Free Web NovelChapter 24: Chapter 24: Heaven is a Hidden Elder Yue
The alarm rang at five in the morning.
Jiang Xia’s eyes snapped open reflexively. He shot out of bed with practiced ease. ’This young body really is something else,’ he thought. Even after staying up until one in the morning drawing by candlelight, he felt completely energized.
He habitually flipped the switch by his bed. The room light flickered on as usual. He let out a sigh of relief. ’The power’s back. I don’t have to get ready in the dark, finally.’ fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
At 5:10 AM, Jiang Xia tiptoed out of the house, careful not to disturb his sleeping parents, and left with his school bag on his back, right on time.
He caught an early bus at the entrance to his residential complex and arrived at the school gate ten minutes later.
As if predestined, Jiang Xia happened to see Lin Yanwan walking slowly toward him from across the street.
’But our fate together is clearly over, isn’t it?’ And yet, for the entire day, she was everywhere. He ran into her wherever he went.
It made him wonder if fate itself was a secret Elder Yue, trying every trick in the book to force the two of them together.
’What era is this? Who still pushes for reconciliation instead of separation?’
After grumbling to himself, Jiang Xia decided not to avoid her like before. He would face it head-on. ’If we can’t be husband and wife in this life, we can at least be friends, right?’
"Morning," he said, taking the initiative to greet her.
Lin Yanwan had originally planned to pretend she hadn’t seen him, but now that the guy was talking to her, there was no escaping.
"Feels like it’s been a while since you’ve been up this early, doesn’t it?" she said naturally.
Jiang Xia paused for a moment. Thinking back, she was right. During the peak of their love, they could have stayed tangled up in bed 24/7, only getting up when they were starving.
He recalled that the last time they were up this early, they had been huddled together on a beach, watching the sunrise.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.
Perhaps Lin Yanwan was also lost in memories of the past, as the atmosphere between them grew a little strange. Jiang Xia cleared his throat softly, breaking the deadlock.
"Sorry, I forgot to bring the flashlight when I left. I’ll give it back to you next time."
"Just keep it for now. It’s not like I expected you to remember."
Lin Yanwan said irritably. After all, he was always a forgetful guy—though he remembered her birthday, her hobbies, and their wedding anniversary with perfect clarity.
"You never know. I’ll put the flashlight in my bag as soon as I get home today."
Hearing this, Lin Yanwan couldn’t help but purse her lips. Did she not know Jiang Xia? She’d be shocked if he actually remembered to do it today.
"How’d you sleep last night?"
"Fine. I slept like a log cuddling Xiao Man." Her tone shifted, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You didn’t have trouble sleeping, did you?" ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"No way! You have no idea how energetic this body is. My dreams were full of beautiful women, okay?" Jiang Xia said this deliberately, wanting Lin Yanwan to know that he had truly moved on from their relationship.
’We don’t have to hide things anymore. A simple, calm conversation like this is nice.’
"Hmph. Well, my dreams were full of handsome men, then."
Their eyes met, and they shared a knowing smile, both feeling a sense of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted.
Walking side-by-side, they reached a breakfast shop near the main gate. The owner was busy cooking noodles and greeting customers, while his wife sold steamed buns.
Jiang Xia stopped. He had a vivid memory of this shop’s Old-School Spicy Wontons. They were savory, fragrant, numbing, spicy, and hot, with an unforgettable aftertaste. But he hadn’t eaten them since starting college.
He peeked inside. The small shop had one or two seats left. To save time, most students would just grab some steamed buns and soy milk to go.
The old Jiang Xia used to do the same. But now, as a man with two lifetimes of experience, he was a seasoned veteran. As long as he wasn’t late, he had no problem strolling into the classroom right as the bell rang.
"Want to eat breakfast here?" he asked.
Lin Yanwan hesitated slightly, then glanced at the clock in the shop. It wasn’t even 5:30, and morning exercises didn’t start until 6:00. They had plenty of time, so she nodded.
"Go grab a seat before someone else takes it."
"Okay."
Recalling her tastes, Jiang Xia called out, "Boss, one bowl of shrimp wontons and one bowl of Old-School Spicy Wontons. No garlic in the shrimp wontons, and extra cilantro for the spicy ones."
"You got it! Please, have a seat inside. It’ll be ready in a jiffy," the owner shouted.
Jiang Xia walked in and sat down across from Lin Yanwan, noticing she was meticulously wiping the table in front of her with a napkin. This was a little habit she’d always had.
No matter how clean the tabletop looked, she would always manage to wipe away a layer of grime.
"What did you order for me?" Lin Yanwan asked without looking up.
"Shrimp wontons, no garlic."
"And you?"
"Old-School Spicy Wontons."
She frowned instinctively. "Your stomach is weak. Should you be eating something so spicy?"
Jiang Xia gave a mysterious smile. "Who says? My stomach has never been healthier than it is right now."
Seeing his smug look, Lin Yanwan had a realization. At this point in time, he didn’t have stomach problems yet.
"You should still be careful. Don’t end up like before, where your stomach would hurt unbearably if you just skipped one meal."
"It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve been craving this for years. It’s full of the taste of memories."
Waiting always feels long. It wasn’t like the future, where everyone had a smartphone and could kill any spare moment by chatting, watching short videos, scrolling through Weibo, or playing games.
The two of them just looked at each other, staring.
"I just realized, you’re actually pretty cute at this age," Jiang Xia said suddenly.
Lin Yanwan was dressed very youthfully today, in a loose-fitting pink and white hoodie paired with light-blue, cuffed jeans that made her legs look long and slender. Her hair was draped casually over her back, with a section swept to the side from behind her ear by a pretty butterfly clip. She had wispy, slightly curled bangs, long eyelashes, and delicate features that gave her the beauty of a first love.
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "If you can’t think of anything to say, you don’t have to talk."
Jiang Xia felt a little awkward. What else was there to talk about? Reminisce about the good old days together? Or start listing each other’s faults? That would be even more ridiculous.
Just as the two fell silent again, an inopportune voice suddenly cut in.
"Yanwan, what a coincidence! You’re eating breakfast here too?"
Jiang Xia looked toward the voice. A tall, skinny, handsome kid was walking in. He was wearing a Meters/bonwe denim jacket—the height of fashion for this era—and had his hair styled in a somewhat cringey flattop. His eyes were full of pleasant surprise as he looked at Lin Yanwan, and he naturally ignored Jiang Xia, who was sitting right there.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Xia understood instantly. This was probably one of his wife’s pursuers. But he had no impression of this guy at all.
’Did I have a love rival like this back then?’
He couldn’t help but look confused. Lin Yanwan looked just as blank, then gave Jiang Xia a subtle shrug, indicating that she didn’t know either.
In response, Jiang Xia had no choice but to shoot the guy a pitying look. ’This dude’s a real failure. His one-sided crush is so obvious, yet my wife doesn’t even remember who he is.’
’I really want to tell him to just move on and find someone else. He’ll never get anywhere trying to chase my wife.’
’At the very least, he’d have to be better than me, right?’
