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墨書 Inktalez
Qinglan had only been away from him for a few days, yet he felt as if he had lost his soul. After work each day, he found himself at a loss for what to do, so he kept calling to ask when Qinglan would return. In the past, when Qinglan went to the Provincial Capital for work, he would only call her if there was something work-related to discuss.
"Tomorrow," Qinglan replied.
"What time tomorrow?" Xu Wen asked next, his tone calm and steady, no longer youthful like during their school days; it carried a sense of mature composure.
For some reason, ever since Xu Wen left Liu Family Village, perhaps due to the strange and suspicious gazes from the villagers, as well as the initial speculations from Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen, Xu Wen found it difficult to face Qinglan openly. Their interactions were not as natural as they had been in school. Despite being together for over four years, they had never had a heart-to-heart conversation outside of work; the only topic they discussed was Qingmei.
Outside of discussing Qingmei, he remained silent during their free time, gently silent, which made Qinglan feel as if there was a barrier between them. After four years of living together every night, they had not grown closer; instead, they seemed more distant and estranged than when they were in school.
Qinglan didn’t think much of it; perhaps it was for the best. She felt she was never worthy of him. She had felt unworthy before, and now she felt even less so; it was better to keep some distance.
"See," Qinglan said. "First we need to handle the discharge procedures and pack up. By the time we finish, it will probably be around lunchtime. Lin Xi will definitely want us to eat before we leave, so I estimate we won't be back until the afternoon at the earliest."
Xu Wen responded with an "oh" and then fell silent.
After waiting for a moment without any further words from him, Qinglan hung up the phone.
The next day, Lin Xi took a morning off specifically to help Qinglan with her discharge procedures at the hospital. Just after they completed the paperwork and were tidying up in the ward, Qingmei was playing nearby when she suddenly called out in her crisp voice, "Uncle Xu."
Qinglan paused for a moment. Lin Xi bent down and gently patted her cheek while smiling. "Where is Uncle Xu? He's in Liu Family Village. Are you missing Uncle Xu?"
Qingmei nodded but didn't look at Lin Xi; instead, her gaze passed over Lin Xi's shoulder towards the door, and she pointed at it. "There’s Uncle Xu."
Before Lin Xi and Qinglan could react, she had already slipped out of Lin Xi's grasp and ran toward the door.
Qinglan and Lin Xi were momentarily stunned before turning simultaneously to look at the entrance.
Indeed, standing at the door was Xu Wen, looking travel-worn and exuding an air of coldness.
Qingmei had already reached him and jumped into his arms. He immediately lifted her high up with a broad smile on his face.
It was only when he saw Qingmei that he revealed that signature radiant smile reminiscent of his university days.
Qingmei laughed lightly in the high sky.
"Well, I got a little sick and lost this much weight," Xu Wen said with a smile, teasing Qingmei, without glancing at Qinglan and Lin Xi.
"Why did you come at this time? Didn't I tell you we are going back this afternoon?" Qinglan stepped forward and said.
"Are you missing Beautiful?" Lin Xi also stepped up, jokingly saying.
Xu Wen put down Qingmei and said, "I was worried that Beautiful's illness hadn't fully recovered, and with the weather being cold, it wouldn't be good if she got sick again on the way. So I drove over."
For convenience at work, Xu Wen bought a private car two years ago, a very ordinary Buick. It wasn't provided by Qinglan's company, nor could it have been bought with the meager salary Qinglan paid him. Qinglan's salary was not high; for someone like Xu Wen, who came from Beijing, while the salary was sufficient for his expenses, it wouldn't have been enough to save up to buy a car in just two years. The money for the car naturally came from his parents.
When he said this, he didn't look at Qinglan and continued to play with Qingmei.
Qinglan remained silent. Although they were in Liu Family Village, he still maintained the demeanor of a Beijinger. His lifestyle couldn't be called luxurious, but it was certainly not frugal; he still subtly revealed his inherent middle-class sensibilities.
Qinglan stole a glance at him. He wore a seemingly casual jacket, but on him, it still couldn't hide his scholarly air.
He used to love wearing suits but had now gotten used to wearing jackets, trying hard to blend in as a local of Liu Family Village. However, the fine fabric and meticulous craftsmanship still made him stand out.
This might also be one of the reasons why Qinglan had never considered getting closer to him again! Although he had been here for several years, he ultimately didn't belong here; he didn't belong to Liu Family Village. And she was destined to belong solely to Liu Family Village.
Lin Xi watched them laughing like a family of three from the side and called out to Xu Wen to have some water.
Xu Wen shook the bottle of mineral water tucked under his arm, indicating that he had water and had already drunk some. He said, "No thanks."
Lin Xi urged him again, "Sit down."
He replied, "I've been sitting in the car." Meaning he wouldn't sit down.
Well then, since that's the case, it meant they were about to leave immediately.
Lin Xi didn't pay much attention and instead joked, "Let's go, let's go. It seems impossible to keep you for a meal before you leave; someone is already impatient."
Lin Xi quickly began to pack up, moving much faster than before.
After finishing, she stuffed something into Qinglan's hand and pushed her outside, smiling as she said, "Let's go." Then she turned to tease the girl holding Xu Wen's hand, saying, "Beautiful, someone misses you. Without you to play with, someone has nothing to do. I won't keep you; go back with your mom early. We can come back to the Provincial Capital to play together another time, okay?"
The girl pouted and nodded while looking up at Xu Wen with a smile. Qinglan behind them was also stifling a laugh.
Once they exited the hospital, Qinglan and the girl got into Xu Wen's car while Lin Xi said she was heading back to her dorm. Qinglan rolled down the car window and said to Lin Xi, "About that thing I told you, think it over."
Lin Xi paused for a moment before smiling and replying, "Alright."
Qinglan added, "You need to give me an answer soon; otherwise, I'll look for someone else."
This statement was deliberately made for Lin Xi's benefit, serving as a push for her to make a decision quickly.
Lin Xi's current company was on the brink of bankruptcy; if she didn't decide soon, there might be no chance left. Qinglan knew that Lin Xi didn't want their friendship to end without a proper farewell; she couldn't let go of their childhood bond.
Lin Xi said, "Okay, I'll try to give you an answer within this month." After saying that, she waved goodbye to Qinglan and the girl before leaving.
Qinglan sat in the back while the girl occupied the passenger seat. Aside from when the car first started moving and Qinglan remarked, "Why must you run all the way here? It's so convenient to take a ride now," Xu Wen didn't respond, and Qinglan remained silent for the rest of the journey.
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