These words suddenly reminded Wen Yifan of last year when Sang Yan said his relatives were visiting, and he hadn’t returned home to sleep for the entire New Year holiday. She moved her lips, struggling to speak for a moment before finally managing to say, “I don’t have any concept of celebrating holidays. You should just stay with your family.”
“Visiting relatives is exhausting,” Sang Yan smiled. “Do I look like someone who enjoys holidays?”
Wen Yifan didn’t know what to say. She took a bite of her apple and continued watching the movie.
Her mind, however, wasn’t on the film at all.
Thinking about Zheng Kejia’s recent message and how Sang Yan could instantly sense her mood, Wen Yifan didn’t quite know how to describe her current feelings.
Those unpleasant emotions seemed to be replaced by something else.
It wasn’t necessarily worse.
It just made Wen Yifan feel a bit stifled.
Partly because of the mess at home.
But more so because of Sang Yan and her longstanding behavior.
Even knowing she wouldn’t be going home for the New Year, Sang Yan didn’t know the reason, yet he didn’t ask. Perhaps fearing it might be an embarrassing topic for her, he simply went along with her approach, coming over directly to keep her company.
But she had always avoided talking about these things.
Whenever such matters arose, her only reaction was to evade. She completely refused to mention even a bit of it.
He wanted to know, but she didn’t want to tell.
So he pretended he didn’t want to know.
Wen Yifan made up her mind and suddenly called out, “Sang Yan.”
Sang Yan’s gaze was fixed on the TV as he casually replied, “Hmm?”
“The one who just messaged me was Zheng Kejia,” Wen Yifan also looked at the TV, trying to sound casual as she continued, “She said my mom asked if I want to go back home for the New Year this year.”
“…”
“But I don’t have a good relationship with my stepfather and his family,” Wen Yifan paused briefly before finishing, “My mother remarried not long after my father passed away.”
Sang Yan immediately looked at her, the playful expression on his face gradually fading. “When did this happen?”
Wen Yifan was quiet for a few seconds before honestly answering, “The second semester of my first year in high school.”
“…”
“It was,” Wen yifan’s tone became a bit difficult, “when I was called out of class by the teacher—”
The memory suddenly pulled her back to that afternoon of the new semester.
Wen Yifan remembered it was an extremely cold winter.
The windows in the classroom were tightly shut, the air stagnant, yet somehow a cold draft still managed to seep in from somewhere. Her fingers were stiff from the cold, making her handwriting different from usual.
Wen Yifan listened to the math teacher’s hypnotic voice, feeling a bit drowsy.
At that moment, Zhang Wenhong suddenly appeared at the door. She was holding a phone, her expression somewhat hurried and flustered as she interrupted the teacher’s lecture: “I’m sorry, Teacher Chen.”
The math teacher asked, “What’s the matter?”
“There’s something urgent,” Zhang Wenhong looked at Wen Yifan, “Yifan, can you come out for a moment?”
For some reason, the moment Wen Yifan saw Zhang Wenhong, she had a bad feeling. It was as if, out of mercy, God was giving the person involved a buffer before something major happened.
But she only thought it was a small matter. At most, she’d get a scolding, or her parents would be called in. She thought what was about to happen was just one of those earth-shattering “big deals” that were common at that age.
The eyes of the surrounding classmates immediately turned to Wen Yifan.
Even Sang Yan, who had been lying on his desk, straightened up a bit.
Wen Yifan instantly became alert, feeling a bit confused as she put down her pen and walked towards Zhang Wenhong.
Zhang Wenhong pulled her to one side to talk.
As if afraid of shocking her, Zhang Wenhong’s tone was gentler than ever, the sympathy in her words evident: “Go in and pack up your things. Your mother just called me and said she’s coming to pick you up now.”
“…” Wen Yifan was stunned, “What happened?”
“Your father…” Zhang Wenhong struggled to finish, “His condition isn’t good.”
…
At that moment, Wen Yifan felt like she was in a dream.
These words came without any warning. Her mind went blank, feeling as if she had heard something utterly absurd, like a tall tale. But she didn’t dare to refute the teacher’s words, clearly feeling her whole body trembling.
Wen Yifan returned to the classroom, her face expressionless.
She stood in her seat and directly pulled out her backpack from the drawer.
With a loud clatter, the contents spilled onto the floor due to her forceful action.
The math teacher stopped speaking again and frowned, “What’s going on?”
Wen Yifan turned her head, coming back to her senses: “Nothing. I’m sorry, teacher.”
After saying this, Wen Yifan slowly picked up the things on the ground, and the classmate sitting next to her also crouched down to help. She softly said “Thank you” and stood up.
Wen Yifan put on her backpack, ready to leave.
Before leaving, she inexplicably glanced in Sang Yan’s direction.
He was still sitting in his place, his expression unreadable, his gaze fixed on her.
Their eyes met.
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together hard, then turned and left the classroom. She held the leave slip Zhang Wenhong had given her and walked quickly towards the school gate, her mind full of what Zhang Wenhong had just said.
Your father’s condition isn’t good.
Condition.
Not good.
What did those words mean?
Why was her father’s condition suddenly not good?
Her father was fine.
Just a while ago, he had told her he would be coming home soon.
After handing the leave slip to the security guard, Wen Yifan left the school and took out her phone from her backpack. She turned it on and, as if wanting to confirm something, immediately called Zhao Yuandong.
After a while, the other end finally picked up.
Zhao Yuandong’s voice was choked with tears, obviously having just cried: “Shuangjiang…”
At that moment,
Wen Yifan finally believed what Zhang Wenhong had said. Her lips moved, but it felt like something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t say a word. She didn’t want to hear Zhao Yuandong continue either.
“I asked your uncle to pick you up, but it will take him some time to get there,” Zhao Yuandong tried to steady her voice and finished speaking, “Take a taxi directly to the city hospital, your aunt will come down to bring you up.”
“…” Wen Yifan responded softly, “Okay.”
Wen Yifan hung up the phone and walked to the bus stop next to the school.
Nanwu No. 1 High School had a closed education system, and its location was quite remote, with few people around. Wen Yifan waited for several minutes but didn’t see any taxis coming.
Just then, a bus arrived, and Wen Yifan didn’t wait any longer, getting on directly.
At this time, apart from her and the driver, there was no one else on the bus. Wen Yifan walked towards the back of the bus, feeling extremely empty inside as if the world was about to collapse.
The bus started moving.
It drove forward for a few seconds, then suddenly stopped.
Wen Yifan, sitting in her seat, leaned forward with the inertia. She looked up and saw the front door of the bus open, and a young man climbed aboard, thanking the driver breathlessly as he walked towards her.
“…” Wen Yifan stammered, “Why did you come out?”
“Suddenly didn’t feel like attending class,” Sang Yan sat down next to her, casually saying, “Wanted to try the taste of skipping class.”
If it were any other time, Wen Yifan might have continued the conversation with a few more words. But at this moment, she was in no mood for jokes. She just tugged at the corner of her lips, then lowered her eyes again.
Strangely, with his arrival, tears seemed to well up.
After a few seconds,
Sang Yan asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
“…” Wen Yifan looked at him again, wanting to shake her head.
But at that moment, tears began to fall uncontrollably.
One by one, they fell heavily.
Wen Yifan felt embarrassed and immediately turned her head away. She tried her best to hold back her tears, her whole body beginning to tremble. She felt conflicted, thinking this journey was extremely long, yet hoping it would never reach its destination.
She couldn’t see Sang Yan’s expression behind her.
She only felt that.
In this instant, her world had completely collapsed.
But in the next moment,
Wen Yifan’s senses were filled with the scent of sandalwood from the young man. Her body stiffened, and she slightly raised her lashes, her vision covered by the blue and white striped school uniform of the young man. Her eyes were still filled with tears, silently falling.
Through the jacket,
She could hear Sang Yan’s voice.
So soft it was barely audible as if trying to comfort her.
“Now I can’t see you crying.”
…
Wen Yifan remembered that day was very cold, the sky gloomy and overcast, covered with thick clouds that seemed about to press down to the ground. It was late afternoon, yet not a ray of sunlight could be seen.
Her gaze was still turned to the side, looking out the window. The residual warmth from the young man’s clothes enveloped her body.
At that moment, it was the only thing Wen Yifan could feel.
Wen Yifan maintained her original posture, not moving at all. After a long while, she finally raised her hand to grip the corner of the jacket. Her grip gradually tightened, and her back slowly relaxed.
All her restraint dissipated in an instant with this action.
Wen Yifan’s tears seemed endless, and she couldn’t control the sob that escaped her throat.
Sang Yan sat quietly next to her, not saying a word.
Silent companionship. Just using this method to tell her he was right beside her.
Before reaching their stop, Wen Yifan managed to control her emotions. She rarely cried, and now her eyes hurt from crying. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, then took off Sang Yan’s jacket and turned her head.
Noticing her movement, Sang Yan looked over.
Their eyes met briefly.
Wen Yifan silently looked away, using her hair to block his gaze.
They remained in silence.
When the bus announced the stop, Wen Yifan stood up.
Sang Yan, sitting on the outside, made way for her to get off first. Seemingly unsure of what to say, he just followed behind her, more silent than ever before.
After getting off the bus, the cold air enveloped them mercilessly. Fearing Sang Yan might catch a cold, Wen Yifan handed his jacket back to him, her voice thick with nasal congestion: “It’s very cold, put it on.”
Sang Yan took it, “Mm.”
Knowing he must have run out because of her, Wen Yifan sniffled and said, “You should go back to school. Don’t skip class, the teachers will be angry. You’ll end up having your parents called in again. I’ll just take a taxi, and my mom will come to pick me up.”
Sang Yan was silent for a few seconds, then replied, “Okay.”
After a while,
Wen Yifan looked up at him and said very sincerely, “Thank you.”
Thank you for coming.
Giving me the strength to carry on.
At least making me feel that this journey wasn’t as unbearable as I had imagined.
This bus route didn’t go directly to the city hospital, so Wen Yifan had to get off at this stop and then take a taxi.
Just then, a taxi came by, and Sang Yan silently hailed it for her. Then, he turned his head, his voice sounding a bit heavy: “Wen Shuangjiang, I don’t know what happened to you.”
So he didn’t know what to say.
Afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of touching her wounds further, afraid that any comfort might backfire.
Therefore, he chose to say nothing at all.
“I’m not very good with words,” Sang Yan bent down to look into her eyes, solemnly finishing his sentence, “But no matter what, I will always be by your side.”
At that young and impulsive age,
Most people speak on impulse, without much consideration, and without thinking about whether they can follow through. When they grow older, they might forget such words as idle talk, or regard them as an insignificant, unrealizable past.
Even Wen Yifan at that time thought Sang Yan’s words were just a comfort.
A casual reassurance.
But much later, Wen Yifan realized.
It wasn’t like that at all.
Sang Yan always kept his promises.
As long as he said it,
No matter what obstacles, no matter how difficult, he would do his utmost to make it happen.
–
Wen Yifan’s thoughts gradually returned to the present. She continued biting her apple, glancing at Sang Yan. After hearing her words, he lowered his eyes slightly. From this angle, the light made his expression seem a bit dark.
Fearing that such a heavy topic might make him feel awkward, Wen Yifan added,
“It was a long time ago.”
Sang Yan seemed to come back to his senses, turning his head to look at her.
Wen Yifan blinked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Just feeling grateful.
He chose to skip class at that time.
Sang Yan lowered his eyes, asking casually, “So you moved in with your stepfather and your mom after that?”
“Yes, but later because we didn’t get along well,” Wen Yifan skipped over some details, briefly explaining, “I moved to live with my grandmother.”
“Was she good to you?”
Wen Yifan didn’t react immediately, “Huh?”
“Your grandmother,” Sang Yan repeated, “Was she good to you?”
Wen Yifan was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “She was very good. She loved my father a lot, so she loved me too.”
After she finished speaking, Sang Yan looked her over, his mood seeming to relax a bit: “What’s the deal with your stepsister?”
“Hmm?”
“She acts,” Sang Yan snorted lightly, “like she’s very close to you.”
“It’s not like that. That’s just her personality, she’s spoiled by her father,” Wen Yifan explained, guessing Sang Yan was referring to how Zheng Kejia casually arranged the drinks for her. “She’s used to that kind of life, always having the best, never settling for less, and expecting others to deal with things she doesn’t like.”
“She’s just a girl who grew up pampered,” Wen Yifan could understand, speaking calmly and gently, “Her father dotes on her a lot, and since I’m a few years older, I’m usually expected to give in to my younger sister.”
“Give in to your younger sister?” Sang Yan laughed, “Where did that rule come from?”
“…”
Mentioning this, Wen Yifan’s mind flashed to how she treated Sang Zhi.
Before she could respond, Sang Yan suddenly leaned back, resting against the sofa. As he did so, he grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.
Wen Yifan unexpectedly found herself lying on top of him.
Then, he exerted some strength, holding her waist and lifting her entire body onto him. After that, he made no further moves, just quietly holding her.
This position was intimate and affectionate.
Being in such proximity to him always made Wen Yifan a bit nervous. She lowered her head to look at him, “What’s wrong?”
Sang Yan was straightforward: “Just want to hug you.”
“…”
“Where does all the food you eat go? Your bones are digging into me,” Sang Yan reached out to pinch the flesh on her arm, feeling it was a big project, “When are you going to gain some weight?”
Wen Yifan immediately said, “My friend said I’ve gained weight.”
Sang Yan raised an eyebrow: “Who? Deliberately trying to upset you?”
“…” Wen Yifan’s lips straightened, but she couldn’t help smiling, “Is something wrong with you?”
Wanting her to gain weight.
Yet when others say she’s gained weight, he starts picking at them.
Sang Yan watched her smile, lightly raising an eyebrow: “How dare you attack me personally.”
Wen Yifan kept smiling.
The living room wasn’t quiet. Besides their conversation, the background sound of the movie was still playing. It sounded intense and heart-stirring, yet no one was paying attention to it anymore.
After a while, Sang Yan reached out to touch the corner of her eye, suddenly calling her: “Wen Shuangjiang.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t apply those nonsense standards your stepsister talked about to me, got it?” Sang Yan’s eyes were dark as he spoke deliberately, “You think I bought things in this house randomly?”
Wen Yifan was stunned, her lips moving slightly.
“Everything was chosen for you. But if you don’t like something, just leave it there,” Sang Yan’s tone was flat, but with a hint of displeasure, “And what do you mean your stepsister is used to that kind of life?”
“…”
“With your taste in choosing a partner,” Sang Yan stared at her, suddenly kissing the corner of her lips, speaking extremely arrogantly, “You should have only the best of everything, understand?”
–
After finishing the movie and returning to the room.
Wen Yifan thought back on the content of the film, feeling as if she hadn’t watched it at all. She could barely remember any of the plot from the entire movie. Suddenly, she realized that she was completely unsuited to watching movies with Sang Yan.
As long as he was there,
Her attention seemed to only be able to focus on him, making even the simple task of watching a movie become a century-old problem.
It was always like this.
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together, her body still seeming to carry Sang Yan’s scent, as if that embrace had happened just a second ago. She recalled the image of herself half-sitting on Sang Yan, and her face flushed again.
She calmed her breathing, deciding to take a shower to cool down.
Entering the bathroom, Wen Yifan took off her clothes and turned on the shower.
Gradually, Wen Yifan’s thoughts drifted, and she remembered the messages Zheng Kejia had sent, one after another.
Now she only remembered one word.
When Zheng Kejia was complaining earlier, she had said “They.”
So it meant that this time, unlike last time, it wasn’t just Che Yanqin who came. It might also include Su Liangxian and Wen Ming, and… thinking of this, Wen Yifan also remembered the middle-aged man she had seen earlier at Beiyu Hospital.
It was Che Xingde.
Che Yanqin’s brother.
He might have come along too.
Although Wen Yifan didn’t want to care about these things, every time she thought of these people, her mood would still be uncontrollably affected. But strangely, at this moment when she thought about it again, she felt nothing but calm.
Even if there was an effect, it seemed to be just a tiny bit.
So slight it could be ignored.
All her emotions were being dominated by another person. There was no remaining space to accommodate anything else.
Wen Yifan suddenly touched the corner of her lips.
It seemed that as long as he was there,
All the bad feelings could disappear without a trace.