Extra Story IX (Revisiting an Old Place)

Wen Di called June her lucky month. She welcomed two healthy babies, and her career reached another peak. Just five days after she gave birth, before she was even discharged from the hospital, this year’s TV Festival concluded. Behind Desire became the big winner, taking home five major awards, and she won the Best Original Screenwriter award.

She was unable to attend in person, so Shen Tang accepted the award on her behalf.

“Don’t cry,” Yan Heyu said, kissing away the tears on her face, afraid that her emotions would get the best of her and affect her incision.

Wen Di denied it. “I’m not crying. Who’s crying?”

Yan Heyu tried to make her happy. “It’s my tears that fell into your eyes.”

Wen Di suddenly laughed, though there were still tears in her eyes.

This was the most prestigious award she had received in her ten years in the industry, and it made her feel complete.

“Husband, give me my phone.”

Yan Heyu took her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.

He asked, “Are you sending it to Yin Ziyu?”

“Yeah, to congratulate her.”

Yin Ziyu had won Best Actress for Behind Desire and was probably crying and laughing with joy.

She opened WeChat, and Yin Ziyu had already messaged her a screen full of: Boss Wen, I love you. Boss Wen, I miss you.

Yin Ziyu was at the awards ceremony and had just finished her interview. She was still emotional. She was not only happy about winning the award but also about a message she had received from Tan Moxing an hour ago.

He had said: [I wasn’t acting in Behind Desire. From your nomination for Best Actress until now, I’ve been more nervous than you. I was worried you’d be sad if you missed out on the big award. But even if you did, it wouldn’t have mattered. You still have me.]

Yin Ziyu told Wen Di: [Boss Wen, Tan Moxing confessed his feelings for me.]

Wen Di was not surprised. Every time she visited the set of No One is Better Than You, she felt that Tan Moxing was simply playing himself. His affectionate gaze toward Yin Ziyu in the show couldn’t be faked.

No One is Better Than You would be released this summer. She would be able to go to the cinema to watch it after her confinement period was over.

After chatting with Yin Ziyu for a few minutes, Wen Di exited the chat.

Yan Heyu gently massaged her eye sockets to help her relax. He had been replying to all her well-wishes these past few days, afraid that her eyes would get uncomfortable from looking at the screen for too long.

Wen Di took his hand and placed it on the side of her face, using his palm as a pillow. “Are Big Treasure and Little Treasure still asleep?” After calling them that for a few days, she actually thought the names were quite nice.

Yan Heyu: “They’re still asleep. They’re sleeping soundly.”

He asked her if she wanted some water.

Wen Di shook her head. Her body had recovered a bit these past few days. The incision no longer hurt as much as it did a few days ago, so she had the energy to chat with him. “Do you still want a little Ningmeng?”

Yan Heyu answered without hesitation: “No. Two children are perfect. If we had another one, we wouldn’t have as much time to spend with each other. We also have Wen Wen to take care of.”

Wen Di looked at him. “Won’t you have any regrets?”

Yan Heyu: “Even if we had another one, it wouldn’t necessarily be a girl. What if it was another son?”

After he said that, they both laughed.

Yan Heyu held her hand and said, “Screenwriter Wen.”

Whenever he used that name, it usually meant he was about to make a request.

“Why don’t you just call me by my name, or ‘wife’ is fine too.”

Yan Heyu said, “Let me finish what I have to say.”

Wen Di made a face, pretending to be all ears.

Yan Heyu: “When you have time, write a screenplay for me. I won’t turn it into a show; I’ll just keep it and watch it by myself.”

Wen Di understood. “So you’re just finding a roundabout way to ask me to praise you.”

“You can write about my flaws, too. I’ll change after I read them.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “You don’t have to write it now. Next year or the year after is fine.”

There were some regrets Wen Di could make up to him, so she agreed.

________________________________________

However, by the time Big Treasure and Little Treasure turned two, Wen Di still hadn’t started writing the screenplay for Yan Heyu. After giving birth, she had written a historical drama script, which she had been polishing for almost a year and a half.

Last month, the show had started filming.

Besides being busy with work, she also had to spend time with her two children, so she couldn’t find the time to sit down and write.

Yan Heyu would occasionally think about the screenplay when he was free, but most of the time, he was swamped with the two kids.

Today was Saturday, and as long as he wasn’t on a business trip, it was his designated day to spend time with the children. Today was no different.

The two kids had just celebrated their second birthday a few days ago and had returned from Jiangcheng yesterday.

She wasn’t sure who in the Wen family had taught them a few phrases in the Jiangcheng dialect, but at their age, they were fast learners and probably had a bit of a knack for languages. They learned quickly and spoke it perfectly. When they got back, they went around showing off the dialect. They even sent voice messages to the Yan family group chat and the Ye family group chat. He had to stop them in time before they sent it to his work group chat.

Yan Heyan @ Yan Heyu: [My big nephew inherited your love for showing off to the fullest.]

Yan Heyu: [They also inherited my language skills and learning ability.]

Yan Heyan sent an eye-rolling emoji. [That’s your wife’s genes, isn’t it?]

[I’ll come pick up the two little ones tonight. Have the auntie pack their things.]

Yan Heyu: [Come get them tomorrow morning instead. I’ll spend the day with them.]

His plan to go to Yunshu Village with Wen Di was finally on the agenda. They had booked a flight for tomorrow morning. They had gone on a few trips with Big Treasure and Little Treasure in the past two years, but this was their first time going on a trip alone since they got their marriage license.

With a loud crash, something fell to the ground.

Yan Heyu turned around abruptly. The auntie was helping to pick up the easel that had fallen over. Even with someone watching Big Treasure and Little Treasure, there was no way to stop them when they started getting rowdy.

Big Treasure and Little Treasure had seen an easel at little Ningmeng’s house and watched her paint outside. They wanted to draw too. They couldn’t even hold the paintbrushes properly and just scribbled all over the canvas. Then they started smearing the paint on each other’s faces. They smeared paint on each other, and their faces became a palette of colors.

Just now, they had been pushing and shoving and knocked the easel over.

Yan Heyu put away his phone and walked over quickly. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw their faces covered in paint. He crouched down. “Come here, you two. I’ll take you to wash your faces.”

Big Treasure and Little Treasure finally stopped making a fuss. “Daddy!” The two kids shouted in unison and ran into his arms.

Yan Heyu spread his arms and hugged one in each arm.

Big Treasure rubbed his own face hard, and his palms were covered in paint. “Daddy, I’ll put makeup on you.” He clapped both hands directly onto Yan Heyu’s face.

Little Treasure followed his brother’s lead and smeared half of the “makeup” from his own face onto his daddy’s.

Yan Heyu’s face was painted. “...Big Treasure and Little Treasure!”

The two children were doubled over with laughter in his arms.

He wondered if he had been like this as a child, teasing his father to death when he got rowdy. According to his mother, Big Treasure and Little Treasure’s mischievous personalities were an exact replica of his.

After he had cleaned their faces and changed their clothes, it felt like he had just fought a battle.

Big Treasure and Little Treasure finally calmed down and went back to their room to play with their toys.

Yan Heyu used a towel to wipe the water off his chest. They could even get water all over him when he was just washing their faces.

Raising them was a frustrating yet happy experience. They could also be very sweet sometimes. They loved his cooking the most and would say it was delicious no matter how bad it tasted.

Wen Di had gone to the office today and wouldn’t be home for lunch. He asked Big Treasure and Little Treasure what they wanted to eat.

“Daddy, fish soup.”

“I want fish soup, Daddy.”

Wen Di hadn’t been able to drink a single drop of fish soup during her pregnancy. She couldn’t even stand the smell of it until she gave birth. But the two children loved it and seemed to be able to get enough of it. He would make them fish soup once a week.

While Yan Heyu was making the fish soup, Wen Di called.

“Husband, are Big Treasure and Little Treasure giving you a hard time?”

“I’m used to it.”

“So they are.”

“We all have paint on our clothes.”

“Are they still drawing in the courtyard?”

“No, they’re in their room playing with their toys. The auntie is watching them.”

He was so busy chatting with Wen Di that he forgot to add salt to the fish soup after it was done.

Big Treasure and Little Treasure each drank more than half a bowl.

“Daddy, the fish soup is delicious.”

Little Treasure also said, “Daddy’s fish soup is the most delicious.”

Yan Heyu picked up what was left in their bowls and took a sip. He frowned and swallowed it. It was already this bad, and they still said it was delicious.

They were a little picky with their food, but they were never picky about the food he cooked. You would think they were inconsiderate, but they were actually very sweet.

With Big Treasure and Little Treasure, he had rarely thought about “little Ningmeng” in the past two years, but he still thought about it sometimes.

Perhaps he wasn’t good enough, and that’s why “little Ningmeng” didn’t want to come to him.

Wen Di didn’t get home until 7:30 p.m. Big Treasure and Little Treasure had already had their bath and were waiting in bed for their mommy to come home and read them a story.

When they heard Wen Di’s voice outside the bedroom, they happily jumped off the bed and started calling out “Mommy.”

Wen Di couldn’t hug them one-handed like Yan Heyu could. She could only pull them into her arms. Big Treasure and Little Treasure each gave her a kiss on the cheek.

All the fatigue from the day instantly disappeared.

Reading stories to her children was her favorite time of the day.

As they listened to the story, they always had ten million “whys,” and Wen Di would patiently explain everything to them.

After the children were asleep, Wen Di went to find Yan Heyu in the bedroom. He was in the walk-in closet, packing their luggage for their trip tomorrow.

When she walked in, Yan Heyu was putting three boxes of condoms into the suitcase.

“Bringing so many?”

Yan Heyu simply said “Hmm.” He had actually already put a few boxes at the bottom and was bringing a few more just in case. It rained a lot in Yunshu Village, and if it was a heavy downpour, they wouldn’t have anything to do in the hotel besides stare at each other.

He said to Wen Di, “Let’s stay a few more days. It’s been a long time since we’ve gone anywhere.”

“Didn’t you say three days?”

“A week. We had agreed on a week before.”

He knew Wen Di would miss the children, and he would too. But it was a rare chance to get away, and they could always video call them.

It was especially rainy in Yunshu Village during the summer. The day they arrived, it was pouring rain, and they couldn’t go anywhere.

Yan Heyu changed the duvet cover and sheets they had brought themselves. This was Wen Di’s habit when she traveled. She needed to sleep on her own sheets and smell a familiar scent to sleep soundly.

He walked to the window and wrapped one arm around her. “Haven’t you seen enough?” She had been standing here looking at the view for almost half an hour after her shower.

Wen Di’s head was resting on his chest. She tilted her head back and looked at him upside down. “No. I didn’t realize there was a hotel with such a beautiful view. I didn’t pay attention last time.”

She had stayed at a bed and breakfast last time.

Yan Heyu gently touched her lips, closed the window with his other hand, and drew the curtains.

Wen Di saw that there was a shirt on top of her sheets. He had placed the shirt he had taken off before his shower on the sheets.

Her attention was on the shirt, but Yan Heyu punished her with a kiss. She shivered and snapped out of her daze, responding to his deep kiss.

It was a thrilling and passionate kiss.

They were just like they used to be.

His hair wasn’t dry, and now it was even wetter.

Yan Heyu looked at her silently, his eyes deep and dark.

Wen Di called out to her husband. If he kept this up, he might just break the condom.

Yan Heyu was considerate of her body, and the passion subsided.

The rain outside the window also stopped.

Wen Di changed her clothes. They could still visit a few more attractions in the afternoon.

Yan Heyu brought an umbrella and raincoats and walked out with her.

“Husband, let’s switch it up this time. I’ll be the one to look for you.”

There were five or six attractions in this large scenic area. Even if they got off at the same bus stop, there were attractions on both the left and right sides. There were several routes to choose from, whether to go to the left first, keep walking up the mountain on the left, or visit the first attraction and then turn back to the right to continue.

Even if they were at the same attraction, with so many people and such a large area, the chances of them meeting were slim.

Yan Heyu saw her enthusiasm and agreed to play along.

He gave Wen Di her rain gear and left on the scenic bus first.

Wen Di took the next bus and got off at the first stop, turning left toward the attractions. She walked and looked for him. When she got tired, she opened a bottle of water to drink. When she turned her head, her gaze froze. Yan Heyu was not far from her, and he saw her too.

Yan Heyu walked over and reached out his hand to her.

Wen Di took his hand, pleasantly surprised. “How did you end up right here?”

Yan Heyu looked at her and said, “I was looking for you too.”

He was afraid she would get anxious if she couldn’t find him, so he hadn’t gone far and had been lingering around the first attraction looking for her.

“Are you tired?”

Wen Di shook her head and handed him the half-empty bottle of water.

Yan Heyu held her hand and continued up the mountain.

As they passed the small shop on the mountainside, Yan Heyu stopped and looked at Wen Di. “Want something to eat?”

“Of course,” Wen Di said. “I came here when I was a kid. My grandparents brought me here. The shop owner even boiled water for me to make milk powder.”

Yan Heyu bought her a hot drink and a grilled sausage. The two of them sat down at a nearby empty table.

While they were resting, he made a video call with Heyan to see Big Treasure and Little Treasure.

“Daddy, it’s me!” Big Treasure said excitedly.

“Daddy, I’m Little Treasure. Can you see me?”

The two children tried to squeeze onto the phone screen. Yan Heyu could only see half of a face and didn’t know if it was Big Treasure or Little Treasure. “You two need to back up a little. Daddy can’t see you.”

Heyan told them to stand still and held the phone farther away so they could both be in the frame.

Wen Di leaned on Yan Heyu’s shoulder and greeted her sons.

Big Treasure and Little Treasure didn’t notice anything else. Their eyes were fixated on the grilled sausage in their mommy’s hand. They normally didn’t think about eating grilled sausage, but seeing their mommy eating it so enthusiastically made it seem like the best food in the world.

“Mommy, is it delicious?”

“Mommy, I want to eat it.”

Yan Heyu took the grilled sausage from Wen Di’s hand and wiggled it in front of the camera. “You can just eat it in your imagination for now.”

Big Treasure and Little Treasure blinked, their heads tilted to the side, trying to figure out how to take a bite of something in their imagination.