MY - 53

Lu Nandu was asleep.

The hand he was holding Jiang Xi’s fingers with didn’t let go.

A little wind blew outside, and the curtains moved slightly.

He probably wasn’t sleeping peacefully in his dream, as his brows were still tightly furrowed.

Jiang Xi looked down at him, not moving for a long time.

Her peripheral vision noticed her phone screen light up. Jiang Xi’s gaze moved away from Lu Nandu’s face and glanced to the side.

She had casually placed her phone on the table when she came in, with the sound off. The screen showed a call from Xia Xinyan.

Lu Nandu was a light sleeper and would be woken up by the slightest movement. If it were someone else, Jiang Xi would wake him up to sleep on the bed, but Lu Nandu was different.

She tried to move as lightly as possible, trying to pull her finger out of Lu Nandu’s hand.

But Lu Nandu was holding on very tightly.

The man’s fingers were long and slender, tightly gripping one of her fingers.

Jiang Xi managed to pull her hand out without waking him up. She carefully placed his hand to the side, got up, and walked to the table.

Her phone screen had lit up twice. Jiang Xi hadn’t managed to answer the first call.

She picked up her phone and glanced back at Lu Nandu, then looked around and saw a jacket draped over the back of a nearby chair.

Jiang Xi walked over, picked up the jacket, and draped it over Lu Nandu’s shoulders. Only then did she take her phone and leave the room.

She closed the bedroom door and answered the phone.

Xia Xinyan was probably talking to someone next to her on the other end. “Why isn’t she answering the phone?”

Only after saying that did she realize Jiang Xi had answered the phone. Then she spoke to her. “Xiao Xi.”

Jiang Xi, with one hand in her pocket, walked towards the end of the hallway. “I was busy just now and couldn’t answer the phone.”

“It’s okay, as long as you’re safe,” Xia Xinyan said. “I was thinking you went out today, so you couldn’t be sleeping at home. I was a little scared when you didn’t answer.”

Jiang Xi found it funny. “I’m a grown-up now. You don’t have to worry.”

Xia Xinyan sighed. “That’s what you say, but no matter how old you are, you’ll always be a child to me.”

She would never stop worrying.

Jiang Xi smiled.

At the end of the hallway was an old-fashioned window. She pushed it open. Behind the villa was a piece of wasteland.

In spring, everything was reviving. There were a few scattered bits of green on the exposed land.

Jiang Xi’s gaze fell on the beautiful scenery outside and asked Xia Xinyan on the phone, “Did you call me for something?”

Xia Xinyan returned to the main topic, sighing. “Your grandma fell today.”

Xia Xinyan had always treated Jiang Xi and Jiang Chi as her own children. When they were little, she would take them back to her hometown during festivals. Jiang Xi was not a stranger to Xia Xinyan’s family.

“Maybe because her children and grandchildren were all here, and it was lively, the old lady was too happy. She wasn’t paying attention when she came downstairs and fell.”

It wasn’t a big deal for young people to fall, but it was especially dangerous for the elderly to get a bone injury.

Jiang Xi frowned slightly. “Is it serious?”

“The results are out. It’s a fracture, but it’s not serious. The doctor was worried about any hidden dangers, so he asked her to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation. But I think it’s nothing. Hospitals just like to keep people, don’t they? But to be safe, we’re letting your grandma stay for a few more days.”

Jiang Xi sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Xia Xinyan: “I might not be able to go back for a few days. Jiang Chi and Xia Zhen won’t be staying here. They’re going back tonight, but they have things to do at their company, so they have to go back to the capital early. So you have to be careful at home and don’t forget to eat.”

Jiang Xi hummed. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Xia Xinyan was still worried. “You’re someone who doesn’t eat on time when no one is watching you. You say you don’t need me to worry, but you’ll forget about it in a while.”

She instructed, “There are still a lot of food delivery places open. Order something nutritious and hygienic to eat.”

Jiang Xi laughed. “How can you tell?”

“You can tell,” Xia Xinyan probably read a lot of those exposees about shady food stalls online. “Just avoid those rice bowls and ham sausages.”

Jiang Xi laughed. “Okay.”

Xia Xinyan: “There’s a lot of food in the fridge. There are a lot of New Year’s goods at home. Don’t forget to eat them.”

Jiang Xi: “I know.”

“Alright, your grandma is awake. I’m going in.”

“Okay.”

Xia Xinyan was about to hang up. “Don’t forget to eat.”

Jiang Xi laughed and said helplessly, “Just because you said ‘remember to eat’ so many times, I will eat properly.”

Xia Xinyan also laughed. “You child, are you complaining that I’m nagging?”

“No,” Jiang Xi said. “I’m hanging up. You can go see grandma. I’ll find some time to go to the hospital in the next few days.”

Jiang Xi hung up the phone.

The call wasn’t long. She glanced back at the bedroom door at the other end.

Lu Nandu was probably still sleeping.

After a few seconds, Jiang Xi’s gaze moved away from the door. She didn’t go back to the bedroom, nor did she stay where she was. She went downstairs.

Jiang Xi didn’t go anywhere. She just went out for some fresh air.

The days were short, and the sun was gradually setting in the west.

A thin layer of crimson covered the ridges of the fields, and the weeds swayed slightly.

Jiang Xi leaned against the wall behind the house. A cigarette butt was on the ground at her feet.

It was very quiet here, with not many people around. Only the occasional sound of an engine could be heard on the road. It was an empty city abandoned by the times.

Jiang Xi’s eyes were slightly lowered, and her expression was unclear. The thin rays of the setting sun shone on the side of her face.

The field was uneven, with small stones and weeds, and a long shadow.

Jiang Xi took out another cigarette. It wasn’t a lady’s cigarette, but a cheap one that could be found anywhere in a small shop.

She put it in her mouth and cupped her hand to light it.

Crimson lips, a white cigarette.

Just as she was about to put the lighter back in her pocket, a voice suddenly appeared beside her. “That’s Lu Nandu’s lighter, isn’t it?”

Jiang Xi’s hand froze. She turned her head to where the voice came from. The cigarette and lighter were both ones she had taken from Lu Nandu.

Xu Qingzhou had a long coat draped over his body. He was looking at her, with a gentle smile in his eyes.

“Teacher Xu.” Jiang Xi remembered that Xu Qingzhou wasn’t in very good health and was about to take the cigarette out of her mouth.

Xu Qingzhou saw what she was thinking and waved his hand. “No need. You can smoke.”

He smiled and walked over. “It’s been a long time since I’ve smoked. Let me enjoy the smell.”

Jiang Xi hesitated but didn’t put it out.

Xu Qingzhou had already walked to her side, and the two of them were standing shoulder to shoulder.

“I thought you would come to see me in the afternoon. Why didn’t you?”

Jiang Xi was a little surprised. She turned her head and met Xu Qingzhou’s smiling eyes.

Xu Qingzhou said, “You came all this way to see me for this kid, didn’t you?”

Jiang Xi felt there was nothing to hide and hummed. “You knew it was Lu Nandu when I asked you, didn’t you?”

Xu Qingzhou smiled and didn’t look at her anymore. “Yes.”

“Teacher Xu,” Jiang Xi knew she couldn’t ask overly private questions and kept her tone respectful. “Did Lu Nandu have an episode last night?”

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Xi asked, “Is it okay for me to ask this?”

Xu Qingzhou waved his hand. “It’s okay. You can tell if someone has slept well or not just by looking at them.”

He didn’t answer Jiang Xi’s question and asked her, “Did he go to see you the night before last?”

Jiang Xi was surprised that Xu Qingzhou knew.

Xu Qingzhou turned his head to look at her. “On New Year’s Eve.”

The sound of an unknown insect came from the weeds nearby. Jiang Xi nodded. “Yes.”

After getting the answer, Xu Qingzhou turned his head back and smiled. “He slept very well when he came back that night. He didn’t take any medicine and didn’t wake up in the middle of the night.”

Jiang Xi didn’t know why Xu Qingzhou was saying this.

Xu Qingzhou said to himself, “So when he got up yesterday morning, he was in a good state and told me triumphantly that he didn’t need to take medicine anymore and that he would get better soon.”

Jiang Xi remembered the text message Lu Nandu sent her yesterday morning around eight or nine o’clock.

Two words, “Good morning,” followed by three exclamation marks.

He was obviously very happy, like an immature little kid.

Now, recalling this text message, Jiang Xi realized that Lu Nandu must have thought he no longer needed medicine. He seemed to genuinely believe he was getting better.

Xu Qingzhou was just stating the facts objectively. “But on the second night, everything went back to normal. He had to take medicine to fall asleep and woke up in the middle of the night.”

In just one day, he went from positive to negative.

Jiang Xi: “Was it because of the huge mental letdown?”

“Yes,” Xu Qingzhou nodded. “It’s inevitable, after all, he was a person who thought he was getting better the night before.”

He laughed. “He’s very impatient to become a normal person, but in reality, the more a person rushes to get better in a short period, the harder it is. It’s like a student with bad grades suddenly wanting a good grade. They haven’t been working hard before, but they try to get a last-minute fix and want to be first in the class. That’s simply impossible.”

“Qualitative change comes from a quantitative change. It’s such a simple principle. Take it slow. There’s no need to rush, but that kid hasn’t figured it out yet. All illnesses need time to be cured.”

Jiang Xi hadn’t said anything the whole time.

She knew very well why Lu Nandu was so impatient.

His intentions were not hard to guess. He just wanted to get better quickly so he wouldn’t be a threat to her anymore and could live with her properly.

The two of them were silent for a while.

After a while, Jiang Xi asked, “He told me he heard screaming.”

Xu Qingzhou seemed a little surprised, but it was only for a moment.

But his identity didn’t allow him to say too much. He only said, “A chain reaction caused by a past trauma.”

Jiang Xi could understand and hummed.

She seemed to be thinking about something. A few seconds later, she said, “Lu Nandu seems to dislike rooms with light.”

Although Xu Qingzhou didn’t say anything, he had been listening to her. He raised his eyebrows.

Jiang Xi didn’t pay attention. She frowned slightly. “But it seems he’s not afraid of light, but of windows.”

Two hours ago, Lu Nandu told her he usually slept in the room without a window, but last night, he slept in the room with a window. It wasn’t hard to guess his motivation.

Lu Nandu probably thought he was getting better because he had slept soundly after seeing her the night before. So he started trying to face the things that scared him.

Xu Qingzhou hadn’t said anything.

Jiang Xi didn’t actually expect him to answer. It was more like she was stating her own thoughts.

Xu Qingzhou smiled and suddenly said, “I was wondering why this kid used to look at me as if I had dug up his family’s grave, but then he suddenly came to me for treatment.”

It was a random sentence that Jiang Xi didn’t quite understand.

Xu Qingzhou looked at her. “I finally understand today. This kid wanted to work hard because of you.”

Jiang Xi was stunned.

Xu Qingzhou saw her expression and knew she probably didn’t know anything about Lu Nandu’s past. “You don’t know, do you? He never used to accept my guidance. No one could persuade him. He would never agree to see a psychiatrist.”

Jiang Xi frowned slightly. She really didn’t know about this.

Xu Qingzhou was about to go back. “Some things are a patient’s privacy. I can’t tell you too much unless he agrees.”

“But I think it’s better for him to tell you himself.”

Jiang Xi nodded.

“Alright, I’m going back. It’s time for dinner. You should go back soon too.”

Xu Qingzhou left.

The cigarette between Jiang Xi’s fingers hadn’t been smoked even once. It had already burned down to the butt.

________________________________________

The sky was gradually losing its color. The last rays of the sun shone on the horizon.

Jiang Xi returned to the small villa.

The bedroom door at the end of the second-floor hallway was still closed, just as she had left it.

Jiang Xi didn’t turn on the lights. She walked over with the faint light and pushed the door open.

Inside the room, a window of sunset light shone on the floor, and the curtains swayed slightly.

Lu Nandu was already awake. He was still leaning against the sofa. He seemed to have heard the door open and looked over.

The light was a little dim. Jiang Xi couldn’t see his expression. She suddenly felt nervous, filled with anticipation.

It wasn’t fear.

She didn’t know if Lu Nandu, who was a few steps away, was conscious or if his eyes were filled with hatred.

Jiang Xi’s palms started to sweat slightly.

Just when Jiang Xi thought her hope was about to be dashed, Lu Nandu suddenly spoke, “Big sister?”

It had only been a few short seconds, but it felt like a century. The moment Jiang Xi heard his voice, her legs suddenly felt a little weak.

But she didn’t show any sign of abnormality and replied, “It’s me.”

Lu Nandu sat on the floor, watching her walk in.

Jiang Xi walked to him and squatted down.

In the dim light, she finally saw Lu Nandu’s face.

Lu Nandu looked at her. “I thought you had left without a word.” He then reached out to hold her hand.

Jiang Xi let him.

After looking at him for a while, she suddenly called out his name softly. “Lu Nandu.”

Lu Nandu was bored, looking down and playing with her fingers. He looked up when he heard her call his name.

Jiang Xi looked at him and finally spoke. “There’s no rush to get better.”

Lu Nandu stared at her, then rejected her statement a few seconds later. “That won’t do.”

“I’m in a hurry to be in a relationship with you.”