The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 12

The footsteps and voices outside gradually faded away. Shen Jixue stood still outside the door, unsure what to do. If he had angered Chen Xian, would he be kicked out? And if he was, where would he go?

Those who should go to school went to school, those who should go to work went to work. The oppressive silence almost drowned Shen Jixue. After a long time, he came to his senses and slowly walked back to his room.

There seemed to be a lingering smell of alcohol in the room, faint but unpleasant. Shen Jixue didn’t like it; it made him feel nauseous when he breathed it in. He tried hard to suppress the discomfort in his stomach and walked to the wardrobe.

He didn’t have much luggage—just a few clothes that easily fit into a plastic bag. After packing, he quietly sat in the living room, waiting for Chen Xian to return. He would say goodbye to Chen Xian when he returned, to spare him any further difficulty.

As for where to go next, Shen Jixue hadn’t decided yet. The world was big, surely there was a place for him.

He didn’t know how long had passed when the noise from the building grew louder, filled with the aroma of food, suggesting it was around noon.

Shen Jixue sat for a while longer, until he heard hurried footsteps in the hallway. The person stopped at the door, then there was the sound of keys clashing. With a click, the iron gate from outside opened, followed by the creak of a wooden door. It should be Chen Xian returning.

“Xiao Shen, are you hungry?” Chen Xian put down his keys and placed the boxed meal on the coffee table. He noticed the plastic bag Shen Jixue was holding, filled with a few pieces of clothing. “What’s this…”

Shen Jixue stood up at the sound of Chen Xian’s voice, the plastic bag rustling loudly in his grip as he tried to find Chen Xian’s position by sound alone.

“What’s inside?”

Shen Jixue wanted to avoid Chen Xian’s hand, but Chen Xian effortlessly snatched the plastic bag from him.

When the plastic bag was opened, Shen Jixue’s clothes were inside. Chen Xian looked up at Shen Jixue’s face. Shen Jixue’s lips were pursed and his cheeks tense. He wasn’t managing his expression very well; he didn’t realize he was putting on a tough front.

‘Are you planning to leave?’

Shen Jixue’s big eyes blinked. ‘Yes, you have your own troubles, I don’t want to bother you too much.’

Chen Xian sighed inwardly. He couldn’t blame Shen Jixue for being too sensitive. After all, without sight, one’s thoughts would weigh much heavier than others’, Plus, his own attitude that morning hadn’t been good; anyone would have been upset by it.

‘What happened this morning… I spoke too harshly.’ Chen Xian tentatively reached for Shen Jixue’s hand. When warmth approached, Shen Jixue withdrew, leaving Chen Xian grasping at air.

Stepping back two paces, Shen Jixue said, “I shouldn’t have said so much. Your matters should be decided by you. I was too presumptuous.”

Their relationship wasn’t that close yet. He was just a pitiful person taken in by Chen Xian’s kindness. It wasn’t his place to meddle in his affairs.

‘I’m not blaming you. What you said was true. I just… I just…’ Even a man like Chen Xian felt ashamed to admit his failures. ‘I just didn’t want to admit that Jiang Ying left me for someone else. I wasn’t mad at you, I was just struggling with myself.’

Once he admitted it, Chen Xian felt a weight lift off his chest. Facing his own broken life didn’t seem so hard to talk about anymore.

“Just now, Wu Bie and I found Jiang Ying.” Speaking up to this point, Chen Xian noticed Shen Jixue’s ears twitch. Clearly, he was listening intently. Chen Xian continued, “She’s pregnant. Seeing it with my own eyes is far more shocking than hearing about it. Initially, I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what I did wrong for her to be with someone else. But… she said some really hurtful things. I realize it’s not my fault. She’s the one who betrayed our marriage. I shouldn’t be angry with myself, or with you.”

When Shen Jixue didn’t speak, his body language was clear. As his anger dissipated, his shoulders relaxed. Chen Xian noticed and attempted to touch him again. This time, Shen Jixue hesitated but didn’t pull away. Encouraged, Chen Xian firmly held his wrist and guided him to sit on the sofa nearby.

‘Now that you’ve found her, are you going to get your money back?’ Shen Jixue had just withdrawn from his angry state, his demeanor and tone not quite natural.

Chen Xian briefly recounted what had happened earlier, and when the atmosphere grew tense, his tone became heavier. ‘I didn’t expect her to become so difficult, willing to twist right and wrong just for money.’

Hearing Chen Xian’s angry tone, Shen Jixue hesitated for a moment before asking softly, ‘What do you plan to do?’

Chen Xian deflated. He didn’t know what to do next; he had no way to deal with Jiang Ying. It seemed Jiang Ying had also figured this out, which was why she was being so stubborn.

‘Do you want the money back?’ Shen Jixue deliberately paused, his voice softening, ‘Or do you want to salvage your relationship with her?’

Even if he wanted to salvage it, there would always be a gap between them. Besides, now that there was a child involved, Chen Xian hadn’t sunk so low as to raise another man’s child.

‘I just want to get back what’s mine.’

Seeing Chen Xian so determined, Shen Jixue spoke up, “I don’t know much about this, but I’ve seen legal topics discussed by senior law students. Chen Xian, if you want to protect your interests, you’d better find a lawyer.”

“Lawsuit?” Despite his extreme anger, Chen Xian preferred an amicable separation, resolving the divorce through communication.

“Are you still thinking about Jiang Ying…” Seeing Chen Xian hesitate, Shen Jixue thought he still couldn’t let go of Jiang Ying, leaving a small space for her in his heart, reluctant to bring their matters to court.

Chen Xian understood what Shen Jixue was thinking. Given his indecisive nature, it was natural for Shen Jixue to think so.

“No, I’m not.” Chen Xian’s tone was low but firm, “I must get my money back. I just hadn’t thought about hiring a lawyer before.”

Hearing Chen Xian’s explanation, Shen Jixue felt relieved. “It’s normal for ordinary people to lack legal awareness and act on their own preferences. For professional matters, we should consult professionals.”

Since Chen Xian accepted the suggestion to hire a lawyer, Shen Jixue had to address the issue of money. For people like them, money was a very real problem. Without it, nothing could be done. He didn’t know Chen Xian’s current financial situation or if he had enough savings for a lawsuit.

“Chen Xian, hiring a lawyer will cost money. How much, I can’t say.”

Chen Xian understood the logic of paying for services. He patted Shen Jixue’s hand, “It’s not about the money; it’s about standing up for myself.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the iron door was pushed open with a “bang.” Wu Bie rushed in, out of breath, fearing that Chen Xian might still be soft-hearted towards Jiang Ying.

“What’s not about the money… it’s all about the money… Chen Xian… don’t be wishy-washy…”

Chen Xian was startled by the noise and instinctively checked Shen Jixue’s reaction. But Shen Jixue didn’t seem scared.

“Xiao Shen was suggesting hiring a lawyer,” Chen Xian explained. Seeing Wu Bie out of breath, he asked, “Why are you back? Didn’t you eat at the restaurant?”

Wu Bie plopped down on the sofa, wiped the sweat from his face, and snapped, “You just left without a word, leaving me alone. How could you?

Chen Xian knew Shen Jixue wasn’t comfortable and didn’t want Wu Bie to lose face, so he quietly opened the plastic bag containing the food and separated the two of them.

“Since you’re back, let’s eat together.”

Wu Bie was starving and eagerly opened the lunchbox, shoveling two big mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. “Hiring a lawyer is the right move. Damn it, otherwise, Jiang Ying would think she can bully you easily.”

Chen Xian wanted to remind Wu Bie not to use foul language in front of Shen Jixue, but he also knew Wu Bie was angry because of his situation. He responded with a simple “Mm-hmm” and then took Shen Jixue’s hand, placing the open lunch box in it.

“This is a boxed meal. Hold the chopsticks properly.”

Even though it was hot outside, the food was still warm after half an hour, and the warmth from the plastic bowl spread to Shen Jixue’s palm. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You’re helping me too,” Chen Xian replied, grabbing his own meal. He noticed that Shen Jixue was struggling to eat. He could use chopsticks, but the food was packed tightly in the box, causing it to fall out with every bite. Shen Jixue seemed to notice this and tried to pick up the fallen food, but couldn’t find it after fumbling around.

Chen Xian got up, fetched a large bowl and a spoon from the kitchen, took the lunchbox from Shen Jixue’s hands, and transferred the food into the bowl, giving him the spoon.

“Here, this will be easier for you.”

After switching the utensils, Chen Xian silently cleaned up the food on the floor and then started eating his meal.

Wu Bie had already finished his food and was lounging on the sofa, patting his stomach. He wanted to say something several times but held back, seeing how adeptly Chen Xian was taking care of Shen Jixue.