YXJ - 7

Lin Wangshu was afraid of oversleeping, so she specifically set an alarm for 6:30 AM. Her fever had already subsided. She sat up from the bed; the space beside her was empty. It seemed yesterday night was just a dream. She breathed a sigh of relief as she put on her shoes and went out to wash up.

In the living room downstairs, Jiang Congxian was eating breakfast. Hearing the movement, he slightly raised his eyes, his gaze cool and clear behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Lin Wangshu’s face had the rosy glow of someone recovering from a serious illness. He returned his attention to the newspaper in his hands.

Aunt Wu came over and asked her if she wanted porridge or toast. Lin Wangshu wanted something light for breakfast: “Porridge, please, Aunt Wu.” Aunt Wu saw that she had recovered and felt a little relieved, turning to go into the kitchen to get her porridge.

Lin Wangshu sat opposite Jiang Congxian. He was engrossed in his newspaper, as if she wasn’t there. When the porridge was served, through the rising steam, Lin Wangshu carefully asked him: “Your words from last night still count, right?”

He didn’t look at her, only said coldly: “Finish your food before saying anything else.”

It was rare for Lin Wangshu to be so docile and obedient. She meticulously ate every last bit of the porridge, even holding the bowl up, showing him the bottom: “I’ve eaten it all.”

Jiang Congxian finally moved his gaze from the newspaper, glancing at her indifferently. He took off his glasses; there was a weariness in his eyes. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice unusually hoarse: “Prepare the car.” Jiang Yuan nodded and left.

Qing City was a bit far; it would take three hours by plane. In first class, Jiang Congxian fell asleep as soon as the plane took off and woke up precisely ten minutes before landing. He didn’t need to be woken. Lin Wangshu brought two full suitcases, filled with things for Lin Yao and her grandmother.

The old house felt aged, located at the very end of the alley. The last time she came back was before the Lunar New Year. Her father had suddenly said he was sending her and her brother to live with their grandmother for a while. She had already noticed something unusual about her father at that time. If she had asked then, perhaps their situation would be better now.

The small town was remote, and everyone in the neighborhood knew each other, so during the day, the front door was often left ajar, not locked. Lin Wangshu pushed the door open, and the wind chime beside it tinkled. There was a faint floral scent in the courtyard. Her grandmother came out with freshly picked greens. Seeing Lin Wangshu, she paused for a few seconds, not reacting immediately.

After so long, she finally saw a family member. The emotions that had been tightly strung since her father’s death finally completely relaxed. Lin Wangshu ran over, her eyes red, hugging her tightly: “Grandma, I missed you so much.”

The girl’s crying was completely different from yesterday. Yesterday was a cry of despair; today, it was as if she had come back to life, finally seeing a glimmer of hope. Her grandmother also cried: “My good girl, why are you so thin? Haven’t you been eating properly?”

She shook her head: “I have been eating properly.”

The wind outside was strong, so her grandmother said: “Let’s go inside first; don’t catch a cold.” She asked Lin Wangshu: “Are you tired from the journey?”

Lin Wangshu: “Not tired.”

A cool voice from behind broke the harmonious scene between grandmother and grandchild: “Of course you’re not tired; I carried all the luggage.”

Only then did her grandmother notice the presence of another person besides Lin Wangshu. He was tall and slender, and his appearance was handsome and attractive.

“You must be Xiaoshu’s boyfriend?”

Jiang Congxian let out an extremely faint scoff: “How could a hypocritical and disgusting person like me be worthy of being her boyfriend?”

Lin Wangshu knew he was still angry about yesterday. Her grandmother looked at Lin Wangshu in confusion: “Xiaoshu, what’s going on?”

Because she was afraid of worrying her grandmother, Lin Wangshu had portrayed Jiang Congxian as a gentle and kind, twenty-four filial good boyfriend. She explained softly: “I lost my temper yesterday and was mean to him, so...”

Her grandmother frowned, criticizing her: “That’s not right of you. When two people are together, they must be tolerant and forgiving of each other, understand?”

Lin Wangshu obediently nodded: “Mm-hmm.”

Jiang Congxian watched the scene before him with an unperturbed expression. She was acting quite well. Perhaps fearing her grandmother wouldn’t believe it, Lin Wangshu had to complete the act. She intimately linked her arm with Jiang Congxian’s. The latter glanced at the woman’s hand on his arm, fair and slender. Then he looked up at her face, seeming a little amused. He didn’t intend to play along with this act; it was troublesome.

Her grandmother was watching. Lin Wangshu, afraid of being found out, stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear: “Help me, and tonight... anything goes.”

“Anything goes” was a very tempting offer. He withdrew his arm from her grasp. In the instant Lin Wangshu froze, he put his arm around her shoulder, asking with a gentle smile: “Is this enough?”

“Y-yes, it is.”

Seeing their affectionate display, her grandmother finally felt relieved. She led them inside and asked Lin Wangshu the reason for her return today. Lin Wangshu said she had been calling home but no one answered, and she was worried something had happened.

Her grandmother poured two cups of tea: “I don’t know where I put my phone a few days ago. I had it on silent to avoid disturbing Xiaoyue’s sleep, so I didn’t hear it.” Lin Wangshu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“Where’s Xiaoyue? Why haven’t I seen him?”

Her grandmother sat on the sofa: “Xiaoyue went to school. His condition has been good recently. The doctor said he could appropriately interact with peers his age.”

Lin Wangshu felt the weight lifted from her heart, knowing Lin Yao was fine. Since she had made the effort to come, she planned to stay here for a day and return tomorrow.

In the afternoon, Lin Yao returned from school. He looked at Lin Wangshu with a dull gaze. Only when she called out “Xiaoyue” did he react slightly. “Sis...sister.” His words were a little halting. His condition was good, at least better than what she had seen in the videos before.

No matter how gentle Jiang Congxian pretended to be outwardly, his inherent cold-bloodedness couldn’t be changed. He looked at the lively scene of family reunion before him with little interest, unable to empathize. What he was thinking was for night to fall quickly so he could claim his “reward.”

Lin Yao was very well-behaved. He didn’t need to be fed during dinner and even picked up food for Lin Wangshu: “Sister...eat too.” Lin Wangshu stroked his little head, her smile gentle: “Thank you, Xiaoyue.”

Jiang Congxian had little appetite. He ate a bit and then put down his chopsticks. He slightly raised his chin, calmly looking at the smile on Lin Wangshu’s face. She had never smiled at him so gently; it was always a sneer or a cold smile. Quite unappetizing. But Jiang Congxian never cared about such things. As long as it made him comfortable.

After dinner, Lin Wangshu played with Lin Yao for a while. It was getting late. Her grandmother took him back to his room to rest and also told Lin Wangshu: “You and Congxian should also get some rest early. I see the red veins in his eyes are very prominent; he probably didn’t get much sleep last night.” Last night, because of that incident, Lin Wangshu had been up late. By the time she got into bed and prepared to sleep, it was already one or two in the morning. She woke up at six, and he was already in the living room, so it was very likely he hadn’t slept at all. Lin Wangshu nodded: “Got it.”

Jiang Congxian had already bathed and was lying in bed reading. He hadn’t brought any change of clothes for this trip. Her grandmother gave him a piece of Lin Yao’s clothing. It was something Lin Wangshu had bought for him earlier, accidentally buying it a bit too large, so it should fit Jiang Congxian. He thanked her with a gentle smile but casually tossed the clothes onto a nearby chair after her grandmother left. He was still wearing the black shirt he had arrived in. Lin Wangshu knew he would never wear someone else’s clothes.

Seeing Lin Wangshu, he closed the book in his hand: “Finished washing?”

She hummed softly in affirmation.

Jiang Congxian casually tossed the book onto the bedside table: “Come here.”

She obediently approached. The night outside was gentle. The small town was unlike big cities; there was no smog and no tall buildings. Looking up, one could see the stars and the moon. Lin Wangshu bit her lip, enduring, afraid of being heard.

Jiang Congxian whispered in her ear: “Has your fever not gone down? Why is it so hot in here?” He bit her earlobe, his laugh hoarse and slow, “You’re burning me up.”