Halfway up the climb, Wen Xue gradually ran out of stamina. She was actually someone who could endure various emotions quite well. Pressing her lips tightly together, she followed closely without uttering a word, not even daring to breathe heavily, afraid that once she lost her momentum, it would become very strenuous.
“Let’s rest here.”
At regular intervals, there were benches for pedestrians to rest. He Yan stopped, somewhat troubled. The bench was soaked through, covered with fallen leaves and dust, making it impossible to sit on. Wen Xue understood his intention and restrained her panting, “It’s… it’s fine…”
She couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Before He Yan came to find her, she hadn’t realized what it meant for her health to deteriorate.
Perhaps it was as the saying goes: the younger you are, the more you squander.
In the past, she wasn’t particularly athletic, but back then, she wasn’t as thin as she was now. She could shop for hours without getting tired, and on days with good weather, she could hike, take walks, or ride a bike.
If the soul doesn’t perish after death, if He Heng had always been by her side, he would have been very angry.
It was her fault; she hadn’t taken good care of herself.
“Rest for ten minutes,” He Yan said in an indisputable tone.
Wen Xue finally panted heavily. After stopping, she felt somewhat warm. She raised her hand to loosen her scarf but was sternly stopped by him. She had to settle for taking off her gloves instead, and this time he didn’t say anything. Her rapid breathing slowly eased. With nothing to do, she watched as He Yan lowered his head, replying to messages.
He seemed particularly busy lately.
Either sending and receiving messages or answering phone calls.
She stared at him intently for a while before shifting her gaze away, belatedly realizing that the scenery here was quite beautiful—tranquil and secluded, far from the hustle and bustle. As she looked up at the tall trees on both sides, her umbrella tilted. She exhaled a warm breath and couldn’t resist reaching out to catch the snowflakes.
They landed in her palm, prickling like pine needles, somewhat ticklish.
A faint smile touched the corners of her lips.
After replying to work-related messages, He Yan rotated his stiff neck. His gaze inadvertently swept past the person beside him and settled on her moist, clear eyes. Everyone who met Wen Xue would likely remember her eyes the most.
Even when filled with sorrow, her gaze remained pure.
This was true of her now, and it was still true of her eight years later in her previous life.
She was remarkable, never once defeated.
Ten minutes later, they set off again. Without Wen Xue, He Yan would have already reached the top long ago. But even so, he didn’t consider her a burden. The temple wasn’t very crowded with worshippers, especially since the weather was bad today, making the number of visitors even smaller.
After briefly instructing and reminding her, He Yan followed a young monk to another place.
Besides burning incense today, he also wanted to offer the sutras he had copied.
With a devout heart, Wen Xue joined the short line and soon it was her turn. The monk rubbed his frozen hands and asked her what kind of talisman she wanted. She wasn’t very interested in the best-selling ones for love or career. “I want one for protection and safety,” she said.
She was somewhat skeptical. For only six yuan, could it really be effective?
Clutching the fading peace charm, she grew increasingly uncertain. But since she had already bought it, she might as well believe it was effective. After pondering for a moment with downcast eyes, she entered a room housing a Bodhisattva statue. Clasping her hands together, the peace charm in her palms, she knelt on the cushion, closed her eyes, and silently prayed.
May he be safe, safe, safe.When He Yan came looking for her and saw this scene, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Did she really believe it?
How should he tell her that deep down, he didn’t believe in gods or buddhas at all—not one bit. He hoped she wouldn’t be led astray by him; she should focus on her studies.
But even as he thought this, he didn’t interrupt her. Instead, he leaned against a pillar, watching her seriously, and began to consider whether he should have her watch some science programs like Walking into Science after they returned.
Wen Xue kowtowed three times earnestly, then turned slightly and carefully placed the peace charm into the inner pocket of her tote bag.
He Yan: “…”
Great, now she’s even gotten herself a charm.
As Wen Xue stepped over the threshold and came out, she bumped right into him. She froze for a moment. “So soon?”
She had thought he would chat a bit longer with the young monk about Buddhism, but he had returned in just over ten minutes.
“Let’s have the vegetarian meal before heading down the mountain,” He Yan said, his expression complicated as he glanced down at her bag.
“Okay!”
The temple had limited staff, and not everyone could have the vegetarian meal. He Yan was an exception because he had donated a considerable amount in He Heng’s name, making him a notable patron. The monks all recognized him, and upon hearing he wanted to eat, they quickly asked the kitchen to prepare extra lunch.
He Yan and Wen Xue didn’t eat with the others and sat separately.
Perhaps because it was the New Year, they were given two steaming bowls of vegetarian dumplings.
Wen Xue noticed him burying his head in eating dumplings, one after another, quickly and heartily. She hadn’t even picked up her chopsticks yet, and he had already eaten three or four.
He Yan was focused on his dumplings, still lost in thought, when several more dumplings suddenly appeared in his bowl. He looked up to see her transferring dumplings from her bowl to his. He raised a hand to stop her. “Aren’t you eating?”
“It’s too much,” she said, glancing at him cautiously.
“That’s enough,” he replied, turning his bowl away. “Besides, I don’t really like vegetarian fillings.”
Wen Xue looked like she had something to say but hesitated.
He Yan: “If you have something to say, just say it.”
“Nothing,” she said softly, testing the waters. “It’s just… I heard from Brother Yuejiang that he said…”
She stammered, but He Yan only had to glance at her to guess what she was thinking. “Did he tell you I’m planning to become a monk someday?”
Every time he visited a temple, Wu Yuejiang grew more distressed.
Wen Xue nodded slowly. “Is it true?”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense,” He Yan said, half-joking. “I can’t handle a vegetarian diet—I need meat. And besides—”
“Besides what?” she pressed.
She was genuinely a little worried about him. She really wanted to advise him that it was fine to believe in this, to copy scriptures, to use it as a form of solace, but it was best not to get too obsessed.
He was still so young; he should move forward and have a brilliant future. Besides, He Heng’s death had nothing to do with him. He was already the best brother she had ever known, and she believed that He Heng would have felt the same way.
“And besides, there are requirements to become a monk these days,” he teased her. “You need a university degree.”
Wen Xue’s eyes widened. “Really?”
This was the first time she had heard of such a thing.
He Yan laughed. “Anything else you want to ask? Go ahead.”
“Then I’ll ask?” Hearing that he had no intention of becoming a monk, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face. “It’s about that KTV supervisor…”
“Who?” He didn’t catch it clearly and leaned closer to her.
“Never mind, never mind!”
Wen Xue didn’t want to seem too nosy, so she quickly stopped herself and sat up properly.He Yan understood, giving her a strange look. “Who told you?”
“I saw it myself,” she mumbled.
“That’s not true.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
“Hurry up and eat while it’s hot. We’ll leave after you finish.”
Wen Xue lifted the bowl with both hands, taking a sip of the dumpling broth to warm herself. This was the strangest New Year she had ever experienced, yet it was quite interesting. The vegetarian dumplings also had their own unique flavor.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two descended the mountain through the lingering mist.
Going downhill was much easier than climbing up. To prove she wasn’t physically weak, Wen Xue took the lead this time, holding a black long-handled umbrella as she lightly stepped down the stone stairs. By afternoon, the number of pilgrims ascending the mountain had noticeably increased. Everyone passing by He Yan couldn’t help but glance back at him.
After all, a sturdy man over six feet tall holding a small floral umbrella was quite eye-catching.
Wen Xue asked, “Do you want to switch?”
He Yan replied in an even tone, “No need. Watch your step.”
…
Originally, watching a New Year film wasn’t part of He Yan’s plan. Combined across both his lifetimes, the number of times he’d been to a cinema could be counted on one hand – all with Wu Yuejiang. But today was special. He had brought Wen Xue out, and since it was still early, he didn’t want her New Year to feel dull. However, he knew very few entertainment options, and the only thing he could think of was watching a movie. Driving along the road, they passed a large shopping mall, merged into the service road, and queued to enter the underground parking lot.
The cinema was on the fourth floor. The mall was packed during the New Year period, and they struggled to ride the escalator up. They found the cinema entrance equally crowded.
Noticing his impatient expression, Wen Xue softly suggested, “Maybe we should go back.”
Actually, He Yan really wanted to buy just one ticket for her to watch the movie – he would have been fine waiting outside for her.
He had zero interest in watching movies, especially with so many people around, which easily brought back unpleasant memories. Back when he was under twenty, Wu Yuejiang had visited during summer vacation. Having nowhere else to go, they bought two cheap movie tickets just to enjoy the air conditioning and sleep. Unfortunately, the person sitting next to him had worse manners – cracking melon seeds, taking phone calls – disturbing him until he grew restless. After several ineffective warnings, he finally reached his limit. He tapped the person’s shoulder and invited them outside for a “chat about life.”
After that, Wu Yuejiang never mentioned watching movies together again.
“Wait here for me. I’ll go buy tickets,” He Yan indicated for her to stand in a less crowded spot before diving into the crowd to queue for tickets.
Wen Xue occasionally stood on her toes, craning her neck to look in his direction.
Spotting He Yan in the crowd was easy because he was so tall.
After about ten minutes, He Yan returned holding a large bucket of popcorn in his left hand, a cup of Coke in his right, and two separate movie tickets. He explained, “Tickets are almost sold out. Not many seats left.”
Wen Xue took the tickets and checked the seats – they were in the last row.
She was seat seven, he was seat nine.
With one person between them.
After ticket inspection, they entered the screening room. He Yan asked Wen Xue to go in first as he needed to take a phone call. She agreed, carrying the popcorn as she found her assigned seat. Soon, the theater was almost full. Wen Xue felt a shadow fall over her and thought He Yan had returned. Looking up, she saw a bespectacled stranger instead.The other person was slightly taken aback, plopping down into their seat and clutching their ticket tightly. Their gaze occasionally drifted toward Wen Xue, and seeing that she wasn’t talking to anyone around her, they assumed she was just like them.
He Yan had entered the theater after the movie started. Bending over, he softly said “excuse me” to others as he made his way to his seat. Before he could even settle in, he faintly overheard a male voice from beside him—
“I haven’t touched this milk tea yet, just bought it, still warm… Hey, have you seen the other film that’s currently the highest-grossing? The next showing seems to be at 6:30, you…”
He tilted his head slightly, confirming that the guy in seat eight was talking to Wen Xue. “…”
Wen Xue was someone who spoke very little around strangers.
She silently stared at the screen, seemingly accustomed to such attempts at conversation, not even offering a perfunctory “mm-hmm.” This was the most noticeable change in her since He Heng left—she had become so numb to advances and pursuits from the opposite sex that she could no longer maintain even the most basic courtesy.
The young man in seat eight paused briefly.
Undaunted, he mustered up another topic, the words already on the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, in the darkness, an arm abruptly stretched out in front of him. Startled, he gasped. The next second, the arm brushed past him and reached into the popcorn bucket held by the young lady beside him, grabbing a handful.
He turned his head to follow the movement and met He Yan’s deep, penetrating gaze.
??
He Yan nonchalantly withdrew his hand, stuffing the popcorn into his mouth and chewing. Wen Xue leaned over, offering him the popcorn bucket, but he waved his hand, declining.
Seat eight immediately felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. Lowering his voice in an attempt to salvage the situation, he said, “Hey, man, how about we switch seats?”
He Yan replied calmly, “Hey, man, stop talking and just watch the movie.”
“…Oh.”
Finally, the back row fell silent.
Wen Xue belatedly realized He Yan’s intention in eating the popcorn. She turned her head to look at him, and as if sensing her gaze, though he didn’t meet her eyes, he raised his hand and pointed toward the large screen ahead, reminding her to focus on the movie.
She quickly straightened up, facing forward, and smiled faintly, pressing her lips together.