When I got home, the villa was empty.
Lin Wan started packing her luggage again. She didn't know where she should go, but she knew she couldn't stay where she was.
The phone on the dining table began to vibrate. Lin Wan was startled, then walked over and picked it up.
It was a mobile phone number from the British district. Lin Wan frowned slightly and answered the call.
"Wan, how are you handling your family affairs?"
Jevika's hoarse but warm voice came to my ears. She was still thinking about me.
Lin Wan took a deep breath.
"I've almost finished dealing with everything here." She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and responded in the calmest tone possible.
She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she would cry whenever she heard someone's caring words.
"Thank you for your concern." She could barely hold back the tears in her throat. Lin Wan didn't want Jevika to worry too much about her affairs.
She always maintained the boundaries between people that Lin Zhen taught her.
"As long as it's handled, I'm calling to tell you that there's an internship opportunity at the UK-based Wei'an Group. Everyone can apply. You might not have seen this news while you're abroad."
Jevika's voice was soft as she stated the purpose of her call in an organized manner.
"You are a very good student of mine, and I don't want you to miss this opportunity," she said.
"I will organize my resume and send it on time. Thank you very much for your concern." Lin Wan seemed incoherent and had several problems with his English grammar.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Wan began to sort out his past experiences.
She has always been very hardworking in academics, and in the past, she always hoped that her academic achievements would be praised by Lin Zhen.
Scholarships, internships, research experiences...
Lin Wan rarely found something to do and quickly entered the flow state. She looked up again and saw dawn breaking in the sky.
She stretched her sore neck, saved the document, checked it twice, took two unsteady steps, and fell asleep on the bed.
I slept until the next morning.
While washing up, Lin Wan checked his resume on the computer. After correcting a few typos and format errors, he uploaded his resume to the website and waited for screening.
Then she opened the software to book the ticket.
But where is her destination?
Lin Wan bit her lip and thought for a long time before finally making a decision.
The city streets are bustling with people, and the huge street screens are filled with luxury goods advertisements by A-list celebrities.
Lin Wan stood on the street carrying a heavy suitcase, looking up at the perfume advertisement, shadows, skin, and a rough denim top.
——It’s Chen Yu.
There are many young girls and even boys taking photos with promotional advertisements under the electronic screens.
They are full of energy and passion, like a torch that will never go out.
This is how girls of this age should be, full of passion, enthusiasm, and ambition, taking on the world with hope.
In the hotel on the top floor, Lin Wan called Chen Yu again.
The phone rang for a long time, and Lin Wan even thought that he would not answer the call.
The phone rang dully and boringly.
Lin Wan didn't turn on the lights. The night view of the city illuminated her suite. The light was dim and she could barely see.
The light from the phone reflected on her face, her dark hair hanging down and large areas of skin shrouded in shadow.
She is waiting—
Even if it may just be meaningless persistence, like Sisyphus pushing the boulder to the top of the mountain countless times.
Finally, the call was connected.
There was no sound from the other end of the line, only the quiet breathing of someone.
"I'm in Beijing."
Lin Wan heard himself speak in a very restrained tone.
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