After Wu Tong left, neither of them spoke. Feng Ning quietly stared at the person in front of her, unsure what he was thinking.
She walked forward against the cold wind.
Jiang Wen unhurriedly followed behind.
Feeling something soft bump against her foot, Feng Ning looked down.
The little yellow dog barked twice, looking at her with wet eyes.
Her heart instantly softened.
Crouching down, Feng Ning picked it up again. This time the little yellow dog didn’t struggle, probably recognizing her.
Feng Ning suddenly remembered something important and turned to ask, “Did you take the dog for a check-up?”
Jiang Wen made a sound of agreement.
“What about vaccines?”
“Done.”
Feng Ning decided to forgive his childish behavior earlier. She thanked him, “Alright, thank you.”
“No need to thank me,” Jiang Wen said flatly. “I helped you find the dog, you owe me a favor.”
Feng Ning’s brows furrowed slightly.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow, “What, trying to get out of it?”
Feng Ning: “What do you want?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when I think of something.”
After hesitating for a moment, Feng Ning agreed: “Fine.”
Jiang Wen smiled with satisfaction.
Feng Ning adjusted the small dog in her arms, finding a comfortable position for it, “Then I’ll take the dog upstairs.”
“I’m coming too.”
Feng Ning stopped moving.
“I found the dog, I need to properly hand it over.”
She said: “You’d better know when to stop.”
Jiang Wen: “I’ll leave after helping give it a bath.”
Feng Ning fell silent.
When Jiang Wen was being stubborn, she really had no way to deal with him.
After a brief standoff, for the sake of the little yellow dog, Feng Ning compromised.
The two took the elevator upstairs. When they reached her home, she went inside.
Taking a quick look around, though she had cleaned last night, the place was a bit messy but nothing major.
She used the remote to turn on the air conditioning, went to her bedroom to change into a sweater, and came out to see Jiang Wen still standing at the doorway.
While rolling up her sleeves, Feng Ning asked puzzledly, “Come in, what are you doing standing there? Are you trying to be a door god?”
Jiang Wen lifted his eyelids slightly, “You didn’t give me slippers, how can I go in?”
“…….”
Feng Ning stared at him for a long while without speaking.
She looked around, “I don’t have any slippers that would fit you, and I’m out of shoe covers. Just wear your shoes in.”
Jiang Wen frowned, expressing his unwillingness, “It will dirty the floor.”
Rather well-mannered.
Feng Ning suggested: “Then just wear your socks? I mopped the floor yesterday.”
“I won’t,” Jiang Wen righteously refused, “That wouldn’t be proper.”
“……”
Never having met anyone more difficult than Jiang Wen, Feng Ning grew a bit impatient and casually pointed at the door: “Then leave.”
Jiang Wen silently looked at her.
The little yellow dog, not understanding what the two were doing, crouched at Feng Ning’s feet for a while before going to bite Jiang Wen’s pant leg.
She walked towards the bathroom.
Jiang Wen turned around, grabbed the doorknob and turned it, saying: “Then I’m leaving.”
Feng Ning was a bit surprised and looked back.
The door was slammed shut with a bang.
She peeked out to look – the entryway was empty, Jiang Wen had really left.
This person’s temperament was… quite unpredictable.
Feng Ning spaced out for a few seconds. She couldn’t tell if she felt relieved or something else.
She went to the balcony and looked down for a while but didn’t see anything.
Feng Ning went to the bathroom to run water, feeling it slowly change from cold to hot, just as she was about to bring the dog in.
The doorbell rang. Feng Ning wiped her hands and walked to the door, “Who is it?”
A familiar voice came through: “Who else would it be besides me.”
Feng Ning opened the door and looked at the person who had left and returned, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you leave?”
Jiang Wen: “Am I not allowed to come back?”
Feng Ning: “……”
She immediately noticed what he was holding and realized: “You specifically went to buy slippers?”
Jiang Wen tossed the temporary slippers he bought onto the ground and made a sound of agreement.
Feng Ning was completely speechless.
Young Master Jiang finally got his wish and changed into slippers. Like a leader conducting an inspection, he looked around the living room.
The two entered the bathroom, and Feng Ning found a basin. Jiang Wen rolled up his sleeves, half-crouching half-kneeling. His legs were long, making it a bit difficult to stretch out in the small space.
The little yellow dog was resistant to bathing, whimpering and struggling.
The two people and one dog were locked in a battle of wills. Feng Ning held its legs with one hand while using soap to create lather. The little dog was being stubborn, its other paw moving wildly, splashing water all over her face.
Feng Ning couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation, shaking her head and wiping her face with the back of her hand. Under the bright lights, her eyes sparkled with water droplets. When she happened to look up, Jiang Wen was looking back at her.
They both froze, feeling awkward.
Both of them stopped what they were doing and uncomfortably looked away.
It took half an hour to wash the dog clean. Feng Ning found a hair dryer and dried its fur. When finished, she wrapped the dog in a large bath towel.
As she stood up, she suddenly heard a gurgling sound.
Feng Ning paused.
They looked at each other, and she asked: “You haven’t eaten?”
Jiang Wen wasn’t embarrassed, his voice low with a hint of complaint, “No, I’ve been waiting for you this whole time.”
Maybe it was her imagination, but Feng Ning actually heard a note of grievance in his words.
Looking at the wall clock in the living room, she said: “Then go eat, we’re about done here.”
Jiang Wen: “Eat what?”
Feng Ning replied bewildered: “How would I know?”
He asked matter-of-factly: “I waited for you in the cold wind for hours with the dog, and you won’t even cook me a meal?”
Feng Ning was speechless.
She settled the dog and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. She had boiled some dumplings for breakfast before leaving in the morning, and the dishes were still soaking in the sink.
She cleaned up a bit.
Jiang Wen made a phone call outside and went to the bathroom.
“Feng Ning.”
Young Master Jiang started calling her again.
“What now?”
Feng Ning came out holding a spatula, but her voice stopped abruptly when she saw him.
Jiang Wen was shirtless, one hand propped against the doorframe: “Where did you put the hair dryer from earlier?”
Though Feng Ning had seen it all before, she pointed the spatula at him: “What are you doing?”
He looked down at himself, not feeling embarrassed at all: “My clothes are all wet, I can’t wear them anymore. What if I catch a cold?”
Seeing she wasn’t responding, Jiang Wen added, “You want me to suffer, don’t you?”
Feng Ning had never met such a delicate grown man, “Taking off your clothes in a single woman’s home is very dangerous behavior, you know?”
Jiang Wen: “?”
He said, “Then just control yourself and don’t have any thoughts about me.”
“……”
Something like thick skin is developed through practice – once you get past the initial hurdle, the rest becomes much easier. In her lifetime, Feng Ning actually found herself speechless by him.
She stared at Jiang Wen for a while, then pulled out her phone from her pocket.
“Why don’t you take off your pants too.”
Jiang Wen: “?”
Feng Ning gave a cold laugh, raised her phone, and click-click-click, took several photos of Jiang Wen up and down.
He startled, instinctively covering his chest. Jiang Wen tried to maintain composure: “What are you doing?”
“Weren’t you being quite bold?”
Feng Ning waved her phone back and forth, “Go ahead, strip everything off. I might as well take a full set and post your nude photos along with your contact info on adult websites. Then more people can appreciate you. How does that sound?”
Jiang Wen was dumbfounded.
“The hair dryer is on the living room coffee table.”
Throwing out these words, Feng Ning turned and went back to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Wen came out fully dressed, “You’re the most cold-hearted woman I’ve ever met.”
Feng Ning ignored him, bending down to take some frozen food from the refrigerator.
Jiang Wen said: “I don’t like eating that.”
Feng Ning looked up at him once, put the items back, “How about dumplings, will you eat those?”
“No.”
She secretly rolled her eyes, not in a good mood, “Then what would you like to eat?”
“Let’s have noodles.”
“I don’t have any noodles left.”
Jiang Wen directed her, “Use the Ele.me app to order some now, there’s supermarket delivery.”
He had many requirements for his noodles – they couldn’t be too soft or too hard.
Feng Ning patiently cooked for him.
Young Master Jiang leaned nearby, cheerfully directing, “Don’t put too much salt or vinegar, keep the ratio at 2:1. Also, I don’t like ginger or garlic…”
Finally, she lost patience and slowly said: “Say one more word?”
Jiang Wen fell silent.
After a while, he said quietly: “Why are you being so fierce?”
The water in the pot was boiling. Calculating the time, Feng Ning used chopsticks to fish out the noodles: “Your constant nagging is giving me a headache.”
“I helped you find your dog yesterday and almost got hit by a car. You get annoyed just because I said a few words? Is this how you show gratitude?”
He repeated his previous tactic of playing the victim. This time, Feng Ning was completely unmoved, “Honestly, when you take the moral high ground, I really have no way to argue with you. But sorry, I’m someone who’s been living in a moral valley since birth. Moral coercion doesn’t work on me. If you’re smart, you’ll leave now and do whatever you want. If you keep buzzing around my ears like a fly, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
Jiang Wen laughed in anger.
Feng Ning slowly added: “I don’t know if you remember, but I learned martial arts.”
Jiang Wen: “……”
…
…
Out of politeness, Feng Ning sat across from Jiang Wen to keep him company while he ate.
The freshly bathed little yellow dog lazily wandered around, walking and lying down. This moment felt somewhat peculiar. The living room TV was playing a variety show, the dining room lights cast a warm yellow glow, and outside fine night rain was falling.
Past memories slowly awakened from her mind. For a few seconds, an unfamiliar warmth, long absent, invaded Feng Ning’s heart.
Suddenly, Jiang Wen spoke up, “Do you want some too?”
Feng Ning came back to reality, “Huh?”
“Why are you staring at my chopsticks?”
Feng Ning casually said, “I’m tired.”
She yawned, “Are you done eating? If you’re done, then leave. I need to shower and sleep, I have work tomorrow.”
This time Jiang Wen didn’t make any fuss, silently finishing the remaining food in his bowl.
The rain outside hadn’t stopped. Feng Ning gave him an umbrella, “Send me a message when you get home.”
Jiang Wen changed his shoes at the entrance, nodding once.
After seeing him off, the door locked.
The little yellow dog swayed back and forth, curling up at her feet.
Leaning against the shoe cabinet, Feng Ning stared at the hanging lamp ahead, spacing out for a while. She might be having another episode.
Jiang Wen had been noisy all evening, annoying her to no end. Now that he was gone, the room finally returned to silence.
Though nothing was different from usual, Feng Ning felt it was a bit lonely.
The night was deep and quiet.
Maybe it was too quiet.
The next day was New Year’s Eve.
Tomorrow was New Year’s Day, and the company had given everyone the afternoon off.
Feng Ning was dragged out to eat by Min Yueyue.
This young lady had recently been sweetly involved with Bo Hongyi and hadn’t had time to bother Feng Ning. Today Bo Hongyi was on a business trip abroad and couldn’t return, so she finally remembered Feng Ning.
Min Yueyue was as talkative as ever, chattering endlessly about trivial matters, from bags to shoes. Suddenly she remembered something, “Oh right, there’s a New Year’s party later, come play with us. My brother and some of his friends will be there, including this half-American half-Chinese guy who’s tall and handsome. Want to meet him?”
Feng Ning: “Were you a matchmaker in your past life? Why are you always trying to introduce men to me? Am I that desperate?”
Min Yueyue pouted, looking at her expectantly, “You know I’m usually free and don’t have much to worry about, so I can only worry about you!”
She had a goldfish memory, and mentioning this suddenly reminded her of Jiang Wen. She asked hopefully: “Have you two made any progress?”
Feng Ning didn’t answer.
After finishing their meal, Min Yueyue dragged her to browse a nearby cosmetics store. While Min Yueyue was paying, she suddenly received a phone call.
Feng Ning heard a few words from the other end and frowned, “Where?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there. Where are you?”
She glanced at Min Yueyue, “Not today.”
His voice dropped a degree: “Not today?”
“I’m with my friend.”
“Then about that favor you owe me, let’s settle it today.”
After saying this, not giving her a chance to refuse, Jiang Wen hung up.
Her phone vibrated once.
-61nfiawj: Send me the address.
….
….
They stood at the bustling mall entrance.
Jiang Wen arrived quickly. His black short hair was slightly messy, and he wore a very proper single-breasted velvet coat that pinched at the waist, with a charcoal gray English suit underneath and spotlessly clean leather shoes.
As he walked over from afar, he caught the attention of nearby girls who turned to look. Min Yueyue exclaimed in admiration, “He’s so handsome!”
When he reached them, Min Yueyue refused to let go of Feng Ning’s hand, deliberately making things difficult for him: “What’s this about? Ningning said she would spend tonight with me.”
Jiang Wen stood there, first looking at Feng Ning before turning to Min Yueyue. He narrowed his slender eyes slightly and smiled, “Mind if I cut in?”
“……”
Completely defenseless against his smile, Min Yueyue surrendered on the spot, immediately handing Feng Ning over, “Alright, alright, she’s yours. I won’t disturb your private time together.”
…
After Min Yueyue left, only the two of them remained face to face, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Jiang Wen handed something to her.
Staring at the plane ticket, it took a full half minute before Feng Ning hesitantly asked, “What are you doing?”
He looked into her eyes, “I just want you to accompany me for one night.”
Feng Ning didn’t understand at first.
Taking the plane ticket, she turned it over and saw the destination name.
Then she understood.
Feng Ning must have been possessed.
She came to her senses while going through security, reflecting on how she had impulsively agreed to Jiang Wen’s request earlier.
When he looked at her like that for just a few moments, it seemed all her rationality disappeared.
Since their reunion, they had drawn closer, moved apart, tested each other, and tormented each other again. Though she knew they should probably stop here, though she had already made up her mind…
She prided herself on having iron-clad willpower, but when facing him, she repeatedly allowed herself to sink deeper.
Feng Ning felt somewhat angry.
— At herself.
On the hour and a half flight from Shanghai to Nancheng, she didn’t say a word.
Until the cabin announcement began playing: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am the captain of this flight. We will soon be landing at Nancheng Airport. Please stow your tray tables. The ground temperature is 2 degrees Celsius, with relative humidity…”
Feng Ning pushed up the window shade and looked at the brightly lit city. In the gentle night, the brilliant lights were like a golden river flowing through all of Nancheng.
As she watched, the resistance in her heart suddenly all disappeared.
Jiang Wen put away the magazine beside him.
The plane had begun taxiing.
About ten minutes later, the cabin door opened. They were in the front, and when they got off, the wind hit their faces.
The cold air completely enveloped them. Feng Ning shivered, stomping her feet in place and wrapping her coat tighter.
She didn’t ask Jiang Wen why he had booked two tickets back to Nancheng today.
She didn’t need to ask.
They both knew well what New Year’s Eve meant to them.
It was about a half hour drive from the airport to downtown.
Feng Ning watched the familiar scenery outside the window, took out some fruit candy from her pocket, gave one to Jiang Wen and ate one herself.
She turned her head, “Where are we going?”
Jiang Wen answered: “Don’t know.”
Another silent journey.
Compared to eight years ago, Nancheng hadn’t changed much. Some old buildings had been demolished and new ones erected, but it remained prosperous.
Songs played everywhere on the streets – some celebrating the new year, some love songs. Lin Junjie sang amidst all the festivity, “Laughing says love makes people crazy… Crying says love makes people nervous… Can’t forget that person so surrender…”
They walked for who knows how long.
“Feng Ning.”
She had been staring at a cute panda stone across the street and was slow to respond, “Hm?”
“Last time, we also walked this road.”
Such an abrupt statement, coming out of nowhere.
But almost instantly, Feng Ning understood what he was talking about.
Jiang Wen’s voice was very faint, very light: “That day after getting off, I followed you the whole way. When you stepped on a manhole cover, I stepped on it too.”
“Until the end, you never looked back.”
Feng Ning steadied her emotions and interrupted him, “Jiang Wen, all of that is in the past.”
“Yes, it’s long over.”
Feng Ning’s heart clenched and she stopped walking.
He lowered his dark eyes and repeated: “It should end.”
Looking at each other, Feng Ning said: “So… is this why you brought me back to Nancheng today?”
Jiang Wen’s gaze locked onto her.
Just when Feng Ning thought he was going to say something.
“Wait for me ten minutes.”
Feng Ning didn’t follow his meaning, “What?”
“Wait here for me for ten minutes.”
Saying only this, Jiang Wen turned and left.
…
…
After waiting in the cold wind for less than ten minutes, as her heart gradually steadied, he returned.
Feng Ning had her hands tucked in her sleeves for warmth as she watched Jiang Wen walk over step by step.
As he got closer, she noticed his face was a bit flushed.
Feng Ning smelled a familiar scent, “What did you just go do? Drinking?”
Jiang Wen tilted his head and confessed to her, “I just downed a bottle of Maotai.”
A small bottle of Maotai, he had practically finished it in one go. He drank too fiercely, too hastily.
From tongue to throat, it burned with spicy heat.
Feng Ning was stunned, half laughing and crying, somewhat helpless, “Are you stupid? Why did you drink?”
He said with a temper: “To get some courage.”
A brief silence.
Jiang Wen said in a hoarse voice: “Let me catch my breath…”
Feng Ning: “How much did you drink? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”
Jiang Wen shook his head.
She crouched on the ground with him for a while.
The alcohol slowly began to evaporate in his body, his brain starting to feel heavy. Jiang Wen felt a bit dizzy. He couldn’t tell if it was the past or present.
Feng Ning looked around, planning to go to the convenience store to buy him some water. Just as she was about to leave, someone grabbed her hand.
Feng Ning froze.
He held her hand, using it for support as he stood up.
When he was steady, Feng Ning tried to pull her hand back.
Jiang Wen didn’t let go.
Both their hands were sweaty, wetly intertwined.
“What are you doing?”
Feng Ning clearly felt that when Jiang Wen looked at her, there was a moment of hesitation.
Then, he pulled Feng Ning once, drawing her entirely into his embrace.
Feng Ning struggled, “Jiang Wen, don’t use alcohol as an excuse to act crazy.”
Jiang Wen, like a child throwing a tantrum, said fiercely, “Don’t move.”
After being fierce, he whimpered with grievance, “It hurts…”
When drunk, he had completely turned into a different person. She had never seen Jiang Wen look so vulnerable.
Feng Ning stopped talking, letting him hold her.
As if receiving some kind of permission.
The two maintained this embrace, frozen on the bustling street. Drawing quite a few curious glances from passersby.
..
…
After who knows how long, Jiang Wen suddenly said, “Feng Ning, I lied.”
Noise came from the roadside, she looked at a tree several meters away, not speaking, listening to him.
“When I said I remembered things from before, it didn’t mean I still cared.”
Jiang Wen said it again, “I lied.”
Jiang Wen was really drunk.
Feng Ning thought.
“The first few years abroad, I hated you. I tried to start a new life. I didn’t dare let myself stop, afraid I’d think of you again, think of the bus we rode together, the food you cooked, the cake, the gifts you gave me, the sticky notes. Any single thing, I didn’t dare remember. I was afraid I would regret it, regret bringing up breaking up with you.”
“You liked Nietzsche, I visited every bookstore in New Haven. Every time I thought of you, I hoped you were doing well, but also feared you were doing too well.”
His voice was low and secretive, with hints of ambiguity, shyness, and a sadness mixed with sweetness.
Feng Ning’s throat constricted.
“Before, I suffered because I couldn’t get a response from you. At that time, I learned for the first time that loving someone could be so desperate. For me, whether to give up on you or not, both were torment.”
At that time, she had only dipped her toes in, standing motionless on the shore.
But his love had already reached the bottom, sinking deep, unable to break free.
Jiang Wen’s voice carried heavy nasal tones. He tried to sound casual: “In the end, I thought I was being clever, I was a coward, so I chose to back away, I wanted to forget you.”
“Stop talking, Jiang Wen.”
Feng Ning’s body trembled slightly, her heart sharply contracting, afraid to hear more.
She was scared, but scared while secretly longing.
“It took me eight years to understand – so what if you didn’t like me as much as I liked you?”
In a place Feng Ning couldn’t see, emotions impossible to conceal surged in his eyes.
“After breaking up with you, I felt very relieved. But in every minute and second after that, I was never happy again.”
One sentence after another, Jiang Wen was drunk to his core, his breathing heavy and burning.
Feng Ning supported the weight of his body, almost unable to catch her breath.
Every word he said was like a knife, carving into her heart stroke by stroke.
Jiang Wen’s eyes were red as he leaned by her ear and softly said: “Feng Ning, I love you.”
Her heart stopped for a moment.
Finally, a trembling teardrop fell with a plop into the hollow of her neck, “Since I was sixteen, I’ve loved you. Always, always loved you.”
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