The youth was like jade, and her heart flipped.
Ji Shuhe didn't react at first. She blinked at the person outside the window, then dumbly wiped the entire pane of glass clean of fog.
Only a window separated them. Wen Shaoyu, with a smile in his eyes, leaned down to get closer.
Ji Shuhe snapped back to reality and shot up, knocking over her stool in her haste.
"Wen Shaoyu!"
"Why are you back?"
Lizi, who had been lying by the door, reacted faster than Ji Shuhe. The dog dashed out excitedly, jumped up to paw at Wen Shaoyu, and let out a few low barks.
Wen Shaoyu ruffled the dog's head to calm him, then stepped inside, bringing a gust of cold wind with him.
Standing in the doorway, he shook his reddened hands and greeted the two elderly people in the room. "Grandpa Ji, Grandma Ji, Happy New Year."
Then he turned to Ji Shuhe and raised an eyebrow. "Happy New Year, Ji Shuhe."
"Happy..." Ji Shuhe opened her mouth, her instinctive reaction faster than her urge to complain.
She thought he was putting on an act again. Just last night, they had already exchanged New Year's wishes in a less formal way.
"Good, happy New Year." Grandma Ji's voice drowned out Ji Shuhe's. She looked outside. "Where's your grandmother? Didn't she come back with you?"
Wen Shaoyu smiled. "She'll be back tomorrow. I couldn't wait, so I came ahead."
Grandma Ji, at her age and having heard plenty about the neighboring family's love-hate drama, knew exactly what Wen Shaoyu meant.
She wanted to sigh, but it was the start of the New Year—a bad omen to begin with worries—so she swallowed her sigh.
This young man in front of her was the same age as her own grandchildren. With a father who didn't love him and no mother to care for him, running back to the empty old house during the New Year meant he couldn't stand it there anymore.
"Well, come have dinner with us later. Let your grandmother know, won't you? She's old and has a weak heart. Don't make her worry."
Living so close, it was common for them to share meals. Wen Shaoyu didn't stand on ceremony. "Thank you, Grandma Ji. I'll go upstairs to change first. Once I'm settled, I'll come down to help."
Despite being a troublemaker, Wen Shaoyu could be impeccably polite and sweet-tongued when he wanted to be. In the Ji family's eyes, he had never lived up to the bad reputation the alley gave him.
"No need, the dishes are all prepared before New Year's. We'll just grab a quick bite. Xiao Yu, go upstairs and rest."
Grandma Ji turned and saw Ji Shuhe still standing there dumbly. She picked up the candy box from the table, handed it to her, and pushed her toward the door. "Xiao Shu, you go too. Bring some snacks. You kids can chat among yourselves."
Ji Shuhe didn't even process what was happening as she left the room. Wen Shaoyu took the candy box from her hand, and Lizi ran ahead, leaving the two to slowly follow behind.
At the stairway, Wen Shaoyu suddenly asked, "Where's Ji Shulang? Out paying New Year's visits?"
Ji Shuhe nodded. "Yeah, he went to his uncle's place."
"Then why didn't you go?"
Ji Shuhe paused mid-step, finding his question odd.
A shadow loomed in front of her. Wen Shaoyu had stopped on the steps two steps above her, looking down at her. Backlit and glancing back, it was a scene eerily similar to a few months ago.
Back then, she thought he didn't understand. But now, Ji Shuhe didn't believe he didn't get what she was thinking.
"So why are you back?"
Wen Shaoyu was straightforward. "Couldn't stay there, so I came home."
Expected. She hadn't meant to pick at his wounds.
Ji Shuhe let out a soft breath, unsure whom she was sighing for, but it felt like a trade—one answer for one question. "Going to someone's house for New Year's right now feels like you're just after red envelopes. I didn't want to."
Lizi had already reached the second floor. Seeing them both stuck on the stairs, he tilted his head in confusion and gave a bark of impatience.
Wen Shaoyu pointed at Lizi, and the dog immediately shut his mouth, sat down, and stuck out his tongue in a friendly manner toward his owner... one of them.
Wen Shaoyu continued up the stairs, his words meant for Ji Shuhe but also sounding like he was convincing himself. "Good thing you didn't go. No matter how fancy a place is, it's never as good as your own home."
Ji Shuhe wanted to argue—Yong'anli wasn't her home. She came from Yuanjing. Even if her parents didn't get along, even if that family was falling apart, by definition, her home was still there.
Even though... she wasn't as eager to return to Yuanjing as before. The unconditional shelter she felt now came only from Yong'anli, from her grandparents, uncle, aunt, and her slightly dim cousin Ji Shulang.
But deep down, she was still a temporary guest.
Even this little attic couldn't be called home.
Wen Shaoyu had already reached the second floor. Ji Shuhe licked her dry lips, stopped her stray thoughts, and followed.
Wen Shaoyu's room, where Lizi stayed during the day, was only closed but not locked. Ji Shuhe was worried about the smell, so she kept the window in the hallway near his room open for ventilation.
The room didn't smell strongly of dog, but things were scattered messily on the bed and floor. Unlike Wen Shaoyu's usual tidiness, it was clearly the work of a culprit awaiting punishment.
Ji Shuhe gave Lizi a look that said "good luck," but Wen Shaoyu said nothing. He bent down, picked up the items, dusted them off, and put them back in place.
He closed the window, turned on the air conditioner, placed the candy box on the desk, and pulled the chair over for Ji Shuhe. Seeing her lightly dressed, he grabbed a flannel blanket for her.
"It's cold in the attic. I've turned on the AC; it'll warm up soon. Just stay here and play with Lizi. Once I'm done cleaning up, we'll go downstairs together."
Ji Shuhe really did hate the cold. The attic couldn't accommodate an air conditioner, so someone offering her a warm spot was hard to refuse.
Lizi had already settled into his usual spot, blocking Wen Shaoyu's path as he tidied up.
Wen Shaoyu stepped over him, and Lizi's fluffy tail flicked from left to right, as if he thought it was a game.
Actually, Wen Shaoyu didn't have much to put away. He'd only brought a backpack, and naturally, that same bag held two changes of clothes.