Xia Weige followed Wang Ning and finished delivering the medicine to the elderly.
There weren’t many seniors living here, fewer than thirty people. Most of them were ill, and more than half suffered from serious illnesses, mostly age-related diseases. However, due to a long lack of effective treatment, many conditions had worsened severely.
The community had no income other than social donations. Most of the elderly here were either childless and alone, or their families simply refused to care for them.
Xia Weige felt a sharp pang of distress. It was only after this trip of delivering medicine with Wang Ning that she truly understood the real situation of this nursing community.
Her heart felt heavy, as if a large stone was pressing on her chest, causing her a sense of profound gravity.
She turned to look at the cameraman who had been following behind her. The lens in his hand was aimed at her, and also at this dilapidated nursing community.
Xia Weige lowered her eyes, understanding the director’s intention.
Wang Ning didn’t rest after delivering the medicine; she had to rush to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Xia Weige simply went to help her.
The camera behind her followed her all the time, recording everything she saw.
Wang Ning first took Xia Weige outside the alley because the delivery vehicle couldn’t drive in, so the daily ingredients had to be manually transported from outside the alley.
Wang Ning carried a basket on her back. Usually, she had to run two or three times by herself, but with Xia Weige’s help this time, they could finish in one trip.
The path in the small alley was very uneven. Wang Ning was used to walking it, but Xia Weige had rarely experienced physical hardship in so many years. With a heavy load on her back, she stepped into a small pothole halfway through, lost her balance, and twisted her ankle.
“Hey, are you alright?” Wang Ning rushed forward to ask.
Xia Weige frowned, endured the pain, and gently shook her head.
“I’m fine, let’s go back first.” She shook her foot twice. The slight stinging pain made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to delay and only urged Wang Ning to hurry.
Seeing that Xia Weige’s walking posture was not unusual, Wang Ning felt relieved.
The two of them carried the ingredients and passed by the activity room. Xia Weige looked inside. Others were chatting with a few elderly people.
Zhuo Jingcheng found a loudspeaker from somewhere and was singing songs for the seniors, which made everyone very happy.
Xia Weige quickly searched for Wen Rong’s figure and finally spotted her in the corner after scanning around.
Wen Rong was squatting in front of an elderly person, using a needle to sew a cuff button.
Perhaps Xia Weige’s gaze was too focused and Wen Rong sensed it. Wen Rong suddenly turned her head and met Xia Weige’s eyes.
Wen Rong paused. Seeing her carrying the basket and Wang Ning waiting by her side, she opened her mouth and softly said something to her.
What did Wen Rong say?
Xia Weige only saw the other person open her mouth but couldn’t hear what she said. Her heart fluttered, and she instinctively wanted to step into the room to hear Wen Rong’s words, but Wang Ning was already urging her to leave.
The two of them still had to deliver the ingredients to the kitchen.
Xia Weige was a little disappointed. She looked at Wen Rong anxiously, but saw Wen Rong smile, shake her head, and wave for her to leave with Wang Ning.
Xia Weige bit her lip and could only turn around to follow Wang Ning.
She walked forward step by step, moving further and further away from Wen Rong.
It was like the moment they broke up. She was also standing outside the door, and Wen Rong also smiled, shook her head, and waved for her to leave.
Xia Weige felt a slight ache in her heart, but she wasn’t overly sad.
That time, she thought she would never see Wen Rong again, but this time was different.
She had made up her mind.
Xia Weige quickly adjusted her mood and followed Wang Ning to the kitchen.
There was only one auntie in her 40s busy in the kitchen. Wang Ning and Xia Weige put down the ingredients and walked over.
“Aunt Qin, are we going to stew tofu today? I just saw some.” Wang Ning rarely smiled, except when facing the elderly.
Aunt Qin heard her voice, turned her head, looked at Wang Ning, and reluctantly continued the conversation: “You’re the only glutton.”
Then she noticed Xia Weige beside her, neatly dressed, good-looking, and followed by a cameraman, which inevitably made her a little confused.
“This is…”
Xia Weige stepped forward and smiled, rolling up her sleeves as she walked, looking ready to help, “Hello, Aunt Qin, I’m a new volunteer here.”
After speaking, she pointed to the cameraman behind her, “They are recording a show; don’t worry about them, they won’t interfere with us.”
Aunt Qin then remembered what Aunt Wu had said about someone coming to film a show.
She didn’t know anything about big celebrities. She only saw Xia Weige rolling up her sleeves to work, but she looked so delicate. Her exposed arms were almost white and reflective, so she hesitantly instructed her to wash the vegetables.
After all, Xia Weige looked tender and soft-skinned, and washing vegetables was the lightest task.
“Okay,” Xia Weige didn’t argue and quickly agreed with a smile.
The three of them kept busy until almost twelve o’clock, pushing the cooked food to the dining hall.
Since there were no restaurants nearby, Xia Weige and the program crew also decided to have lunch here. They would return to the cottage for dinner and everyone would leave together by car before six o’clock.
They didn’t need so many hands to serve the food; Wang Ning and Aunt Qin could handle it. Xia Weige, who had been busy all morning, finally got a chance to rest.
She subconsciously looked for Wen Rong’s figure, but didn’t see her in the dining hall. Feeling a little confused, she wanted to ask someone, but everyone she asked said they hadn’t noticed Wen Rong’s whereabouts.
Xia Weige was a little anxious. She walked a long distance and finally saw the person in the previous activity room.
Everyone else had left. Wen Rong was standing alone in front of a round wooden table by the window, slightly bent over, trimming the fabric on the table.
Xia Weige noticed that she was wearing glasses—a semi-rimless frame with silver wire inlay. Upon closer inspection, a word was engraved on the right temple of the glasses.
In reality, Xia Weige’s distance shouldn’t allow her to see the writing there, but she just knew.
Those were the glasses she had given Wen Rong seven years ago.
She recognized the style, and she had later endorsed this brand. There was no mistake.
Xia Weige walked into the room quietly. Wen Rong was too focused to notice anyone else until Xia Weige walked right up to her, and a shadow was cast in front of her.
Wen Rong stopped moving, not only because she noticed a shadow cast on the table, but also because Xia Weige’s outstretched fingertip touched the back of her hand.
Wen Rong slowly straightened up and looked at Xia Weige.
The other person’s eyes were shining, radiating a hint of unconcealed joy.
The midday sunlight shone through the window, sprinkling down like brilliant golden streams of light, radiant and dazzling.
Xia Weige’s face was bathed in the light. Her smiling eyes were like a shimmering starlight.
“It’s time to eat. Everyone has gone to the dining hall.”
Wen Rong heard her well-behaved and clear voice, like the gentle chirping of the little bird that took shelter under her eaves every time it rained during her childhood.
Wen Rong loved Xia Weige’s voice the first time she heard it.
It was like a piece of mint-flavored candy melting in her mouth, a refreshing and comforting sweetness intermingled with a delicate fragrance, melting into her heart.
“Okay, I’ll tidy up.” Wen Rong subtly withdrew her hand, which had been touched by Xia Weige’s fingertips, and tidied up the fabric on the table.
She realized that Xia Weige was still looking at her intently, specifically at the position of her glasses.
Wen Rong naturally knew why. Her fingers pressed against the edge of the round wooden table, and her fingertips involuntarily applied some force, causing a slight dull ache to slowly emerge.
She avoided Xia Weige’s burning gaze, her eyebrows gently lowered, like the quiet droop of a butterfly’s wings.
“I got used to the glasses, so I asked a friend to find an identical pair,” she deliberately explained.
Wen Rong’s myopia wasn’t severe; she only wore glasses when she was concentrating on a task. As she spoke, she took off the glasses and placed them on the table.
Xia Weige followed her movement, her gaze shifting to the temple of the glasses. At this distance, Xia Weige could finally see clearly.
There was no engraving on the temple of the glasses.
Xia Weige bit her lip, her head slightly lowered, and she remained still for a long while.
Wen Rong would rather ask a friend to find an identical style than use the pair she had once given her.
Her joy just now completely vanished, and she felt a surge of self-mockery for being so presumptuous.
After a long time, Xia Weige finally turned to leave. Just as she had half-turned, Wen Rong seemed to suddenly remember something and reached out, gently grabbing her wrist.
“Don’t force yourself if you’re injured. It’s best to go and get it checked after eating, lest it gets worse and leaves you with a chronic condition.” The gentle, flowing voice sounded right next to Xia Weige’s ear.
Xia Weige froze and abruptly looked up at Wen Rong.
She had concealed it very well; no one passing by had noticed her ankle discomfort. The stinging pain had been with her since she twisted it this morning, yet even Wang Ning, who had been with her the whole time, hadn’t noticed.
But Wen Rong did.
Despite only spending a short time together, she sensitively detected her pain.
However, Xia Weige wasn’t happy at this moment; instead, she felt a wave of bitterness.
Was the other person’s concern also her own wishful thinking?
Wen Rong was always meticulous and gentle; she would probably treat anyone this way.
Xia Weige pulled away from Wen Rong’s hand, stepped back half a step, and gently shook her head. She slowly showed Wen Rong a smile, “I’m fine, I know my limits. Besides, it doesn’t hurt, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
The sharp, stinging pain in her ankle tugged at her nerves, seemingly hurting even more than before.