Chapter 56: I’m Missing You Already

Even after returning home, Shen Jia Yan was still in a daze.

That moment of joy felt like a soft cloud that lifted her entire being. As she stood in the entryway taking off her shoes, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upward. When she walked into the room and sat down, the warmth from Wen Wan Ning’s hand still lingered in her palm.

She had held her hand.

She had said, “Give me a little more time.”

That wasn’t a rejection—it was a response.

It was her small step toward finally drawing closer and acknowledging her feelings, and it was the true first step between them.

Shen Jia Yan looked down at her palm, as if she could still feel the gentle press of that hand.

Suddenly, she felt that all the caution, restraint, and patience she had endured for so long had been worth it—for this moment.

For hearing those words directly from her lips, for holding her hand, for walking side by side in the night.

She leaned against the headboard, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath, as if tucking all her emotions into the softest corner of her heart.

But she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

Suddenly, she sat up from the bed and rushed straight to the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face, instantly jolting herself awake.

In the mirror, her eyes sparkled unnaturally, her cheeks still flushed, and the smile on her lips seemed impossible to hide.

She gently patted her face, then pinched her cheek harder, wincing in pain but smiling even more brightly.

“It’s not a dream… it’s real.” She whispered to her reflection, as if confirming once more that everything that happened tonight wasn’t just her imagination.

Wen Wan Ning had held her hand and called her “Yan Yan.”

That scene she had imagined countless times in her heart had truly come to life.

She turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel to dry the water droplets from her face, and returned to the room. She flung herself onto the bed, buried her face in the pillow, and let out a muffled laugh.

Knock knock knock. A knock sounded at the door.

Shen Jia Yan sat up, smoothed her messy hair, and said, “Come in.”

Jiang Jing opened the door and walked in.

She went to the sofa, sat down, and looked at Shen Jia Yan with a meaningful gaze. “Why are you so happy when you got home today?”

From the moment she entered, she had noticed that Shen Jia Yan’s smile hadn’t faded.

Shen Jia Yan quickly composed herself and cleared her throat twice. “Was I? It’s fine, I guess.”

Jiang Jing crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the sofa. “I know you too well. Your mouth is practically up to your ears.”

“Heh heh heh… Mom, you’re exaggerating.” Shen Jia Yan paused, then continued, “I’m just happy to be home and see you and Dad, of course.”

Jiang Jing gave her a look that said Do you think I buy that? “The moment you got home, you just greeted us and went upstairs. I didn’t feel like your happiness came from us.”

A flush instantly spread across Shen Jia Yan’s fair cheeks. “I’m happy, of course I am. It’s been a whole month since we saw each other.”

Jiang Jing glanced at her sideways and cut straight to the point, voicing her suspicions. “Have you gotten a boyfriend?”

Shen Jia Yan’s fingers unconsciously twisted the bedsheet, crumpling the fabric in her palm. Jiang Jing’s question was like a stone dropped into the still lake of her heart.

“A boyfriend?” Her voice rose unconsciously before she hurriedly lowered it. “No way.”

Jiang Jing casually straightened the sofa cushion. “Then you have someone you like.” This time, it was a statement.

Shen Jia Yan felt her ear tips heating up again. She lowered her head, pretending to fiddle with her pajama buttons, but her mind was filled with the way Wen Wan Ning’s voice had lilted when she called her “Yan Yan.”

What if I told you the person I like is a girl? Would you and Dad accept that?

But the question merely circled in her mind without being spoken aloud.

She knew her parents weren’t extremely conservative, but they weren’t open-minded either. They wouldn’t force her to live by societal standards, but they had their own boundaries and views.

They never demanded she be outstanding or successful, but they valued “propriety” and “tradition.”

Kindness, honesty, and responsibility were the most important life attitudes they had taught her. But precisely because of that, she feared that if she liked a girl, they might see it as “improper” in their eyes.

Shen Jia Yan had understood since childhood that while her parents loved her, their ideas on certain matters were deeply ingrained.

She wasn’t afraid they wouldn’t love her; she was afraid they would be saddened, feel she had “taken the wrong path,” or worry she would suffer without protection in the future.

But she also knew she couldn’t hide this affection forever.

Not just for Wen Wan Ning’s sake, but for her own.

She didn’t want to live her whole life in cautious concealment, carefully choosing her words every time Wen Wan Ning came up, turning her own happiness into a secret she couldn’t voice.

Still, rather than a sudden confession, she preferred to guide her parents toward acceptance in her own way.

Little by little, step by step. Just as she had waited for Wen Wan Ning.

She composed herself and said softly, “Not yet. When there is, I’ll tell you, okay?”

Jiang Jing saw the look on her face and realized she wouldn’t get more, so she dropped it and reminded her instead, “If you do get a boyfriend, make sure to protect yourself.”

Looking at her mother’s gentle yet slightly worried eyes, Shen Jia Yan felt a pang in her heart. She nodded and replied warmly, “Yeah, I know.”

Jiang Jing didn’t pursue the topic. She stood up and said, “We’re going to Grandma’s tomorrow together.” Then she reverted to her usual tone. “Get some sleep early. Don’t oversleep again tomorrow morning.”

Shen Jia Yan nodded with a smile. “Got it. Yes, ma’am.”

Jiang Jing gave her a look filled with a hint of tenderness and indulgence, like when she used to coax her to bed as a child. She let out a soft “hmph.” “If you laze in bed again, I won’t call you a second time.”

“Don’t worry, I’m always on time for Grandma’s.” Shen Jia Yan smiled, her tone light and relaxed.

Jiang Jing nodded in satisfaction, turned, and left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Only a faint sliver of light seeped through the crack.

The room fell quiet, save for the ticking of the clock.

Shen Jia Yan rolled over, a smile still on her lips.

She picked up her phone. The WeChat chat with Wen Wan Ning was still open.

[I got home.]

Wan Ning: [Good that you got home. I’m going to take a shower first.]

[Okay. (puppy sitting obediently.jpg)]

She leaned against the headboard, brushed aside her damp, hastily blow-dried bangs, opened Moments, and posted something.

A photo of the night sky she had taken downstairs at Wen Wan Ning’s building, captioned: Tonight’s stars seem brighter than any night before.

Five minutes later, she got a like from Wen Wan Ning.

Then a WeChat message popped up: [I’m done showering. Already in bed.]

Shen Jia Yan’s eyes lit up. [Can I call you?]

No reply, but her phone rang with the incoming call.

Wen Wan Ning’s soft voice came through the receiver, carrying a warm, post-shower humidity and a touch of coziness from under the covers. “Hello.”

That single short word gently strummed the softest string in Shen Jia Yan’s heart.

She instinctively sat up straighter, her voice tender and cautious. “You lying down already?”

“Mm.” Wen Wan Ning responded lazily. “Just lay down and saw your Moment.”

Shen Jia Yan’s ears warmed, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Wen Wan Ning continued, “Tonight’s stars really are bright.”

Shen Jia Yan’s heart stirred, as if they were back at that moment of parting downstairs.

With the night breeze whispering and the streetlights soft, she glanced out the window at the night sky and smiled. “Yeah, especially bright.”

There was a brief silence on the other end, only Wen Wan Ning’s light breathing audible.

Then she chuckled softly. “Did you post that Moment to say something specific?”

Shen Jia Yan’s ear tips burned, her heartbeat quickening unconsciously. She licked her lips and said gently and earnestly, “Just… that I’m really happy tonight.” Because of you, I’m so happy.

Wen Wan Ning didn’t reply right away, but her silence held a smile. “Me too,” she said softly.

Shen Jia Yan felt something lightly tickle her heart—itchy and warm.

She followed up naturally. “Wan Ning, are you heading back to school the day after tomorrow?”

“Hm?” Wen Wan Ning thought for a moment and feigned regret. “School has some stuff, so I might have to go back tomorrow.”

“Ah?” Shen Jia Yan let out a disappointed murmur. “Tomorrow…”

It had been a long time since she visited Grandma, and she really missed her, but she also wanted to go back to school with Wen Wan Ning.

Hearing that dejected “ah” from Shen Jia Yan, Wen Wan Ning couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Why are you asking when I’m going back?” Her tone held a hint of mischief and indulgence.

“Because…” Shen Jia Yan paused, her voice so soft it was like it might scatter in the wind. “I want to go back with you, but tomorrow I still have to go to Grandma’s.”

She said it lightly, as if afraid Wen Wan Ning wouldn’t hear—or afraid saying it too clearly would reveal too much of her irrepressible emotions.

Wen Wan Ning listened, a smile creeping onto her lips. She teased deliberately, “Go back with me? So you’re not going to Grandma’s?”

Shen Jia Yan bit her lip, her voice even smaller. “Of course I want to see Grandma, but I also want…”

Wen Wan Ning let out a soft “mm,” her tone gentle with a touch of amusement. “Not teasing you anymore. I’m going back the day after tomorrow.”

Shen Jia Yan froze, her ear tips still red, her voice hesitant and disbelieving. “Ah? What did you say?”

Wen Wan Ning laughed lightly, a hint of smugness in her tone. “I said—” She drew out the words. “I’m going back the day after tomorrow.”

It took Shen Jia Yan a few seconds to process, realizing her earlier disappointment, inner conflict, and that halting “but tomorrow I still have to go to Grandma’s” had all been for nothing.

She couldn’t help but laugh, as if a weight had been lifted from her heart, leaving her utterly relaxed. “Then can I go back with you? Like when we came?”

“We just parted, and you’re already booking my schedule for the day after tomorrow?”

“Because…” Shen Jia Yan hesitated, then said it. “I’m already starting to miss you.”

The sudden silence on the other end made Shen Jia Yan’s heart clench.

Had she said that too rashly?

“Okay, let’s go back together.” The soft voice came from the receiver.

The light in Shen Jia Yan’s eyes brightened instantly.