It was almost an hour later by the time Zhu Yaya completely regained her senses.
Zhu Yaya groggily opened her eyes and lifted her head from Yan Heng's shoulder. She rubbed her slightly stiff neck. "Yan Heng, what time is it?"
Yan Heng quietly relaxed his shoulders and straightened his back. "Ten past three."
She had slept for almost an hour?
Zhu Yaya's eyes widened in disbelief. She scratched her head and stammered, "Um, Yan Heng, I'm sorry. I, well, I had a bit of insomnia last night. Was I leaning on you this whole time? Are you, are you..."
Yan Heng's expression remained as usual. "It's fine."
"Do you want me to massage your shoulder?"
"No need." Yan Heng shook his head and declined.
Zhu Yaya realized they were still on the bus. Outside the window, the bustling cityscape was gradually transitioning into a desolate suburban landscape. The scenery outside kept changing, but the people inside remained the same.
Zhu Yaya frowned. Why did the sights along this road feel somewhat familiar? It was as if she had been here before.
Catching sight of Zhu Yaya staring intently out the window, Yan Heng spoke up, "Just wait a little longer, we're almost there."
"Oh, okay."
Zhu Yaya propped up her left arm, resting her chin in her hand, and continued to look out the window, lost in thought.
She really felt like she had been here before.
About five minutes later, the bus finally stopped. Yan Heng gently patted Zhu Yaya's shoulder. "Yaya, we're here."
"Oh, alright." Zhu Yaya pulled her thoughts back and hurriedly followed Yan Heng off the bus.
As they were getting off, Zhu Yaya heard a teasing remark from the middle-aged bus driver at the front.
"Little girl, you've found yourself a great boyfriend!"
Wh-what?!!
What boyfriend?
"He's not!" Zhu Yaya blushed and retorted in a small voice. Unfortunately, her voice was too soft, like the buzz of a mosquito. Let alone the driver, even Yan Heng standing right next to her didn't hear it.
Carrying his heavy backpack, Yan Heng held Zhu Yaya's hand and calmly nodded at the driver. "Thank you."
The blush on Zhu Yaya's face deepened, spreading all the way to the back of her neck. She lowered her head, staring at the fingernails on her other hand.
Why did Yan Heng have to say that!
Making it seem like we really are... really are boyfriend and girlfriend.
Yan Heng lowered his eyes and saw her reaction, tightening his grip on Zhu Yaya's hand.
Cute.
His face was impassive, but he said this silently in his heart.
The two of them got off the bus. The bus immediately drove away.
The blush on Zhu Yaya's face had not yet faded. She looked up, swallowed hard, and peeked around. "Um, Yan Heng, where are we going..."
Her words caught in her throat.
Because she saw their destination.
It was a cemetery.
It was the final resting place of Yan Heng's parents.
When Yan's mother passed away, she had come here with Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing.
Yan Heng... he had brought her here. Why did he bring her here?
A wave of disappointment washed over Zhu Yaya's heart.
So, Yan Heng wasn't taking her on a date after all!
She glanced up at Yan Heng's expression.
He still wore that same indifferent look, making it impossible to figure out what was on his mind.
"Let's go," Yan Heng finally spoke.
"Oh, oh, okay." Zhu Yaya lowered her head in a slight panic.
Zhu Yaya knew that his parents would always be a painful spot in Yan Heng's heart. She didn't dare to speak, afraid that she might accidentally trigger his sorrow. But would her abnormal behavior make him feel even more uncomfortable?
"Haha," Zhu Yaya forced herself to act naturally. "Yan Heng, did you want to take me to see Uncle and Aunt?"
However, the moment she said it, she regretted it.
Would this poke at Yan Heng's painful spot?
Yan Heng held Zhu Yaya's hand and led her into the cemetery. He had been quietly observing her from the corner of his eye and naturally saw the conflict and regret on her face.
"Yaya."
"Yeah. Wh-what is it?"
"I am much stronger than you imagine, so don't worry."
Yan Heng had seen right through her!
Zhu Yaya pursed her lips and softly replied, "I know."
They arrived at the gravestones of Yan's father and mother. The two gravestones stood closely side by side.
Right, his father's gravestone was a blank slab with no words.
Yan Heng let go of Zhu Yaya's hand. He took off the backpack he was carrying and unzipped it. Zhu Yaya watched as he took out a few apples, candles, and a stack of joss paper.
Zhu Yaya's heart inexplicably clenched.
So this was what Yan Heng had been carrying in his backpack.
While Yan Heng was sorting out the items from his bag, Zhu Yaya wanted to do something for him. She took out a small handkerchief from her own little crossbody bag, walked up to the gravestones, and carefully wiped them down.
As she wiped, she silently prayed in her heart: Uncle and Aunt, you must watch over Yan Heng well from up in heaven.
Seeing Zhu Yaya's actions, Yan Heng paused what he was doing. A lump formed in his throat, and his eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Zhu Yaya wiped both gravestones clean and also brushed away some fallen leaves around them.
Yan Heng silently stepped forward and knelt before the gravestones. He placed the apples and some food in front of them, lit the candles, and took out the joss paper, slowly burning them.
Zhu Yaya also knelt down beside Yan Heng, keeping him company as he burned the joss paper.
A quiet stillness settled between the two of them.
Zhu Yaya thought Yan Heng would remain silent, but to her surprise, he spoke.
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying the distant weight of memories. "My parents were both orphans. They grew up in the same orphanage and could be considered childhood sweethearts. My mom was sickly when she was little, and she was always bullied by the troublemakers in the orphanage who would steal her food. It was my dad who always protected her, chasing away those who bullied her. There were many kind-hearted people who wanted to adopt my dad, but he refused them all. He said he wanted to protect Little Xian."
Cheng Xian was the name of Yan Heng's mother.
Zhu Yaya felt a lump in her heart, and her eyes grew hot. She remembered the time she and Li Hao went to visit Yan Heng's home.
That woman who, even when she went mad, kept murmuring about her husband.
The firelight flickered across Yan Heng's face. He broke the silent impression he had always held in Zhu Yaya's mind, gently recounting the love story of his father and mother.
He made it sound so beautiful, which only served to further highlight the final tragedy of his parents.
"Later, my dad became an anti-narcotics police officer, and my mom became a nurse. They got married. At their wedding, Uncle Zhu was the best man, and Aunt Zhao was the maid of honor. Uncle Zhu fell in love with Aunt Zhao at first sight. The following year, they also got married on the exact same day." When Yan Heng reached this point, a warm look entered his eyes, but it was only for a fleeting moment before it was quickly replaced by other emotions. "Later, they had me."
