The day after He Yan discovered Wen Xue sitting dazedly on the sofa with the lights on as early as 5 a.m., he consulted her opinion and arranged an appointment for her at a well-reputed Chinese medicine hospital in West City. The next morning, he drove her there. The hospital was crowded as usual, and it took them quite a while to find a parking spot.
In the past, He Yan had little patience for many things and had a terrible temper. When encountering lane cutters or those with worse manners than him, he would often lose his temper and pick a fight.
Even now, his anger still flares up easily. But with Wen Xue sitting in the passenger seat, he would glance at her – sitting there quietly and obediently hugging her scarf – and his anger would subside.
Combining both his lifetimes, He Yan had visited hospitals fewer times than he could count on both hands.
Previously, it was to take He Heng to pediatrics. Now, it was to bring Wen Xue for a pulse diagnosis.
Both scenarios felt strangely out of character for him. He walked ahead clearing the way while Wen Xue slowly followed behind. To uninformed observers, they might appear as strangers. They had registered for an expert consultation, and the waiting time was considerable.
He Yan scanned the area and found a seat, promptly guiding her to sit down.
Wen Xue sat for a while but grew increasingly restless. Eventually, she stood up and offered her seat to an elderly grandmother.
During her student days, the certificates and awards she received could cover an entire wall.
In short, whether taught by family and teachers or learned from textbooks, no matter how exhausted she was, she could never ignore the elderly, young, sick, or disabled. Even though she herself was so slender she might be blown away by the wind, she would still insist on doing this.
Thinking she was sitting properly, He Yan went to stand by the staircase landing to get some air while taking phone calls.
At this critical juncture, his daily call log seemed endless.
After finishing one call, he sensed something amiss and turned to see someone standing about a meter away – someone who should have been sitting and resting. She looked at him with clear, innocent eyes.
“…” he asked, “Has our number been called?”
“Not yet,” Wen Xue said softly. “There was a grandmother standing, and I felt bad sitting.”
That grandmother might be in her sixties or seventies, while she was only twenty.
He Yan’s mouth twitched. He glanced back and thought to himself that the grandmother looked much healthier than she did.
After waiting another ten-plus minutes, it was finally their turn. Knowing that when young men and women come for medical consultations together, uninformed people might speculate about their relationship, He Yan proactively explained: “Doctor, I’m accompanying my younger sister for a check-up. If there’s anything inconvenient, I can wait outside.”
The doctor smiled and nodded.
After checking her pulse, the doctor asked: “Having trouble sleeping? For how long?”
Wen Xue slowly withdrew her hand. “Half a year. I wake up from dreams and can’t fall back asleep.”
He Yan didn’t stand too close. Hearing this, he looked at the top of her head with complicated emotions.
She sat very properly, wearing a thick down jacket that still seemed loose on her.
The doctor was very thorough and patient, prescribing medication according to her condition. He Yan took the prescription to get the medicine – a full, large bag containing nothing but Chinese medicine liquids for regulating her health. Back at the Residential Building, under his watchful gaze, Wen Xue opened one packet and carefully took a sip. Her face contorted. “So bitter!”
If he weren’t there, she would have spat it out immediately.
He Yan: “Is it that bitter?”His tone was no different from usual, but Wen Xue felt it carried a hint of skepticism. Admittedly, their relationship had grown much closer recently, especially after watching the sunrise together yesterday. In her eyes, he was no longer just He Heng’s older brother—he had his own identity now. She fell silent for a few seconds, a bitter taste lingering in her mouth. After a moment of contemplation, she pulled out a packet and handed it to him, silently meeting his gaze as if to say, “If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.”
He Yan was momentarily taken aback. Once he understood her meaning, he chuckled softly but still accepted the packet. He tore it open and took a large gulp, finishing half of it in one go.
His body stiffened briefly before he calmly drank the rest without leaving a single drop.
Wen Xue stared wide-eyed. Did he have no sense of taste?
He Yan tossed the empty packet into the trash and said calmly, “It’s better to follow the doctor’s advice. If it’s too bitter, have something sweet after drinking it.”
Still in shock, Wen Xue scrutinized his face for any trace of discomfort, but unfortunately, he showed no reaction—as if he had just drunk a glass of water.
“I have things to attend to,” He Yan said, glancing at the mostly unfinished Chinese medicine in her hand. “Remember to finish it.”
Wen Xue: “…”
Wait.
Did he really not find it bitter?
Under her bewildered gaze, He Yan turned and strode downstairs. He returned to his room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Wu Yuejiang came back to grab something and, hearing movement next door, approached while twirling his car keys. He pushed the door open to find He Yan brushing his teeth at the sink.
Wu Yuejiang glanced suspiciously at the sun outside.
It wasn’t morning or evening—why was he brushing his teeth now?
“Brushing your teeth at this hour?”
He Yan didn’t answer immediately. He rinsed his mouth, his tongue still coated with bitterness. “Can’t I just practice good hygiene?”
Wu Yuejiang: “?”
Sure.
…
Wen Xue took her medicine on time every day. She couldn’t tell if it was effective yet—all she felt was the bitterness. She woke up early these days and, when it wasn’t raining, would quietly go up to the rooftop to wait for the sun to break through the darkness. Within a few days, she had collected all the beer bottles scattered across the rooftop.
One afternoon, Nana pestered her until she reluctantly agreed to go shopping after work.
She knocked on He Yan’s office door to “ask for leave.”
She wouldn’t be able to have dinner with him that evening.
After hearing her reason, he reached into his pocket for his wallet. She took a step back, pursed her lips, and said, “No.”
She had her own money. Besides, she had only spent two hundred of the cash he had stuffed into her wallet not long ago.
He Yan opened his wallet, his fingers brushing against a card as he prepared to take it out for her. Seeing the resistance written all over her face, he truly couldn’t understand what young people were thinking these days. He Heng was like this, and so was she—as if the money he offered were a bomb, not currency.
“You’ll probably want to buy something while shopping,” he said.
Wen Xue shook her head. “I have money.”
He Yan sighed and closed his wallet. “Then buy more.”
“Would you like me to bring something back for you?” she asked after a moment’s thought.
“No need.”
He Yan had no interest in such things and didn’t care much about his clothes—several of his outfits had been casually picked up by Wu Yuejiang while shopping. But noticing her slightly disappointed expression, he paused and added, “How about bringing me a toothbrush?”
Wen Xue’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”She walked briskly out of the office. As soon as the clock struck six, she headed straight to the bus stop with Nana, heading to the nearby Starlight Plaza just a few stops away. Nana, tall and long-legged, pulled her along as they rushed inside—after all, it was payday and the New Year was just around the corner.
“That coat looks so nice!”
Nana felt the fabric and glanced at the price tag, muttering, “But it’s supposed to be sleet in West City during the New Year holidays—definitely not coat weather. I’ll wait for the seasonal sale to snag it.”
Wen Xue was surprised. “Didn’t you buy a ticket back to your hometown?”
“Not going back.”
Nana shrugged and smiled lightly. “Before I even made it home, my parents called asking me to get money from Wan Nian, saying my brother’s getting engaged this year. What’s that got to do with me? If going back for New Year’s Eve dinner means shelling out cash, then I’m staying put.”
“I see.”
Wen Xue rarely pried into others’ lives, and this time was no exception. Her expression remained as natural as if she’d just heard a weather forecast.
The topic drifted away lightly, but while Nana was trying on clothes, Wen Xue received a call from her aunt urging her to buy a ticket early to return to Haicheng for the New Year. After hesitating for a moment, she covered her phone and whispered, “Auntie, I won’t be going back for New Year’s this year.”
She explained gently and softly.
Her aunt paused, then laughed. “Alright, remember to accept the New Year’s money I send you.”
Before hanging up, she added warmly, “You sound really happy from your voice—that’s good to hear.”
Wen Xue hadn’t really cared where she spent the New Year, but she couldn’t help thinking: as colleagues gradually bought tickets to return home, He Yan showed no signs of moving. He hadn’t asked her either. Since both Nana and Wan Nian were staying, she might as well remain here.
That way, it seemed like it would be livelier.
Nana had endless energy, eager to shop until the mall closed, but Wen Xue was wearing out. By nine o’clock, they took a taxi back to the Residential Building. They parted ways on the second floor—Nana went up to the third to her room, while Wen Xue headed to the second floor to deliver a toothbrush to He Yan.
The light in his room was on.
She knocked on the door. He must have just finished showering—his hair was still damp, carrying the fresh scent of soap, and he wore only a dark sweater. He asked, “Done shopping?”
“Mm.”
She handed him the paper bag with both hands. “A toothbrush.”
He Yan glanced at it, utterly baffled. Since when did toothbrushes come in such a big box? Weren’t they usually sold individually?
Wen Xue was amused by his confused expression. “It’s an electric toothbrush. There are two replacement heads, and it lasts a long time on one charge.”
She wanted to buy him a good toothbrush.
She’d happened to see a counter at the mall and, without much thought, asked the clerk to wrap it up.
He Yan grew even more puzzled.
Wen Xue was in a hurry to shower—after ten o’clock, the water heater didn’t produce water as hot. She shoved the paper bag into his hands, turned, and jogged upstairs, leaving He Yan holding the box up with a frown as he examined it.
He unwrapped it and found a colorful array inside—toothbrush heads, a charger.
More components than a phone accessory.
But as he looked, a hint of a smile crept into his eyes. A sister was far more thoughtful than a brother. In twenty years as his younger brother, He Heng had only given him a pair of gloves that peeled within days and the now also peeling wallet he currently used.
Always buying cheap knockoffs.
The next day was the last workday of the year.Their company was small with few employees, so they didn’t bother with superficial formalities. The entire annual party budget was used for bonuses. At the end of the year, all employees would simply gather for a meal together, then go sing karaoke – that counted as their annual celebration.
The twenty-person private room was completely full. He Yan always felt he lacked cultural refinement, so he left the inspirational speech segment to the highly educated Wu Yuejiang. The drivers didn’t really understand the vocabulary Wu Yuejiang used, but that didn’t stop them from being the atmosphere crew, shouting loudly: “Well said! Well said!!”
“Finally, let’s raise our glasses and toast to Boss He,” Wu Yuejiang said. “Without him, there would be no Changya.”
He Yan: “…”
Wang Yuan opened a bottle of liquor and diligently poured drinks for everyone. Before he could approach Wen Xue, He Yan said: “Don’t pour for her. She’s taking Chinese medicine.”
“I’ll pour her orange juice then!”
He Yan neither approved nor objected.
Wen Xue’s cup was filled halfway with orange juice.
Wang Yuan then scurried over to He Yan’s side, about to pour him a drink, but He Yan covered his cup with his hand. “No need to pour for me. I’m not drinking today.”
“What’s wrong, brother? Are you taking medicine too?”
“Yes, I’m on blood pressure medication,” He Yan said. “Thanks to all of you stressing me out.”
Wen Xue couldn’t help but laugh. During this period, under He Yan’s supervision, she had been eating regular meals, and her originally pale complexion had gained some rosy color.
The meal proceeded with everyone chatting and laughing, the mood growing increasingly lively. The group marched out of the restaurant in high spirits, splitting into smaller groups to take cars to the karaoke place Nana had booked. Wen Xue felt a strange sense of dislocation, as if transported across lifetimes – she couldn’t even remember when she last participated in this kind of recreational activity. Being ushered into the large private room by Li Jingru, she saw the table covered with beer, soft drinks, fruit platters, and various snacks.
The microphones were snatched up within minutes.
Wen Xue was the youngest among them. From Sister Zhou to Nana, everyone usually looked out for her. After several songs, a quiet driver brother handed her a microphone. She took it but tried to pass it on, but everyone insisted she should choose a song.
She instinctively looked around for He Yan, but he had stepped out to take a phone call.
Wu Yuejiang leaned against the booth, chuckling: “Give it a try. You’ll definitely sound better than their earlier howling.”
The others protested at this.
The atmosphere was so warm that Wen Xue didn’t want to spoil the mood. She went to the song selection screen and chose an old song that had been covered by many artists. Sitting on a nearby barstool, she began singing as the melody started. After just one line, the room fell into a tacit silence.
It wasn’t that Wen Xue sang particularly well.
Her lung capacity was insufficient, making it difficult for her to hit the high notes in the chorus, requiring her to pause for a second before continuing. Her slightly trembling inhalations were amplified through the microphone to every corner of the room, but this didn’t prevent everyone from listening intently, because she was so earnest and fully immersed in the performance.
When He Yan finished his phone call and pushed the door open, he paused in his steps. The atmospheric lighting in the private room was casting patterns across her figure. He raised his eyes and stared fixedly at her. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought he saw tears glistening briefly in those bright eyes.
He didn’t intrude abruptly but stood by the entrance, listening until she finished the song.
Wen Xue’s cheeks felt warm as she handed the microphone to the nearest person, Sister Zhou, then excused herself to go to the restroom. As she passed by He Yan, he stopped her. They stood quite close, and because the music was so loud, he had to lean down slightly for her to hear him clearly.
“Do you know how to get to the restroom?””I know…” she said again, “and there are signs.”
“Go ahead.”
He Yan glanced around and sat down beside Wu Yuejiang. The two of them leaned close, discussing some work matters, completely unaware that Wang Yuan had rubbed his face and quietly slipped out of the private room. After two or three songs ended, He Yan noticed Wen Xue still hadn’t returned. Thinking she might have gotten lost, he said something to Wu Yuejiang and stood up to go look for her.
He walked intermittently, heading toward the restroom direction. When passing a corner, he unexpectedly overheard Wang Yuan stammering: “I know I’m being delusional, just a toad lusting after swan flesh, but Wen Xue, I really like you. From the first time I saw you, I… I’ve liked you…”
If he had known those heating items he bought were for Wen Xue’s use, he would have gone out earlier and chosen them more carefully.
He Yan withdrew his foot and retreated several steps to the side. The two people didn’t notice his presence. He couldn’t help but raise his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Although he hadn’t been drinking, why did he have a slight headache? He had made things so clear to Wang Yuan, yet this kid really hadn’t taken in a single word.
Soon, Wang Yuan stopped speaking too.
Just as He Yan was preparing to pretend to pass by and defuse the situation, he heard Wen Xue speak.
She said softly: “I’m sorry, but I already have a boyfriend.”