Xie Yan looked thinner, but in much better spirits. She no longer looked as exhausted as she had been when we first met. Her brows, which were always furrowed, were now relaxed, exuding the purity and innocence that only belonged to her age. She swiftly passed through the crowded crowd, holding a plate of fried dough sticks in her hands. Her clear voice echoed in the noisy room, like a stream formed by melting snow, flowing slowly into the vibrant world along the lonely and steep mountain peaks.
The girl who struggled hard but could only shed tears silently, the girl who was ragged but refused to give up her dignity, the ordinary, weak, stubborn, beautiful and pitiful girl, at this moment transformed into the smiling, pretty girl in front of us.
Breaking out of the cocoon and transforming into a butterfly is the best description of Xie Yan at this moment!
The big-mouthed man waved: "Here!"
Xie Yan agreed and walked over quickly. Suddenly, he saw Wen Liang and others standing at the door. His heart trembled and he stopped abruptly. The plate in his hand slid and flew towards Wen Liang.
"Ah?" Xie Yan's face turned pale, he exclaimed, and stood there motionless.
"careful!"
Ji Su almost subconsciously blocked in front of Wen Liang, and closed his eyes to prepare for the impact of the plate. However, with Wen Liang's skills, there was no way she would let Ji Su help her to block the disaster. He gently grasped her slender waist with his right hand, stepped inward and turned slightly, and the two of them switched positions. His left hand stretched out like lightning, and with a little force, he firmly grasped the plate in his hand, without even dropping the three fried dough sticks.
Liu Zhihe, who had just been ready to watch the show without any hesitation, immediately became a fence-sitter and applauded, saying, "Great skills!"
Ren Yi also shouted: "What a great Nine Yin White Bone Claw!"
Ji Su could no longer hear any sound from the outside world. His mind was blank and all the strength seemed to be drained from his body. He collapsed limply in his arms.
This was not the first time she and Wen Liang had had close contact. On that night when she was most heartbroken, she had impulsively hugged Wen Liang from behind and felt the warmth from the boy's back, though not strong. But in a sense, this was the first contact between the two after they became more familiar with each other. Although it was an accident, it was enough to make Ji Su lose herself in an instant.
"Silly girl, this can't hurt me, don't worry!"
A gentle whisper sounded in his ears. Hearing the slightly intimate name, Ji Su raised his head in surprise. The boy's eyes were as warm as jade, as if carrying a strong sense of pity and a hint of blame, but disappeared without a trace in an instant. Ji Su's red lips slightly parted, her body trembling silently, her delicate face seemed like the first snow in winter, reflecting the dazzling light.
“You… you…”
No matter how calm and composed Ji Su usually behaves, she understands that Wen Liang is surrounded by several girls who are just as good-looking and charming as her. In fact, in terms of their closeness, she is the one who is most distant from Wen Liang.
But she still decided to stay with Wen Liang, waiting for the day that might never come true. Maybe a little "silly girl" was just the most basic treatment from Xu Yao or Ning Xiaoning, but it was the most direct response Wen Liang had made to her since they met until today.
Wen Liang sighed secretly. He had no other intention. He blurted out "silly girl" because Ji Su's behavior just now made him laugh and cry. But people are not plants and trees, who can be heartless? The time they spent together was vivid in his mind. With Ji Su's popularity in No. 1 Middle School, I don't know how many boys' dream lover she was. But just for a very simple name, there was such a strong reaction, which couldn't help but make him feel touched.
Wait until you grow up, know your own heart, and decide on your future path, then look back at the person you once loved.
You know, in a person's life, love is not as important as you imagine!
Letting go of Ji Su, Wen Liang carried the plate and placed it on the big-mouthed man's table, then walked up to Xie Yan, smiled slightly, and said, "You're giving me a show of strength just after we met, and you're still angry?"
The last time they met was at the gate of No. 1 Middle School, just in time for Wen Liang to beat Bai Huan. Standing far away, Xie Yan could only see a young man who was grateful to him and another who was a grudge against him chatting and laughing there. With her understanding of the sinisterness of the world, she must have thought of somewhere else.
Wen Liang did not take this too seriously. Xie Yan was just a passer-by in his life. Meeting and leaving by chance were just small episodes and insignificant. But he did not expect that the conflict in Yuxiangyuan and the consequences of offending Lin Zhen came so quickly, and even directly affected the direction of the Shunyi grain case, and also caused Liu Tianlai to almost capsize.
Although these things could not be said to be caused by Xie Yan, they were inextricably linked. Looking at the situation today, she happened to be working in Qinghe, as if they were destined to be entangled. Wen Liang was not a person who did things deliberately. Since they met, they were friends. Although he did not like to publicize how much pressure he had endured for this girl, it was good not to bear some inexplicable black pot!
"No... No, why would I be mad at you?"
Hearing the gentle and soft voice, Xie Yan woke up from his daze, lowered his head, and held the corners of his clothes tightly with both hands.
"Working here? How is your boss treating you? If he withholds your salary, tell me and I'll help you reason with him..." Wen Liang has lived two lives and has been in the Qingzhou officialdom for so long. For him, dealing with a girl like Xie Yan is like shooting high and hitting a mosquito - a waste of talent. With just a few words, he became friends with her as if they were close friends, and there was no estrangement or awkwardness at all.
Xie Yan burst into laughter, raised his head and looked at Wen Liang, saying: "No, Sister Xue is a very good person, and she is very good to me too!"
Wen Liang nodded and pointed behind her with a smile: "You should go and get busy first. There are so many people waiting to fill their stomachs. If I delay any longer, they will eat me. Also, don't think too highly of the boss. A pretty girl like you, if you can work in the store, who knows how many repeat customers you will attract. That's how surplus value is squeezed out."
Xie Yan smiled even more, and she was much happier than before. She obediently walked into the room, and just after taking two steps away, she turned back and said, "I... I know you are not that kind of person. I am sorry for what happened that day..."
As the girl left, Wen Liang remembered that there was another beauty standing next to him, and he couldn't help but have a headache. He turned his head and saw Ji Su with curious eyes, as if he would poke him to death with his eyelashes if he didn't introduce the other party's background.
Wen Liang glanced at Liu Zhihe and said, "A friend from Class 19, he is a senior this year, Fatty also knows him."
Liu Zhihe frowned and thought for a while, then acted as if he had suddenly realized something: "Oh, the beauty we met after we had sex with Bai Huan that day was her. Okay, Boss, you're going to hook up with that pretty girl behind my back?"
Wen Liang wanted to crush the fat guy to death and whispered, "She is Xie Yan!"
"Ah!" Now it was Liu Zhihe's turn to be surprised. He had obtained Xie Yan's information, but he had never seen the real person, so he didn't think about that for a while. Knowing that Xie Yan was involved in many things, he stopped talking nonsense and helped Wen Liang to smooth things over, saying, "Yes, he is our friend."
Ji Su just wanted to see if Wen Liang was willing to introduce his friends to her, but she had no other intentions. She smiled generously and said, "Shouldn't the schoolwork be very tight in the third year of high school? Why are you working here?"
"She has some difficulties at home..."
Wen Liang didn't want to say too much about Xie Yan, so he stopped at the point, and his words showed some hesitation. The big-mouthed man who was chewing on a fried dough stick couldn't help but interrupt, "What's wrong with her family being in trouble? She is our senior sister in the third year of high school. She uses her time before and after class to work here to earn money to support herself. In my opinion, it's better than anything else! What's more, her grades are not bad, and she ranked first in the first big practice in the city. She has a good character. Xie Yan is the pride of our No. 19 Middle School!"
Wen Liang smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I'm glad to learn from you!"
Ji Su was filled with admiration after listening to this. He stared at Xie Yan who was running back and forth and said, "She is amazing!" He had some respect for this extremely beautiful girl. There were many girls from poor families in this era, but it was rare to find a girl like Xie Yan who was not ashamed of it and made money through her own labor.
Ji Su and Meng Ke both came from decently well-off families, so it was hard for them to imagine how difficult life would be for a child who grew up in a single-parent family. Wen Liang had no intention of spreading knowledge in this area to her, but when he saw someone leaving to make room, he quickly asked them to sit over.
Everyone ordered a cup of soy milk, which Xie Yan brought quickly. Only Wen Liang's cup already had a straw inserted. Ren Yi shouted, "We pay the same price, but the treatment is too different, isn't it?"
Xie Yan was always uncomfortable with Wen Liang, but he didn't feel too much pressure when dealing with Ren Yi. He smiled softly and said, "Today I would like to invite everyone..."
"No need," Ji Su couldn't bear to let the girl spend her meager income here, and said, "You should also take a rest quickly. We are keeping you busy by coming here to take the exam..."
Liu Zhihe joked, "If the boss heard what you said, he would vomit three liters of blood - how can you be afraid of having too many customers when you open a business?"
Xie Yan also laughed and said seriously: "It doesn't matter, a few cups of soy milk won't cost too much, this is just a small token of my appreciation."
Wen Liang could understand the girl's mood, so he took a sip of the soy milk and said with a smile: "Thank you! Everyone should try it, Qinghe's soy milk is first-rate."
Uncle Wen shamelessly advertised. Xie Yan saw Wen Liang accepted her treat, and the corners of her lips curled up, looking very happy. Just as she was about to speak, she heard someone calling for fried dough sticks, so she smiled apologetically and turned around to get busy.
When the number of people in the store gradually decreased, Wen Liang asked Ji Su and others to go back to school to prepare for the afternoon exam, but he stayed behind. When he saw Tan Xue in the operation room, before he had time to say anything, Tan Xue rushed over, took Wen Liang's hand, and asked in surprise: "How did you find time to come here?"