Wen Zhixu returned to Chongqing that day, and Wen Ru saw her all the way to the airport before heading back. She even asked for her exact address to send her some things later.
Wen Zhixu arrived in Chongqing in the afternoon. When she saw Jian Shichu, as soon as she got close, Jian Shichu pulled her into her arms and, as usual, asked that same question, “Are you cold?”
Wen Zhixu was very afraid of the cold. She’d been like that back when she was studying, and she still was now. She shook her head at Jian Shichu.
That evening, Jian Shichu cooked dinner. Besides egg fried rice, she made a few other dishes. Grandma had prepared a red envelope for Wen Zhixu and asked Jian Shichu to bring it to her.
When Wen Zhixu received the red envelope, her heart was filled with emotion.
She sent Grandma a WeChat message to thank her. As she set down her phone, she said, “It feels like it’s been years since I last got a red envelope.”
Ever since she cut ties with Old Mrs. Tang, Wen Zhixu had stopped accepting red envelopes from Wen Ru a long time ago.
“I’ll send you one,” Jian Shichu said, picking up her own phone.
“I don’t want one. Who said anything about this red envelope?” Wen Zhixu smiled and took her phone, locking the screen before setting it on the table.
Jian Shichu turned to open the fridge and grab some yogurt, saying as she did, “Then from now on, you’ll get one every year. I’ll wrap one for you each time.”
“I’ll wrap one for you too,” Wen Zhixu said with a smile.
Wen Zhixu had brought back some local specialties. She wouldn’t head to Chengdu to discuss the contract details with Han Ye until after the Lantern Festival.
There were some fruits at home that Song Yi had sent over. According to Jian Shichu, Song Yi sent her fruits every Chinese New Year.
This reminded Wen Zhixu of Song Yanling, so she asked, “Has Song Yanling left?”
Jian Shichu fed a peeled orange segment into her mouth. “She left. She went right after New Year. Bai Xue saw her off at the airport.”
“Does Bai Xue have a partner?” Wen Zhixu asked.
Jian Shichu leaned her lower back against the table, thought for a moment, and said, “I don’t think so. Why are you asking?”
“Just curious.” Wen Zhixu smiled faintly. “Are you going to the restaurant tomorrow to oversee the pavilion construction?”
“No, it’s still early for that. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out to play.”
Wen Zhixu had been in Chongqing for so long, and most of the places she’d visited had been with Jian Shichu. The sights could be the light rail threading through buildings, or a cyberpunk future vista, or the youthful vibes of Mountain City under the banyan trees.
They were like shooting stars—fierce when they caught your eye, and deeply moving when recalled.
This experience felt like viewing a landscape painting: stumbling into the world in a daze, yet wanting to live through it with crystal clarity was truly difficult.
Jian Shichu was still the same—holding her hand when they went out, instinctively switching to the side away from traffic when crossing the street.
February 8, 20xx
This day was like any other—flowers when there were flowers to pick, love when there was love to have. Wen Zhixu was a very easily satisfied person.
—
The restaurant’s pavilion had started going up. As usual, Wen Zhixu went to the restaurant to keep Jian Shichu company. She sat in a quiet spot to work on her manuscript.
Jian Shichu was busy with the pavilion construction. After lunch, Wen Zhixu went downstairs to check on her, but Jian Shichu wasn’t there.
“Xiao Xu-jie, why’d you come down?” Xiao Yang asked.
The ground was piled with scrap materials, and the half-built pavilion wasn’t stable yet. The workers were resting nearby. The weather was nice, with birdsong in the air.
Wen Zhixu looked around. Before she could even ask, Xiao Yang knew who she was looking for and smiled. “Doudou-jie went to pick up takeout. The delivery guy got lost.”
Xiao Yang’s apron was filthy, but the young man was capable. Jian Shichu had given him a raise at the start of the year.
“Okay.” Wen Zhixu glanced back.
The thumping sounds of hammering wooden stakes were very clear, exploding in the clear sky. Wen Zhixu watched as Xiao Yang half-squatted on the ground, driving a stake into the dirt.
The hammer in his hand wasn’t quite right; he spun it a few times but still couldn’t grip it properly. Wen Zhixu asked, “Need any help?”
“Xiao Xu-jie, could you grab a tool for me? It’s on the table by the window—the hammer with the green handle.”
Wen Zhixu followed his pointing finger. The green wasn’t very eye-catching here, but easy enough to spot. As she got close—
She heard a voice. Jian Shichu was back, holding a coffee in hand.
Both of them were heading toward Xiao Yang, who had a table in front of him covered with food and drinks.
Jian Shichu was closer and reached it first. Her gaze landed on Wen Zhixu. She set down her things and just watched her.
Wen Zhixu was walking a bit hurriedly and didn’t notice the wooden stake by her feet. The unstable pavilion was propped against it, and she nearly tripped.
Then Xiao Yang shouted, “Careful!”
The stake, about two meters tall, began to topple with her step. Jian Shichu lunged forward and pulled her into an embrace. All around was the sound of crashing.
Before Wen Zhixu could react, Jian Shichu had her tightly held in her arms. The whole thing took less than a second, and the stake solidly smashed onto Jian Shichu’s back.
Jian Shichu staggered forward a step from the momentum but never let go, holding her tight the entire time.
The stake rolled to their feet. Wen Zhixu hurriedly checked her. “Are you okay?” Tears instantly welled up in her eyes from the panic.
“Are you hurt?” That was the first thing Jian Shichu asked her.
As she spoke, she briefly closed her eyes against the pain. The stake had been cushioned by the pavilion structure, so the impact on Jian Shichu wasn’t too bad.
Xiao Yang quickly asked, “Is it bad? How are you?”
When Jian Shichu released Wen Zhixu, she clutched her left shoulder. A sheen of sweat beaded on her forehead. She shook her head and said, “I’m fine.”
“Let’s go to the hospital first.” Wen Zhixu supported her, anxiety etched in her brows, her doe eyes brimming with tears.
“Are you injured? Does anything hurt?” Jian Shichu still checked on her first, scanning Wen Zhixu over as she asked.
Two crystalline teardrops hung on Wen Zhixu’s face. “I’m fine. Hospital first.”
Jian Shichu’s instinctive reaction was her truest self. She always stood by Wen Zhixu’s side without hesitation, protecting her at all costs.
After the hospital checkup, there were no broken bones or torn ligaments, but it would hurt for several days. When she took off her clothes, Wen Zhixu saw that her shoulder was already badly bruised.
In the corridor, Wen Zhixu held the medicine. She’d wiped away the remaining tears, let out a slow breath, looked at Jian Shichu, and said, “You can’t do that next time.”
“You want a next time?” Jian Shichu took her hand. “Stay far away from places like that in the future. Good thing I was there—what if I wasn’t?”
“Does it still hurt? I’m sorry.” Wen Zhixu’s eyes grew wet again.
Jian Shichu gently brushed her fingertip over Wen Zhixu’s lashes and softened her tone. “It doesn’t hurt. Got it? At least you weren’t hurt.”
“Doesn’t the pavilion need to be rebuilt now? It took three days, and I wrecked it with one step. I’m sorry.”
Wen Zhixu felt so guilty. If she hadn’t been in a rush, if she’d watched her step, this wouldn’t have happened. Lately, her writing had her mind all jumbled.
Jian Shichu said, “We can just rebuild it. Thanks to your kick, I realized putting the stake there wasn’t safe.” Jian Shichu comforted her, wiping the tears from her face.
“Don’t cry. If you keep crying like this, how bad will I feel?” Jian Shichu took a shallow breath, her voice gentle and steady.
Wen Zhixu had always been like this—not fragile, exactly, but her emotions weren’t always under control. She’d cry at the slightest upset.
After reaching the third floor, they headed to the parking garage. Before they even exited, Wen Zhixu heard arguing from inside.
They exchanged a glance, then lightened their steps. Before crossing the threshold, Wen Zhixu instinctively looked toward the source of the noise.
The voice sounded familiar, and the spot did too. It was where Feng Xi had stood last time—the spot where he usually parked.
At the end of the sound, Wen Zhixu spotted a familiar back: Tang Yuan’s silhouette. She froze for that instant, and Jian Shichu glanced sideways at her.
Neither spoke, just watching Feng Xi and Tang Yuan argue.
Feng Xi asked, “So what do you want? After all these years, why are you still like this?”
Tang Yuan said, “Do I have to spell out what you care about?”
“You got married first and had a kid. What right do you have to blame me now? I can’t get divorced,” Feng Xi said, hand on his waist, exhaling.
Wen Zhixu heard every word crystal clear, understood it perfectly—like a hammer blow straight to her heart. Her pupils dilated in shock.
All those baffling puzzles suddenly made sense.
Feng Xi’s words had slipped out heedless of the other man’s fury. Tang Yuan raised his fist, and as it swung toward Feng Xi—
Jian Shichu lifted her hand and covered Wen Zhixu’s eyes. Everything went dark for Wen Zhixu, and she only heard the heavy thud against the car trunk.
Then came the chaotic scuffle of leather shoes on the floor. The scene was mayhem, but it only lasted a dozen seconds or so.
Suddenly, everything went quiet. Jian Shichu slowly lowered her hand, and in that moment, Wen Zhixu locked eyes with Tang Yuan.
Those eyes, full of deceit and hypocrisy, flickered with surprise, gathering all the garage’s silence into one point.
“Xiao Xu,” Tang Yuan called out.
Wen Zhixu slowly approached. Jian Shichu stayed by her side. Anyone hearing this could understand.
Wen Zhixu’s expression held nothing but disgust, without a trace of emotion—not even the faint gentleness from before.
Wen Zhixu slowly turned to look at Feng Xi, then shifted her gaze to Tang Yuan. She let out a mocking laugh. In the empty and quiet garage, even their heavy breathing could be heard clearly.
“Fraudulent marriage?” Wen Zhixu asked. “This is the type of person I despise the most. I never thought you’d be one of them.”
It was only now that she understood why Wen Ru had hated homosexuals so much back then and refused to admit that her daughter was one.
The more this moment dragged on, the more heartbroken Wen Zhixu felt for Wen Ru. The reason Wen Ru hadn’t remarried after the divorce was all because of her.
Tang Yuan said nothing. Feng Xi had also recovered from that punch, pressing his tongue against his cheek and sucking in a sharp breath.
Tang Yuan tried to explain, “Xiao Xu, hear me out.”
“What is there to say?” Wen Zhixu looked at him. “I don’t want to hear it. My mom was right—you’re no good person. Originally, because of our blood ties, I didn’t despise you that much. But now it’s different.”
With that, Wen Zhixu turned to leave. As she turned her back, her footsteps paused, and she added, “I don’t want the bracelet. I’ll mail it to Hangzhou. Whether you accept it or not is up to you.”
“Xiao Xu.” Feng Xi also tried to call out to Wen Zhixu.
But she had already reached the car. Jian Shichu coolly swept her gaze over the two men before following Wen Zhixu into the car.
Jian Shichu had seen through this from the first time she met Tang Yuan. She remembered him saying “I’ve seen you before.” Five years ago, when Wen Zhixu was in university, that sentence had made Jian Shichu feel something was off.
“That year, she had just broken up with you,” Tang Yuan said, hands in his pockets, his gaze shifting from her to the opposite side.
Jian Shichu listened quietly as Tang Yuan spoke.
“I wanted to bring her back to the Tang Family, but she wouldn’t agree. This child was raised by Wen Ru from a young age—the tree grew crooked, and it’s hard to straighten it once grown.” Tang Yuan smiled. “I respect your relationship very much, but her mother doesn’t see it that way. When I saw you, you were heading to the airport to find her but didn’t.”
“She went back to the apartment to find you. Fate is a strange thing—one miss, and it’s five years gone.” Tang Yuan let out a sigh.
It was then that Jian Shichu learned Wen Zhixu had gone back to look for her. Her heart ached a little more in that instant.
“So, Uncle, what do you mean by this?”
Tang Yuan said, “Persuade her. I don’t want to donate the old man’s money anymore. If she comes back, it’s all hers. The Tang Family has many relatives, and things get complicated. Wen Ru won’t agree to you two being together either, but I won’t stand in the way of your relationship.”
“Why doesn’t Auntie agree?” Jian Shichu only wanted to ask this one question.
When Tang Yuan answered, he didn’t look her in the eyes—his gaze fixed ahead, on the door opposite them.
“As Xiao Xu said, what she hates isn’t your relationship—it’s that Xiao Xu chose this path.”
In that moment, Jian Shichu already had the answer in her heart. She looked at Tang Yuan’s expression because, aside from this, she couldn’t think of anything else.
She replied, “I won’t persuade her. She’ll do whatever she wants. These things can’t be lumped together.”
