The long corridor was empty except for the two of them.
One was bent over, while the other stood there helplessly.
“Come here.”
He Yan struggled to gather his strength, straightening up as he spoke to her in a slightly hoarse voice.
In Wen Xue’s self-protective instincts, she would never approach a drunk man—it usually meant danger. But He Yan seemed to be an exception. Without further hesitation, she quickly moved to his side, hesitantly reaching out her hand but stopping mid-air, unsure whether to support him.
He Yan had already subtly avoided her touch. He handed her the keys and chuckled, “Help me open the door.”
Wen Xue hummed in acknowledgment, taking the keys from him. She fumbled as she inserted them into the lock. In this quiet little space, even the slightest sounds were amplified. Turning the key, the door creaked open. Perhaps he usually shaved by the mirror near the entrance—the air seemed to carry a faint, crisp scent.
“Thanks,” he said. “Go get some rest.”
Seeing that he had safely reached his door, Wen Xue had no reason to worry anymore. She nodded but still glanced back every few steps as she walked toward the staircase. Each time she looked back, He Yan remained standing at the doorway, watching her.
She pressed her lips together and smiled.
The corridor light illuminated the path beneath her feet. When she reached the third floor and approached her door, a familiar voice drifted up from below in the quiet night, “Are you there yet?”
Startled, she quickly leaned over the railing, peering down anxiously.
Downstairs, He Yan was also craning his neck to look up.
For some reason, she let out a muffled laugh. “I’m here.”
There was no sound from below. She pricked up her ears and heard the door closing. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned and entered her room. On the low table nearby sat the dessert he had packed for her. Though she had little appetite, she still unwrapped the paper bag and took out the box. It was exquisitely packaged—a tempting chocolate cake.
She stared blankly for a few seconds before finding a fork.
Sitting on the sofa, she took small bites. It was sweet but not cloying, and tasted wonderful.
…
Wen Xue began to settle into life here.
These past few mornings, she had been leaving at 7:30 for breakfast and texting He Yan to ask what he wanted to eat. Sometimes it was soybean milk and fried dough sticks; other times, he would curiously ask about the wonton she had been eating for several days in a row, wondering what made it so special, and request that she bring him a portion.
Then he would hand her his car keys and ask her to wait in the car for him.
Li Jingru’s whistling still echoed in the office every day, but compared to the first couple of days, its frequency had noticeably decreased.
During lunch breaks, she would join Sister Zhou and the others outside to bask in the sun and crack sunflower seeds. She didn’t feel like she was getting better, but she wasn’t getting worse either. It was as if someone was holding her up, preventing her from falling.
He Yan was very busy with work, especially during this period. Not only did he have to collect debts before the New Year, but he also needed to maintain relationships with clients, for which gift-giving was essential. No sooner had he seen off Manager Zhou than he had to travel for business negotiations.
Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded Wu Yuejiang to look after Wen Xue.
He nagged so much that even Wu Yuejiang grew annoyed. “She’s twenty—a twenty-year-old adult, not a two-year-old child!”Although he said that, after He Yan left, Wu Yuejiang automatically took over his task, driving her to and from work every day. Finally finding some free time today, he took her out for a meal. Throughout the dinner, she remained quiet and reserved, eating the blanched greens from the hotpot.
“Wen Xue, I’m truly grateful that you came—not for business, but for personal reasons.”
After finishing the meal, Wu Yuejiang set down his chopsticks, his tone carrying a serious note.
Wen Xue paused, looking at him with confusion, unsure of what he meant.
Wu Yuejiang’s gaze fixed on the ladies’ watch on her right wrist. If he remembered correctly, this was the gift He Heng had given her for her nineteenth birthday.
Back then, He Heng had even asked for his help in choosing it.
In the young man’s eyes, his girlfriend’s birthday was the most important occasion, overshadowing everything else. He had spent a long time deliberating, agonizing over the decision. Wu Yuejiang had even felt like blocking the kid, grumbling inwardly: grievances have their source, debts their creditor—why not go bother your own brother?
He Heng sighed and said, “My brother would just throw money at me and tell me to get lost.”
Wu Yuejiang had laughed heartily at that.
Recalling this, a faint smile flickered in Wu Yuejiang’s eyes, though he didn’t mention it to Wen Xue. “What do you think of He Yan’s current state?” he asked.
Wen Xue thought for a moment and replied softly, “He’s doing well.”
He Yan was the most remarkable person she had ever met. Whether it was when He Heng was still around and he single-handedly took on the responsibility of raising him, or after He Heng passed away, when he swallowed all his pain, straightened his back, and pulled himself together—these were things ordinary people couldn’t accomplish, yet he had done them.
“Is that so?”
Wu Yuejiang sighed with a sense of loss. “The only thing keeping He Yan grounded now is responsibility.”
Back when their group of friends was still just learning to write the word “responsibility,” He Yan had already shouldered it.
“It used to be He Heng,” Wu Yuejiang said slowly. “Now, it’s the company and me. I told him, since he dragged me into this, we have to keep expanding this venture. He asked me how much money I wanted to make, and I threw out an astronomical figure.”
Wen Xue listened quietly.
“I don’t know how long we can keep him here—we’ll take it one day at a time.” He laughed, though the girl before him didn’t yet realize that she, too, had become one of He Yan’s responsibilities.
“Keep him here…” she murmured, bewildered. “What do you mean?”
“For a while, he often went to temples. He doesn’t believe in any of that stuff, but He Heng’s death caused him immense pain,” Wu Yuejiang said, finding humor in the sorrow. “If this were ancient times, he’d definitely be labeled as born under an unlucky star. He blames himself deeply, believing he failed to take good care of his brother. His brother was only twenty… Frankly, I think once he sees me make that fortune, he’ll just up and leave. He might even end up in some temple, abstaining from meat and chanting Buddhist scriptures.”
Wen Xue was lost in thought for a long time.
She struggled to process his words, each one piercing her heart like shards of glass.
“Why?” she whispered.
Wu Yuejiang wasn’t an emotional person, but at this moment, he awkwardly turned his head away. After composing himself, he smiled as if nothing had happened and said, “That’s why I said thank you. Since you arrived, he’s actually been quite happy.”
With that, he poured her another cup of tea.
She picked up the cup and drank, her expression still somewhat dazed.
Ding ling, ding ling—Wu Yuejiang’s phone rang. Without even looking, he knew it was He Yan calling. He answered directly, pressed it to his ear, and uttered a “Hello.” The voice on the other end asked, just like yesterday and the day before, “Have you taken her home yet?”
“No, I’m out having hot pot with my sister,” he said.
Wen Xue abruptly lifted her gaze, looking at Wu Yuejiang seated across from her. Her intuition told her the person on the other end of the call was He Yan.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Wu Yuejiang responded impatiently a few times. “I know, why are you so naggy lately? By the way, my sister’s here. Do you want to say a few words to her?”
Wen Xue immediately set down her cup and straightened her posture, sitting upright.
She looked like a model student about to face the school principal.
“Alright then.” Wu Yuejiang glanced at Wen Xue, moved the phone away, ended the call, and smiled at her. “He’s swamped with work, yet he still calls every day to check if I’ve taken you home. I can’t believe him.”
Wen Xue’s shoulders relaxed.
She lowered her eyelashes and continued drinking her water. After only a few sips, as Wu Yuejiang got up to pay the bill at the counter, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw a message from He Yan: 【Go back and rest early.】
Wu Yuejiang returned with the receipt. Before he even reached their table, he noticed from a few steps away that Wen Xue was holding her phone with both hands, typing intently as if chatting with someone, a faint, relaxed smile playing on her lips.
He Yan had driven himself for this business trip, covering several hundred kilometers. He had set off with full momentum, but the return journey inevitably left him feeling weary. He decided to make a stop in a city along the way, booking a room to rest for the night.
After a shower, he lay down to sleep. The room’s heating was turned up high, leaving his mouth parched and dry. He woke up at two in the morning, drank a bottle of water, and found himself completely awake. Deciding not to linger, he grabbed his phone and car keys, went downstairs to check out, and drove off into the darkness, speeding along the highway.
After driving for over three hours, the early morning was shrouded in mist. He parked the car, his gaze piercing through the windshield toward a lit room on the third floor. Raising his wrist, the watch face reflected a faint glimmer of light. Confirming it was 5:40—not 6:40 or 7:40—he frowned almost imperceptibly.
He turned off the engine, got out of the car, and closed the door gently, as if afraid of disturbing someone, using much less force than usual.
After locking the car, he strode into the building and headed upstairs. As he drew closer to that room, he slowed his pace, wondering if she might have forgotten to turn off the light before going to sleep. He fished his phone out of his pocket and tentatively sent her a message: 【Are you awake?】
Wen Xue was curled up on the sofa hugging a hot water bottle when she received the message.
A couple of days earlier, she and Nana had bought a strawberry plant while browsing the night market.
Lately, she had been waking up early, unable to fall back asleep, and would stare at the plant, wondering when it would bear strawberries. She even began to suspect she had been tricked—that it might not be a strawberry plant at all. Otherwise, why hadn’t it shown any signs of growth after days of watering?
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
She always left her phone charging on the sofa overnight.
She had already blocked all the people she needed to block, leaving her world quiet and peaceful. But this was the first time she had received a message so early in the morning.
Who could it be?
When she opened it, she thought she must be seeing things. How could it be He Yan, who was supposed to be away on a business trip? Had something happened? Instantly, her heart leaped into her throat, as if she had been thrown back to that summer night when she received an unexpected call from the police.
Since that night, it felt as though she had been dragged into a long, dark tunnel.She jolted upright, replying with trepidation, her hands trembling: [I’m awake, what’s wrong?]
The next second.
His reply came simultaneously with the rhythmic knocking: [Open the door.]
Wen Xue hurried to the door and pulled it open. The temperature outside was noticeably colder, and a chill rushed in. He Yan stood at the doorway, looking travel-worn with his hands in his pockets. The crisp hem of his trench coat had creases but didn’t appear disheveled. He tilted his head slightly, his voice deep, “Put on something warm.” I’m taking you somewhere.”
A few minutes later, Wen Xue—wrapped in a scarf and wearing gloves—followed anxiously behind He Yan as they climbed to the rooftop of the Residential Building, a place she had never been to before.
The door was bolted shut.
With practiced ease, He Yan unlocked it in a few quick moves. The rusty door seemed on the verge of collapsing. He stepped out first, gesturing for her to follow. In the depths of winter, their exhaled breaths nearly froze in the air. The vast rooftop was desolate, with even the clothesline broken and fallen after enduring wind and rain.
Wen Xue caught up to him. He seemed very familiar with this place, heading straight to a specific spot. “You can see the sunrise from here.”
She turned her head, gazing at his profile.
After watching for a while, she shifted her gaze, skimming over the scattered beer bottles lying haphazardly on the ground. A guess formed in her mind: he was showing her his scars.
The two stood in silence, looking distantly at the horizon.
After what felt like an immeasurable passage of time, he said, “It’s coming.”
The sun rose, its faint rays piercing through the clouds. Wen Xue’s eyes lit up. She had seen summer sunrises before, but at this moment, she sincerely felt that the winter sunrise moved her more profoundly.
So…
She glanced softly at He Yan. How many times had he watched a sunrise like this?
She exhaled a white breath. When they went downstairs, she didn’t follow him immediately. Instead, she crouched down. There were too many beer bottles to carry all at once; she would come back for them tomorrow. Picking up two bottles in one hand, they clinked together with a crisp sound. Hearing the noise, He Yan turned around. Their eyes met, and she explained quietly, “Trash… should be thrown in the bin.”
She couldn’t manage the trash others left behind.
But these were his.
He Yan fell silent, somewhat awkward, yet he admitted frankly, “You’re right. I had no manners back then.”
She burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling into crescents.