Shu Nian remained silent, staring at Wang Lin Xi. Seeing his serious expression, eyes shining brightly, seemingly not joking, she didn’t know how to respond to his words.
Wang Lin Xi pressed: “Will it work?”
Shu Nian felt too embarrassed to make this request to Xie Ru He, but also didn’t want to disappoint Wang Lin Xi, so she could only hint tactfully: “It wouldn’t help anyway, it would come off when you shower.”
“I have a permanent marker.” Wang Lin Xi got up, pulled a marker from the pen holder, “And when I shower, I just need to avoid rubbing it, then it won’t come off.”
“…”
After speaking, Wang Lin Xi sat back down on the floor, excitedly counting the albums, shamelessly saying: “Sis, I have twelve albums here, can your boyfriend sign each one for me?”
Shu Nian pressed her lips together and said with difficulty: “I’ll ask him later.”
“Sis.” Wang Lin Xi thought for a moment, suddenly remembering something, “Since you brought your boyfriend home, does that mean you’re planning to get married?”
Hearing this, Shu Nian’s face warmed: “Not yet.”
Wang Lin Xi tilted his head and asked: “But will you get married?”
Shu Nian was stunned, her mouth opening and closing, unable to give a definite answer. Before she could speak, she suddenly noticed the album Wang Lin Xi was holding against his chest. It was currently at the top position.
It was Xie Ru He’s first album, “Wu Nian” [My Thoughts].
The style was somewhat depressing, with an overall dark-toned cover. A young girl stood in the center, wearing a white dress and white shoes, holding a bouquet, her face blurred. Around her flew dozens of black and white cranes, entwining her like vines.
Like evil breeding in darkness.
Shu Nian’s gaze paused, and she instinctively picked it up to look.
Wang Lin Xi followed her gaze and action, explaining with a grin: “This is A He’s first album, a friend gave it to me! A birthday gift! You can’t buy it anymore.”
Shu Nian stroked the crane flock on the cover with her fingertips, murmuring: “Wu Nian…”
Wu Nian.
When she first saw this name, she thought it meant “that which I think of.” But now seeing it again, her perspective was different.
She felt it probably had a very literal meaning, a very straightforward meaning.
Wang Lin Xi asked curiously: “What’s wrong?”
Shu Nian returned the album to him, saying as if in a trance: “If nothing unexpected happens, we probably will.”
“Huh? What?”
Shu Nian came back to herself, reaching out to pat Wang Lin Xi’s head without speaking. Then, she lowered her eyes to look at her phone, feeling like she’d been in the room for too long.
And suddenly, she wanted to see Xie Ru He.
Shu Nian stood up, just about to leave.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door three times. The next instant, the door was pushed open, and Wang Hao poked his head in, asking kindly: “What are you two siblings chatting about?”
Wang Lin Xi looked up at the sound, puzzled: “You have to know what children are talking about too?”
Wang Hao walked in, directing Wang Lin Xi: “Go buy me a pack of cigarettes.”
“Ah! Smoking again!” Wang Lin Xi wailed, “I don’t want to go out…”
Wang Hao added: “I’ll give you fifty yuan.”
Wang Lin Xi immediately scrambled up: “Got it!”
“Sis,” Wang Lin Xi turned back, “Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”
Shu Nian also stood up: “I’ll go with you.”
Wang Hao rubbed his nose, looking honest and approachable, seeming somewhat guilty and uncomfortable: “Nian Nian, just let him go, Uncle has a few words he wants to say to you.”
Shu Nian stopped her movement, obediently sitting back down, her manner nervous: “Okay.”
Wang Hao sat on Wang Lin Xi’s bed, then took a red envelope from his pocket: “I heard from your mom earlier, you overheard Uncle arguing with your mom.”
“…”
“I’m the kind of person who speaks without thinking,” Wang Hao said. “It wasn’t intentional. At that time, our family’s financial situation wasn’t good, I was under a lot of pressure, and I was always arguing with my mom. Now when I try to remember, I can’t even recall what I said back then, I never meant to hurt you. That was Uncle’s fault, Uncle wants to apologize to you, I’m sorry.”
Shu Nian didn’t know how to react, saying softly: “It’s okay…”
Wang Hao pushed the red envelope into her hand: “You were hurt by it.”
Shu Nian didn’t know whether to accept it or not: “I understand, you don’t need to give me this…”
“Just take it,” Wang Hao wasn’t used to doing this kind of thing, awkwardly standing up, “Consider it pocket money from Uncle, take it, it’s not much.”
After several seconds of reluctance.
Shu Nian finally accepted it: “Thank you, Uncle.”
Wang Hao breathed a sigh of relief: “Let’s go out then, we’ve been in the room too long. Your mom was just saying it’s been a long time since she’s seen you, and she wants to talk with you too.”
Shu Nian clutched the red envelope, lowering her head to put it in her pocket: “Okay.”
Returning to the living room, Shu Nian sat back down beside Xie Ru He. She looked up, noticing a faint redness around Deng Qing Yu’s eyes, but she seemed to be in a good mood as if a stone weighing on her heart had finally been lifted.
She didn’t know what they had been talking about.
Feeling thirsty, Shu Nian picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip of water.