Chapter 44 [VIP]

Wen Zhiyu sat upright at his desk, pen in his right hand and book in his left, writing furiously.

The screen is split horizontally. On the left is the legal provisions of the Civil Code regarding divorce, and on the right is "How to Educate Children in Remarried Families".

These are all subjects he has never touched before, but now he must familiarize himself with them as soon as possible and do his best.

Han Shu's impulsive confession that afternoon and her quick and decisive acceptance were completely unexpected. Did she already have plans for a divorce, and perhaps even harbor some feelings for him?

Wen Zhiyu was secretly pleased, but also annoyed that he had expressed himself too vaguely and hadn't seriously said a word about liking her.

Han Shu turned and ran away after saying that; he should have chased after him.

But--

Why did she run away?

Was it shyness, or regret?

Wen Zhiyu put down his pen, interlaced his long fingers, and pressed his right thumb against the web of his left hand. He was extremely anxious and became more and more flustered the more he thought about it.

He was a naive young man with no experience in relationships, so it was normal that he couldn't hide his feelings from her. But she was different; apart from that ambiguous hug, she never revealed anything.

Was she just angry with her husband and acted impulsively?

No, no, she might change her mind tomorrow morning, right?!

Directly below the study.

"He wants you to divorce your husband and be with him???"

Han Shu held the phone further away, twirled it around his ear with his finger, and said, "Hmm."

Ling Lin was amazed and clapped her hands on the other end of the phone, "Baby, you're amazing! You're married with children and still managed to snag a handsome guy. You're a role model for us all!"

Han Shu buried his face in his elbows and chuckled for a while. "I didn't expect that either."

"Happy?"

"Happy."

But her joy was short-lived; she soon felt melancholy. "But why did he do that?"

"I like you, what other reason could there be?"

"Did he say he liked me...?" Han Shu muttered, "And he said it so suddenly, I was reading a book and he just said those two sentences out of the blue."

Ling Lin pondered, "Unable to control one's emotions?"

"He's really good to me," Han Shu chuckled again. "You know what? He even made me register my fingerprint for the smart lock on the front door!"

"Oh my, you've entered my home?"

"Can't you speak properly!"

"It's my fault, it's my fault," Ling Lin said with a forced smile. "When are you planning to tell him the truth? You can't keep lying like this!"

Han Shu moved from the sofa to the desk, opened the drawer, and took out a bag full of various colored clays and carving tools. In the small open box next to her, delicate six-flower blossoms bloomed under the warm light. "I originally planned to prepare a gift, confess my feelings after taking the initiative. Who knew that plans could not keep up with changes."

Ling Lin clicked her tongue in admiration, "And now?"

Han Shu picked up the clay and kneaded it; it was soft and fluffy. "His birthday is coming up soon."

A birthday surprise?

"secret."

Ling Lin smiled and said, "Okay, remember to let me know if there's any new information."

After hanging up the phone, Han Shu found a tutorial on a red app, took out some emerald green clay, and started sculpting. Since Wen Zhiyu had given her six-petaled flowers as a symbol of friendship, she naturally wanted to reciprocate with a gift.

Unfortunately, her idea was beautiful, but reality was cruel. She wanted to sculpt a leaf, but what she made looked like a spinach dumpling.

Han Shu: ...

I refuse to believe it, let's try again!

She approached the task with utmost patience and diligent study. The more meticulous her hand movements, the more refined her thoughts became.

Upon reflection, she realized she didn't know enough about Wen Zhiyu. She gleaned glimpses of his family background from a few words—that he grew up in an orphanage and had few friends—but what about his feelings?

Has he ever liked anyone? Has he ever had a girlfriend? Has he ever been in a relationship?

Judging by his age, he should probably be—

Wait, how big is Wenzhiyu Island?

Han Shu paused, then put down the tweezers.

He must be older than her, right? Then he must have had romantic experience too, right?

Looking back, she realized she had run away because she was shy. Why hadn't she asked him more questions? At least she should have asked him why he liked her, so she wouldn't be overthinking things like she is now.

"Sizzle!"

The chair legs rubbed against the floor.

Han Shu suddenly stood up and walked to the door.

If Wen Zhiyu is still on the first floor, she will shamelessly ask him; if he is on the second floor, she will wait until tomorrow during the day.

Having thought it through, she summoned a death-defying courage and flung open the door—

Hearing the noise, Wen Zhiyu stopped, one foot on the third to last step and the other on the fourth to last step, and stared intently over.

Han Shu was startled at first, pressing his back against the door, then stared intently at it, "Aren't...not asleep yet?"

"No, I can't sleep." Wen Zhiyu continued walking. "What about you?"

"No." Han Shu's heart raced again, and she nervously gripped the doorknob. "I want to ask you a question."

Hearing this, Yu nodded, pretending to listen attentively.

"It's just...it's just...um..." The words were on the tip of Han Shu's tongue, but he couldn't get them out. The more he stammered and couldn't speak, the deeper the redness on his cheeks and at the corners of his eyes became.

Seeing this, Wen Zhiyu came up the steps and stopped in front of her.

Han lowered his head and mumbled an "okay."

Having received permission, Wen Zhiyu didn't hesitate and said in one breath, "I like you, I like you very seriously. Will you regret it?"

Han Shu: !!!

She looked up, met his gaze, then quickly retreated back into the room and slammed the door shut.

like!

He confessed his feelings!

The worries of moments before were instantly replaced by overwhelming joy, and the restless heart, which had been wandering and speculating, suddenly settled down.

like!

I genuinely like it!

Han Shu was so happy that he jumped up and down on the spot.

I like her, I really like her, and then what did I say? I asked her if she would regret it?

Why didn't she answer? What if Wen Zhiyu leaves?

Han Shu opened the door a crack and peeked inside—

Fortunately, Wen Zhiyu remained in the same position, only looking puzzled and bewildered.

Wen Zhiyu was more than just confused and bewildered.

Han Shu turned and ran away. What does that mean? It means she didn't want to answer his question, and it means she most likely regretted it!

Just as he was sinking into irreversible despair, a mushroom-shaped head peeked out from the crack in the door, its cheeks flushed, and it blinked its eyes. "I didn't go back on my word."

The wind outside howled like a whistle, making the window frames rattle and creak. To Wen Zhiyu's ears, it was more pleasant than a world-class symphony orchestra performance.

Han Shu thought for a moment and added, "Not in the future either."

"Bang!"

The mushroom head shrank back.

Wen Zhiyu stared at the door, his lips curving upwards to reveal eight teeth.

Han Shu leaned against the door, grinning from ear to ear.

The typhoon has passed.

One is full of expectations, carefully studies the divorce law, and fully learns the theoretical knowledge required to be a stepfather.

One of them was overjoyed and diligently studied the art of clay sculpting and carving.

For a whole week, they ate together, washed dishes together, and read books together, tacitly maintaining the boundaries of being more than lovers.

Wen Zhiyu didn't say anything because it was Han Shu's choice when to end a marriage, and he only needed to wait patiently.

Han Shu didn't say anything, naturally for that day.

As the storm subsided and the first rays of sunlight peeked through the thick clouds, D-Day arrived.

Han Shu got up early and dressed up carefully, putting on light makeup, tying up her messy hair, and even taking out the blue halter-neck dress that inspired Wen Zhiyu.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw a rather gentle and refined air about her. She nodded in satisfaction, picked up the prepared gift, and slung it over her shoulder.

The first floor was quiet; Wen Zhiyu seemed to be still asleep. She opened the living room and windows to let in some fresh air, intending to read while waiting, but every word seemed to wriggle in her eyes like tiny insects. Twisting and wriggling, the words coalesced into a human face, thin lips slightly moving, clearly uttering a few words—

I like you.

Han Shu lay sprawled on the sofa, feeling as if his heart had been soaked in honey, so sweet it was almost unbearable.

When she heard the sound of a door opening and closing on the second floor, she sprang to her feet and crept to the corner of the stairs to wait.

"Okay, I've sent you the password." Wen Zhiyu said on the phone as he went downstairs. "We'll talk more when we meet."

He put his phone in his pocket, hesitating whether to knock on the door and call Han Shu for breakfast, when a blue figure appeared in his sight.

"Hey!"

Wen Zhiyu couldn't help but smile. "Good morning."

Han Shu, with his hands behind his back, fiddled with the edge of the box. "Is your manager coming?"

"Yes," Wen Zhiyu explained, "The contract was a bit urgent, so he rushed over as soon as the flight resumed. He should be here in about ten minutes. Sorry, it was a bit sudden."

"It's nothing," Han Shu shook his head.

If it's only ten minutes, then she doesn't have much time left.

Wen Zhiyu immediately noticed that her expression was different. "If it's inconvenient, I'll go out to meet you."

"No need, no need." Han Shu shook his head repeatedly. "I was just thinking, the weather's nice today, how about we go out for lunch together? After all, it's your birthday!"

Wen Zhiyu chuckled, "It's just a birthday."

"It's my birthday!" Han Shu leaned forward playfully, smiling broadly. "Happy birthday, Teacher Wen!"

Having said that, he finally revealed the hand that had been hidden behind his back. Palm up, a dark green ribbon wrapped around an exquisite white gift box.

Wen Zhiyu's smile faded, replaced by a suppressed surprise. He took it and carefully opened it with two fingers.

A green bonsai carved from clay comes into view. Its large leaves are emerald green with yellow-green veins, and when gathered together, they resemble a forest.

"This plant is called the Green Swan Alocasia. Its leaves are very beautiful and symbolize happiness and good fortune. Wishing Teacher Wen joy every day and all the best." Han Shu paused, biting her lip, and asked softly, "Do you like it?"

A smile appeared on Wen Zhiyu's face as he held the small potted plant in both hands, his Adam's apple bobbing several times. "Thank you, I like it very much."

"Um... this is my first time doing this, so I'm not very skilled and it might be a bit rough."

Wen Zhiyu traced the slender stem with his fingertips and shook his head vigorously, "No, this is the most perfect gift."

Han Shu scratched his neck sheepishly. "I have something else I want to tell you. Actually, there's something I need to be honest with."

"Hmm." Wen Zhiyu looked at her intently, waiting silently.

"Then, you have to promise that you won't get angry no matter what I say."

"Unless you go back on your word, I won't get angry no matter what you say..." Wen Zhiyu thought for a moment, then smiled self-deprecatingly, "But even if you do go back on your word, I guess I still won't be able to get angry."

Seeing the dejected look in his eyes, Han Shu felt a pang of pain in her heart, and her guilt intensified. At the same time, his tolerant attitude gave her the courage to be honest.

Han Shu took a deep breath and finally blurted out the words that had been weighing on her mind for so long, "Actually, I didn't—"

"Surprise!!!"

The security door swung open, and Qin Jianling strode in, arms outstretched, one hand holding flowers and the other a cake. "Happy birthday, Lao Wen—"

Han Shu recognized the person and his jaw dropped in shock. "You...you...you—"

Qin Jianling looked left and right, then the flowers in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. "You are—"

The two of them looked at Wen Zhiyu at the same time.

"You are the Divine Metal!!!"