After going down the mountain, Wen Xian then despairingly discovered that today she might have to stay up late again to do homework. After sulking for a while, she pounded once on Shen Lingge’s back and muttered: “It’s all your fault!”
Shen Lingge was very easygoing at this moment; he was in a very good mood: “Mn, my fault.”
Wen Xian: “……”
But isn’t it still me who has to draw!
When they returned to the residence, Chang Shang was already awake. He greeted them with a calm expression: “Jie, jiefu.”
Wen Xian had just wanted to respond when she opened her eyes wide in surprise. She tugged Shen Lingge’s sleeve and quietly asked: “Shen Lingge, did I hear wrong just now? What did Shang Shang call you? Am I not fully awake yet?”
But Shen Lingge naturally accepted this address of “jiefu.”
Yesterday afternoon Wen Xian’s attention had all been on the orchard. Only when leaving did she notice that there were still many small animals kept in the manor. As soon as she saw the rabbits, she couldn’t move her feet, leaning on the wooden fence, staring eagerly at the smallest rabbit inside, snow-white and pinkish, making people feel tender affection.
Chang Shang noticed Wen Xian stopping her steps and called once back: “Jie.”
Wen Xian waved her hand: “Wait a moment!”
Because yesterday Shen Lingge had instructed the driver to return, he had gone ahead outside to drive. And with Shen Lingge not present, there was basically no one who could control Wen Xian. She took out her phone and took a picture of the little rabbit.
[Wen Xian: picture]
[Wen Xian: Can I find a younger sister for Zanzan?]
Shen Lingge hadn’t looked at the message. After parking the car at the manor gate, he went in to pick up Wen Xian. Reasonably, they should have almost reached the exit already, but he walked a long distance before seeing Wen Xian and Chang Shang.
Looking from afar, Wen Xian was leaning on the wooden fence unwilling to leave, while Chang Shang looked helplessly at her, seeming to be saying something to her.
Shen Lingge took out his phone and glanced at it. Sure enough, he saw the message Wen Xian sent him. At this time he could almost imagine why Qin Zan would give her a rabbit back then—this silly girl must have also been staring greedily at someone else’s rabbit like this.
Shen Lingge didn’t go over. He knew that if he went over, he would definitely soften his heart.
He just stood in place and called Wen Xian’s name: “Xian Xian, come over, we’re going home.”
Wen Xian heard Shen Lingge’s voice and ran over to his side in small steps. But before she could even speak, she heard Shen Lingge say: “Last week when I took Zanzan for a checkup, the doctor said Zanzan seems to be a little depressed recently. If you get it a little sister again, maybe next time it won’t pay attention to you anymore.”
Wen Xian was stunned: “Why would Zanzan be depressed? Were you not taking care of it properly? Then what about the next two months when you’re going to Europe, what will happen to Zanzan?”
Seeing that her attention was now completely focused on Zanzan, Shen Lingge pulled her along as they walked outside: “Tomorrow afternoon someone will send Zanzan over. Don’t worry so much, maybe it’s because of the bad weather.”
Chang Shang slowly followed behind them, listening to their conversation, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. Depression or bad weather—just hearing it sounded fake. Only his silly older sister would foolishly believe it.
After that, all the way Wen Xian kept pestering Shen Lingge about Zanzan, completely throwing the little rabbit she had fallen in love with just now to the back of her mind.
Zanzan’s matter seemed to have really startled Wen Xian. Along the way she had no mind to draw, only hugging Wen Xianxian in her arms, stroking its little ears and whispering to it.
Wen Xianxian cuddled with Wen Xian for a while, wanting to struggle out of her embrace to play with Shen Lingge for a bit, but as soon as it moved it was mercilessly held down by Wen Xian. She furrowed her brows and scolded: “Don’t move around randomly!”
Wen Xianxian blinked its big watery eyes innocently, looking at Wen Xian.
Shen Lingge cleared his throat lightly. He felt that he might have said things too seriously just now, so he tried to make up for it: “Xian Xian, Zanzan is fine, maybe the doctor misdiagnosed. But when a family has two rabbits, there’s a good chance they’ll form a hostile relationship, so having Zanzan is enough for us.”
Wen Xian thought for a moment: “What you said also makes sense, but I must remind you, Zanzan is my rabbit, not yours.”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Shen Lingge didn’t want Wen Xian to raise another rabbit for a reason, because he could almost predict what Wen Xian would name that snow-white rabbit. He asked casually as if unintentionally: “Xian Xian, if you were to raise that rabbit, what would that rabbit be called?”
Wen Xian, without even lifting her head and without the slightest hesitation, replied: “The rabbit you give me would of course be called Gege.”
Shen Lingge thought with no expression: he absolutely would not let one called Zanzan and one called Gege be together, and then with Wen Xian be as affectionate as a family.
Besides, he was the real Gege to her.
—
Afternoon.
Usually at this time, Wen Xian should be staying in the soft bed taking an afternoon nap, but today she could only stay alone in the studio drawing. She was working hard to recall the scene she saw in the morning.
Just then, the studio door was knocked.
Wen Xian responded: “Come in.”
She originally thought it would be Shen Lingge, but unexpectedly the person who came in was Chang Shang.
Chang Shang came to say goodbye. He sat next to Wen Xian and said in a low voice: “Jie, I’m preparing to leave. I bought tonight’s plane ticket.”
Wen Xian was startled. She put down her brush: “In such a hurry? Do you have enough money on you?”
Chang Shang’s black eyes carried a hint of warmth, he answered hoarsely: “Enough. I came this time just to see if you’re doing well, if…”
Chang Shang’s voice slightly trembled. He had originally thought that if Wen Xian was doing well, the guilt and pain in his heart would lessen a little, but he was wrong. These tangled emotions instead grew more intense.
Wen Xian curved her lips into a smile: “Don’t worry, Jie is living very well. When the semester starts, you can move in to live with Jie. If you want to live in the dorms, that’s okay too, Jie will often come visit you.”
Chang Shang lowered his eyes: “Jie, I’m leaving.”
Wen Xian nodded: “I’ll take you to the airport.”
Chang Shang knew refusing would be useless; Wen Xian wouldn’t feel at ease letting him go to the airport alone.
After Wen Xian walked out of the studio, the expression on her face changed slightly. She quickly ran to the study to find Shen Lingge. Shen Lingge saw her anxious and hurried appearance and frowned slightly: “Run slower.”
Wen Xian ran up to Shen Lingge and grabbed his hand: “Gege, my younger brother is leaving. I’m taking him to the airport now. You will arrange for someone to protect him, right?”
Shen Lingge closed the document. He turned his hand over and held her hand in his palm: “I’ll take you both there. The people to protect him have already been arranged. Nothing will happen to him.”
Only after hearing Shen Lingge say this did Wen Xian set her mind at ease.
One hour later.
Shen Lingge parked the car at the entrance. After Wen Xian sent Chang Shang off and came back, she immediately opened her phone and transferred one hundred thousand yuan to his account. She was afraid that if he got into a quarrel with family, he wouldn’t have money on him.
Shen Lingge watched her transfer the money. These past years, she earned quite a lot doing translations, but she very rarely spent the money on herself. Last month she transferred two hundred thousand to him, and this month she transferred one hundred thousand to Chang Shang; that was almost two years of her income.
And the card he gave her, she hadn’t touched a single cent from it.
But luckily, these days he could take care of her, so she didn’t have to worry about these small things anymore.
At this moment, Chang Shang, who was waiting for his flight, also received the transfer notification. He silently stared at the amount on the screen. The bright screen finally dimmed, but on it there were now a few drops of water.
The embarrassed and panicked youth at this moment only wished he knew nothing, that way he could still face Wen Xian.
…
On the way back, the setting sun gradually sank. Wen Xian sat in the front passenger seat, letting out a small yawn and tilting her head as she fell asleep. Before falling asleep, she was still thinking about that half-finished painting.
Under the orange-red sky, a large bridge spanned across Li River. Every day, countless streams of cars passed over it. The car lights on the bridge flickered on and off, the sound of horns faintly audible.
Shen Lingge turned his head and glanced at the sleeping Wen Xian. He reached out and took the thin blanket from the back seat to cover her.
This was his last night staying in Licheng.
Tomorrow morning, after flying back to Mingcheng, in the afternoon he would take the overseas project team to Europe. For nearly two months, he wouldn’t be able to see Wen Xian.
By the time they returned home, it was already 7:30 p.m. Shen Lingge carried Wen Xian out of the car. Maybe because of the scent and the embrace being familiar, she just rubbed against his chest and didn’t move again.
The butler and Duoduo had timed dinner precisely. When they came back, dinner had just been prepared.
Shen Lingge woke the person in his arms before placing her on the chair. Wen Xian rubbed her eyes and lazily rubbed her face against his palm again, softly acting spoiled: “Don’t want to eat, want to sleep.”
Shen Lingge held her face and said in a low voice: “Xian Xian, you still have to draw, the assignment is due tomorrow night.”
As soon as she heard the words “draw,” Wen Xian immediately sobered up.
She forced herself to stay awake to eat. Since Shen Lingge came, her meals had improved a lot. She no longer had to be forced by the butler and Duoduo to drink those medicinal soups and plain porridge.
Wen Xian ate this meal seriously. Shen Lingge didn’t tease her. Wen Xianxian was taken out to play by Duoduo, while Qiuqiu was lazily lying on the sofa, occasionally licking its little paws.
After eating, Wen Xian slipped upstairs to paint. Shen Lingge glanced at her back and continued dealing with documents in the living room.
Inside the studio.
After revising again and again all night, Wen Xian finally finished painting that sunrise. She carefully put the drawing board away. After stretching her waist, she noticed it was already eleven o’clock at night.
She let out a small yawn and slowly walked back to her room. Duoduo had already prepared milk for her on the bedside table. After Wen Xian drank the milk, she went to the bathroom to take a shower.
After showering, Wen Xian secretly slipped to the study to take a look, but she couldn’t find Shen Lingge there.
After leaving the study, she looked at Shen Lingge’s bedroom door and hesitated for a moment. Was he already asleep? Wen Xian knew about him flying to Europe tomorrow afternoon; she wouldn’t see him for a long time.
Thinking this way, Wen Xian gathered her courage and opened Shen Lingge’s bedroom door.
The room was completely dark. Wen Xian quietly closed the door, then walked to Shen Lingge’s bedside. She could only vaguely make out his silhouette. She carefully leaned against his bedside.
His breathing was very light.
Wen Xian concentrated and listened for a while, then the corners of her lips curved into a small arc. As long as she could sense his presence, she would feel happy.
Shen Lingge’s hand was placed outside. Wen Xian tried pinching his warm fingers. After a long while, she used an almost inaudible voice to say: “Good night, Gege.”
Wen Xian withdrew her hand and stood up, preparing to leave. But just then, her wrist was firmly grabbed by a large, strong hand. The man’s low and hoarse voice came from behind her.
“Xian Xian, you can’t leave anymore.”