For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 80

Crazy only for Auntie Xiao

Before Xiao Wanqing left, she arranged for Aunt Liu to come to the house and meet Lin Xian. The three of them shared a meal together. Lin Xian and Aunt Liu found each other agreeable, and there was no discomfort between them. Xiao Wanqing then confidently tidied up the study, creating space. She unfolded the bed that had been folded against the wall daily, making it a resting place for Aunt Liu in the coming months.

With Auntie Xiao gone, Aunt Liu took her place, and the two of them continued living in the same house. The daily routine remained unchanged, and Lin Xian still saw the busy figure of a woman in the kitchen when she returned from school.

However, something was different.

Without Auntie Xiao in the house, even though the lighting was warm, it didn’t have the original warmth. What Lin Xian felt was an all-encompassing chill and loneliness.

Home and the kitchen had lost their allure to her.

Every night at 10:30, Lin Xian looked forward to and cherished the most joyful time of the day.

Based on the observations of Xiao Wanqing’s daily habits, she knew that it was the time when Xiao Wanqing was likely done with her busy schedule and preparing to rest. So, around this time, Lin Xian always called Xiao Wanqing.

She wasn’t greedy, and she didn’t need a long conversation. As long as she could hear Xiao Wanqing’s warm and pleasant voice through the phone speaker before going to sleep, Lin Xian would be satisfied and happily enter dreamland.

In the first week, Xiao Wanqing always answered her calls promptly during this time, chatting with her for a bit and listening to her talk about her daily life. They would express their longing for each other in a straightforward and enthusiastic manner before wishing each other goodnight and sweet dreams.

However, on one night in the second week, everything seemed to quietly change.

Lin Xian’s debate team, unexpectedly, triumphed over a formidable opponent and clinched the championship in the preliminary rounds. Excited, Lin Xian immediately called Xiao Wanqing at the usual time, eager to share the good news. However, to her surprise, Xiao Wanqing abruptly hung up shortly after the phone rang.

A few seconds later, Xiao Wanqing sent her an explanatory text: “Xianxian, I’m currently in an impromptu meeting for overtime. I’ll get back to you once I’m done later.”

Lin Xian was momentarily stunned. The tender and cheerful expression in her eyes faded, replaced by a brief sense of disappointment, quickly giving way to deep concern.

It was so late, and Auntie Xiao was still working overtime. Had she eaten? Was the workload exceptionally strenuous?

She replied to Xiao Wanqing with a brief text: “Okay, I’ll wait for you. Don’t overwork yourself.”

With hopeful anticipation, she began the arduous wait.

She believed that Aunt Xiao was a person of her word. If she said she would get back to her after finishing her work later, she would undoubtedly do so.

Cradling her teddy bear, whose scent she could barely detect anymore, Lin Xian waited from 10:30 to 11:30, 12:30, 1:30…

The call didn’t come, and there were no messages either.

Yawning and tearful from exhaustion, Lin Xian fought to stay awake, her eyes fixed on her phone, afraid to miss any response from Xiao Wanqing.

Lin Xian found herself entangled in weariness and exhaustion. She hesitated to call or message Xiao Wanqing, fearing that she might disturb her if she was already asleep. However, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep either, afraid of missing Xiao Wanqing’s response.

The thought of Auntie Xiao still working overtime weighed heavily on Lin Xian’s heart, making her feel a deep sense of sadness and reluctance.

The idea that Auntie Xiao might have forgotten about her, already fallen asleep, added to her feelings of disappointment.

As time passed in this state of indecision and speculation, Lin Xian couldn’t help but find a reason to console herself at 4:30 in the morning when the clouds covered the full moon, enveloping everything in darkness. She convinced herself that Auntie Xiao must have thought she was already asleep, hence the lack of a response.

On the first night without hearing Auntie Xiao’s voice, Lin Xian clutched her phone with her fingers until 5 o’clock when the stars and moon began to fade. Unable to resist the drowsiness any longer, she unconsciously let go. The phone landed lightly on Lin Xian’s thin blanket.

She was so tired. In the moments before losing consciousness, Lin Xian thought, “Sleep, Auntie Xiao, please don’t be working overtime.”

Little did she know, in a hotel in Hezhou, Xiao Wanqing was grappling with her emotions as she pressed the piercing red disconnect button. With great restraint, she suppressed the reluctance and sorrow in her heart, knowing that Lin Xian would be waiting and expecting, yet cruelly leaving her to wait for a reply that wouldn’t come.

At 4:30, under the rational guidance, Xiao Wanqing set an alarm for 7:30, took a sleeping pill, and forced herself to sleep.

She smiled bitterly at herself. Lin Xian, you see, adults don’t even have the privilege of indulging in staying up late.

Only children have the right to be wilful.

She was an adult, she had no qualifications, no qualifications for anything…

Across the vast expanse of emptiness, they gazed at the same full moon, endured the same sleepless night, and then, in the approaching dawn, succumbed to the final cold darkness.

The photo album tightly clutched in her hand gradually loosened.

Beside Xiao Wanqing’s sleeping eyes, a crystal-clear tear hung.

In her dream, she murmured, Don’t wait for me.

Not today, not tomorrow, not in the future.

Get used to being disappointed in me.

The next day, from the morning onwards, Lin Xian anxiously glanced at her phone frequently. The fourth period before school dismissal was a probability theory class, but Shi Man’s note-taking speed couldn’t keep up with the teacher’s slide flipping speed. she habitually looked over to Lin Xian, who was known for her rapid note-taking, only to be surprised to find Lin Xian’s notebook unusually blank.

Startled, Shi Man raised her head to look at Lin Xian, who had her head down, furrowing her brows, and was steadfastly staring at the dark screen of her phone without blinking.

Shi Man poked Lin Xian’s thigh with her index finger, catching Lin Xian’s attention. Using silent lip movements, she asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Lin Xian stared at Shi Man thoughtfully for a moment. Suddenly, she unlocked her phone, opened the messaging app, and rapidly typed a few words before handing it to Shi Man: “Manman, send me a text and see if I can receive it.”

Shi Man was a bit puzzled but retrieved her phone from the drawer and followed Lin Xian’s request, sending a period to Lin Xian.

Within seconds, Lin Xian’s phone screen lit up, indicating an unread message.

Lin Xian’s brows furrowed even more tightly. She looked at Shi Man’s phone, then back at her own. Suddenly, she pursed her lips, and her eyes welled up. In her dark and bright eyes, misty tears formed.

Shi Man initially thought she was doing a good deed but never expected that instead of easing Lin Xian’s troubled expression, she would cause her eyes to turn red. She stared wide-eyed in astonishment, her peach blossom eyes filled with confusion. What’s going on?! What did she do?!

Lin Xian also noticed her own emotional outburst. She took a deep breath, forcefully holding back her tears, and typed a few words to explain to Shi Man: “I haven’t received Auntie Xiao’s message, and I thought my phone was broken.”

Shi Man gave up on paying attention to the class entirely, taking Lin Xian’s phone and gossiping underneath her explanation: “Is it an important message?”

Lin Xian was momentarily stunned.

Important?

Actually, it wasn’t that important.

Perhaps, what’s important is not Auntie Xiao’s text, but the emotions of anticipation and waiting that Lin Xian harbors. It’s her hope that Auntie Xiao, just like her, would remember her expectations after being busy.

Lin Xian self-reflected, realizing that she might have been unreasonable. Auntie Xiao was already so busy, why couldn’t she understand? Why did she have so many selfish expectations and demands? Why add extra pressure after Auntie Xiao had finally finished her work?

She even started to question if her daily scheduled calls, a source of comfort for her, were becoming a burden for a tired Xiao Wanqing.

At noon, she finally received the long-awaited text from her crush.

Xiao Wanqing told her that she had forgotten yesterday and only remembered today. She asked Lin Xian if there was something important.

Holding her phone in her hands, Lin Xian repeatedly read the short messages from the past few days, focusing on the phrase “important matters,” which unexpectedly pierced her heart.

Throughout these days, whenever she called Xiao Wanqing, there had never been anything important. What important matters could she have? Her most important matter was everything related to Xiao Wanqing.

So, in reality, there was nothing important, and she shouldn’t have made those calls, right?

But her Auntie Xiao, always gentle and tactful, probably wouldn’t directly mention it even if there were troubles.

As expected, Xiao Wanqing told her, “Xianxian, I’ll be busier in the coming days, and I might not be able to answer your calls promptly. If you have anything important, just send me a text. I’ll reply when I’m free.”

Lin Xian’s heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and under the excessive force, it seemed like the fibers were cracking open, oozing threads of blood.

It turned out that what she thought were sharing interesting life moments with Auntie Xiao and sweet bedtime calls were, for a busy Auntie Xiao, truly a burden.

She truly was too self-centered. Was it that she was too young and didn’t understand how to consider others?

Feeling at a loss, Lin Xian bit her lip. After a while, she sorrowfully replied to Xiao Wanqing with a simple “okay.” Two seconds later, her eyes red, she sent another message: “Auntie Xiao, even if you’re busy with work, make sure to take care of yourself, okay?” followed by a smiling emoji.

Counting the days until Xiao Wanqing’s return, there were only five days left, which wasn’t that long. She admonished herself, “Lin Xian, you need to learn to be a considerate and understanding partner.”

In the evening, Lin Xian and Tang Mo went shopping at a special boutique. The boutique was said to be founded by a senior from Jingnan University, and everything inside was handmade, each item unique. Of course, the prices were relatively high.

While Lin Xian and Tang Mo were browsing, hoping to find something as a birthday gift for Chen Zhi, Lin Xian inadvertently spotted a uniquely styled snowflake crystal ball music box on the top shelf.

Different from common crystal balls, in this one, the two small figures in front of the little wooden house weren’t the traditional male-female pair. Instead, they were two long-haired girls embracing each other.

Lin Xian turned to ask the shopkeeper if she could take it down for her to see. The shopkeeper smiled and, while climbing a ladder to retrieve the crystal ball, said, “Honestly, I agreed to buy this because the seller seemed so disheartened. Unexpectedly, after bringing it in, I couldn’t sell it even after a long time. So, I just left it on the top shelf. If you like it, young lady, I can sell it to you at the original price plus a bit for storage fees, considering it as a gift to a destined person.”

Holding the crystal ball and looking at the two girls embracing in front of the snow-covered cottage, Lin Xian instantly fell in love with it. Without any hesitation, she decided to buy it.

Once she finished teaching her classes in the evening, she would be able to collect the teaching fees for the week. This could be considered as her first gift to Auntie Xiao, bought with her own money.

It didn’t look very valuable, so even if Auntie Xiao didn’t know that she purchased it with her own earnings, she should still be willing to accept it, right?

The birthday gift Lin Xian wanted to buy for Auntie Xiao wasn’t something she had saved enough money for yet, but when Auntie Xiao returned, she would have an answer. Could this be considered their first small gift after entering into a relationship? Aunt Xiao should like it, right?

Lin Xian looked at the crystal ball she placed in the cardboard box, her eyes shimmering with a radiant smile.

In the evening, after Lin Xian finished teaching her classes, it started to drizzle. Xia Zhijin suggested driving Lin Xian home directly, but considering that there was no little sheep (scooter) to take the bus to school the next day, Lin Xian declined.

Wearing a raincoat, Lin Xian rode her little sheep casually on the sparsely populated wet road.

As she approached a crossroad, two glaring high beams suddenly lit up from behind. In an instant, Lin Xian’s vision turned completely white.

When she could finally see the pedestrians who had unexpectedly appeared on the road, the distance between the vehicle and the people was only a few meters.

Instinctively, Lin Xian quickly turned the handlebars, attempting to avoid the pedestrians crossing the road. However, she didn’t see that on the side she was turning towards, there was a triangular pedestrian platform.

After a loud bang, Lin Xian tumbled from the little sheep and landed heavily on the pedestrian platform.

Her leg was trapped under the scooter, scraped by the raised edge of the platform. Her elbow scraped heavily across the ground, and her head, cushioned by the helmet, experienced a harsh impact with the ground, yet it was the least affected.

For a moment, Lin Xian’s mind went blank. She stared blankly at the few pedestrians around her, who were all looking at her in panic.

In the next moment, she slowly regained her senses, perception returning, and pain started to surge.

Before the pedestrians could help her get up, as if suddenly remembering something, she forcefully pushed away the little sheep pressing on her leg, pulled out her leg, and shakily sat up. She then took off one strap of her backpack with her painful right hand, pulled it over the bag, and bit her lip while using her trembling hand to unzip the bag.

With determination, she carefully took out the cardboard box containing the crystal ball. She nervously opened the box, looking at the crystal ball as if afraid to wake from a delicate dream.

The arc-shaped glass remained smooth and radiant.

Holding the intact box in her left hand, Lin Xian smiled, her features softened.

A kind-hearted person helped her up, and seeing the strange girl sitting in the muddy rainwater, with torn clothes and a bleeding ankle, laughing in a peculiar manner, they hesitated and asked, “Young lady, can you still stand? Should I call an ambulance?”

Lin Xian cradled the cardboard box in her arms with her good left hand, gently placed the little sheep back on its feet, and thanked the good Samaritan, “No need, my home is just ahead. Thank you.”

Her hand hurt too much, and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to grip the brakes, so she dared not get on the scooter. Instead, she limped and hobbled in the rain, pushing her scooter back home.

She never knew she was superstitious before.

But in the midst of pain and panic, seeing the crystal ball intact, she couldn’t help but feel joy.

It was still in good condition under such circumstances.

Was this a good sign? Did it imply that her relationship with Auntie Xiao would also endure, unwavering in the face of storms and challenges?

Lin Xian grimaced in pain but couldn’t help but self-mockingly think, “Looks like I’ve gone a bit crazy.”

Crazy only for Auntie Xiao.

At the celebration banquet in Leal Resort, Changze City, Wen Tong bit her lip, looking at Director Zuo, who was collaborating with her from all directions in the front. She reluctantly exchanged greetings with guests for a long time, finally found an opportunity, and left the hall. She turned her back to the noise inside, hands resting on the balcony, silently gazing at the bustling yet lonely night view of the city.

The crisp sound of high heels tapping the floor unexpectedly resonated near Wen Tong’s ears, rhythmically and deliberately paced, neither fast nor slow.

The tapping sound, surprisingly, stopped next to Wen Tong.

A woman’s soft voice, as if intoxicated, murmured, “Director Wen, wherever you are, you always manage to captivate people.”

Wen Tong turned her head to look at the woman in the dark embroidered qipao, cinched at the waist, with a high-pinned hair bun. Elegant and graceful, she exuded a variety of charm. However, her expression was three parts laughter and seven parts cold, as regal as a queen.

This was the most prestigious guest at the banquet—Shi Jinglan.

Wen Tong, not understanding the situation, silently waited for the continuation.

“After all the hard work, the credit and the limelight belong to others, are you willingly accepting that?” Shi Jinglan swayed the highball glass in her hand, pointedly needling Wen Tong, hitting the nail on the head.

The hand that Wen Tong had placed on the balcony railing tightened involuntarily.

Shi Jinglan gazed lightly at Wen Tong, and a faint, inscrutable smile curved her lips. “The invitation from Shi Xing remains valid.” She slightly tilted the highball glass towards Wen Tong, took a sip under Wen Tong’s scrutiny, then turned around and gracefully left.

It was time for the representative from the cooperating party to speak.

In the dazzling lights, Wen Tong saw Shi Jinglan’s graceful figure, step by step, as if treading on countless stars. As she ascended the stage, in the moment she turned around, everything around seemed to fade away in an instant, becoming a mere backdrop.

Hmm… Wen Tong inexplicably chuckled.

A presumptuous woman.

---

LP: I suppose this is the right direction. With Lin Xian still naive and clueless when it comes to adulthood, I applaud Xiao Wanqing for not going on the other… route. I hope that with their separation, the red flag, which is the age gap, gets… acceptable with Lin Xian actually being an independent adult.

---

---