Chapter 36#
Lu Lin replied with two words, “Received.”
Then he clicked accept.
He simply brewed a cup of coffee and heated a sandwich. After eating, Lu Lin went out to work. The roadside was full of accumulated snow. The snow started to melt today, and the temperature dropped sharply. As soon as he left the building, the cold wind blew on his face.
When Lu Lin came out, the driver immediately got out of the car to open the door for him. Lu Lin didn’t get in the car. He paused slightly to feel the temperature.
Then he got in the car. Lu Lin checked the temperature last night. It was a big drop since the beginning of winter, minus 20 degrees.
The house Yan Heqing lived in flashed through his mind, with only a mini heater.
The driver started the car quietly. Lu Lin dialed the assistant’s number.
The assistant had just arrived at the company parking lot when he received Lu Lin’s call. He said “yes” several times in succession.
Hanging up the phone, he immediately dialed another number, gave a few instructions, parked the car, didn’t go up to the office, took the elevator to the first floor, and ran straight out of the lobby.
The meeting place was the morning tea restaurant opposite, a quiet private room suitable for conversation. The assistant waited for about ten minutes, and a woman pushed the door open and came in.
The woman was the manager of Light and Shadow Coffee. After she sat down, the assistant pushed the menu over and said politely: “Sorry to disturb you so early. Order something first, and we’ll talk in detail after eating.”
The manager ordered a few dim sum dishes. After handing the order to the waiter, she smiled and replied: “Just say what you need.”
The assistant went straight to the point, “I have a gift for Yan Heqing in your shop, but it’s inconvenient for me to come forward, so I need your help.”
The manager was slightly surprised, “Yan Heqing has resigned.”
The assistant was stunned for a second, then resumed his smile, “That makes it even easier. Please make a call and say it’s a New Year gift. I’ll handle the rest. I won’t let you help for nothing. In the future, Lu Group’s afternoon tea orders will be given to you.”
Lu Group’s afternoon tea orders made the manager’s eyes light up, but she didn’t agree immediately. Yan Heqing performed very well during his time in the coffee shop. She liked this kind of down-to-earth and capable young man the most. She asked politely: “Can you tell me what the gift is?”
The assistant answered readily, “A radiator.”
The manager was stunned for a moment, “A radiator? Is it the kind of radiator I understand, used to warm up a room?”
The assistant picked up his phone, unlocked it and handed it to the manager. The manager took it and saw that the screen showed a successful order for a household portable heater electric radiator, suitable for a room of 15-20 square meters.
The manager agreed immediately, “No problem.”
——
Not long after Yan Heqing left the apartment building, his phone rang.
He still kept the number of the coffee shop manager. Seeing the incoming call, he was slightly puzzled and answered: “Hello.”
The manager was enthusiastic, “Xiao Yan, I didn’t disturb you, did I?”
“No, go ahead.”
“It’s like this. The annual leave is coming soon. Our shop gives New Year gifts every year based on performance. You worked until the end of the year, so there’s one for you. Give me your address, and I’ll have someone send it to you.”
Yan Heqing thought it was a small gift. He entered the subway station, “Don’t bother, I’ll pick it up myself later.”
“It’s a large item, it’s inconvenient for you to pick it up.” The manager said with a smile, “It’s no trouble. The store delivers it themselves. It would be really troublesome for you to come and pick it up.”
Out of the corner of his eye, there was a middle-aged man following him. Yan Heqing remained calm. After passing the subway security check, he said to the manager: “I’ll send it to you later.”
The manager agreed readily.
Hanging up the phone, Yan Heqing walked to the waiting area to wait for the subway. While waiting, he texted the address to the manager and informed her of the time he would be home.
The manager replied instantly: “Received! Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance, Xiao Yan!”
Yan Heqing also replied: “Happy New Year to you too.”
At this time, the subway arrived. Yan Heqing put away his phone and got on the train. The middle-aged man following him at a distance also got on the train.
As usual, Yan Heqing found a quiet corner to stand as soon as he got on the train, put on his earphones and memorized words. The middle-aged man pretended to play with his phone and took a few photos in Yan Heqing’s direction.
Time passed gradually. Yan Heqing stood and memorized words seriously throughout the journey, without moving or speaking. The middle-aged man’s neck was numb. He reported to Lu Muchi in real time, “Young Master Lu, he put on earphones as soon as he got on the subway and hasn’t moved for an hour.”
Lu Muchi had just arrived at the company. He clicked on the message from the private detective. The first one was Yan Heqing coming out of the apartment building.
The young man was wearing a dark blue medium-length coat, a red scarf, and a mask covering the lower half of his face, which made his skin look whiter and his face smaller. Lu Muchi muttered, where did he go so early, and scrolled down.
Seeing Yan Heqing talking on the phone and entering the subway entrance, Lu Muchi didn’t react for a moment. He had never taken the subway.
Continuing to scroll down, it was Yan Heqing standing quietly in the corner of the carriage. Not far from him, a young man was holding up his phone to secretly photograph Yan Heqing.
Lu Muchi’s face fell. Arriving at the office, he pulled out a chair and sat down, sending a message, “Drive that sneaking brat away.”
After a while, the private detective replied, “He has already left the subway.”
Lu Muchi immediately asked: “Where is he going?”
Before long, a photo popped up.
On the stone wall in the photo were a few large characters with peeling paint—Rainbow Bridge Welfare Institute.
Lu Muchi’s eyebrows twitched slightly. What was Yan Heqing doing back at the orphanage where he stayed as a child? Donating money? Could he be a volunteer? Giving back to society when he grew up?
Lu Muchi found it funny. Yan Heqing looked miserable himself, yet he still thought about helping others. Just like that woman, rushing to do housework. Then what did the Lu family hire servants for? Really funny.
Despite thinking this, Lu Muchi still typed a string of words, “Follow and see what he is doing.”
The private detective replied: “Young Master Lu, it’s inconvenient to go in. Registration is required, too easy to be exposed.”
Anyway, there were only some orphans in the welfare institute. Since Yan Heqing wasn’t going out on a date, Lu Muchi didn’t care, “Keep watching. Reply to me immediately if there are new developments.”
Private detective, “Understood!”
At this time, a middle-aged woman entered the welfare institute. The private detective glanced at her, then found a place to squat down and play with his phone.
In the welfare institute, Yan Heqing was teaching the children pinyin.
Most children reacted slowly and had poor comprehension. Yan Heqing was extremely patient, teaching them over and over again tirelessly.
Xu Qiaoyin felt ashamed of her inferiority.
When she first arrived at the welfare institute, she was very unaccustomed to contacting special children for the first time. She thought about giving up several times, and it took a long time to adapt and hold on.
Yan Heqing was different.
He didn’t look like a child who had just come of age at all. He possessed absolute patience and super stable emotions.
Through Yan Heqing’s capability and the obvious calluses on his fingers, one could more or less guess that his family conditions were not good.
During the lunch break, Xu Qiaoyin called Yan Heqing to her office and took out the durian from her bag, “Eat it quickly, it will go bad if left for a long time.”
“I can’t eat it.” Yan Heqing sat down opposite Xu Qiaoyin without taking off his mask, “You eat it yourself.”
Xu Qiaoyin was very strange, “Why?”
“I have a bit of a cold.” Yan Heqing said.
“No wonder you keep wearing a mask.” Xu Qiaoyin nodded and put the durian back, “If you are sick, rest at home. Why did you still come?”
“This little illness is nothing.” Yan Heqing coughed a few times in a low voice, “After the New Year, I won’t be able to come often even if I want to.”
Xu Qiaoyin heard Aunt Zhang mention that Yan Heqing was a university student. School would start not long after the New Year, so naturally, studies should be the priority. She smiled, “Your parents are so happy to have such a sensible child like you.”
Yan Heqing lowered his eyelashes. After a few seconds, he said: “When you go home later, please wear a mask too. In this weather, masks prevent droplets and keep warm.”
Xu Qiaoyin immediately said: “If you are sick, go home early to rest. No need to send me home.”
Yan Heqing tilted his head slightly and blinked his eyelashes, “Don’t underestimate me. Resting for this little illness, I…” He didn’t continue. He took out an individually packaged mask from his pocket, “I prepared it for you. Don’t forget to wear it.”
He got up and continued to work.
Looking at Yan Heqing’s back, Xu Qiaoyin’s nose felt sour. She lowered her head and took out her phone. The screensaver was a very blurry snapshot. It was last month when she waited downstairs at Lu Muchi’s company and secretly took a photo of Lu Muchi’s back from a distance.
Xu Qiaoyin gently stroked the cold screen, her eyes filled with a loving smile.
Going home in the afternoon, Xu Qiaoyin put on a mask. It was raining lightly. Yan Heqing held an umbrella and chatted with Xu Qiaoyin all the way into the subway station.
Lu Muchi’s eyes went straight when he received the photo.
Where did this woman come from?
And an old woman at that.
The woman’s face couldn’t be seen in the photo, only the side profile, and she was wearing a mask. But judging from her dress, she was getting on in years.
Lu Muchi was puzzled. The private detective immediately sent a few more photos and a sentence, “He sent the woman in and stayed for almost half an hour before leaving.”
Lu Muchi looked at the words Wudao Apartment, his brows knotted.
Yan Heqing was an orphan. Apart from his adoptive parents and Lin Fengzhi, he had no other interpersonal relationships. Who could this woman be?
Receiving the news that Yan Heqing went home, Lu Muchi pondered for a moment, “Keep watching him.”
——
Back home, Yan Heqing went downstairs again to deliver some food to the stray cats.
When he went upstairs again, the delivery man had been waiting for a while. There was a rectangular box on the ground. The light was dim, and the words on the cardboard couldn’t be seen clearly, only that it was a household appliance.
Seeing him holding the key, the delivery man asked: “Is it Mr. Yan Heqing?”
Yan Heqing nodded.
The delivery man hurriedly handed over a pen and a receipt, “Please sign for it.”
Yan Heqing took the pen and signed his name, “Thank you.”
“It’s not heavy. Move it into the house yourself. I’m in a hurry to deliver goods.” The delivery man said as he ran downstairs.
Yan Heqing opened the door and carried the box in.
Entering the room and turning on the light, the temperature was only slightly higher than outside. Yan Heqing coughed a few times in a low voice before seeing the words on the cardboard clearly—
XX brand heater, silent operation, not dry at all, comfortable and power-saving, only two yuan a day, super large area heating, floor heating type with no dead angle heating.
Yan Heqing was a little strange. The New Year gift turned out to be a heater. Was the welfare of the coffee shop that good?
He remembered Zhang Qing complaining that the employee gifts for festivals were always coffee beans, and the cheapest kind.
Yan Heqing confirmed with the manager again. After confirming that it was not sent by mistake, he opened the cardboard.
The white body, although slightly long, was very thin. It took up almost no space against the wall, very suitable for his small space.
Plugging it in, without needing to read the manual, Yan Heqing squatted down and pressed a few buttons, adjusting the temperature to 26. Almost instantly, hot air blew out from the heat sink, really warm.
Yan Heqing’s hands were cold. He extended them over the heat sink. His ten stiff fingers gradually regained feeling.
The room was really too small. In less than ten minutes, the whole room was warm as spring. He didn’t know if it was because it hadn’t been on for long or because it was a new machine, but as its advertisement said, the air was not as dry as when the air conditioner was on, very comfortable.
Yan Heqing was still wearing a sweater, and his body started to heat up.
Taking off the sweater, Yan Heqing went to the bathroom to take a shower. This time he only wore a thin white T-shirt and loose sweatpants, and he didn’t feel cold at all when he came out.
Boiling a pot of hot water in the kitchen, Yan Heqing poured a cup and put it on the coffee table, sat down and opened the book, starting today’s study.
At the same time, Lu Lin hadn’t got off work yet. After he finished processing the documents, the assistant knocked gently on the door, “President Lu, the meal has arrived.”
“Put it on the table.” Lu Lin had no appetite. He pressed his temples.
The assistant came in softly, put the food on the coffee table, glanced at Lu Lin, and then reported about Yan Heqing receiving the radiator and his resignation.
School would start after the New Year. Lu Lin was not surprised by Yan Heqing’s resignation. Perhaps Yan Heqing wouldn’t even have time for fishing in the future, “Are the grades out?”
He was asking about Yan Heqing’s final exam grades this time.
“They’re out.” The assistant couldn’t help but admire, “First place, transferring department is no problem, and he also got the scholarship.”
“You can get off work.”
The assistant looked at the food. The secretariat had got off work long ago. If he also got off work… Lu Lin noticed and said lightly: “I’ll clean up myself.”
The assistant responded and retreated lightly.
Lu Lin clicked on WeChat again.
In the morning, Yan Heqing replied to him with a smiley face, and he didn’t reply again. Scrolling up, his fingertip touched the screen, and the mini-program popped up.
For just a few dozen seconds, until the food was almost cold, he put down his phone.
In the next few days, Lu Muchi received photos of Yan Heqing and the same woman every day.
Entering and leaving together, sharing the same umbrella.
The time Yan Heqing spent in the apartment was also getting longer and longer. Today was the most exaggerated, one and a half hours.
One and a half hours, enough to do a lot of things.
Lu Muchi waved his hand, and the wine glass by his hand fell to the ground. The floor was full of broken glass pieces. The matter was obvious.
Yan Heqing definitely wouldn’t fall in love with an old woman. He… was kept by an old woman!
He didn’t want his 5 million, but was willing to sleep with an old woman!
Yan Heqing didn’t like him at all!
Lu Muchi was so angry that he lost control. He grabbed his coat and was about to go find trouble with Yan Heqing. Just as he reached the office door, he stopped again.
No, catch the thief with the stolen goods.
If he went there now, with just a few photos, Yan Heqing could completely deny it.
Lu Muchi sneered. Fine, he would catch them red-handed tomorrow and see how Yan Heqing would quibble.
The veins on the hand gripping the doorknob popped out. After a long while, Lu Muchi withdrew his hand heavily and walked back gnashing his teeth.
——
In the small room so hot that only short sleeves were needed, only the desk lamp was on. On the wall were mottled and interlaced rainbow lights.
Yan Heqing lay on the head of the bed, gently rotating the Cube of Light. In the shadowy light, his light brown pupils flowed with glaze-like brilliance.
After a moment, he put down the Cube of Light.
Three days.
Lu Muchi’s patience was at most three days. Barring accidents, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, he should come to the door.
“Cough cough.” Yan Heqing coughed a few times in a low voice and pulled the quilt over.
Although there was heating in the room, he was still used to covering himself with a quilt, which made him feel at ease.
Turning off the desk lamp, Yan Heqing closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly.
The next day, it rarely didn’t snow, and the ground was dry. The middle-aged man was still following Yan Heqing. Yan Heqing walked into the welfare institute as usual.
There were still ten days until the New Year. The welfare institute also hung up small red lanterns early, tied with festive light strips.
After hanging the lanterns, Yan Heqing went to clean up.
A little girl held the Cube of Light and asked in a small voice: “Brother Yan, will you come to celebrate the New Year with us?”
Yan Heqing looked up, his eyes curved, “Not coming.”
The little girl was very disappointed, but she soon became curious again, “What are you going to do for the New Year?”
Yan Heqing stopped the broom. He looked at the little girl, with a clear smile in his pupils, “Going to see the person closest to me.”
“Xiao Yan, let’s go to my house for hot pot tonight.” After work, Xu Qiaoyin stopped Yan Heqing from eating in the cafeteria, “I went to the vegetable market in the morning and bought very fresh mushrooms. Your cold isn’t better yet. Eating some mushroom hot pot is good for your health.”
Yan Heqing smiled, “Okay.”
The two walked out of the welfare institute chatting as usual. The private detective notified Lu Muchi.
Lu Muchi was at the door of Xu Qiaoyin’s house at this time. Only then did he know that the apartment was opposite his company.
Very good, having an affair right under his nose.
Lu Muchi unbuttoned the first button of his shirt and said to the private detective: “Got it, you don’t need to follow anymore.”
The private detective withdrew.
Noticing out of the corner of his eye that the private detective had left, Yan Heqing turned his head nonchalantly and continued chatting with Xu Qiaoyin.
Downstairs at the apartment, Xu Qiaoyin went to the small supermarket to buy some fresh vegetables, bean sprouts, potatoes, and Chinese cabbage.
Carrying the vegetables back to the apartment, she didn’t let Yan Heqing intervene, “Go watch TV, dinner will be served soon.”
She even specially closed the kitchen door.
Yan Heqing took off his mask, didn’t go to the living room to watch TV, and waited quietly at the entrance.
Lu Muchi witnessed with his own eyes Yan Heqing and Xu Qiaoyin carrying vegetables, chatting happily, opening the door and entering the house, which had a greater impact than the photos.
His chest felt like a raging fire was burning, burning away all his reason.
Yan Heqing really dared…
He actually dared to betray him!
Imagining that just separated by a wall, Yan Heqing and a woman were passionately entangled, Lu Muchi didn’t want to wait for a moment.
He came out from the corner, strode towards Xu Qiaoyin’s apartment, and kicked the door hard.
“Yan Heqing, open the door!”