Chapter 65: Good Friends?

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Good Friends?

He saw the cut on her delicate finger and his heart ached.

Even if he was loath to admit it, he couldn’t deny the pang in his heart. It hurt more than if he’d cut his own hand.

"N-no..." Zhao Nuanyue shook her head, her eyes growing misty. ’It feels so good to be cared for, especially by Hua Yusen. It makes me feel like there’s still someone in this world who cares about me.’ "It’s nothing!"

"You’ve seemed out of sorts ever since you got that letter. Did something happen at home?" Hua Yusen asked with a frown, a little displeased by Zhao Nuanyue’s secretiveness. "I thought we were good friends, that you could tell me the truth."

’Good friends?’

Upon hearing him say those two words, Zhao Nuanyue could no longer hold back her tears. They welled up in her large, shimmering eyes before streaming down her cheeks, clear as crystal.

’Yes, we’re just friends. G-good... good friends...’

’That’s what we are now... and what we’ll be in the future...’

"I received a letter from my mom. There were two train tickets inside for my brother and me to go back." Zhao Nuanyue lowered her head and wiped her tears, not wanting Hua Yusen to see the disappointment in her eyes. "I don’t know what’s happened in Jincheng City, so I’m scared to go back. But I know my brother misses our mom, so I’m hesitating. I don’t know what to do!"

Hua Yusen was stunned by her words. He had been secretly happy when he heard Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t going back to Jincheng City, because it meant hot meals every day. But that was just a superficial reason. The truth was, he just wanted to be with Zhao Nuanyue. He loved watching her bustle about, loved seeing her smile, loved hearing her voice, loved everything about her...

"What are you afraid of?" Although Hua Yusen was reluctant to see her go, he wanted to understand more. "Are you afraid of your stepfather?

Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "I can’t stand my stepfather or his mother. My mom’s pregnant, so logically, she shouldn’t have the energy to deal with my brother and me. But she specifically sent us tickets, and money too."

"You don’t trust your mother?" Hua Yusen asked, discerning the resentment she held for that family and her disappointment in her mother from her words.

"My mother... how should I put it?" Zhao Nuanyue gave a bitter smile. "She’s a delicate woman, someone who can’t live without romance. She might be good to us, but she’ll never be as good to us as she is to herself." Zhao Nuanyue replied, "She couldn’t protect us before, let alone now that she’s having a child with her current husband. So I just can’t figure out what’s going on."

From Zhao Nuanyue’s description, Hua Yusen could picture what kind of woman her mother was. ’Perhaps not a bad person, but definitely selfish,’ he thought, then asked, "But you still want to go back, don’t you?"

"Yeah. Nuanyang has asked me several times. I told him we could go home after the New Year. I was just tricking him, telling him we couldn’t get tickets. But I can’t lie anymore. He knows Mom sent us train tickets," Zhao Nuanyue said, dejected. She felt very lost about the future. "Even though my mom can’t protect Nuanyang and me, she’s still my mom, after all. And I also want to find out what they’re really up to."

Hua Yusen thought for a moment, then said, "Don’t be afraid. If you go back, I’ll write you some letters. If you run into any trouble, you can find a friend of mine. He’ll help you solve your problems."

"Huh?" Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback, not expecting Hua Yusen to be willing to help her. "Won’t that be a bother for you?"

"It’s no trouble at all," Hua Yusen said. "If you don’t go back, Nuanyang will probably be upset, and you’ll keep being distracted. Over time, it won’t just affect your relationship with your brother, it will also leave you weighed down with anxiety. You said it yourself, your stepfather is in the army. Just be careful, and nothing major should happen."

Thinking about it, Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "You’re right. If I don’t go back, I’ll probably worry myself sick. Thank you for helping me. I’ll go back and see. If everything’s fine, Nuanyang and I will come back as soon as possible. By the way, what was the name of that person you were talking to on the train? If I need to buy train tickets, can I ask him for help?"

"Him!" Hua Yusen chuckled. "His name is Chen Lei. He’s a train conductor at Jincheng City West Station. If you need to buy tickets, you can go find him."

"Thank you, Hua," Zhao Nuanyue said gratefully. Without a safety net, she wouldn’t have dared to leave so rashly.

Hua Yusen went back to his room and wrote three letters for Zhao Nuanyue. One was for Chen Lei, another was for a junior leader at her stepfather’s unit—not his direct supervisor, but someone with influence—and the last letter was the most special.

"Nuanyue, this last letter... don’t use it unless you absolutely have to," Hua Yusen said. "It’s for Station Chief Wu at the scrap collection station in West City."

’A mere station chief of a collection station could have that much power?’

"Oh!" Zhao Nuanyue was full of questions, but didn’t dare to ask.

"It’s an organization. You can’t tell anyone," Hua Yusen said. "If Director Hao can’t resolve your problem, go to Chen Lei to buy train tickets and come back. If neither of those first two options work out, then you find a way to see Station Chief Wu."

"I won’t tell." Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "I swear on my life, I won’t breathe a word."

"What day are your train tickets for?" Hua Yusen asked. "I’ll borrow the village ox-cart to take you and Nuanyang!"

"Thank you." Zhao Nuanyue had already begun to unconsciously rely on Hua Yusen in her heart. "But if I leave, who will cook for you all?"

"Doctor Sun and He Qiang know how to cook." Hua Yusen smiled. "Since you’re going back, don’t worry about us. Oh, right, when you’re on your way back, once you get to the county town, go find Old Man Sun at the collection station. He’ll arrange for an ox-cart to bring you back."

"Huh?" Zhao Nuanyue was startled. "Another scrap collection station?"

"Haha, yes. Don’t ask too many questions. When the time comes, just say you’re a friend of Hua Yusen, and he’ll arrange it for you," Hua Yusen said. "You and Nuanyang, be careful on the road. The moment you sense something is wrong, come back immediately."

After speaking, Hua Yusen took a wad of cash from his pocket, pulled Zhao Nuanyue’s hand, and pressed the money into her palm. "It’s better to have more when you’re on the road," he said. "Take this money and these vouchers. Be safe."

"This is so much money!" The cash felt like it was burning Zhao Nuanyue’s hand. "I don’t need it. I have money, I really do! The village just paid us a few days ago!"

"Of course I know whether you got paid or not." Hua Yusen frowned. "But we don’t know what will happen when you go back this time. If you have money on you, you won’t have to beg others if something comes up."