Incurable Pain

IP Chapter 85

Incurable Pain | Chapter 85

New Year’s Eve. Beginning of the New Year

Bai Xunyin was not someone who enjoyed “festivals”.

Whether it was May Day, National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, or even the Chinese New Year, which was most cherished by Chinese people, she had always been the kind of person who stayed away from the hustle and bustle.

Since she rarely went home after entering university, her sense of surprise for the holidays had faded even more.

It seemed as if she was naturally rootless, without any sense of belonging.

But things were a bit different when she was with Yu Luoyin.

Although he was rebellious and not very close to his family, his family background was still that of a prestigious family. Every Chinese New Year, they had to maintain a certain level of decorum.

Two days before New Year’s Eve, Yu Yuan frequently called Yu Luoyin, hinting that he must come back to the Yu family estate for New Year’s—and bring Bai Xunyin along.

It was said that it was Yu Qianxiao, the patriarch of the Yu family, who specifically invited them.

After listening to the phone call, Yu Luoyin hung up and raised his eyebrows in a somewhat playful manner, brushing his fluffy hair against Bai Xunyin’s chin, “I feel like they mainly want to see you.”

…

“How about it?”

Yu Luoyin raised his phone, “Are we going?”

Bai Xunyin remained silent for a moment, then asked slowly, “What if we don’t go?”

“It won’t matter,” Yu Luoyin couldn’t help but chuckle, “If we don’t go, then we don’t go.”

For him, nothing was more important than seeing Bai Xunyin happy. Besides, spending New Year’s with those old folks couldn’t compare to the comfort of being alone together.

“Oh,” Bai Xunyin nodded gently, “Then let’s go.”

“…” 

This swift change of the heart caught Yu Luoyin off guard.

“I mean,” Bai Xunyin looked at him quietly, her red lips slightly parted, a hint of cunning in her eyes, “let’s go—spend New Year’s Eve at your place, and then on the second day, we’ll go back to the ancient town.”

Yu Luoyin remained stunned for about five seconds.

After he realized what was happening, he pounced on the girl like a predator, pinning her down on the couch, pressing her into the corner until she curled up into a ball.

“Alright, baby,” Yu Luoyin looked genuinely happy, his clear eyes full of joy, and he leaned down to give Bai Xunyin a deep kiss, “You always surprise me unexpectedly.”

Bai Xunyin didn’t say anything, just smiled softly. She wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, leaned in, and kissed Yu Luoyin’s lower lip, teasing and nibbling like a kitten.

When she took the initiative to ‘be intimate’, she always looked like this, restrained yet obedient, but every move was seductive and charming.

Yu Luoyin couldn’t resist Bai Xunyin’s innocent seduction.

His black eyes darkened, and he took the lead in sucking on her soft lips, his long fingers reaching for the girl’s slender waist.

And so they spent the afternoon entangled with each other.

On New Year’s Eve, they returned to the Yu family estate at eight in the morning.

Visiting for the New Year naturally required bringing gifts. Bai Xunyin didn’t know much about gift-giving etiquette, so she let Yu Luoyin arrange everything and simply took what he gave her.

Everyone in the Yu family estate was well-versed in worldly affairs. What good things hadn’t they seen?

But the gifts Bai Xunyin brought were still well-received, and the joy on their faces couldn’t be faked. Presumably, it was because these gifts were sent by “Yu Luoyin’s girlfriend”.

It seemed… Yu Luoyin also knew what his family liked, but he just didn’t express it often.

He was quite thoughtful and gentle. Bai Xunyin looked at Yu Luoyin, who was peeling oranges with a calm expression and lowered eyes, and her cold gaze softened little by little.

“What are you looking at?” 

Yu Luoyin didn’t turn his head but knew that Bai Xunyin was looking at him. 

With a lowered voice and a hint of a smile, he said, “Do you think I’m incredibly handsome?”

…

“Second brother, can you stop being so narcissistic?” 

Before Bai Xunyin could speak, Yu Shitian, who had ‘accidentally’ overheard, couldn’t stand it and felt like throwing up, looking at Yu Luoyin with disdain, “You’ve really been thick-skinned for ten years.”

“I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll forgive your insolence.” 

Yu Luoyin glanced at her disdainfully, sneered, and chuckled.

Bai Xunyin listened to the siblings bickering and couldn’t help but smile.

“Tch, brother, not to be rude, but you’re not as handsome as my idol.” 

Yu Shitian shrugged, threw the phone that she couldn’t bear to take her eyes off of onto the table in front of Yu Luoyin and Bai Xunyin, and said decisively, “Look, now that’s what a real handsome guy looks like!”

The screen showed a pale and refined face of a young man, with sharp and delicate features, his face smeared with blood. It seemed to be a still from a drama, with a somewhat obvious neurotic and pathological look in his eyes.

After Yu Luoyin and Bai Xunyin finished watching, they exchanged a tacit glance.

“How about it? This is the hottest rising star lately, a crazy popular actor.” 

Yu Shitian was beaming with pride, her eyes shining as she looked at the screen on her phone, “My new love, I love him so much!”

“What’s so special about him?” 

Yu Luoyin sneered, unimpressed, “I think he’s average.”

“Right,” Bai Xunyin nodded in agreement, looking serious, “Not as good as you.”

…

“Ah, you two lovebirds, can you go somewhere else to show your affection?” 

Yu Shitian was annoyed, “Stop insulting my idol!”

“To be honest, your idol looks too fierce, like a lunatic,” Yu Luoyin was in a good mood today and teased her instead, “How can he compare to my elegance and amiability?”

“Nonsense.” 

Yu Shitian pounded the table, “Because this is a still from a drama, and he’s playing a psychotic serial killer in it. What do you know, you old-fashioned person!”

“Oh,” 

Yu Luoyin responded casually, reaching out to wrap his arm around Bai Xunyin’s shoulder, and nonchalantly asked, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

Yu Shitian was stunned for a moment.

“He doesn’t, right? Then he’s still not as good as me,” Yu Luoyin laughed triumphantly, showing off his affection in front of Yu Shitian, “Just like you, a single dog. What’s the use of being handsome?”

He said, deliberately turning his head to peck Bai Xunyin on the lips, his smile at the corner of his mouth smug and proud.

Clearly, he was extremely pleased with the fact that ‘he was not this single dog’, and he couldn’t wait to use it to ridicule the whole world.

…

Yu Shitian had to admit that she was annoyed.

Especially when her beloved sister was ‘colluding’ with Yu Luoyin, nodding in agreement with him, “That’s right.”

In this situation, Yu Shitian felt like she was a hundred-watt light bulb.

And while the couple showed their affection, they didn’t forget to tease her—Yu Shitian left in annoyance.

With over a dozen people in the Yu family, after finishing dinner in the main hall around nine o’clock, Yu Yuan, in order to set the mood, had arranged for a car full of fireworks beforehand, letting Yu Shitian and Yu Luoyin go out and set them off.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xunyin put on the wool shawl draped over the chair and wanted to go with them.

“It’s cold outside,” Yu Luoyin didn’t want her to go out, somewhat reluctant, pinching the girl’s tender face, “You can see it from over there.”

He nodded towards the large French windows of the Yu family estate.

“No,” Bai Xunyin was stubborn, shaking the man’s hand gently, “I want to go out and see the fireworks.”

It was like coaxing him, her cold voice carrying a hint of softness.

And Yu Luoyin couldn’t resist her.

“Okay.”

The man smiled, then found that Bai Xunyin’s coat was not thick enough. So, he picked up his own clothes and draped them over her, wrapping her tightly.

The New Year’s Eve night was chilling, breath turning to frost. Yu Luoyin didn’t forget to warn her, “If you feel cold, come back immediately.”

Bai Xunyin smiled but didn’t say anything—she forgot that she had spent six years in the north. Compared to Lin Lan’s winter, it was much colder, but she was used to it.

On New Year’s Eve, many households set off fireworks, painting the dark night sky with brilliant colors.

The colorful sky illuminated Bai Xunyin’s porcelain-white face, making her features appear to glow softly in the crisp air.

“Yu Luoyin.” 

Following him to the car where several boxes of fireworks were placed, Bai Xunyin peeked inside and suddenly asked, “Do we have sparklers?”

Yu Luoyin was taken aback for a moment, momentarily forgetting to respond.

“Do you like sparklers?” 

Yu Shitian chuckled and handed Bai Xunyin a few boxes of sparklers similar to “fairy sticks” that children liked to play with. 

“Here you go. Just be careful when you light them so you don’t burn your clothes.”

Bai Xunyin accepted them with a joyful smile. “Thank you, big brother.”

She looked like a child who had just received a candy, feeling exceptionally satisfied.

But what Yu Shitian didn’t know was that sparklers weren’t good memories for Bai Xunyin, although Yu Luoyin did.

The man grabbed Bai Xunyin’s delicate wrist, his gaze complex. 

“Are you sure you want to use them?”

“Yeah, I am.” 

A faint dimple appeared at the corner of Bai Xunyin’s lips, her eyes seemingly teasing. 

“You’re going to accompany me.”

It was a statement, a command, not a question.

So Yu Luoyin, without any sense of loyalty, handed over the two boxes of fireworks in the car to Yu Shitian to handle alone, and “escaped” with his little girl and two boxes of sparklers.

They couldn’t help but laugh as they ran along the way.

“Darn.” 

Yu Luoyin imagined Yu Shitian’s reaction when he couldn’t see them anymore, like a mischievous teenager. 

“She must be furious.”

As they spoke, the two of them ran into a narrow alley.

Compared to the pitch-dark alley seven years ago, this one was brightly lit.

“Bai Xunyin.” 

Yu Luoyin stopped, looking steadily at the woman with her snow-white face, his voice somewhat heavy. 

“After we’re done with these sparklers, say something I love to hear.”

Otherwise, sparklers would become a ‘shadow’ that haunted him for the rest of his life.

“Sure.” Bai Xunyin laughed softly, obediently.

She took out a slender sparkler, lit it with a small hand, and in an instant, sparks splattered in the alley, casting bright and beautiful light and shadow.

“Only fairies can play with fairy sticks.”

The girl’s voice was faint, and she looked at Yu Luoyin, speaking coquettishly, “So you can’t play with them.”

…

Okay, she said it, so be it.

Yu Luoyin chuckled helplessly, gently rubbing Bai Xunyin’s fluffy black hair.

“Yu Luoyin, when this box of sparklers burns out…” 

Bai Xunyin deliberately paused, then couldn’t help but laugh under the man’s nervous gaze, her voice soft and cheerful, “Let’s celebrate like this every year.”

Next year, and every year after, we’ll be together, never separated.

Life is like this, in the end, all scars will be healed, all regrets will be compensated. 

This was the pure enjoyment that ‘healing’ brought.

And they were willing to persist in this effort, tirelessly, until they were old.