Forty-Seven Degrees Part 1

Content Summary: If I Die One Day, Don't Mourn Me.

Wei Congying and Jiang Xuyang had just gone to pay the bill, and when they came back, they saw Shi Yun standing at the door of the private room without making to go in.

Wei Congying felt mischievous and walked over quietly. She was clearly startled by his approach, and he succeeded in catching her off guard. When they drew near, the lively chatter within the private room abruptly stopped, leaving him clueless about what she might have overheard.

Inside the private room, Liang Mengyi sat with a cigarette between her fingers, her arms folded defensively across her chest, brows furrowed in concentration. Her practiced smoking posture would have pissed her mother off enough to crawl out of her grave.

Jiang Xuyang scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Chu Yue. When he noticed Shi Yun picking up Chu Yue’s bag, realization dawned on him.

Wei Congying, oblivious to the meaning, chose to stand behind her chair, hands resting casually on the back, blocking her exit. When he saw Shi Yun grabbing the bag, his curiosity piqued and he asked what she was doing.

Since it was a personal matter, Shi Yun didn’t tell him.

As Wei Congying pressed for more clarification, Jiang Xuyang intervened, tossing one of Xiang Shaoyuan’s cigarettes that lay on the table to Wei Congying.

Without hesitation, he caught it with both hands, bit the filter, and asked for a lighter.

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Shi Yun shook her head, forcing a smile. “Nothing significant. Are you done? Let’s go.”

After wiping her hands with a couple of paper towels, Chu Yue hooked her arm through Shi Yun’s, inquiring, “How have you been lately?”

It was still the same—not great—but perhaps after everything they had endured together, it couldn’t possibly get worse.

Noticing Shi Yun’s hesitation, Chu Yue, familiar with her past with He Yun, tried to comfort her. “It’s alright; maybe after this trip, you’ll find things between you two warming up. Traveling often strengthens bonds.”

Shi Yun countered with a hint of sarcasm, “Last time I went to Xunchuan with him; we ended up breaking up when we returned.”

That single statement silenced any thoughts of encouragement Chu Yue might have had.

Sometimes, it was more difficult to escape from and forget one’s pain than to remain immersed in it.

Understanding Chu Yue meant no harm, Shi Yun accepted that some hurt had transformed into scars on her spirit, wounds that would never fully heal.

Returning to the private room, they found the group still engaged in loud chatter, the sound of multiple conversations mixing into a cacophony of noise.

The unpleasant stench of cigarettes hung heavy in the air.

Shi Yun reclaimed her seat but made no move to pick up her chopsticks again. Her gaze fell on Wei Congying as he smoked, her eyes drifting to his watch.

Unfamiliar with high-end timepieces, she examined the logo on the dial, committing the English letters to memory. Just as she reached for her phone to look it up, Wei Congying broke the silence.

Having finished his cigarette, he noticed Shi Yun’s intense focus on him.

A hint of guilt colored his expression. “You haven’t started managing me yet.”

That was his excuse for smoking.

Shi Yun withdrew her gaze, taking a sip of tea from her cup. “I’m not going to manage you, there’s no point in managing if there’s no one to manage.”

Wei Congying snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray. The sizzling sound filled the space as if echoing his emotions. He leaned closer, placing a hand on the back of her neck, and murmured, “You underestimate me.”

Shi Yun didn’t respond. They finished their cigarettes, grabbing their belongings in preparation to leave.

“Have you all finished eating? Shall we head out?”

After lunch, Wei Congying took his turn behind the wheel. Shi Yun stacked the snacks on the passenger seat and tossed out the morning’s trash before sliding into the car and fastening her seatbelt.

Once everything was in order, and Wei Congying started the engine, Shi Yun suddenly realized that Lin Fang was missing. “Where is Lin Fang?” 

Wei Congying followed the car in front: “I told him to take Jiang Xuyang’s car. It will be convenient for five people to sit in it.”

The afternoon drive was long, so they stopped at a service area to rest for a while. Shi Yun was drowsy from sitting in the passenger seat.

They went to smoke and relax, and Shi Yun also walked around for a while before her sleepiness gradually faded away.

Jiang Xuyang no longer smoked, so Chu Yue left to buy him coffee. Shi Yun went with her and purchased some cut fruit platters.

By the time she and Chu Yue returned, they had finished smoking.

Shi Yun was holding a fruit platter which made it difficult for her to open the car door. Wei Congying leaned over and helped her open the door from the inside while supporting himself with a hand over the passenger seat.

Putting two cups of coffee in the cup holder, Shi Yun removed the lid on the fruit platter and handed him the fork: “Why didn’t you ask Lin Fang to come over and take turns with you?”

Wei Congying took a bite of watermelon and replied, “We’ll be in Antang in another hour and a half. Forget it.”

Shi Yun couldn’t help much either: “Drink more coffee.”

Wei Congying smiled, didn’t touch the fruit, drank two sips of coffee, and drove the car out of the parking space: “Okay.”

–

They arrived in Antang at around four o’clock.

They checked in at the hotel they would be spending the night. All the rooms were on the same floor and after the waiter finished bringing their luggage, there was only half an hour until dinner.

They made a groupchat and ultimately decided to notify one another if anything important arose, such as when to leave or where to grab lunch. 

However, there was one downside to having too many people around: reaching a consensus or taking everyone’s ideas into consideration became nearly impossible. 

The drivers were too exhausted to do much else in the evening, so they opted to order room service for dinner.

Shi Yun opened her suitcase and fished out a bottle of mosquito repellent. She had read online that the older streets in an old town nearby town boasted beautiful night views and a variety of street foods. 

She intended to go and take a look.

After finishing his cigarette on the balcony, Wei Congying stepped out and saw her donning a mosquito-repellent bracelet. Picking up the mineral water from the table, he unscrewed the cap to soothe the numbness in his mouth from smoking. “Aren’t you tired?” he asked.

“There are reviews online that say there are many stalls on the old street selling handicrafts. I want to check it out.” With that, Shi Yun closed her eyes, held her breath, and doused herself in mosquito repellent.

Before leaving, she did a final check of her bag, confirming that her phone and wallet were inside.

As she turned around, she found Wei Congying standing at the door, hands on his hips, waiting for her. He didn’t rush her but stood patiently, watching her finish packing and fix her outfit, and ending things with a check of the contents of her bag.

He smiled as he watched her rummage through her things before stepping out.

Just as she was about to go, she paused at the door and asked, “Do you want to put on some mosquito repellent or a bracelet?”

Wei Congying took the bag from her and slung it over his shoulder, the way a hobo might carry it. “What a coincidence, I have Type A blood, and I hardly get bitten by mosquitoes.”

Shi Yun, the ultimate delicacy in the eyes of those pesky insects and prone to scarring from the bites, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at his casual confidence.