151: chance encounter

Yu Heng checked his phone; it was time to go.

He stood up from the sofa. "Mom, I'm heading out."

Liu Jianfen was rocking Xiao Hui in her arms. Hearing this, she turned her head. "Is the car here?"

"Yeah, it'll be here any minute," Yu Heng said, leaning over to put on his shoes. "I'll be back next week."

"Wait." Liu Jianfen stuffed the child into Zhou Wanyi's arms. "Let me pack some things for you."

"No need." Yu Heng tied his laces. "The school has everything."

"What do you mean, everything?" Liu Jianfen was already walking toward the kitchen. "You're renting a place outside; don't you have to cook? I'll pack some peanut oil for you. It's home-pressed, much better than what you buy at the store."

Yu Heng sighed as he heard the sound of rummaging coming from the kitchen.

Zhou Wanyi stood in the middle of the living room holding the child. Xiao Hui squirmed in her arms, his small hand grabbing her hair.

"Mom, really, no need." Yu Heng walked to the kitchen door. "I don't cook much there; I usually just order takeout."

"Takeout is so expensive." Liu Jianfen pulled out a five-liter oil drum and started rummaging through the fridge. "There's also some braised beef I made yesterday. Take it back with you."

Yu Heng watched as she packed the beef in a freezer bag and then grabbed a bag for the oil.

"And these eggs—free-range eggs, they're very nutritious." Liu Jianfen stuffed a carton of eggs into the bag.

"Mom." Yu Heng reached out to stop her. "I can't carry that much."

"Why can't you?" Liu Jianfen glared at him. "You're taking a car, not walking."

"The car ride is bumpy; the eggs will break." Yu Heng took the eggs out and put them back in the fridge. "I don't want the oil either; I don't have space for it."

"You child..." Liu Jianfen frowned.

Zhou Wanyi spoke up softly, "Mom, if Xiao Heng thinks it's too heavy, don't make him take it."

Liu Jianfen looked at Zhou Wanyi, then at Yu Heng, and finally compromised. "Then how about some chestnuts? I roasted them yesterday."

As she spoke, she took a paper bag out of the cupboard, which was filled with sugar-roasted chestnuts.

"Fine, I'll take those," he said.

The chestnuts in Ancheng weren't actually any worse than those in neighboring Anxi. The reason Anxi's chestnuts were famous was simply because they were so poor they had nothing else and relied on chestnuts for income.

He walked to the door with the bag. Zhou Wanyi was standing there, holding the child.

"Sister-in-law, I'm leaving," Yu Heng said.

Zhou Wanyi looked up, her eyes meeting his before she quickly looked away. "Mm, be careful on the road."

Yu Heng's heart stirred slightly. Ever since that incident this morning, she had been like this, not daring to look him in the eye.

Walking to the elevator door, Yu Heng added, "I'll be back next weekend."

"Alright. It's getting colder lately, so be careful not to catch a cold," Liu Jianfen urged, and Zhou Wanyi followed up with, "Call ahead before you come back next time."

The elevator doors opened, and Yu Heng stepped inside. "I'm going, Mom."

"Okay, send a message when you arrive." Liu Jianfen waved.

The doors closed. Liu Jianfen turned around and saw Zhou Wanyi still standing there, staring blankly at the elevator doors.

"Wanyi," Liu Jianfen called out, "go and tidy things up. Put the cooked food in the fridge; we'll eat it tonight."

"Oh, okay." Zhou Wanyi snapped back to her senses and walked back into the house holding the child.

Liu Jianfen watched her back, pondering to herself.

This kid said he'd be back again next week.

Why is he coming back so often... She shook her head and stopped thinking about it. Children have their own fortunes.

Inside, Zhou Wanyi tidied the things on the table and went into the room with the child.

She inadvertently glanced at the floor and blushed again; she hadn't had time to mop it yet.

---

When the car stopped at the entrance of the residential area, there were already two people in the back seat.

Yu Heng pulled open the car door and leaned in to take a look.

Sitting by the left window was a girl whose profile looked a bit familiar.

Ning Yutong?

She was back too?

Sitting in the middle was a middle-aged man wearing glasses. Yu Heng said to the man, "Sir, could I trouble you to switch places with me? My friend is over there."

The man looked up at him and then glanced at Ning Yutong on the left.

He gave an "oh" and readily moved to the right.

In a carpool, everyone wants a window seat; no one wants to sit in the middle.

Yu Heng thanked him and sat in the middle seat. The car door closed, and the driver started the engine.

Ning Yutong had clearly noticed him too. Their eyes met for a second before she quickly looked away and continued staring out the window.

The car drove out of the residential area and turned onto the main road.

Ning Yutong finally moved. She pulled down the zipper of her down jacket slightly, revealing the light gray collar of her sweater.

Then she took out earphones from her small bag and put them in her ears.

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow but didn't initiate a conversation.

He closed his eyes, intending to sleep for a while.

There was a very faint scent on Ning Yutong next to him, a scent that felt somewhat familiar.

It was a bit like that day at the cinema, and also like that day in the escape room; he seemed to have smelled it before.

Yu Heng opened his eyes and glanced at her sideways.

She was looking down at her phone. The light from the screen reflected on her face, and her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under her eyelids.

Her fingers were swiping across the screen, though he couldn't tell what she was looking at.

After a while, she locked her phone, stuffed it back into her bag, and then crossed her arms, continuing to look out the window.

Yu Heng turned his head and spoke first: "Did you come back on Saturday?"

Ning Yutong turned her face, looked at him, and then quickly looked away, giving a soft "mm."

"Something going on at home?" Yu Heng asked.

"Just picking up some thick clothes," Ning Yutong's voice was flat, without much emotion. "It's getting colder."

It hadn't been long since the confession was rejected. Sitting together like this now was indeed awkward.

But he didn't feel uncomfortable. A rejection was a rejection; everything that needed to be said had been made clear. Meeting again, they were just acquaintances. Yu Heng looked at the bag in his hand, thought for a moment, and opened it.

He nudged Ning Yutong with his elbow. "Want some?"

Ning Yutong turned her head, looked at the glossy chestnuts in the bag, and then looked up at Yu Heng.

She pursed her lips, hesitated for a few seconds, and reached into the bag to take two.

"Thanks," she said, her voice still flat and devoid of emotion.

Yu Heng watched as she peeled a chestnut and put it in her mouth.

After a while, he nudged Ning Yutong's arm again. "Take a few more."

Ning Yutong shook her head. "That's enough."

"Go ahead," Yu Heng didn't pull his hand back. "I can't finish them all by myself."

Ning Yutong looked at him and reached out to take three more.

The car was very quiet, except for the faint sound of the middle-aged man next to them scrolling through short videos.

Yu Heng chewed on a chestnut while watching Ning Yutong out of the corner of his eye.

He suddenly felt that when Ning Yutong was quiet and not talking, she was more... how should he put it, more real than her usual deliberately flirtatious self?

Her cheeks moved slightly as she chewed, and a tiny crumb of chestnut stuck to the corner of her mouth.

He reached out and brushed it away with the pad of his finger.

Ning Yutong's body suddenly stiffened. She froze, her eyes widening as she looked at him.

"You had something there," Yu Heng said naturally, withdrawing his hand and flicking the crumb off his finger.

Ning Yutong's face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

She quickly turned her head to look out the window, even her neck flushing pink.

Yu Heng smiled to himself. In this state, it really was hard not to feel attracted to her.

While he hadn't deliberately led her on before and had even intentionally avoided her, that move just now was definitely intentional.

Anyway, he had rejected her decisively before and made things clear.

If something more happened later?

It wouldn't be like he hadn't given her a fair warning beforehand, right?