The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 72

“What are we eating? If it’s not good, I’m not coming.” Wu Bie pretended to be picky, but despite his words, he hurriedly followed Chen Xian.

As soon as they reached the hallway, they saw that the iron door of Chen Xian’s house was open. Wu Bie instinctively felt it was someone familiar. Once inside, he saw that Shen Jixue had returned. Wasn’t he supposed to be in the hospital?

“Sit for a while. I’ll go buy more groceries. I’m afraid what I bought this morning won’t be enough.” Chen Xian took some money and his phone and left, leaving Wu Bie and Shen Jixue alone.

Wu Bie rolled his eyes at Shen Jixue, too lazy to greet him. He grabbed the remote, threw himself onto the loveseat, put his legs on the armrest, and started watching TV.

Shen Jixue didn’t say a word, quietly observing him. Wu Bie was about the same height as Chen Xian, with darker skin. His body was not too thin or overly muscular, just right for someone doing physical labor, and he looked quite spirited.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Jixue guessed that Wu Bie didn’t know about his restored vision yet. His thoughts were clearly written on his face, showing a lack of caution.

There were no good programs on at this time. Wu Bie, with little patience, flipped through several channels without finding anything he liked. Frustrated, he sat up abruptly and threw the remote aside.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shen Jixue. For some reason, he felt like a gaze was coming from Shen Jixue’s direction. He looked back several times, and Shen Jixue was always facing him.

Weird, could Shen Jixue be looking at him?

Wu Bie frowned and turned to stare directly at Shen Jixue. Shen Jixue remained unresponsive, expressionless, with no emotion in his eyes.

That shouldn’t be.

“Wu Bie.”

Shen Jixue suddenly spoke, startling Wu Bie so much he almost screamed.

“What?!”

Shen Jixue withdrew his gaze. “The money for my treatment, did Chen Xian borrow it from you?”

“Most of our money is invested in the ship. I only lent him a portion. He borrowed the rest from close colleagues.”

Wu Bie glanced at Shen Jixue. Chen Xian’s generosity was well-known. He couldn’t be bothered to say more about Chen Xian. Moreover, being blind was pitiful. If it could be treated, it should be. He just hoped Shen Jixue had a conscience and wouldn’t be ungrateful like Jiang Ying.

“You know, borrowing money these days is tough. Talking about money can ruin even the best relationships. Chen Xian had to beg and plead, and people lent to him because they knew he was honest. Borrowing isn’t free either; it all comes with interest.”

Shen Jixue had somewhat guessed this, but hearing it from Wu Bie made him feel even worse.

Wu Bie initially wanted to remind Shen Jixue to remember Chen Xian’s kindness and be grateful, but seeing his downcast eyes, he held back his words.

“My uncle came over.”

Shen Jixue suddenly said. Wu Bie looked at him blankly, then reacted, “Damn! What did he want?”

Money, money, money.

Thinking about how hard it was for Chen Xian to gather the money and how Shen Jun dared to covet it, Shen Jixue’s anger grew. He wished he could…

“He wanted money, so I told him to come and get it. I said I’d have Chen Xian bring me back tonight, open the door, give him the bankbook and documents, and leave with him.”

Wu Bie’s eyes widened, “You…”

“If he dares to come, we can call the police and catch him.”

“Huh?” Wu Bie’s anger halted, confused by Shen Jixue’s plan.

“If we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll keep thinking about this money. I don’t want him affecting Chen Xian.”

“Will they really lock him up?” Wu Bie asked.

Shen Jixue shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe they will, maybe not for long, but it’ll scare him. He’s not that brave.”

Hearing he might be released, Wu Bie grumbled, “Letting him out would be too easy on him.”

“Then we’ll put him in a sack, beat him up, and then call the police.”

Wu Bie was stunned. This seemingly gentle boy had a fierce side. He looked into Shen Jixue’s bright eyes, feeling more puzzled.

“Chen Xian wouldn’t do something like that.” Shen Jixue stared at Wu Bie, implying that they had to do it themselves.

Beating up Shen Jun wasn’t difficult. Wu Bie had disliked him for a long time. If Chen Xian hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve dealt with Shen Jun when they went to the neighboring province. He was just puzzled by Shen Jixue, who seemed different somehow, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Before Wu Bie could voice his doubts, Chen Xian’s voice came from the hallway, “I bought a fish. Let’s make spicy fish.”

Shen Jixue immediately stood up and walked towards the door to greet Chen Xian. Wu Bie saw a small stool in the way. Just as he was about to move it, Shen Jixue stepped right over it.

Huh?

Wu Bie’s eyes widened. How did he manage that?

He saw Shen Jixue accurately take the bag from Chen Xian and put it in the kitchen.

“I’m worried Xiao Shen can’t eat spicy food. Let’s use the fish head to make soup.”

“He!” Wu Bie stood up abruptly, pointing at Shen Jixue as if he had made a huge discovery, his pupils and nostrils dilating simultaneously. “He can see! Chen Xian! He can see!”

Chen Xian gave a dry laugh, “Yeah, I called you here to celebrate Xiao Shen being discharged from the hospital.”

“Then, then… when… when did he get the bandages removed? Why didn’t you tell me?” Wu Bie suddenly stammered.

Chen Xian stiffened and tugged at Wu Bie’s sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

In front of Wu Bie, Shen Jixue was considerate enough not to show any displeasure or hold a grudge against Chen Xian for making him remove the bandages on his own.

“Today,” Shen Jixue answered Wu Bie’s question.

Wu Bie looked at Shen Jixue like he was a monster. No wonder he felt something was off with him today; it turned out he could see. A strange feeling lingered in Wu Bie’s heart. Previously, Shen Jixue couldn’t see, so as someone with good eyesight, Wu Bie had an advantage and could communicate with Chen Xian through glances. Now that Shen Jixue could see, there were no secrets between him and Chen Xian anymore.

“He…” Wu Bie hid beside Chen Xian.

Chen Xian was amused by Wu Bie’s reaction, “What are you doing? Xiao Shen isn’t a wild beast.”

But wasn’t he? When his eyes were blind, he had already enchanted Chen Xian. Now that his eyes were healed, who knows what might happen…

Wu Bie’s inquisitive eyes roamed over the two of them, and coincidentally, he saw the bite mark on Chen Xian’s neck. He shivered involuntarily, feeling a blackness before his eyes, and didn’t dare to think further.

Dinner went peacefully, mostly because Wu Bie remained quiet, likely due to the shock of Shen Jixue being able to see. He didn’t even make a fuss about drinking.

“When is your uncle coming?” Wu Bie felt uneasy and wanted to solve Shen Jun’s matter quickly and return home.

Shen Jixue replied, “I guess he’s hiding somewhere now. It’s getting dark early; if we turn off the lights early, he definitely won’t be able to hold back.”

By eight o’clock, it was completely dark. Wu Bie pretended to leave Chen Xian’s house, taking the chance to smoke at the door. He saw a shadow sneaking around the gate. Sure enough, he was here. After finishing his cigarette, Wu Bie went upstairs with it still in his mouth.

In the winter months, the wind was strong at night, and it got dark quickly. The dormitory compound of the shipping company was deserted. Shen Jun paced at the gate, watching as someone left Chen Xian’s house. After a while, some houses turned off their lights, presumably for sleep. By ten o’clock, the light in Chen Xian’s window also went out.

The dormitory building was silent. Shen Jun didn’t waste any time, tiptoeing upstairs, careful not to wake the voice-activated lights. He finally reached Chen Xian’s door, pressed against the window, and peered inside. It was pitch dark; he couldn’t see anything. Just as he was wondering how to contact Shen Jixue, there was a light tap on the window, and Shen Jixue’s voice came from inside.

“Uncle? Is that you?” Shen Jixue lowered his voice.

Shen Jun was overjoyed, “Yes, it’s me. Has Chen Xian fallen asleep? Hurry and open the door; we’ll leave as soon as we find the stuff.”

After a moment of silence, Shen Jun heard the lock click open. The door was soon opened from the inside. Through the iron gate, Shen Jixue asked, “No one saw you, right?”

“No, everyone’s asleep. No one saw me.”

Shen Jixue slowly opened the iron gate, whispering to Shen Jun, “I don’t dare turn on the light; I’m afraid of waking Chen Xian. Uncle, please look for the bankbook in the bedroom cabinet. I’m afraid of making noise. Chen Xian withdrew ten thousand yuan today and put it in the cabinet.”

Shen Jun, who had been somewhat hesitant, was only momentarily so. Given the situation, they would take the money and run; the ten thousand yuan would be a nice bonus.

The bedroom door was open, and light from the bedroom window illuminated the living room floor. Shen Jun fumbled towards the light source and found a bundle of money in the drawer. Not bothering to count if it was ten thousand, he stuffed it into his pocket. Just as he was about to take the bankbook, he heard the sound of the door locking.

Shen Jun turned his head, and his vision went black as something covered his head. He was then subjected to punches and kicks from all directions, like a headless fly, unable to dodge, and could only curl up in the sack, begging for mercy.

“Stop! Stop hitting… Shen Jixue! You… you tricked me again!”

Chen Xian turned on the light, looking incredulously at Wu Bie and Shen Jixue. Shen Jixue had only said to call the police to have Shen Jun arrested, not to beat him up.

“You two…”

Wu Bie wiped the sweat off his face, pretending to know nothing, and solemnly said, “There’s a thief. Call the police.”

The police arrived quickly, taking everyone to record statements. With the money in Shen Jun’s pocket, he was caught red-handed. No matter how he tried to argue, he couldn’t escape the charge of breaking and entering.

After leaving the police station, Chen Xian remained silent, his expression serious. Back at the dormitory building, Wu Bie slipped away at the stairway, leaving Shen Jixue to face Chen Xian alone.