Since that kiss, Su Yuxin's fever subsided faster than she expected. Occasionally, her mind would wander back to that night, causing her face to flush.
With three days left of her break, she planned to visit her grandmother in the countryside. In the past, the shop kept her too busy to make time for it, but now, she couldn't delay any longer.
She boarded the train heading home, and as she watched the scenery pass by, she felt a wave of emotion. She recalled her grandmother raising her alone, providing her with an education despite the difficulties they faced.
Soon, the train reached its destination. Carrying her luggage, Su Yuxin headed toward her grandmother's house. The countryside air was especially refreshing, free from the noise of the city, bringing her a sense of peace.
As she arrived at the front door, she called out loudly, "Grandma, I’m home!" Hearing her voice, her grandmother, walking with slow steps, came out with a face full of wrinkles but wearing an unmistakable smile.
"Xinxin, you're back! I've missed you so much." Su Yuxin rushed over and hugged her grandmother tightly, her eyes shining with joy. "I’m sorry, Grandma. I've been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to visit."
Her grandmother patted her shoulder affectionately, her voice full of love. "I know you're busy. It's okay. I spend my time chatting with the neighbors and I'm happy."
Su Yuxin grinned, helping her grandmother inside and guiding her to sit on a wooden chair. "Grandma, take this money and spend it on whatever you need. Don’t try to save, okay?" She pulled out a red envelope filled with bills and handed it to her grandmother.
Her grandmother immediately refused, her voice firm despite her slightly cloudy eyes. "Xinxin, I don’t need it. You keep it. I’m just an old woman; I don’t need much. Besides, the government gives us a few hundred yuan a month as a subsidy, and it’s more than enough."
Su Yuxin sighed inwardly. Even though life had improved, her grandmother still lived a frugal life. But for her, even in simplicity, life was full of joy.
During the day, Su Yuxin and her grandmother chatted about everything from the past to the present. Her grandmother gently advised her to let go of her resentment toward her birth mother and expressed her wish to see Su Yuxin get married and have children in this lifetime.
Su Yuxin was at a loss for words and quickly changed the topic.
That night, as Su Yuxin lay in her old bed, many thoughts crowded her mind.
Her phone, placed on the nightstand, suddenly vibrated. She picked it up and opened WeChat, seeing an unread message from Chi Ye. She clicked on it.
[Where are you?]
Only three simple words. Su Yuxin hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to reply, then decided to send him her location.
Barely five seconds later, he responded immediately.
[Why are you there?]
[Visiting my grandmother.]
There was no further reply from him. Su Yuxin closed WeChat and tossed the phone aside. Exhausted from the journey, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the sun was shining brightly. Su Yuxin woke up early, made breakfast, and her grandmother, having freshened up, joined her at the table.
After breakfast, her grandmother sat down to mend some clothes while Su Yuxin busied herself fixing a light bulb. The bulb had been flickering dimly for some time, as her grandmother lived alone. Whenever Su Yuxin returned home, she would repair anything that was broken or about to break.
With her quick intelligence, she only needed to read the manual once to get the hang of it. It was easy for her.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, breaking the peaceful atmosphere. Her grandmother put down her needle and thread and shuffled over to open the door.
"Who are you?" her grandmother asked, eyeing the tall, handsome man in front of her. Who was he here for?
"Hello, are you Yuxin’s grandmother? I’m Chi Ye, Yuxin’s friend."
"So, you’re Xinxin’s friend! Come in, come in." Su Yuxin, just finishing her tasks, overheard the conversation and vaguely caught Chi Ye's name. Her heart skipped a beat, and she walked to the door, where she was greeted by the sight of him standing there.
"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, utterly shocked. This was absurd—it was a four-hour drive from Yanjing to here!
Chi Ye remained silent for a few seconds before responding calmly, "I came to take you home. You don’t have a car, right?"
Su Yuxin was speechless.
"Xiao Ye, you must be tired after traveling so far. Come in and rest for a while, have some water." Her grandmother fetched a glass of water from the kitchen and handed it to Chi Ye.
Chi Ye accepted it, flashing an innocent smile at her. "Thank you, Grandma, but I’m not tired."
Her grandmother’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she glanced back and forth between Chi Ye and Su Yuxin, her gaze full of unspoken meaning, clearly assuming something about their relationship.
Su Yuxin walked over to him and whispered, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?" Chi Ye took a sip of water, placed the glass down, and responded nonchalantly, "Well, I’m telling you now—I’m here to get you."
A flock of imaginary crows flew over Su Yuxin’s head. Faced with his sudden visit, her grandmother couldn’t stop smiling, continuously referring to him as "Xiao Ye" and showing immense approval of him.
After dinner, her grandmother insisted they stay another night, worried it wasn’t safe to travel so late. However, Su Yuxin firmly refused—there were only two rooms in the house, one for her grandmother and one for her. Was she supposed to share a room with Chi Ye?
Of course, Su Yuxin flatly rejected her grandmother’s offer.
Later, as they drove back in Chi Ye’s luxury Bentley, the night shrouded the world in a soft glow, the moonlight casting a serene beauty across Su Yuxin's delicate features.
She turned her head to gaze out of the window, feeling unsure of how to face the man beside her since that kiss.
"Are you unhappy?" Chi Ye asked, one hand on the steering wheel, his profile as hard as stone.
Su Yuxin gathered her thoughts and responded awkwardly, "No."
"I can tell you are."
"What?"
"You’re not happy." Su Yuxin frowned and glanced at him, denying, "No, I’m happy to be home visiting my grandma." She then flashed a fake smile.
Chi Ye slowed the car down, turning his head to look at her suddenly. When their eyes met, Su Yuxin felt a scorching heat in his gaze and quickly looked away.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Chi Ye’s mouth as he spoke, his voice low and husky, carrying an almost hypnotic quality in the quiet of the night. "How much longer are you going to think about it?"
"Think about what?"
"Accepting my pursuit."
Su Yuxin was silent for what felt like an eternity before she finally said, "I made up my mind a long time ago. I won’t marry or have children. I don’t have any concept of family, so I won’t date."
Chi Ye’s grip on the steering wheel faltered for a moment, his expression unreadable as he chose not to respond.
The tension in the cramped car grew heavier.
Overcome by fatigue, Su Yuxin eventually drifted off to sleep, leaning against the car window. In her half-asleep state, she thought she heard him mutter softly.
"So what if you've made up your mind? I’ve decided to pursue you, and I won’t change my mind. Just wait and see."
Su Yuxin, startled for a moment, finally succumbed to her exhaustion and slipped into a peaceful dream.
Comments
Post a Comment