Ah Heng's eyes seemed to have a burning sensation when she saw Yan Xi for the first time.
Before coming to B city, everything related to the prosperity of the city was enclosed in the most precious black box of my home. With the irregular onset of the rainy season, the clear and sweet female voice brought warmth within the weather.
She often sat on the bamboo stool in front of the medicine stove while holding a palm-leaf fan. Yun Zai was lying down on the wooden bed not far away. His pupils were as clear and beautiful as the glass balls she played with when she was a child. His eyelashes fluttered as he blinked and gently asked her: "Sister, today's medicine is not bitter, right?"
She held onto the palm-leaf fan, slowing down her movements. She sniffed the strong medicine. She didn't know what to say, not daring to turn around, she hesitated before opening her mouth to vaguely respond: "En.....Not bitter......."
"Sister, since you said it's not bitter, then I believe you." Yun Zai smiled, looked at her with eyes that were full of smiles, his thin face added a bit of vividness.
So, when she fed Yun Zai the warm medicine, her eyes were not willing to look at him.
She was not good, whenever she encounters problems that cannot be solved, she would often choose to escape.
Then, when she left home and was taken to another home, she intuitively ignored the farewell.
From the south to the north, from poor to rich, Wen Heng refused this transition. A better way to describe it, "mild in nature, accepting circumstances with goodwill"; an unpleasant way to describe it, it's inevitable to be "cold, selfish and ruthless."
People in town could not understand, they said that Yun Heng has lived in the Yun family for 16 years, calling them father and mother with sincerity, without a trace of affectation. Now that she has her biological parents, how could she forget about the parents who have raised her?
The daughter-in-law of the chief, who opened a tea shop, raised her eyebrows and scoffed with a smile: "It's a pity that the Yun family has only one broken medicine stove and two outdoor rooms. If her adoptive father lives in the official residence, no matter if there was a sick person living there, and if they were raising a nest of big insects, do you think that girl would stay or leave?!"
This was precisely what happened, Ah Heng's biological family lives in the official residence located in B city. They were senior officials that could cause their small town to collapse by just stamping their feet!
Naturally, Ah Heng couldn't hear these words. At that time, she was clenching her teeth and staring at the car window. She was afraid that she would vomit and ruin this expensive car!
Feeling dizzy, not knowing how much time have passed, the sceneries flew past in front of her eyes nonstop. Ah Heng's mind was blank, her sight was fixed on the clear neon light. The violent sound of wind filled her ears, making her feel very dizzy.
Once those sounds disappeared, the moment she opened her eyes, the car door slowly opened, and the slightly curved long knuckles appeared in front of her with a breath of summer.
Ah Heng admitted that at the time, she had unspeakable expectations when she saw that pair of hands. Later when she thought back on this, she felt like she may perhaps have a bird-like complex[1].
"Welcome, Yun Heng."
"I am Wen Si Wan," the young boy pronounced “Wen” with a clear voice. "Grandfather asked me to take you back."
Wen Si Wan.......Si Wan.....
Ah Heng pronounced his name silently, she remembered when Secretary Li picked her up from the small town, he had told her that the Wen family has a young boy, who is her biological older brother.
She raised her head slightly, looked at his eyes carefully, and then, perceiving something, she looked away quietly and lowered her head slightly in confusion.
Wen Si Wan smiled, when she felt shy, he did not notice. Waving his hand, Si Wan politely said goodbye to his grandfather's secretary and took over the suitcase in Ah Heng’s hand.
Ah Heng looked at Si Wan, at his straight back, not far or close from her, from an arm's length distance.
Being in a city for the first time, children from remote areas are naive in nature, always having some strange sensitivity. She can tell that Si Wan had ill-feelings toward her which she had chosen to ignore, a clear rejection all hidden in his eyes, making her feel awkward.
Palpitating with fear for a short moment, she couldn’t help but breathe in a big mouthful of air, but she still felt depressed.
Following the pace of Si Wan, her eyes slowly wandered to the so-called “official residence.”
Independent white buildings were arranged on both sides of the flat and wide road, giving a bright and clean feeling. It was not filled with gold and silver as she had imagined, but it was luxurious to the point that it exposes people’s desires.
As it was the summer, there were plentiful of trees, and several villas were hidden in the shade.
When Si Wan walked on the stone path, his silhouette was slowly being covered by the big trees. Ah Heng was still in a daze, when she finally returned to her senses, she had lost sight of him.
She froze in place, looking at the forked stone road, not knowing whether to go left or right.
Fortunately this child was gentle by nature, and was not impatient. She believed that once Si Wan could not find her, he would naturally return to the original path. No matter how bad it was, you can always meet people and ask for directions. Wen Mu Xin, grandfather’s name, which Secretary Li had definitely told her.
At dusk, the beautiful white building behind the tree reflected the side of Yun Heng.
Subconsciously, she raised her face and squinted her burning eyes at the setting sun. Followed by the cool and refreshing tree shade, she saw a window dyed in gold colour.
By the window, there was a figure.
His hands were beautiful, his violin was beautiful, echoing a very sharp sound.
His eyes were very big and proud.
As far as the eyes can see, his vision did not have her.
This was the first time she had seen this person, her heart was beating like a drum.
It was just a faint figure, but she could not look away. As if she had been bewitched, she could only stay in place with the posture of looking up, staring through the tree crack with a delicate and nervous mood.
A handsome gentleman there, quietly standing by the window, that memory would stay in her mind forever. However at that moment, it was just a silhouette.
Afterwards, she would often think about him, the ten years they had experienced together. Most of the time, it was her secretly admiring him. Bitter, sweet, it was him who froze those times, however, those times have nothing to do with him.
The sunshine reflected on her braids, Ah Heng raised her head and smiled.
Before she could hear the sound of the violin, but afterwards it was complete silence, she could only hear her own breathing. Slowly, it was as if she was pushed into water by someone. Drowning, losing consciousness, unable to revive.
She didn't know when Si Wan had returned to her side, hands raised and shaped in the form of a loudspeaker, yelling at the window: "Ah Xi, how can you destroy people's ears again? It's the wrong tune!"
Yun Heng was frightened by Si Wan, once again looking up, the figure had disappeared, leaving only the empty window.
Before she could react, in an instant, the window screen was half opened. In the blink of an eye, a basin of water was poured on Si Wan's body, very accurately and without a single drop of water wasted.
Then, the white pair of hands quickly took back the pink plastic basin. With a bang, he shut the windows and pulled the curtains, as if he was exorcising ghosts in one go.
This year was 1998.
Ah Heng could not escape this destined fate. At the age of 15, she finally met Yan Xi.
Many years later, someone asked her: "Ah Heng, be honest, did you fall in love with this beauty at that time?" Ah Heng smiles and said: "How could that be possible?"
At that time, she was young and foolish, she didn't have any other thoughts. She just thought the citizens in the capital were very different. Even his posture when he poured water was especially aggressive, especially..........good looking.....
Thank you so much! Can’t wait for more!
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