Wen Ya did not discriminate against people from rural areas, but she disliked people who had no sense of boundaries and were self righteous about it.
For example, this aunt.
When she was little and visited her grandmother’s house, she did not like eating steamed buns, but this aunt insisted the buns from her home were delicious and forced her to eat them. She said she did not like wearing butterfly hair clips, yet the aunt snatched one from her older cousin and forced it onto her head. She said she did not like being carried, but the aunt still made her uncle carry her around.
All of these things were obviously done with good intentions, but good intentions that ignored other people’s feelings only made her feel worse.
She simply hoped that during holidays they could meet, sit together peacefully, and chat politely. That would be enough.
“She means well. I can’t lose my temper at her. Today is already the third day. Tomorrow she will go back…”
Wen Ya muttered to herself as she handed the document in her hand to Qiao Mu across the desk. “Although it’s already been signed, the figures here have been adjusted according to the actual situation. Take it to the general manager for confirmation again, then go to the procurement department and fill out the application form accordingly.”
Qiao Mu was working hard on her daily report, so she nodded, took the document, and placed it at the corner of the desk. “Sister Wen Ya, I’ll go after I finish this report.”
Wen Ya did not really care when she went, it was not urgent for another hour or two anyway. She picked up her bag and was about to leave again. “As long as it’s done before the end of the workday. Thanks. I’m not coming back to the office today. See you tomorrow.”
Liu Yun sighed and waved her hand. “Go, go. This whole ordeal is finally coming to an end.”
Wen Ya knocked lightly on her own back and let out a long sigh as well. “Finally escaping the sea of suffering and getting back to normal.”
She herself had already run around so much that her waist ached, her legs cramped, and her nerves felt numb.
However, when she thought about how once this matter ended she would probably have no further interaction with Lin Xuehe, she could not say she felt nothing about it.
At 5:26 in the afternoon, after carefully cleaning every corner of the house, Wen Ya handed the keys to Lin Xuehe, who seemed to carry his own chilly aura, and gave a slight bow.
“Thank you for taking care of me during this time.”
And she silently added, may you stay healthy and live long, with everything going smoothly.
That was all.
The bunch of keys fell into his palm. Lin Xuehe hooked them with one finger and suddenly, with a youthful air, let them spin and sway at his fingertip.
“Mission accomplished. Want to grab a drink?”
Wen Ya’s eyes widened.
A drink?
And then they actually went for drinks, even though Wen Ya did not really know how to drink alcohol.
It was a small, quiet bar. The music was gentle. A girl sat in the center holding a guitar, quietly singing with a hoarse voice.
The girl did not look very old, probably just in her early twenties, yet her singing carried a quiet sense of weariness.
“That girl has been wandering outside with her guitar since she was fourteen. Life hasn’t been easy for her.” The bartender, who was also the owner, pushed over a freshly mixed drink with a warm color and said to Wen Ya, who was staring blankly at the girl. “She’s probably about your age.”
Wen Ya turned back and reached out to cradle the glass.
“I’ve seen her before.”
Now it was the owner’s turn to be surprised. “Out there somewhere?”
“Mm.” Wen Ya stared at the glass. The dim yellow lights reflected in the liquid, scattering into colorful glimmers. “I happened to run into her once. Her parents came to find her. Her mother was crying and begging her to come home, but she refused.”
“And that’s why I remembered her.”
The owner chuckled. “Do you think she’s heartless?”
Wen Ya shook her head and lifted the glass, taking a sip.
The drink tasted slightly sweet in her mouth, yet it was also quite sharp. It was better than beer, though not that much better.
“She’s impressive. I could never do that.”
The owner’s eyes curved as he smiled. A man over forty had fine lines when he smiled, giving him a kind of understated elegance. “You’re still young. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Wen Ya was not really listening. She simply raised the glass and drained it in one gulp, then set it down with a slap.
“Another one!”
This was actually already her second drink. The owner glanced sideways toward Lin Xuehe, who sat less than twenty centimeters away from Wen Ya. Lin Xuehe gave a slight nod, and only then did the owner mix another drink.
Cocktails had a strong delayed effect. After finishing the third glass, Wen Ya collapsed onto the table.
Her consciousness was still there, just a little hazy.
She turned her head and faced Lin Xuehe, who was quietly drinking alone without saying a word.
Although they had come out to drink together, Mr. Lin still maintained his cool distance, drinking by himself and not chatting with her at all.
When Lin Xuehe drank, his expression was much more relaxed than usual. The corners of his eyes looked languid, and his overall presence softened. Refined and elegant, his features looked almost like a painting.
Wen Ya stared at him foolishly. He really was beautiful…
Suddenly, he lifted his eyes and glanced at her. “See anything?”
With her cheek pressed against the tabletop, Wen Ya shook her head honestly. “I don’t see anything.”
“Then close your eyes and get some sleep.”
“Oh.”
She answered, but her eyes still did not blink. Lin Xuehe ignored her after that and continued drinking while lost in thought.
Unfortunately, after a while the alcohol fully hit her. Wen Ya started staring at him with wide, bright eyes and began rambling nonstop, saying whatever came to mind, and insisting that Lin Xuehe look at her.
“…Why does the person I like happen to like my friend? Why did I end up meeting my good friend’s ex boyfriend? What kind of rotten luck is this…”
“…Trash boss, always screwing me over!”
“…Why am I so unlucky? Hey, Mr. Lin, look at me. Look at me!”
“I’m so annoyed. I’m already this unlucky, and my mom still wants to make things worse. I don’t want to go on blind dates anymore. I’m so tired…”
“Why is she so stubborn? Always making decisions for me and never listening. If she weren’t my mom I would have stopped talking to her long ago…”
“…Mr. Lin, tell me, how can I be this unlucky…”
“Hey Mr. Lin, look at me. Look at me!”
She went on like this for hours without stopping.
Lin Xuehe finally reached out when she started repeating herself for the sixth time. His cool fingertips brushed over her eyelids. Wen Ya shivered and reflexively closed them.
Lin Xuehe’s voice was low beneath the intermittent singing in the background, falling softly by her ear. “Go ahead and sleep for a while. I’ll watch over you.”
Can I really sleep without worry?
With that thought in mind, Wen Ya slowly closed the eyes she had just opened again.
Once darkness filled her vision, fatigue rose together with the effects of the alcohol. The girl’s hoarse singing lingered in her ears. As she listened, it seemed she could not even finish hearing a single lyric before she drifted into a heavy sleep.
Before losing consciousness completely, she still thought to herself that the first time she went out drinking with a man, she ended up passing out drunk. That was really something.
Customers came and went. The owner walked around several times before returning to their table. As he wiped a glass, he said, “Your mood today is different from the last few times you came.”
Lin Xuehe slowly turned the glass in his hand. “Mm.”
“Because of this girl?”
“Maybe.”
The owner chuckled softly. “How so?”
“She’s interesting.”
“Not that you like her?”
“Maybe.”
“So uncertain?”
Lin Xuehe glanced at the person quietly resting beside him. “This kind of distance feels good. Not too far, not too close.”
The owner fell silent for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. “Your temperament really is detached. Actually, you could try finding someone and getting a little closer.”
Lin Xuehe smiled silently and said nothing.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Ding dong.
In the living room, Wen Ya’s mother turned her head while cracking sunflower seeds and nudged her husband. “How strange. If it hadn’t rung tonight, I would have forgotten we even have a doorbell, and it’s so late too. Don’t just sit there. Go see who it is!”
Wen Ya’s father shifted reluctantly. He did not really want to go, but after being glared at twice by his wife, he still took off his reading glasses, set aside the obscure ancient text he had been reading, and shuffled over in his slippers.
He opened the door. “Who…”
His gaze froze on the tall, handsome man standing outside. After a moment, it stiffly moved to his own daughter, who was sleeping soundly on the man’s back.
Lin Xuehe smiled politely. “You must be Uncle Wen. I’m Wen Ya’s friend. She drank too much.”
Wen Ya’s father snapped back to his senses. Only then did he notice the smell of alcohol, not harsh but definitely present. He quickly reached out to take Wen Ya. “Thank you, thank you. Let me take her.”
Lin Xuehe silently glanced at the thin frame of Wen Ya’s father and did not let go.
She was quite heavy.
Wen Ya’s father also looked down at his own thin frame and finally decided to be realistic. “Sorry to trouble you, then.”
Lin Xuehe adjusted Wen Ya slightly on his back. She mumbled a few words and rubbed her cheek against the back of his neck, showing no sign of waking up.
He walked inside, lowering his voice. “It’s no trouble.”
For him it was no trouble, but it made Wen Ya’s mother drop the sunflower seeds from her hand.
What was going on? Her daughter had just been dumped not long ago, and today she had already brought home such an exceptional man. That was really impressive.
Lin Xuehe followed Wen Ya’s father inside, only giving Wen Ya’s mother a quick nod. “Hello, Auntie.”
“Oh, oh, hello.” Wen Ya’s mother reacted a moment too slowly. By the time they had already gone into Wen Ya’s room, she jumped up from the sofa.
Something was going on.
Lin Xuehe carefully laid Wen Ya on the bed. She turned over, immediately wrapped herself in the air conditioning blanket, and stopped moving.
Wen Ya’s father sighed and brushed a hand over her forehead. “How did she end up drinking like this?”
Lin Xuehe glanced around the room. Wen Ya’s bedroom was not exactly tidy, though that might be because there were too many small items filling the already small space. Several DIY oil paintings created by filling colors according to numbered patterns hung on the wall. Shelves and cabinets were crowded with handmade crafts like temari balls and braided cord pendants. A pile of DIY tools lay scattered across the desk… It was enough to drive someone with obsessive tendencies crazy.
Lin Xuehe resisted the urge to frown. From a lace trimmed wicker basket hanging by the head of the bed, he took out the remote control, turned on the air conditioner, adjusted it to a comfortable temperature, and put it back. As he did, he casually straightened the crooked basket.
“Thank you,” Wen Ya’s father said.
Lin Xuehe shook his head. “I was the one who invited her out for drinks. I should be the one apologizing.”
Wen Ya’s father paused, carefully choosing his words before speaking. “No matter what, you still brought her home. I can’t avoid thanking you for that.”
“Ahem.” Wen Ya’s mother appeared at the doorway, holding a plate of fruit that had somehow already been washed and cut. Smiling broadly, she interrupted. “Young man, come sit in the living room and have some fruit. We can chat while you eat.”
Lin Xuehe stood up to leave. “Thank you for the offer, but my driver is still waiting downstairs. I have to go.”
Wen Ya’s mother was unwilling to let him leave so easily. She shook off her husband’s hand that was trying to stop her, shoved the fruit plate into his hands, and enthusiastically insisted on walking Lin Xuehe out. “Really, Wen Ya rarely brings friends over, and I can’t even host properly…”
Wen Ya’s father secretly rolled his eyes. What kind of friend comes visiting at nearly eleven at night, and a man at that.
Lin Xuehe only allowed her to walk him to the door. “Please stay here.”
“Oh, I’ll walk you downstairs…”
“That won’t be necessary.” Lin Xuehe raised a hand gently between them and smiled lightly. “Sorry for bringing Wen Ya back so late. I accidentally had a few too many drinks. Please forgive me.”
Wen Ya’s mother laughed. “It’s nothing. That child works overtime all the time. It’s not the first time she has come home after ten.”
“She’s very tired.”
Wen Ya’s mother was startled. “Ah?” Why did the conversation suddenly turn to that?
Lin Xuehe stood straight and tall. The hallway light cast a shadow in front of him, dimming the expression in his eyes. He smiled and said, “She worked hard helping me find the apartment, and she worked hard helping with the renovation. For a young woman, it hasn’t been easy.”
“Oh, oh!” Wen Ya’s mother opened her mouth in surprise. “So you’re Mr. Lin!”
“Yes. Today everything was finally finished, so I invited her out for a few drinks. I didn’t expect her tolerance to be so low. After just a few sips she was already tipsy and talking nonsense.”
Wen Ya’s mother’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh dear, she didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?”
Lin Xuehe smiled and shook his head. “Not really. It’s just that I kept hearing her mumble that she’s very tired and wants to rest for a while.”
“Hehe, what could she possibly be tired from…”
Lin Xuehe’s faint smile lingered on his face, his voice gentle and unhurried. “She has many things to handle every day. From what I see, it’s not easy for her. Still, it’s fortunate that she lives at home. Having Uncle and Auntie to share the burden does make things easier. I won’t keep talking. Please rest early. I’ll be leaving now.”
He turned and left. Wen Ya’s mother could only tell him to take care on the way out, but the more she looked at his back, the more satisfied she felt.
“It’s really just like Wen Ya said. Compared with this Mr. Lin, your old classmate’s son doesn’t even come close. And if you ask me…”
Having caught the implication in Lin Xuehe’s words, Wen Ya’s father sighed. “Just stop creating trouble for Wen Ya. The child is truly tired. At least let her breathe a little when she’s at home.”
This foolish woman. The man had already spoken so clearly, yet she still did not catch a single hint.
Night gradually deepened, and the sound of the wind outside grew louder.
Lin Xuehe returned to the car and rubbed his brow in fatigue.
As an outsider, this was about as much as he could help.
He only hoped the alcohol would work and loosen the tension in her tightly strung nerves.