149: Return to Ancheng

Shen Yueling lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, spacing out slightly.

Bai Xinran lay beside her, her back turned, body curled up, her breathing already steady.

Yu Heng was mopping the floor and smiled at her.

She wanted to glare at him, but she had no strength left.

That damned guy finally dragged her into it.

"You two sleep in this room. I'm going upstairs." Yu Heng finished mopping and turned off the light for them.

Yu Heng walked upstairs with light steps. He wasn't tired, just a little sore in the hand.

Back in his room, his phone vibrated twice. He opened the screen and saw it was a message from Qin Ya.

Qin Ya: Take me out this weekend, please. I want to go to the Gaming Center.

Yu Heng: Why? I won't take you, I'm busy.

Qin Ya pouted, knowing he would say that.

She rolled over onto her stomach, picked up her phone again, swung her calves up and down, and poked the screen forcefully with her finger.

Qin Ya: If you don't take me, I'll tell my mom you're currently shacking up with someone at home.

Yu Heng leaned against the headboard, looked at the message from Qin Ya, and clicked his tongue.

This little brat sure knows how to threaten people.

Yu Heng: Your mom knows I have other people staying here.

Qin Ya: She might know, but she'll definitely care. Can you bear to make your woman sad?

Yu Heng looked at the line of text, feeling like laughing.

Qin Ya spoke as if she understood everything.

But he had to admit, she was right.

Yu Heng: Fine, but not tomorrow. Next week. I’ll take you on an afternoon when I don’t have class.

Qin Ya's eyes lit up, and she sat up from the bed.

Qin Ya: That works too, but don't trick me.

Yu Heng: I won't trick you. What is your mom doing?

Qin Ya: She's applying a face mask. She puts one on every night now.

Yu Heng smiled. Qin Lu was truly starting to take care of herself. He should find time to check the results of her maintenance.

---

The next morning, dawn had just broken.

Yu Heng woke up. He checked his phone; it was past six.

He had arranged a rideshare home, scheduled to pick him up at 7:30.

Yu Heng finished washing up, went downstairs, and entered Bai Xinran's room.

The curtains were drawn in the room, the light was dim, and he could see two lumps under the covers on the bed.

Shen Yueling was lying on her side, facing the door, sleeping soundly.

Bai Xinran had her back to Shen Yueling, completely curled up inside the quilt.

He walked to the bedside and leaned over to look at Shen Yueling.

Her eyelashes were long, trembling slightly in her sleep. Her lips were pursed, and her breathing was steady.

Yu Heng reached out and gently patted her face: "Yue Ling."

Shen Yueling frowned, didn't open her eyes, and mumbled a response: "Mmm..."

"I'm heading home for a bit," Yu Heng said. "I'll be back tonight."

"Oh..." Shen Yueling opened her eyes just a slit, glanced at him, and then closed them again.

Yu Heng smiled and straightened up.

He looked at Bai Xinran. She was sleeping even more soundly than Shen Yueling, showing no reaction at all.

Yu Heng reached out and pulled the quilt up over her shoulder.

Bai Xinran moved in her sleep, rolled over, and lay facing upward.

The collar of her pajamas was slightly askew, and the left strap had slipped down a little.

Yu Heng stared for two seconds, then reached over and gave it a squeeze. Bai Xinran let out a soft groan.

Amused by the sight, he stood by the bed watching them for a moment before turning and leaving the room.

The car was parked by the roadside. Yu Heng pulled the door open and slid inside.

A girl was already sitting in the back, looking down at her phone.

Yu Heng sat down next to her, gave the last few digits of his phone number, and the driver confirmed before starting the car.

He glanced at the girl beside him; her profile looked somewhat familiar.

He thought for a moment. Wasn't she Lin Yu, the girl from Ning Yutong's class?

Was she from Ancheng too?

It wasn't surprising; Tangcheng University of Technology had a large number of local students.

Yu Heng didn't intend to start a conversation. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

He hadn't slept much last night and woke up early this morning; now the drowsiness was setting in.

The car drove onto the highway. The girl next to him shifted, seemingly adjusting her posture.

Yu Heng didn't open his eyes but could smell a faint, subtle fragrance.

When entering the highway, there was a slight bump, and Yu Heng's head leaned against the window. The cold glass briefly woke him up, but he quickly drifted back to sleep.

The car exited the highway and headed into the Ancheng city area.

While waiting at a red light, the girl next to him's phone rang.

She answered, her voice very low: "Hello, Mom... almost there, yeah, a rideshare... I know, no need to pick me up, I'll just take a taxi home..."

Listening to her, Yu Heng found her voice quite cool and detached, which matched her appearance.

The car stopped at an intersection on the national highway. The girl softly thanked the driver, opened the door, and got out.

The sound of the door closing was soft, and then her footsteps faded away.

Yu Heng opened his eyes and glanced out the window. The girl was dragging a small suitcase toward the bus stop sign.

He closed his eyes again. After another twenty minutes, the car stopped at the entrance of his residential complex.

"We're here," the driver said.

Yu Heng paid and got out of the car. He checked his phone; it was already past ten.

He stretched his neck and walked toward his house.

Yu Heng pushed open the front door. The living room curtains were drawn, and the room was dark.

He changed into slippers and walked in, throwing his backpack onto the sofa. He took out his phone, ready to call his mother to ask where she was.

Before he could press the button, he heard a faint movement coming from the side bedroom.

Yu Heng frowned and listened closely.

It was definitely coming from the side bedroom. The sound was intermittent and very soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the overly quiet house.

He put down his phone and tiptoed toward the side bedroom.

The door was ajar, not fully closed.

Yu Heng reached out and pushed the door open slightly.

The side bedroom light wasn't on either, but the curtains weren't fully drawn. Then he saw Zhou Wanyi, her back to the door, squatting on the floor.

Yu Heng froze completely in the doorway. His first thought upon recovering was to quickly back out and close the door, but he didn't.

Zhou Wanyi clearly hadn't noticed anyone entering, until Yu Heng's sole scraped against the floor, making a soft squeaking sound.

She suddenly turned her head. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still.

"Sister-in-law..." His voice was extremely dry.

"Get out..." Zhou Wanyi tried to stand up, but ended up sitting back down.

Yu Heng didn't move.

"Please... get out..." Zhou Wanyi's voice was trembling fiercely.

Yu Heng took a deep breath, turned around, and closed the door.

He didn't go far, just leaned against the wall outside the door and lit a cigarette.

After a moment, the door opened.

Zhou Wanyi was already dressed, and her hair was hastily tied up.

She kept her head down, squeezed past him sideways, walked quickly toward the living room, and sat down on the sofa.

Yu Heng sat down on the single armchair next to her and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Where's Mom?" he asked first.

"She took Xiao Hui out," Zhou Wanyi said in a low voice. "Just now..."

"I didn't see anything just now," Yu Heng said. "What are you talking about, Sister-in-law?"

Zhou Wanyi sighed in relief, but then tensed up again: "Then will you..."

"What about me?" Yu Heng looked at her.

"Will you look down on me?" Zhou Wanyi paused. "Think I'm indecent?"

"What right do I have to look down on you?" he said. "It's hard enough for you, raising a child and working alone."

Zhou Wanyi was stunned, staring blankly at him. Those words struck a chord.

It truly wasn't easy for her, a widow with a child.

"I just didn't expect it," Yu Heng leaned back into the sofa. "You usually seem so proper."

As soon as he said that, Zhou Wanyi's face flushed again.

"I..." She wanted to explain but didn't know how.

Yu Heng got up, poured a cup of warm water from the water dispenser, and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.

"Drink some water," he said. "Did Mom say when she'd be back?"

"She took Xiao Hui to get vaccinated," Zhou Wanyi's voice was nasal. "I finally got a day off today, so I didn't go with them."

"Why don't you go wash up?" Yu Heng glanced at the wall clock. "How will you explain it if Mom comes back and sees you like this?"

"Ah," Zhou Wanyi finally realized. "Okay..."

Zhou Wanyi stood up and walked toward the bathroom. After two steps, she stopped, looked back at him, then bit her lip and quickly entered the bathroom.

Yu Heng heard the sound of running water inside. He leaned back on the sofa and lit another cigarette.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. After a moment, Zhou Wanyi walked out.

"You..." Zhou Wanyi spoke first. "Why did you come back so suddenly today?"

"The school is setting up Off-Campus Accommodation, and a parent needs to sign," Yu Heng said. "I came back to find Mom."

"Oh." Zhou Wanyi nodded. "Just now... I made a fool of myself..."

"What's so funny about it?" Yu Heng lit a cigarette. "It's almost a year since my brother passed, right?"

Zhou Wanyi's body stiffened slightly, and she softly hummed in agreement.

"You're only twenty-six," Yu Heng exhaled smoke. "You're not sixty-two."

The implication was too obvious, and Zhou Wanyi's face flushed again.

Since her husband died, she worked during the day, took care of the child at night, and fed and changed diapers in the middle of the night.

Her mother-in-law was also alone and had to work; it was already difficult for her to help look after the child, so Zhou Wanyi took care of him herself whenever she could.

She couldn't really rely on her parents; they blamed her for not getting rid of the baby back then and insisting on being a young widow here. They hadn't come to see Xiao Hui even once since he was born.

Although she was busy, whenever she had a free moment, she would still think about it.

There were men at the factory who showed interest in her, but they were simply looking at her because she was a young widow with a soft disposition, wanting to take advantage of her.

She didn't dare, and she couldn't.

Today, with her mother-in-law taking the child out, the house was quiet for once. She had only intended to relieve some stress, but didn't expect... "It's actually very normal," Yu Heng's voice pulled her back to reality. "It's just a normal need."

Zhou Wanyi didn't speak.

"However..." Yu Heng bent down, took a nail clipper from under the coffee table, "Clip your nails; it'll be more convenient."

Zhou Wanyi blankly took the nail clipper, furrowed her brow, and only then realized what he meant, saying with a blush: "You..."

This boy, how could he still be joking at a time like this!

"Do your shoulders often feel sore?" Yu Heng suddenly asked.

Zhou Wanyi was startled: "How did you know?"

Yu Heng said: "Everyone who works in an office is like that."

He stood up and walked behind Zhou Wanyi.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Wanyi tensed up.

"Helping you with a massage." Yu Heng's hands were already on her shoulders. "I learned a little."

Zhou Wanyi wanted to pull away, but Yu Heng's strength was already applied.

It was neither too light nor too heavy, hitting the exact spot that felt sore and swollen.

She couldn't help but let out a soft sound, then bit her lip.

"Relax," Yu Heng said. "Mom won't be back for a while."

His fingers were very strong, and the soreness really was relieved quite a bit.

Unconsciously, she closed her eyes.

Yu Heng looked at the skin exposed on the back of her neck; it was very fair and had a small mole.

His hand moved down, pressing the position of her back muscles.

Zhou Wanyi suddenly woke up and leaned forward to dodge: "Th-that's enough."

Yu Heng withdrew his hand and sat back down on the opposite sofa.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Mmm." Zhou Wanyi replied softly, her heart pounding heavily.

"You rest," Yu Heng stood up. "I'll go lie down in my room for a bit and wait for Mom to return."

Just as Yu Heng stood up, the door opened, and Liu Jianfen entered the house carrying Yu Hui.

Zhou Wanyi hurriedly stood up, her voice deliberately raised: "Mom, you're back?"

"No need, I've already bought the groceries," Liu Jianfen said. "Yu Heng? Why are you back?"

"I came back for something, I'll tell you later," Yu Heng walked over and teased his little nephew. "Kid, you've gotten fat again."

Xiao Hui giggled, reaching out to grab his finger.

Zhou Wanyi had already entered the kitchen and started washing vegetables.

"What was the matter?" Liu Jianfen asked.

"The school is setting up Off-Campus Accommodation, and a parent needs to sign," Yu Heng said, pulling the application form from his backpack. "Take a look."

Liu Jianfen took the form and looked at it: "Off-Campus Accommodation? Why?"

"It's convenient," Yu Heng said. "The school dorms cut power and internet at night, and I need to stay up late for Live Stream Operations."

"Live Stream Operations?" Liu Jianfen frowned. "What is that?"

"It's that thing online..." Yu Heng briefly explained a few sentences. "It makes money, quite a bit per month."

Liu Jianfen was skeptical: "Don't you dare lie to me."

"Why would I lie to you?" Yu Heng said. "I'll buy you a bigger house once I start earning money."

"All talk," Liu Jianfen picked up the pen and wrote her name in the guardian signature section.

"By the way," Yu Heng put away the form, "I'm heading back tonight."

"So fast?" Liu Jianfen frowned. "Aren't you staying the night?"

"I have class tomorrow," Yu Heng said. "I'll come back next weekend."

As Yu Heng spoke, he glanced at Zhou Wanyi. He needed to come back more often to strike while the iron was hot.

---

Zhou Wanyi poked her head out from the kitchen: "Dinner's ready, let's eat."

During the meal, Zhou Wanyi kept her head down, not daring to look at Yu Heng.

Liu Jianfen didn't notice anything and kept asking Yu Heng about school matters.

After the meal, Yu Heng helped clear the dishes.

Zhou Wanyi was washing dishes in the kitchen. Yu Heng brought the leftovers in and put them in the fridge.

The two were very close, and Yu Heng could smell a faint milky fragrance on her.

"What time is your ride this afternoon?" Zhou Wanyi suddenly asked, her voice very soft.

"Around 4:30," Yu Heng said.

"Oh." Zhou Wanyi didn't say anything more.

Yu Heng stood behind her, looking at her back as she washed the dishes.

Her waist was slender, but her hips were full, appearing even rounder because she had given birth.

He recalled the scene he had witnessed that morning.

"Sister-in-law," he called out.

Zhou Wanyi's hand trembled, and the plate almost slipped out.

"What is it..." She turned around, panic in her eyes.

"Nothing," Yu Heng smiled. "Your collar is a little crooked."