Chapter 57 [VIP]

Wen Zhiyu is building with blocks again.

Building blocks in my mind.

Red with red, blue with blue, and the rest of the colors mixed together form a solid wall.

He lifted his head from between his knees and leaned against the wall. His chest trembled slightly, and the wall instantly cracked in several places, and the castle collapsed.

The flow of time is unpredictable. Sometimes it's slow, each second feeling like an eternity. Sometimes it's fast, fleeting like a white horse galloping past. And sometimes... people forget that time even exists.

Wen Zhiyu sat in the darkness, forgetting the time, forgetting where he was, and even forgetting the words that shattered him.

His mind was in a state of confusion, and his five senses were detached. He was like that little dog sent into space by humans, yearning to return to Earth and his home, yet falling into endless despair because of this endless yearning.

The door remained tightly closed, exactly as I remembered it.

Past, present, and future converge into a single, dense point in Wen Zhiyu's dazed eyes.

When a cool, soft hand caressed his numb cheek, a wave of fresh, crisp oxygen swept over him, and the vacuum chamber was forced open from the inside.

Wen Zhiyu, unsure whether it was reality or fantasy, moved his thin lips woodenly, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. Can you please not leave me?"

Reality or fantasy.

Don't leave.

"Wenzhiyu".

Along with the hug came the girl's voice, slightly choked with sobs.

Wen Zhiyu's nose brushed against the uneven lace collar of his shirt, moving inch by inch with irregular breaths, finally burying itself in the exposed side of his neck, breathing with all his might, like a fish out of water, wishing he could drown in this sea.

Han Shu gently stroked his hair, the back of his neck, and his shoulders. His voice trembled slightly as he tried to suppress his panic, "I won't leave, even if you try to drive me away!"

Wen Zhiyu's whole body stiffened, and he couldn't even do a simple action like raising his hand to hug her back.

"I just... I was angry today and said whatever came to mind. My mom came suddenly, so I wanted to talk to her about my recent plans first... Only by convincing her to accept my career can I stand up straight and tell her that Wen Zhiyu is my boyfriend, and no matter what the future holds, I want to walk with Wen Zhiyu." Han Shu became more and more determined as she spoke, but the more she spoke, the more she felt that she could not express herself accurately in words, and she wished she could tear her heart out.

Wen Zhiyu slowly raised his head, his thin lips tracing a path from the side of his neck and earlobe to his round cheeks, his forehead touching Han Shu's temple, brushing against the layer of fluffy wisps of hair.

Han Shu felt a little pain and itchiness, but she stubbornly refused to move, pouting, "You just believe me!"

Wen Zhiyu remained silent.

Han Shu panicked. His numb legs sank down to his knees on the floor, and he cupped the man's face in his hands. "I don't want you to see my mother because I'm afraid she'll treat you badly. You've seen my mother's temper. I can tolerate being criticized and beaten, but I can't let you suffer."

Their eyes met, and the emotions in their eyes were clearly visible.

Wen Zhiyu lowered his eyelids, trying to hide his vulnerability at that moment, "I'm like a useless piece of trash, I can't do anything for you."

"What nonsense are you talking about! I don't need you to do anything for me, I don't need you to sacrifice yourself! I...I—"

Language was too limited, so Han Shu grabbed Wen Zhiyu's chin and kissed him forcefully.

Their lips met, like rain after a long drought; both were drawn closer and closer to each other. Han Shu's arms encircled Wen Zhiyu's neck, while Wen Zhiyu's large hands gripped Han Shu's slender waist. Her abdomen pressed against his chest, and his long, open legs encircled her thighs. Yet even so, it wasn't enough; they still wanted to be closer.

Wen Zhiyu used his right hand to lift the person up.

Han Shu suddenly felt weightless and almost cried out in surprise, then sat heavily on his hard lap the next second. Along with the force of gravity, came a kiss even more passionate than before.

She soared through the clouds, plunged into the sea, clung to her surfboard as she sped toward the shore, and then lay still in the warm sand.

As her back sank into the soft bed, Han Shu's breath caught in her throat. She remained in a state of oxygen deprivation, her face flushed, her eyes wide as she stared intently at Wen Zhiyu.

At close range, Wen Zhiyu rubbed the tip of her small nose with the bridge of his high nose. Desire surged to his cerebral cortex, but miraculously, it brought back his lost rationality.

He and Han Shu had a fight.

Instead of apologizing after the argument, Han Shu tried to coax him.

He had another episode, and he made sure the person he least wanted to see him in this state was there.

He also, he also—

Wen Zhiyu rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, burying his head and panting heavily. The stale air in his lungs reminded him of his wretched state.

Han Shu braced himself on the bed with his elbows and slowly sat up. "W-what's wrong?"

Wen Zhiyu didn't turn around, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."

Han Shu was running a fever and his cheeks were burning. His mind wasn't quite clear either. He hadn't figured out what this apology was all about. When he saw Han Shu stand up to leave, he quickly reached out and grabbed Han Shu's wrist.

Wen Zhiyu was caught off guard and fell back down. The next second, the warm and soft body was back in his arms.

"Where are you going?"

Wen Zhiyu tried to break free, but feeling the weight, he twisted his wrist, his palm moving from the outside in, pulling the person firmly into his embrace. "Go to work."

Han Shu tightened his arms, and as he walked away, he saw Wen Zhiyu turn his face away in the opposite direction, his eyelids trembling.

Seeing his expression return, Han Shu was initially relieved, but perhaps too hastily...

At this moment, his vulnerability and embarrassment had nowhere to hide, laid bare before her. At this moment, she thought of the aloof and distant guesthouse owner Wen Zhiyu when they first met, of the writer Wen Zhiyu who remained calm and composed amidst the crowd, and of the childish Wen Zhiyu who pestered her with questions and games.

He is both simple and complex. He is both pure and multifaceted.

Han Shu never expected him to show such an expression, like a homeless, broken little boy, bewildered and helpless.

It was at this moment that she realized they hadn't chatted, played games, fed the cat, or planted flowers together in a long time. Wen Zhiyu hadn't laughed from the bottom of his heart in a long time either. If Wen Zhiyu hadn't insisted on driving her to and from Houhai, how many words would they have exchanged each day?

Han Shu couldn't hold back her tears, which streamed down her face and landed on Wen Zhiyu's disheveled collar. "I'm sorry, I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't spent enough time with you."

Hearing this, Wen Zhiyu felt even more ashamed and laughed self-deprecatingly, "You've been under so much pressure and so busy lately, and I still need you to keep me company..."

"Yes, I'll be with you." Han Shu sniffed, "Just like you insist on driving me to and from work every day."

Wen Zhiyu kept his eyelids down. "Don't take what I said to heart. It was my fault—"

"It was my fault for not communicating with you beforehand." Han Shu pressed her finger to his lips, forcibly silencing him. "I was indeed anxious to get the club on the right track, because only when we're firmly established and my parents accept it can I confidently consider our future. I didn't want you involved because..."

"Why?" Wen Zhiyu immediately pressed for an answer.

Han Shu rested his chin on Wen Zhiyu's shoulder, his voice lowered with embarrassment, and he mumbled, "Because I'm afraid you'll find out that the shop is robbing Peter to pay Paul, throwing money into it with its wealth... I don't want your money."

Wen Zhiyu frowned. "So you asked your parents for money, and that's how your aunt discovered the truth?"

"Uh." Han Shu drooped his eyebrows and eyes. "Anyway, I just want to solve all the problems on my own, find my value, and gain a foothold."

Wen Zhiyu was half angry and half helpless. He stroked her loose hair and the back of her head. "Am I an outsider? You risked borrowing money from your parents without even asking me?"

"Hmm." Han Shu poked his shoulder with her pointed chin. "You just need to be a good boss lady and worry about everything else."

Wen Zhiyu sighed and kissed her hair. "I know, let's not talk about money. What about labor? As the boss's wife, you can at least do some hard work, right?"

Han Shu rolled his eyes, pretended to think for a while, and said, "Then it depends on the boss's mood."

"I'll apply for manual labor when the boss is in a better mood."

"Okay." Han Shu smiled. "From now on, we'll discuss everything, okay?"

"Okay," Wen Zhiyu replied gently.

Sensing the calm tone in his voice, Han Shu twisted her waist and took the opportunity to steal a glance at him.

Wen Zhiyu's complexion did look better, and the strength in his arms around her returned to normal, but he still didn't look at her.

Han Shu turned his head back to the center, forehead to forehead, and asked, "Are you still angry?"

Wen Zhiyu had no choice but to meet her gaze, then lowered his eyelids again and awkwardly cleared his throat, "No."

"Why are you hiding? You're not even looking at me." Han Shu forcefully pulled his eyelids open with her fingers. "Speak! Tell the truth!"

Wen Zhiyu's eyes were practically popping out of his head from all the torment she was giving him, so he had no choice but to surrender and grab her wrist. "I wasn't feeling well this morning, and I didn't want you to see me like that..."

Han Shu chuckled at his shy and withdrawn appearance. "What's wrong? Feeling like you've lost face and are afraid I won't like it?"

“…Hmm.” Wen Zhiyu stiffened his neck and breathed through his nose.

Han Shu found Wen Zhiyu's tense expression increasingly adorable, and gave him a big kiss. "Don't worry, Teacher Wen, I've seen you fall flat on your face before, but that doesn't affect how much I like you now!"

Wen Zhiyu's pupils dilated in shock, his voice rising soaring almost to the point of cracking, "What?!"

Six months later, Han Shu finally burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, the day I checked in, you were playing on the bouncy pole, and I saw everything while I was peeking through the window, hahahahahahaha!"

"..." Wen Zhiyu's silence was deafening, and his cheeks secretly flushed red.

Han Shu nestled in Wen Zhiyu's arms and laughed heartily, not forgetting to rub his lips with her thumb. "I must say, your thin lips are beautiful, and they're beautiful even after you've had lip augmentation. You're beautiful no matter what."

Wen Zhiyu: "..."

Having lost both his dignity and his reputation, Teacher Wen gave up on himself and lost all his strength.

"Alright!" Han Shu lightly tapped Wen Zhiyu's brow with his fingertip, forcibly smoothing out the wrinkles. "What I wanted to say is that I love you no matter what. I love you when you're handsome, and I love you when you're embarrassed. As for this morning, I don't feel like it ruined your image at all. On the contrary, I feel sorry for you, so sorry for you, and I feel so guilty. It's all my fault for not talking to you properly."

Wen Zhiyu felt a warmth in his heart and turned his head to kiss her fingers. "It's my fault. I'm too sensitive and fragile."

Han Shu looked up and laughed, "It's okay, you're a little prince! I hope you'll always be that little prince who can play on the bouncy pole during a typhoon."

Wen Zhiyu shook his head and said seriously, "I only want to be Han Shu's boyfriend forever."