Old Master Lu grabbed the cloth and hurried her up, saying, “Go now, it’ll be difficult to weed them once they grow longer.”
Yan Huan stood up, turned around, and left immediately. However, she turned around again after taking a few steps.
“Why aren’t you in the wheelchair anymore?” Yan Huan asked boldly.
“Why should I be in a wheelchair when I’m not sick?” Old Master Lu said snarkingly as he rolled his eyes.
“Oh…” Yan Huan really wanted to retort that he was not sick before this but he still sat in the wheelchair. Of course, she would not be so tactless and expose Old Master Lu.
She went to weed the farmlands, showing no interest in the outside world. She spent her days gardening and occasionally bickering with Old Master Lu. Oftentimes, she would forget about the passing of time and the changes in life.
Now, New Year was around the corner. However, it started to snow quite heavily outside. Falling snow that was as large as goose feather blanketed the entire vegetable field. Nothing was planted in the ground outside the greenhouses, while it was warm as ever and the vegetables thrived beautifully inside them.
Yan Huan enjoyed staying there. She removed her coat and took care of the little sprouts. As she watched them grow from seeds to seedlings and then flourishing plants, she felt something special each time. Her mind was clearer and her health improved greatly from the nutrients of these nourishing plants.
She was no longer concerned with what was happening in the outside world and did not bother much if there were still comments about her on the Internet. To be honest, one was quickly forgotten in the entertainment field. Perhaps she was no longer remembered by anyone now, just like herself in her previous life.
Maybe there were some things which she could never run away from, such as being forgotten.
She had soil all over her when she walked out of the greenhouse because she weeded quite a lot of grass. Old Master Lu held the vase every day, appearing bright and chirpy. Now, he had a ruddy complexion and was no longer in a wheelchair.
“How did you get so dirty?” Old Master Lu immediately threw an object at Yan Huan and she promptly caught it. Oh, it’s the cloth he used to wipe the vase.
She took the cloth without hesitating and used it to wipe her clothes. However, the smell of soil remained and could not be wiped away.
Hence, she took a shower and changed her clothes. When she was done, Old Master Lu was still holding the same vase. Is he not afraid of wearing it off by wiping it every day?
“Grandpa, it’s almost time to celebrate the New Year.” Yan Huan sat down, supporting her head with one hand while the other mindlessly moving on the table. Do I need to return there? However, I don’t want to see anybody or anyone’s judging eyes.
Eyes that were filled with scorn, sympathy, pity, and hatred. She would rather stay with her vegetables every day.
“So what? New Year celebration happens every year.” Old Master Lu was already so old. When he was still a child, he would look forward to the New Year. However, the enthusiasm started to fade as he grew up. At this old age, there was not much of a difference whether he celebrated it or not. With another passing year, he would be another year closer to death. The looming death was upon his very neck at this point.
“Don’t worry.” Old Master Lu carefully wiped his vase again, saying, “I hope no one visits me this year, I’m too lazy to entertain them.”
The corners of Yan Huan’s lips lifted as she attempted to smile. However, she really could not.
This could be the loneliest year which she had ever celebrated. Last year, she spent it by Lu Yi’s tomb. However, the current Lu Yi was no longer her Lu Yi, she did not want to be with him anymore.
Every time his name crossed her mind, she would still feel absolutely heartbroken. Nonetheless, it would pass soon. As someone said before, there was no wound that cannot be cured or improved with time, right?
She believed that she would forget about it one day, surely.
She disguised herself nicely again. She put on a scarf, mask, glasses, a hat, and a coat that covered her from head to toe. No one could possibly recognize her now.
“Where are you going?” Old Master Lu frowned and chided, “Look at you, what exactly are you wearing? Can you even walk?”
“It’s fine.” Yan Haun tried taking a few steps forward. She had gained some weight since she first arrived. Fortunately, her clothes were large enough for her to fit herself in entirely. Then, she waved the purse in her hand, saying, “I’m going to do some New Year’s shopping.”
“You?” Old Master Lu pulled a long face, lamenting, “Why would you need to do that? There are so many other people who can do that instead.”
“It’s the process that counts.” Yan Huan stuffed her purse into her pocket and added, “I’m just enjoying the pleasure of shopping.”
“Go, get going now. Hurry up and get out of my sight. It bothers me to see you around.” Old Master Lu waved his arm and chased her out. She was always wandering before his eyes, how annoying.
Yan Huan walked out. Luckily, she did not stagger despite wearing layers of clothes. They protected her from the wind, frost, and chilliness of winter. Then, she extended her fingers from under the sleeves.
All of her ten fingers were swollen like radishes. Although she applied ointment every day, they did not seem to be healing and were still the same. However, fortunately, it was not as serious this year. There were no cracks and were simply swollen. When spring comes, the swellings would naturally subside.
She drove Old Master Lu’s car and headed to a large shopping mall outside. There was a sea of people around although it was not the weekend. After all, the New Year was around the corner. Even though it was not the holidays for most people yet, the crowd inside the mall seemed to be much larger than usual.
Yan Huan held her purse firmly and walked in. She was simply looking around and would buy anything as she saw fit. Those that she could not afford, she never intended to purchase them anyway. Actually, they did not lack anything in the house, but she wanted to experience the atmosphere of New Year’s celebration. Although the buzz around it was fading, it was still the nation’s favorite celebration. Other than the few days of holiday, it also allowed the reunion of family members.
Everyone in the country loved celebrating the New Year and valued the event the most. However, the festivity of the celebration had been diminishing each year.
For actors like them, if the films they starred in were broadcasted during the holidays, the ticket sales would definitely be worth anticipating. This year, Linlang also had a film added into the New Year screenings, receiving tremendous attention. Surely, their box office would be sky-high.
This year, other than her disappearance, the news about Lu Qin and Su Muran also started to die down. Yan Huan knew that Su Muran must have been diagnosed with her illness.
That was someone else’s business and was none of her concern anyway. Su Muran was nobody to her, so she did not know and did not want to know, whether she had an illness or not.
“How about this? Do you think I look good in it?” All of a sudden, a voice echoed from nearby. It was very familiar, but also painfully uncomfortable for her.
