Chapter 3

The Wen family began to dwindle several years ago, leaving only four grandsons to enjoy their company.

In his view, without blood relations, it is naturally impossible to indulge, only to treat kindly

As for the results... In previous years, Wen Jing, who was always in the military during the Spring Festival, has indeed returned this time, while the other three have not been seen at all until now

She held the receiver in a daze, completely unable to remember what she wanted to say

Always ... ... is different

Hello

After a while, the response came: "Is it you?"

That kind of pressure, that sense of urgency being closely watched, shattered in that instant... Only then did Wen Ge feel somewhat grounded, and in a daze, he finally understood... His earlier question was merely for this answer.

New Year's Eve

The old gentleman was in a good mood, accompanied by Wenge, humming a tune as he took a stroll around the back garden.

Wen Ge let out a sound of "hm" and then regained his composure: "Aunt Xin asked me to give you a call..."

Wen Shaoyuan is busy with his nascent hotel business and cannot spare any time. Usually, when he is free, he is at school, and throughout the year, they have hardly seen each other a few times. Wen Jingfan mentioned that there is a school event and he will be going to the United States for an exchange program for three months, so he won't be able to return this year. Wen Jingran would rather stay in S City than come back.

Fortunately, Aunt Xin did not notice: "Yes, once you find it, call over. Have your uncle come back tomorrow... It's New Year's Eve, and it doesn't make sense for everyone not to return."

At this moment, under the gaze of the old gentleman, Wen Ge felt as if her throat was being constricted, gradually struggling to breathe. The sense of oppression was unmistakable, making Wen Ge feel as if she was not standing on solid ground, but rather being lifted into the air, swaying unsteadily and unable to descend.

She rarely called Wen Jing by name, and on the few occasions she did, she referred to him as "Uncle"

"It's alright." Wen's throat felt a bit dry, and the fingers gripping the receiver unconsciously tightened inch by inch as he asked, "Will you be back tomorrow?"

In a state of deep concentration, I suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the living room, a resounding "bang," as if something had been thrown to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"No, it's not..." Wen Ge finally came to his senses: "I am Wen Ge."

Upon ascending the stairs, I noticed that there was still light coming from Wen Ge's room. Wen Jing glanced at the time; it was already past 10 o'clock. Normally, at this hour, Wen Ge would have already gone to rest.

Neither of the two individuals carried an umbrella, and shortly after stepping outside, a thin layer of snowflakes settled on their bodies. As they passed beneath a tree, a gust of wind swept through, dislodging the accumulated snow from the frail branches, which all landed on the old gentleman's shoulders

It seemed that he did not hear a response from the other party, so he glanced at the caller ID, paused for a moment, and a hint of amusement crept into his voice: "Aunt Xin?"

"I am reading a book." Wen Ge handed him the book, saying, "I took it from... the room of my uncle."

Aunt Xin furrowed her brow slightly and gently patted Wenge's hand as if to comfort her, saying, "Wait here, I will be back shortly"

As Wen Ge's fingers just brushed against the small notebook, upon hearing the name mentioned by Aunt Xin, he was momentarily taken aback: "I need to call..."

Wen Shaoyuan remained silent

Aunt Xin and the late Mrs. Wen were cousins. When Mrs. Wen was still alive, Aunt Xin came to the Wen family to help with the household. She was skilled in cooking and attentive to household matters, taking care of everything meticulously. Moreover, being single and unencumbered, she lived and ate at the Wen family home.

The two characters "little uncle" inexplicably feel as if they are stuck halfway in my throat, making them impossible to utter.

"It was in the afternoon when Aunt Xin asked me to call my uncle, and my uncle said it himself..."

Ah? Is it an exception

This question is clearly easier to answer than the previous one

As the words fell, Wen Jing's brows not only did not relax but instead furrowed even tighter. It was Jiang Junyu who let out a light laugh, tapping his fingertip on Wen Jing's brow, and said: "Shaoyuan has never allowed anyone to touch his belongings, but he makes an exception for Wen Ge"

His gaze, though gentle, carried a hint of sharpness as he looked at her, waiting for her response

Aunt Xin stood in front of the countertop, folding vegetables with Wen Ge. After a while, she raised her eyes to look at the world outside, which was draped in silver, and sighed softly: "This snow shows no signs of stopping; it will definitely continue to fall a little longer..."

Upon hearing the song, she let out a soft "oh" and took it, her fingers trembling slightly

Wen Jing glanced over, and the originally relaxed brows suddenly furrowed upon hearing the latter part of the sentence, raising her gaze to fixate on her. That look carried a hint of reproach, clearly disapproving of her actions

Upon hearing the song, I was about to ask, "What do you know..." when I noticed he smoothly shifted the topic to, "Are you accustomed to living here?"

Wen Jing pushed the door open and entered, glanced at her, and gently asked: "Why are you still not asleep?"

It is not certain... He did not explain, and they maintained silence on either end of the phone. After a long while, he finally uttered a sound, saying: "It is uncertain whether I will return on New Year's Eve, but I will come back once after the New Year. If you have nothing to do during this time, you can go and take a look at the few books in my room."

The old gentleman was not angry; he turned around with a smile and glanced at the quietly seated Wen Ge, suddenly asking: "Wen Ge, why don't you tell great-grandfather what you call Wen Jing?"

Wen Ge exclaimed "Ah" and hurriedly asked, "Is it possible?"

Early in the morning, Jiang Junyu came to wake up Wen Ge

The old gentleman was very pleased with this response: "Let's go, the snow is falling heavily."

Even after the passing of Old Lady Wen, Old Man Wen still kept her memory alive within the Wen family. If there is anyone in the Wen family who could make the old man soften and listen, it would only be Aunt Xin

The sky is indeed much brighter than yesterday; at a glance, the entire City A is enveloped in this dim sunlight... The snow is thick, on the eaves, on the grass and trees, and on the paths...

There was a noticeable hint of fatigue on the face, yet those strikingly dark eyes shone brilliantly, imbued with a watery hue, as if a glimmer of light had passed through them

Not long after, Aunt Xin returned after cleaning up the broken glass, holding a yellowed and somewhat worn notebook in her hand, which she handed to Wen Ge: "When I was young, I didn't take my studies seriously, and after a few years, I went home to do embroidery, so I know very few characters... Please help me find Shaoyuan's phone number."

Nodding slightly to the song, she watched Aunt Xin's departing figure, lowered her gaze, and continued to pick the vegetable leaves

When the old gentleman gets angry, the one who worries the most is Aunt Xin

After the busy tone of "du du du ... ..." a brief sound of the phone being answered follows, and then his low and deep voice emerges

As expected, the next question from the old gentleman is—

Although he does not like the adopted daughter of Wen Jing, who suddenly appeared, he would not say to the innocent and somewhat pitiful child, "You are merely adopted by the Wen family and have no blood relation whatsoever. You should understand what this represents."

As New Year's Eve approaches, the old gentleman's mood becomes increasingly worse. He often locks himself in his study, sitting there for an entire day. Even when it comes time to eat, it takes repeated urging from Aunt Xin before he reluctantly comes downstairs to eat a few bites.

Open the door

... ...

Wen Ge followed Aunt Xin's gaze and looked out the window

Go take a look

By three o'clock in the afternoon, the sky had already darkened considerably compared to half an hour ago. The wind howled as it blew, causing the dry, withered branches to sway in all directions, shaking off the accumulated snow. The snowflakes, carried by the wind, appeared as if it were snowing, rustling softly.

Everywhere the eye can see, there is a pure silver white that seems capable of washing away all superficiality. The snowflakes flutter down, creating a somewhat wintry atmosphere of the coldest months.

Wen Ge let out a soft "hm" and clenched the fist hidden beneath his sleeve tighter and tighter, as the dull, somewhat heavy pain in his heart gradually spread like threads.

Wen Ge had originally prepared the lines, but suddenly the call connected, and without any warning, he heard his voice, and in an instant... his mind went completely blank

If your father were to have another son or daughter, would Wenge like it

Her chaotic mind was filled with tangled thoughts, and her fingers, hanging beneath her sleeves, slowly clenched into a fist. After a long struggle of thoughts, she finally pressed her lips together and answered in a clear voice: "My name is Wen Jing, Dad."

Under the bright lights, Wen Ge sat at the desk, pressing down on the pages with his elbows, turning his head to look at them

The old gentleman raised his eyebrows slightly, finding this response to be expected. He turned around and continued walking forward, moving particularly slowly

As people grow old, they often feel lonely, and with four grandchildren who are usually not around, the elderly person looks forward to the New Year, hoping that everyone will come back to gather together

Wen Shaoyuan has clearly guessed the purpose and pondered: "I understand."

He was taken aback by the song.

Jiang Junyu and Wen Jingyi left early in the morning and did not return until late at night

Until after hanging up the phone, Wen Ge's mood had not calmed down. Seeing that no one was around, he began to laugh silently.

Of course I like it, I am very grateful that my father adopted me

Her clearly joyful voice made Wen Shaoyuan unable to help but curve his lips slightly, and he responded with a low "mm".

She rested on the soft armrest of the sofa, and the phone was an old-fashioned rotary dial. After meticulously verifying each number, she dialed it. Holding the receiver for just a short while, she felt her palms sweating, cold and clammy.

The wind is blowing outside, sharp and cold

The heavy snow in City A has been falling intermittently for several days, only stopping late last night. Looking out the window, a thick layer of snow covers the ground, glistening with a dazzling white under the overcast sunlight

The acceptance of the old gentleman resembles a compromise, and her role within it is akin to a random chess piece on the board. There is no single move that determines life or death, nor is there any weight of critical importance. Therefore, a chess piece does not need to possess too many of its own thoughts; within the confines of the board set by the one in control, remaining under control is the best approach.

As she drew back the curtains, sunlight streamed in through the window. Wen Ge raised her hand to shield her eyes, and only after adjusting to the light did she look outside, only to discover that it had begun to snow again at some point, intermittently yet continuously.

After all, at the beginning of her acceptance, the old gentleman also decided to treat her as a member of the Wen family. However, all of this was based on the premise that she must be well-behaved and sensible