Sang Yan’s sudden movement caused Che Xingde to stumble back a few steps. Struggling to steady himself, he drunkenly pointed at Wen Yifan, his tongue loosened by alcohol: “Who… who am I? I’m her uncle!”
Hearing this, Sang Yan looked back at Wen Yifan, seemingly questioning the truth of these words.
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together: “No, you’re not.”
“Hey! Shuangjiang, what do you mean I’m not? How can you say that!” Che Xingde grew irritated and stepped forward again. “How can you say such a thing? Doesn’t your conscience hurt? Don’t you remember your uncle used to buy you food and clothes?”
Wen Yifan raised her head, unable to hide the annoyance in her eyes. She didn’t want to lose her composure or waste too much emotion on someone who had nothing to do with her current life.
“I don’t know you,” she said.
Perhaps feeling that Wen Yifan’s words had made him lose face, Che Xingde became even more enraged and tried to grab her again.
Noticing his intention, Sang Yan immediately shielded Wen Yifan behind him. He grabbed Che Xingde’s arm, looking down at him as if he were observing something filthy. His grip gradually tightened until he heard Che Xingde cry out in pain before releasing him.
Sang Yan’s tone was flat: “Can’t understand human speech, can you?”
“Are you crazy? I’m talking to my niece, what’s it to you!” Che Xingde had been to this bar several times and recognized Sang Yan, assuming he was just the owner coming to manage things. “Get lost! Why are you meddling in family affairs? What’s wrong with you!”
Sang Yan couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on him.
Noticing the commotion, He Mingbo asked, “Brother Yan, what’s going on?”
“He’s drunk and making a scene,” Sang Yan said casually, not taking Che Xingde seriously at all. “Call Dajun in to take him out. Don’t let him disturb the other customers.”
“What did I do to be kicked out?” Che Xingde reeked of alcohol and was furious at Sang Yan’s attitude. He started to make a scene, “So the boss hits people and kicks out customers, huh? Think you’re so great because you’re the boss?”
Che Xingde’s behavior gradually drew the attention of the surrounding customers.
“Oh?” Sang Yan was completely unfazed by the attention of others and said with a hint of a smile, “Since you put it that way, wouldn’t I be disappointing you if I didn’t use force?”
“…”
Wen Yifan nervously grabbed Sang Yan’s hand.
Sang Yan squeezed her hand back, his thumb gently stroking her fingertip, while keeping his gaze on Che Xingde.
Seeing that his tone didn’t seem to be joking, Che Xingde became cowardly and didn’t dare to provoke him further. He looked at Wen Yifan again, noticing their intimate gesture, and suddenly understood: “Shuangjiang, are you dating this boss?”
Wen Yifan remained silent.
“Oh, the boss, I see.” Che Xingde’s expression changed quickly as he put on a smile. “I’m her uncle, I mean no harm. We’re family, why be so hostile? I just haven’t seen my niece in a long time, so I got a bit excited—”
Before Che Xingde could finish, two security guards on duty outside had already come in and were dragging him out.
One of them casually said, “Stop causing trouble.”
“What? What trouble am I causing!” Che Xingde started yelling again, “What are you doing!”
Sang Yan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, feeling for a moment that Che Xingde’s appearance was somewhat familiar. But the thought only flashed through his mind for an instant before disappearing. He couldn’t remember where he might have seen this person before.
The good mood from earlier had dissipated because of this incident. Sang Yan lowered his eyes and looked at Wen Yifan: “Shall we go home?”
“Hm?” Wen Yifan came back to her senses and forced a smile, “Okay.”
Sang Yan regretted asking Wen Yifan to come tonight. He turned his head and gave He Mingbo a few more instructions before taking Wen Yifan’s hand and leaving the bar. He asked softly, “Did he hurt you when he grabbed you earlier?”
Wen Yifan responded absentmindedly, “Hm?”
“That man,” Sang Yan gently rubbed her wrist, “Did it hurt when he grabbed you?”
Wen Yifan finally looked up and curved her lips, “It doesn’t hurt.”
Sang Yan could sense Wen Yifan’s mood, and he could also clearly sense that from the moment they encountered that man, her state had been off. His expression unreadable, he asked again, “Do you know that man?”
“…” Wen Yifan was silent for a few seconds before answering honestly, “He’s my aunt’s younger brother. He has nothing to do with me. He’s not my uncle.”
Sang Yan: “Has he always been like this?”
Wen Yifan: “Like what?”
Sang Yan: “His attitude towards you.”
Wen Yifan lowered her head again, trying to keep her voice calm: “I’m not familiar with him. He’s not a good person either. If you encounter him again, don’t bother with him. Just treat him like a stranger.”
She never thought she would meet these people again.
She also didn’t want her family issues to affect Sang Yan in any way.
They fell silent.
After a while, Sang Yan suddenly spoke: “Wen Shuangjiang.”
Wen Yifan: “What is it?”
“You can tell me anything,” Sang Yan said. “Anything at all.”
Seeming to realize that her reaction had affected his mood, Wen Yifan smiled, her voice taking on a soothing tone: “It’s nothing serious.”
Then, she looked away and said in a calm voice: “It’s all things I can handle on my own.”
–
They returned home.
In the short time it took to drive back, Wen Yifan’s state had returned to normal. Her expression was ordinary as if she had never seen that man earlier, and she chatted with Sang Yan as usual.
But she no longer mentioned what had just happened.
Wen Yifan made Sang Yan a cup of honey water and couldn’t help saying, “You should stop drinking so much. You have so many health issues. Smoking, drinking, and staying up late — your body will break down sooner or later.”
Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, feeling like she was making him sound like a delinquent: “I only had a couple of sips.”
“That’s still not okay,” Wen Yifan continued to criticize him, “You also drink a lot of ice water.”
Sang Yan smiled: “What’s wrong with me drinking ice water?”
Wen Yifan: “It’s bad for your stomach.”
“Alright,” Sang Yan usually hated being nagged, but this time he found it quite nice, “I got it.”
“Then finish drinking and go to bed early,” Wen Yifan felt sleepy and lazily yawned. She sat next to Sang Yan watching him drink water, then suddenly leaned over to hug him, “I’m going to bed.”
Sang Yan hugged her back: “Still not feeling better?”
Wen Yifan shook her head: “I’m just tired.”
“…” Seeing that she didn’t want to say anything, Sang Yan didn’t ask further. He reached out and ruffled her hair. Their eyes met, and he kissed her lips again, “Go to sleep then.”
After Wen Yifan went to her room, Sang Yan stayed in the living room for a while longer. He lowered his head, his fingertips lightly tapping on the glass, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long time, Sang Yan finally got up to wash up and then went to his room.
…
In the middle of the night.
Sang Yan woke up from his dream. His expression was somewhat unpleasant, and at this moment, he finally remembered where he had seen Che Xingde before.
Before this, Sang Yan had only seen this man once.
— The last time he went to Beiyu to see Wen Yifan.
That day, Sang Yan got off the bus and habitually walked along the alley. Before coming, he had sent a message to Wen Yifan in advance, but this time he didn’t get her reply for a long time.
He wanted to go directly to the building where Wen Yifan lived to wait for her.
But before he reached there, Sang Yan saw Wen Yifan being harassed by a man at the entrance of the alley.
The man looked about a generation older than Wen Yifan, somewhat overweight, pulling at her and saying something. There was an extremely unrestrained smile on his face, particularly malicious.
At that moment, all of Sang Yan’s good mood disappeared with this scene. He immediately went forward and pulled Wen Yifan behind him. The young man’s temper was completely uncontrolled, his viciousness even making him want to kill the man in front of him.
The man wasn’t very tall, and his body was a bit weak. After a few blows, he fell to the ground, making pleading sounds.
Sang Yan’s emotions had not yet subsided when he was pulled away by Wen Yifan, quickly walking in another direction. He stared at the back of Wen Yifan’s pale neck and immediately asked, “Who was that person?”
Wen Yifan didn’t turn back, her tone very flat: “I don’t know him.”
The man’s face gradually overlapped with Che Xingde’s face from today.
At this moment, Sang Yan didn’t want to believe his memory at all. He constantly searched through his memories for Wen Yifan’s expression and emotions at that time, but he couldn’t remember them clearly.
Sang Yan closed his eyes, all sleepiness gone. He got up and left the room, just about to go to the kitchen to get a bottle of ice water when he saw Wen Yifan sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room.
Seeing this, Sang Yan immediately understood something. He no longer walked towards the kitchen but changed direction. Like every time before, he pulled over the small stool next to the sofa and sat in front of her.
As if unaware of his presence, Wen Yifan stared blankly at the clock.
Sang Yan reached out and held her hand, curving his lips slightly: “Why do you always look at the wall clock?”
Wen Yifan’s eyes didn’t blink, and she didn’t say a word.
“Don’t you find it scary to be alone in the living room in the middle of the night? It’s pitch black,” Sang Yan said, “How about I leave my door open when I sleep from now on, and you can come directly into my room, okay?”
Wen Yifan did not react.
Sang Yan sat in front of her and didn’t speak again after that. He just quietly kept her company.
Time passed.
Sang Yan saw Wen Yifan move her gaze from the wall clock and lower her head. She stared at her hands resting on her knees, one of which was still held by Sang Yan. Her expression was dazed, similar to the precursor of her getting up to return to her room every time before.
He couldn’t see her face.
Just as Sang Yan thought her sleepwalking was about to end.
He suddenly felt something hit the back of his hand.
Sang Yan’s expression froze, and his gaze moved down to see a drop of water on his hand holding Wen Yifan’s.
He looked up again, the smile at the corners of his mouth gradually fading.
Wen Yifan’s eyes were empty, sitting quietly in place. The surroundings were silent, and something was falling one by one, continuously.
Landing on the back of his hand, like points of starlight.
— They were her tears.