Shortly after 5 a.m., Wen Xue woke from a vast, white dream and couldn’t fall back asleep.
For the past six months, her sleep had been poor. Often, just as she drifted off, she’d feel her body plummeting, jolting awake in panic. She could only hold her breath and stare blankly at the ceiling in the darkness. Sometimes entire nights passed like this; other times, she managed another two hours of fitful sleep.
At this winter hour, dawn hadn’t fully broken, with only faint threads of light filtering through the window.
She lay in bed like a dormant plant until nearly 8 o’clock, when the sounds of her roommate yawning and stirring finally prompted her to drag her stiff body upright. Gradually, the other roommates woke too, queuing for bathroom routines.
“I really don’t feel like going to the cafeteria,” Ye Manni suddenly proposed, struck by inspiration. “Since we’re on break today, let’s be bold—get out the electric pot and cook instant noodles!”
Dorm rules essentially banned high-wattage appliances, fearing accidental power trips that would summon the dorm supervisor. Even blow-drying hair required caution. Using this small electric pot always carried nervous excitement. The riskier it felt, the more thrilling it became. The other two roommates were persuaded, turning to rummage through drawers for snacks.
Ham sausages, marinated eggs, chicken feet, and such.
Wen Xue emerged from the bathroom and froze momentarily at the scene upon entering the room.
Ye Manni waved her over, urging her to join breakfast. Wen Xue wanted to decline, but it was too late—her roommates pulled her down to sit on a suitcase. Before she could gather her thoughts, someone pressed disposable chopsticks and a bowl into her hands.
“Wen Xue, are you really not coming to the hot springs with us?”
“No,” Wen Xue replied, taking a bite of noodles. “I don’t have time. Have fun.”
“Alright then…”
Not all three of them were local to West City either. With some time still before New Year’s, they weren’t in a rush to return home. The four of them finished the entire pot of noodles. Out of habit, Wen Xue cleared the bowls and utensils, scrubbing the pot clean with a rag and detergent. Occasionally, she glanced up at the sky—the sun had risen, its glare sharp.
Yesterday, by the time Wen Xue returned to the dorm and washed up, it was almost 9 p.m. Worried that packing would disturb others, she had postponed it.
After finishing her tasks now, she wasted no further time. She stripped the bed sheets and duvet cover. Though her belongings didn’t seem excessive, packing still took an hour, her suitcase crammed full and heavy. She tested its weight, and He Yan’s words from yesterday surfaced unbidden in her mind, a faint smile touching her eyes.
The entire dorm building buzzed with activity. Students hauled luggage up and down the stairwells. Wen Xue moved her things in shifts, ant-like, laboriously transporting everything to the first floor. Perspiration beaded on her face, dark hair slightly disheveled and clinging to her forehead.
Leaning against the wall to catch her breath, the multiple trips left her feeling as if her internal organs were strained and aching.
Her body was in worse condition than before.
…
He Yan was punctual and true to his word. He said he’d come at noon, and precisely at twelve, not a minute early or late, he appeared at the entrance of the girls’ dorm. Seeing Wen Xue about to drag her suitcase, he stopped her, “Stay right there. Don’t move.”
Peering toward the dorm supervisor, he placed an orange on the counter. “Look at my little sister’s slender arms and legs—I won’t go upstairs, alright?”
The dorm supervisor chuckled and nodded. “Hurry up!”
Thanking her, He Yan strode over to Wen Xue. His eyes swept over the suitcase, backpack, book bag, and bundled bedding at her feet. “Is this everything?””Mm.”
Wen Xue bent down to grab her backpack, but he was faster, snatching it away. Pushing the suitcase with his left hand, carrying her backpack on his shoulder, her schoolbag hanging from his arm, and clutching the bedding under his armpit, he strode briskly outside. “Keep up.”
The dorm supervisor glanced over and chuckled, “Your brother’s quite sturdy.”
Wen Xue murmured a soft thanks and hurried to catch up with He Yan. Many students were heading home, the sound of suitcase wheels dragging across the ground everywhere. He Yan had parked near the south gate closest to the dormitory. With his long legs and luggage, he moved faster than Wen Xue. Glancing back and seeing her panting, he unconsciously slowed his pace.
“Did you eat this morning?” he asked.
“I did…”
He Yan felt somewhat reassured, but noticing the dark circles under her eyes—barely visible in last night’s dimness but now clear in the sunlight—left a bitter taste. Eight years later, she might force smiles, but she wasn’t as fragile as now. If this were He Heng, he’d have scolded him already. This winter break, he’d have to find a way to help her gain some weight. Food is the essence of life—when one eats well and has a good appetite, their mood naturally improves.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, right?”
“No,” she replied after a moment’s thought. “You haven’t either, have you? Let me ask my roommate if there are any good restaurants nearby.”
He had paid for yesterday’s hotpot.
She felt she ought to treat him to something nice.
“No need to ask.” He Yan decisively ended the discussion. “I’ll take you somewhere else.”
After yesterday, he’d realized she had little interest in food and drink, content with whatever was available, so asking her opinion was pointless.
They walked until they reached He Yan’s car. He opened the trunk and loaded all her luggage inside.
Wen Xue recognized the car—he’d driven it to drop her off at the start of the semester. Hesitating briefly, she opened the door and settled into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt. A faded “Safe Travels” pendant dangled from the rearview mirror.
Bang—
He Yan got in and slammed the door shut, his habitual lack of gentleness startling Wen Xue into turning toward him. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and as she began to look away, he said, “If you feel stuffy, roll down the window.”
His beat-up car had been all over the place, even to sketchy areas, usually carrying men rougher than him. He never bothered with upkeep—the car got washed only when it rained, purely by chance. Only when the interior grew too grimy for even his tolerance would he take it for a full clean, a ritual occurring no more than twice a year.
“Okay.”
Wen Xue immediately lowered the window.
He Yan glimpsed the movement from the corner of his eye, paused, and resolved to get the car washed that afternoon.
Reaching back, he grabbed an orange from a plastic bag on the rear seat and handed it to her. “Have some fruit to tide you over.”
Something about vitamins being good for health—or so the fruit vendor had claimed.
Wen Xue looked down at the orange in her hand. Instead of eating it, she lifted it to her nose and inhaled its refreshing, energizing scent.
Familiar with West City, He Yan navigated without a map, driving smoothly for over half an hour before stopping near an old residential area. Wen Xue stepped out hesitantly, glancing around—it didn’t look like a place to eat.
“Well, look who’s here!”The middle-aged woman with curly hair beamed at the sight of He Yan, but her eyes lit up instantly when she noticed the young girl following him. “Oh my, who’s this? Such a lovely young lady!”
He Yan shifted to block her gaze. “My sister, Mei-jie. Do you have chicken soup today? If so, we’ll have a portion, a braised fish, and a stir-fried—” He tilted his head and asked Wen Xue softly, “What greens would you like?”
“Anything is fine.”
Mei-jie enthusiastically suggested, “Then how about cabbage stir-fried with pork cracklings? Frost-touched cabbage is wonderfully sweet.”
“Sure, that one,” He Yan said.
A few tables were set up in the courtyard. The sunlight was warm and comforting, its bright rays illuminating Wen Xue’s pale, almost translucent face. She still held the orange, treating it like a toy, just as she used to sit quietly by He Heng’s side in the past.
“Most of the customers here are regulars.”
Abruptly hearing this, she looked up at He Yan across from her, momentarily bewildered, and nodded lightly. “…Oh.”
He Yan had no experience dealing with girls her age.
The women in his life were almost all straightforward and sharp-tongued sisters-in-law. The female employees at his company were either drivers’ partners or distant relatives of his business partner. A dozen people bickering noisily was commonplace, and he usually didn’t bother distinguishing between men and women—if someone made a mistake at work, he’d scold or penalize them as needed. He was accustomed to interacting with people this way.
But he felt he couldn’t treat Wen Xue the same. She was too fragile.
He was five years older than both He Heng and Wen Xue.
He vaguely remembered his mother, pregnant and still young, his father asking whether he wanted a little sister or brother. Without hesitation, he’d said sister.
But it wasn’t up to him—what arrived was a brother.
He admitted that over the years, he’d had little patience with He Heng. Whenever He Heng was bullied, he’d only come to him looking pitiful, so much so that He Yan later developed a headache at the sound of the boy crying, his fists clenching. Sometimes, annoyed, he’d tell He Heng to get lost and cool off somewhere else.
Later, he went out to make his way in the world, too busy to catch his breath. He’d call He Heng when he remembered, and if he forgot, so be it—brothers didn’t need to be clingy.
Watching Wen Xue lower her head in silence again, He Yan mentally listed his priorities.
First, help her regain her health. As for her studies, if she could manage them, he’d support her even through a Ph.D.; if not, then forget it.
Second, he knew plenty of people—he’d keep an eye out for job opportunities when she graduated.
Lastly, at the very least, he should arrange a well-located apartment for her early on, so she’d have a place to settle and build her life.
These were the same things he’d once wanted to do for his younger brother, He Heng.
…
“Come, come, have a bowl of soup before the meal.” Mei-jie carried out a steaming pot of old hen soup and set it firmly on the table. The rich aroma immediately filled the air, the broth a golden yellow. “I’ve been simmering this soup since morning, originally for my own lunch. If you hadn’t brought your sister, you wouldn’t be getting any.”
She shot He Yan a glare. “How many times have you eaten here? Don’t you know the rules? You have to order soup two days in advance!”
“Thanks.” He Yan raised an eyebrow, pulling an unopened pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handing it to her. “A little tribute for you, sis.”
Mei-jie grinned broadly. “Now that’s more like it.”Wen Xue also said politely, “Thank you.”
“Why be so polite with me?” Sister Mei patted her shoulder, then leaned closer, her tone softening considerably. “Come visit often from now on. I’ll cook you some of my signature dishes.”
“Mm, thank you.”
Sister Mei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she turned and headed toward the kitchen. Wen Xue watched her lift the cloth curtain and enter the room before politely averting her gaze. Suddenly, she froze, staring blankly at the extra bowl of chicken soup that had appeared before her, complete with a large chicken leg sitting in the porcelain bowl.
Noticing her gaze, He Yan said, “Eat first. There’s another one after you finish this. The chicken legs are all yours.”