Time ticked by, and Liu Ruoxi felt her cheeks were completely numb from the cold. Just then, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept in, and she couldn't help but shiver. Although only half of her body was inside the mud house, she could still feel the biting cold of the wind. Not to mention Wang Lun, who was still wearing his tattered down jacket; how cold he must be! Liu Ruoxi could clearly see the figure huddled up in a ball, trembling slightly. At this moment, the fear in Liu Ruoxi's heart gradually dissipated, replaced by worry for Wang Lun's situation.
She slowly stood up, turned around, pulled a burning stick from the fire pit, and carefully walked towards Wang Lun by the dim light.
Wang Lun sensed the firelight and someone approaching, and a sense of fear gripped him. He involuntarily retreated. However, with his back against the camp gate, he had nowhere to go.
Liu Ruoxi stood quietly two or three meters away from Wang Lun, her gaze fixed on him. Wang Lun, sensing that she wasn't approaching, didn't retreat further. His body reacted instinctively, shifting slightly towards the warm torchlight, but then he pulled back, turning his head towards the wooden door.
And so, the two remained silent, locked in a stalemate. Time ticked by, the atmosphere growing awkward and heavy. Finally, Wang Lun broke the silence with a hoarse voice: "Go back inside, it's cold outside." However, Liu Ruoxi firmly shook her head, replying, "You come with me, it's cold outside." But Wang Lun shook his head again, refusing.
Then came another suffocating silence. It was as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze. This silence was oppressive and frustrating, as if an invisible force was binding them tightly, making it impossible to break free.
Only when the fire on the stick was about to go out did Liu Ruoxi turn around and walk towards the earthen house.
A short while later, Liu Ruoxi came out carrying some firewood and holding a burning stick.
She started a fire in front of Wang Lun before returning to the earthen house. During this time, Wang Lun remained curled up, not glancing at Liu Ruoxi once, and didn't even move his body, except for shivering from the cold.
For the next few hours, Liu Ruoxi would add firewood to the fire every now and then. Aside from that, the two didn't exchange a single word, as if they didn't exist.
Wang Lun remained curled up, motionless, though the frequency of his trembling decreased. He seemed oblivious to the cold around him.
As night passed and dawn finally arrived, the temperature also rose slightly.
Wang Lun, who had been curled up all night, finally moved. He slowly sat up, stretched his limbs, and tried to relieve the soreness from being curled up all night. Then, he went to the pool and washed his face with the icy water to fully wake himself up.
After washing his face, Wang Lun went to the circular shelter he had built before. He organized the food and other items inside neatly and cleared out a small space, just big enough for one person to lie down and rest.
When everything was ready, Liu Ruoling came to find Wang Lun to have breakfast together. Wang Lun nodded in agreement. At this moment, Liu Ruoling noticed that Wang Lun, who hadn't slept all night, seemed to have aged considerably. In the past, Wang Lun would always carefully comb his hair, but now he looked quite unkempt, with a few blades of grass stuck to his head.
Liu Ruoling had intended to help Wang Lun remove the grass from his head, but at that moment, she noticed something strange about his gait; he seemed to have aged considerably in an instant. Previously, no matter how tired Wang Lun was, his steps were always full of energy and spirit, and his face was always beaming with a bright smile. However, now that Wang Lun had turned around, Liu Ruoling clearly saw that his eyes were vacant, his face expressionless, and his complexion as pale as paper. This sudden change startled Liu Ruoling, and she involuntarily took a step back.
Because of this one step back, Wang Lun walked past her. Liu Ruoling stared at Wang Lun's receding figure, a surge of urge to call out to him welling up inside her, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself at a loss for words. In the end, she could only silently follow Wang Lun, walking together towards the earthen house.
With a creak, Wang Lun pushed open the door and walked in. Liu Ruoxi, who was carrying a pot, and Li Ling, who was setting out the dishes, looked up at the door when they heard the sound. Both of them were stunned when they saw Wang Lun, especially Li Ling, whose eyes flashed with surprise, as if she hadn't expected Wang Lun to be so different today.
Although Liu Ruoxi was somewhat surprised, she had seen Wang Lun curled up before, so she was somewhat prepared and quickly regained her composure, continuing to carry the pot to the table next to the fire pit. In contrast, Li Ling seemed a little lost in thought. It wasn't until Wang Lun sat down that she snapped out of her daze, composed herself, and quickly arranged the bowls and chopsticks neatly.
Normally, Wang Lun would sit on the side facing the house, with Li Ling on his left, Liu Ruoling on his right, and Liu Ruoxi opposite him, with the door of the earthen house behind her. But today, Wang Lun chose to sit in the seat closest to the door, the seat that originally belonged to Liu Ruoxi.
Upon entering, Liu Ruoling glanced at the room, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately sat down in her usual spot. When Liu Ruoxi brought over the pot, she could only helplessly sit in the last seat as well.
Liu Ruoxi served everyone their meals, and they began to eat. However, the four of them remained silent. Liu Ruoling, her curiosity piqued, darted around with her eyes, glancing at Li Ling across from her, then at Wang Lun beside her, and then at her older sister Liu Ruoxi.
She was filled with doubt. Why was everyone silent? Had something happened? She wanted to ask, but she was afraid of breaking the silence. So, she could only continue to observe the others, trying to find some clues.
Li Ling, too, put down her chopsticks several times, ready to say something. But the words caught in her throat. Her face showed hesitation and conflict, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to say. She glanced at Wang Lun, then at Liu Ruoxi, and finally decided to remain silent.
Wang Lun and Liu Ruoxi, who remained, ate in silence. They seemed completely unaware that the atmosphere was somewhat strange, focusing solely on their food. Perhaps they too had their own thoughts and worries, but chose to respond with silence.
Just then, Wang Lun suddenly put down his chopsticks and calmly said, "Starting today, I'll be living in the shelter next door." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bomb, instantly shattering the silence at the table. These words shocked everyone present, especially Liu Ruoling and Li Ling. Their eyes widened, unable to believe what they had just heard.
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