Shadow and Sunlight
As they walked out of the door, Xiaofeng was still struggling. "I won't go," she said, trying to break free from Wenqing's hand. "Just cross the street," Wenqing said, pulling Xiaofeng across the street. "We're already there."
After saying that, he placed his finger on the fingerprint lock of the copper door, and the courtyard door opened.
As soon as she entered the house, Xiaofeng saw the car that Wenqing often drove. She pointed at it in surprise, her fingers trembling slightly, "Is this your car? So, this... this is your home?"
Wen Qing smiled and said, "Yeah, we've entered the wolf's den. Don't even think about leaving today."
"You go to work, just cross the street. Then you can live with me and run back and forth every day."
"So that I can see you every day. If you feel sorry for me and want to move in with me, I have no objection."
"Then I'll think about it."
"I ordered takeout, please have dinner with me first."
"good."
"Before dinner, I want to eat you first..." As soon as he stepped into the door, Wen Qing grabbed Xiaofeng impatiently and kissed her.
"Breathe! You can breathe through your nose when you kiss." Luckily, Wenqing let Xiaofeng go in time, or she felt she might have passed out. After all this time, her kissing skills didn't seem to improve at all. The moment their lips touched, her brain began to lack oxygen.
"Eat first, I'll teach you after dinner."
The living room light was a warm yellow, and the two of them ate and chatted. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Wenqing got up and opened the door, "Dad, Mom..."
"Why are you back?"
Xiaofeng stood up upon hearing the voice. Just as he took a step, Jiang Wan excitedly called out, "Xiaofeng, hey...you're eating. What are you eating?" She glanced at the sushi on the table and said, "Come home tomorrow and ask Dad to cook something better than this."
Jiang Wan stood on tiptoe and whispered in Wen Qing's ear, "Don't let her go."
Then he took Jiang Heng's arm and walked out, not forgetting to remind him, "Xiaofeng, eat slowly. It's late, so you can stay here. It will be convenient for you to go home tomorrow, so we can live next door."
"Sit down and eat together. Let's chat slowly." Jiang Wan glared at Wen Qing, who was acting sarcastic. "I'm helping you, and you still don't know what's good for you."
Jiang Heng also glared at him and said, "You deserve to be single for so many years." After saying that, he left with his wife.
After dinner, the two of them snuggled up on the sofa. Suddenly, the doorbell rang again. Wen Qing stood up angrily, opened the door, and greeted, "Fourth Uncle."
"Xiaofeng is here?"
"Um."
Xiaofeng walked over to Wenqing, took his arm, and called out crisply, "Fourth Uncle."
"Xiaofeng, you didn't drive here."
"No, I went to the company to look for Wenqing."
"Did he show you around?"
"No, is there anything fun?"
Without waiting for Fourth Uncle to answer, Wenqing pulled Xiaofeng over and said, "Fourth Uncle, come in and sit down!!"
Fourth Uncle smiled and said, "I was also asked to do this. Xiaofeng, come home tomorrow. I'm leaving now."
After closing the door, Wenqing gritted his teeth and said, "I'm tired and it's late now. Why don't you stay here?" Then he said, "Wait for me." and went upstairs.
When Wenqing came down again, he leaned close to Xiaofeng's ear and said mysteriously, "Just now, my quilt told me it was very warm. Do you want to try it?"
Xiaofeng lowered her head in shame and remained silent. She could hear her heart pounding violently in her chest.
That night, the two of them slept in each other's arms. Wenqing only felt the sweet, small and soft thing in his arms.
The next morning, they were awakened by the doorbell. This time, the person who came was their second uncle Jiang Hui.
Wen Qing rubbed his hair, "Second Uncle, it's so early!"
"It's late, you haven't woken up yet."
"What's up?"
"Call you guys home to eat."
"knew."
After seeing his uncle off, Wenqing returned to his bedroom. He gazed at his lover's gently rising shoulders, and suddenly, a tender impulse seized him. He carefully stroked his left hand across Xiaofeng's warm neck. As his right hand tightened, Xiaofeng, still deep in sleep, purred unconsciously, like a kitten. The fragrance of her hair suddenly became more pronounced. Wenqing buried his nose in the warm aroma and drifted off to sleep again.
When Xiaofeng slowly awoke, she found her hair being gently entwined by slender fingers. Wenqing was half-leaning against the headboard, the sunlight casting a soft shadow on his profile. When he saw her open her eyes, he smiled, "Good morning!" His voice still raspy from waking up.
Xiaofeng snuggled closer to him, her nose brushing against the cotton pajamas, inhaling the faint scent of sandalwood. Wenqing pulled her closer, his fingers threading through her silky hair. Suddenly, he chuckled and said, "Xiaofeng, I've thought of a poem." He bent down and kissed the top of her head, then recited in a low voice, "I love three things in the world: the sun, the moon, and you. The sun for the day, the moon for the night, and you forever."
"The sun is for morning and the moon is for evening." Wenqing suddenly switched to Chinese, "You are..." Before he finished speaking, Xiaofeng looked up and continued: "Wenqing, you are morning and evening." When the two looked at each other and smiled, the sunlight just flooded over the windowsill, casting their embracing shadows on the beige wallpaper.
"Come home with me today. I want to formally introduce you to my family."
"I didn't prepare any gifts."
"Dad, Mom, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Wen Feng, five people, five slips of paper will do. It's simple."
Xiaofeng punched Wenqing hard with her little fist, "You're so stingy and still holding a grudge."
Wenqing took her hand, placed it to his lips, and said gently, "This gift is very special. Most people can't get it."
Before leaving, Wen Qing took off her scarf and wrapped it around Xiao Feng's neck, her fingertips carelessly brushing her jaw: "This will keep you warm."
The two of them walked slowly around the courtyard. The two villas shared a common gate. The front yard had parking and a landscaped pond. A few koi fish flicked their tails, slicing through the floating duckweed, stirring up the shimmering water. The backyard was a vast expanse of lawn and greenery, brimming with life.
"What will be planted here in spring?" Xiaofeng asked curiously.
"Guess." Wen Qing kept it a secret.
Xiao Feng frowned and thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Sunflower?!"
"Well, no one knows a man better than his wife." Wen Qing smiled and scratched the tip of her nose.
"You're so annoying." Xiaofeng scolded.
"Next year we'll plant whatever you say."
"Then I'll plant 'Jiang Wenqing' next year. One of them will go out to work and earn money, and the other will accompany me to school and eat..."
Wenqing reached out to tickle her, but Xiaofeng bent down to avoid it. The two of them laughed and bumped into the wind chimes by the fence, and the crisp sound echoed in the yard.
"Xiaofeng." Jiang Wan saw this scene by the window, and an unconcealable smile overflowed from her voice. This intimacy made her heart deeply moved.
Wenqing withdrew his hand from Xiaofeng's waist, and Xiaofeng quickly straightened her clothes.
"Auntie..." Xiaofeng's address still contained a hint of playfulness.
Wenqing threatened with a smile: "Call me 'Mom'."
"This... isn't a good idea?" Xiaofeng hesitated.
"Do you have any other ideas?"
"That's not what I meant." Xiaofeng's mind froze instantly, not knowing how to explain.
"That must be because they didn't give me the 'red envelope for changing my name'." Wenqing said, pulling Xiaofeng into the house. As soon as they entered the house, the red envelope from the second uncle was handed to Xiaofeng. Jiang Wan said excitedly: "The red envelope for entering the house must be given by the second uncle."
Xiaofeng looked at Wenqing in confusion, and Wenqing gestured for her to accept it. She took the red envelope and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Second Uncle!"
Later, Jiang Wan took Xiaofeng's hand and sat on the sofa, smiling and saying, "Xiaofeng, you've grown beautiful." She spread the photo album on her knees. In the yellowed photos, a little girl with a bow timidly faced the camera. In reality, Xiaofeng was being held in Jiang Wan's palms for warmth. "So we met a few years ago. Tell me, is this fate?"
Xiaofeng studied the photo, her heart sinking. "In 2007, I was hospitalized with a viral infection. The cause couldn't be determined, but I just had a constant high fever. Later, it healed on its own for unknown reasons." She continued, her eyes never leaving the photo. "Afterward, I wasn't feeling well, so Brother Zhou Yang said he'd take me out for some fun."
"The last time I saw you in the hospital, I couldn't believe it." Jiang Wan sighed.
"Has it changed much?"
"It's beautiful, the whole person seems to be glowing."
Xiao Feng smiled shyly: "I still had a bit of baby fat back then."
Jiang Wan leaned close to Xiaofeng's ear and whispered, "Is Wenqing good to you?"
Xiao Feng's eyes lit up, then she lowered her head shyly: "He's fine."
"If he bullies you, tell Mom." Jiang Wan took out a red envelope from the coffee table drawer and handed it to Xiaofeng. "Look at me, I almost forgot. This is a red envelope from Dad and Mom."
Xiao Feng repeatedly refused: "No, no."
"Open it and take a look first."
Xiaofeng opened the red envelope. It was thin and weightless. She carefully pulled out several slips of paper. They read: 18th birthday, 19th birthday, red envelope from dad, red envelope from mom, 2011 Spring Festival...
"Do you like it?" Jiang Wan asked jokingly.
Xiaofeng was surprised and delighted, rubbing her hands over the golden words "Mom's Red Packet" repeatedly. She knew that this must have been arranged by Wenqing.
"Wenqing knew you would like it."
"I like it. I accept it. Thank you...Mom." Xiaofeng hadn't called out this name so happily for a long time.
Jiang Wan agreed repeatedly.
Jiang Heng approached, unable to bear to interrupt the warm atmosphere, and said softly, "Let's eat."
Xiaofeng looked around for Wenqing, but saw Jiang Wenfeng coming in. She greeted him first, "Wenfeng."
"Xiaofeng, isn't my brother back yet?"
Jiang Wan quickly explained, "I went upstairs with my second uncle to discuss work." She took the bulging backpack from Jiang Wenfeng's hand and asked, "Are you tired from today's training?"
Jiang Wenfeng took off his coat, revealing the number 6 jersey of the Ninghai University basketball team. Xiaofeng was so excited that her tongue trembled. "Are you on the school basketball team?"
Jiang Wenfeng suppressed the upward curve of his lips and nodded: "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask."
"The basketball team still practices on Sunday?"
"Our league results weren't good this year, so the coach asked us to practice more." Jiang Wenfeng said as he poured himself a glass of water. "Next time, I'll take you to watch the basketball team practice."
"Okay..." Xiao Feng was so happy that his voice became a little louder.
At the lunch table, Wen Qing arranged lotus root slices into a flower shape on a plate and handed it to Xiaofeng. The blush behind her ears was perfectly captured by Wen Feng's gesture of handing her a tissue. As Wen Qing gently wiped the sauce from the corner of Xiaofeng's mouth, Wen Feng subtly nudged Xiaofeng's chair leg with the tip of his shoe...
"Xiaofeng, try this." Jiang Wan's voice broke the delicate balance at the table. "This is the sweet and sour spare ribs that Dad is best at."
Xiao Feng nodded repeatedly.
"Xiaofeng, I've found a ballet teacher for your balance training." Fourth Uncle's voice was filled with just the right amount of teasing.
“I’ve never been into ballet.”
"It's okay, it's a private lesson. You will be her first 'disciple'."
"Who is that otherworldly expert?"
"It's not outside the world, it's right here in this room."
After hearing what Fourth Uncle said, Xiaofeng looked at Wenqing in confusion. Wenqing looked as if he had everything under control and asked, "Just tell me, are you willing or not?"
"I do." Xiaofeng blurted out.
"You said that yourself." Wen Qing raised his eyebrows.
"Are you kidding me again?!"
"Once a word is spoken, it can't be taken back. Mom and Dad have heard it."
After lunch, Wenqing helped clean up, and Fourth Uncle took Xiaofeng aside to talk about motorcycle training.
"Can you adapt to the current training intensity?"
"It's bearable."
"Don't be so stubborn, pay attention to your back injury."
"Everything is fine, but I'm not good at arm strength training. I can't do any push-ups at all."
After hearing this, Wen Feng walked behind Xiao Feng, lifted her left hand with his left hand, and gestured with his right hand behind her back: "When training your arms, you must remember to lower your shoulders, otherwise your trapezius muscles will compensate and you will end up with a hunchback..."
"Xiaofeng..." Jiang Wan's voice rose a few degrees, which was unusual for her. "Shall we go upstairs and talk?"
Xiaofeng quickly turned around, ran to Jiang Wan, took her arm and walked upstairs.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable in your stomach? I see you are always rubbing your stomach and you didn't eat much at noon." Jiang Wan asked with concern.
"Well, it's a special period, it will be fine in a few days."
"After pregnancy and childbirth, dysmenorrhea will get better."
Xiao Feng chuckled, and Jiang Wan continued, "Don't go to the team training these days. Stay at Wenqing's place and come back to chat with me after school."
"OK."
"Xiaofeng, according to the customs of the older generation, we should arrange a meeting with your parents." Jiang Wan patted the back of Xiaofeng's hand, her eyes full of concern. "Wenqing has told us everything. Don't be afraid. If you want to talk about family matters, I'm always here."
Xiao Feng lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly: "When my mother passed away, I was left alone, without even a home. At that time, I really didn't know what to do..."
"I understand how you feel. This is so hard for you."
Xiaofeng's eyes welled up. "Actually, I'm lucky to have met Wenqing. And my parents and uncles all love me so much... I know that with Wenqing's conditions, he could have had many better choices."
"Don't say that again! Do you think Wenqing is exceptional?"
Xiao Feng nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and Jiang Wan's eyes gleamed with pride: "Then how could the person Wen Qing chose be bad?"
Xiaofeng suddenly reached out and hugged Jiang Wan: "Thank you, Mom!"
"Silly girl, you are the first girl Wenqing brought home. The way he looked at you, I think you will be the last one too."
Xiaofeng blushed to her ears, "Mom, tell me about what's going on at home."
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