pjbooks Chapter 144 Zhang'an City
Chapter 144 Zhang'an City
Shen Yueling lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Bai Xinran lay beside her, her back to her, curled up, her breathing already calm.
Yu Heng was mopping the floor when he saw her and smiled.
She wanted to glare at him, but she didn't have the strength.
Damn it, I ended up getting dragged into this myself.
"You two can sleep in this room. I'm going upstairs." Yu Heng finished mopping the floor and turned off the light for them.
Yu Heng walked upstairs with light steps. He wasn't tired, just his hands were a little sore.
Back in his room, his phone vibrated twice. He turned on the screen and saw that it was a message from Qin Ya.
Qin Ya: Can you take me out to play this weekend? I want to go to the arcade.
Yu Heng: Why? I'm not bringing it, I'm busy.
Qin Ya pursed her lips; she knew he would say that.
She rolled over onto her stomach, picked up her phone again, wiggled her legs up, and poked the screen hard with her fingers.
Qin Ya: If you don't take me, I'll tell my mom that you're at home having an affair with someone else.
Yu Heng leaned against the headboard, looked at the message Qin Ya sent, and clicked his tongue.
This little brat has a whole repertoire of threatening people.
Yu Heng: Your mom knows that someone else is staying here.
Qin Ya: She may know, but she'll definitely care. Can you bear to hurt your woman?
Yu Heng looked at the words and almost laughed.
Qin Ya spoke as if she knew everything.
But he had to admit she was right.
Yu Heng: Okay, but not tomorrow. How about next week? I'll take you there on an afternoon when I don't have class.
Qin Ya's eyes lit up, and she sat up in bed.
Qin Ya: Okay then, but don't try to trick me.
Yu Heng: If I don't confide in you, what's your mom doing?
Qin Ya: She applies a face mask every night now.
Yu Heng smiled. Qin Lu is really starting to take care of herself. He'd like to check out the results of her skincare routine when he has time.
-
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Yu Heng woke up and glanced at his phone; it was already past six o'clock.
He shared a ride home, and someone came to pick him up at 7:30.
After washing up, Yu Heng went downstairs and entered Bai Xinran's room.
The curtains were drawn, making the room dimly lit, but you could see two bulges on the bed.
Shen Yueling lay on her side, her face turned toward the door, fast asleep.
Bai Xinran had her back to her, curled up inside the blanket.
He walked to the bedside and leaned down to look at Shen Yueling.
Her eyelashes were long and trembled slightly in her sleep; her lips were pursed, and her breathing was even.
Yu Heng reached out and gently patted her face: "Yueling."
Shen Yueling frowned, without opening her eyes, and mumbled a reply: "Hmm..."
"I'm going home for a bit," Yu Heng said. "I'll be back tonight."
"Oh..." Shen Yueling opened her eyes a crack, glanced at him, and then closed them again.
Yu Heng smiled and straightened up.
He looked at Bai Xinran, who was sleeping even more soundly than Shen Yueling, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Yu Heng reached out and pulled the blanket over her shoulder up a little.
Bai Xinran stirred in her sleep, turned over, and lay face up.
Her pajamas had a slightly crooked neckline, and the left shoulder strap had slipped down a little.
Yu Heng stared at it for two seconds, then reached out and pinched it. Bai Xinran snorted.
He was amused by their appearance, stood by the bed and watched them for a while, then turned and left the room.
The car was parked on the side of the road, and Yu Heng opened the car door and got in.
A girl was already sitting in the back row, looking down at her phone.
Yu Heng sat down next to her, gave her the last four digits of her phone number, and the driver started the car after confirming it.
He glanced at the girl next to him; her profile looked somewhat familiar.
He thought for a moment, and it seemed to be Lin Yu from Ning Yutong's class.
Is she also from Ancheng?
It's not surprising, as Tangcheng Polytechnic has a particularly large number of local students.
Yu Heng didn't intend to respond. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
I didn't sleep much last night, and I got up early this morning, so I'm feeling sleepy now.
As the car entered the highway, the girl next to me shifted, seemingly adjusting her seating position.
Yu Heng didn't open his eyes, but he could smell a faint fragrance.
When they got on the highway, there was a slight bump, and Yu Heng tilted his head towards the window. The cold glass made him a little more awake, but he quickly fell asleep again.
The car exited the highway and headed into Ancheng city.
While waiting at a red light, the girl next to me had her phone ring.
She answered the phone, her voice low: "Hello, Mom... I'm almost there, um, it's a shared ride... Okay, no need to pick me up, I'll just take a taxi home..."
Yu Heng listened and found the voice to be quite cold and aloof, which suited her appearance quite well.
The car stopped at an intersection on the national highway. The girl quietly said thank you, driver, and got out of the car.
The door closed softly, and then the footsteps faded away.
Yu Heng opened his eyes and glanced out the window. The girl was dragging a small suitcase toward the bus stop.
He closed his eyes again and drove for another twenty minutes before stopping the car at the entrance of his residential compound.
"We've arrived," the driver said.
Yu Heng paid the fare and got off the bus. He glanced at his phone and saw that it was already past ten o'clock.
He stretched his neck and walked home.
Yu Heng pushed open the front door; the living room curtains were drawn, and the room was dark.
He changed into slippers and came in, threw his backpack on the sofa, and took out his phone to call his mother to ask where she was.
Before I could even press my finger down, I heard a faint noise coming from the side where I was lying.
Yu Heng frowned and listened intently.
It was indeed a side-lying position, and the sound was intermittent and very soft, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the excessively quiet room.
He put down his phone and tiptoed toward the side-lying bedroom.
The door was ajar, not closed properly.
Yu Heng reached out and pushed the door open a little.
The lights weren't on in the side bedroom, but the curtains weren't fully drawn, and then he saw Zhou Wanyi squatting on the floor with her back to the door.
Yu Heng froze at the doorway. His first thought upon regaining his senses was to quickly back out and close the door, but he didn't do that.
Zhou Wanyi clearly didn't notice anyone coming in until Yu Heng's shoes squeaked softly against the floor.
She turned her head abruptly, and their eyes met; time seemed to stand still.
"Sister-in-law..." His voice was terribly dry.
"Get out..." Zhou Wanyi remembered, but then sat back down.
Yu Heng didn't move.
"Please... get out..." Zhou Wanyi's voice trembled violently.
Yu Heng took a deep breath, turned around, and closed the door.
He didn't go far; he leaned against the wall outside the door and lit a cigarette.
After a while, the door opened.
Zhou Wanyi was already dressed, and her hair was tied up haphazardly.
She lowered her head, squeezed past him, and quickly walked into the living room, where she sat down on the sofa.
Yu Heng sat down on the single sofa next to her and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Where's my mom?" he asked first.
"I took Xiaohui out," Zhou Wanyi said in a low voice. "Just now..."
"I didn't see anything just now," Yu Heng said. "What is your sister-in-law talking about?"
Zhou Wanyi breathed a sigh of relief, but then tensed up again: "Then you..."
"What's wrong with me?" Yu Heng asked, looking at her.
"Won't you look down on me?" Zhou Wanyi paused. "Won't you think I'm indecent?"
"What right do I have to look down on you?" he said. "It's not easy enough for you to bring the child to work alone."
Zhou Wanyi was stunned, staring blankly at him. His words were quite poignant.
She really had a tough time, being an orphan and a widow.
"I just didn't expect that." Yu Heng leaned back on the sofa. "You usually seem quite serious."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wanyi's face flushed red again.
"I..." She wanted to explain, but didn't know how.
Yu Heng got up, filled a glass of warm water from the water dispenser, and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.
"Have some water," he said. "Did my mom say when she'll be back?"
"I took Xiaohui to get vaccinated." Zhou Wanyi's voice was nasal. "I finally got a day off today, so they didn't let me go with them."
"Why don't you go wash up?" Yu Heng glanced at the clock on the wall. "What will you explain when Mom comes back and sees you like this?"
"Ah," Zhou Wanyi finally realized, "Okay..."
Zhou Wanyi stood up and walked towards the bathroom. After taking two steps, she stopped and looked back at him. Then she bit her lip and quickly went into the bathroom.
Yu Heng heard the sound of water coming from inside. He leaned back on the sofa and lit another cigarette.
The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and after a while, Zhou Wanyi came out.
"You..." Zhou Wanyi spoke first, "Why did you suddenly come back today?"
"The school needs a parent's signature to arrange off-campus accommodation," Yu Heng said. "I'll go back and talk to my mom."
"Oh." Zhou Wanyi nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see that funny earlier..."
"What's so funny?" Yu Heng lit a cigarette. "My brother's been gone for almost a year now, hasn't he?"
Zhou Wanyi stiffened for a moment, then softly hummed in agreement.
"You're only twenty-six," Yu Heng exhaled a puff of smoke, "not sixty-two."
The meaning behind those words was so obvious that Zhou Wanyi blushed again.
Since her husband passed away, she has been working during the day and taking care of her child at night, feeding and changing diapers in the middle of the night.
My mother-in-law lives alone and has to work. It's already not easy for her to help take care of the child. She should take care of the child herself if she can.
Her parents were not reliable; they blamed themselves for not aborting the child and for choosing to live a widowed life here instead. They had never visited Xiao Hui since she was born.
Even though I'm very busy, I still think about it whenever I have a moment to myself.
Some men in the factory did show interest in her, but they were just trying to take advantage of her because she was young and widowed and had a soft personality.
She dared not, and could not.
My mother-in-law took the child out today, giving the house a rare moment of peace and quiet. She just wanted to relax a bit, but unexpectedly...
"It's actually quite normal." Yu Heng's voice pulled her back to reality. "Just a normal need."
Zhou Wanyi did not speak.
"However..." Yu Heng bent down and took out a nail clipper from under the coffee table, "It'll be easier to trim my nails."
Zhou Wanyi took the nail clippers in a daze, frowned, and then realized what she was doing. Her face flushed, she said, "You…"
Why is this child joking at a time like this?
"Do your shoulders often ache?" Yu Heng suddenly asked.
Zhou Wanyi was taken aback: "How did you know?"
Yu Heng said, "That's how it is in the office."
He stood up and walked behind Zhou Wanyi.
"What are you doing?" Zhou Wanyi's body tensed up.
"Let me give you a massage." Yu Heng's hand was already on her shoulder. "I've learned a little bit about this."
Zhou Wanyi tried to dodge, but Yu Heng's strength had already come down.
The pressure was just right, not too light, not too heavy, precisely on the sore spot.
She couldn't help but hum in agreement, then bit her lip.
"Relax," Yu Heng said. "Mom won't be back for a while."
His fingers were very strong, and the soreness was relieved quite a bit.
She closed her eyes without realizing it.
Yu Heng looked at the skin exposed on the back of her neck; it was very white and had a small mole.
His hand moved down and pressed on the back muscles.
Zhou Wanyi suddenly woke up and stepped forward slightly, saying, "Is...is it okay now?"
Yu Heng withdrew his hand and sat back down on the sofa opposite him.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.
"Mmm," Zhou Wanyi replied softly, her heart pounding.
"You should rest," Yu Heng said, standing up. "I'm going back to my room to lie down for a while until my mom comes back."
Just as Yu Heng stood up, the door opened, and Liu Jianfen carried Yu Hui into the room.
Zhou Wanyi hurriedly stood up, deliberately raising her voice, "Mom's back?"
"No need, I've already bought the groceries," Liu Jianfen said. "Yu Heng? Why are you back?"
"I have something to take care of when I get back, I'll talk to you later," Yu Heng said, walking over to tease his little nephew. "Kid, you've gotten fatter again."
Xiao Hui giggled and reached out to grab his fingers.
Zhou Wanyi had already entered the kitchen and started washing the vegetables.
"What's wrong?" Liu Jianfen asked.
"The school needs a parent's signature to arrange off-campus accommodation." Yu Heng took out an application form from his backpack. "Take a look."
Liu Jianfen took the form and looked at it: "Off-campus accommodation? Why?"
"It's convenient," Yu Heng said. "The school dormitories have no electricity or internet at night, and I need to stay up all night for my live streaming operations."
"Live streaming operations?" Liu Jianfen frowned. "What's that?"
"It's like online..." Yu Heng explained briefly, "You can make money, quite a bit a month."
Liu Jianfen was skeptical: "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Yu Heng said. "I'll buy you a bigger house when I make money."
"You're just saying nice things." Liu Jianfen picked up a pen and wrote her name in the guardian's signature column.
"Oh, right," Yu Heng put away the form, "I'll be back tonight."
"So soon?" Liu Jianfen frowned. "Not staying just one night?"
"I have class tomorrow," Yu Heng said. "I'll come back next weekend."
As Yu Heng spoke, he glanced at Zhou Wanyi and said, "We need to come back more often so we can strike while the iron is hot."
-
Zhou Wanyi poked her head out from the kitchen: "Dinner's ready, let's eat."
During the meal, Zhou Wanyi kept her head down, not daring to look at Yu Heng.
Liu Jianfen didn't notice anything amiss and kept asking Yu Heng about school.
After the meal, Yu Heng helped clear the dishes.
Zhou Wanyi was washing dishes in the kitchen, while Yu Heng brought in the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator.
The two were very close, and Yu Heng could smell the faint milky scent on her.
"What time is the train this afternoon?" Zhou Wanyi suddenly asked, her voice very soft.
"Around 4:30," Yu Heng said.
"Oh." Zhou Wanyi didn't say anything more.
Yu Heng stood behind her, watching her as she washed the dishes.
She has a very slim waist, but her hips are very full, and they appear even rounder because she has given birth.
He recalled what he had witnessed that morning.
"Sister-in-law," he called out.
Zhou Wanyi's hand trembled, and the plate almost slipped out of her hand.
"What's wrong..." She turned her head, her eyes filled with panic.
"It's nothing," Yu Heng smiled, "your collar is a little crooked."