YV | Chapter 22

Dà Yǎn imagined a lot, and in the end summed it up, oh, so that’s what this was about.

Actually, she still did not fully understand what was going on, in any case Sheng Xiaoyang had suddenly gotten to know Zhang Xu, and that was pretty good.

Dà Yǎn created an opportunity for Sheng Xiaoyang, and did not drag him along. She lowered her head and fiddled with the hospital gown, saying softly, “I’m going.” Her heart still had no anchor.

Su Miaomiao pinched Dà Yǎn’s face, “It’s okay, I’ll go with you.”

Dà Yǎn felt wronged, sniffed, held back tears, and nodded, thinking, she smells so nice.

It was easier for girls to communicate with each other, Sheng Xiaoyang did not go forward to disturb them, he was still a little hungry and wanted to eat buns, staring at them, but embarrassed to take any more.

Zhang Xu picked one and handed it to Sheng Xiaoyang.

Su Miaomiao saw it, and lowered her voice to mutter to Dà Yǎn, “My brother feeding braised pork is just like this.”

Dà Yǎn: “……”

They really did seem pretty compatible.

That was what Dà Yǎn thought, and she began worrying whether Zhang Xu’s orientation was in line with Sheng Xiaoyang’s. Otherwise, for Sheng Xiaoyang, it would not just be a matter of unrequited love.

The road is blocked and long.

But Sheng Xiaoyang did not think about this, he would not do anything with Zhang Xu. No matter how blocked the road was, he could just go around it.

Sheng Xiaoyang bent two fingers to show thanks.

Zhang Xu smiled and said no need.

Su Miaomiao looked at Sheng Xiaoyang, then at Zhang Xu, thoughtful.

Later Su Miaomiao left first, Zhang Xu was still there.

Dà Yǎn did not have much appetite, and did not eat much. Sheng Xiaoyang asked her what was wrong, she said she was not hungry, they could talk about it at noon.

-Then I’ll bring you a meal at noon.

Zhang Xu silently stepped aside and watched them chat.

Dà Yǎn asked, “Are you leaving now? Where to?”

-Tao Ye introduced me to a job, I’m going to have a look.

“Where is it?”

-Seafood market.

Dà Yǎn nodded, oh, oh.

Sheng Xiaoyang asked again, what did she want to eat at noon?

Dà Yǎn was not picky, whatever Sheng Xiaoyang ate she could eat too. Then she pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and said with deep feeling, “Xiaoyang, treat yourself a little better when you’re outside, now that you have money, spend as much as you want!”

She was terribly lavish.

Zhang Xu was speechless, and pulled Sheng Xiaoyang away.

Sheng Xiaoyang said goodbye to Zhang Xu at the hospital entrance. When he waved, Zhang Xu saw the black hair tie on his wrist.

Sheng Xiaoyang did not follow Zhang Xu’s gaze, he understood the truth of knowing when to stop, a crush should look like a crush, greed was not good.

The bus came, Sheng Xiaoyang turned and ran after it, the hair tie bouncing up and down on his wrist, seeming afraid it would fall off, he touched it.

There will be a chance to meet again, Sheng Xiaoyang thought happily. These days spent together were an unexpected delight, he unexpectedly glimpsed the true appearance of moonlight, and could savor it for a long time.

Zhang Xu watched Sheng Xiaoyang disappear into the busy street, his brows and eyes calm, his heart also quiet. With probing like this, he still did not know Sheng Xiaoyang’s purpose. What did the withered flower in the wooden box from “Yi Jian Liu Shui” really represent?

Everything seemed to have become a mystery. Sheng Xiaoyang made Zhang Xu feel purely inferior.

Two weeks later Dà Yǎn was finally released, Sheng Xiaoyang did not go to work and came early. He packed up Dà Yǎn’s things for her, and asked, “You’re going to the welfare home today?”

“Mm.” During this time Su Miaomiao often came by, telling Dà Yǎn about the welfare home, and now she was a little looking forward to it, “Sister Miaomiao will come later to pick me up and take me there.”

Sheng Xiaoyang said with a smile, that’s good.

Dà Yǎn sensed something was off, “What’s good? Aren’t you doing well?”

Sheng Xiaoyang was baffled, and asked: What’s wrong with you? Why such a big reaction.

Dà Yǎn got anxious and almost bounced on both legs, but was shouted at by a passing nurse, Sheng Xiaoyang obediently bowed and apologized, then pressed Dà Yǎn back onto the bed.

“You’re not going with Zhang Xu?”

Sheng Xiaoyang shook his head: We haven’t seen each other for a long time.

“So what did he mean when he said that day?” Dà Yǎn asked, “I’m going to the welfare home, he won’t let you go, then where will you live? Go back to the basement?”

Sheng Xiaoyang was calm, anywhere was fine.

But the basement definitely would not do anymore, the property office guarded against Sheng Xiaoyang like they were guarding against a thief, even if he wanted to go back once to pack his things, it was very difficult.

“Really unreliable,” Dà Yǎn said with hatred for his failure, “You’re coming to the welfare home with me!”

-Let’s talk about it later.

Sheng Xiaoyang was sleepy, he had not slept well recently, he got up at dawn to go to the seafood market to move goods, his whole body reeked of fishiness, right now he wanted to take a shower more.

-Do I smell?

Dà Yǎn leaned in to sniff, nodded, and said he did smell.

Just then Su Miaomiao came and called Zhou Sike. Dà Yǎn did not have a strong reaction to her own real name, until Su Miaomiao came up in front of her did she register it.

She patted her chest and said, “You scared me.”

Sheng Xiaoyang stepped back two paces, politely greeting Su Miaomiao.

-Hello.

Su Miaomiao asked, “Why are you standing so far away?”

Sheng Xiaoyang felt embarrassed, wrote two words, and held them up for Su Miaomiao to see.

-I smell.

“It is a little.” Su Miaomiao laughed, and said, “My brother came too.”

Sheng Xiaoyang’s brain went through a three-second buffering period, only just having a sudden realization of who her brother was, when Zhang Xu came in carrying fruit.

The big words “I smell” were instantly hidden behind Sheng Xiaoyang’s back.

A spring breeze brushed past his face, and the sweet dream attacked again.

Sheng Xiaoyang could hardly control his racing heartbeat, he tugged at his clothes, let out a light breath, and adjusted himself.

So-called friends who were half-familiar and half-strange, not seeing each other for many days, it was inevitable to feel awkward, but Zhang Xu did not. He was so natural, walking toward Sheng Xiaoyang, smiling gently, nodding as he said good morning.

Sheng Xiaoyang did not respond, he could not hear, and he did not look directly at Zhang Xu. He put himself in the position of a stranger with perfect measure.

Not seeing each other for half a month, and back to square one.

Zhang Xu remembered before when he went on business trips, about half a month too, when he came home, braised pork ignored him, and he had to feed him back over three days and ten meals.

Dà Yǎn stole glances at Sheng Xiaoyang, covering her mouth and laughing.

Su Miaomiao was straightforward, some things she did not want to discover, so she could not be bothered to ponder the details. She draped an arm over Zhang Xu’s shoulder and said with a smile, “His car is big, it can fit a lot of things, today I specially had him come over to be the driver.”

Dà Yǎn actually did not have much stuff, besides the two washbasins she had bought after being hospitalized, there was only old, worn-out clothing left.

The welfare home was in the suburbs, from the hospital it took an hour to get there if there was no traffic.

Dà Yǎn’s mood was complicated, happy for a while, then melancholic again, she wanted to say a few words to Sheng Xiaoyang. But Sheng Xiaoyang was arranged clearly by Zhang Xu, and was firmly seated in the front passenger seat. Dà Yǎn had difficulty moving, and could not get close.

This city’s welfare home was composed of multiple structures, orphans and abandoned infants, the three-no elderly, sick and disabled vulnerable groups, and so on. Dà Yǎn currently belonged to the vulnerable group category, and lived in the convalescent building. Su Miaomiao said that after her legs healed, she could work at the welfare home, receive a monthly salary, and have performance pay. Of course, it would ultimately depend on her own wishes.

Dà Yǎn had to think about it, she felt she could not adapt to a normal social environment, and was afraid she would mess it up. So Dà Yǎn’s heart was up and down, she wanted to talk to Sheng Xiaoyang, but never found the chance.

Entering and leaving the convalescent building required registration, Sheng Xiaoyang did not have an ID card, and could not go in, so he only sent her to the entrance.

Dà Yǎn refused to leave, as if she had to face the wind and rain alone, she was afraid, and reluctant.

-In two days I’ll come see you.

Dà Yǎn was brooding, and said nothing.

Sheng Xiaoyang saw it, and asked: What’s wrong?

Dà Yǎn frowned, stammering, “My necklace is still in the underground parking garage...”

Sheng Xiaoyang told Dà Yǎn not to worry, and said: I’ll go get it.

There was still a lot of wood that Sheng Xiaoyang had hidden in the underground parking garage. Since he could not live there anymore, he had to take everything out.

Everyone else was gone, and only Sheng Xiaoyang and Zhang Xu were left. Sheng Xiaoyang’s mindset and emotions had not yet adjusted back, they were rising and falling, and he did not really dare to get too close to Zhang Xu.

He did not expect Zhang Xu to strike first.

“Xiaoyang.”

Sheng Xiaoyang lowered his head and walked, like a disappointed ostrich.

“……” Could he declare victory unilaterally from now on whenever they fought? Zhang Xu thought.

Fortunately, Zhang Xu was patient enough, with an ingenious touch, he poked Sheng Xiaoyang back to his senses with one finger.

Sheng Xiaoyang looked up.

Zhang Xu raised his eyebrows, very matter-of-factly, “When we’re talking, you have to look at me, don’t let your eyes run off.”

-??

“You’ve treated me like air all morning,” Zhang Xu said, “I’m such a big person waving around in front of you and you can’t see me?”

Sheng Xiaoyang was completely stunned, feeling that Zhang Xu seemed to be angry.

Looking at Sheng Xiaoyang’s wide eyes, Zhang Xu burst out laughing.

Sheng Xiaoyang’s thoughts were sometimes shrouded in clouds, now they were blooming in brilliant sun. Although he could not figure out Zhang Xu’s thoughts, and would feel frustrated, his brows slowly furrowed. But it did not matter, Sheng Xiaoyang could keep moving forward, he had plenty of time, enough to fully understand Zhang Xu through trial and error. This process was very rewarding.

Zhang Xu wanted to touch his head, to coax him the way one coaxed a little animal, but Sheng Xiaoyang was not a little animal.

“Don’t be sad,” he said, “There’s a direct subway from Jiangping Road to here, it’s convenient, you can come often.”

Sheng Xiaoyang nodded. There was moisture in the sea at the bottom of his eyes.

Zhang Xu asked gently, “Where do you want to go? I’ll take you.”

【📢Author’s note】
Zhang Xu is full of bad water, hehe