059 – Heart-to-Heart Conversation

The late autumn air was damp and chilly, yet he stood downstairs in nothing but a shirt. Wasn’t he afraid of catching cold? One could easily fall ill in weather like this... In the end, unable to ignore her concern, Xia Yuwei dressed herself, threw on a coat, grabbed a small blanket, and headed outside. Passing by Xin Xin’s bedroom door, she felt a pang of guilt, a tangle of emotions she couldn’t quite name. But she couldn’t possibly wake Xin Xin and ask her to come downstairs now—how would she explain any of this?

When she reached downstairs, Xia Yuwei saw no sign of him. She walked a bit further, scanning the surroundings. The night had grown bitterly cold. Perhaps he had already gone back. A while later, she sneezed, quickly turned around, and went back upstairs.

Opening the door, she found the living room lights on. After a whole night in darkness, the sudden brightness felt almost harsh. Xia Yuwei shielded her eyes with her hand. The sound of running water came from the bathroom—Xin Xin must have gotten up to use the restroom. As Xia Yuwei was thinking this, Xin Xin emerged, eyes bleary.

“Hm?” Xin Xin rubbed her eyes, staring at Xia Yuwei in disbelief as she stood in the living room. “You’re just getting back?”

“...No,” Xia Yuwei replied, taking off her coat.

Xin Xin stepped over and casually turned on the TV. With something weighing on her mind, she wanted to talk to Xia Yuwei; lately, they hadn’t really had any heartfelt conversations. “Oh, I see. I thought you were out all night getting into trouble... I remember you didn’t wear a coat when you left either... It’s almost dawn now. Are you up for the day already? I never even noticed what time you came back last night.”

Xia Yuwei neither confirmed nor denied anything. She went to switch on the water heater. Then the two of them sat in the living room.

“Xin Xin, I want to move out.” Before Xin Xin could speak, Xia Yuwei cut in.

“Yuwei darling, why?” Xin Xin took her hand.

“...It’s nothing, you know as well as I do—Lu Yichen and I, we’ve never gotten along... Anyway, I just don’t want to see him, and he probably dislikes me too. Staying here just doesn’t feel right anymore.” Xia Yuwei didn’t dare meet her eyes. She wasn’t even sure what she’d done wrong.

“I feel like you’re hiding something from me...” Xin Xin gazed at her thoughtfully. “Why was he in your room this afternoon? Can you explain that?”

“I can’t.” Xia Yuwei straightened her back. Looking at Xin Xin, she countered, “Do you think he treats you well? Is he truly sincere?”

“Why? What do you mean by that? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him. That would just destroy me! Haven’t you already got Senior Ye?” Xin Xin’s heart trembled at Xia Yuwei’s reply and her question; a sense of foreboding gripped her. After Lu Yichen left earlier, he hadn’t contacted her, and her mood had soured. If there were any more blows, she feared she wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Xia Yuwei stood, picked up her cup, and went to fill it with water. “Xin Xin, what are you thinking! How could I fall for him? That’s impossible, and it wouldn’t make sense anyway. But I do want you to know—actually, Lu Yichen and I knew each other before.”