The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 28

Chen Xian’s luggage was very simple, just some changes of clothes. He didn’t even need to prepare snacks. Two days seemed fleeting, leaving no room for hesitation.

“Don’t bother seeing me off.” Chen Xian held his bundle, standing at the door bidding farewell to Shen Jixue, “It’s troublesome for you to go upstairs alone.”

Shen Jixue covered the large hand on top of his head with both hands. Chen Xian’s palm was as he remembered, somewhat rough but broad and warm. At this moment of departure, his reluctance was multiplied many times over.

For some reason, his mood at this moment was the same as when his father left. He didn’t want Chen Xian to go, yet couldn’t find a reason to make him stay.

Seeing Shen Jixue on the verge of tears, Chen Xian sighed inwardly, changing the subject, “Wu Bie isn’t on the same ship as me. He won’t be leaving for a few more days. You can talk to him then. Although he has a bad temper, he’s a good person.”

Whether it was Aunt Wang or Wu Bie, apart from Chen Xian, Shen Jixue didn’t want to trouble anyone else. It could be said that apart from Chen Xian, he didn’t trust anyone else, but he also didn’t want Chen Xian to worry.

“Okay.”

Chen Xian’s hand slid from Shen Jixue’s head to his forehead, finally covering Shen his eyes, “Go inside, I’m leaving.”

Following Chen Xian’s guidance, Shen Jixue stepped back. The next moment, he heard the sound of the iron gate closing. He gripped the threshold of the iron gate with both hands, unable to see anything, only hearing Chen Xian’s footsteps gradually receding.

It was a good day today, the sun was shining brightly. As Chen Xian descended the stairs, he looked back at the direction of his home. The iron gate blocked half of the view, only allowing him to see the top of the gate. He couldn’t see Shen Jixue’s head, but he knew he must still be standing at the door, not leaving.

This trip wouldn’t take long. It was a short distance he specifically followed, at most a month. He would be back soon.

Chen Xian had lost count of how many times he had sighed that day. Why couldn’t he get over it as easily as when he left Jiang Ying? He hadn’t even left yet, but he was already feeling anxious.

Leaving the compound, he hailed a tricycle by the roadside and told the driver the destination was the pier. The tricycle set off in the direction of the dock.

The driver, a cheerful and talkative person, chatted with Chen Xian along the way after learning he was a sailor. Upon reaching their destination, the driver seemed reluctant to part ways.

“It’s still the freedom of sailing for you,” the driver said wistfully, looking at the cargo ships docked along the shore.

Chen Xian smiled and handed the driver some money. This freedom was relative; sailing felt like a form of confinement sometimes. No one could be reached, and calls could only be made when there was signal. Compared to those who lived and worked on land, it was a different world. At least they could see the people they wanted to see anytime.

People he wanted to see…

Chen Xian couldn’t think of anyone now who fit that description. Certainly not Jiang Ying. Apart from Shen Jixue, whom he could only consider a landlord-tenant relationship with, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

After taking his change, Chen Xian carried his luggage towards the cargo ship. Several sailors were busy loading cargo; Chen Xian greeted those he knew and made his way onto the deck, then into his cabin. He unpacked his clothes and neatly hung them in the wardrobe.

Although the room had been cleaned, Chen Xian still habitually wiped down the furniture. He used to have a habit of arranging photos, a way to remember people. Now, seeing the empty corner of the table, he felt a pang of emotion.

After tidying up, he heard the sound of the ship’s whistle. He glanced at the clock on the table; it was almost time. Before it was too late, he grabbed his phone, walked out of the cabin, off the ship, found a quiet corner on shore, and dialed home.

The call connected quickly. Chen Xian could almost picture Shen Jixue sitting alone on the sofa in the living room, as if waiting for this call.

“Hello?”

Hearing Shen Jixue’s cautious tone, Chen Xian felt unexpectedly bitter. Perhaps he was afraid it wasn’t him, afraid of false hope.

“Xiao Shen, it’s me,” Chen Xian racked his brain for what to say to him. “I’m on the ship now, and I’ll have to leave in a little while.”

He had said these farewell words countless times, yet it never seemed enough.

Shen Jixue softly responded, “Mm,” unsure what else to say. Afraid to say too much, lest Chen Xian sense his reluctance.

Just then, the ship’s whistle sounded again. Even though it wasn’t Chen Xian’s ship, it felt like an urging to hurry him along.

A few colleagues who had bought beer and snacks came down the nearby stone steps, seeing Chen Xian on the phone. Someone called out his name.

“Chen Xian, who are you calling?”

Chen Xian didn’t turn his head, just waved in the direction of the voice to indicate he would be there shortly.

“Be safe on your way,” Shen Jixue took the initiative. “Goodbye.”

The incessant whistle behind him made him feel unnecessarily hurried. His heart raced, feeling choked up.

“Mm, I’m hanging up,” Chen Xian said, but he didn’t hang up decisively. Glancing at the phone screen where time was still passing, he knew Shen Jixue was waiting for him to hang up.

But… Shen Jixue hadn’t said or done anything. That clingy feeling seemed to choke Chen Xian, preventing him from speaking. It was as if some inexplicable sentiment would escape if he spoke.

As soon as he pocketed the phone, Chen Xian hurried onto the deck. Meeting the colleague who had spoken earlier, he joked casually, “Who was I calling?”

Everyone knew about Chen Xian’s recent divorce, and the colleague quickly realized the question might not have been appropriate, trying to cover the awkwardness with humor.

“Why? Found a new girlfriend already?”

Chen Xian chuckled, “What girlfriend? Just a kid.”

Indeed, anyone else might have found a new partner by now, but Chen Xian was laid back and honest. He probably hadn’t moved on from the shadow of divorce yet; how could he move so quickly?

When the ship’s whistle sounded again, it was their cargo ship departing. Chen Xian stood on the deck, looking up towards the direction of the stone steps, and left.

He would be gone for nearly half a month. Almost every time he docked, he would call Shen Jixue. The smoother the journey, the less eventful it was, and there was nothing new for him to tell Shen Jixue.

Yet, they still hesitated to hang up, every time. After a brief silence on the phone, Shen Jixue couldn’t help but speak.

“Isn’t the long-distance call back expensive?”

Long-distance calls with roaming were indeed costly, but now he was a bachelor, enough to afford such calls.

“Why worry about that? I can afford the phone bill.” To stop Shen Jixue from overthinking, he asked casually, “Is everything going well at the massage parlor?”

“Quite smoothly. Today the master asked me to assist him, and he praised my progress, saying I would soon be qualified.”

Chen Xian replied, “Then after I return, I’ll have to ask you to give me a massage and see if you’ve really improved.”

“Sure.”

They fell into silence again. Shen Jixue wanted to say the phone bills were expensive, maybe they should hang up, but he couldn’t bring himself to say when Chen Xian would call next.

“Wu Bie also boarded the ship, right?” Chen Xian tried to keep the conversation going. “You’re alone at home now; if there’s anything…”

“Just ask Aunt Wang for help. You’ve said it many times; every time you call.”

Chen Xian also knew that he was quite boring, repeating the same few sentences over and over again. Shen Jixue was young and probably tired of hearing them long ago. He awkwardly chuckled, “Are you tired of listening?”

“No,” Shen Jixue quickly denied. It wasn’t that he was tired of listening; he just didn’t want Chen Xian to think of him as a child who needed things explained countless times.

Chen Xian sighed on the other end of the phone. He didn’t speak. Shen Jixue started to feel anxious; after all, they weren’t face-to-face, and he worried that his tone might be misunderstood.

“Really, I’m not tired, really.”

Chen Xian didn’t expect Shen Jixue to get nervous. He had just casually mentioned it. “Why are you nervous? I didn’t say I don’t believe you; if you say no, then it’s no.”

Chen Xian’s tone was like coaxing a child. Shen Jixue muttered, “Why do you always speak to me like this?”

“Like what?” Even Chen Xian himself didn’t know what tone he was using.

“Like you’re coaxing a child.”

Chen Xian couldn’t help but laugh. To him, wasn’t Shen Jixue just like a child? But Shen Jixue cared a lot; the older he got, the more he wanted to feel grown-up and not be treated like a child.

“Then how should I speak to you to treat you like an adult?”

Shen Jixue was puzzled by Chen Xian’s question. If you were an adult, you were an adult. What was there to be treated like an adult? 

“I’m hanging up.”

Chen Xian found Shen Jixue’s sulking tone amusing, but he didn’t know how to coax someone. He asked again, “You’re hanging up?”

“Yeah.” The next second, Shen Jixue hung up the phone directly, returned to his room sulking, and felt the pillow on the bedside that Chen Xian had slept on. He couldn’t help but bring it over and hugged it tightly.

The feeling of being filled in his arms made Shen Jixue feel reassured. After a moment, he regretted it a bit. Regretted hanging up impulsively. He hesitated for a moment, then went back to the living room with the pillow, and dialed Chen Xian’s number again.

There was no dial tone in the phone, just a cold female voice saying “Busy, Chen Xian was talking to someone?”

“Really hung up?” Chen Xian looked at the phone screen in surprise and muttered, “Why is he so temperamental? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

He was about to walk back to the ship when the phone suddenly rang. He thought it was Shen Jixue calling back. Looking at the caller ID, it was Wu Bie’s name.

At this time? Wasn’t Wu Bie supposed to be on the ship?

Without much thought, Chen Xian answered the phone, “Hello? Didn’t you set sail?”

“Chen Xian, there’s news about that blind kid’s dad.”

“Really!” Chen Xian got excited, his tone rising a lot, “So where is he now…”

Wu Bie interrupted him in a low voice, “Can’t explain in a few words over the phone. Have you gone back?”

“I’m already heading back.” Chen Xian was about to speak, but Wu Bie interrupted him again.

Wu Bie’s tone seemed off. “Let’s talk when you’re back.”