The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 78

The perception of time is contradictory. Time seemed to pass slowly as Chen Xian and Shen Jixue were often apart, spending most of their time waiting. Yet, time also seemed to fly by, and soon, Shen Jixue would graduate from university.

“What are you looking at?” Wu Bie asked, curious as Chen Xian stared at his phone.

Chen Xian pointed at the calendar on his phone, “Ah Xue is already writing his graduation thesis. Once he’s done with school, I can pick him up. I’m checking the dates to see if I need to request leave in advance.”

He had missed the day Shen Jixue had surgery, missed the day he got his stitches removed, missed many important moments. He and Shen Jixue both knew that ordinary life doesn’t have many ceremonial moments. They were both being pushed forward by life. Even so, he hoped to be by Shen Jixue’s side on this important day.

Over the years, Wu Bie had become used to it. From initially not accepting that Shen Jixue liked Chen Xian, to not accepting their relationship, to not accepting Chen Xian being a bottom, he had come to terms with it all. He could now listen to Chen Xian talk about Shen Jixue without any emotional turmoil.

There was about a month left, but once the ship set out, it was uncertain when they would return.

“Then don’t go on the next trip. Just stay home and wait,” Wu Bie suggested. He suddenly realized that Shen Jixue would soon graduate and no longer be a naive student. When they next met, he would be a young adult. This change was subtle. “By the way, does he have a job lined up?”

Graduation often meant unemployment. The first lesson adults face is finding a job. Shen Jixue might struggle to find one.

Chen Xian scratched his head, “I’m not as educated as he is. What advice can I give him? I told him I’d support him no matter what job he takes. It’s up to him.”

“How can you let him decide? What if he wants to stay at the school?”

Shen Jixue had just finished college and hadn’t paid back the money to Chen Xian yet. If he decided to stay there, Chen Xian would end up losing both the person and the money.

Chen Xian was at a loss, “If he really wants to stay, I can only let him.”

“Your passivity irritates me,” Wu Bie fumed, “You were like this with Jiang Ying and now with Shen Jixue. Don’t you understand? You need to keep people close. Too much freedom isn’t good. Look at what happened with Jiang Ying.”

Chen Xian sighed, “I get it. If possible, I’d want Shen Jixue to come back, but I’m often away. If I’m not around, I can’t expect him to stay home for me. If he has his own plans, I want him to follow his own path.”

“You’re making yourself out to be noble while I’m the selfish one.”

It’s not about being noble. When you like someone, you lower your stance, constantly considering their well-being and ignoring your own feelings. For him, giving more to Shen Jixue provided more satisfaction than demanding from him.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. They turned to see an unexpected visitor: Jiang Ying. The child in her arms had grown, her hair had lengthened, but she looked sickly and thin.

“Why are you here?” Chen Xian hurried to open the door. Since Shen Jixue had driven Jiang Ying away, she hadn’t contacted him.

Jiang Ying dressed stylishly, carrying a large shoulder bag and sporting the latest trendy curls. Despite her refined makeup, her face still showed signs of fatigue.

“Say hello to uncle,” Jiang Ying prompted the little girl. The girl, obedient but not very articulate, tried to greet them.

The two burly men softened at the sight of the little girl, and Wu Bie’s expression towards Jiang Ying improved significantly.

“Weren’t you in Zhejiang?” Chen Xian asked.

Jiang Ying put down her bag and slowly recounted her experiences over the years. She hadn’t lied to Chen Xian; she did go to Zhejiang and found her man, but he didn’t want her or the child. Alone in a foreign place, she had no one to rely on. Even if she returned home, she had nowhere to go, so she decided to stay and work in Zhejiang.

Originally, after pleading with her parents for a long time and vowing to send money back every month, they finally agreed to help take care of the child. However, just as her own life was starting to stabilize, she received a call from her parents saying her daughter had developed pneumonia after a high fever. She hastily abandoned her job in Zhejiang and rushed back to bring her daughter by her side.

“I don’t know if it’s because she didn’t have much breast milk when she was young. Her health has always been poor, with constant serious and minor illnesses. It’s fortunate that I can earn money now; otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Chen Xian glanced at Wu Bie, but neither of them responded.

Jiang Ying continued, lost in her thoughts: “If medical treatment fails, I’ll have to resort to praying to gods and Buddhas. I don’t know if it’s true or false; maybe it’s just me making reckless decisions out of desperation. The fortune-teller said I owe too much to others, and it’s all coming back to haunt my daughter.”

In her original family, her parents favored sons over daughters, so she was never treated well. That’s why she was selfish, always thinking about treating herself better. Now that she had a daughter, she didn’t want her to suffer the same fate.

At this point, Jiang Ying looked up at Chen Xian, who was taken aback. She then took out several stacks of cash from her shoulder bag.

“You…”

Jiang Ying pushed the money towards Chen Xian. “Take it, consider it repayment.”

“This…” Chen Xian looked at Jiang Ying with hesitation. He wasn’t the kind to kick someone when they’re down. They had already gone their separate ways, settled their past issues. He didn’t want to dwell on the past. “You need it for your child’s treatment; you keep it.”

Not even Wu Bie could accept this money, let alone Chen Xian. If Jiang Ying were alone, it might be different, but she had a child now. Taking this money would make it seem like they were bullying them.

“Let’s forget about the past…” Chen Xian didn’t know how to comfort Jiang Ying.

Jiang Ying didn’t move the money and looked at Chen Xian for a while before changing the subject calmly. “Enough about me. How about you now? Married or still single?”

“I…” Chen Xian was about to answer when the iron gate outside clanged loudly, and the wooden door was pushed open forcefully, letting in the glaring sunlight.

The three turned around to see a tall figure standing backlit with luggage in hand, casting a shadow that blocked out much of the sunlight.

Chen Xian opened his mouth wide and took a while to find his voice. “Ah… Ah Xue? Wasn’t it still a few months before you were coming back?”

“If I didn’t come back, would there still be a place for me here?” Shen Jixue retorted, wondering if he had interrupted something.

Chen Xian quickly got up, took the suitcase from Shen Jixue’s hands, and after putting it away, he pulled him to sit on the sofa.

“That’s not what I meant. I was going to pick you up. Why did you come back by yourself?”

Shen Jixue didn’t explain much to Chen Xian, his gaze stopping at the several wads of cash on the coffee table. He glanced at the money, then at the three people in the living room.

Jiang Ying was the first to react. When she first saw Shen Jixue, she was a little surprised. That dry, matter-of-fact blind kid had grown so tall and muscular now. Were his eyes… better?

“This money is what I owe Chen Xian.” Jiang Ying explained simply, “Consider it a token of my apology to him.”

Chen Xian quickly waved his hand, but Shen Jixue beat him to it, swiftly pulling the money in front of him. “We’ll take the money. You keep your apology.”

Jiang Ying looked at Chen Xian in confusion. Chen Xian managed an awkward smile, turned his head, and quietly called Shen Jixue’s name, “Ah Xue.”

Rarely did Shen Jixue glare at Chen Xian, indicating that he should not speak.

“Are your eyes… better?” Jiang Ying tentatively asked.

“They’re better.” Shen Jixue replied emotionlessly. He didn’t feel embarrassed about accepting the money spent on his eyes.

Chen Xian attempted to return the money to Jiang Ying. “Ah Xue, about this money…”

Shen Jixue firmly grasped Chen Xian’s hand, his eyes wide open, instantly immobilizing Chen Xian.

“It’s okay, Chen Xian, just take it. I’ve already delivered the money, so I won’t bother you anymore,” Jiang Ying said as she picked up the child and stood up.

Wu Bie realized Shen Jixue had returned, but Chen Xian couldn’t leave to see off Jiang Ying. He didn’t want to be a third wheel and said, “Then I’ll walk Jiang Ying out.”

Leaving Chen Xian’s house, Jiang Ying only let Wu Bie accompany her to the doorway. When they parted, she couldn’t help but stop Wu Bie.

“Wu Bie, why is Shen Jixue still living at Chen Xian’s?” She found Chen Xian and Shen Jixue’s relationship strange, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was odd.

Wu Bie awkwardly scratched his head. “It’s because… they’re dating now.”

“What?” Jiang Ying thought she misheard, but recalling Chen Xian’s attitude towards Shen Jixue, everything started to make sense. “But…”

Wu Bie rubbed his head, speaking frankly, “Don’t think too much about it. Shen Jixue has completely captured Chen Xian’s heart. Not even a mosquito could fly around Chen Xian now.”

Wu Bie refrained from saying more hurtful things. Even without Shen Jixue, Jiang Ying’s affair was what led to their divorce. Thinking this way, Shen Jixue seemed better in comparison, at least he wholeheartedly cared for Chen Xian.

Jiang Ying’s face stiffened. “I… I didn’t think like that. Forget it, I’m leaving.”

……

The atmosphere in the living room became tense. Chen Xian frowned as he looked at the cash on the table. He knew Shen Jixue was watching him. What should he do? Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, he still felt guilty.

Shen Jixue suppressed his anger. “My graduation thesis preparation is almost done, so I came back for exams and to bring back some luggage. I wanted to surprise you, but you surprised me first.”

Shen Jixue’s words always carried a hint of sarcasm, usually aimed at Wu Bie. It was the first time he had experienced such “treatment,” from Shen Jixue and he clearly struggled to cope with it.

“Surprise, what surprise, she’s just here to bring money…”

“Why didn’t you take the money? Do you pity her? Think she’s had it tough?”

Chen Xian’s temples throbbed as he replied, “No, I just saw her with her child. It’s not easy for the child, and besides… everything between us is in the past. What does accepting her money mean?”

“She’s had it tough, so does that mean we haven’t? You still haven’t paid back the money you owe your friends!”

Chen Xian was truly perplexed. Shen Jixue was still in college, how could he worry more about money than he did?

“Your friends see you as honest, they don’t rush you, and you still haven’t paid them back. Instead, you’re here cozying up to your ex-wife!”

Wasn’t this accusation baseless? Chen Xian felt wronged. He had detailed plans for repaying his friends’ loans, deducting monthly allowances and expenses for Shen Jixue, keeping some money for emergencies, and returning the rest to his friends.

“Fine, fine, take it.”

Now that the money had been accepted, clinging onto this issue would only lead to arguments with Shen Jixue. Shen Jixue had a temper, and he had to go along with what he wanted.

“You just mentioned exams. Aren’t exams taken at school? Why come back for exams?”

Shen Jixue was still sulking, speaking sharply, “You care about what exams I take? Your mind is elsewhere. I’ve gone to great lengths to find a job close to home, but you don’t care about me at all! You only care about your ex-wife!”

Chen Xian grabbed Shen Jixue’s wrist. Suddenly, he felt that Wu Bie was right. Shen Jixue was sensitive and insecure, he needed to be kept close.

“Answer me first. What exam are you taking? What job are you looking for?”

Shen Jixue’s eyes were red with anger. He didn’t want to answer Chen Xian, but when Chen Xian held him in his arms, he struggled symbolically and then stopped moving.

Since early on, he had been planning for the exams, always paying attention to job announcements in their city to ensure his studies weren’t delayed. He persisted in solving problems while maintaining his studies, aiming to secure a job before graduation.

He was afraid that Chen Xian would be happy in vain, waiting for the written and oral exams to pass smoothly before returning to share the good news with Chen Xian.

“You’re horrible! You met your ex-wife behind my back!”

Chen Xian was shocked and delighted. “Did you pass?”

“Don’t change the subject!”

Chen Xian smiled and held Shen Jixue’s restless hand. He wasn’t changing the subject; Shen Jixue was the most important thing to him now. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about anyone else.

“Have you been back for a while? Why are you being so secretive?”

He had indeed returned earlier and had even come back for the written test, but Chen Xian wasn’t home then.

“I hate you!” Shen Jixue twisted his wrist. He was strong, but he couldn’t break free from Chen Xian’s grip. Feeling frustrated, he bit Chen Xian’s neck lightly and let go as soon as he heard Chen Xian inhale sharply.

“Why are you so strong?” Chen Xian genuinely praised Shen Jixue. “Stop moving. You’re strong now; I can’t even hold you down. Jiang Ying arrived earlier. I really didn’t know she was coming.”

Shen Jixue stopped struggling, leaning weakly against Chen Xian’s shoulder like a dehydrated fish. Chen Xian continued, “I’ve told Wu Bie that I won’t sail with the ship next time; I’ll go to the school to pick you up.”

“Really?”

Chen Xian raised his hand in a swearing gesture, “Yes, really. When have I ever lied to you?”

There were still white lies out of goodwill. Shen Jixue snorted, and Chen Xian suddenly leaned closer and kissed him on the lips.

At first, this kiss was just a light touch, but gradually, with Shen Jixue’s response, it became somewhat passionate, until Chen Xian was pressed down on the sofa by Shen Jixue.

Chen Xian looked up at Shen Jixue and felt that there were still some things he needed to tell him in person, “I do care about you and your work. I’m just afraid that you might have other ideas. What if you want to stay at the school or have other plans? Wherever you are, I’ll support you. After all, a ship needs a shore to dock.”

His own life was actually quite unsettled, and he didn’t want Shen Jixue to feel constrained.

Shen Jixue’s eyes welled up with tears. He leaned over and hugged Chen Xian, “I know you have to go many places. You can’t be with me all the time. I’ll wait for you. Every time you come back, I’ll be the first one to greet you.”

Chen Xian was free, and Shen Jixue was willing to forever be his shore.

— End of the text —