The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 9
Even though Shen Jixue couldn’t see Chen Xian’s expression, he could sense from his voice that he wasn’t really “fine.” He wanted to comfort him, as Chen Xian had comforted him before, but he couldn’t yet understand what it felt like for a man to be betrayed by his wife.
The public phone number had become Chen Xian’s only lead. Unable to think of another way, he intended to keep dialing the number.
As soon as Shen Jixue heard the dial tone, he guessed Chen Xian’s intention. He gently reminded, “That’s the number for a public phone.”
Chen Xian felt like he had been struck in a sore spot, raising his voice, “I know it’s a public phone!”
After yelling, his head buzzed. He looked up at Shen Jixue, who was only half a meter away. Even though their eyes didn’t meet, Chen Xian instinctively avoided Shen Jixue’s “gaze.”
He shouldn’t have snapped at him; he was just… he was just…
“Sorry.” Chen Xian put down the receiver, grabbed his keys, and headed out. “I’ll be back soon. Stay safe at home.”
As Chen Xian left, the sound of the metal gate opening and closing reached Shen Jixue. He wanted to catch up, but in his haste, he knocked his knee against the edge of the coffee table. The piercing pain forced him to bend over, and it took a while for the numbness in his legs to subside.
The house was quiet. Faint sounds from the neighbor’s television could be heard. Shen Jixue sat down heavily on the sofa, wanting to do something but realizing he was just a useless person who couldn’t see or do anything.
Chen Xian rushed out of the dormitory building, walking for about ten minutes under the scorching sun. By the time he was soaked in sweat, large drops dripping down his forehead and obstructing his vision, he unwittingly stepped onto the road.
“Drip!” The harsh honk brought him back to reality. The driver, infuriated, leaned out of the driver’s seat and cursed, “Are you blind? If you want to die, do it far away! Who are you bringing disaster upon?”
After scolding, the driver stepped on the accelerator and drove away, leaving Chen Xian still stunned in place. Another urgent honking urged Chen Xian to move, and through the windshield, he saw the impatience on the driver’s face. He finally retreated to the sidewalk.
His drifting thoughts gradually returned, his heartbeat accelerating. He wasn’t seeking death, he just couldn’t figure it out. What should he do?
Chen Xian fumbled for his phone, randomly pressing buttons for a while before finally dialing Wu Bie’s number. “Have you boarded the ship?”
“Resting for a while longer,” Wu Bie didn’t directly answer, worried about Chen Xian. He noticed something off in Chen Xian’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
“Should we go out for a drink?”
Chen Xian rarely took the initiative to invite someone out. Wu Bie readily agreed. The two agreed to meet at a small square not far from the dormitory. They found a roadside stall they often frequented. As soon as they sat down, Chen Xian ordered a crate of beer.
Encountering such a situation, any man would feel frustrated. Originally, Chen Xian was silent about it. Wu Bie was afraid he would bottle up his emotions and fall ill. Now, letting him drink and vent might be better.
Without asking too many questions, Wu Bie accompanied him to drink. Chen Xian, usually a heavy drinker, didn’t drink much that day and soon passed out.
“Hey?” Wu Bie patted his face. Chen Xian turned his face away and continued to lie down. Seeing this, Wu Bie called the owner, paid the bill, then supported Chen Xian and headed back.
Chen Xian was obedient when drunk, unlike some people who would make a scene. Wu Bie easily brought him upstairs.
At the doorstep, Wu Bie was a bit tipsy himself. After fumbling for the keys in Chen Xian’s pocket for a long time, he couldn’t fit it into the keyhole. He cursed softly while struggling with it. The door opened from the inside.
The sunlight was a bit dazzling. Wu Bie squinted his eyes, feeling a bit unclear in his mind. Subconsciously, he wanted to call out “Jiang Ying’s” name. But when he saw the young man inside, he was momentarily stunned before remembering that Jiang Ying had left.
What was this kid’s name again… Shen… Shen Jixue?
The strong smell of alcohol hit Shen Jixue’s nostrils. He heard the sound of keys scratching against the iron door. Uncertain whether it was Chen Xian returning, he tentatively called out Chen Xian’s name.
“Chen Xian?”
The drunken person only grunted in response, not acknowledging Shen Jixue. Another familiar voice suddenly sounded.
“Shen Jixue, open the door, Chen Xian drank too much.”
It was Wu Bie.
Shen Jixue hurriedly went to open the door. Just as the lock clicked, a huge force pulled the door open. He hadn’t steadied himself yet when he was bumped by something, stumbling and hitting his shoulder against the wooden door.
Wu Bie was strong and didn’t bother about Shen Jixue who was knocked down by him. He directly carried Chen Xian into the master bedroom. Then, he put Chen Xian on the bed. As he sighed in relief with his hands on his hips, Shen Jixue followed to the bedroom door.
With no woman in the house, only the useless Shen Jixue, Wu Bie suddenly became angry. He knew Chen Xian was too embarrassed to ask Shen Jixue to leave, but he himself was not.
“Shen Jixue, right?” Wu Bie wiped the sweat from his forehead, walked a few steps forward, and stood in front of Shen Jixue. He realized belatedly that Shen Jixue was tall, a bit taller than him, just a bit skinny, his stature seeming a bit small. He didn’t have much time to ponder, “Chen Xian has a soft heart. He pities you and can’t bear to drive you away. So, I’ll do the dirty work for him. You two are not related, he has no reason to take care of you. You just thought he’s easy to bully, he sympathizes with you, and you should understand him. Once he returns the rent, you can leave.”
The strong smell of alcohol made Shen Jixue somewhat nauseous. He stepped back, and Wu Bie, unlike Chen Xian, seemed impulsive in character. If he started a conflict now, Shen Jixue would get no advantage. Perhaps he would be forced out while Chen Xian was drunk.
“Why are you silent? I don’t want to bully you. Chen Xian usually acts like a Bodhisattva helping the needy, but now he’s…”
Shen Jixue’s cold voice interrupted, “Jiang Ying called.”
Wu Bie felt like someone had grabbed his throat. He didn’t know what to say for a while. After a long pause, he realized that this was the main reason Chen Xian drank heavily today.
“What did she say?”
Shen Jixue clearly felt Wu Bie’s aggressive momentum diminish. “She said she wants to divorce him. She’s pregnant.”
Wu Bie’s eyes widened at the word “pregnant,” and anger almost shot out from his eyes.
“Pregnant? Chen Xian has been at sea for eight months, and she’s pregnant? She really…” The ugliest profanity was already at the tip of Wu Bie’s tongue, but he forced himself to swallow it back. “What did Chen Xian say? He didn’t say anything, did he?”
Shen Jixue remained silent, which was as good as an affirmation.
Knowing Chen Xian’s personality, Wu Bie didn’t expect him to be so aggrieved. The woman had already run off with someone else. Even if she came back, it would be distasteful. But what about the money? You couldn’t just let go of the money, could you?
“Money? Did Chen Xian mention money to Jiang Ying?”
Shen Jixue repeated every word of their conversation to Wu Bie, who listened, burning with anger. “That stinking woman has such thick skin. She just saw that Chen Xian was soft-hearted and wouldn’t ask her for money. How can she be so shameless, run off with someone else and take away the money, damn…”
Wu Bie paced back and forth in the room, unable to do anything except feel aggrieved.
“Jiang Ying called from a public phone. I think she must be living nearby.”
Wu Bie stayed put, turned to Shen Jixue, “What do you mean?”
“In the afternoon, I wanted to remind Chen Xian, but he was angry and rushed out of the house, so I didn’t have a chance to say it. You can go near the phone booth and look for her.” And with Chen Xian’s temper, even if he finds Jiang Ying, the chance of getting the money back is very small, Shen Jixue only said the first half.
Wu Bie thought this might be the case, and quickly rang the landline. That whole day, only that number called in, and he easily found it. He called several times, but no one answered the phone.
“Well, that’s that,” Wu Bie hung up the receiver and instructed Shen Jixue, “No one answered. I’ll see if I can find someone to ask. I’ll leave Chen Xian to you.”
Wu Bie left quickly. By the time Shen Jixue reacted, he had already heard the sound of the door closing with a “clang”. After that, the room returned to tranquility, interrupted only by intermittent murmurs from Chen Xian’s room.
Shen Jixue confirmed that the door was locked and cautiously entered the room. It reeked of alcohol, and Chen Xian, who was not sleeping peacefully, started groaning in discomfort after tossing and turning. Alcohol seemed to be taking its toll on him, causing discomfort in his stomach.
“Chen Xian?”
Shen Jixue couldn’t see anything and called out to Chen Xian with concern. Chen Xian responded with a grunt and then started coughing violently.
Startled, Shen Jixue approached the bed anxiously, trying to assess Chen Xian’s condition by feeling around.
As alcohol continued to ferment inside Chen Xian, Shen Jixue could feel the warmth through his fingertips, drenched in sweat. Sleeping like this couldn’t be comfortable.
Sighing to himself, Shen Jixue walked into the bathroom, filled a basin with water, and, unable to rely on his hands to navigate, staggered back, spilling water along the way before finally returning to the bedroom.
The fan made a clicking sound as it rotated its head, intensifying the hot air in the room. Shen Jixue wrung out a towel, then sat by the bed, gently touching Chen Xian’s face and wiping his forehead.
As the towel moved down Chen Xian’s neck and gently pressed against his Adam’s apple, he coughed lightly. Shen Jixue instinctively wanted to retract his hand, but Chen Xian suddenly tightened his grip on Shen Jixue’s wrist, firmly pressing it against his chest. He muttered something repeatedly, and Shen Jixue leaned closer to hear clearly.
“Ah Ying…”