The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 65

“Stop fiddling with that piece of junk.” Wu Bie slept all the way and was awakened by the sound of the bus entering the passenger terminal. Turning back, he saw Chen Xian still playing with the stone he bought from the neighboring province.

That stone was just a trick for tourists. Normally, no one would bother to pick it up if it fell on the ground. But once placed in the speciality shop at the station, it transformed and its value doubled. Twenty yuan, isn’t it better to have a nice lunch? With meat and vegetables, and even a bottle of beer, why buy such a piece of junk?

“You’ve got too much money to burn. There are stones everywhere. Why do you have to buy this thing from afar?” Wu Bie wiped his face. He really wanted to snatch it away and throw it out the window.

Chen Xian put the stone in his pocket and explained with a smile, “I promised Xiao Shen before we left that I’d bring him a gift when I got back. Since we’re busy and can’t go shopping, I bought one from the station’s specialty shop.”

Crazy. Once it’s related to Shen Jixue, Chen Xian’s mind seemed to be completely empty, losing the ability to think normally.

The bus stopped just right. The passengers on the bus were eager to get off and fetch their luggage. Wu Bie couldn’t sit still either. After wiping his face, he pulled Chen Xian off the bus.

Knowing that Chen Xian was thinking about Shen Jixue, after meeting Zhang ge and explaining everything, Wu Bie, who rarely considered others, said understandingly, “Give me the stuff, and I’ll take it back for you.”

“Don’t you want to come with me to see Xiao Shen?”

Wu Bie widened his eyes. “Sometimes I really doubt whether you can’t read people’s expressions or if you’re just naive. I don’t like Shen Jixue. You pretend not to know that, right?”

Chen Xian burst out laughing, “I know you’re just annoyed.”

But from his understanding of Wu Bie, Wu Bie was annoyed, but he didn’t really dislike Shen Jixue. For him, Shen Jixue was just a stranger who reached out to help.

“Really not going?” Chen Xian tilted his head, looking sincerely into Wu Bie’s eyes.

Wu Bie frowned decisively. “No.”

What’s the point of going? He knew Chen Xian must have a lot to say to Shen Jixue after not seeing him for so long. Should he rush over and witness their affectionate reunion?

With that, he pushed past Chen Xian without looking back, heading towards the dormitory building. Chen Xian waited until Wu Bie’s figure had completely disappeared from sight before hurrying towards the hospital.

“Shen Jixue, would you like to try the cake my mom made?” Lin Qiao opened the food container, and the aroma of cake instantly filled the entire ward.

Patients in their ward came and went, changing several times, but they had stayed the longest and had the closest relationship.

Lin Qiao and her parents were warm-hearted people. After Shen Jixue got used to it, he could finally talk to Lin Qiao. He took the cake handed over by Lin Qiao and thanked her softly.

“How are you today?”

Shen Jixue didn’t feel anything special. Sometimes the light was particularly strong, and he could vaguely feel the movement of figures. Being unable to see for so long, he wasn’t sure if those moving shadows were real.

“Not bad.”

Lin Qiao sighed, unable to hide her envy. “You’re doing well. The doctor said your eyes are recovering well. You’ll be able to remove the gauze in a few days.”

Lin Qiao’s surgery was in a few days. Despite her usually carefree and lively demeanor, she would also feel nervous before going into surgery. Shen Jixue could understand; he empathized because he felt the same way.

A failed surgery meant a lot of things. It not only affected personal health but also touched the hearts of family members. He didn’t want to disappoint those who cared about him.

Lin Qiao was younger than him. Shen Jixue patiently comforted her, “We promised to be discharged together in good health. You can’t lose heart at this time. It’s not like you.”

With her chin up, Lin Qiao approached Shen Jixue, somewhat spirited. Curious, she asked, “So, in your opinion, what kind of person am I?”

“Quite positive.” Shen Jixue hadn’t relaxed and chatted with someone his age in a long time. He wasn’t good at comforting or praising others; his words came out rather barren.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiao got off her bed and sat at Shen Jixue’s bedside. She was not convinced and pressed, “What does ‘quite positive’ mean? Are you complimenting me? That’s such a bland word. Think about it again.”

A girl’s sweet voice suddenly came from the ward. Chen Xian had just asked the doctor about Shen Jixue’s condition and hurried to the ward. Now he stood outside the ward.

He was somewhat surprised. Shen Jixue, who was usually reserved and aloof with outsiders, could actually talk so much with this girl.

Earlier, Chen Xian felt that Shen Jixue’s social circle was too small, partly due to his vision impairment. He always revolved around him, putting all his energy into him, maintaining vigilance towards people and events outside. It was a good thing that Shen Jixue could interact normally with people; he was meeting more people… would he gradually lose interest in him and gradually return to normal?

It seemed natural for boys to like girls. He had always avoided his feelings for Shen Jixue, always feeling it was impossible. Now, hearing Shen Jixue chat happily with others, he couldn’t describe the feeling.

“Hey? Who are you looking for? Why aren’t you going in?” Lin Qiao’s father came back with the payment slip and saw a man standing at the door of the ward. The man hesitated to enter, so he came forward to ask curiously.

The noise stopped in the ward, and Lin Qiao turned her head to look outside the door. When she saw Chen Xian, she suddenly felt that the man in front of her seemed familiar, but for a moment, she couldn’t remember where she had seen him before.

The sudden silence made Shen Jixue a little bewildered. He also faced the door, and the sparse light filtered through the gauze, causing vague shadows to flicker before his eyes. He couldn’t see clearly, but a familiar feeling surged in his heart. Was that person Chen Xian?

Several pairs of eyes looked at him together. Chen Xian smiled awkwardly and pointed at Shen Jixue, “I… I’m looking for him, Xiao Shen…”

From initially being stunned, Shen Jixue gradually became pleasantly surprised. His mouth couldn’t help but curl up, and he hurriedly climbed out of bed.

“Chen! Chen Xian!”

Fearing he might fall, Chen Xian stepped forward and supported him. “It’s me, it’s me. Don’t get too excited.”

Shen Jixue tightly clung to his arms, his fingers constantly touching Chen Xian as if to confirm that the person in front of him was real.

Lin Qiao returned to her bed, carefully observing the man in front of her. Chen Xian, whom she had seen once before. No wonder he seemed familiar. This was the person Shen Jixue had been yearning for day and night.

This Chen Xian was ordinary and didn’t possess any extraordinary qualities. Why exactly did Shen Jixue have him in mind?

Noticing the girl’s curious gaze, Chen Xian nodded to her in acknowledgment. She was quite pretty. For some reason, seeing her, Chen Xian felt that she and Shen Jixue were well-matched.

“Hello.” Lin Qiao was very straightforward and greeted Chen Xian first.

“Hello.” Chen Xian regained his senses. 

Lin Qiao’s father soon took Lin Qiao for tests. Now that Lin Qiao had left, only Shen Jixue and Chen Xian remained in the ward, with no outsiders around. Chen Xian breathed a sigh of relief.

“I just asked the doctor, and he said you’re recovering well. How are you feeling?”

The dark figure in front of him gradually became clearer. Shen Jixue suppressed his inner joy. He touched Chen Xian’s shoulder and slowly moved closer. With visual perception, the touch would feel more real. It was Chen Xian, really Chen Xian.

Seeing Shen Jixue silent, Chen Xian was very worried. “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Shen Jixue shook his head desperately. He couldn’t control the trembling of his body. He leaned against Chen Xian’s shoulder and finally hugged him tightly.

“Feeling fine.”

Chen Xian raised his arm hesitantly, then embraced Shen Jixue, gently patting his back. “I intended to call you before your surgery.”

“I know you were busy,” Shen Jixue leaned against Chen Xian’s shoulder, shifted position, and hoarsely continued, “I was quite scared before going into the operating room.”

This surgery was fearful whether done or not; when facing unknown fears, human instinct is to retreat.

“But after going in and being anesthetized, I didn’t feel much.”

Chen Xian felt heartbroken and wanted to do something to compensate Shen Jixue. After thinking for a while, he remembered the stone in his pocket. “Right, I got you a gift.”

Something heavy was placed into Shen Jixue’s hand, still warm with Chen Xian’s body heat. He touched it for a while before realizing it was a stone.

“I promised you, I’d bring you a gift when I returned.”

Shen Jixue repeatedly rubbed the surface of the stone. He didn’t care what it was; as long as it was from Chen Xian, it was precious to him.

“Expensive?”

Chen Xian sighed softly. “How expensive can a stone be? It’s from a local specialty shop, just a keepsake.”

“A specialty shop that only tourists would visit,” Shen Jixue felt a bit sorry about the money.

“When you’re better, we’ll find a chance to travel.”

Previously, he thought the words “when you’re better” were too distant. Now, the hope was right before his eyes. Shen Jixue grabbed Chen Xian’s sleeve. “You’ve been to many places.”

“If you want to go, we can go in the future.”

Shen Jixue pressed, “Really? Will you take me?”

Chen Xian felt that many things would change when Shen Jixue recovered, but he couldn’t stand Shen Jixue’s pitiful tone, his soft-heartedness was incurable.

“Mm, I’ll take you.”

Shen Jixue’s hand touched Chen Xian’s cheek, fumbling for a while before finding Chen Xian’s lips.

Chen Xian seemed to anticipate what he wanted to do. Suddenly, his lips felt soft, and Shen Jixue kissed him.

Chen Xian held his breath. There was no one else in the ward, but people occasionally passed by outside the door. He kept an eye on the movements outside with his peripheral vision.

This kiss was longer than any before. Chen Xian felt something wet licked his lips. He realized it was Shen Jixue’s tongue. He was about to speak, and Shen Jixue’s tongue entered his mouth.

An electric current ran from his lips to his head, leaving him momentarily forgetting what to do, until Shen Jixue finally let go of him, satisfied.

“Chen Xian, I missed you so much.”