Chapter 33 I should also face them together.

The next morning, the sky was clear and refreshing after the storm.

Sunlight streamed through the clouds, bathing the entire island in a warm, golden glow.

The sea returned to calm, and the white sand beach was serene.

It's as if the rage that devoured everything last night was nothing but a dream.

Wen Yu slowly woke up to the clear chirping of birds.

The seat next to me was empty, and the cool pillow still held the refreshing and pleasant scent of Shen Jinhuai.

Wen Yu walked barefoot, like a lazy kitten, to the huge French windows.

Pushing open the glass door, a fresh sea breeze carrying the faint scent of jasmine wafts in.

In the distance, the azure sea met the horizon, and a flock of seagulls flew by, making Wen Yu feel relaxed and happy.

"woke up?"

Shen Jinhuai's voice came from behind, tinged with the unique hoarseness of early morning, deep and pleasant.

Wen Yu turned around and saw the man carrying breakfast as he walked in.

Simple sandwiches, beef salad, and shrimp congee are served on elegant tableware.

There was also a small dish of pickled plums that she had recently taken a liking to, which were made by Shen Jinhuai himself.

The man wore a loose beige linen shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing his beautifully shaped collarbone. Sunlight danced on his black hair, making him look refreshing and relaxed.

"Um."

Wen Yu unconsciously curved her lips into a smile, met Shen Jinhuai, took the tray from his hand and placed it on the small table, then threw herself into the man's arms.

"The rain has stopped, the weather is so nice."

Wen Yu's voice was soft and sweet, as if she had just woken up.

"So, what does Mrs. Shen want to do today?"

Shen Jinhuai put his arm around Wen Yu and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear: "Shall we go for a walk on the beach? Or over to the rocks?"

"There should be a lot of beautiful seashells after the tide goes out, which we can collect and put in the studio."

"Anything is fine."

Meanwhile, in the main cabin of a black yacht in the distance, the air was still.

Zhou Shiye sat on the bed with his upper body naked, his right arm and shoulder blade wrapped in thick bandages, with faint traces of blood seeping out.

His face was pale, his lips were tightly pressed together with pain and anger, and his once unruly eyes were now filled with a capricious coldness and an uncontrollable frustration.

"Oh shit."

Zhou Shiye cursed under his breath and slammed his left fist hard against the bulkhead next to him.

This action aggravated his wound, causing the veins in his neck to bulge with pain, but his eyes glared even more fiercely at the faint outline of the island visible through the porthole.

Zhou Yingchen stood with his back to Zhou Shiye in front of the panoramic porthole, silently gazing in the same direction as his younger brother.

The man was tall and well-built, dressed in a well-fitting dark suit, as if the storm that nearly capsized the yacht the night before had nothing to do with him.

Only the white knuckles of his hands, hidden behind his back, betrayed that Zhou Yingchen was far from calm on the surface.

"Brother, I don't want to wait anymore, I really can't wait any longer."

Zhou Shiye's voice was hoarse from suppressing his anger: "That bastard surnamed Shen..."

"Shut up."

Zhou Yingchen coldly interrupted Zhou Shiye: "What good is your impulsiveness, other than getting yourself lying here?"

Zhou Shiye was speechless, his face turning even uglier, but he couldn't refute it.

A suffocating silence fell over the cabin.

After a long while, Zhou Yingchen slowly turned around.

His face was expressionless, but his unfathomable eyes were chillingly cold.

"Shen Jinhuai has taken the lead in European mergers and acquisitions."

Zhou Yingchen said coldly, "All our initial investments have gone down the drain."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiye's pupils contracted: "How could that be?"

Zhou Shiye remembers that his brother had been planning this project for a long time.

Zhou Yingchen continued, "In addition, the ports in Southeast Asia, under the influence of policy changes, have cut off three of our main shipping routes. Our revenue for the next three quarters will be greatly affected."

"Furthermore, in the core technology sector of the United States, Shen Jinhuai has used technological barriers to completely exclude us. We have no share in this future pie."

With each sentence Zhou Yingchen spoke, Zhou Shiye's face grew darker.

Only then did he realize that while he was obsessed with spying on the island with his binoculars, thinking about how to force his way close to Wen Yu, Shen Jinhuai had already silently launched several fierce attacks on the Zhou family on an unseen battlefield.

"When...when did he..."

Zhou Shiye found it hard to believe, and even more so, he found it absurd.

The Zhou family, a top-tier wealthy family in City A, was actually sunk in Jinhuai...

"He started planning this the day he took the person away."

Zhou Yingchen looked up at Zhou Shiye, his eyes cold: "Or rather, from the moment we tried to approach this island, Shen Jinhuai's counterattack began. And each move was more ruthless than the last."

Looking at the shocking data and loss assessment on the tablet computer that Zhou Yingchen handed him, Zhou Shiye felt a chill run down his spine.

He originally thought this was a battle for Wen Yu, but he never expected that it had already evolved into a life-or-death war between two business groups.

"Then we..."

Zhou Shiye's voice became hoarse, and he opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Zhou Yingchen stood before Zhou Shiye, looking down at him with a low, slow voice, carrying an almost cruel calmness: "Shen Jinhuai has cut off our path, so we'll overturn his chessboard."

Zhou Shiye was taken aback and looked up.

Zhou Yingchen leaned down and met his brother's eyes: "Isn't Shen Jinhuai concerned about those core technology projects? Isn't it because of their promising future?"

"Then I'll use the entire Zhou family's profits for the next three years to gamble on these projects of his dying in the womb."

"Three years' profit? Are you crazy? This is simply..."

Zhou Shiye gasped, staring at Zhou Yingchen in shock.

"To inflict a thousand casualties on the enemy, but also lose eight hundred of your own?"

Zhou Yingchen picked up where Zhou Shiye left off, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth: "Do you think that even if we back down, Shen Jinhuai will show us any mercy?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Yingchen turned around and looked again at the distant islands outside the window. His voice was as soft as a sigh, yet as heavy as a rock.

"He won't."

"Therefore, we must not."

Zhou Shiye lay on the bed, looking at Zhou Yingchen's extremely calm profile. Miraculously, the raging anger in his chest was replaced by a resolute determination to burn his bridges.

He understood that this was not a matter of pride, but a war with no way out.

His brother, on the other hand, has chosen the most extreme and effective method.

Zhou Shiye licked his dry, cracked lips, the last trace of restlessness in his eyes fading away, leaving only a fierce determination to achieve his goal.

"I see."

From that day on, Zhou Shiye did everything he could to help Zhou Yingchen.

The capital market is turbulent, and the two brothers are going all in.

·

Unlike the extreme ruthlessness on the yacht, Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai enjoyed a relaxed and comfortable time together on the island every day.

Sketching in the morning, reading in the afternoon, taking a walk in the evening, occasionally swimming in the ocean, or studying recipes together.

As the days went by, Wen Yu's heart became increasingly peaceful.

Sometimes she even thinks that even if she had to face those two people alone now, she wouldn't be so afraid anymore.

Because she knew that Shen Jinhuai would always be there to unconditionally support all her decisions.

But gradually, Wen Yu noticed that Shen Jinhuai, who had always been calm and composed about everything, had recently started to drift off into a daze.

Shen Jinhuai accompanied Wen Yu as she read, and sometimes his gaze would linger on a particular page for a long time.

In the man's deep eyes were complex calculations and cold glints that Wen Yu couldn't understand. When he realized that Wen Yu was watching him, he suddenly came to his senses and gave her a slightly hurried smile.

In the evening, Shen Jinhuai held Wen Yu as they watched the sunset.

The sea breeze was gentle, the atmosphere was just right, but his phone would vibrate at the most inopportune moment.

At this moment, Shen Jinhuai would first glance at the caller ID on his phone screen, place a comforting kiss on the top of her head, whisper, "Wait for me," and then walk a little further away, turn his back to her, and work in a low voice.

Even from a distance, Wen Yu could sense that Shen Jinhuai's body was tense when he answered the phone.

Furthermore, the weariness in Shen Jinhuai's eyes was becoming increasingly apparent, and even the gentlest smile could not completely conceal it.

Sometimes when Wen Yu woke up in the early morning, she would find that Shen Jinhuai had already gotten up and was standing in front of the window, his back in the morning light revealing the heaviness of fighting alone.

He even casually rubbed his temples in front of her.

This shows that Shen Jinhuai must be under tremendous pressure.

Could it be the pressure from the two Zhou brothers?

What did they do to Jinhuai?

Finally, one afternoon, when Shen Jinhuai had to briefly leave Wen Yu's study again due to an urgent communication, Wen Yu found herself in front of the computer as if by some strange twist of fate.

Her heart pounded as she turned on her computer, and then...

[Zhou's Capital maliciously inflated prices, causing Shen's Group to lose a crucial European order, with potential losses reaching hundreds of millions.]

[Quick Commentary: Zhou's aggressive tactics have led to a comprehensive crackdown on Shen's Group's core business lines.]

[Exclusive: Shen's company faces severe challenges to its cash flow; rumors suggest an emergency financing plan has been initiated.]

[In-depth analysis: In a battle between two tigers, there may be no winner; the battle between Shen and Zhou has entered its most brutal phase.]

Every headline scrolling across the screen struck Wen Yu's heart like a hammer blow.

So, so Shen Jinhuai had endured so much all by himself?

She, however, was carefully protected by him in a greenhouse, completely unaware of his torment.

At this moment, the study door was pushed open, and Shen Jinhuai walked in.

The man immediately spotted Wen Yu, who was standing in front of the computer with a pale face.

Shen Jinhuai's expression changed slightly.

He strode forward and reached out to close the laptop screen.

“Xiaoyu,”

Shen Jinhuai's voice was tense, almost imperceptibly: "Don't look at these, they're just boring exaggerations."

Wen Yu looked up, her brows furrowed: "It's not an exaggeration, you're lying to me."

"Jin Huai, you mustn't lie to me."

Upon seeing this, Shen Jinhuai's prominent Adam's apple bobbed.

He sighed and reached out to pull Wen Yu into his arms.

"sorry."

Shen Jinhuai felt the trembling of the person in his arms and closed his eyes.

He rested his chin on the top of Wen Yu's head, his voice deep and resonant: "Don't be afraid, Xiao Yu. It's not an exaggeration, but I can handle it. Trust me."

Wen Yu knew that Shen Jinhuai could solve the problem.

Even if he could, he probably wouldn't be able to easily extricate himself.

Although Wen Yu didn't know how powerful Zhou Yingchen and Zhou Shiye were, anyone who could make Shen Jinhuai so tired must be extraordinary.

And all of this is because of her.

Shen Jinhuai did this to protect himself.

Wen Yu hugged the man tightly, her cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and a certain thought flashed through her mind.

After that day, everything seemed to return to the peaceful life it had before.

Shen Jinhuai became even more considerate and meticulous, as if he wanted to shut out all the gloom brought by the outside world and fill the unease that Wen Yu might feel with double the sweetness and protection.

He turned down some tasks that could be handled remotely and spent more time with Wen Yu, trying to prove through his actions that he had everything under control.

But Wen Yu knew that some things were different.

Wen Yu no longer passively enjoyed Shen Jinhuai's protection.

She learned not to disturb Shen Jinhuai when he was lost in thought about the sea, and silently placed a glass of warm water beside him; she learned to pretend to be asleep when Shen Jinhuai returned from the study late at night, lying down with a chill in his body, but then holding his hand in the dark after he fell asleep.

Wen Yu also began to pay attention to Shen Jinhuai's dietary preferences and secretly learned to make some of the things he liked to eat.

Shen Jinhuai noticed all of Wen Yu's changes.

Faced with the Zhou Group's attack again, Shen Jinhuai was no longer tense, but relaxed a little.

With Xiaoyu around, what is there to fear from ruthless capital encirclement and suppression?

That evening, the setting sun painted the sea a warm golden hue.

Shen Jinhuai, unusually free from work, spent time with Wen Yu watching the sunset on the terrace.

The man put his arm around Wen Yu's shoulder and gently rested his chin on the top of her head.

The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

As Wen Yu gazed at the magnificent sunset on the horizon and felt the warmth emanating from the man's chest beside her, her heart felt as if something was gripping it and slowly tightening.

She turned slightly away from Shen Jinhuai's embrace, raised her head, and looked at him.

Shen Jinhuai lowered his head and met Wen Yu's gaze.

The afterglow of the setting sun danced in the girl's eyes, reflecting complex emotions that Shen Jinhuai had never seen before.

"Jinhuai,"

Wen Yu's voice was very soft: "Shall we... talk?"

When Shen Jinhuai saw Wen Yu's eyes, his heart tightened inexplicably, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on her shoulder.

"good."

Shen Jinhuai responded, his voice low and deep, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.

Wen Yu took a deep breath.

“I know that you and the Zhou family are going through a very difficult time.”

Wen Yu licked her slightly dry lips, which were dry from nervousness: "I know you don't want me to worry, so you've been bearing it all alone. But..."

At this point, Wen Yu couldn't help but lean closer and kiss Shen Jinhuai on the corner of his lips before continuing, "I feel so sorry for you, Jinhuai, I feel so sorry for you."

“Seeing you so tired, seeing you under so much pressure, and I can’t do anything about it, that feeling hurts me more than if I were to bear it all myself. And, and you’re doing all this for me, right? So I think… I should face it together with you.”