My Exclusive Dream World Adventures

Chapter 129: 129 What are you afraid of?

Chen Xu and Jinxia had bought a huge load of New Year’s goods, stuffing the trunk of the car full, and they managed to return to Grandma’s before lunch.

“How come you bought so much stuff?” Grandma asked, seeing him carry bag after bag inside, a bit reproachfully. “Why spend all this money in vain? When your uncle and the others come back, they’ll do the buying.”

Chen Xu smiled and said, “It’s fine, I got promoted this year and got a raise.”

“That’s enough, that’s enough, take the rest back home.”

“I’ve already bought for our home; this is for you.”

Yang Jinxia pulled Grandma aside and said, “This is just a small gesture from Chen Xu, don’t stop him.”

“This child, spending money without any restraint. What will you do when you two get married?” Grandma fretted half-complainingly.

“Grandma—” Yang Jinxia’s face bore a hint of shyness.

Third Aunt, upon seeing Chen Xu carrying in a goose, asked, “Why do you have a goose?”

Yang Jinxia answered, “Chen Xu caught it on the street, you know, with that plastic ring.”

“Oh,” Third Aunt realized, fairly familiar with the sight from her trips to town. She asked, “How much did it cost?”

“Twenty yuan.”

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Third Aunt laughed, “Then you’re really lucky.”

Twenty yuan for a big goose weighing four or five jin really was quite a bargain.

“How do you want to eat it?”

“Chen Xu said to braise it.”

Third Aunt looked to Grandma, “I’m not very good at this, maybe you should do it.”

“Fine.”

At this moment, Chen Xu came out from inside the house and, hearing their conversation, said to Yang Jinxia, “You’re in for a treat today. Grandma hasn’t cooked herself in a long time. I haven’t eaten her cooking in ages.”

……

It was almost time for lunch, and there wasn’t enough time to cook, so it had to be postponed until dinner.

After lunch, Chen Xu and his companion chatted with Grandma for a while until she said she was tired and went upstairs to rest.

Chen Xu asked, “Shall we go for a walk?”

“Sure.”

It was midday, the sun had kindly come out, and there wasn’t a breath of wind, making it considerably warmer than the morning.

The two walked along the road, straight ahead.

“In the past, our place was very poor. There were mountains everywhere, very few fields, and the roads were not connected. This concrete road was built when I was in middle school, led by the village, with each village collecting funds to construct it.”

As Chen Xu walked, he reflected, “My father’s generation started to go out to work, doing labor and business. Some made a lot of money, some not so much, but life was not bad. They didn’t have to stay in the village their whole lives just farming.”

“Actually, it’s not just our village, other villages are the same. Only the elderly and the children are left, and now, even the children are rare. Everyone places more and more emphasis on their children’s education, taking them to big cities to study.”

“Now, many of that generation are getting ready to come back to retire. Look, almost every family has built a new house.”

Yang Jinxia had been listening quietly, but suddenly she asked, “What about your family?”

Chen Xu sighed, “Our family is among the few who failed in business. We owe quite a lot of money; we even sold our house and now live in a house my grandparents left behind.”

“Right now, my greatest wish is to pay off the family debts as soon as possible and then buy a big house for my parents. I’m not considering anything else at the moment.”

By this time, they had walked out of the village, and to the right of the road was a bamboo forest.

Without knowing when, the wind had picked up, rustling the bamboo leaves. It also tousled Yang Jinxia’s hair; she stopped walking, raising her hand to sweep her hair back behind her ear, and said, “Are you implicitly rejecting me?”

Chen Xu also stopped and, while looking into the distance at the other side of the mountain, a rather hazy one, said, “I’m afraid what I want is different from what you want.”

After quite a while, Chen Xu heard no response from her. He turned his head and saw her standing there, eyes rimmed red, and he was taken aback.

In his memory, she was a strong-willed woman with resolute determination and tough nerves. Even in reality, although she sometimes showed a vulnerable side, she had never been on the verge of tears like she was now.

“I’ve already gone this far, what more do you want from me?”

“As a girl, I’ve abandoned all pretense of reserve, following you to a classmate’s wedding, coming to your grandmother’s house with you. What do I want, do you really not understand?”

“What are you afraid of? There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“You’re nothing but a coward.”

At this point, tears finally fell from the corners of Yang Jinxia’s eyes. She tried to forcefully wipe them away and said, “Fine, now all you have to do is say that you have no feelings for me at all, that you don’t want to see me again. I’ll leave right now and never appear before you again.”

“Say it.”

She stepped forward, pushing him on the chest, her voice choking, “Say it.”

Chen Xu looked at the sadness and anger in her eyes as if he had been punched hard. When she pushed him again, he finally reacted, reaching out and pulling her into his arms.

“Don’t touch me, you bastard.”

Yang Jinxia struggled hard, pushing against his chest, trying to break free.

Chen Xu didn’t let go, instead holding her even tighter until he had her completely in his arms, and, listening to her breathing, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you to say sorry to me.”

Yang Jinxia stopped her futile struggles, murmuring as she heard his apology.

Feeling the burning warmth of the body in his arms, Chen Xu felt something inside him gradually melt away. He asked softly, “Then what do you want to hear?”

“Be gentle, I can hardly breathe.”

He realized then that he had been holding her too tightly and hastily loosened his grip.

Yang Jinxia tilted her head back slightly, looking at his face. His features were clearly reflected in her eyes as she said, “Will you always be with me in the future?”

“I will.”

“Then, are you willing to be with me?”

“I am.”

“Do you like me?”

Chen Xu freed one hand, gently caressing her face, and said, “I like you.”

She rested her face against his chest, closing her eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. “Chen Xu, I want you to remember the words you said today. Never, ever, forget them.”

The wind grew stronger, lifting her long hair. Strands tickled Chen Xu’s face, tickling his heart as well.

Right, Chen Xu, what exactly are you afraid of?

He asked himself, a faint answer emerging in his heart, but it no longer mattered.

When he saw the tears of sorrow and anger in her eyes, the defenses around his heart shattered into pieces.

“As long as you don’t leave me, I will always be with you.”

He said to himself.

The two of them embraced quietly like this, the nearby bamboo forest occasionally rustling, adding a few touches of tranquility.

Beep—

Suddenly, a black Cadillac drove by, honking as it passed them.

Chen Xu looked up with a hint of displeasure, and when he saw the license plate, it felt strangely familiar.

Then, the car, which had gone a dozen meters or so, came to a stop and slowly backed up. The window rolled down, and the driver’s seat revealed a familiar face, both surprised and happy, “Chen Xu, it’s actually you.”

“Chen Chao?” Chen Xu was also surprised.

“Hey.” From the back seat, a woman holding a child leaned out to greet him with enthusiasm – it was none other than Chen Chao’s wife and son.