Chapter 57 A New Home

After working at the Lighting Company for a full year, Yin Xian was promoted again—this time to supervisor.

Wang Jiexiang felt that switching jobs had been the right call. Yin Xian was capable and ambitious, and at his new company, he was thriving.

His career was on a positive trajectory: recognized by management for his outstanding performance, he was offered more opportunities; by completing multiple tasks flawlessly, he proved himself again and again, earning even greater trust and heavier responsibilities.

In the third winter they spent together, Yin Xian set his sights on an apartment downtown.

Naturally, Wang Jiexiang had no objections to moving. The conditions in the urban village were poor, and it was far from both their workplaces. With their current salaries, they could easily afford the new place downtown. Moving meant better living conditions: a shorter commute for him, earlier dinners, and more time to rest at home.

Considering everything, moving out of the urban village was a done deal.

When Wang Jiexiang first moved in with Yin Xian, she had only one backpack. By the time they were moving out, she had so many belongings they had to hire a moving company and rent a van.

All of Yin Xian’s belongings barely filled two suitcases, while Wang Jiexiang’s luggage came in all shapes and sizes, scattered and numerous.

Working together, she passed each bag to Yin Xian, loading them into the Bread truck. After a good while of hustling, the rental was finally empty, save for a few pieces of furniture.

Once the luggage was secured, Yin Xian turned around and saw Wang Jiexiang awkwardly trying to lift the headboard. He immediately stopped her.

“No need to move that—we’ll just buy a new one.”

“Huh?” She caressed the headboard, reluctant to let go. “Why not? You bought this. We can totally take it with us. The new place is bigger, it won’t be crowded. Even if we don’t use it as a headboard, it can be a storage cabinet.”

“No need.” Yin Xian pulled her away.

“What do you mean, we’re done moving?” Wang Jiexiang looked at each piece of furniture in the room, struggling. “What about the shoe cabinet? Our dining table? That little stool we use to wash vegetables…”

“We’re not taking any of it. They’re not worth much, and most of them were soaked in water.”

She shook off his hand and dashed over to hug the little fridge tucked in the corner.

“We have to take the fridge! You bought it for me! And it’s still new!”

“Come on,” he said, pulling her away. “The new place has a double-door fridge.”

“Even with a big fridge, we can’t just toss this one! What if we move again? We’ll need it…”

Wang Jiexiang racked her brain for excuses, trying to persuade him.

Seeing her like that, clearly ready to dawdle around in the shabby little place for hours more, he simply scooped her up in his arms.

Wang Jiexiang was afraid of falling and quickly threw her arms around his neck.

As they approached the door, she deftly snatched the juicer from atop a cabinet.

Yin Xian gave her a sidelong glance, but Wang Jiexiang held firm.

“We are definitely taking this!”

“It’s not like I’m stopping you from juicing,” he said. “I’ll get you a newer model—with more functions.”

“I want this one!” She cradled it in her arms like a baby.

If he didn’t let her take it, she probably would’ve cried on the spot.

Yin Xian gave in.

He carried her to the Bread truck, opened the passenger door, and gently set her down in the seat.

“Wait here and watch our stuff. I’ll go return the keys to the landlord and be right back.”

Wang Jiexiang patted her pocket, then suddenly sat up straight and shouted at his back, “Yin Xian! Where are my keys?”

Without turning around, he waved the two sets of keys in his hand.

“The keychain!”

She rolled down the window and yelled, “My keychain! That’s my favorite bunny keychain!”

Yin Xian turned a corner and was already out of sight.

When he came back, Wang Jiexiang opened the door, her face full of displeasure.

“Where are you going?” he asked, grabbing her wrist.

“To get my bunny keychain from the landlord.”

Yin Xian pulled out the keys to the new home and placed them in her hand.

Wang Jiexiang opened her palm and saw her bunny keychain holding two brand-new keys.

She looked up at him, her eyes brightening with joy and her smile sweet.

“You didn’t lose it.”

Yin Xian lied with a straight face: “I lost it.”

“That keychain’s all chipped, doesn’t even look like a bunny anymore—looks more like a black rat. But someone insists on treating it like treasure.”

“Even chipped, it’s still my favorite bunny.”

She sat back down, buckled her seatbelt, and hugged the juicer tightly in her arms.

“And the juicer, too. My favorite person gave it to me. It’s the best juicer in the whole world. Both are my treasures—I’ll never throw them away.”

Yin Xian smiled ever so slightly and started the Bread truck.

The old man next door had just come home after collecting scrap. They ran into each other at the entrance.

“Oh, you’re moving out?”

Wang Jiexiang stuck her head out the window and greeted him. “Yes, Uncle. Take care of yourself.”

The old man waved at her with a smile. “I will, I will. Goodbye.”

They both said, “Goodbye.”

The Bread truck climbed uphill, hit the main road, and slowly left the bounds of the urban village.

Wang Jiexiang gazed wistfully behind her, unable to turn away.

Yin Xian tried to console her. “After living downtown for a while, you won’t miss this place at all.”

“Mm.” But her eyes were still glued to the rearview.

To snap her out of that unexplained melancholy, he reminded her:

“The house in the urban village was drafty and leaked when it rained. Snow would bury us, rain would flood us. Nowhere to hang clothes, no sunlight, mold everywhere. Illegal constructions everywhere, garbage all over, cockroaches and rats running wild. The streetlight’s been broken for months and still isn’t fixed. Shared faucets, communal toilets and showers—filthy environment, and we could run into perverts. None of the neighbors were friendly. Remember that scrap-collecting old man who scammed you when you first moved in?”

Wang Jiexiang looked at him, puzzled. “How do you know about that?”

Back then, they hadn’t met yet. She lived next door to him.

Yin Xian spoke calmly. “You hadn’t seen me, but I’d seen you.”

Wang Jiexiang’s eyes widened. This was the first time she’d heard this.

“Wow, so you liked me before I even knew you?”

“Not liked—just noticed…”

“Noticed what?” She held her breath, waiting.

After a pause, Yin Xian said, “Noticed how incredibly dumb you were.”

“Hey!” Wang Jiexiang glared at him, puffing up in indignation.

Amid their bickering, the truck drove farther and farther.

When she turned to look again, even the road outside the urban village was no longer in sight.

Thinking back to what Yin Xian had said, Wang Jiexiang realized he was right.

Moving out of the urban village was a good thing. Their future would only get better.

…

The new apartment was in a prime downtown location.

Surrounded by restaurants and shops, with excellent transportation—well-lit even at night.

The apartment had an elevator, so moving the luggage up wasn’t too difficult.

Wang Jiexiang had only heard Yin Xian describe the place. This was her first time stepping into their new home.

It was beautiful. Brand new.

Elegant wood floors, fresh wallpaper; matching dining table and chairs; a huge sofa you could sleep on; a gorgeous petal-shaped chandelier on the ceiling, ringed with tiny teardrop lights.

She felt like she was back at that department store interview—awed by the dazzling mall, the white marble floors—unable to relax.

“Why aren’t you putting your bag down?” Yin Xian asked when he saw her standing dazed in the living room with a cloth tote.

“I don’t know where to put it.”

“Put it wherever you want.”

“Oh.”

She finally took two steps, then looked down at her dirty sneakers and grew uneasy again.

“Yin Xian, shouldn’t we take our shoes off? We’ll get the floor dirty.”

He was too busy moving things to bother. “Who knows which bag the slippers are in. We’ll clean the place after we’re done anyway.”

When Yin Xian came up with another load, he saw her back.

She had taken off her shoes at the door and was tiptoeing around in socks.

She lifted the suitcase gingerly, setting it down with extreme care, as if afraid to bump into anything.

Even thieves weren’t this nervous.

“Wang Jiexiang,” Yin Xian said, walking over and taking her hand.

“Stop unpacking. Let me show you around.”

She let him pull her along, watching helplessly as he stomped around the apartment in his outdoor shoes.

“This is the living room. Next month, I’ll put a TV right here.”

Wang Jiexiang nodded.

“That’s the dining room, kitchen’s right next to it.”

He tugged her along.

“On the left is the bathroom.” He flicked on the light.

Inside: toilet, shower, bathtub, sink, a big mirror—everything you could want.

Wang Jiexiang observed silently as Yin Xian led her to the right.

“This is the study. The bookshelf’s still empty for now.”

They left the study and entered the bedroom.

“Our room. That corner over there, I’m going to put in a vanity for you.”

He opened the sliding door to reveal a large balcony.

“Plenty of sunlight here. At night, you can stand out and enjoy the view. There’s a laundry sink, and the washing machine—I’ll show you how to use it later. From now on, we can wash and hang all our clothes here—fill the whole balcony.”

Yin Xian turned back, but Wang Jiexiang’s gaze was fixed on the drying rack he pointed at.

The setting sun lit her face. She was speechless, her eyes brimming with tears.

He wiped them away.

She finally snapped out of it and looked at him.

“Mm!”

Wang Jiexiang clenched her fist and repeated his words with great spirit.

“Fill the entire balcony with sunshine!”

It did sound a bit silly.

After she said it, they all found it hilarious.

“Pfft.”

On the spacious balcony of their new home, they looked at each other and laughed.