Chapter 32 [VIP]

Han Shu felt that Wen Zhiyu was writing a family ethics drama.

Is this what they call realistic themes?

She rolled her eyes. "That depends on the specific circumstances."

Wen Zhiyu raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, revealing the urgency beneath his calm exterior. "What's the situation?"

Han Shu always felt that he was exceptionally serious; if he were a dog, he would definitely be listening intently with his ears perked up. Therefore, after carefully considering for a moment, she said, "If his feelings cause trouble for the other person and their family, then of course it's immoral. If no one finds out, then it's a different story... There shouldn't be anything wrong with liking someone, right?"

Wen Zhiyu stared at her intently and repeated, "There's nothing wrong with liking someone."

When the topic of unfamiliar emotions came up, Han Shu felt a little embarrassed by his gaze. "After all, people can only control their behavior, not their emotions. If you like someone silently, it's just a personal matter, so it can't be considered immoral."

Wen Zhiyu's tense body visibly relaxed, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his eye as he smiled with relief.

Han Shu was completely confused. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Wen Zhiyu's eyelids remained lowered, his voice strange and hoarse. "Thank you."

"That's it?" Han Shu's conscience trembled again. "Aren't you going to ask a few more questions?"

"No." Wen Zhiyu picked up a piece of pasta with his fork and ate it slowly.

Han Shu rotated his right wrist as a fulcrum, leading the question: "Don't you want to kill someone, or swallow something?"

"……In no mood."

"Wouldn't you like to play a two-player game? How about another egg-smashing game?"

"...Has the burn healed?"

Han Shu held up his arm to show, "It'll scab over, and it'll heal right away. It won't affect anything at all."

Wen Zhiyu didn't utter a sound or even look up. He finished his meal in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and strode upstairs. He didn't say another word the entire time.

Han Shu couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but something seemed off about everything.

This strange feeling lasted until I went to the vet to pick up my three cats, and it reached its peak when my landlord, Mr. Wen, whom I hadn't seen for several days, pulled a huge airline crate out of the trunk.

"When—was this bought?"

"My aunt bought it for me." Wen Zhiyu carried it in his hand and walked into the store first.

Why would he buy an airline-approved pet carrier? Han Shu couldn't understand, so he jogged to catch up and stammered, "Well... I haven't found an adopter yet. Sterilization is a surgery, after all, and I want to take care of the pet for a while longer."

Wen Zhiyu pushed open the glass door but didn't go in. Instead, he stepped aside to make room for her and raised his chin slightly in acknowledgment.

Han Shu stopped, clenching his hands. "Can I leave it with the housekeeper in the guest room?"

Wen Zhiyu's light gaze swept over her, "We'll talk about it when we get back."

Han Shu wanted to ask more questions, but the receptionist had already come out to greet him, so he had to give up.

"Dami is with the doctor, I'll take you there."

"Okay, thank you."

As Han Shu walked through the lobby, she heard Da Mi's meows from afar, and her pace quickened unconsciously. She was supposed to be discharged three days ago, but the blisters on her arm hadn't gone down yet, making it inconvenient for her to come. That meant she hadn't seen the cat for a week.

"Are you alright, Da Mi?"

"Everything is fine," the receptionist smiled. "The wound is healing very well, and I've been spending the last few days with the two little ones."

"That's good."

After turning the corner, the doctor's office is just ahead.

Han Shu turned around to see if Wen Zhiyu had followed, but the latter had just raised his phone, made a gesture to answer the call, and then turned to leave.

"Oh, the airline crate!"

Wen Zhiyu moved the microphone away, "I'll be right back."

"Oh." Han Shu reluctantly looked away.

"Meow!" Big Mimi suddenly meowed loudly.

Han Shu snapped out of his daze, rushed inside, and let out a thunderous shout, "Dami!"

At the end of the corridor, Wen Zhiyu twitched his ears and then chuckled softly.

Qin Jianling roared angrily through the receiver, "What are you laughing at? I'm serious!"

Wen Zhiyu placed the airline case on the floor next to the counter before leaving the store. The weather was sunny, the air humid and scorching. He shielded his forehead with his hand, but couldn't block the ultraviolet rays. His dark eyes narrowed slightly. "I know, but it's unnecessary."

"What do you mean 'no need'!" Qin Jianling roared. "You've fallen for a married woman and are even living together. What if sparks fly? What if something unexpected happens? What if her husband comes knocking on your door? If this gets out, you'll be drowned in spittle!"

Wen Zhiyu sighed softly, "Don't worry, the situation you're worried about won't happen."

"You know?" Qin Jianling asked sarcastically. "Then tell us, Teacher Wen, what exactly do you know?"

"I would never do anything to interfere in someone else's family."

"What guarantee do you have? Unless you make her move out today, then I'll believe you and we'll drop this matter. Otherwise, you must now connect to the online recollection and prepare a unified statement for public relations!"

"Unless she asks for it, it's absolutely impossible."

"you--"

"No need."

The receiver crackled with the sound of an angry slam on the table: "Zhiyu, what do you like about her?"

Wen Zhiyu slowly lowered his hand and then slowly lowered his head. In the crack of the steps, an unknown little flower drooped listlessly under the scorching sun, its pure white petals curled up, looking pitiful. He took a step forward, and the shadow fell upon him, leaving a small patch of coolness.

He replied, "I don't know."

"So many outstanding women, both inside and outside the industry, admire your talent. Do you remember Xiao Ya, the editor I met at the Young Writers Forum in February? She repeatedly asked me to arrange a private meeting with you. Editor Xiao is a graduate of a prestigious university, beautiful, and I heard that her parents are both university professors. Professionally speaking, she's practically a colleague. How come she can't compare to a married woman?"

"Why compare? And who will judge?" Wen Zhiyu frowned, his tone suddenly turning cold. "Even if we take a step back, excellence is only a matter of the individual. It has nothing to do with marital status, appearance, or parents. She is a resilient and courageous girl, and that alone is enough to match the evaluation of excellence."

"I'm sorry, I misspoke," Qin Jianling said hoarsely. "But Zhiyu, falling for someone who has a family is destined to have no future."

"I didn't think about the outcome. My feelings for her are my own business; she'll never know."

"You can't hide your feelings."

"Then try your best not to let her find out."

"Is it worth persisting in something that has no future? Let her leave as soon as possible; it's better for both of you."

Wen Zhiyu shook his head vigorously, "No."

Qin Jianling was furious, "You're torturing yourself!"

"I'm willing, that's all that matters. Is it wrong to like someone silently?"

"What if one day you're no longer satisfied with just liking someone silently, but instead crave a response?"

Wen Zhiyu firmly replied, "I won't."

Qin Jianling scoffed, "All talk and no action."

“Jianling,” Wen Zhiyu emphasized, “Anyone in the world could potentially interfere in someone else’s family, but I would never do that.”

What guarantees do you have?

“I swear on my writing career. If I’m lucky enough to finish that realistic novel, you’ll know why.” Wen Zhiyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his hands, hanging by his sides, trembled slightly. “She’s the only person I’ve ever met who can hear me. I just want to steal a little more time, just time… is that not allowed?”

Sensing his resolve, Qin Jianling took a long time to find her voice, "Zhiyu, if one day she leaves, can you accept it?"

"Squeak!"

The glass door behind me creaked open, followed by the girl's deliberately lowered voice.

"Wen Zhiyu?"

Wen Zhiyu's Adam's apple bobbed. "He's hanging up."

He shoved his phone, along with his still slightly trembling hand, back into his pocket. In the instant he turned around, the emotions churning in his eyes were suppressed back into his shell of indifference.

Han Shu gripped the doorknob and poked his fluffy mushroom-shaped head out. "Can we go now? Shall we go?"

Wen Zhiyu nodded, stepped inside, and picked up the rather heavy airline crate containing the three cats. "Let's go."

The return journey was also marked by silence.

Han Shu tried to bring up the topic several times, but when she met the man's tense and somewhat sharp profile, she could only swallow her words silently.

After parking the car, Wen Zhiyu strode away carrying the airline case.

Han Shu followed behind, explaining in a rambling manner: "Just ask the housekeeper in the guest room. I've already ordered the cat litter, litter box, and cat food. I'll take care of everything, and I'll find an adopter as soon as possible."

"Let's cancel the reservation," Wen Zhiyu said as he changed his shoes and walked inside.

Han Shu panicked and, without even bothering to untie the straps of his sandals, stepped on his heels to force them off, then shuffled after him in his slippers. "If you don't want to, you can keep them in the garage. I'll make sure they're clean!"

The guest rooms were on the left, but Wen Zhiyu, carrying a suitcase, walked towards the corridor on the right.

Han Shu asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"

"Keep up," Wen Zhiyu said calmly.

When he reached the second-to-last room, he pushed the door open forcefully, put the cat down, and left without saying a word.

In the fleeting moment as they brushed past each other, Han Shu finally saw the scene inside the house clearly.

Three solid wood cat trees of different sizes, shapes, and heights occupy three corners, while two covered litter boxes, one large and one small, are placed in the last corner. By the window, three cat bowls are arranged in a row, and next to them is a cat treadmill. In addition, there is a silk cat bed, a scratching post, and cat toys.

I don't know when, but this place was transformed into a cat house.

Han Shu didn't care about letting the cat go free and ran after that receding figure.

She grabbed the man's wrist, finally stopping him in his tracks. "Did you prepare all of this? Why?"

Wen Zhiyu turned to the side, his eyelids drooping, his gaze lowered.

Han Shu looked around and realized she had chased him to about a third of the way down the stairs. This was an area off-limits to guests. She hurriedly let go, backed down the stairs, and then looked up. "I want to talk to you."

"What should we talk about?"

"Let's talk about long-term rentals."

Wen Zhiyu's posture remained unchanged, but whether it was Han Shu's imagination or not, he seemed to tense up instantly, even the lazy tapping of the armrest revealed vigilance.

Han Shu waited a moment but still didn't get a reply, so he couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "What's wrong with you these past few days?"

"It's nothing," Wen Zhiyu said. "Let's talk another day."

"If you're busy right now, can I ask you during lunch?"

"I'm not eating today."

"Why?"

"I don't want to eat."

If Han Shu still couldn't detect his targeting at this moment, he couldn't be described as oblivious; he would be considered foolish.

How inexplicable! She frowned angrily, "If you have any complaints about me, you can just say so."

Wen Zhiyu was taken aback, then smiled faintly, "No, I just need some time."

He turned and walked toward the second floor, which Han Shu could not reach, seemingly with steady steps, but in reality, he was fleeing in panic.