Wu Yuejiang’s flight was scheduled for 4:30 PM, but before reaching the airport, he received a delay notification.
Had he not spouted nonsense about being his sister’s lackey, He Yan might have stayed with him at the airport. But now, that was impossible. The moment they arrived at the terminal, He Yan urged Wu Yuejiang to grab his luggage and leave.
Wu Yuejiang lazily yawned and casually took the coffee He Yan had only taken one sip of.
Having been friends for over twenty years, neither bothered with formalities.
Pushing his suitcase with one hand and holding the coffee with the other, Wu Yuejiang quickly disappeared from He Yan’s sight. The airport was bustling with crowds just before the Spring Festival. A car behind honked, prompting He Yan to step on the gas and drive off. Before merging onto the airport expressway, he pulled over to smoke and refresh himself.
After just a couple of puffs, he thought of Wen Xue.
His shoulders stiffened slightly. With mixed emotions, he stubbed out the cigarette, tossed it into the trash, and checked the time on his phone. To ensure she took her medicine, he reminded her daily. After a brief thought, he opened their chat and sent a message: 【Take your medicine.】
Wen Xue was cleaning when she received the message. Setting down the broom, she washed her hands and was about to tear open the packet of Chinese medicine, suppressing her gag reflex, when an idea struck her. She took a photo of the medicine and sent it to him.
Then, pinching her nose, she downed it in one go.
She wasn’t sure why she pinched her nose while drinking the Chinese medicine—she’d seen it on TV and assumed there was a reason.
Proud of herself for not immediately reaching for water or candy after finishing, she took another photo and sent it: 【[Image] Finished.】
He Yan sat in his car, not in a hurry to start the engine. Resting his arm on the steering wheel, he looked at the photos she’d sent—five minutes apart. He knew how bitter the medicine was and felt sorry for her. Precisely because of that, he hoped she would recover quickly and live a life like her peers, free from such hardships.
He smiled and replied: 【Impressive.】
After sending the message, he put away his phone, fastened his seatbelt, and focused on driving onto the expressway. Even without traffic, it would take over an hour to get from here to the old town.
Wen Xue washed the rag and wiped the windows. Watching the dusty glass turn clear and sparkling, she felt increasingly motivated, admiring her handiwork with satisfaction. But something felt missing. Standing in the corridor, she pondered deeply.
Finally, it came to her.
A few minutes later, she carried a bucket and rag downstairs to He Yan’s room on the second floor. The door was closed. She knew he kept a spare key under the flowerpot—she’d seen it once—but she wouldn’t take it. She only intended to clean his window, believing it would bring good luck for the entire year.
…
This was the scene He Yan returned to.
A few meters away, Wen Xue in her plaid coat stood on a small stool, sleeves rolled up to reveal her slender, pale arms, stretching on tiptoe to wipe the window. When focused on a task, she habitually tuned out all surrounding sounds.
He Yan approached from behind without her noticing. Worried he might startle her, he gently pressed his foot against the stool leg and asked, “What are you doing?”
Startled, Wen Xue saw the clear glass reflecting the tall, broad-shouldered figure behind her.
She turned around. Standing on the stool, she was now taller than He Yan.”Wiping windows.”
“Come down.”
After ensuring she wouldn’t fall off the stool, He Yan stepped back a few paces. Noticing the still-damp window glass, his frown deepened. It was good that she enjoyed cleaning, but why was she wiping Wu Yuejiang’s windows?
“Did Lao Wu order you to do this?” he asked.
Wen Xue was momentarily confused by his question and shook her head. “No.”
Seeing his stern expression, she quickly explained, “I was cleaning anyway and thought since I’m already wiping windows, I might as well help Yuejiang-ge clean his too.”
Might as well?
He Yan was slightly taken aback. He turned to look at his own room’s window and indeed found it spotless. His brow relaxed, though he still said gently, “You could have asked Zhang Shen to do this.”
“Zhang Shen went home for the New Year.” Wen Xue knew who he meant – that friendly, smiling auntie who always reminded her to air out her quilts whenever they met. Zhang Shen worked as a part-time cleaner and had been hired by He Yan for regular room cleaning.
He Yan didn’t press the matter further. If Wu Yuejiang hadn’t reminded him to take Wen Xue shopping for New Year clothes, he wouldn’t have paid attention to her wardrobe. Now, giving her a proper look, he noticed she indeed had few winter outfits – all simple and plain: a white down jacket, a blue thick cotton coat, and the plaid overcoat she was currently wearing.
“Finished cleaning?”
“Almost.”
“Go upstairs and wash your hands. I’ll wait for you downstairs. We’ll have dinner out tonight.”
Most residents in this building had already left for the holidays. Usually lively, the place was unusually quiet today. If Wen Xue hadn’t stayed, given his habits from past years, He Yan would probably have booked a hotel room to lounge in. But with her here, he should let her have a proper Spring Festival.
“Okay.”
Wen Xue picked up the bucket and lightly climbed to the third floor. He Yan opened his door to switch car keys, then paused outside Wu Yuejiang’s door when leaving. With a subtle sense of showing off, he unusually took out his phone, snapped a photo and sent it.
Wu Yuejiang, still waiting at the airport, was baffled: [?]
He Yan replied while descending the stairs: [Don’t you notice something different?]
Wu Yuejiang: [Missing me?]
He Yan: [You’re blind.]
…
Before six in the evening, as dusk settled, Wen Xue came downstairs wearing a scarf that covered half her face, revealing only her smiling eyes. The Jeep’s headlights illuminated her path. Before she even properly settled in the passenger seat, He Yan’s voice came: “There’s heavy traffic now. I’ll let you drive when we return.”
Because of this promise, Wen Xue didn’t space out during the ride. Instead, she watched his driving intently, hoping to learn some tips from this experienced driver.
Only when the car entered the shopping mall’s underground garage did she snap out of it, looking around in barely concealed surprise. While He Yan often took her out to eat, it was usually at street-side restaurants. This was his first time bringing her to a shopping mall.
After parking, he said unhurriedly, “I’m not familiar with this place. You decide what to eat today.”
“Ah?” Wen Xue was momentarily stunned by this sudden responsibility. After a brief moment of disorientation, she immediately pulled out her phone from her pocket. “Wait, let me do some research first.”Initially, He Yan didn’t understand what she was doing. One minute passed, then five, then ten—she remained curled up in the passenger seat scrolling through her phone… Growing genuinely puzzled, he leaned toward her and casually glanced at her screen. She was meticulously studying others’ reviews word by word.
“…”
He wanted to tell her not to bother, the words already on the tip of his tongue. But as his gaze swept past her profile, he paused. The screen’s white light illuminated her fair face, and her intense concentration made it clear she treated this as something truly important.
So he closed his mouth, no longer urging her, patiently waiting for her to finish her “homework.”
Wen Xue had examined every restaurant in the mall, sorted by popularity and ratings from high to low. After careful consideration, she solemnly selected a Sichuan-style restaurant. It had the fewest negative reviews, and He Yan loved Sichuan cuisine.
This is the one—she hoped the netizens hadn’t lied to her…
Her expression relaxed as if she’d solved a difficult problem, making He Yan chuckle silently. Simultaneously, he resolved that even if she’d chosen some bizarre-tasting restaurant, he’d pretend it was the most delicious food he’d ever tasted.
They got out of the car. The mall was enormous, divided into several sections, and it took them over ten minutes to reach the restaurant entrance.
Luck was on their side—only one last table for two remained. They ordered several signature dishes. Under Wen Xue’s expectant gaze, He Yan picked up his chopsticks, tasted a bite, and smiled faintly. “Not bad.”
Her face lit up with surprise. “Really?”
To prove he wasn’t lying, He Yan proceeded to eat three full bowls of rice.
Watching him eat with such relish, Wen Xue felt completely satisfied.
Her exceptionally good mood lasted until after paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, when He Yan led her to the second-floor women’s clothing section. It vanished abruptly. Sensing his intention, she stopped walking and refused to go further. “I have clothes. I don’t need to buy any.”
“You probably haven’t tried this method before,” he said, having anticipated her reaction. “Shopping to relieve stress.”
Wen Xue mumbled inwardly—how could she try it? Shopping required spending money.
No one had ever taught her to spend money to buy happiness when feeling down. Besides, she didn’t have much money to begin with—once it was gone, it was gone.
“Let’s go.”
“But…”
Through their time together, He Yan had come to understand Wen Xue quite well. She was someone whose thoughts were written all over her face. Not only was she reluctant to spend others’ money, she didn’t even want to cause the slightest trouble to anyone around her.
But he wanted her to know—more than that, he wanted her to get used to the idea—that he wasn’t “others.”
She could spend his money freely. She could trouble him anytime, with anything.
“Fine,” he seemingly conceded. But before Wen Xue could sigh in relief, he dropped a statement and strode directly toward the nearest store. “If you can’t decide, I’ll choose for you.”
His unconventional move made Wen Xue’s eyes widen. “Hey, you!”
But he’d already marched into the shop, where a sales assistant greeted him enthusiastically. “What can I help you find, sir? We have all the latest styles!”
Wen Xue fretted like an ant on a hot pan. Seeing him not emerging, she hurried in after him. Her eyes focused—he was frowning while examining a lace-trimmed coat, seemingly imagining how it would look on her. Nodding in satisfaction, he told the assistant beside him, “I’ll take this one too.”
Wen Xue stared stiffly at the pile of clothes in the beaming assistant’s arms, nearly seeing black before her eyes.How did he manage to pick out every single ugly piece of clothing in the mall?
“Stop!” she cried urgently. “Don’t!”
He Yan glanced sideways at her. She took a deep breath, her face flushed with anxiety, and said breathlessly, “…I’ll pick them myself.”