By the time he returned from Harbin, Beijing’s temperature had dropped again.
She had left an hour early yet ended up two hours late. When it ultimately came down to it, there was only a single reason. Classmate Jia He appeared in yet another car scraping accident. When they neared the parking garage, Yi Wenze happened to be accepting an interview. A-Qing saw the car drive over and helped her back into a parking spot. Pulling her arm, she said, “Wait a bit. Media is still in the car.”
Jia He guiltily nodded. “How come they’re interviewing in the parking garage?”
“It was originally scheduled an hour later near China World Trade Center,” A-Qing winked at her. “But he has a TV channel interview show to record soon. So no time anymore. That reporter directly drove to airport instead.”
Jia He felt even more guilty. She checked the time and asked, “Can he still make it on time?”
A-Qing looked too. “About to head out. I’ll go rush them a bit.” After speaking, she promptly boarded the car. Not much later, two people disembarked. Jia He was just about to board when someone uncertainly called to her. Turning back, it was actually the reporter who had just exited the car – her high school classmate.
The woman put away her recorder as she walked over, “Here to pick up someone?” Jia He wanted to shake her head but then thought, if she wasn’t here to fetch anyone, what other reason was there to be in the airport parking garage? So she nodded, “Yeah. What about you?”
The woman briskly strode two steps closer, pulling Jia He’s arm. “Interviewing Yi Wenze!”
Jia He oh-ed. The woman pointed to the person behind her and said, “My coworker. Oh right, where are you mixing these days?” [where are you working]
“Working as a screenwriter.” Jia He’s eyes darted to the scraped area on the car then back at that vehicle. A-Qing had just gotten out earlier and saw the situation here before turning to say something to the inside again.
“Screenwriter?” The person before her laughed. “Best case your shows become wildly popular. Then I can feature you someday.”
Jia He grinned, “Sounds good! Remember to hype me as the next rising master of literature and art!” The woman before her patted Jia He’s shoulder with a laugh. “Alright alright. That’s not the trend anymore these days. Best to write you were already a young socialite since your early teens. Always mixing out and about. Then you returned from globe-trotting overseas. Met your destiny out of coincidence and got guidance from famed directors.”
Jia He awkwardly looked at her and recalled Yi Wenze’s upcoming show. She hurriedly pulled the woman into a shoulder hug to interrupt. “Enough joking around. If there’s chance in the future, I’ll take you out for a meal. I’m in hurry to fetch someone.” After speaking, she locked the car and directly headed toward the elevators.
Only after seeing them drive off did she finally exhale in relief. She traced her steps back.
A-Qing stood behind the car rear signaling nonstop with her eyes. But her face was already twisted frozen and Jia He still didn’t see. Not until turning from the back did she see Yi Wenze was currently bent over examining the car…
Oh no!
She made an avoiding gesture to A-Qing and walked over. Hugging him from behind around the waist, she nestled her face against his back flatteringly. “Welcome home, darling.” Ugh, so embarrassing. But if not now to use feminine charms, then when else?
Unable to see his expression, he took her car keys. Successfully getting lugged into the car.
Only after inserting the keys did he placidly glance at her. “How many years have you been learning to drive?”
“Started in college,” Jia He calculated. “A long time already.”
“Don’t drive anymore from now on,” he checked the time and said very calmly, “If you need to head out, I’ll drive and send you. If I’m not in Beijing then take cabs. Call a chauffeur if you still feel it’s too inconvenient.”
The corners of Jia He’s lips sagged bit by bit. What did it mean to have a single line decide life and death? This!
Who knew, right when she was racking her brains for how to regain some ground, Yi Wenze had already leaned over. Palm covering the back of her neck, he very easily shortened the distance and gave an extremely passionate kiss. Because they had been outside earlier, both their lips were icy cold. But the kiss was searing hot.
The AC noises were somewhat noisy. She was left somewhat unprepared by his actions and could only reactively cater to it. By the time he let go, she mumbled, ‘Aren’t you afraid people will see?’ Before she even finished speaking, she felt him thoroughly lean in again, bending over from the front this time to seal her lips once more. Perfectly blocking the glare of car lights sweeping past. In the end, he finally helped buckle her seat belt for her. “Hand over your driver’s license.”
…What were feminine charms good for?! This!
Jia He successfully handed over the driver’s license she finally managed to test for after much difficulties. Seeing Yi Wenze casually stuff it into his pocket, she still felt somewhat mournful inside. Yi Wenze versus driving a car, only one could remain. Oh well, oh well.
Not until the car exited the garage did the corners of his lips finally slowly quirk up as he faintly smiled.
Because of her mistake, there really was no time to return home anymore. She could only follow Yi Wenze to the TV station building. Although he said to just wait in the car, A-Qing mentioned this interview show would take very long. So she ended up getting dragged upstairs instead. A female host was currently still in the dressing room. Seeing Yi Wenze, she promptly walked over to grasp his hand. “Master Yi, hasn’t seen you for two, three years already!”
Yi Wenze lightly clasped her hand back with a smile. “Sorry. Hit some traffic jams on the way.”
The female host smiled and ushered him further into dressing room. “This latest single of yours is amazing! Just a few days but all the girls here already changed it to be their ringtones. Cantonese version, Mandarin version… I’m about to go crazy. No matter whose phone rings, it’s this song playing!”
She really lived up to being an eloquent host. Even when facing someone as taciturn as Yi Wenze, she still chorused a couple lines. By the time Yi Wenze sat down, Jia He stood by his side watching the makeup artist gesture to tidy up his hairstyle. She had only seen the end product of Yi Wenze’s makeover previously. Never witnessed the process before. She had assumed it would be more interesting but discovered there really wasn’t anything worth watching in the end.
The female host was still facing the mirror to adjust. He was already sitting drinking water waiting.
What did it mean by ‘a natural beauty is hard to obscure’? This!
Returning home at night, Jia He personally cooked noodles for him to eat.
Propping her chin, she watched him eat noodles. Putting utmost effort to use the gentlest voice to ask, “Taste good?” Yi Wenze unhurriedly pulled her over to sit beside him. He held some noodles up to the corners of her lips.
Very thick sauce. She moved in closer to take a bite. Just as she lifted her head wanting to speak, Yi Wenze had already casually asked, “Tastes good?”
Jia He mmed. Successfully tossing the thought of wanting to drive to the back of her mind.
By the time he went to shower, Jia He finally booted her laptop and put on headphones to process work emails. So late into the night yet she received over a dozen emails. Going through them one by one, she felt ready to go crazy by the end. Many manuscripts from two, three years ago that were already shelved. Constantly had filming pushed back without ever starting. And now with Yong’an’s viewership climbing, they were all starting to loop back for revisions in preparation to begin filming.
She was the original writer for all of them. So she had to see it through to the end. But there were so, so many manuscripts!
Just when Jia He was eyeing it all covetously, her phone suddenly rang. A call from mother so late at night! It gave her a huge fright. She hurriedly picked up to listen. Over there, her mom was hysterically shrieking away, “Our daughter is done for! Your dad has lost his mind! He’s only calling your name over and over!”
“Ah?” Jia He clutched her chest. “Don’t panic! Can he still walk? Still move? Did you call emergency services?”
“I called them already!” Her mother nonstop chattered over there. “Old man, don’t panic! If there’s anything we can slowly discuss it! Don’t panic!”
Merely listening made Jia He’s heart thump intensely out of fright. “Get on the ambulance first when it comes! Then send me name of hospital! I’ll immediately drive back!” After hanging up, Yi Wenze happened to have just finished his shower too. Seeing her changes of clothes as she anxiously wanted to put them on, seeming to urgently rush out somewhere, he promptly lugged her back. “Wait for me to change clothes. We’ll go together.”
Jia He’s brain was chaotic mess. His words made her even more alarmed. “Why are you going too?”
Yi Wenze swiftly took out a shirt. While buttoning it, he told her to grab his wallet and car keys. Jia He got ordered around by him until she turned dizzy. Not until sitting in the car did she call mother again only for it to unexpectedly not be mother picking up but Muzi instead. “Older sis, I have mom’s phone! The 120 emergency services came. I’ll send you address in text!” After speaking, she promptly ended the call.
Jia He’s headache from her intense heartbeat. She blankly looked at Yi Wenze as he started the car ignition. Feeling her gaze, he promptly pulled her into an embrace. “It’ll be fine.”
After speaking, he pecked her forehead.
The AC had just started. The chilled air inside the car was somewhat frightening. But just this one action from him instantly made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Her hands that were ice cold just a moment ago already regained some sensation.
Her phone vibrated. It was Muzi’s text.
She subconsciously read the hospital name aloud but then suddenly hesitated. “I’ll drive my own car over ba?”
She still felt it wasn’t suitable for him to show up at public places like this.
Yi Wenze merely chuckled. “Even if the timing of our meeting isn’t great, I still have the boyfriend rights that can’t be deprived. Right?” Jia He mmed. It seemed only because of his words that her heart finally found some solid grounding.
By the time they arrived at hospital, it was already late night. Yet the lobby was still filled to the brim, heavy smell of disinfectant in the air.
Jia He also couldn’t care about anything else. She called to ask which floor while rushing toward the ER following Muzi’s directions, footsteps wide and swift. Yi Wenze followed alongside her every step of the way. All around them, people continuously stopped and turned back to watch dazedly. Practically everyone was wide-eyed dumbstruck, unable to believe it.
Not until outside the ER doors did she finally halt her steps. Turning back to look at Yi Wenze.
Yi Wenze didn’t speak. He lightly gripped her hand and helped push the doors open for her.
The ward inside was filled to the brim with people. Yet they all instantly quieted the moment the two entered.
Jia He scanned the surroundings. She immediately caught sight of one hospital bed surrounded three layers deep inside and out with uncles, aunties, and various elders. She had just wanted to walk over when she heard a shriek that nearly made her crash butt-first onto the ground.
Muzi sprinted over to twist and pull Jia He’s arm. “Why did my brother-in-law come?!” Still gasping for air, Jia He asked her about father’s situation. Before she even finished speaking, everyone around bed all turned to look back. Expressions were like glutinous rice cakes stuffed down their throats yet coincidentally couldn’t find water.
Even Muzi got scared stiff from their stares. Stuttering, she said, “N-Nothing much… Just, just low blood sugar…”
“Low blood sugar?!” Jia He felt like blood was rushing to her head. “Didn’t Dad have hyperglycemia?!” [opposite conditions]
Mother didn’t know when she returned either. She was actually standing behind Yi Wenze supplementing explanation. “You scared me to death, daughter! Nothing’s wrong, don’t panic! They did a CT scan too. His brain perfectly fine. Doctor said your dad simply took too much medication to lower blood sugar.”
Only then did Jia He finally hazily feel relief. She turned back to glance at Yi Wenze, still not knowing what to say. She saw her mother walk inside. She had probably guessed the man with his back facing them to be the secret Yi Wenze stashed away by her daughter. Pulling herself upright, she solemnly sized him up once over.
Then successfully turned speechless.
Yi Wenze very formally nodded. “Auntie, hello. I’m Yi Wenze.”
Jia He’s mother blanked for a full five seconds before clearing her throat. Patting his arm, she said, “Little Yi! Can’t believe you got a shock. Dear me, such an awkward first meeting!” After speaking she even laughed twice.
Exceedingly magnanimous and graceful bearings.
The surrounding aunties and uncles promptly reacted by laughing too. Only then did they make way from the bedside. “Hurry and take a look at your dad. He’s much more spirited after getting IV drips!” They moved aside from the bed but father clearly had just been roused awake. He was currently getting propped up against head of bed by Second Aunt. Still muddled and dizzy.
Jia He suddenly felt like she got caught red-handed committing an affair. Not daring to shuffle her feet at all.
In the end, it turned out to be Yi Wenze taking the first stride forward. Only then did she dare to hurry after butt-first. [embarrassed] Yi Wenze arrived at bedside and slightly bent down. “Uncle, how are you feeling now?” After speaking, he even very naturally helped stuff pillows behind father’s back.
Her fuzzy-headed father blearily looked up at him without making a peep. Instead, her mother strode up and twisted father’s arm. “Someone’s talking to you!”
“Oh,” her father finally got woken up from the twist. “Not bad at all. Very spirited,” he even stretched his arms, “don’t worry. Still hale and healthy!” Right after, he still couldn’t resist turning to ask mother in a lowered voice, “The resemblance is too uncanny, isn’t it?”
Just one line nearly moved her to the point of tears streaming down her face. Just what was going on here?!
If he truly resembled someone, how could it possibly end up like this…
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