28
Lin Tiao received a message from Tao Jia on Saturday morning. They had added each other as friends at the end of their first year, and their chat history was stuck at that point.
The most recent message was sent just half an hour ago:
"Lin Tiao, the meal time has been set for 4 PM today. Are you free?"
Lin Tiao had just woken up. After seeing the message, she turned over and threw her phone aside, closing her eyes for a few more minutes before coming to her senses.
She opened her eyes to see the intricately decorated ceiling above her, with a small floral pattern carefully chosen by her mother.
The curtains had not been fully drawn the night before, so a faint light was coming through a small gap.
She sighed quietly, reached for her phone, and slowly typed a reply: "I have a hospital appointment this afternoon to remove my cast, so I probably won't have time to come. You guys go ahead and enjoy. We can catch up next time."
The reply came back with a simple "Okay."
Lin Tiao tossed her phone aside. Her impression of Tao Jia was rather shallow—just a girl who looked quite nice. Although they had a somewhat unusual connection, they weren't close. In class, Tao Jia had her own group of friends, and Lin Tiao usually hung out with Jiang Yan and the others.
Women's intuition is often quite accurate.
Lin Tiao was aware that Tao Jia didn't really like her. Perhaps during the final exams, Tao Jia genuinely wanted to be friends, but Lin Tiao knew that sincerity had faded.
As for why it faded, Lin Tiao didn't care to know. After all, she was a devout believer in the principle of "None of my business."
It was already past ten when she got up. Since she lived alone, she had no one else to disturb her.
She got up, shuffled into the bathroom in slippers, and brought her phone along, placing it on the rack while she turned on the TV.
Maybe influenced by Jiang Yan, Lin Tiao had developed a keen interest in melodramatic soap operas.
Her phone was playing the theme song of "A Dream of a Veil."
She squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush. Just as she finished, the phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but the location showed Xicheng, likely a telemarketing call.
Lin Tiao bit her toothbrush and didn't answer.
The call turned into a missed call and immediately rang again from the same number, showing a persistent attitude.
She gave in and answered, with foam in her mouth, mumbling, "Hello."
On the other end was a noisy commotion, followed by a familiar voice—Hu Hanghang, speaking loudly, "Sister Tiao, why didn't you answer my call just now? You're not still asleep, are you? How could you waste such a beautiful Saturday morning?"
"..."
Lin Tiao took a sip of water, cleaned the foam from her mouth, and replied, "Just woke up. I'm not wasting time; I planned to get up and study."
The phone went silent.
Lin Tiao chuckled, thinking to herself, "Still trying to be sarcastic," and then asked, "So, what's up? Did you need something?"
This time, Xu Yichuan's voice came through, "Sister, I heard from Tao Jia that you're not coming to the meal this afternoon? Is there something going on?"
While Xu Yichuan was talking, Lin Tiao had already left the bathroom with her phone. "Oh, right. My mom scheduled an appointment with the doctor to remove my cast at 3 PM. It will probably end late, so I won't be able to come."
"I see. How about we accompany you to the hospital and then go out to eat afterward?" Xu Yichuan suggested, thinking his idea was perfect. "Since dinner is in the evening, it doesn't matter if we go a bit later. What do you think?"
"I don't think it's a good idea." Lin Tiao walked into the living room, not understanding his train of thought. "With so many people, it would look like we're causing trouble at the hospital."
"That's fine, we can handle it." In the internet café, Xu Yichuan glanced at someone sitting nearby, expressionless, playing games. He cleared his throat and said, "If not, Jiang Yan can accompany you alone."
The always expressionless person's eyelids twitched.
"Are you crazy?" Lin Tiao walked into the kitchen.
Xu Yichuan suddenly lowered his voice, sounding as if it was squeezed out of his throat, "Sister, Jiang Yan seems to be in a bad mood today. Do us a favor and take him away. Consider it a request from the three of us."
"..."
Lin Tiao took a bottle of yogurt from the fridge, leaned against the cabinet, and said coldly, "Then do me a favor and give me a break."
".."
—
At 3:30 PM, a blue and gray taxi slowly stopped in front of the city's People's Hospital. The driver glanced back at the two silent passengers and said, "City Hospital, we've arrived."
Lin Tiao, sitting in the back, unlocked her phone to pay, but suddenly, an arm reached out from beside her. With a cold voice, "Fifty, thanks. No change needed."
Then the person pushed open the door, stepped out of the car, and left.
Lin Tiao was stunned for a moment. She exchanged a puzzled glance with the driver, biting her lip with a difficult expression. "Sorry, he's a bit off, like he thinks he's the richest person in the world."
The driver acknowledged this with a couple of "ohs" and returned the extra money, kindly suggesting, "Are you taking him to see a doctor? The neurology department here isn't as good as the provincial hospital."
".."
Lin Tiao took the money, got out of the car, and walked over to Jiang Yan, putting the money into her bag right in front of him.
Jiang Yan looked at her with an expression that said, "You're really not giving me any?" but remained silent, just watching her with lowered eyes.
Lin Tiao met his gaze, feeling no guilt. "What are you staring at?"
"Nothing much," Jiang Yan said flatly.
"There's no use in looking," Lin Tiao said as she turned and walked toward the hospital, "What's meant to be mine will be mine when I return."
Jiang Yan gave a cold, mocking smile, "You're coming back just because I said I'm crazy."
".."
Lin Tiao couldn't understand why Jiang Yan had such devilish hearing or why she had agreed to Xu Yichuan's request at the last moment.
Perhaps it was her kindness.
The temperature had dropped significantly after the heavy rain, and the air was humid with water still on the roads.
Lin Tiao had dressed simply for convenience, wearing a short-sleeve shirt, light blue jeans, and canvas shoes.
In contrast, Jiang Yan had dressed warmly, wearing a black hoodie and matching jeans. The neckline of the hoodie was slightly lowered, revealing a bit of his collarbone, with his bone structure clearly visible.
Lin Tiao blinked and forced herself to look away. "Let's go."
Before Lin Tiao came to the hospital, Fang Yi had already arranged everything, including how to spend time.
After removing the cast, the doctor reminded her, "You had the cast removed a bit early for your condition. When you get home, be sure to avoid making any large movements."
"Okay, thank you, Dr. Chen."
Afterward, Lin Tiao, with the nurse's help, did a few seemingly pointless exercises.
Throughout the process, Jiang Yan remained silent, sitting on the bench with a detached expression, though his gaze was fixed on her.
Lin Tiao briefly met his gaze and reminded him, "Jiang Yan, I think you could look away a bit."
Jiang Yan raised his eyebrows slightly. "Why?" he continued, "Is it because you look silly now?"
"..."
"Not really. You usually look even sillier," Jiang Yan said quietly, with a subtle smile.
""
Lin Tiao turned her gaze away with a blank expression.
The two of them fell silent, while a nearby nurse chuckled and said, "Boys shouldn't say such things about girls. They might have trouble finding a girlfriend in the future."
"He wouldn't find a girlfriend even without saying that. Who would dare date a human ice machine?" Lin Tiao scoffed, responding coldly, "No one."
"..."
The nurse didn't reply but glanced curiously at the air conditioner behind her. It wasn't turned on, so why was it so chilly?
An hour had passed since they left the orthopedics department. Lin Tiao moved her arm, still not quite used to being without the cast's support.
Jiang Yan followed behind her, watching as she moved around like a monkey. He suddenly reached out and pinched her arm, "The doctor told you not to make large movements. Did you forget right after being told?"
With her arm pinched, Lin Tiao had no choice but to look up at him, "I haven't forgotten. I'm just not used to it."
Jiang Yan's face was serious. He adjusted his grip and held her wrist at a certain height, similar to the position she had used with the cast.
Lin Tiao stiffened and stared at Jiang Yan's long eyelashes before suddenly asking, "Are you unhappy today?"
Since they met in the afternoon, he had been acting this way—downcast, speaking little, and with a flat tone.
Jiang Yan held her wrist, his fingertips pressed against her pulse.
The girl's short-sleeve shirt revealed her delicate, cool skin, contrasting with the warmth of his hand.
He lowered his eyes, feeling the pulse beneath his fingers. Thinking of the phone call this morning, he sighed silently and said, "No."
"Jiang Yan, to be honest, I think you're good in many ways, but you still need to improve your lying skills," Lin Tiao pulled her arm from his grasp and met his gaze. "The way you're acting today—like you don't want to be approached—is clearly telling me that you're unhappy."
"..."
"Do you think I'm stupid? Even with how obvious you're being, I can still tell," Lin Tiao felt insulted by his lack of subtlety.
Hearing this, Jiang Yan looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes, his expression relaxed. He silently responded, "Yes."
"..." Lin Tiao was taken aback, quickly reviewing their recent conversation in her mind, and felt incredulous. "I said I'm stupid, and you actually agreed?"
Seeing her frustrated expression, Jiang Yan's irritation slowly dissipated, and a small smile appeared on his lips. "No, you're not stupid."
"??" Lin Tiao felt that this kind of consolation was even more insulting.
"I-" Jiang Yan seemed about to say something more, but his gaze shifted behind her, suddenly pausing.
Lin Tiao was drawn by his abrupt stop and looked up to follow his line of sight.
There stood a woman.
She was elegantly dressed in designer brands, with well-maintained, smooth skin and a face with a blend of softness and allure.
Lin Tiao couldn't immediately discern her real age. Just as she was about to ask Jiang Yan if he knew her, the woman had already started walking toward them, her gaze gentle as she called out, "Yan Yan."
Lin Tiao paused, glancing at Jiang Yan, only to see his expression shift from nonchalant to extremely cold—a coldness that seemed to come from his very core.
She remained silent, keeping her head down and standing aside.
Jiang Yan remained silent as well.
The atmosphere became tense and awkward. Just as Lin Tiao thought the silence would continue, Jiang Yan suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice, "Mom."
Lin Tiao stiffened, her eyelids twitching, still not making any move.
"Why are you here? Are you sick?" Yu Fengyan's voice was gentle. "I called you this morning, but you didn't answer."
With her head lowered, Lin Tiao noticed Jiang Yan's hand, which was hanging by his side, tighten and then slowly relax. Then she heard his slightly gloomy voice, "No, I didn't see it."
Yu Fengyan knew he wasn't willing to explain and didn't press him. She glanced at Lin Tiao standing nearby, seemed about to say something but ended up asking another question. "Do you have time tonight? Let's have dinner together."
Lin Tiao was puzzled—was this a normal mother-son interaction?
But she didn't dare to ask or speak up.
Jiang Yan quickly declined, "No need. I have a classmate gathering tonight."
Yu Fengyan seemed to expect his refusal and wasn't too disappointed. "Alright then. I heard from the maid at the old house that you've moved out. Is there something wrong with the house that makes you unhappy?"
Jiang Yan suddenly laughed upon hearing this, his tone cold. "Do you think I'd be happy living in that house?"
After speaking, he closed his eyes briefly and suddenly said, "Mom, stop bothering me. I'm an adult now and know what decisions to make for myself."
"I just…"
Yu Fengyan's words were cut off by Jiang Yan. "I have things to do. I'll leave now. Please be careful on your way back."
With that, he slightly bowed his head and pulled Lin Tiao away.
"Yan Yan."
Yu Fengyan wanted to say more, but Jiang Yan had already walked into the elevator, closing the heavy doors behind him and cutting off all outside sounds.
Lin Tiao stood beside Jiang Yan, their figures reflected on the metal walls of the elevator, the young man's expression distant and cold.
She pursed her lips, hesitating about how to speak.
The elevator quickly reached the ground floor.
Jiang Yan stepped out first, his long legs covering the distance quickly, leaving Lin Tiao behind.
Seeing the growing gap between them, Lin Tiao took a deep breath, then ran to catch up, struggling to keep pace with him.
"Um," she began.
Jiang Yan didn't speak but slowed his pace.
"Are you still going to eat later?" Lin Tiao thought that with his current mood, even if he went to eat with Hu Hang and the others, they might not be able to enjoy the meal.
Jiang Yan stopped and looked at her sideways. "Do you want to go?" After a moment of thought, he added, "Then I'll take you there."
He then turned to the roadside and flagged down a cab.
Lin Tiao was surprised. Wasn't it said that getting a cab at the city hospital was the hardest? How come he easily flagged one down now?
Jiang Yan had already gotten into the car, so Lin Tiao didn't want to make him get out and joined him inside.
The driver turned to them and asked, "Where to?"
Where to?
Lin Tiao thought, how the heck should I know where to go?
Jiang Yan clearly didn't know where to go. He seemed immobilized, his thoughts unfocused.
In the end, Lin Tiao suggested, "Let's go to the Tenth High School on Qiyun Road."
"Alright."
The car started moving, and the scenery outside flashed by. Since getting in the car, Jiang Yan had closed his eyes and leaned back, remaining silent.
Lin Tiao, sitting beside him, didn't dare to speak.
The atmosphere in the car was even more silent than before.
The Tenth High School was quite far from the city hospital, and with the weekend traffic, it took an hour to get there.
The driver parked by the roadside. "We've arrived."
Lin Tiao paid and glanced at Jiang Yan, unsure if he had fallen asleep. Tentatively, she called out, "Jiang Yan?"
"Hmm," he opened his eyes. His eyes were reddened, and his mood was low.
Seeing him like this softened something in Lin Tiao's heart. She spoke softly, "We're home. Let's go home."
Honestly, Lin Tiao wasn't sure if the internet café was considered home for him. She just felt that he looked so lost and wanted to say something reassuring.
"Home" should be the most comforting word.
Jiang Yan looked at her for a while, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. In the end, he softly said, "Okay."
His voice was hoarse and fragile.
The internet café was crowded on the weekend. When Lin Tiao opened the door, a few young boys were still at the counter.
Guan Che, seeing her and Jiang Yan, looked surprised. "Aren't you guys going out to eat? Why are you back so soon?"
As he spoke, he handed money to a few people. "The seats are inside. Just find your own place. The machines are automatically connected."
"Thanks, bro," the few people took the money and left.
Guan Che, noticing the unusual silence between the two, looked worried. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Lin Tiao sighed, shaking her head while giving Guan Che a look that indicated something was off with Jiang Yan.
Guan Che immediately understood. He glanced at Jiang Yan, sensing something was wrong, but didn't press further. "It's fine. You guys can go upstairs. I'll bring you something to eat later."
"Okay."
Lin Tiao walked ahead, but when she noticed Jiang Yan wasn't following, she turned back. "Why aren't you moving?"
Why aren't you moving? This is practically your home, and you're acting like this, which makes things difficult for me.
She silently yelled the latter part in her mind.
Jiang Yan's thoughts were still sluggish. He looked at her, hoarsely mumbling, "Let's go. I'll show you to my room."
This was Lin Tiao's second visit here. Compared to last time, the room didn't change much, except there was now a TV mounted on the wall in front of the sofa.
She sat on the single sofa again, watching him place his clothes into the laundry basket, just like last time.
The window was open, and the breeze rustled the papers scattered on the desk.
Lin Tiao felt conflicted, unsure how to start the conversation. She had so many questions but didn't know where to begin.
For example, initially, she thought the issues between Jiang Yan's father and uncle were just simple family conflicts.
Then there was the matter of not celebrating his birthday.
And previously, he mentioned he wouldn't return home in the future.
Plus, today, the woman he called "mother" at the hospital didn't seem to have a motherly relationship with him.
Lin Tiao felt her desk mate was like a mysterious treasure chest. While others would be surprised by the contents, every time she opened his, it was a shock.
His secrets seemed to grow like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger, until one day, it might burst, revealing everything inside.
At that point, whether the bearer of those secrets would feel the greatest sorrow or find a new beginning was still unknown.
"Jiang Yan," Lin Tiao suddenly looked at him.
"Hmm?" He responded, sitting on the long sofa next to her. Seeing her remain silent, he looked at her in confusion.
"Uh, nothing. I was just checking if you were asleep," Lin Tiao wanted to comfort him, but with so many questions, she didn't know where to start.
"Standing?" Jiang Yan asked indifferently, stretching his long legs out on the sofa.
"Standing doesn't mean you can't sleep," Lin Tiao replied.
"I can sleep," Jiang Yan said, looking at her.
Lin Tiao was ready for a back-and-forth argument, but was surprised he easily conceded.
Finding a topic to change the subject seemed so difficult.
After a moment of silence, Lin Tiao looked at the TV and asked, "Why did you buy a TV?"
"To watch TV."
"…"
Jiang Yan bent over and found the remote control on the desk. "Do you want to watch TV?"
"Uh, sure," Lin Tiao said, fiddling with the cushion underneath her, thinking of countless topics, all of which she dismissed.
"Lin Tiao."
"Hmm?"
"Forget it, it's nothing." Jiang Yan looked at her briefly, then lowered his head, remaining silent.
"…"
Lin Tiao had never really comforted anyone before. To be precise, she had never encountered someone with such a troubled fate in real life.
She didn't know how to start, afraid of saying something wrong that might hurt her sensitive and fragile desk mate.
The TV turned on, and Jiang Yan randomly selected a program, probably some melodramatic show.
A handsome man, seemingly affected by something, walked alone in the rain, soaking wet.
He reached a shop's entrance, where a girl saw him and immediately ran out.
They stood in the rain and talked for a while. The girl suddenly hugged the man, comforting him, "It's okay. You still have me."
"…"
Lin Tiao resisted the urge to roll her eyes, her gaze landing on the absent-minded Jiang Yan. A thought flashed in her mind. "Jiang Yan."
"Hmm?" Jiang Yan looked up at her.
"You might…" Lin Tiao hesitated, carefully choosing her words, "need a hug right now."