The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 76

When they left, they were two people, but when they returned, it was only Chen Xian. He was always the one being sent off, but now it was his turn to send Shen Jixue. Facing the empty room alone, he truly realized that waiting was the most excruciating thing in the world.

“Knock knock,” the sound of someone knocking on the iron door interrupted his thoughts. He got up and looked towards the door, and Wu Bie had already reached in through the gap in the iron door, unlocking it with a click.

“You’re back?” Wu Bie said, collapsing on the sofa, “Finally sent that kid off.”

Chen Xian poured a glass of water for Wu Bie, “Don’t say that, Ah Xue just went to school. If he hears this, he won’t be happy.”

If he wasn’t happy, Chen Xian would have to coax him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but Wu Bie’s casual words brought unnecessary trouble, and that was not worth it.

“I don’t care if he’s happy or not. Anyway, he’s gone now, and it’s finally a bit quieter. Besides…” Wu Bie stopped mid-sentence, his smug smile gradually freezing, and he looked at Chen Xian with a strange expression, “Ah Xue?”

Chen Xian pursed his lips and had a faint smile on his face but didn’t explain.

“Ah Xue!” Wu Bie raised his voice several notches, sounding so exaggerated that he got goosebumps. Pointing incredulously at Chen Xian, he said, “Don’t tell me you two are…”

Chen Xian, who usually hesitated and was reserved, nodded openly.

Wu Bie stood up abruptly, gritting his teeth in anger. “What did I tell you? I asked you to send him away a long time ago. Now look at this mess. Not only have you spent money on him, but you’ve also gotten involved yourself. What kind of spell did he cast on you?”

“Sigh, don’t be so prejudiced against Ah Xue. You know what he’s been through.”

“So, you pity him?”

Chen Xian shook his head. He had said before that pity is a complex emotion, with more affection than pity. “I thought it through before getting together with him.”

“You!” Wu Bie’s eyes nearly shot out sparks. He had already warned Chen Xian to be wary of Shen Jixue’s ulterior motives, but Chen Xian still fell for it.

“And you say you’re not prejudiced against him.”

“Is this prejudice?” Wu Bie was too lazy to argue with Chen Xian. “Forget it, I don’t want to talk about that guy.”

Seeing Wu Bie acting like a spoiled child, Chen Xian found it amusing. He pushed a glass of water towards him. “Then what do you want to talk about?”

Wu Bie drank the water in one gulp. “I’ve been thinking. We’re both not the type to stay at home. Instead of hiring someone to work on the ship, why don’t we do it ourselves?”

Though he couldn’t control Chen Xian’s love life, they were perfectly in sync when it came to work.

Chen Xian nodded. “I thought the same. We can even earn an extra salary, and I need money right now.”

Before Wu Bie could feel happy about their agreement, his face fell when he heard that it was for Shen Jixue again.

“How can you change your orientation so casually?”

Wu Bie’s face darkened. “If you found a young and pretty woman, I might even praise you.”

“Isn’t Shen Jixue young and pretty? Just because he’s not a woman? You really are prejudiced against him. Give him a chance.”

Wu Bie gritted his teeth in frustration, pointing at Chen Xian for a long time without saying anything. “Forget it, I can’t be bothered with you. Anyway, we’re setting sail in a few days. Let’s just pack up and get back to our usual work.”

……

Life at school was fulfilling and busy. Shen Jixue’s routine was always the same: dormitory, classroom, library, and the sports field. After studying, he would always go for a run before the dorm closed. By the time he returned and washed up, he would almost fall asleep instantly. Occasionally, there were exceptions, like when he received a call from Chen Xian.

Shen Jixue climbed into bed, ready to sleep. He habitually checked his phone and saw a text message. Despite being tired, he suddenly felt energized. Other than Chen Xian, no one else would text him at this hour. He quickly opened the message.

“Call me back when you see this.”

Chen Xian’s ship must have docked, giving him a signal to send a message. Shen Jixue hurriedly called back, fearing Chen Xian might go back on board and lose signal again.

After just a couple of rings, Chen Xian’s voice came through the phone. “Hello? Ah Xue, are you back at the dorm?”

Shen Jixue turned over, finding a comfortable position to lie in. “Yeah, just finished showering.”

“Our ship is docked at the port in your city tonight. How about I take you out tomorrow?”

Shen Jixue almost sat up in bed. Although Chen Xian’s route passed through his city, the ship didn’t stop every time. Plans often changed, so Chen Xian rarely had the chance to visit him.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Shen Jixue felt a bit resentful. If Chen Xian had told him earlier, they could have met that night.

Chen Xian’s laughter came through the phone. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but there was no signal at sea. I bought you a gift from another province, and I think you’ll like it. I also got some local specialties, mostly food.”

Though Chen Xian didn’t visit often, he always came bearing gifts like a parent visiting a child, especially food.

“I told you not to spend money randomly. I’m here to study, not needing so much. The school has a canteen, and the food is sufficient.”

Shen Jixue had low demands for food. As long as it filled him up, he didn’t care much about the taste. While his roommates often got tired of the canteen food and went out, Shen Jixue never joined them.

Chen Xian was about to speak when he heard one of Shen Jixue’s roommates. “Jixue, you’re still up? Can I borrow your phone? Same old rule.”

Shen Jixue replied, “Wait a moment, I’ll lend it to you after this call.”

Chen Xian felt a bit gratified that Shen Jixue was helpful. He thought about ending the call since his roommate needed the phone, but he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

“What old rule?”

“Charging a fee, of course. One yuan per minute for local calls, and extra for long-distance.” Shen Jixue said confidently, “It’s a way to earn some phone bill money.”

Chen Xian opened his mouth, surprised by this rule. No wonder the phone bill he paid at the beginning of the year had lasted until now.

“I thought you were using your living expenses to pay for the phone bill.” Chen Xian had been worried that Shen Jixue was too frugal, so he specifically included phone bill money in his allowance. “You could just let your roommates use it for free. It doesn’t cost much.”

Oh, such worries. Over a year at school, and Chen Xian’s generosity hadn’t changed.

“Who says it’s not much? Long-distance calls with roaming charges are expensive, over twenty yuan for half an hour.” Shen Jixue thought to himself, only when talking to Chen Xian did he not worry about the cost. “Besides, they usually use the public phone. They only borrow mine in emergencies.”

So, it wasn’t that he was stubbornly doing business with his roommates; rather, he was providing convenience for them.

Chen Xian couldn’t argue with Shen Jixue. “You…”

Even though they could meet tomorrow, Shen Jixue was reluctant to hang up on Chen Xian. He wanted to chat for a bit, but an annoying voice interrupted.

“What’s there to talk about? Aren’t you going to his school tomorrow? Do you think phone calls are free?”

It was Wu Bie. Even just hearing his voice, Shen Jixue could imagine Wu Bie’s expression, probably rolling his eyes.

“A bunch of people are waiting for you to drink. Let’s go.”

“Got it, I’m coming.” Chen Xian waved to Wu Bie, signaling him to go inside first. He hadn’t even had a proper conversation with Shen Jixue yet and wanted to say a few more words before hanging up.

Actually, he really liked calling Shen Jixue at the riverside in the middle of the night after the ship docked. The damp, cold breeze brushing his face while hearing Shen Jixue’s sticky voice in his ear made his face feel hot, even if they weren’t discussing anything embarrassing.

Wu Bie, as if deliberately trying to mess with Shen Jixue, said, “Go ahead, I’ll wait here until you finish your call.”

Chen Xian was both amused and frustrated. How could Wu Bie be like this, staring at him intently, making it hard for him to talk to Shen Jixue.

Fortunately, Shen Jixue was considerate. “Go drink with your colleagues first.”

“I’ll call you when I get to your school tomorrow morning.” With Shen Jixue giving way, Chen Xian felt guilty. “Rest early.”

Before he hung up, Wu Bie mimicked Chen Xian’s tone, exaggerated and mocking, “Ew, rest early.”

Chen Xian, with a good temper, just smiled helplessly.

On the other end, Shen Jixue was furious. He threw down the phone and lay down angrily, making the bed creak.

“Jixue, are you done? Can I borrow the phone now?” his roommate asked cautiously.

Shen Jixue, still angry, snapped, “No.”

“Huh?”

Hearing his roommate’s confused voice, Shen Jixue felt he shouldn’t take it out on the innocent. He suppressed his anger, lifted the mosquito net, and handed the phone over. “Here, use it. I was joking.”

Putting down the mosquito net, Shen Jixue turned to face the wall, punching the bed hard.

Damn you Wu Bie!