Su Mu had wanted to refuse, but Wen Han insisted, making her feel that further objections would seem as if she were worried he wanted to do something to her.
Wen Han went to the master bedroom and changed into sportswear. When he came down, he noticed Su Mu standing at the door, watching the torrential rain outside. He walked over and picked up an umbrella at the entrance:
"I’ll go bring the car over."
"Okay."
Wen Han opened the umbrella, and his figure soon disappeared into the rainy night. Su Mu glanced down at the time on her wristwatch: 8:43 PM.
It was later than usual. With the rainy weather making travel difficult, she feared arriving home later than usual. As she hesitated whether to call Fu Shinian, a jeep slowly stopped at the door.
Su Mu put away her phone and was about to walk over when Wen Han got out of the car, holding an umbrella that blended with the night. He came over to her, covered her with the umbrella, and escorted her to the car, matching her pace all the way.
Only when Wen Han put away the umbrella and sat in the driver’s seat did Su Mu realize that his left shoulder was wet. It must have been because he had tilted most of the umbrella towards her.
Noticing Su Mu’s gaze, Wen Han turned his head and looked at his shoulder:
"It’s nothing."
Su Mu looked away and stopped talking.
The rain grew heavier. Looking out the car window at the world outside, Su Mu suddenly remembered her mother once describing such heavy rain as ’the sky having a leak,’ but she felt it had been a long time since she had encountered such weather, and she had never gone out in it.
Probably for safety, Wen Han drove very slowly. With little to do, Su Mu noted that Wen Han’s driving posture was different from that of other men she knew.
Fu Shinian liked to drive one-handed, rarely holding the steering wheel with both hands in the composed manner that Wen Han did. Thinking of Fu Shinian, Su Mu glanced again at the time. It was now past 9:30 PM.
"In a hurry?"
Upon hearing him, Su Mu turned her head to look at him and shook her head: "No, I have nothing urgent at home. I’m not in a rush."
"Driving at night in the rain is quite dangerous, but don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. You might want to call your family in advance to let them know, so they won’t worry."
"No need, we’re almost there."
A brief silence returned to the car. Just when Su Mu thought it would remain quiet, Wen Han spoke again:
"You and Shaoyuan have also known each other for a while, right?"
Su Mu calculated the time: "Almost two weeks."
"In your eyes, what kind of child is Shaoyuan?"
Su Mu did not immediately answer. She did not quite understand the purpose of Wen Han’s question. Noticing her confusion, Wen Han smiled slightly:
"Don’t feel pressured. I merely want to know what he’s like when I’m not around. Because of work, I don’t spend much time with him. He’s always sensible, but I still worry that my prolonged absence might negatively affect him."
Understanding, Su Mu weighed her words before she slowly began:
"Can I tell the truth?"
"Of course. As someone outside the Wen Family who has spent some time with Shaoyuan, you probably see things more clearly than I do."
"I’m not sure if I see things clearly. I’ll just share my feelings."
Wen Han glanced at her, "Okay."
"The first time I met Shaoyuan was in the hospital. At first, I just thought he was very cute and very polite, but as I got to know him, I felt he was too sensible, overly so. Of course, I’m not saying being sensible is bad, nor am I denying the Wen Family’s education, but I always felt he was just a five-year-old kid, yet he endured much more than other children his age."
"I haven’t seen what Shaoyuan is like when he’s with you, but in front of me, he rarely talks about his grandparents, and he hardly mentions you, almost never. At first, I thought it might be because of the limited time spent together, but then I found a family portrait under his pillow, and then I knew, he really longs for your company."
"But he is too sensible. At an age when one can freely cry and demand whatever they want, he was already considering how to keep you from worrying about him. Even this illness, he hoped I wouldn’t notify you because he said if you had a vacation, you would come back; if not, telling you would only make you worry."
Wen Han slightly frowned.
But Su Mu still wanted to finish her sentence.
"I had only seen such children on TV before, sensible, considerate, endearing, but it wasn’t until I met Shaoyuan that I realized such children truly exist. It was then I understood, children like him, they’re really heartbreaking."
After Su Mu finished speaking, Wen Han didn’t respond right away, leaving Su Mu feeling somewhat apologetic:
"Sorry, I might have said too much."
Wen Han came back to his senses and looked at her, "No, I was just thinking. No one has ever talked to me about these things before."
The rain outside the window had lessened considerably, now just a drizzle. The earlier downpour had vanished like an accident, and the car gradually picked up speed, soon stopping by the roadside outside Bishui Yuntian.
Vehicles from outside were not allowed into the entire street of Bishui Yuntian, so even though Wen Han was dropping off Su Mu, she still had a considerable distance to walk. After getting out of the car, he looked around:
"Do you have to walk back like this every night?"
Su Mu smiled, "A bit of exercise is good for the health."
"Although this area’s security conditions are very good, it’s still too dangerous for a girl."
"It won’t be, there’s a security patrol every half hour, it’s very safe."
Wen Han said nothing further, holding the umbrella and walking beside her. Even though under the same umbrella, his body maintained a distance, not touching her, giving her a sense of safety and respect.
By the time they reached the entrance of the complex, the rain had completely stopped. Su Mu stretched her hand out of the umbrella to check:
"The rain has stopped."
Wen Han closed the umbrella, and he did not leave immediately but stood in front of Su Mu to give his earnest thanks:
"Thank you for what you told me earlier, it let me understand a Shaoyuan I never knew before. I was a bit worried when Xiaobei first introduced you, but now I have no worries at all, and I understand why Shaoyuan likes you. I’m really glad you can be Shaoyuan’s teacher."
Su Mu was somewhat embarrassed by his earnest words:
"Thank you for your affirmation; I hope I won’t let you down in the future.">
Wen Han looked at her solemnly, "It’s getting late, go inside."
"Okay, take care driving back."
"Mhm."
Su Mu turned and walked toward the inside of the complex. Wen Han stood still until he could no longer see her figure before turning to walk back. He almost brushed past an oncoming car as Fu Shinian inside the car glanced at Wen Han and then slowly looked away.