Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 435 Xia Ning
Linjiang experiences a lot of rain in the summer.

It seems like there will be even more this year than in previous years.

Rain pattered against the window, the sound like a rapid drumbeat.

While Xu Wen was resting at home, he received a message from Yang Yiyao on his phone.

He initially thought it was just a regular message, but after seeing its contents, he instantly sat up in bed.

"Xia Ning is back! She's in that old building next to Linjiang Station. You asked me to keep an eye on her lately, and sure enough, she went there!"

The light from the phone screen reflected his slightly furrowed brow.

Old building next to Linjiang Station
Without much thought, the address instantly popped into his mind.

Xu Wen was imprisoned there for a whole week.

For the past week, Xia Ning has been the only person in his life.

Xu Wen later learned that Xia Ning had made up her mind to stay there, so she signed a two-year contract with the landlord.

Although Xia Ning did not disappear like Gu Xingruo, she had no intention of returning.

Xu Wen always felt that she would go back to the rented house.

So he asked Yang Yiyao to keep an eye out for anyone going back.

To my surprise, she actually showed up there.

A pale white bolt of lightning cleaved the night sky outside the window.

Immediately afterwards, a thunderous roar swept across the sky, as if it were exploding right overhead.

Xu Wen grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and his car keys from the entryway cabinet in a flash.

He didn't even bother to explain to his mother, who was watering the plants in the living room, leaving only a vague "Mom, I'm going out for a bit."

Then the person rushed into the torrential rain outside the door.

The car sped along the slippery road, the windshield wipers swung wildly, barely managing to clear two fan-shaped sections of visibility through the windshield.

Rainwater formed muddy streams that flowed along the uneven, potholed old street.

Xu Wen visited the area several times on his own later and became quite familiar with it.

The car came to a difficult stop at the alleyway I remembered.

The alley is too narrow for cars to get through.

Xu Wen pushed open the car door, and the icy rain instantly soaked through his hair and shoulders.

He didn't care about any of that, wading through the puddles, running towards the familiar old building deep in the alley.

The stairwell was filled with a damp, musty smell and the musty odor that comes with the passage of time.

He rushed up to the third floor in two strides and stopped in front of the familiar door.

Xu Wen noticed that there were couplets pasted on the door, and they were even newly put up.

He raised his hand, which hovered in mid-air for a long time before striking down.

Memories of the past flooded my mind.

He took a deep breath and finally began to knock on the door.

The knocking sounded particularly clear in the quiet hallway.

A faint sound came from inside the door, like the sound of slippers rubbing against the floor.

Then the door lock was carefully turned open.

The door slowly opened a crack.

Warm yellow light leaked from the crack in the door, first illuminating the bare, fair ankles of the person inside, and then the hem of a light blue cotton nightgown.

Above that was Xia Ning's face, which was noticeably thinner.

Her wet hair was casually tied back, with a few stray strands clinging to her smooth forehead and cheeks, and her eyes still held a hint of surprise.

She carefully held a potted green ivy in her arms.

The leaves drooped listlessly, their edges yellowed and curled, looking as if they had endured the hardships of a journey.

Xia Ning's gaze lingered on Xu Wen's wet hair and shoulders for a second, a barely perceptible hint of heartache flashing in her eyes, which was then replaced by a teasing smile that was deliberately lighthearted.

She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving upwards, and spoke softly:
"Xu Wen?" She shook the listless green plant in her arms. "Do you need a roommate? The kind who brings their own plants."

Xia Ning was not surprised at all by his arrival.

Xu Wen's gaze passed over her shoulder and landed inside the room.

On the windowsill in the living room, a row of flower pots stood out prominently under the light.

The hut used to be filled with endless darkness, but now it has been replaced by warm colors.

Xu Wen looked at Xia Ning, noticing the anxiety and weariness hidden beneath the effortless ease in her eyes.

The weight that had been hanging over my heart for half a year finally fell silently to the ground.

He raised his hand and wiped the rain from his face: "Not running away this time?"

After saying this, Xu Wen laughed at himself.

Whenever something happens, Xia Ning always loves to travel, and she always goes to Tibet.

That suits her identity as a literary young woman quite well.

Xia Ning's gaze swept over the empty, dark corridor behind him.

Then his gaze returned to his beautiful peach blossom eyes.

Xia Ning took a soft breath, as if she had made a decision.

She pulled a bunch of keys from her nightgown pocket, the metal clashing together with a crisp, ringing sound.

She held up the key and waved it in front of him. A faded cartoon lemon charm hung on the keychain; it was a gift from him when they first got together.

"I can't run anymore, and I don't want to run anymore," she said lightly.

She stepped aside to make way for the doorway. "It's raining so hard, why don't you come in? If you stand there any longer, my newly mopped floor will be ruined."

A familiar scent wafted over; it was the shampoo Xia Ning often used—a pleasant fruity fragrance.

She had just finished showering, and the whole room was filled with fragrance.

Xu Wen stepped into the house, and Xia Ning gently closed the door behind him, shutting out the noisy wind and rain outside.

He stood in the entryway, with a slightly worn wooden floor beneath his feet and an old-fashioned incandescent light bulb overhead.

The light wasn't bright, but it was warm enough.

The small living room is enveloped in a warm, filtered light.

“Things are different now,” he murmured.

"It's different now."

The house was cleaned very thoroughly, but the layout and furnishings remained almost unchanged.

"Sit wherever you like." Xia Ning carried her beloved potted green ivy to the windowsill, carefully placed it next to the flowerpot, and then picked up the spray bottle under the windowsill and carefully sprayed some water on it. "Want something hot? We only have instant coffee and tea bags, or plain water?"

"Plain water is fine." Xu Wen took off his soaking wet coat and draped it over the back of the chair before walking over to the sofa and sitting down.

The sofa made a slight creaking sound, and it still had that familiar feel.

Xia Ning quickly brought over a glass of warm water and placed it on the old coffee table in front of him.

She hugged her knees and nestled into the small single sofa next to him, resting her chin on her knees, quietly watching him.

"Don't worry, I didn't drug you," she joked with a smile.

Xu Wen had already picked up his water glass and taken a sip: "I know."

Now the two can laugh as they talk about the times they hurt each other.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back? Your first stop was here," Xu Wen asked softly after putting down his water glass.

Xia Ning's gaze drifted to the window, where rainwater meandered along the glass.

"On the train back from LS, I couldn't sleep at all. My mind was a mess, full of things from the past." Her voice was very soft.

“When the train passed Linjiang Station, it was still dark and drizzling outside. When the station name was announced over the loudspeaker, I suddenly really wanted to come back and see the stain on my body.” She looked away and fell on Xu Wen’s face, and smiled. “After getting off the train, I dragged my suitcase and walked until I reached the entrance of the alley. I happened to have my keys with me, so I came up here.”

Xia Ning took a deep breath and continued, "I guess as long as I stay here, you will come looking for me."

"Well, I'd like to try and wait and see," Xu Wen admitted.

He didn't say what he was waiting for, but they both understood each other implicitly.

Silence filled the small space, with only the sound of rain outside the window as background noise.

A subtle atmosphere filled the air.

The two are now like separated by a thin layer of paper; they can see each other's blurry outlines, but neither of them reaches out to break through it.

Xia Ning suddenly moved, got up and walked to the old bookshelf in the corner.

Most of the books on the bookshelf were covered in dust. She tiptoed and reached down a thick photo album from the very top shelf.

The corners of the album are worn, showing that it has been frequently looked at.

She carried the photo album back to the small sofa, sat cross-legged, and spread the album out on her lap.

Xu Wen's gaze also fell on the open page.

He hadn't expected that Xia Ning's things were still stored here; it seemed they had been there for a long time.

The photo shows the autumn sports meet during my second year of high school.

Boys and girls in blue and white school uniforms crowded into the stands of the playground, their smiles dazzlingly bright.

In the center of the photo is Xu Wen, wearing athletic shorts and tilting his head back to drink mineral water.

On the other end was Xia Ning, who was helping the teacher.

Although the two did not look at each other, they cleverly formed a photo together.

"Look how silly I was back then." Xia Ning gently tapped the photo with her finger.

His voice carried a distant longing and a hint of barely perceptible self-mockery.

Xia Ning gently stroked that tender face with her fingertips.

She looked up at Xu Wen, her eyes glistening with moisture.

His voice gradually lowered: "Foolishly thinking that as long as I lock you up and hide you where I can see you, I can keep you forever."

These words, which had been weighing on my heart for so long, were finally spoken, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from my shoulders.

Her shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, but then tensed up again, anxiously awaiting Xu Wen's reaction.

The sound of rain outside the window seemed exceptionally clear at that moment.

Xu Wen looked at her.

Looking at the thin mist in her eyes, and at her lips that were trembling slightly despite her efforts to remain calm.

Time seemed to flow backwards to that dimly lit rented room.

The air was filled with a complex mix of smells: food, garbage, and the fruit and soap she was wearing.

The girl's hysterical cries, her frantic pronouncements, and the chains that bound him.

Those long-forgotten, chaotic fragments of memory surged up with unparalleled clarity.

Xu Wen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed those noisy images back into his heart.

When I opened my eyes again, all that remained was calm.

He didn't address the heavy topic of "locking up," but instead stood up and walked towards the small kitchen not far away.

Xia Ning cooked many meals for him here.

The kitchen ceiling light was on, making the room brighter than the living room.

The small space still retains the layout he remembered.

He opened the refrigerator door, and the freezer compartment was empty, with only a few bottles of mineral water and a small carton of milk standing alone.

He took out the carton of milk and skillfully found the old cup with a bear pattern printed on it in the corner.

The microwave oven emitted a soft humming sound, and the aroma of milk gradually filled the air.

He carried the warm milk back to the living room and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of Xia Ning.

White steam floated above the rim of the cup.

"And now?" He sat down again, looked at her, and asked in a calm tone.

His gaze was calm, without blame or inquiry, only a gentle waiting.

Xia Ning's gaze shifted from the steaming cup of milk to Xu Wen's face.

His calm gaze was like a warm, gentle land, silently embracing those sharp and painful memories of the past.

There was no aloofness or judgment in her eyes as she had expected.

There is only one kind of quiet acceptance.

Her tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and the heavy, suffocating feeling pressing on her chest seemed to dissipate considerably with his silence and the warmth of the cup of hot milk.

She suddenly remembered something, and her eyes lit up.

"Now?" she repeated Xu Wen's question, the corners of her lips involuntarily turning upwards.

A slightly childlike smile bloomed on her face.

She sprang up from the small sofa like a nimble cat.

Without even wearing slippers, he ran barefoot to the refrigerator in a few steps.

Xu Wen looked at her actions with some surprise.

The refrigerator door was opened, and Xia Ning leaned half her body inside, rummaging through it.

A few seconds later, she straightened up, held something high in her hand, and turned around as if presenting a treasure.

A pure smile radiated from his face:
"Now I'll give you some candy!" she drawled, her tone light and cheerful.

What she was holding was a heavy glass jar.

The jar was stuffed full of colorful candies!
The fruit hard candies are crystal clear, the milk candies are round and cute, the chocolate balls are wrapped in shiny candy wrappers, and there are a few familiar spiral lollipops stuck in the gaps.

Xia Ning ran back carrying the sugar jar and placed it on the coffee table with a thud, right next to the cup of hot milk.

She unscrewed the lid, and a sweet aroma, a blend of fruity and milky scents, immediately wafted out, dispelling the stale smell of the old house.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Xu Wen: "I promise this time! They're all sweet! There won't be a single sour lemon candy!"

She emphasized "sweetness" and "lemon candy" in a firm and decisive tone.

Xu Wen's gaze fell on the candy jar that was stuffed full.

A vibrant array of colors was reflected in his eyes.

In an instant, countless images flashed through his mind: the lemon-flavored gummy candy she secretly placed in his dark white book classroom, which melted stickily on the pages, leaving an embarrassing yellow stain; and later, in this rented room, Xia Ning also gave him candy, telling him to forget about what was happening outside.
Those bittersweet memories are now magically covered by this jar of colorful candies in front of me.

Xia Ning's words, "They're all sweet! There's absolutely not a single sour lemon candy!" are like a tiny key.

Although it was tinged with childish sulking and clumsy attempts to please, it precisely pried open a soft corner of his heart.

Xu Wen reached out, his fingertips hovering above the mouth of the jar for a moment, but ultimately did not take the candy.

His palm reached over the candy jar and steadily covered Xia Ning's hand, which was resting on the side of the coffee table.

Her fingers were slightly cool.

Xia Ning's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but was gently pressed down by the force from Xu Wen's palm.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

The sound of rain outside the window, the light inside the house, and the sweet smell of candy in the air.

Everything became a blurred background.

In the end, all that remained were their clasped hands and their gazes fixed on each other.

(End of this chapter)