Wang Yuan hadn’t held high expectations for today’s confession. He knew his own limitations well. Perhaps it was the alcohol, combined with having bought a train ticket to return to his hometown tomorrow, that made him realize he wouldn’t see Wen Xue for over ten days. In a moment of impulse, he poured out his true feelings. He had considered that there was a ninety-nine percent chance she would reject him, and he could guess the reasons—either she had no feelings for him or they weren’t suited for each other.
It didn’t matter. Whatever kind of person she liked, he would strive to become that person.
But he never expected that she already had a boyfriend.
This statement caught him completely off guard. Stunned, he blurted out without thinking, “You have a boyfriend? But Brother Yan didn’t mention it!”
He Yan, leaning against the wall a few steps away: “…”
Wen Xue fell silent for a few seconds, her fingers curling slightly. She took a few light breaths, her tone still as calm as before. “Is that so? Perhaps he forgot.”
She paused, looking at him seriously with a gentle smile. “Also, you are a very, very good person. Don’t belittle yourself like that. It’s just that I have someone I deeply care for, so I’m sorry.”
She knew who were the good people and who weren’t so great.
Wang Yuan before her was the former. Not only that, he was also He Yan’s subordinate. Regardless of the reason, she felt warmth here. Wang Yuan didn’t know that the person she deeply cared for was at Haicheng Public Cemetery, so she could speak her true feelings freely.
Wang Yuan wouldn’t pierce her wounds like those annoying boys who, even after she clearly stated she had a boyfriend, would still say things like, “But he’s no longer here.”
How could he not be here?
He was still in her heart.
Wang Yuan’s shoulders slumped. Despite his tall, 1.8-meter frame, he seemed to shrink significantly in front of her.
He had never really liked any girl before.
For someone like him who had fooled around since his teens, Wen Xue’s tranquility, simplicity, and her clean, beautiful aura were irresistibly attractive. Even after hearing He Yan’s warnings, he hadn’t fully taken them to heart. Every day, watching her, his heart would pound fiercely.
But since she said she had a boyfriend, if he still pined for her all day, what kind of scum would that make him?
“Do you have anything else?” Wen Xue asked softly, seeing he remained silent.
Wang Yuan shook his head vigorously. “No, nothing,” he said, wiping his face and forcing an awkward smile. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
He stumbled over his words, grasping for something to say. “What’s up with Brother Yan? How could he forget such an important thing? Unbelievable!”
If Brother Yan had just told him directly that Wen Xue was taken, would he have done such a foolish thing?
Wen Xue lowered her eyes, concealing her gloominess, feeling a bit stifled inside. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head over first.”Wang Yuan’s face was burning hot, unsure whether it was from the alcohol or sheer embarrassment. Naturally, he felt too ashamed to follow them further, standing forlornly in place while tugging at his hair in frustration, wishing he could punch himself. As Wen Xue passed by him, she took a few steps before suddenly halting, as if sensing a familiar presence. She turned her head and saw someone leaning against the wall in the dimly lit corridor, idly playing with a plastic lighter. Their eyes met unexpectedly, while Wang Yuan, lost in his own world, remained completely unaware of Wen Xue’s brief moment of discomposure.
She stared at He Yan in surprise, her lips parting slightly.
She wondered how long he had been standing there.
He Yan pocketed the lighter and silently shook his head at her, signaling her not to speak. He gestured toward another direction. Hesitantly, she glanced back at Wang Yuan’s retreating figure before ultimately making a turn to follow He Yan. The two moved away in tacit understanding tandem through the winding corridors.
The KTV’s hallways twisted like a maze, barely navigable without signage.
Wen Xue trailed behind He Yan through multiple turns until they reached the front desk. He requested a warm bottle of milk for her without mentioning the earlier incident, then checked his wristwatch. “It’s getting late. They’ll probably stay all night – do you still want to keep playing here?”
She shook her head, then nodded uncertainly. “What about… you?”
“I’ll take you home,” he said.
This was precisely why he’d remained sober all evening – considering her current physical condition, staying up all night would exhaust her and drain her vitality. Moreover, since he was the one who brought her, he couldn’t entrust her to others in such an environment. He needed to remain clear-headed to ensure her safe return home.
“Okay.”
Wen Xue was indeed feeling tired and admitted softly, “But my bag is still in the room.”
He Yan acknowledged with a hum, scanning the area until he spotted two claw machines. He went to exchange for a full basket of coins at the front desk, then asked an acquainted supervisor to keep an eye on Wen Xue. The supervisor studied them thoughtfully before joking, “Your girlfriend?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. She’s my sister.”
“You startled me – I thought our steadfast Manager He had finally blossomed.”
Ignoring her teasing, He Yan carried the clinking coin basket to Wen Xue and poured all the coins into her hands. “Wait here while I get your bag from the room,” he explained. “If you go back, they might not let you leave.”
This was true – after drinking, Li Jingru and Nana became uncontrollably exuberant.
They would definitely try to stop her.
Wen Xue’s lips curved slightly. “Alright.”
He must have exchanged nearly a hundred coins – the weight felt substantial in her hands. She obediently stood before the claw machine, inserting coins one by one. He Yan watched her for a moment before striding purposefully toward the private room without further delay.
From the large room came someone’s ear-splitting rendition of “I’d Rather Die Than Love You,” sounding like demonic noise piercing through walls.
He Yan’s arrival went largely unnoticed by others, though Wu Yuejiang – who had been napping against the couch – opened his eyes and removed the paper balls stuffed in his ears. His gaze shifted and settled on the toast-shaped plush bag in He Yan’s hands, which contrasted sharply with He Yan’s typically stern style. “Taking your sister home?” he deduced.
He Yan tacitly confirmed. “Keep an eye on them.”After working hard all year, it’s only these few days that everyone begins to relax. Without someone in charge keeping an eye on things, getting drunk and rowdy is the least of it—the real worry is someone accidentally causing trouble. Wu Yuejiang nodded, yawning, “Hurry along.”
He Yan had just pushed open the private room door and taken no more than two steps out when he bumped into a dejected Wang Yuan.
Their eyes met, and He Yan uncomfortably looked away. He wanted to sidestep the guy and leave quickly, but Wang Yuan wouldn’t have it, blocking him and complaining, “Brother Yan, how come you never mentioned Wen Xue has a boyfriend…”
He Yan had no response to that.
If he hadn’t accidentally found out, he wouldn’t have known that’s how Wen Xue felt.
For a moment, his emotions were a tangled mix.
And one of those feelings was definitely heartache—for his brother, and for her.
In fact, at this point in his previous life, he had indeed underestimated Wen Xue’s feelings for He Heng. Because in his own life, which wasn’t particularly short or long, he had never experienced what so-called love tasted like, he naively thought He Heng was just one of Wen Xue’s boyfriends. If there was anything special about him, it might have been that he was the first.
Wang Yuan muttered a few words. It wasn’t that he was terribly upset—after all, from the start he hadn’t dared to hope Wen Xue would accept him. But still, it was his first time confessing to a girl, so he felt somewhat lost. He pulled out a palm-sized box from his jacket pocket and said to himself, “I spent almost a thousand on a bottle of perfume to give her. Now she definitely won’t take it, and I’ve got no one else to give it to. Wonder if I can return it.”
He was still a bit sore about the money.
He Yan snapped out of it and gave him an amused glance. Without a word, he pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of cash—didn’t bother counting, but there were at least ten bills—casually rolled it up, stuffed it into Wang Yuan’s pocket, and patted his shoulder, his tone coaxing, “Alright, alright, it’s no big deal. I’ll reimburse you. Go back in and sing, head home happily for the New Year tomorrow.”
With that, he strode off down the hallway.
“Brother Yan, bro, my dear bro!”
That wasn’t what Wang Yuan meant, but he couldn’t help grinning, instantly revived. He chased after He Yan, nimbly slipping the perfume bottle precisely into He Yan’s overcoat before He Yan could react, then darted back into the private room like an eel.
He Yan reached into his pocket, felt the perfume box, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What was he supposed to do with this? Did he have someone to give it to?
He thought about throwing it away, but then remembered the thing had cost him over a thousand, so he gave up. He continued walking steadily ahead. He hadn’t been gone long, probably less than ten minutes, but when he returned to the front lobby, Wen Xue was sitting serenely on a dark blue sofa, holding three stuffed toys of varying sizes. She seemed out of place amidst the lively atmosphere.
Wen Xue was lost in thought when suddenly a shadow fell over her. Before she even looked up, she knew who it was. Her gaze slowly traveled upward. The bag she’d bought at the night market—how did it end up in his hands, and why did it suddenly look like a freshly baked loaf of bread?
She couldn’t help but press her lips together in a smile.
“You won these?” he asked, surprised.
“The claw machine here is too easy. It’s kind of boring,” she said, opening her palm to show a fifty and a twenty. “So, I got change from the front desk again.”
He Yan didn’t take it. “Keep it to buy bubble tea.”
Wen Xue took the bread-shaped bag he handed her, put the money into her coin purse, and slung it over her shoulder.The two of them rode the elevator down side by side and left. Xicheng in the deep winter night resembled an empty city, the biting wind cutting mercilessly. Wen Xue hunched her shoulders and stole a glance at He Yan—wasn’t he cold at all?
Fortunately, the car wasn’t parked too far away. Out of habit, she stopped by the passenger door, but He Yan suddenly seemed inspired and asked softly, “Did you bring your driver’s license?”
She should have one—if his memory served him right, he had seen a post from He Heng one day. It showed two freshly issued driver’s licenses placed side by side.
Young couples had their own peculiar sense of ritual, insisting on getting their licenses on the very same day.
Wen Xue didn’t understand his intention but replied anyway, “Yes, it’s in my bag.”
“Good.” He Yan handed her the car keys. “There are hardly any cars on the road now. Why don’t you try driving back?”
“Me??”
Wen Xue took half a step back in shock, flustered. “But I don’t know how to drive!”
“If you have a license, you can drive.” He Yan was amused and encouraged her, “Give it a try. Everyone starts as a beginner. I’ll be right here in the passenger seat—don’t be afraid.”
Wen Xue pursed her lips, her gaze drifting uncertainly between the car and the nearly deserted road. He Yan didn’t rush her, patiently waiting for her to nod or shake her head. After a moment, she asked quietly, “What if I hit someone?”
“You won’t.”
“What if I hit a stray cat or dog?”
“You won’t.”
“What if I crash into a railing or a tree stump…”
He Yan had no idea what was going through her mind—why was she fixating on such unlucky scenarios? If it were anyone else saying these things in front of him, he would have coldly told them to shut up.
But at this moment, he could only restrain himself: “…You won’t.”
Reassured by his three “you won’ts,” Wen Xue steadied her nerves. She was already familiar with this car key. With a mix of worry and a sliver of anticipation, she pressed the unlock button, walked around the front of the car to the other side, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, steeled herself, and opened the door to sit in the driver’s seat.
Whatever!
After all, he was the one who asked her to drive…
He Yan leaned slightly forward, his gaze passing through the window to watch Wen Xue inside the car. A faint smile appeared in his eyes. He thought to himself that Wu Yuejiang’s pessimistic predictions might actually come true—perhaps in her mind now, he was nothing but a domineering person.
But he genuinely believed that since she had gotten her license, she shouldn’t let it go to waste. Learning to drive on the road would be useful. After she graduated, he could buy her a car. Then, she could take the wheel and go wherever she wanted.
Instead of getting in the car, he followed her to the driver’s side.
Wen Xue had just mustered her courage when she saw him approach. Thinking he had changed his mind after seeing how timid she was, she hurriedly reached to unbuckle her seatbelt. He stopped her, “Don’t move. I’ll adjust the seat for you.”
With that, he bent down close to her, one arm resting on the steering wheel, the other gripping the handle as the seat began to rise.
She held her breath, leaning motionless against the seatback.
So nervous that her palms felt clammy.
After adjusting the seat for her, He Yan was about to ask how she felt when he glanced over and saw her expression of grim determination. “…”
He pondered for a moment and said thoughtfully, “Don’t want to drive?”
“It’s not that.” She looked at him and confessed honestly, “I’m just a little scared.”
“That’s normal when you’re just starting out.”
“Were you scared the first time you drove?”He Yan blatantly lied with his eyes wide open, “Of course, I’m very scared.”
Wen Xue, however, believed him completely and nodded, “Alright, I’m not scared anymore.”
He closed the car door for her, walked around the front of the vehicle to take the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and guided her hand-by-hand to start the car. After a flurry of clumsy movements, the Jeep pulled out of the parking spot, sometimes crawling along like a snail, other times as if the snail had stepped on flaming wheels.
“Ahhh! What do I do? What do I do? I don’t know how!”
He Yan was jolted back and forth but remained unflustered as he comforted her: “Just drive like this. You’re doing perfectly.”
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
…
The vehicle traveled along the broad road.
As Wen Xue gradually got the hang of it, she kept asking anxiously, “I feel like I’m driving too fast. Am I speeding?”
He Yan, with her three dolls resting on his lap and propping his head up with one hand, let out a helpless laugh: “No.”
Wen Xue seemed to have discovered the joy of driving. The corners of her lips lifted. Though the speed was far from seventy miles per hour, her mood inexplicably grew light and free. There were indeed few cars on the late-night road—the weather was freezing, and everything was silent.
She even had the illusion that the entire world consisted only of her and He Yan.