After Shen Lingge brought Wen Xian back to the room, first he brewed warm honey water to coax her into drinking it, then after holding her and feeding her a few mouthfuls of clear water, only then did he hold her and walk towards the bedside.
Wen Xian was placed onto the bed by Shen Lingge.
At this moment, the distance between the two was very close, Shen Lingge could almost smell the faint wine aroma and clear sweet fruit fragrance spreading from her lips.
Her hand was still clinging to the side of his shoulder.
Shen Lingge’s throat was slightly dry, he stared at her misty eyes, his voice hoarse as he said: “Xian Xian, I want to eat grapes.”
Wen Xian was blank, she seemed not to understand what he was saying, concentrated for quite a while before tilting her head and repeating his words: “Want to eat grapes?”
She murmured in a small voice then seemed to think of something, the corner of her eye slightly drooping down, appearing somewhat aggrieved: “You said grapes aren’t sweet.”
Shen Lingge said in a low voice apologetically: “It was me who spoke wrong, grapes are sweet, but I want to eat something sweeter.”
At this time Wen Xian’s brain was in complete chaos, she furrowed her brows struggling to think about the meaning in his words, after a long while she blinked her eyes and asked: “What is sweeter? Sweeter than grapes? Can Xian Xian eat it?”
The warm light inside the room flickered slightly, the shadows on the wall overlapping, the man suddenly let out a low laugh, in his deep voice there was a faint pampering and hoarseness: “Xian Xian is sweeter.”
Wen Xian’s thoughts were in disarray, only feeling as if she had fallen into scorching flames, even the air in her mouth was getting less and less, in the end she couldn’t help but let out a whimpering sound, beginning to struggle unbearably.
She didn’t know how long passed before she regained freedom again, but immediately after, sleepiness swept over her. Wen Xian tiredly blinked her eyes, not long after she leaned against the soft pillow and fell asleep.
In a daze she heard someone saying softly next to her ear: “Good night, Xian Xian.”
The room Wen Xian lived in was a suite, after Shen Lingge gently closed the door, he leaned against the wall.
He slightly raised his head, lifting his hand to unbutton the first button of his shirt, he could clearly hear his own slightly heavy breathing sound.
As well as, the overspeed heartbeat sound inside his chest.
Shen Lingge closed his eyes, heavily exhaled a breath.
He knew he shouldn’t take advantage of her like this when she was drunk, but she really looked too well-behaved, she was so earnest and shyly telling him next to his ear, that she liked Shen Lingge.
Shen Lingge let out a hoarse laugh, he actually had never felt as fortunate as in this moment, fortunate that he was Shen Lingge, able to be chosen by her from this world.
He had never thought of becoming a person who plucked stars, but this star just on the day of summer solstice fell right in front of his eyes, from then on he could no longer see anyone else, even if before his eyes were thousands of fireflies.
Shen Lingge rested for quite a while before slowly walking to the sofa and sitting down.
Tonight he didn’t want to go anywhere, only wanted to stay here guarding her.
…
Wen Xian was woken up by the alarm clock, she drowsily stretched out her hand to press off the alarm on her phone, then shrank back into the quilt hiding for quite a while before struggling to climb up from the bed.
She drooped her head, slowly walking into the bathroom, after washing up she finally sobered up a little.
Wen Xianxian was lying sideways on the bed sleeping soundly, she crouched down and touched Wen Xianxian’s small belly, touching as she felt something wasn’t quite right, how did she get back yesterday?
Wen Xian furrowed her small face thinking for a while, she couldn’t remember anything, the last scene was actually only the moon in the sky and stars in the night sky, at that time she seemed to be in Shen Lingge’s arms.
It should have been Shen Lingge who carried her back.
After Wen Xian put on her clothes she looked at the time, it was now six o’clock in the morning, she carried her painting bag and opened the room door walking outside.
She hadn’t even reached the living room when Wen Xian was startled by the figure on the sofa, at this time the curtains in the living room were still drawn, the lights weren’t turned on either, from her angle it seemed as if someone was lying there.
Wen Xian tentatively called out once: “Shen Lingge?”
Not long after, the person on the sofa answered in a low voice.
Wen Xian let out a breath of relief. She walked to the side of the sofa and took a glance—Shen Lingge was sleeping here covered with a thin blanket.
She frowned: “Why are you sleeping here? Isn’t the room right next door?”
Shen Lingge had only fallen asleep in the second half of the night; at this moment his voice still carried a faint hoarseness: “My leg is broken.”
Wen Xian: “……”
What thing?
Although Wen Xian was full of doubts, she still immediately put down the painting bag, walked around in front of the sofa preparing to touch Shen Lingge’s leg. But before she could touch him, she was grabbed by him. He said hoarsely: “Xian Xian, in the morning it’s no good.”
Wen Xian looked at him in confusion: “Mn?”
Shen Lingge didn’t explain too much. He sat up and smiled once: “Not broken. Yesterday I was here handling official business, got tired and just slept here. Xian Xian is so good today, how come getting up so early?”
Wen Xian glared at him once: “How can you say all kinds of nonsense. Didn’t you say we’d go watch the sunrise?”
Shen Lingge stood up and rubbed her head, speaking in a low voice: “I’ll go back and change clothes and come right away, first take you to eat breakfast. Where’s Chang Shang? Do we need to call him up?”
Wen Xian shook her head: “Let him sleep a bit more.”
Shen Lingge lightly clicked his tongue: “Why don’t you feel sorry for me?”
Wen Xian snorted coldly: “When you grabbed me up yesterday morning, how come you didn’t think there would be today?”
Shen Lingge looked at her puffing up her cheeks in anger, couldn’t hold back from reaching out and pinching her face: “Stay here obediently, I’ll be back right away.”
After Shen Lingge left, Wen Xian belatedly raised her hand, lightly touching with her fingertip the place he just pinched. She thought absentmindedly, this person’s actions towards her were becoming more and more natural.
—
The mountain road here was much steeper than Wen Shan. Wen Xian was almost being pulled along by Shen Lingge as they walked up the mountain. She panted, following behind him climbing up; at this moment the light inside the forest was getting brighter and brighter.
Wen Xian could hear birds chirping on the treetops, flapping their wings and hopping among the dense branches and leaves.
Wen Xian raised her head and glanced up. Fragmented spots of light shone through the gaps onto her face. The morning wind still hadn’t been stained with dryness, lightly brushing past her cheek. She took a deep breath.
Shen Lingge stopped, unscrewed the mineral water in his hand and handed it to Wen Xian. Wen Xian only drank two mouthfuls before she stopped drinking, and then she watched wide-eyed as Shen Lingge took back the bottle and, face unchanged, started drinking from the bottle she had drunk from.
Her face suddenly turned red: “Shen Lingge, didn’t you bring two bottles of water?”
Shen Lingge naturally screwed the bottle cap back on, put it back into his bag, and said in a light voice: “I just love drinking the water you’ve drunk.”
Wen Xian: “……”
How can this person say such face-reddening, heart-thumping things with such a calm expression? She discovered that just one night had passed, and his attitude towards her had become even more calm and firm, almost leaving her nowhere to hide.
What happened last night?
Wen Xian thought for a long time but couldn’t remember what exactly had happened last night, so she tentatively asked: “Shen Lingge, last night… did I say some drunken nonsense?”
Shen Lingge’s steps stopped. He turned his head back and steadily looked at her, black eyes slightly darkening, tone also turning dangerous: “Drunken nonsense?”
Wen Xian: “……”
His expression was as if saying she was a scum woman who cheats for money and feelings!
Wen Xian swallowed her saliva. She instinctively took a step back, hurriedly waving her hand and saying: “No no no, I was just casually asking. It’s just… I didn’t do anything to you, right?”
Shen Lingge said indifferently: “Last night you cried and begged me not to leave, not to leave you, so I was forced to sleep in the living room. You almost pulled me onto the bed to sleep together with you.”
Wen Xian: “…It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”
Shen Lingge pressed step by step: “Then tonight let’s sleep once more.”
Wen Xian muttered in a small voice: “That’s not what I meant.”
Shen Lingge: “I think that’s exactly what you meant.”
Wen Xian: “I didn’t!”
Shen Lingge: “You did.”
“……”
While the two were noisily arguing like this, they gradually climbed up to the mountaintop. They stood side by side, looking into the distance at the sea of clouds.
At this moment, heaven and earth seemed to be divided into two parts: one part was cloud layers soaked in dark colors, beneath the clouds mountains undulated, while the other part was the sky welcoming dawn’s brightness, layer upon layer of gold gradually spreading open.
The mountain wind blew toward them. Shen Lingge tightly held the hand that was holding Wen Xian’s.
At this very moment, Wen Xian completely didn’t want to think about how to paint this scene well; she only tried her best to remember this moment.
No one knew how long had passed when, suddenly, from the other end of the horizon, dazzling and piercing light burst out. That red sun irresistibly leapt into the sky. In this instant, light illuminated the entire land.
All the sea of clouds and mountains were lit bright, where the light reached, all clouds and mist scattered.
Shen Lingge turned his head to look at the dazed Wen Xian. Her whole person seemed to be glowing with a faint golden light. On her fair cheeks fine down was visible; her feather-like eyelashes trembled lightly, as if moved by this moment.
He kept silently looking at her.
Until she slowly turned her head, she curved her brows and eyes, smiling at him once, softly saying: “Shen Lingge, being together with you, every day I spend is very happy. I’ve never told you before, actually…”
“Actually, I’m always feeling grateful.”
Her voice slightly choked: “Thank you for coming to my side, and also thank you… for being willing to become my family.”
Shen Lingge pulled her into his arms. He sighed, gently stroking her black hair: “Silly girl.”
On the day Wen Xian tore through the once dreamlike lie, losing everything, Shen Lingge came to her side. He filled and healed most of the emptiness and pain in her heart.
Even later, when she learned this was just a joke heaven played on her, she still felt grateful that he could treat her so gently and carefully. The true heart she gave, he gave everything in return to her.
That day, Wen Xian did not answer Shen Lingge’s question.
When he, clenching his teeth in the car, questioned her whether she regretted it, she couldn’t tell him that she didn’t regret it at all. Even if time flowed backward, she would still be willing to, on that night and at that moment, draw him on paper.
Wen Xian reached out and hugged Shen Lingge back. She softly said: “Shen Lingge, I don’t regret.”
Shen Lingge lowered his head and dropped a kiss in her hair. He hugged her tightly, answering hoarsely: “I know.”
Under ten thousand rays of light, the two embraced quietly for a very, very long time.
In the end, Wen Xian still didn’t manage to finish drawing the sunrise. She was carried on Shen Lingge’s back as they walked down the mountain. She quietly leaned on his shoulder, listening to the clear chirping sounds in the forest, looking at this magnificent and grand mountain and river.
He carried her, steady and firm as he walked forward.
Step by step, as if the road ahead had no end.