Chapter 71: Missing You â Ge, don’t leave me behind…
After Christmas Eve, the Christmas atmosphere grew even thicker. Coinciding with the weekend, Hao Meng created a small group chat. She suggested everyone have a good get-together before the winter break. Jiang Yunian looked at the messages on his phone screen, thinking of how much his friends had taken care of him recently. His heart felt warm, so he proactively offered to host a meal at his home as a thank you. This proposal naturally received unanimous approval.
On Christmas night, the north wind whistled outside the window. Goose-feather snow fluttered down, decorating the world in silver. Inside the sparrow-sized room, however, it was warm and cozy, the lights inviting. Jiang Yunian wore an apron, busy in the kitchen early on, washing and cutting vegetables, preparing the ingredients for tonight.
Hao Meng was the first to arrive, rushing into the room excitedly, stomping her feet repeatedly. “Wow, it’s freezing out there!”
She rubbed her hands and blew on them, took off her coat, hung it familiarly on a chair, then poked her head into the room to find the person. She walked into the kitchen. “Need help?”
Jiang Yunian told her to just sit outside. Hao Meng didn’t leave; looking around, she asked casually, “Eh? Where’s Jiang Yan? Isn’t he the main chef? Why is he letting you cook?”
Jiang Yunian was processing a fish. Hearing this, he paused, nearly cutting his hand. He lowered his head, his voice somewhat muffled. “He… isn’t here.”
“Not here?” Hao Meng was surprised. How could he not be here at a time like this? Just as she wanted to press further, there was commotion at the door again.
It was Lu Yuanbai. He wore a dark woolen coat, snow still resting on his shoulders, bringing a chill from the outdoors as he entered. He carried a heavy-looking shopping bag, evidently full of ingredients. He greeted everyone while skillfully changing his shoes. However, the most eye-catching thing was the sapphire-blue handmade scarf around his neck, a cute white bear pattern adorning one corner. Hao Meng recognized it almost instantlyâwasn’t this the scarf Jiang Yunian had knitted for so long a while back, poking his hands red in the process?
Hao Meng’s eyes went round, her mouth slightly open. She looked at Lu Yuanbai, then at Jiang Yunian’s slightly stiff back in the kitchen, feeling like her brain couldn’t quite turn the corner, as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.
Lu Yuanbai obviously didn’t consider himself a guest. Looking composed, he carried the things he brought into the kitchenâfresh fruits and vegetables, meat, desserts, even some seasonings. “Check if anything is still missing.”
His tone was gentle. He stood naturally beside Jiang Yunian and started helping him work.
“That’s enough, Senior. We won’t be able to finish it all.”
Hao Meng couldn’t contain her curiosity. Taking the chance when Lu Yuanbai put things down, she dragged Jiang Yunian to the living room. Her face was written with shock and disbelief as she lowered her voice. “Confess honestly! What’s going on with you two?”
Jiang Yunian was confused. “What do you mean what’s going on?”
She pointed toward the kitchen. “That scarf is the one you knitted, right? …Don’t tell me you dumped Jiang Yan and got together with Senior Lu?”
Her expression was extremely complicatedâa mix of shock, scrutiny, and a trace of “How could my obedient cub do such a thing” heartbreak, slightly exaggerated.
Jiang Yunian’s cheeks heated up. He lowered his head in embarrassment, fingers picking at the edge of his apron. “Nothing like that… Don’t guess wildly.”
He didn’t know how to explain the messy relationship between him and Jiang Yan to others. And at this stage, he really wasn’t ready to start any new relationship. In his heart, the Senior was just a Senior, no different from a friend. As for what the Senior thought, that wasn’t something he could interfere with. So, he chose to evade.
Just then, Lu Yuanbai called out from the kitchen asking where a certain seasoning was kept. Jiang Yunian felt granted amnesty and hurriedly responded, “I’m coming to cook.”
After speaking, he quickly ducked back into the kitchen, looking very much like he was fleeing.
Hao Meng watched his back, feeling more and more that something was off. She leaned against the kitchen door frame, arms crossed, her eyes darting suspiciously between the two busy figures inside. Lu Yuanbai acted like one of the two masters of the house, naturally taking over the chef’s position, skillfully stir-frying dishes in the wok. Jiang Yunian stayed quietly by his side, responsible for washing vegetables and handing things over, occasionally exchanging a few whispered words. The tacit understanding and familiar atmosphere between the two felt completely harmonious, as if it should be this way.
What is wrong with this world? Why couldn’t she understand it?
By the time a table full of food with varying colors and aromas was set, He Qing finally arrived late. He didn’t come empty-handed either, bringing a few bottles of alcohol. Hao Meng picked up a bottle of red wine to look at it, exclaiming, “Wow, did you move Heaven on Earth’s inventory here? This brand is expensive! Such generosity!”
He Qing naturally wouldn’t tell her he had just casually grabbed them from Zhou Shu. His expression was indifferent as he took off his coat, which carried the cold air, and said calmly, “Just Christmas employee benefits.”
“Worthy of a high-end club, employee benefits are so good. Makes me tempted to join haha.”
“Alright, sit down and eat.”
The four sat around the dining table. Under the warm lights, the steaming food filled the air with the scent of home. Everyone enjoyed the delicious food while sipping drinks and chatting, cozy and relaxed. In front of Jiang Yunian was a bottle of orange juice. Originally, a bottle of red wine had been opened, but Lu Yuanbai reminded him, “Your alcohol tolerance isn’t good, better stick to this.”
So Jiang Yunian ended up with a bottle of beverage specifically for him. He didn’t think much of it; the Senior was indeed right, so he obediently sipped it in small mouthfuls.
This scene looked different in Hao Meng’s eyes. She rolled her eyes, teasing Lu Yuanbai across the table with a hint of probing, “Senior controls our Yunian so strictly. If I want to take Yunian out to play in the future, do I have to report to you first?”
Hearing this, Lu Yuanbai not only didn’t deny it but smiled generously. He glanced at a certain someone beside him who was feeling embarrassed, and said half-jokingly, half-seriously, “I think that proposal works.”
Jiang Yunian lowered his head, pretending not to hear, silently drinking a mouthful of juice, feeling the temperature of his cheeks rise.
Sitting opposite, He Qing took all of this in. A trace of shallow doubt flashed across his brow. Connecting this with Jiang Yan’s abnormal behavior at Heaven on Earth last night, he understood seventy to eighty percent of the situation. He sipped his wine without showing emotion, his clear gaze sweeping seemingly inadvertently between Lu Yuanbai and Jiang Yunian.
That night, friends gathered, laughing and talking about funny things at school and plans for the future. The atmosphere was harmonious. Outside the window was the biting wind and snow; inside was laughter and joy, incredibly lively. Finally, everyone raised their glasses, saying in unison, “Merry Christmas!”
Inside the warm room, the lights were affectionate. Yet at that same moment, outside, amidst the sky full of wind and snow, a lonely figure stood, having been there for who knew how long.
Jiang Yan wore a black coat that didn’t look thick. A thin layer of snow had accumulated on his shoulders and the tips of his hair. He didn’t hold an umbrella, just standing quietly by the side of the window sill like a forgotten snow sculpture.
The cold wind wrapped snowflakes and slapped against him, but he seemed not to feel the cold. He just stubbornly stared through that blurred glass window, gazing at the liveliness inside that didn’t belong to him, and the figure he thought of day and night.
He faintly saw those slightly curved brows and eyes, the relaxed shoulders, and the smiling profile. He hadn’t seen his Ge smile like that for a long time. That kind of smile from the heart was different from the gloom when he was with him. Every frown and smile gently pierced his heart, stirring ripples of sourness, yet he couldn’t bear to step forward and disturb it, to break the beauty his Ge had longed for.
He just stood there, watching, motionless, letting the wind and snow soak through his clothes, the chill piercing into his bones. Time passed bit by bit, the laughter inside isolating him.
When the dinner ended, nearly two hours had passed. Hao Meng and He Qing bid farewell and left one after another. Lu Yuanbai stayed to help Jiang Yunian clean up the dishes. Once everything was tidy, Lu Yuanbai was also persuaded to leave by Jiang Yunian. After all, it was late, the snow was heavy, and it wasn’t convenient to stay longer.
Sending everyone off, the house suddenly became quiet. Jiang Yunian looked at the tidy living room and let out a gentle sigh. He picked up the packed garbage bag, intending to throw it in the trash bin downstairs.
Pushing open the door, the biting cold wind immediately wrapped snowflakes and hit his face. He couldn’t help shivering, shrinking his neck and shoulders. He walked quickly to the trash bin to throw away the garbage. Just as he was about to turn back, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eyeâunder the side window sill, someone seemed to be huddled there.
The person sat on the ground against the wall, head lowered, motionless. Quite a bit of snow had already fallen on him.
Jiang Yunian was startled.
It was so cold, and snowing heavily outside. This person looked like they had been sitting there for a long time. Could something have happened? An inexplicable tension filled his chest. He hesitated, then walked closer carefully, calling out softly, “Hey, are you okay? Wake up.”
The person on the ground didn’t react at all. Jiang Yunian squatted down. By the weak light of the distant streetlamp, he finally saw the person’s face clearly through the red, frozen cheeks and the fading scars.
It was actually Jiang Yan!
Jiang Yunian jumped in fright, his heart contracting violently. Jiang Yan’s eyes were shut tight, his lips purple from the cold, his breathing so shallow it was almost imperceptible.
“Jiang Yan?” He reached out and pushed him.
Jiang Yan seemed startled by the touch. He opened his eyes groggily, his gaze unfocused. After vaguely recognizing the person, almost instinctively, he used his frozen, numb hands to tightly hug Jiang Yunian’s calf, pressing his burning cheek against his pant leg, his body trembling uncontrollably.
“Ge… so cold…”
Hearing this long-lost “Ge,” filled with dependence and grievance, Jiang Yunian felt like something twisted his heart. An indescribable dryness surged in his throat. He suppressed the discomfort in his chest, trying to pull his leg out. “Let go…”
However, Jiang Yan held on extremely tight, as if using all his strength. Even though his fingers were frozen senseless, he stubbornly refused to loosen his grip even a bit. Frowning, Jiang Yunian reached out to touch his foreheadâit was scorching hot.
He really had frozen until he caught a cold.
The strength on his leg gradually faded. Before losing consciousness, Jiang Yan mumbled repeatedly, broken and pathetic, “Ge… don’t leave me behind…”
“Missing you so much…”
T/n: Finally an update!!!
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