Hearing Lin Wanwan's words, Aheng was not angry, nor did her expression change much—"Yan hope's illness has long been cured, how come Miss Lin doesn't know?"
Lin Wanwan's expression was complicated, a mixture of disappointment, frustration, and a touch of joy—"Are you fully recovered? What did the doctor say?"
After speaking, he realized that his tone had been too hasty and that he looked unpleasant.
Ah Heng smiled – “You’ve fully recovered, Miss Lin, there’s no need to worry.”
Lin Wanwan softened her tone, speaking softly and somewhat forlornly, "It's alright, that's good."
Chen Juan found it increasingly strange. Wasn't this Wen Siwan's ex-girlfriend who was head over heels in love with Wen Siwan? Why did she sound like she also had some past feelings for Yan hope?
Ah Heng pulled Chen Juan to pick out a few boxes of salty and savory snacks, and was about to leave when Lin Wanwan called Ah Heng back.
"Wen Heng, could you please pass on a message for me?"
"What?"
Lin Wanwan spoke, her voice clear but not loud, though trembling slightly—"Could you tell him that I didn't mean it back then? I just thought his illness hadn't gotten better. You don't know what he looked like when he had an attack… Siwan and I were chatting outside his door. He was still fast asleep when suddenly he broke a vase… stepped on it… his feet were covered in blood… and he looked at me… it was really terrifying. I really didn't mean it…"
She was somewhat incoherent.
Ah Heng was confused. Chen Juan quickly thought of the key point and asked her with a cold smile, "What did you say to Si Wan that made Yan hope glare at you? You said you didn't do it on purpose. What did you do on purpose?"
Lin Wanwan panicked a little, but considering that things hadn't turned out well for her and Siwan either, she gritted her teeth and said, "Siwan asked me what I would do if Yanxi liked me. I was terrified because I'd heard from others that Yanxi had been raped and that's why he was like that. So I asked Siwan if it was true, and then Yanxi came out. He looked at me, his feet were still covered in blood, but his expression was calm, not at all like someone who was sick. His voice was clear, and he said it was true, that he liked me a lot, always had, always liked me, ever since I broke my eraser in two during an exam and gave it to him..." He liked me a lot when we were young. He asked if I could try being with him. I thought he was crazy. Then he grabbed my clothes. His hands were covered in blood. I was young and scared. I cried and begged him to let me go. He didn't say anything, just looked at me, kept looking at me with that sad look in his eyes. You've never seen that look before. You wouldn't understand how terrifying those lifeless, desperate eyes are. I used a lot of strength to push him away, but unexpectedly, Yan hope fell down the stairs. At that moment, I was terrified. I didn't know…”
Lin Wanwan gripped her long hair tightly, tears welling in her eyes, her expression one of deep anguish—"I didn't want to, I just... I love Yan hope, I really do..."
When Ah Heng first heard this story, Yan hope had previously only mentioned it lightly, in just a few words, and even had the energy to tease Si Wan and Lin Wanwan.
Isn't he tired?
Lin Wanwan squatted down, tears streaming down her face, her voice bitter—"Another month passed, and Yan hope came back to school. Fortunately, his fall wasn't serious. But it was then that I learned Yan Xi was actually conscious; he had already recovered. Then, Si Wan confessed to me. I knew it was too late to undo the damage, and I was afraid of retaliation from the Yan family, after all, I had pushed Yan Xi down the stairs, causing him to recover for a month. And then, as you all know, Si Wan and I started dating."
Chen Juan cursed loudly, "Lady, how dare you say that our beauty should forgive you? If it were me, I'd kick you to the eighteenth level of hell and that would be too lenient. You should just go home, wash up, and go to sleep. Stop daydreaming."
Lin Wanwan's face turned pale instantly.
Ah Heng remained expressionless. "Miss Lin, I can't help you with this. Please ask Wen Siwan instead."
He turned around, grabbed the still-cursing meat, and left.
Rou Si was furious—"Why didn't you let me speak! Damn it, no wonder Yan Xi is afraid of women. If it were me, I'd be afraid too! Damn it, these days, not a single woman is any good!"
Ah Heng's smile was enigmatic.
Without looking away, Rou Si added righteously, "Except for my mom and Wen Heng!"
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When Yan hope returned home that evening, he was wearing the same thick outfit he had worn that morning, which she had prepared for him: a scarf, gloves, and a coat. He acted spoiled and coquettish towards A Heng, but didn't mention a word about what happened that afternoon, as if he wasn't the one standing in the cold wind in thin clothes.
Aheng smiled and said to him, "Yanxi, I am what you are."
She could also pretend that nothing had happened; she was always more adept at this than he was.
Yan hope remained silent for a moment, then spoke again, his tone light: "Aheng, there are still three days left. It will be fine by February 8th."
She handed him the warmed chocolate milk and smiled—"Okay."
Yan hope looked at the milk, shook it, then seemed to remember something and chuckled softly—"Aheng, am I scary when I open my eyes wide?"
Ah Heng looked at him, her clear and beautiful eyes deliberately widening and enlarging—"Hmm, it's quite scary."
Actually, it should be quite imposing. When others see it, they will be unable to resist wanting to keep looking, becoming completely mesmerized. That's why they would use such frightening eyes to mask their own disorientation.
Yan hope chuckled, her eyes crinkling, and lowered her head—"So it's true after all. No wonder. I didn't believe it when people said it before, but today... um... a lot of people are saying it too."
Ah Heng felt a pang of pain in her heart. "Before"—did it refer to Lin Wanwan?
Yan hope put his hands behind his head, leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and murmured in the clear tone of his youth, "Tch, could it be that my eyes are too beautiful and everyone on Earth is jealous of me?"
Ah Heng chuckled – “Yeah, yeah, I’m just jealous of you. Being so good-looking… it puts a lot of pressure on me, you know…”
She lowered her eyes, her expression becoming serene and helpless.
She didn't yell at Yan hope, "How can you be so narcissistic? You narcissist, you're so annoying!" For the first time, she seriously considered this question.
It seems that once she figured it out, the fact that he never truly belonged to her wasn't so hard to accept.
Because this is simply the truth. It is determined by heaven, by earth, by that person, but not by her.
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On January 10th, Wen's mother said that Si'er was going to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Since it was her coming of age, she wanted to make it a grand occasion and invited many friends, booking several tables at a restaurant.
Last year, on Siwan's birthday, it was the same way, which seems to be a tradition in the Wen family for treating their children.
Wen's mother smiled—Aheng, you and Si'er will celebrate at different times. Your eighteenth birthday is in a few days, and we'll have a few more tables then.
Ah Heng looked at her. Her mother seemed to have forgotten something, but when she looked at her, her expression was one of pity and guilt. Ah Heng smiled and said okay.
On January 10th, when I woke up in the morning, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Yan hope's big eyes. I was startled and rubbed my eyes—"When did you arrive?"
Ah Heng said plaintively, resting her chin on her hand and pouting, "Daughter, why did you take so long to wake up? I've been waiting for so long, my eyes are sore, look, I've even blinked out several eyelashes."
He extended his index finger, and sure enough, a few eyelashes lay quietly on his glistening fingertip.
Ah Heng twitched—"How can you be so boring? Ugh, making a racket so early in the morning, it's so annoying!"
Without thinking, I threw the pillow at his face.
Yan hope's eyes were brimming with tears, like an abandoned puppy—"Si'er got up early to get her hair and makeup done."
Ah Heng yawned—"What does this have to do with me?"
Yan hope looked at Aheng's uncombed black hair with disdain—"At least you should comb your hair."
Ah Heng had just woken up and was a little confused—"What?"
Yan hope sighed and gently patted Aheng's hair—"Come here, come here, sit here."
He pulled up a wooden chair in front of the mirror. Ah Heng was puzzled, sat down, and asked him, "What are you doing?"
The boy took out a comb and then pulled out a pair of pretty crystal hair clips from his pocket, smiling – “They may not look as good as those from a hair salon, but I’ve been learning from them for several days, so they shouldn’t look bad.”
He turned his hand over and gently placed the hair clip in Aheng's palm, the soft, cool warmth of his fingers lightly brushing against her hand.
Ah Heng looked down, her hands covered in light pink, bright white, and pale purple, all crystal clear, and she was both amused and exasperated. "Hey, Yan hope, you don't mean to make me wear these, do you?"
Yan hope scoffed, "You're a girl, you know? All girls like these! I picked them out specifically!"
Then, with his left hand, he lifted Aheng's hair and gently combed it down with his right hand, the movement slow and gentle, just like his seriousness when he was painting.
He lowered his head and parted her hair in the middle, his slender fingers deftly weaving through it, making her fair skin appear even more striking against her black hair. Starting from the left temple, a strand of hair, flowing like a gentle stream, was slowly braided into four sections by his fingertips, tied into a knot at the top of her head, and secured with a white crystal hairpin. Then, he did the same on the other side, tying it up and joining it with the left side. He then picked up another strand and repeated the previous steps. The knot of the braid was slightly off-center from the first one, so the hairpins were also slightly off-center. Then, they were gradually shifted until the hair was in a riotous, fluffy mess. The small, exquisite crystal hairpins shone gracefully in her hair, reflecting against her dark hair, each one sparkling and full. From a distance, their smooth curves resembled a beautiful crystal butterfly resting among the black hair.
Ah Heng looked into the mirror and saw only Yan hope's hand, his knuckles slightly bent, flowing through his hair at a beautiful angle, all in one go, like every painting he made, infused with soul, and imbued with a new rhythm of life.
Then, his face, as white as snow, solidified into a warm glow, undisturbed and whole, standing quietly beside her.
She couldn't hold back; her eyes welled up with tears, and she felt a sense of resistance and indignation.
He combed her hair, presumably because he couldn't bear to see her so disheveled.
But what if he suddenly becomes so good to her, making her attached and addicted?
He exhaled, as if he had completed a work of art, satisfied yet scrutinizing.
The boy smiled—"Aheng, you must stay by my side obediently today, and don't let anyone kidnap you."
Ah Heng was surprised, but he took out a square box tied with a ribbon from somewhere and smiled—"Open it and take a look."
Ah Heng untied the ribbon and frowned slightly—"Yan hope, you know I'm not used to Cinderella-like scenes."
It was a white long dress studded with rhinestones, its brilliance understated yet captivating.
Yan hope parted her lips slightly, her voice languid—"I'm not used to being a fairy godmother. At most, I'm just Cinderella's stepmother, running around for my daughter."
Aheng squinted at him, but Yanxi glanced at the wall clock—"One hour left, 11:35."
He told Ah Heng to change his clothes, but then he went downstairs with a thud.
The long dress fit perfectly, swaying to her ankles, and from afar, it exuded a noble and untouchable air.
Ah Heng smiled slightly. The landscape remained clear and bright, except for a piece of Lantian jade, which served as the background for this landscape painting.
She went downstairs but didn't see Yan hope. Just then, the phone rang. It was Si Wan, asking when they were leaving.
Ah Heng opened her mouth, and a slender, fair hand snatched the phone from her side, placed it to her ear, and said in a calm voice, "You guys go first, Ah Heng and I will take a taxi later. Um, there's something else important to do."
Then, he hung up the phone.
Ah Heng looked up and asked him, "What's the important matter?"
The boy scrutinized her, but didn't answer. He patted Aheng's head, his eyes sparkling—"I knew this dress would suit you. You really are my daughter. Not bad, not bad."
Ah Heng blushed slightly, coughed lightly, and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "When are we leaving?"
Yan hope brought out a bowl of food from the kitchen and smiled, "Eat this first, then we'll leave."
It's a bowl of noodles. It has a poached egg, dark brown pork ribs, and long, glistening, round noodles.
Ah Heng—"You did this?"
Yan hope shook his head, his bright black eyes darting around—"No. I just went out to buy it. You know, I never cook, how could I possibly make such a beautiful and exquisite-looking noodle dish that everyone loves?"
He praised the noodles, spitting as he spoke.
Ah Heng chuckled, glancing at Yan hope's hand where there were still lingering red marks. She understood a bit better, and took a bite of noodles with a smile, but her lips twitched.
"As expected... top-quality."
This is indeed a rare treat that ordinary people cannot enjoy.
Yan hope's eyes were watery, eagerly anticipating Xiao Bai's expression—"Is it delicious?"
Ah Heng smiled – “It’s more delicious than you and I can imagine.”
Yan hope coughed, for some reason, this didn't sound like a nice thing to say—"Let me try it."
Ah Heng shook her head, leaving no room for negotiation—"No, these are my noodles."
Then, buried in the misty fog, he was drenched in sweat and wept silently.
Yanxi, this noodle soup is really spicy! How much chili did you put in? Look, look, my eyes are watering.
I cautiously raised my eyes and looked at the clock; it was just 11:35.
At that moment, he smiled gently as he watched her eat noodles, as if it were the greatest happiness in the world.