Chapter 12
"No, I quite like you." The truth slipped out of her mouth in an instant, and Lin Wan belatedly covered her mouth. The words sounded somewhat ambiguous.
Lin Wan quickly added, "You are completely my own brother in my heart." He took a big step forward and raised his face, making his appearance look real and credible.
Chen Yu's attitude seemed cold, his eyebrows slightly raised, and the curve of his lips showed no emotion.
"So you like me." He repeated Lin Wan's words expressionlessly.
That's fine, Lin Wan concluded, tapping her chin with her finger. That's pretty much it, she thought, nodding.
"I like you, too."
The long, sweltering heat seemed to cease in an instant, the environment becoming extremely quiet. Lin Wan could hear the thumping of his heart. The word "like" wasn't as heavy as "love," and to Lin Wan, it even carried a touch of flirtation.
People can like many people at the same time, because liking is mostly about part of a person or thing. Love is different, it means accepting everything about the other person.
Even so, this sentence still frightened Lin Wan. For a moment, Lin Wan felt as if his soul had almost left his body, floating in the air, becoming a third-person perspective, objectively examining the meaning of this sentence. The moment he suddenly realized the meaning, he returned to his body.
The liking he mentioned was probably the same as what he said. He was just making a fuss. Lin Wan patted his chest, trying to calm himself down.
Chen Yu lowered his eyes and straightened his wrinkled sleeves, but his attention remained on Lin Wan.
Lin Wan completely shook off the awkwardness. Holding her head high and chest puffed out, she joked, "That's great. It's a two-way relationship. But this jewelry is too expensive. I can't accept it."
Her expression seemed serious when she said the last sentence; it was not a joke.
"This is very beautiful, it would be better to give it to your girlfriend." Lin Wan gave Chen Yu a suggestion.
She shook the jewelry in her hand and motioned Chen Yu to take it.
Chen Yu stared at Lin Wan for a long time, then turned back to the room, took out a pure white towel, and handed it to Lin Wan.
Lin Wan took it in confusion.
"Hair." Chen Yu reminded.
She walked out without drying her hair completely, and now it not only wet a large area of her clothes at the back, but also stuck to her skin, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable.
Lin Wan took the towel and wiped it on her head. The towel was soft and fluffy, but it felt heavy after wiping her hair. Lin Wan was about to say something while wiping her hair, but she saw Chen Yu close the door and just said a few words.
"The hairpin looks beautiful in your hair."
Lin Wan was silent. According to her principle, accepting a gift always requires returning the favor. She hadn't given Chen Yu a gift on his birthday before, but now she was accepting a hairpin from him.
I should return the gift, but what should I give?
Lin Wan wiped her hair and returned to her room. Lin Zhen usually gave people cigarettes, alcohol, tea and other things as gifts because they were expensive and had well-known brands.
I should also take into account Chen Yu's interests and hobbies. What does Chen Yu like?
Chen Yu picked up the butterfly hairpin on the desk. The hairpin was exquisitely crafted, and the rhinestones inlaid on it reflected glittering light under the light.
Lin Wan didn't want to accept the gift; he'd been too hasty. His fingers drummed on the table, but he felt no regret. It was meant for her anyway; it didn't matter if it was given sooner or later.
Lin Wan thought for a long time before finally picking out a bottle of red wine for Chen Yu. She didn't really know much about wine, so she listened to the salesperson and bought a more expensive bottle.
Lin Wan was completely confused by the origin and ingredients. Her only requirement was that it be brewed on Chen Yu's birthday, so that her gift would appear thoughtful.
Someone would deliver the red wine to the villa, and Lin Wan would hurry to find Jiang Nuo to put on makeup. The vacation time passed very quickly, and Lin Wan would often just sit down at the desk to study when night fell.
The timing of this birthday party was perfect, as it was held a week before the senior year make-up classes. Most people had to start catching up on their homework the next day after dinner.
Therefore, this dinner was quite similar to "The Last Supper".
August in Jiangcheng is the hottest time of the year.
As soon as his shoes touched the ground, hot steam rose up along the carpet. Lin Wan wanted to retreat back into the car immediately.
Jiang Nuo specially used her newly bought lipstick to put on her makeup at night. Although Jiang Nuo's grades did not meet her father's expectations, the money was still allocated to her.
The hotel was quite magnificent. Lin Wan walked without looking around, intending to quietly play the supporting role beside Jiang Nuo, even though Jiang Nuo spent nearly an hour putting on her makeup.
Although Jiang Nuo claimed to dislike Zhou Wangjing, she was quite popular in this circle. Lin Wan had already met six people who called Jiang Nuonuo "Sister."
"That's incredible, Sister Nuo." After the ninth person called Sister Nuo left and she had a rare moment of free time, Lin Wan whispered teasingly.
Jiang Nuo was wearing a black evening dress and holding a non-alcoholic drink in her hand. She smiled when she heard it.
"I'm uneducated and they're doing it to give face to my father." She saw it very clearly.
"Very insightful, Sister Nuo." Lin Wan pretended to admire Jiang Nuo to the extreme.
Jiang Nuo immediately crossed his arms and sneered: "If Sister Wanwan went out more often, I guess more people would admire you."
Lin Wan was amazed at this acting skill: "Da Nuo, you made the right choice to study acting. With such acting skills, you will definitely be the star of the big screen in Chengjiang Square in the future."
Jiang Nuo's disguise loosened a little when he heard this, but it completely shattered when he met Lin Wan's admiring gaze: "Yes, I will become a big star, and then there will be no need for marriage."
With her light steps and the slight movement of her skirt, Jiang Nuo's smile was incredibly lively. Lin Wan felt that it wouldn't hurt to attend more such parties. Jiang Nuo was too bright and beautiful to be trapped in a house.
"Wanwan, Zhou Wangjing is here."
At the dinner table, the host began to toast each table. The Zhou family was not a famous family in Jiangcheng, but because of its excellent development momentum in the past decade, it became a hot commodity in the circle of newly wealthy people.
Lin Wan began to sort out her plate. She was a little nervous after not seeing her junior high school classmates for many years. After all, she was the one driving a sports car on Century Avenue. She had been studying all the time, and the competition hadn't changed much since junior high.
She glanced at the man who came in from the corner of her eye. He had a slicked-back hair, a suit, and an expensive watch. He looked much more mature than the boy in school uniform, and he had a certain air of arrogance.
Lin Wan was no longer nervous. She had been worried that she would be outdone by others.
Lin Wan followed Jiang Nuo's movements and stood up, holding the water cup in his hand.
Undeniably, the moment their cups touched, she felt as if Zhou Wangjing was staring at her. Perhaps it was her excessive self-awareness, commonly known as self-indulgence.
After the meal, Lin Wan felt that he was being pretentious the whole time, his body not being what it used to be, and his head not being what it used to be. As soon as he got in the car, his phone vibrated, and then the caller ID popped up on the screen.
——It’s Chen Yu.
Lin Wan checked the time. It was eight o'clock. Jiang Nuo had gone to the next show, so she asked him to go home first.
Chen Yu seldom called her or sent her text messages, and even when they met at home, he would just greet her casually.
Could it be about the keys again? Lin Wan thought as she answered the phone.
But the voice on the phone was not Chen Yu's gentle voice.
"Are you Brother Yu's stepsister?" The voice on the phone was young and reckless, accompanied by panting and the sound of wind when jumping and running.
Lin Wan didn't recognize the voice. He moved the receiver a little further away and glanced at the name on it again. It was Chen Yu, whom he had noted last time.
"Well, yes." Lin Wan replied.
"Chen Yu is in Jiangzhou Hospital, can you come over?"
"Who are you?" Lin Wan was a little suspicious.
"Huang Qiangqiang." The voice on the other side answered.
"Is Chen Yu next to you? Let him answer the phone." Lin Wan frowned, a little anxious.
"He fainted." The boy named Huang Qiangqiang opposite seemed to be jumping and running non-stop. Lin Wan almost heard the sound of the surgical cart sliding across the ground.
"Ward number." Lin Wan heard himself say.
Uncle Jiang immediately turned the steering wheel, turned around on the city's main road, and drove towards the city center.
The hospital was filled with the smell of disinfectant. Lin Wan had been frequenting the hospital for a while, and had even become quite familiar with the doctors and nurses there.
At that time, Jiang Yuexing was suffering from severe depression and could only live in the hospital. Lin Wan always missed her, so she often took a long bus ride to the hospital to see her. At that time, Jiang Yuexing was completely empty, and Lin Wan always felt that she could not see him.
But over time, perhaps as a conditioned reflex, she would become particularly attached to the smell of disinfectant, always feeling that disinfectant was inextricably linked to her mother.
Lin Wan walked into the hospital, still wearing a formal gown. Heedless of the looks from those around him, Lin Wan hurried to the elevator.
orthopedics.
Lin Wan looked at the floor markings on the elevator and felt inexplicably dangerous.
So, Chen Yu had broken bones. The injury was so severe. Lin Wan couldn't help but frown.
"Ding." The elevator sounded, and Lin Wan walked straight towards the ward.
There were only two people in the three-person ward. There was an old man living by the window. He had a white beard and was wearing a blue-green old man's sweatshirt. He was eating watermelon with his right leg hanging down. When he saw Lin Wan coming in in an evening gown, he tidied his hair with his hands and sat up slightly.
Chen Yu lay on the bed near the door, his eyes closed, his delicate features completely pale. It was obvious he was seriously injured, but the first person Lin Wan saw was not him, but Huang Qiangqiang, whose voice she had just heard on the phone.
The yellow hair sticking up in the air clearly showed that he hadn't dyed his hair in a long time, and the black hair at the roots had grown very long. The shining skulls and crosses all over his body brought her back to the day she and Xu Su went to the cold drink shop.
——It was he who pulled Xu Su away.
"Are you religious?" Lin Wan couldn't help but ask.
Huang Qiangqiang was obviously confused, and scratched his flying hair with his right hand, which had three silver bracelets on it.
"My mother is religious, a Buddhist. Well, I guess I believe in it a little too." He answered sincerely and innocently.
"Oh, I see." Lin Wan regretted asking, so she finally changed the subject to the patient in the bed. After all, he had been transferred to the ward, and his condition had obviously stabilized.
"How is he?" Lin Wan pointed at the bloodless and unconscious person lying on the bed.
It's strange, I was so anxious when I didn't see him, but I completely relaxed when I saw him.
Huang Qiangqiang's expression changed obviously. He opened his mouth but didn't speak immediately.
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